TechRadar News

• Apple's reportedly shelved plans for a pair of smart glasses that connected to the Mac
• According to Bloomberg, the glasses would have had "advanced projectors" for layering AR elements
• The smart glasses would have required a tether to the Mac

If there’s one thing for sure about 2025, it’s that the smart glasses sector is heating up with plenty of rumors about future Meta glasses that stretch beyond the readily available Ray-Ban ones, Samsung and Google working on a pair, and countless other competitors.

However, it seems that Apple’s reported work on a pair of AR smart glasses that would have connected to a Mac for power has been canceled or shelved this week, according to new reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The glasses themselves would have taken the design of regular glasses – much like Ray-Ban’s Meta smart glasses – with built-in displays and the ability to connect to a Mac to unlock fresh experiences. The product itself has been rumored for quite some time, and like the Apple Watch, it wouldn't have been an entirely standalone device.

The project, reportedly dubbed N107, would have had “advanced projectors that could display information, images and video in the field of view for each eye,” as described by Gurman. There can be comparisons made to Project Orion, which TechRadar got to demo and was impressed by, and like the Vision Pro – Apple’s $3,499 spatial computing headset – it can layer elements over the real world.

According to Gurman, the idea was to create smart AR glasses products for the masses, and the purported smart glasses would have fit that bill quite nicely, even if they required a connection to another device. It could have given Apple an offering at a lower price point than the Vision Pro and more in line with Ray-Ban Meta’s smart glasses or even the X-Real’s, which can also take a screen and broadcast it much larger with a pair of glasses.

Gurman writes, “The company shuttered the program this week, according to people with knowledge of the move.” Additionally, he shares that the internal testing wasn’t hitting the right mark with testers and that before Apple opted for the route of these connecting to a Mac, the original goal was an iPhone.

While this pair of Apple smart glasses is reportedly shelved – though, in classic Apple fashion, the company did not ever confirm its existence or development – the tech giant is reportedly still working on a more affordable Vision Pro, likely without ‘Pro’ in the name. At some point in the future, the goal is still to create “a set of standalone AR glasses.”

It’s clear that the eventual goal is glasses, as they are the most familiar design to consumers. Heck, I wear glasses every day, as do countless others, and this would likely lead to larger adoption. We’ve gotten a taste of these with Ray-Ban Metas, and while those lack a screen, the built-in cameras, speakers, and microphones do add some affordances, like snapping a photo without having to pull out your phone or listening to music while in a full, completely unobtrusive transparency mode.

This news comes right after Gurman shared more information on reportedly in the works AirPods with cameras, which could be seen as a way to go after the market currently filled by Meta's Ray-Ban. Potentially, even helping Apple Intelligence and Siri be more helpful through sight.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

We also know that Samsung and Google are working together on a pair of smart glasses running Android XR, but a headset dubbed ‘Project Moohan’ or whatever the actual product name might be will have to arrive first. Snapchat has a new pair of glasses that TechRadar’s editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff has tried, and Meta has Project Orion, which will likely arrive as a consumer product as early as 2027.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The experience that Apple created with Vision Pro is a compelling one, and definitely among the best mixtures of hardware, software, and features that I’ve tried. One of the biggest issues, though, is price – at $3,499, it’s not a product that you might just buy on a whirl, and Apple needs to work to get the price down. It’s clear that is a goal as well as giving future iterations a more comfortable, everyday form factor.

Gurman reaffirms that a more affordable Vision Pro headset is in the works and promises to share more soon in this latest report. Additionally, smart glasses that don’t require a tether from another device and other wearables, including AirPods with cameras, are still an eventual goal.

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• Unsupervised Full Self-Driving will launch in Austin, Texas in June
• Musk says more affordable models will see Tesla return to growth
• Sound familiar? Tesla's CEO has promised all of this before

Tesla’s quarterly earnings calls are always entertaining affairs, with the company’s CEO seemingly using them as a platform to wildly promise things that, more often than not, fail to materialize.

The most recent Q4, 2024 results revealed that the company missed its revenue expectations, which caused the Tesla share price to fall 4% following the news – although it did bounce back, according to Forbes.

Part of this can be blamed on the fact that Musk went full bluster mode with the assurance of several major milestones in 2025 – without the detail investors and the general public crave.

First up, Musk says the company will launch Unsupervised Full Sell-Driving as early as June this year, with the project due to be rolled out in Austin, Texas. However, rather than offer the service to the vast number of customers that have already paid to unlock the software, Musk says it will instead be a "paid service".

Details are, quite predictably, scarce, but the fact that it is being touted as a separate entity to customer-facing Full Self-Driving software likely means it will be appear in the form of a geofenced autonomous ride-hailing service. You know, similar to what Waymo is successfully doing. Waymo, a company that now operates in four major US cities.

In another move to bolster investor confidence, Musk also revealed that Tesla is intent on producing more "affordable" vehicles, which are tipped to be based on (and look eerily similar to) the Model 3 and Model Y, but cost in the region of $30,000 to $40,000 (roughly £28,000 / AU$55,000). Not the $25,000 car that was rumored last year.

Production of this more affordable model is slated to begin in the first half of 2025, according to Electrek, despite the company not revealing any details about design, specification or what the customer can expect.

Much of Elon Musk’s predicted growth for the business hinges on increasing levels of autonomous driving making its way to public roads, with the CEO reiterating that he thinks we will see unsupervised self-driving in California and Texas in the second quarter of 2025.

But this has been promised many times (as early as 2016) and the sentiment completely ignores the fact that the legal framework for allowing such technology on public roads still doesn’t exist.

Analysis: The bluster is getting boring

(Image credit: Tesla)

Elon Musk is a divisive character, and it’s easy to either get caught up in his wild clairvoyance or become frustrated by the amount of fantasy that is promised and rarely delivered.

It's part of the reason why the company has garnered such a loyal, and a times aggressive, fanbase. No other automaker splits opinion like Tesla.

It’s a shame, because this division takes so much away from what the company has achieved – chiefly creating one of the most reliable charging networks on the planet and producing not only the best-selling EVs but the best-selling car in the world (that’s the Model Y).

The focus on unsupervised self-driving seems counterintuitive, as rival companies, such as Waymo, are leagues ahead in the the geofenced, autonomous ride-hailing game, clocking up hundreds of thousands of miles without disengagement (where a human has to intervene) or incident.

Personally, I’d like to see Tesla get back to doing what it does best – chiefly producing EVs and technology that people want to buy, rather than this endless stream of memes, hype and wildly optimistic promises.

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• Amazon is hiking prices for its Music Unlimited plans.
• The Music Unlimited individual plan without Prime is now the same price as Spotify.
• There's a bigger case to be made for another streaming service.

If you currently get your music fix courtesy of Amazon Music Unlimited, we have some bad news: whether you’re a Prime member or not, it’s about to get more expensive to listen to your favorite songs, albums, and playlists this way.

