TechRadar News

• Cloudflare says it blocked a 5.6Tbps DDoS attack in October 2024
• The attack came from a Mirai botnet
• It included 13,000 IPs, and lasted 80 seconds

Cloudflare has claimed it recently blocked the largest Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack ever recorded.

In a blog post, the company said that in late October 2024, its defense mechanisms blocked a 5.6Tbps UDP (User Datagram Protocol) DDoS attack. To put things into perspective, the (now) second-largest DDoS attack ever was 3.8Tbps, also blocked by Cloudflare, also in October 2024.

The company said the attack was launched by a Mirai-variant botnet, and targeted an Internet Service Provider (ISP) from Eastern Asia.

Shorter but more violent

The attack lasted just over a minute (80 seconds), and involved more than 13,000 Internet-of-things (IoT) devices, it was said.

As attackers change their strategies to better adapt to an evolving DDoS threat landscape, the attacks have generally been getting shorter in duration but more intense and frequent.

Despite its destructive potential, the attack did no damage, Cloudflare said, since both detection and mitigation were fully autonomous.

“It required no human intervention, didn’t trigger any alerts, and didn’t cause any performance degradation,” Cloudflare said. “The systems worked as intended.”

The researchers also stressed that while the total number of unique source IP addresses was around 13,000, the average unique source IP addresses per second was 5,500. Each of the 13,000 IP addresses contributed less than 8 Gbps per second, while the average contribution of each IP address per second was around 1 Gbps (~0.012% of 5.6 Tbps).

Mirai is one of the most infamous botnets out there. Its source code leaked in 2017, after which different threat actors started building their own variants. Today, Mirai and its variants often make headlines, targeting different organizations with large-scale DDoS attacks. Just this week, security researchers observed two variants, ‘gayfemboy’, and ‘Murdoc Botnet’.

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• Nothing has posted a Pokémon image on its X account
• This particular character is Arcanine
• New phones are expected soon

Nothing is up to something. The firm is well know for its use of weird teaser images to generate excitement ahead of new product announcements, and the latest one has just dropped.

For the benefit of anyone who isn't familiar with the Pokémon codex, it's a pixelated image of Arcanine. It's surprising to see an image of a Pokémon, given the aggressively protective nature of The Pokémon Company and its partner, Nintendo – so perhaps this indicates an official tie-up between the two companies. The excellent Nothing Ear (a) are already available in a Pikachu-like yellow, so perhaps an Arcanine-like orange is coming.

Or perhaps what's more significant is either the number contained in Arcanine's name, or the number of its place in the Pokédex.

What do the internet detectives think of Nothing's teaser?

Over at GSM Arena, they're suggesting that the nine in Arcanine's name could suggest a product announcement on the 9th of February. Or perhaps its Pokédex number, 58, is the clue. The 58th day of the year would also be in February, albeit a bit later on February 27.

That's the possible whens. As for the what, the smart money appears to be on the Nothing Phone (3) or one of the other two Nothing phones expected to launch by mid-2025 – with or without Pokémon collaboration.

The (3) seems to be the most likely one. A leaked internal memo said that the firm was planning to launch a "landmark" AI-powered smartphone in the first quarter of 2025, which fits with a February announcement – although previously we'd expected a launch at MWC 2025 in March.

That's the thing about teasers. You can make them mean almost anything, but by their very nature they reveal nothing. Or in this case, nothing about Nothing.

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• MSI's new Claw 8 AI+ has limited availability with only some customers receiving orders
• The release date was set for January 15 in the US, and February 11 in the UK
• It's currently only available at Currys in the UK 

CES 2025 saw a range of upcoming handheld gaming PCs revealed, including Lenovo's Legion Go 2 prototype. While the Nintendo Switch 2's announcement came shortly after the tech event, it's hard to believe that it stands a chance against the new slate of handheld gaming PCs, notably MSI's Claw 8 AI+ – at least, if you can manage to find one in your region.

As reported by VideoCardz, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is suffering from limited availability at launch, with only a few users in the US getting their hands on the device despite its original 15 January launch date from MSI.

The same issue seems to apply to users in the UK. The release date was set for 11 February, but at time of writing there's only one preorder listing of the Claw 8 AI+ – at Currys, priced at £899. The fact that it's only available on one retailer site in the UK, and only a small number of users in the US have managed to get their hands on it, certainly suggests issues with availability.

The Claw 8 AI+ utilizes Intel's Lunar Lake Ultra 7 258V processor, for improved gaming performance over the previous Claw A1M model, thanks to the Intel Arc 140V integrated GPU. Based on multiple previews including my colleague John Loeffler's hands-on coverage, MSI's latest model looks set to outperform the Asus ROG Ally X and potentially even the currently-in-prototyping Legion Go 2 (powered by AMD's new Z2 Extreme APU).

