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Stress, cyberthreats and overworking are making cybersecurity professionals want to quit in droves, new research has claimed.

The findings from BlackFrog reveal almost a quarter (24%) of security heads are actively seeking a change of job, with over half (54%) not yet at the quitting point, but open to new opportunities.

Overwhelmingly, stress and demands are the main considerations for security pros looking to quit, with 93% stating these as the main cause of their decision to potentially leave.

Burnout reaching new highs

The report also found CISOs and IT security decision makers are also working overtime in an attempt to keep their business secure, with almost every respondent (98%) stating they work more than their contracted hours.

Of those exceeding their hours, 15% are working more than 16 hours of additional time per week in an attempt to defend against almost constant ransomware and malware attacks. The average security pro was found to put in just over an extra day (9 hours) of work per week.

The reasons given for increased stress mirror the changing threat landscape faced by security professionals, with 42% of respondents voicing their concern about the potential for threat actors to integrate AI tools into their attack vectors, with a quarter of respondents also citing data exfiltration as a top concern. 37% stated the threat of ransomware and malware attacks are a significant source of stress.

When it comes to managing stress, there are some positives. Sport and physical activity is recognized as a means of dealing with stress and complementing overall health, with 86% stating that they allocate time to activities. Sleep, on the other hand, is harder to come by, with only three quarters (75%) stating that they get enough shut-eye.

Despite working significant amounts of overtime, 82% of those surveyed said that they set a clear boundary between their work and private life. The downside however is just under half (45%) have used drugs or alcohol as a way to deal with the pressures of the job, and 69% said that they have been more unsociable.

Help is being offered from the upper management of businesses, with many being offered practical support for dealing with the stress of the job, including flexible hours (64%) and hybrid or remote working for their role (62%).

But security heads still believe that there's more to be done to manage their stress and keep them from quitting, with bigger budgets for security tools (41%) and time prioritization for the things that really matter (40%) stated as additional measures for relieving stress and burden.

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It’s well known that traditional power delivery systems are struggling to keep up with the energy requirements of advanced AI chips. Existing architectures rely on bulky power stages and large capacitor banks that take up significant space on the PCB. This setup leads to high power losses and limits efficiency, creating a barrier to supporting the latest AI workloads. This issue is particularly relevant for tech behemoths like Microsoft and Google, which are heavily investing in AI and data center infrastructure.

Empower Semiconductor has introduced a new Crescendo vertical power delivery platform to tackle these challenges by eliminating the need for capacitor banks and delivering energy directly to AI chips. By placing the PD system directly under the processor, power losses associated with traditional designs are reduced and overall efficiency improved.

The new platform uses the company’s proprietary FinFast technology to provide scalable, on-demand power delivery for up to 3,000A power domains, making it well-suited for the growing demands of modern data centers.

Just the beginning

“AI’s accelerating power requirements far outpaces the capability of today’s lateral power solutions, both in scale and speed. In developing the Crescendo platform, Empower enables generations of new AI processors to hit their performance goals while running efficiently and cool,” said Tim Phillips, founder and CEO of Empower Semiconductor.

“With this introduction we are enabling efficient true vertical power delivery for our customers – and this is just the beginning, as the Crescendo platform will allow the integration of power delivery directly into the processor at total power supply densities exceeding 5A/mm2, setting Empower apart as the technology leader.”

Empower says its technology offers 5x higher power density and over 10% reduction in power delivery losses, cutting more than 8MW of power loss in data centers with 100,000 CPUs.

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A critical vulnerability in a SolarWinds product is being abused in the wild, and now US government agencies have a deadline to patch it or lose it.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added CVE-2024-28987 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. When a vulnerability is added to this list, it means there is evidence of in-the-wild abuse.

This flaw resides in Web Help Desk, a web-based IT service management software that streamlines and automates help desk ticketing, asset management, and IT service management processes. It is considered one of SolarWinds’ most popular products, and offers things like ticketing, incident and problem management, and a self-service portal. IT support teams around the world are using this product every day.

Deadline to patch

The bug is the result of a simple oversight by the SolarWinds team - admin credentials were left hardcoded in Web Help Desk. That means that miscreants can access their targets’ endpoints easily, by logging in as an admin. This flaw carries a severity score of 9.1/10 and is deemed critical. It affects Web Help Desk 12.8.3 HF1 and all previous versions.

The earliest clean version is 12.8.3 HF2.

Since the patch is available, federal agencies have a three-week deadline (by November 5) to apply it. It needs to be applied manually, as there is no automatic solution. Alternatively, they can stop using the tool altogether.

Hardcoded credentials are a frequent occurrence. In October last year, for example, it was found that Cisco Emergency Responder (CER), the company’s emergency communication system used to respond to crises in a timely manner, had hardcoded credentials. In March 2024, researchers found that millions of GitHub projects had the same problem.

CISA did not detail who the crooks are, who they are targeting with this vulnerability, or how it is being exploited in the real world.

Via The Hacker News

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has once again outlined his vision for a robotic-boosted future, saying the move could possibly be the biggest advance in human history so far.

Speaking at Lenovo Tech World 2024 in conversation alongside Lenovo Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yuanqing Yang, Huang noted how the AI revolution could mean bigger changes for businesses than any other technological leap.

"This is going to be the largest of industrial revolutions we've ever seen,” Huang declared, “we’re seeing, in just the last 12 months, just that extraordinary awakening in every single industry, every single company, every single country, recognising that their digital intelligence, their data can be codified, transformed, into their company, their country, or their industry’s digital intelligence.”

Computing revolutions

The two companies announced a new Hybrid AI partnership at the event, and Huang and Yang, who revealed they had known each other for about 20 years, reminisced about the major changes they had experienced in recent times.