Amazon has announced a price hike for all tiers of its Amazon Music Unlimited streaming service and published an FAQ detailing the changes.

For Prime Members, an individual plan jumps to $10.99 a month from $9.99, and an annual subscription is now $109 from $99. Without Prime – though I’m not sure how many subscribers this might be – a Music Unlimited individual plan is going from $10.99 to $11.99.

If you’re subscribed as a family, that Music Unlimited Plan is getting the biggest increase at $19.99 monthly from $16.99 and $199.99 from $169.99 for a yearly plan.

For individuals, though, the increase now puts Music Unlimited without Prime at the same price as Spotify, $11.99 for an individual plan. Even with a Prime membership, Amazon Music Unlimited isn't as much of a bargain as it once was.

(Image credit: Amazon Music)

The new prices are in effect right now, as of January 29, 2025, for new customers, and folks already subscribed to Music Unlimited with or without the Prime member discount will see the new prices on or after March 5, 2025. It depends on when your billing cycle date falls.

Given the price hikes, opting for Amazon over Spotify or another streaming service becomes a bit harder to answer. I personally use both Apple Music and Spotify, and many of my colleagues favor one of these, especially for the Wrapped experience on the latter.

Sure, Amazon Music Unlimited offers the essentials, including ad-free streaming, playlists, and some curation. Further, it even offers HD audio and lossless, something that we’re still waiting for Spotify to match .. speaking of which, have we heard about Spotify Hi-Fi yet in 2025?

And what Amazon Music Unlimited lacks, let's say, in curation, Apple Music and Spotify more than make up for, not to mention with larger purported user bases, there’s a better chance some of your friends might be using one or two of them. Apple Music still offers radio stations and various playlists curated by artists, and Spotify has pushed with its AI DJ and ever-popular 'Daylist' offering.

Like Netflix’s reasoning for its price hikes earlier this month, Amazon is also touting more features in the future. In the FAQ, Amazon writes, “In order to bring you even more content and new features, we’re updating the price of select Amazon Music Unlimited plans.”

One benefit of Music Unlimited is that it easily integrates with Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays, but you can also switch to your preferred platform just as easily.

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• A new highjacking attack targets Chrome browsers
• It could steal all your browser data and even from your OS
• There are several ways for users to fight back

Whether you believe it to be the best web browser, Google Chrome is undoubtedly the most popular search engine by a landslide. For that reason, it remains a popular target for hackers as well. And now, a massive new threat is on the horizon, which could threaten billions of users.

A new attack called ‘Browser Syncjacking’ has been discovered by security researchers at the cybersecurity firm SquareX (reported on by BleepingComputer). Though it requires several steps, it’s shockingly easy for the average Chrome user to fall victim, as it needs minimal permissions.

First, a malicious Google Workspace domain is created with multiple user profiles, and security features like multi-factor authentication are disabled. This is used to create managed profiles in the background of the victim’s devices. Then, hackers will then create a malicious Chrome extension to launch on the official Chrome Store, appearing as a useful tool to attract potential victims.

Once any potential victims install the extension, it hides a browser window that runs in the background to log the victim into one of the Workspace profiles previously made. The final step involves tricking the victim into activating Chrome sync by opening a very real Chrome support page that’s been tampered with, then guiding them through turning on sync. If this happens, that person’s full Chrome account and stored data — including browsing history and passwords — are now available on the hacker’s profile.

From here, as SquareX explains, a victim’s entire browser can be taken over, often through a seemingly innocent Zoom invite that, if accepted, gets malicious content from that Chrome extension injected into it. If the victim falls for a prompt that asks to update Zoom, the update (actually an executable file that contains an enrollment token) will allow the hacker to control the browser completely.

Not only does this give hackers free reign over any data stored in your browser and allow them to spy on any websites you browse (and see any sensitive information you input), but it also allows them to access your OS to “install malware, capture keystrokes, extract sensitive data and even activate a device’s webcam and microphone,” as Tom’s Guide details.

How do you stay safe?

This all sounds overwhelming and even impossible to avoid since the attacks require so little input from users to get the ball rolling. But there are ways to keep your browser safe from harm.

The first is to avoid installing new Google Chrome extensions while limiting the ones you already have. If you really need to install anything new, make sure to research it and its developers for signs of suspicious activity.

It’s also essential to have the best antivirus software, which will automatically scan your PC or Mac regularly and immediately alert you to suspicious activity. It’s best to store passwords in the best password managers instead of in the browser, protecting them from hackers’ prying eyes.

There are always new attacks on the horizon, but it’s vital to stay vigilant in your online activity and be careful of extensions and software you download. This will always serve to protect your browser and computer.

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• Nvidia's H800 was launched in March 2023 and is a cut-down version of the H100
• It is also significantly slower than Nvidia's H200 and AMD's Instinct range
• These artificial constraints have forced DeepSeek's engineering to innovate

It was widely assumed that the United States would remain unchallenged as the global AI superpower, particularly after President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of Project Stargate - a $500 billion initiative to bolster AI infrastructure across the US. However, this week saw a seismic shift with the arrival of China’s DeepSeek. Developed at a fraction of the cost of its American rivals, DeepSeek came out swinging seemingly out of nowhere and made such an impact that it wiped $1 trillion from the market value of US tech stock, with Nvidia the major casualty.

Obviously, anything developed in China is going to be highly secretive, but a tech paper published a few days before the chat model stunned AI watchers does give us some insight into the technology that drives the Chinese equivalent of ChatGPT.

In 2022, the US blocked the importation of advanced Nvidia GPUs to China to tighten control over critical AI technology, and has since imposed further restrictions, but evidently that hasn’t stopped DeepSeek. According to the paper, the company trained its V3 model on a cluster of 2,048 Nvidia H800 GPUs - crippled versions of the H100.

Training on the cheap

The H800 launched in March 2023, to comply with US export restrictions to China, and features 80GB of HBM3 memory with 2TB/s bandwidth.

It lags behind the newer H200, which offers 141GB of HBM3e memory and 4.8TB/s bandwidth, and AMD’s Instinct MI325X which outpaces both with 256GB of HBM3e memory and 6TB/s bandwidth.

Each node in the cluster DeepSeek trained on houses 8 GPUs connected by NVLink and NVSwitch for intra-node communication, while InfiniBand interconnects handle communication between nodes. The H800 has lower NVLink bandwidth compared to the H100, and this, naturally, affects multi-GPU communication performance.

DeekSeek-V3 required a total of 2.79 million GPU-hours for pretraining and fine-tuning on 14.8 trillion tokens, using a combination of pipeline and data parallelism, memory optimizations, and innovative quantization techniques.

The Next Platform, which has done a deep dive into how DeepSeek works, says “At the cost of $2 per GPU hour – we have no idea if that is actually the prevailing price in China – then it cost a mere $5.58 million to train V3.”