While we're still awaiting official Nintendo Switch 2 specifications, the rumored internal specs are underwhelming, to say the least: it's supposedly set to use the Cortex-A78AE processor (reportedly using Nvidia's DLSS upscaling tech), and only 8GB of RAM. That doesn't stack up well against the AMD Z1 Extreme, with 16GB of RAM used in the original ROG Ally.

(Image credit: MSI) Will limited availability and price impact the MSI Claw 8 AI+'s success?

While we're only a month into 2025, we'll be seeing handheld gaming PC additions from both MSI and Lenovo with the Claw 8 AI+ and the upcoming Legion Go S, which we also demoed at CES. Considering the pricing of the Claw 8 ($899 / £899 / around AU$1,400), combined the limited availability, it may lose out to other handhelds that are already available, despite appearing to be the stronger performer on paper.

When it comes to handheld gaming PCs, affordability is what matters most. I'm sure the Core Ultra 7 258V will prove to be incredible for the Claw 8 AI+, alongside the hefty 80Whr battery, but its rather steep pricing could end up being a dealbreaker (especially if this limited availability continues).

I've stated it before with handheld PCs – just look at the likes of Acer's Nitro Blaze 11, with pricing of $1,099 (around £1000 / AU$1,740) that could well be its downfall. The same could apply here, even if it's slightly cheaper than Acer’s monster handheld. At those prices, if you don't already own a desktop gaming PC, it makes little sense to opt for a handheld. However, I'm hoping its Claw 7 AI+ counterpart could be a compromise, using the same processor but with a 54.5WH battery and 7-inch screen instead, at $799 / around £700 / around AU$1,245.

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• The new Polestar 7 SUV will launch in late 2026 or early 2027
• It won’t replace the Polestar 2, but will be an affordable entry to the brand
• Compact electric SUV will compete with Tesla, Audi and Volvo

Polestar has revealed that it will be adding a new member to its gang of stylish-yet-understated electric vehicles with the upcoming Polestar 7 SUV, which the company says will come before the much-hyped Polestar 6 sports car.

Although the Swedish manufacturer has been a single-model brand for a long time (offering just the Polestar 2 since 2019, which is also due a refresh), it has recently released the larger Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 crossover vehicles, while the upcoming Polestar 5, which will take on the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, is slated for release later this year.

The recently-appointed CEO, Michael Lohscheller, has been talking to various media outlets about his plans to take the brand in a new direction, with the Polestar 7 embodying what he deems to be the perfect car for entering a hugely popular and contested market – one that many premium manufacturers have traditionally avoided.

Although Polestar 7 details are fairly scant, Lohscheller has promised that it will ride on an all-new platform (although he won’t say which of the Geely-owned companies will provide it) and boast “the latest technology”, which can be construed as 800V architecture and 350kW fast charging capabilities.

The new CEO also said that it would sit in-between the Volvo EX30 and EX40, which gives a good indication of size, while pricing will likely also sit between those two models, so between £40,000 and £45,000 in the UK. That will work out as $45,000 and $55,000 for the US market (or around AU$72,000-AU$87,000).

This is prime Tesla Model Y territory, which itself has just receive a long-awaited ‘Juniper’ refresh, but CNBC reports that the brand has recently shed $15 billion in value due, in part, to an aging line-up of vehicles.

During an interview with Car Magazine, the Polestar CEO revealed that the he wants his design team to be “more confident” in the next generation of vehicles. With the Polestar 5 and Polestar 6 already way beyond concept stage, it is up to the Polestar 7 to embody these changes.

“Polestar is sometimes a bit too modest, a bit too humble. In several markets, like in Scandinavia, this works but I would like a little bit more confidence. In the US the Americans don’t like too much understatement,’’ he said.

Analysis: Trump's America will be a tough nut to crack

Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller (Image credit: Polestar)

The Polestar chief believes that 2025 will be the strongest year in Polestar history, but the company faces numerous question marks over its ability to crack the US market.

Currently, the Polestar 2 and recently released Polestar 3 are available to buy in the US, with the latter built in the company’s Georgia plant. But the outgoing Biden administration has set the wheels in motion for an outright ban on any vehicle that features connected tech hailing from China.

This will adversely affect the Swedish marque, seeing as it is owned by Chinese company Geely and borrows much of its technology from the group. But Polestar’s new CEO says it will seek new suppliers to get around the ban, according to The Financial Times.

To compound matters, Trump’s recent signing of executive orders that could end numerous electric vehicle subsidies will no doubt force Polestar prices in the US up, leaving Tesla to rely on its vast EV economies of scale to offer the cheaper product.

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A China-linked cyberespionage group has reportedly exploited a legitimate VPN service to spread malware and spy on victims' activities. The ESET security research team found the malicious code – alongside the legitimate software – in the Windows installer of IPany, a South Korean VPN provider.

The so-called PlushDaemon APT group is also known to have hijacked legitimate updates of Chinese applications, but this technical-advanced supply-chain attack against a trustworthy Korean VPN firm makes the hacking group "a significant threat to watch for," said ESET experts.