“We went through several computing revolutions together,” Huang noted, “starting with the PC revolution and the Internet revolution, and the mobile cloud revolution - and now we’re reinventing computing for the very first time in the largest possible way - we’re reinventing the entire stack.”

“What used to be coding is now machine learning, and coding was designed to run on CPUs - and machine learning is designed to run on GPUs - and what’s amazing is that coding created software, which drove an enormous industry, but now machine learning is creating artificial intelligence, where a machine can do the coding.”

Huang highlighted Meta’s Llama 3 model as a particular boon to this advance, claiming it means “every company can now engage digital AI” if they have the necessary infrastructure and technology stack.

(Image credit: Future / Mike Moore)

Asked on his views on agentic AI, Huang noted, “AI in its most general form is basically robotic.”

"There's going to be digital robots - we call them agents", he said. “They have the ability to understand your instructions, understand the meaning of your instructions, break down into actions, use tools to retrieve proprietary information, or whatever information it has access to, and perform the task, and take action if necessary.”

"We're going to have information robots - we call them agents - but also physical robots…and these two artificial intelligences will be the underpinning of the world's industries."

Huang, who recently spoke about “onboarding” AI agents much like human co-workers, and who appeared on stage at Nvidia GTC 2024 alongside a host of humanoid robots, was keen to show off his pro-robot views once again.

“We’re going to have AI co-workers, AI workers that are good at marketing, to help us with supply chain management, and have these agents work with all of our employees, so we can be a lot more productive."

"We would like to achieve, essentially, superhuman productivity."

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Scammer stories have become a hot topic in the world of streaming, particularly for Netflix with the likes of documentary The Tinder Swindler and the drama series Inventing Anna, and it's continuing to expand its documentary library with the latest installment: Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, which lays bare a woman's nine-year catfish ordeal.

While Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare has taken the world by storm since debuting on the best streaming service on Wednesday, October 16, that's not the only catfish story being told this week as Hulu has also jumped on the catfish bandwagon with the upcoming documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, which will be released on October 18.

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare has promise to become one of the best Netflix documentaries for its crazy and complex catfish scheme, which particularly shocks if you haven't listened to the hit podcast it's based on. But if you're eager to watch another true crime documentary, then Hulu's Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara will certainly grab your attention as it reveals how a music duo and fanbase were targeted by a cruel catfish plot.

What is Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare and Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara about?

Based on the Tortoise podcast of the same name, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare follows Kirat Assi, a woman whose online romance takes a disturbing turn when she learns her mysterious fiancé is harbouring a dark secret that upends her life.

The podcast was a huge success and attracted thousands of listeners, but now Assi is re-telling her story in this Netflix documentary, which is ideal if you're unfamiliar with its source material like me. Assi realizes this in her interview with Radio Times as she revealed: "It's just sharing the story to a wider audience. Lots of people don't listen to podcasts and if this helps people to speak up [and] speak out, to fight for themselves a bit harder when it comes to not being believed, then that's what matters."

Meanwhile, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara is an investigation into what the queer indie rock duo have experienced for over 15 years. Tegan Rain Quin enlists the help of documentary filmmaker and investigator Erin Lee Carr to find the person pretending to be her and terrorizing her fans with sinister and unexpected twists. The documentary exposes how terrifying and violating the nightmare has been for the identical twins, their families, and unsuspecting fans who were made to believe that they had formed a real friendship with Tegan.

In a Hulu press release it states: "This is a sprawling yet intimate story of how Tegan's identity was stolen and weaponized in a complex catfish scheme to ensnare members of the community. This film is an examination of the sevre ripple effect of mistrust, anxiety, and self-doubt that resulted from Fegan's (Fake Tegan) actions."

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is available to stream on Netflix now, while Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara is being released on Friday, October 18.

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Samsung's The Frame TV is based on a simple and brilliant idea: what if your TV could also be a picture frame for some of the world's greatest artworks? And now its catalog has been joined by nearly 30 new artworks courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA for short.

The new Art Store arrivals were selected by curator Daria Greene, who wanted to honor the museum's history and vision. The artworks include Frida Kahlo’s “Fulang Chang and I” (1937), the first time Kahlo's work has been available for display on the platform, Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” (1889), Henri Rousseau’s “The Dream” (1910) and Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Evening Star III” (1917).

Can't make it to the museum? Let the museum come to you

When we reviewed the 2022 version of the Samsung The Frame, we said that its new anti-reflective screen made it particularly good for viewing works of art. While even the best TVs can't quite match the experience of seeing an original artwork in place – Van Gogh's The Starry Night is available with massive zoom levels on the MoMA website, btu I'm told that it's still not as breathtaking as being up close with the original – the combination of a QLED display, 4K resolution and anti-reflective display is as good as you can get if New York isn't convenient to you.

The arrival of the artworks from MoMA is significant for another reason: until now the majority of artworks available for The Frame were public domain, either because they were so old their copyright had expired or in rarer cases, because the artist had given away their copyright.

That inevitably meant the catalog was skewed towards older works of art, and while they're of course valuable too it did mean that the choice of modern art was a little limited. So it'll be nice to see the MoMA collection take its place alongside other modern works by artists such as Keith Haring, Jen Stark and Shinique Smith.

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Invincible fans just got their biggest update yet about the return of the superhero animation series: we finally have a teaser trailer and official premiere date, along with confirmation that the next installment won't see a midseason break.

The first three episodes of Invincible season 3 will be released on Prime Video on Thursday, February 6, 2025, with a new episode dropping on the same day every week until March 13, which means that there will be another eight episodes in the season.

This isn't a complete surprise for fans who are in the know, as co-showrunner Simon Racioppa had previously told TechRadar that launching the series in two parts "wasn't the original plan" for Invincible season 2, so we didn't expect it to happen again.