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• The 7X SUV is among the first EVs to receive Zeekr’s latest battery tech
• Fast-charging can add over 300 miles of range in minutes
• Journalists have been experiencing the rapid top-ups first hand

Zeekr revealed details of its next-generation ‘Golden Battery’ technology late in 2023, when it promised 500km (around 310 miles) of range in a mere 15 minutes.

Well, that battery technology has now been fitted to its latest EV model – the 7X SUV – and the performance of its packs has surpassed expectations, managing to charge from 10-80% in nine minutes 45 seconds.

Kyle Connor, host of the YouTube channel Out Of Spec Reviews, recently got hands-on with the 7X SUV, where he drained the 75kWh lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) battery down to zero before topping it up from one of Zeekr’s in-house public charging outlets.

The outlet was rated at a heady 840kW, which far eclipses the 350-400kW stations the rest of the world is only just starting to roll out.

A video from Connor shows the 7X SUV pulling 200kW at the very early stages of the charging session, quickly ramping up 400kW as the battery reaches a 10% state-of-charge (SoC). The outlet then goes on to hit a peak of 460kW, before leveling off to 400kW for the remainder of the session.

Overall, a completely full charge, which takes the battery from 0-100% (something most EV owners never do) was indicated to take just 19 minutes.

Most EV owners understand that optimum charging happens at around the 20-80% range, where batteries can accept the fastest flow of electrons and, in this case, the 10-80% charge was complete in around nine minutes and 45 seconds. That’s not too far off refueling an equivalent gas car.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

More importantly for customers, the Zeekr 7X SUV was managing to add around 21 miles of range for every minute of charging, which is fantastic news for those who simply need to add some extra miles to get to their destination. Theoretically, just four minutes of charging would add almost 85 miles.

This is made possible by several things, the first being Zeekr’s impressive fast-charging network, which it says is primed to roll out to other key markets, such as Australia, Thailand and other Asia/Pacific regions, according to Motor 1.

The second is the LFP battery technology itself that, unlike most rivals, supports a 5.5 C-rate. It's complex, but that essentially means it can charge or discharge at 5.5 times its total capacity per hour without exploding.

Inside EVs says it performed its own tests on a Tesla Model S, which briefly charged at a peak of 2.5 C, for comparison.

To compound matters, most of Tesla's current line-up (including the refreshed Model Y) is limited to 250kW charging speeds, despite the Tesla Supercharger network now being able to deliver up to to 325kW.

Analysis: Trade tariffs could deny the rest of the world this tech

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Both the Biden administration and President Trump have come down hard on Chinese EVs, imposing steep trade tariffs and even the prospect of an outright ban.

The UK and much of Europe has also imposed similar measures in order to level the playing field for its flagging domestic automakers.

But the fact is, China is simply lightyears ahead when it comes to battery and charging innovation. This most recent demonstration of Zeekr's charging prowess halves the time it takes to charge a Porsche Taycan, for example, which was already an impressive figure.

Of course, part of the puzzle is developing a robust charging infrastructure that can cope with this level of output, but companies like Zeekr, as well as several other Geely-owned brands, have already said they will invest in infrastructure to ensure customers get the best experience.

Zeekr, for example, already has over 800 ultra-fast charging stations installed in China, with plans to continually expand that number over the coming months.

With Tesla continuing to disappoint with a lack of clear future product development, while legacy automakers remain indecisive about an EV future, us consumers are craving rival products that can compete (and excel) where technology is concerned.

But with China being denied a seat at the table, it looks like the rest of the world will be forced to wait.

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• Netflix has released a trailer for Running Point
• Kate Hudson stars as the president of a US basketball team
• The sports comedy has faced criticism for reportedly copying Ted Lasso

It's hard to imagine how any sports comedy could emulate the success of Ted Lasso. Well, Netflix looks to be hoping to do just that by swapping soccer for basketball in the new trailer for sports comedy series Running Point.

Netflix has taken a leaf out of Ted Lasso's book and created a new female boss in the sports industry. Running Point stars Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon, who is unexpectedly appointed the head of the Los Angeles Waves, one of the most famous professional basketball franchises in the US.

In the new trailer (see below), ambitious and fiery Isla fights to prove she's the right person for the job, despite facing backlash from her male colleagues. From just watching the trailer, Running Point shares a similar humor and feel-good vibe to the hugely popular series Ted Lasso. Hey, I can't complain, it looks like a perfect watch while I wait for a rumored fourth season of the best Apple TV Plus show.

Running Point vs Ted Lasso

In Running Point, when Isla's brother is forced to resign as president of the Los Angeles Waves, she's chosen to take over his role. Constantly overlooked by others, Isla must navigate the male-dominated world of sports and prove to her dubious brothers, the board, and the sports community that she's up for the job.

It's no illusion that the Mindy Kaling-created series has similarities to Ted Lasso, as Running Point has already been accused of copying its concept. According to The News in August 2024, it was reported that Ted Lasso creator and leading star Jason Sudeikis was "unimpressed with the similarities" between Running Point and his critically acclaimed show, which is about an American football coach that's brought in to manage a British soccer team.

An insider close to the actor reportedly told the publication: “When Ted Lasso took off, it was such an offbeat, optimistic and wacky show that Jason legitimately believed it would be impossible to imitate. For a while there, he was right.

"Little did Jason know that pretty much the second Lasso ended production, there would be copycats popping up like weeds on the various streaming services. The copycat that particularly bugs him is Netflix’s sports comedy Running Point, which has completed shooting and which will roll out next year.”

We'll have to wait and see if Running Point will become one of the best Netflix shows when it debuts on the best streaming service on February 27.

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• Google says it blocked 2.36 million malicious Android apps from the Play Store in 2024
• Hundreds of thousands of developer accounts were banned, too
• Google says AI help was behind it blocking more apps than in previous years

Google says it blocked 2.36 million app submissions made to the Play Store in 2024 because they were in violation of its policies and as such a potential cybersecurity risk.

In a Google Security blog post, the company outlined how, besides the blocked apps, it also banned 158,000 developer accounts which tried to push malware and spyware to the app repository.

Comparing these figures with 2023 and 2022, Google showed an increase in the number of blocked apps and app developer accounts. The year before, it blocked 2.28 million, and in 2022 - 1.5 million. As for developers, it blocked 333,000 and 173,000 respectively.

With a little help from my AI

Detailing how it was able to achieve these results, Google said it got help from Artificial Intelligence (AI). In fact, in 92% of positive results, human reviewers were assisted by AI.

"Today, over 92% of our human reviews for harmful apps are AI-assisted, allowing us to take quicker and more accurate action to help prevent harmful apps from becoming available on Google Play," the company said.

"That's enabled us to stop more bad apps than ever from reaching users through the Play Store, protecting users from harmful or malicious apps before they can cause any damage."

Malicious apps can be most easily identified by the permissions they request. Overly demanding apps are usually a red flag, and last year, Google blocked 1.3 million apps from getting excessive permissions.