The SlowStepper backdoor

ESET's new report shed light on a previously undisclosed China-aligned APT group so-called PlushDaemon which experts believe to have been active since at least 2019 – and one of its malicious operations aims to spy on the target's activities.

To do so, hackers have hijacked legitimated updates of Chinese apps and launched a supply-chain attack against South Korean VPN developer IPany. Both involve injecting a malicious backdoor into the device while the victims install the software.

Named SlowStepper, the backdoor is built on an advanced infrastructure that enables extensive data collection and spying through the recording of audio and videos.

"We found no suspicious code on the download page to produce targeted downloads, for example by geofencing to specific targeted regions or IP ranges," experts explain. "Therefore, we believe that anyone using the IPany VPN might have been a valid target."

You can read the full technical analyses in the ESET blog post here.

When the malicious IPanyVPNsetup.exe installer is executed, it creates several directories and deploys both legitimate and malicious files. (Image credit: ESET )

Experts contacted the VPN software developer to inform them of the compromise. The company then removed the malicious installer from its website.

Nonetheless, ESET findings raise concerns for internet users' security, especially considering that the hacking group managed to fly under the radar for so long.

Experts wrote: "The numerous components in the PlushDaemon toolset, and its rich version history, show that, while previously unknown, this China-aligned APT group has been operating diligently to develop a wide array of tools, making it a significant threat to watch for."

Worse still, this is far from the only instance in which VPN users – so, someone actively looking to protect their online data – are the main target. Google reported a similar threat at the beginning of January 2025 warning against how Playfulghost attackers used VPN apps to infect devices with malware.

I recommend being extra careful when downloading new software from the web. If you notice your device acting oddly, you should run a malware removal service, whenever possible, and consider a system reboot to eradicate the potential threat.

• Security researchers warned about a vulnerability in older versions of 7-Zip
• The vulnerability allowed threat actors to bypass the Mark of the Web security feature
• The bug was fixed in late November 2024

A high-severity vulnerability was recently discovered, and patched, in the popular open source file archiver solution 7-Zip. Since the product does not have an automatic update feature, users are advised to upgrade to the newest version manually, as soon as possible.

The vulnerability in question is tracked as CVE-2025-0411. It is described as a Mark of the Web (MotW) bypass, that allows threat actors to execute malicious code on target endpoints that are extracting files from nested archives. It was given a severity score of 7/10 - high.

Mark of the Web is a security feature in Windows that flags files downloaded from the internet as potentially unsafe by adding metadata indicating their origin. This helps prevent malicious scripts or executables from running automatically, prompting users to confirm before opening such files.

Patching the flaw

7-Zip added support for MotW in June 2022, in version 22.00. However, the feature was improperly implemented, and could be bypassed. In a recently released advisory, cybersecurity researchers Trend Micro explain:

"This vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass the Mark-of-the-Web protection mechanism on affected installations of 7-Zip. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file," the researchers said.

"The specific flaw exists within the handling of archived files. When extracting files from a crafted archive that bears the Mark-of-the-Web, 7-Zip does not propagate the Mark-of-the-Web to the extracted files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user."

The bug has since been mitigated, with a version 24.09 being released in late November 2024.

"7-Zip File Manager didn't propagate Zone.Identifier stream for extracted files from nested archives (if there is open archive inside another open archive)," the project’s developer, Igor Pavlov, explained.

Via BleepingComputer

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• AMD has been telling us about the gaming performance of the Ryzen 9950X3D
• We’re told to expect frame rates that are similar to the 9800X3D
• This is despite some nice spec bumps for the as-yet-unreleased flagship for 3D V-Cache

AMD’s flagship 3D V-Cache processor, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, will offer a ‘comparable’ performance for gaming compared to the existing mainstream Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

In an interview with VideoGamer, AMD’s Product and Business Development Manager, Martijn Boonstra, said that Team Red expects the Ryzen 9950X3D and its lesser sibling, the 9900X3D, to deliver a “similar overall gaming performance to the 9800X3D.”

In short, there will be some give or take here, with the Ryzen 9 chips being slightly faster in certain scenarios, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D edging a victory in others.

Boonstra clarified that with those incoming Ryzen 9 CPUs: “There will be some games that perform a bit better (if the game engine utilizes more cores and threads), and some games will perform a little worse (if the game engine favors a 1CCD configuration), but on the whole the experience is comparable.”

The Ryzen 9950X3D and 9900X3D were unveiled at CES 2025 earlier in January, and are expected to be available soon – but pricing is yet to be confirmed. They will, inevitably, be considerably more expensive than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. If you recall, the original MSRP for the 7950X3D was 55% more than the 7800X3D (in the US).