What we did expect, though, was a teaser trailer (see below) to be unveiled around the time that the release date was revealed, and this has turned out to be the case. You can watch the two-and-a-half minute clip below.

Mark never gets a break. Here’s your Invincible Season 3 update… pic.twitter.com/8Ahmmdpt8ROctober 15, 2024

What does the Invincible season 3 teaser trailer tell us?

The teaser shows Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) in a cafe having a very meta conversation about the series. It shows the pair catching up about recent events and Invincible season 2's ending, while also poking fun at the show's hiatus since the finale.

Even the announcement for season 3's release date was done in true Invincible fashion too, with Mark turning to Cecil and asking: "when is this all going to start"? Like many of the best superhero movies, the series deploys a self-aware humor as a way to poke fun at its own delays and setbacks.

There's still no official synopsis for season 3 of the show, but we do know from this brief clip is that Mark will need to go through some extensive 'special training' to prepare for what's coming next.

Seeing as the next chapter of one of the best Prime Video shows has been in the making for over three years, you'd think that the leading superhero from the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman would be ready for anything, but even he's surprised by the idea of having to exercise...

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Alibaba’s international commerce business, Alibaba International Digital Commerce (AIDC) Group, has launched a new large language model focused specifically on translations (via SCMP).

The model – Macro MT – is hoped to aid with cross-border ecommerce and trade efforts by eliminating language barriers as well as integrating with other business scenarios and everyday communication.

The news comes not long after AIDC VP Zhang Kaifu committed to leveraging generative AI to help with translation, content creation and more (via Reuters).

Alibaba launches AI model for translation

“Macro MT will seamlessly integrate into Alibaba International’s overarching business strategies, fortifying the operational backbone of our diverse cross-border e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Lazada, Trendyol and more," Zhang confirmed.

The model offers integration into systems managing product listings, customer service and search, promising translations of titles, descriptions, image captions and keywords.

From launch, 15 languages will be supported, including Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Korean, however Alibaba is preparing to add more languages and improve translation quality in the future.

Beyond integration within Alibaba’s platforms, AIDC aims to make Macro MT available globally, extending its benefits to a wider range of merchants as well as individual and business users outside of ecommerce. Macro MT is intended to address the pitfalls of existing translation tools.

The decision to build such a model came after the company noticed that “existing translation tools fall short in navigating the intricacies of culturally nuanced and idiom-laden expressions.”

Zhang added the model had already surpassed some world-leading translation models, as demonstrated by its performance on the Flores benchmark which focus on translating to and from English and low-resource languages that typically get less support.

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Just a day after unveiling a new iPad mini, Apple’s App Store seems to have had an issue, specifically with not letting anyone download apps. We tracked a flurry of reported issues with downloading on social networks like Threads and X (formerly Twitter) and tested it ourselves.

The issue was all around downloading apps, either new ones or previously purchased ones. You could hit select or the cloud icon, but it would spin and then reset – at least that was the case for TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff and me on our iPhones.

Down Detector saw a spike, too, with over 3,000 reported outages near 11:31AM ET, but since then, the reports have started to decline quite a bit. At the same time we’ve been able to successfully download apps once again from the App Store. 

You can see our live reporting during the main portion of this short disruption with the App Store below. The issues seem entirely resolved as of now – 12:08PM ET on October 16, 2024 – but we’ll keep an eye on it just in case this spikes again.

Here's a live look at the reported outages on Down Detector.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

As of now, I can still browse the App Store and search for apps, but the issue arises when trying to download an entirely new app or one that I've previously purchased on my iPhone. 

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple's System Status page doesn't show any outage for the App store as a whole or the specific platform versions – IE: Mac App Store. The only current systems with issues are the Volume Purchase Program (declared as an Outage) and Subscription Purchase (declared as an Outage).

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Reports on Down Detector spiked to 3,283 at 11:26AM ET but now appear to be declining, with 2,750 reported outages as of 11:41AM ET.

(Image credit: Future)

Well, this might have been quick. As of shortly before 12PM ET, I am now able to download apps – either new purchases or redownloading previously bought one – via the App Store. It seems that whatever blip this might have been, Apple's squashed it and reported outages on Down Detector are still declining.  

The App Store is back to normal 

Users have been complaining about a new, very specific issue with the Windows 11 24H2 update. This time it affects Western Digital SSDs, more specifically owners of the SN770 and SN580. The bug has been causing crashes and triggering Blue Screens of Death, and it’s not clear yet just how many are affected as the 24H2 update rollout continues.

Owners of Western Digital’s SN770 and SN580 SSDs began noticing the crashes over a week ago. At first, it wasn’t clear what caused them, but the common denominator was they started after installing the 24H2 update. Users have made various attempts to fix the issues, and a temporary workaround has been found.

The nitty-gritty details

The issue is caused by the way the SN770 and SN580 handle data. These SSDs are DRAM-less. DRAM is Dynamic Random Access Memory, and it’s used to store and quickly retrieve metadata about stored files. If an SSD lacks DRAM, it means it will have to rely on an NVMe feature, Host Memory Buffer (HMB), where that metadata is stored in your PC’s main memory.

Normally the SSDs ask your PC to allocate 64 MB of HMB to store temp info, but with the update, the SSDs are asking for up to 200 MB, and sending the system into a frenzy from which the only possible escape is BSOD.

DRAM-less SSDs are usually affordable, budget drives. They are cheaper to make, and also consume less power, making them suited to laptops and mobile phones. They usually have a smaller form factor, too, because the DRAM chip increases the size of the SSD.

Performance does take a hit for this saving. Accessing memory via HMB introduces latency, particularly with read and write operations. Drives of this type are also prone to more issues because improperly managed HMB can cause, yep, you guessed it, BSODs. And they might not last as long either; their cells wear out faster, not benefiting from DRAM’s ability to clear old data and make way for the new (garbage collection).