Most malicious Android apps reside on third-party websites, or are distributed via chat messages, email, forums, and such. While Google generally does a great job at keeping its app repository clean, a small number of dangerous apps make it past the protections from time to time.

That is why, besides making sure apps are covered by Google’s Play Protect system, it is always advised to check the number of downloads, and read the reviews, before downloading any apps.

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• Nvidia's DLSS 4 has set the bar for AMD's FSR 4, with its new transformer model
• The first looks at FSR 4 in performance mode are very promising
• Team Red may struggle to compete if the entire package of FSR 4 is exclusive to RDNA 4

Nvidia has impressed me with its new DLSS 4 transformer model, which provides great image quality and stability even at super-resolution 'performance' modes - and now, I'm really hoping that AMD can keep up with FSR 4.

Based on my previous coverage regarding DLSS 4's enhancements across several games, Team Red definitely has a big task ahead at potentially competing with Nvidia in this space. At the time of writing, FSR 4 is only confirmed to be available on RDNA 4 GPUs (no news yet on whether it can be used on RDNA 3 GPUs), so it may already be at a disadvantage up against DLSS 4 in terms of its capability of catering to older GPUs, since Nvidia's new upscaling tech will be compatible with GPUs way back to the RTX 2000 series.

Taking DLSS 4's jump from CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) to the new, superior transformer model into consideration, games will benefit from this, particularly in cases of poor optimization - while this shouldn't give game developers an excuse to slack off in the optimization department, it's hard to deny how important it will be going forward.

Demo footage of AMD's FSR 4 is already out in the wild from CES 2025, and a prime example of this is the Hardware Unboxed FSR 3.1 and FSR 4 comparison video on YouTube (available below). In the same manner that Nvidia's DLSS 4 impressed me with its improved visual clarity with DLSS 4 in performance mode, FSR 4 appears to follow in those same footsteps - now there's no frame rate counter, so it's difficult to judge just how good this mode will be performance wise, but it's certainly a good sign.

If AMD's FSR 4 comes close to Nvidia's DLSS 4, what does this mean in terms of competition?

In the event that FSR 4 goes toe-to-toe with DLSS 4, the only aspect that would then be holding Team Red back from competing would be the possible exclusivity to RDNA 4. While that could come down to hardware limitations preventing it from working on older GPUs, I've once held the same frustrations with Nvidia before regarding DLSS 3's Frame Generation being exclusive to RTX 4000 series GPUs - so the same case applies here.

In this case, it would be an even bigger omission - we're not just talking about FSR 4's frame gen potentially being exclusive to RDNA 4, but the entire package that includes its super-resolution technology too.

As much as I absolutely want AMD to provide the necessary competition against Team Green in the GPU market, it already stated that the focus will be on mid-range GPUs (which we're yet to really determine with the RX 9000 series), and DLSS 4 will be available on all RTX GPUs - if we're being honest, it won't help AMD's position in this race...

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• German police and international partners complete Operation Talent
• The operation saw two forums seized, two individuals arrested, and plenty of money confiscated
• Cracked and Nulled were allegedly the go-to places for facilitating cybercrime

An international law enforcement operation, spearheaded by German authorities and involving Europol, the FBI, and many other European national police forces, has resulted in the takedown of two major hacking forums, multiple arrests, and the seizure of cash and cryptocurrency.

A Europol press release outlined how "Operation Talent" took place between January 28 and 30, and resulted in two arrests, seven properties searched, 17 servers and more than 50 electronic devices seized, and some 300,000 euros and cryptocurrency confiscated.

Perhaps the biggest news, however, is the takedown of two major hacking forums: Cracked, and Nulled, which, Europol says, between them had more than 10 million users.

Operation Talent

“Both of these underground economy forums offered a quick entry point into the cybercrime scene,” Europol explained in the press release. “These sites worked as one-stop shops and were used not only for discussions on cybercrime but also as marketplaces for illegal goods and cybercrime-as-a-service, such as stolen data, malware or hacking tools. Investigators estimate that suspects earned EUR 1 million in criminal profits.”

In the takedown process, law enforcement agents seized 12 domains, and took down the financial processor Sellix and a hosting provider called StartRDP.

Besides Europol and the FBI, the operation included the Australian Federal Police, France’s Anti-Cybercrime Office, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (which led the entire operation), Prosecutor General’s Office Frankfurt am Main - Cyber Crime Center, Greece’s Hellenic Police, Italy’s State Police, Romania’s General Inspectorate of Romanian Police, Spain’s National Police, and the US Department of Justice.

This is not the first hacking forum law enforcement took down. BreachForums, arguably the largest place of its kind, was shut down in April 2023, following the arrest of its administrator, Conor Brian Fitzpatrick. In its place, Breached was formed, and is today the go-to place for all things cybercrime.

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The global B2B software market is on a remarkable trajectory, projected to reach $829.34 billion by 2031. This growth is fueled by an increasing demand for user-friendly and cost-effective software solutions. Industry professionals have witnessed firsthand how artificial intelligence has become a cornerstone of many B2B software products, enabling providers to adapt swiftly to customer needs. With a plethora of options available—from HR and finance to education and parking management—standing out in this crowded marketplace is more crucial than ever.

The competition in the B2B software space is fierce, with countless brilliant companies vying for attention. Investment is a vital component for growth, and knowing what makes a company stand out to capital providers is key to unlocking these opportunities.

Key factors to consider:

Can the business achieve low churn?

B2B software businesses typically enjoy low capital expenditure, with gross margins ranging from 60-80%. The subscription model prevalent in this sector means that each customer represents a recurring revenue opportunity, often secured through annual contracts. To maintain this “stickiness,” it is vital to foster high-quality, accessible, and accurate customer support. Engaging closely with customers not only helps in retaining them but also opens avenues for upselling and contract renewals. The software should solve real problems, making it indispensable to customers. If they can’t imagine their lives without the product, the business is on the right track to achieving an extremely low customer churn rate.

Can the solution be easily understood?

B2B software should never be overly complicated to explain. The solution must be easy to understand, especially for non-technical buyers or investors. A strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is essential, and it should be conveyed succinctly—preferably in just a sentence or two. When presenting the solution, it is important to avoid jargon and complex explanations. Instead, breaking it down step by step is advisable: outline the problem, identify the gap in the market, and explain how the solution addresses it. Customers and potential investors are looking for simplicity and ease. They should leave the pitch thinking, “How did I ever get by without this product?”

Why are good reporting practices crucial?

One of the most significant hurdles businesses face when seeking investment is poor reporting. Investors will scrutinize financials and they want to know and understand how management tracks the business performance, so it is crucial to present that data clearly and illustrate how the business operates and its growth potential. It also shows investors the data and metrics that management uses in allocating capital and resources and making investment decisions within the business. Strong revenue growth is obviously a key desired outcome, but the input metrics to achieve that growth (such as retention figures, pipeline coverage, etc) are just as important to understand.