(Image credit: AMD) Analysis: An easy choice for gamers, it seems

So, you might be thinking – you only get the same performance from a pricier CPU – what gives with that? Well, remember, this is gaming frame rates we are talking about specifically.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D are designed as dual-use processors, which are excellent for creatives (and can easily cut through other heavyweight tasks), as well as providing great gaming performance. Although given the 3D V-Cache flagship’s spec this time around, some folks might have expected better performance in PC games – though AMD is clearly priming us not to, and this appears to be what this bit of marketing info is all about.

Regarding that spec, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D not only provides 16-cores (and 32-threads), versus the 8-cores (16-threads) of the 9800X3D, but it also has a 5.7GHz boost clock, plus more of that crucial 3D V-Cache (144MB versus 104MB).

However, it seems despite this extra pep, the situation will remain the same as it was with the previous-gen X3D chips, where the 7950X3D and 7800X3D were pretty much the same in terms of gaming performance in the main, give or take a bit. At least, after any CPU configuration gremlins were ironed out, because it’s true that in the past, the 7950X3D could be held back in some situations because it has two CCDs. (This means two separate Core Complex Dies, or chiplets, only one of which has 3D V-Cache – and sometimes a thread for a running game might be shoved over to the second chiplet, causing some latency. This didn’t happen with the 7800X3D as it only has one CCD).

You don’t really need to get into the technical weeds here, though – all you really need to know is what AMD is serving up as a headline here. If you’re gaming, the Ryzen 9800X3D is the CPU for you, purely because it’ll be much more affordable, and gives you about the same performance with PC games as the Ryzen 9950X3D.

However, if you need the best all-round performance, for heavyweight apps as well as gaming, then the Ryzen 9 X3D models are for you. Yes, you’ll pay the price for them no doubt, but it’s likely those initially towering MSRPs will come down considerably as time passes (as happened with the Ryzen 7950X3D).

The other point to consider is right now, the Ryzen 9800X3D remains difficult to find (at or near its MSRP), as it’s very popular. So some PC gamers might look at the new Ryzen 9 3D V-Cache processors when they arrive just so they can pull the trigger on an X3D purchase for their new gaming PC (or upgrade). Depending on where pricing shakes out – as noted, the last-gen flagship’s 55% premium over the Ryzen 7 model represented a pretty steep ask.

Via Tom’s Hardware

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Samsung is launching an all-new Galaxy Watch for Kids 'experience' on the eve of today's (Jan 22) Samsung Galaxy Unpacked presentation – a few hours before its big keynote kicks off.

Rather than making a dedicated version of the Galaxy Watch, like the Fitbit Ace LTE, Samsung has created the Galaxy Watch for Kids experience, a new mode you can select on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 LTE – one of the best Samsung watches. This mode prevents the child from accessing certain features, allows parents to stay connected, offers safety features like SOS messages, and provides 'self-expression and learning experiences.'

These experiences are launching with over 20 'teacher-approved' apps, including some from a variety of recognizable IPs, such as Barbie, Crayola, PBS Kids, and Unicorn Academy.

However, it's Marvel that takes front and center in the marketing. The Marvel HQ app offers watch faces inspired by characters like Captain America and Groot but kicks it into high gear by allowing kids to mix tunes on the app's DJ interface and dance in real life to move with Groot.

(Image credit: Samsung/Google)

By pairing the watch with a parent's smartphone, the parent can select "set up for a child" on the Watch 7 LTE, using Google Family Link to create multiple accounts. After activating the eSim on the watch, a phone is no longer required for the child to use the watch and access the core functionality.

Safety tools for parents include location sharing, managing their child's contacts, a 'Do-Not-Disturb-like' mode, and SOS Messages, which can be sent by pressing the watch's side button five times.

Kids bands will be available to purchase for the watch, which acts as a protective silicone covering, although users buying a Galaxy Watch 7 LTE from Samsung.com will receive a free kids band.

Like the Fitbit Ace LTE, Galaxy Watch for Kids is only available in the US at present.

This mode is similar to Apple's 'Apple Watch For Your Kids' experience, which also offers emergency SOS messages, child-orientated movement tracking, kid-friendly watch faces and educational apps, alongside Apple Cash, a way to send money through Apple devices to act like an allowance used with Apple Pay. Like the Samsung experience, you need an LTE watch to use the 'Apple Watch for Kids' feature.

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Never before have business leaders had so little time to make decisions. Between consumers expecting real-time updates on every purchase or service they pay for, to the competitors looking to beat them to every customer, slow and careful deliberation simply isn’t a luxury that many can afford.

Unfortunately, leaders are also judged — even defined — by the ability to make the right call under pressure. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that "nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide."

But if you don’t have the time to think, how can you make good decisions? Without the full context to ground your judgement, or the time to process them, what are the alternatives?

The risky business of gut-feel

For many, the answer is to go with your gut.

New research — exploring how 200 CEOs, MDs, and C-level executives in the UK approach decision-making — finds that this is true for more than three in five (61%) in the UK. The majority make ‘snap decisions’.

This is because, for many, the pressure to make a fast decision — any decision — overcomes the need to make the right decision. Leaders are choosing to substitute the full picture for a subjective interpretation, based on their experience and opinions alone.