User woes

As far back as Sep 10, members of WD’s community forum shared news of the bug. One user wrote:

After installed Windows 11 24h2 I got this in event viewer:
The driver detected a controller error on \Device\RaidPort1.
Blue Screen ands restart.
WD SN580 2TB. Firmware is updated to 281040.
WD Dashboard showing Drive Health 100%.

Any fix?

edit: Since I bought my pc 6 months ago I didn’t have any problems with Windows 23h2. Today installed 24h2 and after 10-15 restarts I got 4-5 blue screens with the same error “The driver detected a controller error on \Device\RaidPort1”.

Another user on the same thread wrote:

hey man i’ve been looking everywhere for info on this. just got a new pre-built pc with windows version 24H2. I have a WD blue SN 580 2 TB NVME and keep getting blue screens when restarting the pc or opening certain files in file explorer. the event logs leading up to the blue screen in event viewer give the same event ID 11 stornvme and volmgr error. You’re saying the main reason is the new windows update? would it be wise to roll back or have you figured anything out since your last post.

Then on 8 October, a WD community forum member posted a potential workaround, apparently bemoaning the lack of response from Western Digital and Microsoft:

While we still have no official answer neither from WD or MS, there is a workaround!
Thank you @nissel! This will create two registry entries. If you want to remove them again, delete them by hand or use this: Registry file to remove the HMB policy entries · GitHub 22. Apparently for some devices it is enough to just disable HBM: Windows Registry disable HMB · GitHub 19.

Does Microsoft deserve the hate?

Of course, no major OS updates are without issue. Windows 10’s now-infamous April 2021 KB5001330 update caused a slew of crashes, performance issues, and the long-feared BSODs. There were installation failures, missing files, performance drops in games, system crashes, and more. So, far the Windows 11 24H2 bugs aren’t nearly as bad.

Microsoft and Western Digital are aware of the issue, and patches and firmware updates are likely on their way. It remains to be seen if more users with similar SSDs will encounter the same issues.

Whatever exciting bugs are yet to come with Windows 11’s new version, we’ll be here to tell you about them.

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Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop was very well-received, indeed it tops our list of the best laptops currently, although some folks may still remain unconvinced about its Arm CPU and certain drawbacks therein – but if you’re waiting for a model with an Intel chip instead, it looks like that wait could soon be over.

Windows Central noticed that a purported Surface Laptop 7 with Intel Lunar Lake mobile CPU – as opposed to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (Arm-based) processor that powers existing models – has surfaced (ahem) on Reddit.

The prerelease (sample?) model is actually up for sale on a Chinese auction site (Goofish), and the listing describes it as having an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V chip (which is Lunar Lake as mentioned) with 32GB RAM plus a 1TB SSD.

Add some healthy piles of salt at this point, of course, and we can have our usual doubts about such leaks, but that said, the listing seems to be authentic and it’s complemented with photos of the supposed Surface Laptop 7.

On top of that, reliable leaker Zac Bowden of Windows Central tells us that his sources have said that Microsoft is indeed testing an Intel Lunar Lake-toting Surface Laptop – but it isn’t clear whether this will be a variant of the existing Surface Laptop 7, or a new Surface Laptop (presumably a version 8).

However, the design remains the same – as stated in the sales listing – so the former seems to make more sense. Bowden further notes: “It’s likely that Microsoft intends to offer both Intel and Qualcomm variants of the Surface Laptop with its updated design going into 2025.”

That echoes the Goofish seller, who informs prospective purchasers (who really shouldn’t be risking going anywhere near this laptop, we should add) that the Core Ultra 7-packing notebook won’t go on sale until 2025.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Business as usual? We hope not

What’s the big deal about an Intel version of the Surface Laptop 7 (or indeed 8)? As noted, while the Snapdragon X Elite-powered notebook is fantastic – we gave the device a glowing review – the Arm chip still has some weaknesses, for example in terms of software (and games) support. Those compatibility quirks are bugbears that an Intel (x86) spin on the Surface Laptop won’t be hampered by.

The best bit, though, is that Lunar Lake CPUs have really impressed since their launch, and these chips won’t let the side down in terms of the strong suits of the Snapdragon chip – you should still get excellent battery life as well as performance with Intel.

The drawback, then, might be the price tag, and this leak doesn’t air good news in this respect.

The Goofish seller tells us that the price from the Microsoft Store for the model in question will be around 19,000 Chinese Yuan, which works out at about $2,700 (or £2,000 / AU$4,000). We’re assuming this applies to the mentioned 32GB plus 1TB model, anyway, but a ‘listing price’ (translation could be shaky) is also provided, pitched at 10,990 Chinese Yuan, which converts to around $1,500 (or £1,200 / AU$2,300). Might that be the entry-level price tag?

We don’t know, but we’re pretty heavy on the skepticism with these figures, given that the current Surface Laptop 7 with 32GB plus 1TB has an MSRP of $1,600 in the US, so for it to be inflated to the tune of two-thirds seems a bit ridiculous. That said, we anticipate a Lunar Lake chip will indeed push the price up a fair bit – but surely not that much.

Finally, Bowden mentions a potential major wrinkle here – could this Intel-toting Surface Laptop be a business-only device? That’s how Microsoft played it with Meteor Lake (in the Surface Laptop 6), and might the same be true for Lunar Lake? Could that go some way towards explaining the eye-watering pricing, perhaps?

Well, we’d forget about the prices put forward here, in all honesty, but we can’t so readily dismiss the idea of a business-centric launch. Let’s just hope consumer models are inbound, as it’ll be very disappointing if they aren’t in the cards.

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Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, has come under legal scrutiny in the US over allegations that its social media platforms are dangerous to teenagers’ mental health because they are overly addictive.