Bottom line performance is also important, but knowing where it’s being allocated and why is perhaps even more important. For example, if the CAC (Cost of Acquiring a Customer) is low enough relative to a customer’s LTV (Life Time Value), it might be more prudent to be a bit less profitable and reallocate to marketing early on when driving market share. That decision to spend investor capital needs to be backed up with strong decisional data and reporting though.

As a founder, ensuring that reporting is accurate and comprehensive from the outset will help avoid unnecessary obstacles when securing investment, illustrate operational excellence, and doubles as helpful to internal decision making anyways.

What is the end goal?

Investors are primarily interested in returns. They have a fiduciary duty to achieve strong financial returns on their investments. For equity capital that means at some point getting liquidity on their investment in your business via sale of the company to a strategic buyer, a financial buyer, or via an IPO. If seeking debt financing, a lender generally wants to understand those exit options as well given it’s their most likely path of repayment.

It is important to be prepared to discuss the exit strategy from the beginning. Most often, this will involve an acquisition or merger with a strategic buyer, or recapitalization via a financial buyer, so identifying potential buyers early on can set the business up for success when seeking funding, and also give a target of corporate development teams or other financial investors to start building some rapport with. If an IPO is a desired option, there are planning considerations to take into account for the company and its capital providers.

Understanding the path to exit is crucial for investors as they consider their eventual payout. Planning for it early and setting the ground work is crucial for the business as well.

Takeaways for success

Standing out in the B2B software market requires a combination of strong operating metrics, clear communication, robust reporting, and a well-defined exit strategy. By focusing on these essentials, businesses can build an investible model that not only attracts investors but also thrives in a competitive landscape.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The tech industry stands at a fascinating crossroads, one that's dramatically reshaping the landscape for aspiring entrepreneurs. Just a few years ago, founding a tech startup meant one thing: you needed a technical co-founder. The mantra was clear - without a skilled developer by your side, your dreams were doomed from the start. The cost of development was astronomical, often burning through £250,000 or more before a product could even see the light of day. This barrier to entry stifled innovation and left countless brilliant ideas unexplored.

Today, we're witnessing a revolution. On one side, we have AI-powered no-code platforms, democratizing software development by enabling non-technical users to create applications through intelligent drag-and-drop interfaces. On the other hand, generative AI-powered code generation tools, like OpenAI's ChatGPT, are transforming traditional coding by producing functional code from natural language prompts.

As these technologies evolve, a crucial question arises: Will generative AI render no-code platforms obsolete, or will they coexist to fuel the next wave of billion-pound startups?

The emerging tension: generative AI vs AI-powered no-code

AI-powered no-code platforms have surged in popularity in recent years, driven by the need for faster application development and a shortage of skilled developers. According to recent research, “Gartner predicts that by 2025, 70% of new applications will be built using low-code or no-code technologies”, with the market expected to grow to £23.5 billion by that time. These platforms empower "citizen developers"—non-technical individuals—to create solutions without writing a single line of code, leveraging AI to enhance user experiences and automate complex tasks.

Conversely, generative AI-powered coding tools are rapidly advancing. Models like GPT-4, Claude, and LLaMA can produce complex code snippets, debug existing codebases, and even suggest architectural improvements based on natural language inputs. This capability lowers the barrier to entry for technical development while enhancing productivity for experienced engineers.

The tension lies in their overlapping promises: both aim to democratize software creation and accelerate innovation. However, their approaches differ fundamentally—AI-powered no-code simplifies development through intelligent abstraction, while generative AI enhances traditional coding by automating complex tasks through natural language processing.

Impact on non-technical founders

For non-technical founders aiming to build unicorn startups, these technologies are game-changers. No-code platforms lower the cost and time required to prototype ideas, allowing founders to test concepts rapidly without hiring large engineering teams. What once required significant development resources could now be prototyped and launched as a working platform in record time. For example, startups like Swapstack and Tiny Acquisitions have successfully launched using no-code tools, and marketplace platforms similar to TaskRabbit, which originally required extensive coding, could now be created and iterated upon quickly and cost-effectively.

AI-powered coding tools further level the playing field by enabling founders with minimal technical expertise to build more sophisticated applications. By describing their requirements in plain language, they can generate functional prototypes or even full-fledged solutions. This capability not only accelerates development but also reduces dependency on external developers—a critical advantage in the resource-constrained early stages of a startup.

These technologies allow entrepreneurs with a constant stream of ideas to test them cheaply and quickly, dramatically increasing their chances of finding that one-in-a-hundred concept that could become the next unicorn. It's no longer about burning through cash before a company can get off the ground; it's about rapid iteration and validation in the real world.

Generative AI's evolving role in no-code Platforms: a synergistic future

Rather than being adversaries, AI-powered no-code platforms and generative AI are increasingly converging, creating a synergistic ecosystem that addresses limitations and enhances capabilities. Many no-code tools now integrate advanced AI and generative AI features, such as Microsoft Power Platform and Mendix embedding GPT-based assistants for natural language queries and automated workflows. This integration allows users to leverage cutting-edge AI for tasks like generating templates, optimizing processes, and incorporating machine learning models without technical expertise.

Traditional no-code tools excel at creating simple applications quickly, whereas they can struggle with scalability and complex logic. By incorporating generative AI, these platforms overcome such challenges, using natural language prompts to generate custom code snippets that extend capabilities beyond typical drag-and-drop interfaces. This evolution blurs the lines between coding and visual development, offering a hybrid approach that combines simplicity and accessibility with flexibility and scalability.

While the idea that generative AI might render no-code platforms obsolete is compelling, it's oversimplified. Generative AI still requires some understanding of programming principles, whereas no-code platforms remain indispensable for users preferring visual interfaces or lacking technical confidence. As these technologies continue to evolve together, they're creating a more robust, versatile environment for software development that caters to a wide range of user needs and skill levels.

The democratization of software development

Ultimately, both technologies contribute to the broader trend of democratizing software development. No-code platforms empower citizen developers by abstracting complexity, while AI brings coding capabilities closer to non-technical users through natural language processing.

For organizations and startups alike, this democratization translates into faster innovation cycles and reduced costs. According to Gartner, low-code/no-code tools reduce app development time by up to 90%, while generative AI accelerates coding workflows by automating repetitive tasks and improving code quality.

A collaborative future

Rather than competing for dominance, no-code platforms powered by automation and generative AI are likely to coexist and complement each other in building tomorrow's technology unicorns. Each has unique strengths that cater to different user needs—from rapid prototyping with drag-and-drop interfaces to creating complex systems with natural language-driven code generation.

For non-technical founders and small teams aiming to disrupt industries, this convergence offers unprecedented opportunities. By leveraging both technologies strategically—using no-code for speed and simplicity while tapping into generative AI for scalability and sophistication—they can unlock new levels of innovation. The playing field has never been more level, allowing a diverse range of voices and ideas to flourish in the tech ecosystem.