It also indicates a lack of technological maturity within a business. More than half (58%) say they rely on ‘gut feel’ because they’re unable to access insights in real time, while 52% say that data is out of date by the time it reaches them.

In other words, business-critical systems simply can’t provide the data business leaders need in time to factor it into the decision-making process.

In some cases, instinct and experience can be enough. But these qualities are, by definition, retrospective — they can’t accurately factor in new information, or unexpected changes. And in a business environment that evolves faster than ever before, there’s always something new to consider.

Ultimately, gut feel is only part of the picture. The other part is evidence; beliefs should not replace analytics but refer to them for context.

Demand for data-led decisions

Decision-makers make that sentiment clear. While gut feel is prominent, 84% said they’d like to make more decisions based on accurate data, while a similar 85% believe they’d make better decisions if they were able to base them on real-time data.

Business leaders need data and insights available at their fingertips. Rather than compromise and slow down the decision-making process, they need real-time data to inform and complement their gut feel — and they’re often not equipped to access this.

We can see this with 80% of leaders stating that they need to “completely overhaul” their existing data approach. There’s a desire and intent to make things better to meet the demands of fast-paced businesses.

In many organizations, data can’t move through their systems in sufficient time to deliver real-time insights. Batch processing data is a common obstacle here, with many businesses designed to process data in huge, inefficient cuts after it’s already been collected. The siloing of that data — between different apps, departments, and cloud providers — can make things even harder.

Swim with the stream

Consequently, many business leaders are looking to data streaming platforms. Rather than processing data in cumbersome blocks, hours or even days after it’s collected, they’re prioritizing systems that can make data accessible in real time — no matter where in the business it is — to allow analytics to match that pace.

The numbers here are striking. More than three quarters of business leaders (77%) are investing in data streaming to improve on their decision-making processes. And a huge 97% are investing, or have plans to invest in, real-time dashboards to make real-time analytics readily available.

It’s no surprise, with the early adopters who are already walking the walk seeing considerable benefits. According to recent data, 84% of IT leaders who had invested in data streaming were seeing 2x to 10x returns on their investment, with 41% citing an ROI of 5x or more.

Access to real-time data that can ground your business decisions in reality is already changing how businesses operate, for the better.

That’s because data isn’t just an IT problem. Data can speak to the forces that impact every part of the modern business — from financial performance to customer experience. The more accurate and in-the-moment that data is, the more value it can bring.

The same is true of our leaders. For all the value and wisdom in their instincts and experiences, real-time data streaming is becoming a critical part of business leadership. Data-powered decisions will come to define great leaders.

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The momentum of AI-driven applications is accelerating around the world and shows little sign of slowing. According to data from IBM, 42% of companies with more than 1000 employees are actively using AI in their business, and a further 40% are trialing and experimenting with it.

As AI adoption gains pace, with platforms such as OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini setting new benchmarks of performance, organizations are discovering new applications for these technologies that can deliver better outcomes. Faced with new challenges of deploying the technology at scale. More and more enterprise workflows are embedding calls to these AI Models are dramatically increasing usage. Do the use cases justify the escalating spending on the latest models?

Embracing AI also means embracing the usage of AI models and paying for AI inference costs, at a time when many organisations are in cost-cutting mode. With continued economic uncertainty, rising operational costs, and increasing pressure from stakeholders to deliver ROI, businesses are looking for ways to optimize their budgets and reduce unnecessary expenditures. The escalating costs of AI infrastructure can be a cause of tension, as organizations want to remain competitive and leverage the power of AI, while also finding the balance between these investments and financial prudence.

To further complicate things, AI agents which, according to McKinsey are the next frontier of GenAI and are largely expected to form the next wave of applications, will dramatically increase usage of AI models as they rely on them for ongoing reflection and planning steps. Instead of singular API calls to underlying models like those from OpenAI, agentic architectures can make scores of calls, thus racking up those costs. How can businesses navigate the rising costs of data while powering the AI applications they need?

Understanding the cost of AI at scale

The rapid deployment of AI is leading to increased costs on multiple fronts. First and foremost, organizations are spending on AI inference which is the process of using a trained model to make predictions or decisions based on provided inputs. Often, they would rely on APIs from the leading providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic or cloud service providers like AWS or Google and would pay based on usage. Alternatively, some organizations run their own inference and buy or rent GPUs on which they deploy open source models such as Llama from Meta.

Secondly, in many cases organizations want to customize their AI models by ‘fine-tuning’ them. This can at times be an expensive process involving data preparation by creation of training datasets and require compute resources for training.

Finally, building AI applications requires additional components, such as vector databases, which help augment inference by helping retrieve relevant content from designated knowledge bases and thus improve accuracy and relevance of responses from AI models.

By examining the root causes and the drivers of their AI costs such as AI inference, training or fine-tuning and additional components such as databases, businesses can minimize storage costs and enhance their AI application performance.