A federal court in California has now declined to grant the request made by Meta for dismissal of two lawsuits which were filed last year.

Both lawsuits, backed by more than 30 US states, accuse Meta of exploiting young users through addictive algorithms, raising concerns about mental and physical health consequences.

Meta of accused of addictive algorithms

It’s not an entirely black and white case – although the judge determined that Meta would be covered by Section 230, a federal law regulating online platforms, which in this case would afford the company protection from some claims, she noted that the states had presented enough evidence regarding misleading statements, therefore much of the case could proceed.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta commented: “Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country.”

Meta has expressed disagreement with the ruling, stating that it has developed tools to support parents and teens, including Teen Accounts on Instagram with additional protections.

The ruling also affects other social media giants. Meta, along with TikTok, Snapchat and the Google-owned YouTube, have sought to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits brought by individual plaintiffs, however the judge has since rejected their motions, allowing those claims to continue as well.

A Meta spokesperson told TechRadar Pro in an email:

"While we welcome the Court’s decision to limit the focus of some claims, consistent with prior rulings on Section 230, we disagree with the overall ruling. We’ve developed numerous tools to support parents and teens, and we recently announced that we’re significantly changing the Instagram experience for tens of millions of teens with new Teen Accounts, a protected experience for teens that automatically limits who can contact them and the content they see. We believe the evidence will demonstrate our commitment to supporting young people."

José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, told us:

"Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work. In collaboration with youth, mental health and parenting experts, we built services and policies to provide young people with age-appropriate experiences, and parents with robust controls. The allegations in these complaints are simply not true."

TikTok and Snapchat did not immediately respond.

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Several Apple researchers have confirmed what had been previously thought to be the case regarding AI—that there are serious logical faults in its reasoning, especially when it comes to basic grade school math.

According to a recently published paper from six Apple researchers, 'GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models', the mathematical “reasoning” that advanced large language models (LLMs) supposedly employ can be extremely inaccurate and fragile when those methods are changed.

The researchers started with the GSM8K's standardized set of 8,000 grade-school level mathematics word problems, a common benchmark for testing LLMs. Then they slightly altered the wording without changing the problem logic and dubbed it the GSM-Symbolic test.

The first set saw a performance drop between 0.3 percent and 9.2 percent. In contrast, the second set (which added in a red herring statement that had no bearing on the answer) saw "catastrophic performance drops" between 17.5 percent to a massive 65.7 percent.

What does this mean for AI?

It doesn’t take a scientist to understand how alarming these numbers are, as they clearly show that LLMs don’t properly solve problems but instead use simple "pattern matching" to "convert statements to operations without truly understanding their meaning." And if you slightly change the information found in those problems, it majorly interferes with the LLMs’ ability to recognize those patterns.

The main driving force behind these current LLMs is that it’s actually performing operations similar to how a human would, but studies like this one and other ones prove otherwise — there are critical limitations to how they function. It’s supposed to employ high-level reasoning but there’s no model of the logic or world behind it, severely crippling its actual potential.

And when an AI cannot perform simple math because the words are essentially too confusing and don’t follow the same exact pattern, what’s the point? Are computers not created to perform math at rates that humans normally can not? At this point, you might as well close down the AI chatbot and take out your calculator instead.

It’s rather disappointing that these current LLMs found in recent AI chatbots all function on this same faulty programming. They’re completely reliant on the sheer amount of data they horde and then process to give the illusion of logical reasoning, while never coming close to clearing the next true step in AI capability — symbol manipulation, through the use of abstract knowledge used in algebra and computer programming.

Until then, what are we really doing with AI? What’s the purpose of its catastrophic drain on natural resources if it’s not even capable of what it has been peddled to do by every corporation that pushes its own version of it? Having so many papers, especially this one, confirming this bitter truth makes the whole endeavor truly feel like a waste of time.

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Having adopted passkeys as an alternative form of secure login for users 2023, Amazon says usage has now surpassed 175 million customer taking advantage of the technology.

Passkeys provide a more secure and phishing resistant alternative to passwords by requiring users to use an authenticator app to confirm their identity before being granted access to their account. This authentication is usually done using a biometric measure, such as a fingerprint or facial recognition, or by using a PIN tied to a device or security key.

“Today, we're excited to share that more than 175 million customers have enabled passkeys on their Amazon accounts, allowing them to sign in six-times faster than they could otherwise. Adoption keeps growing every day, as more customers experience the convenience of passwordless sign-in,” Amazon said.

Global passkey adoption

Amazon's passkey launch was initially met with some skepticism, as two-factor authentication (2FA) remained active for accounts using passkeys, effectively eliminating the increased login speed and convenience of passkeys. However it seems Amazon has successfully ironed out the kinks since then, and has even rolled out passkeys for AWS and Audible accounts.

Users looking to set up a passkey for themselves can do so in the Amazon account settings by navigating to Login & Security, and then clicking the ‘Set Up’ button next to Passkey.

Passkeys have been quickly adopted across a range of industries, with Microsoft recently offering passkey support for its Advanced Protection Program, and a string of password managers introducing the feature as standard on their platforms.

Moreover, the FIDO Alliance has released a draft set of specifications to make it possible for passkeys to be transferred between credential management providers, allowing for enhanced security and choice for users looking to migrate between solutions.

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A teardown video of the two new Xbox Series X models highlight a number of interesting changes, including a smaller system-on-a-chip (SOAC) size and better energy efficiency.

The teardown comes from popular tech YouTuber Austin Evans (via The Verge). In the 16-minute video, Evans highlights an entirely redesigned motherboard inside both the Xbox Series X 2TB model and the digital-only white 1TB model. The consoles' chip has also been reduced in size to just 6 nanometers.