In this race for technological advancement, it's not about choosing sides but embracing collaboration. Together, no-code platforms and generative AI will redefine how we build software—and in doing so, shape the future of entrepreneurship itself. The next wave of tech unicorns won't just be built by coding prodigies in Silicon Valley garages; they'll emerge from anywhere and everywhere, powered by visionaries armed with AI-enhanced tools that turn ideas into reality at lightning speed.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Security researchers find unprotected database belonging to AngelSense
• Company builds GPS tracking devices for persons with disabilities
• The database contained names, GPS data, and more

A GPS tracking gear manufacturer was reportedly at risk of leaking sensitive data on the internet, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers UpGuard discovered a non-password-protected database belonging to AngelSense online, keeping it active for at least a few weeks, filling it up with information generated by its equipment.

AngelSense is a GPS tracking and safety device designed for individuals with special needs, such as children with autism or elderly individuals with dementia. It provides real-time location tracking, two-way voice communication, and alerts to caregivers to ensure their loved ones' safety and well-being.

Shutting down access

TechCrunch says the company is “touted by law enforcement and police departments across the US”.

Unprotected databases are, unfortunately, a common occurrence and one of the key causes of data leaks. In this incident, the company was storing real-time updating logs from an AngelSense system, including personal information of AngelSense customers. Names, postal addresses, phone numbers, GPS coordinates, health information, and more, were being exposed. Furthermore, the database kept technical logs about the company’s systems, as well.

Email addresses, passwords, authentication tokens for accessing customer accounts, and partial credit card information were all being stored in plaintext.

The archive has since been closed down, however the researchers couldn’t establish exactly for how long the database was exposed, although the database’s listing on Shodan shows it was first spotted on January 14, although it could have been available for longer.

It is also unknown if anyone found it before UpGuard. All a person would need is knowledge of the IP address and a browser.

“It was only when UpGuard phoned us that the issue was raised to our attention,” AngelSence CEO, Doron Somer, admitted. “Upon its discovery, we acted promptly to validate the information provided to us and to remedy the vulnerability.”

“We note that other than UpGuard, we have no information suggesting that any data on the logging system potentially was accessed. Nor do we have any evidence or indication that the data has been misused or is under threat of misuse.”

Via TechCrunch

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• High-end Nvidia GPUs arrive in all Leaseweb datacenters
• Locations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific get boost
• Addition should be great for data compliance and AI workloads

Leaseweb has significantly expanding processing capabilities with the launch of high-end Nvidia GPUs in all its datacenters.

The Amsterdam-based company announced it now offers Nvidia's L4, L40S, and H100 NVL GPUs throughout its data centers in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.

The move is a step forwards towards making Leaseweb a leader in providing the computer needs for Artificial Intelligence, media & entertainment, and gaming industries.

Prices promise to be competitive

"This announcement represents an important step for customers where GPU availability is increasingly important and will give organizations around the world the price/performance flexibility they need, as soon as they need it," noted Liat Mendelson Honderdors, Principal Product Manager, AI and GPU at Leaseweb.

The infrastructure rollout supports a range of AI-focused workloads, including model training and video analytics, while also catering to traditional GPU use cases in media production and gaming.

Honderdors added, “Our customers value Leaseweb’s extensive industry expertise as they plan and deploy infrastructure for their most processor-intensive workloads. With considerations ranging from price and performance to data sovereignty and compliance, Leaseweb’s solutions and state-of-the-art global network means we are ideally suited to helping our customers grow their business and expand into new markets, even at hours’ notice. By incorporating best-in-class NVIDIA technology into our infrastructure portfolio, we're laying the foundation for a broader solution set that will continue to evolve with customer needs."

Leaseweb's expansion marks a notable evolution for the company, which began as a web hosting provider in 1997. With a current portfolio of 20,000 customers and over 80,000 servers across 28 data centers globally, the company has built significant scale in traditional infrastructure services.

The new services could be a helping hand in data sovereignty and compliance headaches, with the company's distributed global network allowing customers to deploy AI workloads in specific geographic regions. This could prove particularly important in markets with strict data localization requirements.

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January has finally run its course. But, before it makes way for the shortest month of the year, the world's best streaming services want you to check out the final new movies and TV shows they've released this month.

There's an eclectic mix of films and TV series to check out, too. From Marvel's first project of 2025 and the return of The Recruit, to the first Amazon Original movie of the year and much more besides, there's something for everyone to enjoy this weekend. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney Plus)

I'm a huge Spider-Man fan so, when this Disney Plus series – originally titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year – was initially announced in mid-2021, you can bet I was excited. Over three years later, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is finally with us, albeit as a show that exists adjacent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), rather than the canonical series that it was originally intended to be.

So, is it any good? You'll need to read my spoiler-light review of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's first season to find out. For now, all I'll say is that, its incredibly divisive and oft-times clunky animation style aside, this Marvel Phase 5 production might have enough to swing its way onto our best Disney Plus shows list. – TP

• Watch Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on Disney Plus

The Recruit season 2 (Netflix)

While The Night Agent season 2 continues to dominate the Netflix charts, The Recruit is another spy thriller that’s set to deliver more heart-pounding action and unpredictable twists in its second installment. Noah Centineo returns as CIA lawyer-turned-spy Owen Hendricks who is dragged into a life-threatening espionage incident in South Korea, but he soon realizes that the bigger threat might be coming from inside the Agency.

With its 68% Rotten Tomatoes score, The Recruit doesn’t make it onto our best Netflix shows list, but I know it'll satiate my thriller appetite once I finish watching The Night Agent season 2. – Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch The Recruit season 2 on Netflix

You're Cordially Invited (Prime Video)

It looks like there could be a new comedy duo in the making as Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon team up for Prime Video’s new movie You're Cordially Invited. In one of January's final new Prime Video movies, chaos ensues when the father of a bride-to-be (Ferrell) and the sister of another bride (Witherspoon) discover their destination weddings are booked on the same weekend.

You’re Cordially Invited takes me right back to the classic slapstick 2000s comedy, which is why it’s one of the three new Prime Video movies I'm excited to watch this January. So, you best believe I’m bringing my popcorn and watching this potential best Prime Video movie – I mean, who doesn’t want to see Ferrell wrestling an alligator on a hotel bed?! – GM

• Watch You're Cordially Invited on Prime Video

Mythic Quest season 4 (Apple TV Plus)

It's been two years since workplace comedy series Mythic Quest's last season debuted on Apple TV Plus, but the wait for a new installment is finally over as season 4's first two episodes dropped on Wednesday (January 29).

As one of my 26 most highly-anticipated TV shows of 2025, I'm excited to stream the acclaimed show's next chapter, which is expected to bring fresh challenges to the fictional gaming studio as it navigates new trends in the industry. Apple isn't saying anything else about what could be in store, so you'll just have to stream it to find out.