Optimizing efficiency through semantic caching

Semantic caching is a highly effective technique that organizations are deploying to manage the cost of AI inference and to increase speed and responsiveness of their applications. It refers to storing and reusing the results of previous computations based on their semantic meaning.

In other words, instead of relying on new AI computations for new queries, a semantic cache can check a database for queries with similar meanings that have been asked before, thus saving costs. This approach helps reduce redundant computations and improves efficiency in applications like inference or search.

In one particular study, researchers showed that up to 31% of queries to AI applications can be repetitive. Every unnecessary AI inference call adds avoidable costs, but by implementing a semantic cache, organizations can significantly reduce these calls, cutting them by 30-80%. This method is crucial for building scalable and responsive generative AI applications or chatbots. This approach not only optimizes cost but also accelerates response times, helping businesses achieve more with less investment.

Balancing performance and cost

Organisations need to optimise their technology stack and operational strategies to be able to deploy cutting-edge AI applications without incurring unsustainable infrastructure costs. This can help them strike that crucial balance between performance and cost. Techniques such as semantic caching can play a vital role in this.

For companies that are struggling with scaling AI applications in an efficient and cost-effective way, learning how to effectively manage this would become a key market differentiator. The key to businesses navigating the spiraling cost of generative AI applications and maximizing their value could lie in the AI Inference strategy. As generative AI systems get more and more complex, every LLM call needs to be as efficient as possible. By doing so, customers can get to the information they need faster and businesses can minimize their cost footprint.

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• A ChatGPT API can be given an unlimited number of URLs, even if they're duplicates, expert warns
• If it tries to run the commands, it will create a huge volume of HTTP requests
• Researchers urge OpenAI to put safeguards in place

Experts have warned there is a way to make OpenAI’s ChatGPT service engage in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on threat actors’ behalf.

A report from cybersecurity researcher Benjamin Flesch noted the problem lies in ChatGPT’s API’s handling of HTTP POST requests to a specific endpoint. That endpoint allows the user to provide a series of links through the “urls” parameter - without any limits.

So, in theory, a threat actor could include thousands of hyperlinks in a single request - all pointing to the same server, or address. As a result, OpenAI’s servers will create a huge volume of HTTP requests to the victim’s website, resulting in a denial of service.

Abusing AI

The solution, according to Flesch, is relatively simple - all OpenAI needs to do is implement stringent limits on the number of URLs a person can submit. The company should also make sure duplicate requests are limited. Finally, by adding rate-limiting measures, potential abuse could be prevented.

This is not the first time people found ways to abuse Generative AI (GenAI) tools, and most likely won’t be the last.

So far, though, miscreants have only focused on abusing the actual tool, not the underlying infrastructure. Security researchers have seen ChatGPT and other similar tools get tricked into writing malware code, generating convincing phishing emails, or instructing how to make an explosive device.

OpenAI, as well as the developers of other tools, have been working hard to include various defense mechanisms, safeguards, and blocks, to prevent the misuse of their GenAI solutions. By large, they have been successful, since the tools will no longer respond favorably to certain requests. However, this has spawned an entirely new sport called “GenAI jailbreaking”, in which hackers compete in bypassing the ethical, safety, and usage restrictions imposed on generative AI systems.

Via SiliconANGLE

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• Netflix has raised its prices again for all its plans in the US
• It hasn't yet confirmed if other regions like the UK will see price rises
• 'Subscription hopping' is becoming an increasingly popular coping strategy

Netflix has welcomed everyone into the new year with a move that wouldn't be out of place on its new WWE Raw show – a pricing drop-kick in the US that brings the cost of its monthly plans to new painful levels.

If you missed the news, the cheapest Standard (with ads) monthly plan is rising from $6.99 to $7.99, the Standard (without ads) plan is going up from $15.49 to $17.99, while Premium is hitting the heights of $24.99 (previously $22.99). We don't yet know if the UK will see similar price rises, but it seems highly likely (if not now, then soon).

Clearly, Netflix has done its research and is confident that these latest price rises won't see it hemorrhage subscribers – and the markets agree, as Netflix share prices soared following the news. It has also hit a record of 300 million global subscribers.

But I can't be the only person feeling the heat of being slow-cooked by streaming prices. This year, like many others on TechRadar, I'm taking action – and not by sailing the murky waters of piracy or questionable Plex servers.

The great Netflix password-sharing crackdown (which was aped by the likes of Disney Plus) removed one possible avenue for savings. Still, there is one big lever we can pull – the increasingly popular practice of subscription hopping.

One policy that the likes of Netflix haven't (yet) imposed on subscribers are lengthy contract lock-ins – and it's this freedom that subscription hopping exploits to bring streaming subscription costs to more manageable levels.

TechRadar contributor Esat Dedezade recently laid out his subscription hopping plan for 2025, which we worked out will slash his subscription hopping bills by 71% this year.