There is also a new cooling system in place for the chip, swapping out the older 1TB model's vapor chamber for a copper heat pipe design that more commonly used in consoles and devices like this. This on its own won't mean much to the average consumer, but something you may find of interest is that both new models seem to be slightly more energy efficient overall.

Evans notes that the original Xbox Series X model operates at 167 watts during gaming sessions. That's been reduced to 156 watts for the all-digital console and - interestingly - a further reduced 151 watts on the new 2TB model. While on standby, the 2TB model consumes 51 watts of power, while the all-digital model sits at just 38 watts. That's an improvement in both cases over the original Series X's 61 watts while idle.

That doesn't sound like a huge drop in the grand scheme of things, but it does point to both consoles being more energy efficient over a longer period of time. Furthermore, it's likely to be a cost-saving measure on Microsoft's part; if the Series X has a good few more years left in its lifecycle, the company will be able to manufacture more over a longer period of time.

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Watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 online

Putting the 'fun' into religious fundamentalism (not to mention dysfunctional), Everyone Else Burns and the Lewis family are back with the threat of a God-induced apocalypse continuing to color their lives. UK viewers can tune into Everyone Else Burns for free on Channel 4. Read on for how to watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 online from anywhere and potentially for free.

The second run of six episodes will pick up where Everyone Else Burns season 1 left off, with the family's commitment to The Order being seriously tested.

With the superb Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners) and Kate O'Flynn (Landscapers) reprising their roles as the puritanical patriarch and moralistic matriarch, Fleabag's Sian Clifford joins the cast as a fierce God-fearer looking to restore some order to... well, The Order.

Below we have all the information you need on where to watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 online and stream every episode from anywhere – including where to get a FREE stream.

Can I watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 for free?

Yes. The six episodes of Everyone Else Burns season 2 will be available to stream on the free Channel 4 streaming service in the UK.

How to watch watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 online in the UK for free

The first two episodes of Everyone Else Burns season 2 will go out from 10pm on Channel 4 on Thursday, October 17 with one episode per week at the same time after that.

That means episodes will also land on the FREE Channel 4 streaming service after broadcast.

However, for subscribers to the premium Channel 4+ tier, which also gets you ad-free access to the platform's huge catalog of shows, all six episodes are available right now, having been added to the streamer on October 3. It costs £3.99 per month or £39.99 per year after a 7-day free trial.

Outside the UK? To access Channel 4 from abroad, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed below.

How to watch Everyone Else Burns from outside your country

If you’re traveling abroad, you’ll be unable to watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 like you normally would due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN will allow you to stream online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Everyone Else Burns from anywhere:

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Can I watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 in the US?

Everyone Else Burns fans who watched season 1 on the CW in the US will be disappointed to discover that while the network picked up the rights for season 2, they've since cancelled the show's run. It may be that the second outing for the Lewis' is aired by the network in the future, but at present the status is unclear.

Brit abroad? Use a VPN to watch Everyone Else Burns on Channel 4 when in the US.

Can I watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 in Canada?

Everyone Else Burns season 1 was shown on the W Network in Canada. All six episodes are available on demand via STACKTV, which can be viewed through providers such as Amazon Prime, Fubo, Bell and Rogers.

We've not yet seen any news confirming whether season 2 of the show will also be shown on W Network. But first time around it landed about five months after the UK airing, so we suspect Canadians could well be waiting until the new year.

Brit travelling in Canada? Use a VPN to watch Everyone Else Burns on Channel 4 when abroad.

Can I watch Everyone Else Burns season 2 in Australia?

The first series of this Britcom was shown on free-to-air SBS. No air date has yet been announced for season 2 of Everyone Else Burns in Australia.

You can watch the first six episodes on SBS On Demand.

If you’re a Brit Down Under in Australia and want to watch Everyone Else Burns season 2, simply download a VPN to stream on Channel 4 as you would back home.

Everyone Else Burns season 2 preview video Everyone Else Burns season 2 cast

• Simon Bird as David Lewis
• Kate O'Flynn as Fiona Lewis
• Amy James-Kelly as Rachel Lewis
• Harry Connor as Aaron Lewis
• Sian Clifford as Maude
• Morgana Robinson as Melissa
• Ali Khan as Joshua
• Kadiff Kirwan as Andrew
• Arsher Ali as Elder Samson
• Liam Williams as Joel
• Al Roberts as Elder Abijah
• Soph Galustian as Julia
• Paddy Young as Jebediah
• Olivia Marcus as Heather

Everyone Else Burns season 2 episode guide and schedule

Anybody with a Channel 4+ subscription can watch all six episodes of Everyone Else Burns season 2 right now. Otherwse, you'll need to wait to watch on the following dates:

• Episode 1 – Thursday, October 17
• Episode 2 – Thursday, October 17
• Episode 3 – Thursday, October 24
• Episode 4 – Thursday, October 31
• Episode 5 – Thursday, November 7
• Episode 6 – Thursday, November 14

Much of the energy usage of telcos across the UK comes through powering their networks. Legacy technologies tend to be particularly energy-inefficient, which is a contributing factor behind decisions to retire what is no longer needed – following the example of retiring 3G, which consumes a substantial amount of power while only carrying a low percentage of traffic.

The 3G switch-off – completed already by EE and planned by other operators for this year and next – leaves the modern telecoms network based on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), 4G/5G and IP technologies. The future focus of telecoms energy consumption will be to ensure these networks are energy-efficient and scalable to future demand, while reducing overall consumption.

While these technologies are far more energy efficient than their legacy predecessors, massive growth in data consumption is countering the great strides that have been made in improving network energy efficiency from a Joules per Bit perspective. Looking at BT Group’s network, for example, over the last decade there has been a more than tenfold reduction in energy usage per bit, but this has been offset by traffic growth of greater rates.