Of course, seeing as it's the final season of one of the best Apple TV Plus shows, fans might be disappointed that the series is drawing to a close, but the good news is that there's already a spin-off show on the way called Side Quest, the first four episodes of which will premiere on March 26. – Amelia Schwanke, entertainment editor

• Watch Mythic Quest season 4 on Apple TV Plus

Paradise (Hulu/Disney Plus)

Hulu subscribers received a treat earlier this week when the first episode of Paradise dropped early. Now, there are two more episodes to sink your teeth into, with episodes 2 and 3 launching on, well, its official release day of January 28.

If you’re looking for a gripping new political thriller, the series already has an impressive 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes which means it’s worthy of a spot on our best Hulu shows list. The series has a great cast, too, including Sterling K. Brown who stars a security service team tasked with safeguarding a former president (James Marsden), but things take a turn for the worse when – spoiler! – the latter is murdered by an unknown assailant. New episodes arrive every Tuesday (in the US, anyway – international audiences can stream them on Wednesdays via Disney Plus) until the finale on March 4. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Paradise on Hulu (US) and Disney Plus (internationally)

American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson (Netflix)

This four-episode docuseries explores one of the most notorious trials in history: The People of the State of California versus Orenthal James Simpson, aka one of the world's biggest basketball stars of his generation. Director Floyd Russ has already made a similar documentary about The Boston Marathon Bombing and, in American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, he aims to shed new light on what has been described as “the trial of the century”.

Speaking to Tudum, Russ stressed: “The key was to make sure that both sides were balanced. To make clear that this isn’t just a true crime cop documentary. It’s much deeper. So, you need people to contextualize the history, the trial”. With plenty of hit true crime shows on Netflix there’s a lot to dive into so, of you are keen to learn more about the trial and have an interest in legal cases, that’s your weekend viewing sorted. – LB

• Watch American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson on Netflix

Goodrich (Max)

Michael Keaton goes back to his comedy roots in Goodrich, one of January's new Max movies that originally debuted in theaters last year. Written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer, who's behind 90s feel-good comedies like The Parent Trap and Father of the Bride, this new Max comedy film sounds like it's going to pull on your heart strings.

Keaton plays a father called Andy Goodrich who suddenly has to become the primary caretaker of his two nine-year-old twins when his wife enters a 90-day rehab program. Unfamiliar with modern parenthood, Andy looks to his daughter from his first marriage Grace (played by Mila Kunis) to learn the ropes.

As you can probably expect, this brings Andy and Grace closer together as they repair their father and daughter bond, which has likely suffered since his new marriage. This one has the potential to be one of the best Max movies. – AS

• Watch Goodrich on Max

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Netflix movies, best Prime Video shows, best Disney Plus movies, and best Paramount Plus shows.

• Microsoft unveils new scam detection software
• The tool will be available to Microsoft Edge users
• This could lead to an end to 'tech support scams' if widely adopted

Microsoft has officially launched a new ‘Scareware blocker’ feature to help better protect users on Edge web browsers on Windows PCs.

The new machine learning threat detection software, first announced at the 2024 Ignite conference, recognizes the signs of scareware to protect users in real-time, putting users back in control of their computer.

Scareware scams have been around for a long time, and they’ve become one of the most damaging scams around - but what if they weren’t? This new technology could see the end to tech support scams entirely - here’s what we know.

Millions lost every year

The FBI claims tech support scams are costing victims millions per year, and it has become a pretty high profile attack. The basic setup of the attack is cybercriminals will deploy pop ups or ads which trick users into believing their device has been infected with malware, usually filling their screen with big scary banners or alerts.

Essentially, the scam works by panicking users with a banner claiming they have been compromised by a virus or attack, and prompts them to reach out to ‘tech support’. From there, fake support agents will request and steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting users who believe they’ve been compromised.

Most of us are aware of this scam, and are confident enough to ignore these when they do pop-up, but the primary target for these attacks is older adults and those who aren’t savvy enough to spot the warning signs.

But with this new ‘scareware blocker’ might make us all a little safer. The AI-powered detection checks on new and unfamiliar sites, “where abuse is more likely to hide”, and uses a SmartScreen to protect users worldwide within minutes once an abusive site is detected.

The model compares screens to sample scams provided by the security community - and this runs locally, without needing to save or send images to the cloud.

When an attack is detected, Edge will ‘put users back in control’ by exiting full screen mode, as well as stopping “aggressive audio playback”, and providing a warning to the user with a thumbnail of the suspicious page.

From there, the user has the option to report the malicious site to help protect others, and they can even share the screenshot of the scam with Microsoft to help train the model further.

If the alert is a false alarm, users can report the mistake from the scareware blocker.

“While we recognize that the scareware blocker may not catch every scam—especially as tactics evolve—we are committed to empowering users with solutions while we improve our defenses,” Windows confirmed in its statement.

This tool is something even Chrome has employed, and it's available when any Edge user updates their browser to the newest version and restarts. You can check if this is installed under the ‘Privacy Search and Services’ label.

Protecting yourself

If you’re not a Microsoft Edge user, or you’d just like to make sure you’re as safe as possible, here are a few tips to protect yourself.

The most important step is being aware of the scam. Once you know the playbook, you’ll be much less panicked if you encounter it. Always try to keep calm, and don’t be rushed into providing your information to an attacker.

If a warning takes over your screen, you can always press and hold the ‘Esc’ key to escape it, which should ease the anxiety a little. Criminals' most effective tool is pressuring you to act quickly and without thinking, so if you can resist this, you’ll be much better placed to avoid any scams.

Don’t click on any suspicious links or pop-ups. Much like phishing scams, these are designed to take your information, which can lead to even bigger issues like identity theft.

Similarly, don’t contact any phone numbers or emails shown in a pop-up - if you think there’s a real issue, search the contact information separately and contact through official channels. Be particularly careful not to give away access to your accounts, and always remember that legitimate tech firms are incredibly unlikely to ever request money wired through foreign accounts, gift cards, or crypto currency.

A crucial part of this scam is the pop-up ad, so the best ad blockers will keep you safe from these - and a big bonus is that many of them are free!

Similarly, If you have the best antivirus software already installed on your device, you can be confident that your device is safe - so are much less likely to be panicked into falling victim to this scam.

"If you have a reputable antivirus installed, simply ignore any pop ups urging you to install security fixes," said Pierre Noel, Field CISO EMEA at Expel.

"If not, disregard these messages, research the top antivirus solution, and install a trusted one. If you receive an unexpected tech support call, say you're busy and ask for their name and department- chances are, they'll hang up."

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A wet and dry vacuum is a great choice if you're dealing with lots of mud or spillages on your hard floor and don't want to be mopping every other day. However, while they can be excellent for tackling tough stains, they often have fairly bulky designs, and can struggle to get close to the edges of rooms. So I was particularly interested to get some hands-on time with the Dreame H15 Pro, which has a clever solution to this issue.