In fact, he's stuck with Netflix for January to catch Castlevania: Nocturne season 2, but he will cancel and switch to Apple TV Plus in February for Severance season 2.

I'm actually doing the opposite, staying exclusively with Apple TV Plus right now to minimize my chance of Severance spoilers before switching back to Netflix for my fill of Cobra Kai season 6 and (possibly, if it's more exciting than the trailer) Zero Day.

Of course, your tastes may vary, so we've put together the cheat sheet below to help you form your own streaming saving plan, for the first few months of 2025 at least...

The tactics

(Image credit: Netflix)

The only downside of subscription hopping is that it involves a little planning, but that's nothing that your favorite reminders app can't fix. The main things to remember are to cancel a service immediately after subscribing (to avoid auto-renews) and to track the latest release date news (see our 2025 streaming wishlist for starters), and to note down your targeted shows for each month.

We've done some of that for you with the table below, which picks out some of the biggest highlights across the main streaming services in the first few months of this year. Use it to make a plan for January, February, and March, and you'll make some decent savings in those months alone.

Subscription hopping may not be for everyone, but the practice has inspired other members of the TechRadar team to take the plunge. Matt Evans, our Fitness, Wellness, and Wearables Editor, says: "My wife and I switch our subscription TV services several times a year. Last year, I canceled my 11-year Netflix subscription and the anime streaming service Crunchyroll in favor of Disney Plus's £4.99-with-ads minimum tier.

"Now it's January, we have cancelled Disney and renewed Netflix, so we can watch the shows we've missed. Next month, Now TV (the UK's answer to HBO Max) is on the chopping block, but we'll cycle back to it later in the year. Our constants are Amazon, Audible and Spotify, which we renew each month."

While choosing one streaming service per month can be the best for simplicity, this shows that you can adapt it to your situation. Even cutting three unnecessary months of Netflix over a year, particularly if you prefer the Premium 4K tier, would give you big savings – of around $74.97 / £53.97 / AU$77.97, at current prices.

In fact, that isn't far off what an entire year of Netflix cost back in 2012 (when monthly prices sat at just $7.99 / £5.99 / AU$8.99). Those days may be long gone, but the tactics above are the best way to get your streaming costs back down closer to their golden age levels.

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• Another rumor hints that Nvidia may not have much stock for the release of its RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs
• There are worries about hiked pricing at the launch of the next-gen GPUs, too
• A further possibility aired is that the RTX 5070 might be delayed until March

More worrying rumors have emerged about Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs, casting doubt on stock levels (again) and also the pricing of the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 – and the launch timing of RTX 5070 models, too.

In a report (hat tip to Wccftech) on AMD’s RX 9070 launch (now confirmed for March), Chinese tech site Benchlife also touches on Nvidia’s incoming Blackwell graphics cards, telling us that the RTX 5090 and 5080 will be short on supply. Apparently this is “mainly due to some communication issues between Nvidia and AIC partners” (AIC stands for add-in card, meaning graphics card makers).

Another issue is the Chinese New Year (and related manufacturing slowdowns, due to holidays and factories being shut), but the better news is that the situation is expected to improve in February.

Benchlife also claims that the RTX 5070 Ti will appear in mid-to-late February – so far, Nvidia has only said February for both 5070 models, and we don’t have a firm date, but it seems that it could be later, rather than sooner.

And then the report drops something of a bombshell in mentioning that the RTX 5070 may not be available until early March.

Wccftech also flags a report from UDN (also in China, via Dan Nystedt, a financial analyst on X), which underlines the stock woes around the initial Blackwell GPUs (but appears to be mostly based on a previous video from a YouTube leaker). However, this article also highlights that consumers might have to pay increased prices for Blackwell GPUs initially, even to the tune of them being doubled.

That’s in Asia, of course, so may not reflect the situation elsewhere – and indeed it may be completely off the mark full-stop. I’d hope so, and it doesn’t seem realistic that graphics cards could be selling for double their MSRP – well, at least not at retailers (though maybe on auction sites where scalpers will sell their ill-gotten gains).

(Image credit: Nvidia) Analysis: A touch of hysteria?

On the one hand, the sheer number of concerns being raised about RTX 5000 stock and Nvidia’s next-gen launch has got to be a worry. Although on the other, I’m tempted to say it feels like a touch of hysteria (and/or limelight grabbing) is creeping in at this point.

There’s not usually smoke without fire, though, as they say, and given the widespread chatter about worryingly low initial stock levels for the RTX 5090 and 5080, I’m bracing myself for this to be the case, at this stage.

There’s something even worse to fret about here, of course, for the mainstream GPU buyers who’ll be looking at a mid-range graphics card, and not the much pricier Blackwell models – and that’s this sudden theory that the RTX 5070 could be delayed, and not make the promised February launch.

This seems unlikely, though, that Nvidia would break that promise – although there’s always the prospect of a so-called ‘paper launch’ with hardly any boards released initially. With all the negativity flying around regarding stock levels, this idea might be easier to believe.