A second and related challenge comes with how telcos have to build their networks to cater for both regular daily traffic peaks and troughs and irregular data consumption peaks, driven by the likes of live sports streaming. Traffic growth across over the network is generally predictable and, though consistently rising, is doing so gradually. But in order to ensure good customer experience during peak events with sufficient resilient capacity to provide for protection in the face of network failures, the network must be sized to significantly exceed these extreme but irregular peaks. What’s more, the deployment of this new capacity – in cases where significant peaks are anticipated - takes place several months in advance of the forecast demand and, being fully commissioned from install, is therefore operating at close to peak power from that moment.

Dynamic power consumption

However, if telcos can find ways to dynamically match network power consumption to active traffic load, this would present a significant opportunity to improve efficiency by moving away from the typically constant power consumption of many of today’s networks.

Achieving this will involve all layers of the network working in cooperation – software, hardware and automation – with the goal of provisioning a network which has a minimum level of power draw with consumption above this varying dynamically based on usage. Ideally such a network would meet exceptional demand with surge capacity which is only consuming power during irregular events. Furthermore, all capacity which is deployed but not yet needed would be held in low power mode until required.

There are two dimensions in which power saving capabilities might be developed to achieve this. Firstly, by varying power with traffic usage within individual active resources – for example, a CPU may have a fixed minimum power consumption and a variable consumption dependent on dynamic traffic load. Secondly, by varying the number of active resources on a granular basis – for example, by introducing the ability to disable the likes of ports, processors and transmission links based on demand levels. This may be driven by a simple policy to disable capacity which has been installed but is not yet needed, or by a more complex time-of-day or load-related control.

The benefit of today’s networks is that they are cloud-based and software-defined at their core, which delivers a number of capabilities – not least speed of delivery and scalability as more and more network functions are moved to the cloud – but we should also remember the challenge and potential this brings from a sustainability perspective. Software platforms offer the most opportunity for rapid innovation and, while they are arguably the least efficient part of the network in terms of power consumed per unit of capacity processed today, they bring major scope for rapid improvements in dynamic power consumption.

But the principle can be applied to all areas of the network – by no means is it limited to core software platforms. Core routing platforms, the Radio and Fixed Access Networks, Optical platforms – there’s opportunity to research and work with partners to deliver demand-based energy efficiencies across all of these areas.

Radio Access Network

Let’s look at the Radio Access Network (RAN) as another example, a major contributor to any operator’s energy usage given the vast number of sites required to deliver nationwide mobile connectivity. Here, significant progress has already been made through cutting-edge technologies developed by equipment manufacturers. The latest Massive MIMO technology, for example, deployed to improve 5G network performance, can deliver up to a 40% reduction in energy consumption compared to previous generations, and is already widely deployed by operators like BT Group.

Power-saving modes which are designed to reduce power consumption during periods of reduced demand, typically at night are also already widely implemented. During these periods, RAN equipment disables specific radio carriers or cells, effectively reducing network capacity. This reduction does not impact connectivity for customers as mobile devices automatically select the remaining carriers for connection hence ensuring uninterrupted service for end users.

Additionally, collaborations with technology providers are already resulting in development of advanced equipment and software features which offer more extreme power savings, such as ability to put components into 'deep sleep' mode to save up to 70% of power per radio during low-traffic hours.

Opportunity with collaboration

As the demand for connectivity increases exponentially, ensuring networks are energy efficient becomes ever more vital to UK telcos. There are a number of ways to achieve this, from the ongoing switch-off of legacy technologies to the introduction of innovative new methods such as liquid cooling solutions. But as explained, there is considerable opportunity to improve on the static power consumption of today’s networks and for future networks to offer variable power consumption driven by the number of active customers and level of active traffic.

Achieving increasingly greater energy efficiency and maturity in these measures will require collaboration across operators and telecommunication vendors. The prize of a more energy-efficient network makes this a worthwhile investment for all.

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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

Today's businesses aren't struggling with having enough data – they're drowning in it. The real challenge? Finding the correct information and knowing how to use it effectively.

That’s easier said than done, but the payoff is worth it. I've seen firsthand how proper data management can streamline operations, boost productivity and shore up security. On the flip side, I've also witnessed the frustration and missed opportunities when valuable insights remain unleveraged, buried in fragmented systems.

I’ll put some numbers to the problem, provide actionable steps, and even explain why you should always train a laundry robot. (It’ll make sense.)

The damage of data silos

Most enterprises now collect massive amounts of information from edge to cloud. Yet, without effective governance and accessibility, this data often becomes more of a hindrance than a help. According to our recent research, 72% of IT professionals report that security and IT data in their organizations are siloed. That leads to serious issues:

- 82% say data silos negatively impact productivity

- 63% report slower security response times

- 54% believe silos weaken their overall security posture

I’m immersed in this world as a CIO, but this isn’t just about IT. As the numbers above indicate, data silos are at the root of widespread business problems. That means we should all care about solutions.

Exposing blind spots

You can’t manage what you can’t see, and lack of visibility is one of the most pressing barriers for IT. To effectively manage and secure an organization's technology ecosystem, IT needs access to telemetry data across systems, applications, users, and devices.

The rise of employee-owned devices seriously complicates this challenge. One in three IT professionals says their current asset management solution doesn't track bring-your-own-device (BYOD) usage. The prevalence of BYOD (sanctioned or not) creates significant blind spots that can increase security risks and hinder productivity.

From data overload to data-driven decisions

How can organizations turn the tide so data shifts from an overwhelming flood to a strategic resource? The key lies in breaking down silos and creating a unified view of the data landscape. Here are steps to consider:

- Implement strong data governance Establish clear policies and procedures for data management across the organization. This creates consistency and improves data quality.