This wet-floor cleaner has a chip in the front of the floorhead that can sense when it's approaching a wall. This triggers the mop roller to shift forward so that it's as close to the wall as possible, and at the same time a barrier along the front of the floorhead drops, so the mop isn't actually mopping your wall or baseboard or skirting. Dreame calls this 'triple edge coverage', and it's an idea I haven't seen before, even amongst the best wet and dry vacuums on the market.

(Image credit: Future)

In fact, it's closer to something we tend to see on hybrid mop-and-vacuum robovacs. Some of today's best robot vacuums have mop pads that can kick out when the bot is traversing along the edge of a room, so there isn't an un-mopped gap.

While it's still chunkier than, say, a stick vacuum, Dreame has made further design tweaks to make the H15 Pro as maneuverable as possible. The handle can drop down completely flat to the ground, enabling you to clean underneath furniture. On some wet-dry vacuums, suction will drop when the cleaner is laid down flat, to prevent water getting into the motor, but the H15 Pro is designed so there's no loss of suction. Speaking of which, it can achieve up to an ultra-powerful 21,000Pa.

Rub a dub dub

Another innovation that caught my eye on this cleaner is its self-cleaning process. Many higher-end wet-dry vacuums have some kind of self-cleaning cycle to make maintenance easier, but the H15 Pro is the first one I've seen that gives its mops a bath after use.

When the self-clean cycle is activated, a tray in the base fills with hot (212F / 100C) water that immerses the rollers, rather than just dampening them. The rollers then spin to clean off any dirt and grease. Once that's complete, the space is sealed and they're blasted with hot air for five minutes to dry them.

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

I got to check out the H15 Pro at the grand opening of Dreame's new flagship UK store in Birmingham, and I was impressed. The lie-flat design, in particular, works very well, and the cleaner is comfortable to use and easy to maneuver. The triple-edge cleaning seemed a little more temperamental during my hands-on time, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt until we're had a chance to try it out properly.

The Dreame H15 Pro is due to go on sale in the UK in March. We've enquired about pricing and launch information for the US and Australia, and we'll update this article when we get that.

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• Google opens “voluntary exit program” for Platforms & Devices workers
• Android, Chrome, Pixel, Fitbit and more programs affected
• Could this spell out more layoffs?

Google has opened up a voluntary exit deal for employees working on Pixel and Android projects after recently merging the hardware and software divisions into one.

9To5Google has confirmed US employees in the newly formed Platforms & Devices group received a “voluntary exit program” memo from SVP Rick Osterloh.

It means that Googlers responsible for Android (Auto, TV, Wear OS, XR), Chrome, ChromeOS, Google Photos, Google One, Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest could all be at risk of losing their jobs.

Google asks Platforms & Devices workers to resign

It’s believed the voluntary exit program only affects workers in the US, and it’s being framed as a move to support workers who feel they’re no longer suitable for their roles post-amalgamation. It also allows those who are not on-board with the company’s return to office mandate to leave with some additional financial support.

Details of the severance package have not been confirmed, and Google did not respond to TechRadar Pro’s request for more information.

However, some workers are worried that this is a sign of things to come. Previous layoffs were criticized for not being preceded by voluntary resignation offers – this new exit program could lead to layoffs if too many workers stay on. TechRadar Pro has also asked for Google’s take on this.

Google’s Q3 2024 revenue from subscriptions, platforms, and devices stood at $10.7 billion, up from $8.3 billion in the same period of 2023. We’re four days away from finding out how the company’s final quarter and full-year figures looked.

On the workers’ front, jobs have been fairly insecure since Google started its cost-cutting journey. In 2023, 12,000 workers were made redundant in one blow; at least 11 other rounds of layoffs followed in 2024.

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• Intel has confirmed its CPU roadmap for the near future
• Panther Lake is due later in 2025, and Nova Lake in 2026
• It’s still not made clear if Panther Lake will skip desktop, but it seems likely that next-gen desktop CPUs won’t be here until next year

Intel has confirmed its future CPU plans and how the firm’s intended roadmap will pan out across 2025 and 2026, albeit while leaving question marks over certain specifics.

We got confirmation of existing plans – that Panther Lake is due this year, and Nova Lake next year – but there’s still no certainty over whether we’ll get a new generation of desktop CPUs later in 2025 (in other words, whether Intel will stick to its usual yearly cadence).

As VideoCardz reports, what Intel’s current (interim) co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus revealed during a recent earnings call is that we can expect Team Blue to release Panther Lake silicon, its next generation, in the second half of 2025.

Holthaus then observed: “2026 is even more exciting from a client perspective as Panther Lake achieves meaningful volumes and we introduce our next-generation client family codenamed Nova Lake.

“Both will provide strong performance across the entire PC stack with significantly better cost and margin for us, enhancing our competitive position and reinforcing our value proposition to our partners and customers.”

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Form of the Panther

Okay, so next-gen Panther Lake is still due later in 2025, and 2026 will be the year of Nova Lake, the following generation. Good to know, or rather, to have that confirmed again.

The question is: what form will Panther Lake and Nova Lake take, exactly? The current rumor is that Panther Lake will be mobile chips only, meaning just laptops, not desktop PCs. The sightings of next-gen desktop chips via the rumor mill have been confined only to Nova Lake (so far, and it’s getting late in the day now).

Based on what Intel’s co-CEO says here, there’s no specific mention of desktop CPUs, so that isn’t helpful. However, what we do get from Holthaus is an assertion that “both will provide strong performance across the entire PC stack” and the key word here is ‘both’ of course.

The “entire PC stack” means mobile and desktop, the works, and what appears to be stated here is that both Panther Lake and Nova Lake together will cover the entire PC stack between them. This is still true if Panther Lake doesn’t have a desktop incarnation.

Alternatively, you could read this as both Panther Lake and Nova Lake will separately cover the full stack, both desktop and mobile, in their own right – but that doesn’t feel like the intention here. By which I mean, for me, this seems to be a way of phrasing things that’s deliberately ambiguous to gloss over whether or not Panther Lake will have a desktop presence.

Take that for what you will, of course, and we absolutely don’t know for sure. Maybe Intel does have Panther Lake desktop chips in the works, but based on the rumors, it seems relatively unlikely.

Another alternative could be that Panther Lake is laptop only, but Intel could bring out an Arrow Lake Refresh on desktop later this year alongside it, as a stopgap before Nova Lake desktop CPUs in 2026. Remember, that’s what happened with Raptor Lake, and it was a very minor generational bump – but past rumors have claimed Intel is not going to carry out such a refresh with Arrow Lake for desktops.

Ultimately, for now, it seems to me that the likelihood is that Intel’s next-gen desktop silicon won’t be here until 2026 when Nova Lake blazes into town.

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