- Invest in integration Deploy tools and platforms that aggregate data from disparate sources into a single, accessible view. A well-implemented configuration management database (CMDB) can be invaluable here.

- Prioritize discovery and visibility Implement solutions that automatically discover and track all devices accessing your network – including employee-owned ones. This comprehensive visibility is essential for effective security and asset management.

- Leverage AI and automation Once data is centralized and standardized, artificial intelligence can unlock its true potential. AI-powered analytics can identify patterns, predict issues and automate routine tasks – freeing up IT teams for more strategic work.

- Foster a data-driven culture Encourage teams across the organization to base decisions on data insights rather than gut feelings. This shift often requires cultural change and user-friendly tools for data access and analysis.

The benefits of getting it right

When organizations successfully democratize their data, the positive impacts ripple throughout the business:

- Enhanced operational efficiency With a holistic view of IT operations, teams can quickly identify and resolve issues – often before end-users are even aware of them. This proactive approach dramatically reduces downtime and boosts productivity.

- Stronger security posture Comprehensive visibility into all devices and network activity allows security teams to identify threats faster and respond more effectively. This is especially critical in an era of widespread remote work and BYOD policies.

- Informed strategic planning Access to rich, cross-functional data empowers IT leaders and executives to make more informed decisions about technology investments, resource allocation and long-term strategy.

- Improved employee experience When IT teams can quickly access relevant data, they can resolve issues faster and provide better support to end-users. This leads to higher satisfaction and productivity across the organization.

- Innovation Breaking down data silos often reveals unexpected insights and opportunities for innovation that were previously hidden.

Don’t wait to start

You know how laundry tends to pile up? (No? Just me?) Piling more laundry on top doesn’t solve the problem; it makes the situation more overwhelming. And as long as people in your household keep wearing clothes, more laundry will accumulate. You could keep chipping away at the pile day after day, but without a sound system in place, the pile will likely grow faster than you can take care of it. Meanwhile, you’re spending your life looking for socks.

Why am I talking about laundry? Because the same thing happens with organizational data. The influx of data has soared to astronomical rates and will only keep climbing. Without a system in place, new data will pile into the same silos on top of the old data, and none of it will sort itself out. Don’t wait until the data influx slows. It won’t. Create a system.

A note on AI: the rise of AI and machine learning holds immense promise for data management, but these technologies are only as good as the data they're trained on. Organizations with a strong foundation of accessible, high-quality data will be best positioned to leverage these emerging technologies. To borrow from our laundry metaphor, a laundry robot sounds great until you find out it’s not trained to separate darks from lights and washes everything extra hot. Start with the foundation. Train the robot first.

The message is clear: IT leaders must prioritize breaking down data silos and creating a unified view of their technology landscape. By doing so, they'll solve immediate operational challenges and build a launchpad for future innovation and growth. In a world where data is increasingly the lifeblood of business, those who can harness its power will have a decisive competitive advantage.

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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

Some consumers in the United States are still using Kaspersky antivirus, despite the country’s government banning its use. This is according to TechCrunch, who spoke to several users and discovered how they worked around the ban.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration banned the sale of the Russian-made cybersecurity solution, citing privacy concerns. The government claims that it has reasons to believe the Russian state is using the product to siphon out sensitive information from US citizens and spy on them. It hasn’t exactly backed up these claims, but it still forced the company out of the country.

As a result, Kaspersky shut down all of its US operations in mid-July this year, and pushed an update through which it replaced itself with a different antivirus, called UltraAV, on almost all devices in the country. We’re saying “almost all” since, as TechCrunch has found, some people found a way to still keep using the product.

IntelBroker

As reported by the publication, the users found different methods which all revolve around “tricking” the software into thinking the device is not located in the United States. While some just added a non-US server to the list of update servers, others used a VPN tool to do the same.

Asking why they decided to keep Kaspersky around, some said they weren’t worried about data theft and stressed that the US government shouldn’t be “blindly” trusted on this issue. Others were more practical, stating that they purchased a license before the ban and wouldn’t want their money to go to waste.

Ever since the Trump administration, the US government has been quite vocal in its warnings that its adversaries’ tech solutions could pose a security risk. Huawei and ZTE are just some of the companies that suffered as a result, with the former losing many 5G development projects, and even being forced to abandon Android for its mobile devices.

Via TechCrunch

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If you're looking for a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones, the new Baseus Bowie 30 Max headphones could be just the job: with a launch price of just $69.99, down from the normal list price of $149.99, they deliver an impressive specification for the money. In addition to the obligatory ANC, they come with head-tracked spatial audio too.

You're also promised up to 65 hours of battery life with ANC off. There's rapid charging too, so you can expect up to 14 hours of playtime from a 10-minute recharge. That's handy for travelers who often need to recharge in a hurry.

Baseus Bowie 30 Max headphones: key features

The drivers in the Bowie 30 Max are 50mm dynamic drivers with "200% bass boost", and while we don't know exactly what that means, we presume they should be suitably thumpy, if that's your thing. They're certified for wired and wireless hi-res audio too, with LDAC at up to 990kbps.

The noise-canceling system uses dual microphones and digital processing to remove 96% of external noise, apparently, reducing ambient audio by up to 45dB. And there are built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers to deliver head tracking for a much more immersive spatial audio experience.

In the past, a pair of budget headphones that packs in all this tech would normally come with a sacrifice to sound quality, but these days you can get some really rich audio quality from alarmingly affordable over-ear headphones. We'll have a review of these headphones soon, to find out if that's the case here or not.

Baseus' own website is currently listing the headphones with a full price of $79.99 and a further $10 discount, and Amazon US is also offering a coupon code that brings the price down to the same $69.99.

The headphones will also be available from Amazon in the UK and EU in the not too distant future, although pricing there hasn't been announced just yet.

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