A further thought is that this could also explain why AMD has just announced that its RX 9070 models won’t launch until March, much later than expected. Maybe Team Red got wind of rumors from distributors relating to Nvidia’s launch plans, and knows that there’s no rush to get its RDNA 4 mid-range GPUs to market before March – if the rival RTX 5070 isn’t going to be around in any quantity.

Take all this with a wheelbarrow full of salt, and remember that AMD purportedly has its own issues to sort out around RX 9070 pricing. For now, I’m not going to buy these suggestions of an RTX 5070 delay – at least not until we hear this from other corners of the rumor mill.

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• Nvidia RTX 5090 FE rumor claims high-end GPU gets loud - but other reports tell a very different story

• Microsoft Outlook crashing issue on Windows Server 2016 has been fixed
• Classic Outlook is still crashing for some users
• A fix is due on January 28, says Microsoft

Microsoft has finally fixed a problem that causes Outlook to unexpectedly crash on Windows Server 2016 devices.

The Current Channel Release Notes state the company shared a status update for the 2412 Version (Build 18324.20194), released on January 16: “We fixed an issue where apps would exit unexpectedly when running on Windows Server 2016.”

However, some users are still having problems with Outlook, and they’re being left with temporary workarounds to maintain access to the popular emailing application. Outlook is no stranger to bugs, with users once being told not to open more than 60 emails, before offering a patch.

Outlook is still having stability issues

Previously, users updating to Version 2412 (Build 18324.20168) or Version 2412 (Build 18324.20190) were seeing their Microsoft 365 applications crashing on Windows Server 2016. They were told to revert to Version 2411 (Build 18227.20152) as a temporary workaround, but the status has now been updated to ‘fixed’ with the release of Version 2412 (Build 18324.20194).

Now that Microsoft 365 applications have been given a stability enhancement, classic Outlook is experiencing issues.

Microsoft wrote: “After updating to Version 2412 (Build 18324.20168) classic Outlook may crash when starting a new email, or when replying or forwarding an email.”

Similar to before, users are being told to revert to an older version, specifically Version 2411 (Build 18227.20162).

Version 2501 Build 18429.20000 has already fixed this issue, but it’s not expected to go live until January 28. Given that the issue was first shared on January 17, that’s 11 days of glitches that some users may have to experience.

The not-yet-patched issue relates specifically to Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016.

Logs for the Current Channel updates can be found on Microsoft’s dedicated web page. As ever, it’s recommended to apply updates as soon as they become available not only to address glitches like this but also to protect your machine against vulnerabilities.

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Nvidia's RTX 5090 Founders Edition GPU is almost here, promising to step performance up across the board from the previous generation's RTX 4090 - fortunately, we've got our hands on it with an early unboxing. While we won't be able to share more about its performance with the new Multi Frame Generation feature until the January 24 review embargo lifts, today we're able to unveil its box and everything inside.

RTX 5090's Box & Power Connector

Now, tell me that box doesn't at least remind you of the PS1 in some way... I'm waiting. (Image credit: Future)

Starting with the box itself, Team Green has changed the packaging, opting for a cool retro design (at least in my eyes) - and I love the look, which reminds me of Sony's PlayStation 1 with its grey color scheme for the paperboard design protecting the GPU. This is a huge contrast to the RTX 4090's packaging, which had a much bigger box catering to the GPU's large form factor size, and that's changed here (something I'll dive into later).

Whilst the box itself is a purely cosmetic change that will likely end up in the garbage of many buyers, the new power connector deserves some attention here - the previous adapter was an issue for myself and many other PC gamers attempting to shut their case or at least maintain an appealing build, with its short and stiff design, while also posing a potential fire hazard based on user reports.

No more stiff power connectors... I'm forever grateful Nvidia (Image credit: Future)

I had similar troubles with the Asus RTX 4080 Super TUF OC Edition, as I couldn't close my PC case's side panel without excessively bending the connector - this eventually forced my hand to buy a more flexible Seasonic 12VHPWR Cable so I could finally shut the case.

With the new power connector, we hopefully won't need to worry about this, as Nvidia has taken extra care regarding the matter by introducing additional sense wires (which was previously rumored). This should improve and secure the 8-pin connection, while also being much longer and more flexible.

Nvidia RTX 5090 Founders Edition GPU

This paperboard packaging is 100% recyclable, which is a nice plus - though as you can see here, it's a little difficult to get inside! (Image credit: Future)

Now moving on to what you came here for - the RTX 5090 Founders Edition in all its glory is much sleeker with its new design. Team Green has paid attention to those who prefer slim PC builds, as this is much smaller than the previous generation's flagship GPU - this was evident with the new box used to house the new dual-slot GPU compared to the 4090's triple-slot design.

While some rumors hinted at the 5090 being much louder compared to previous GPUs, some videos have already been enough to debunk it such as PC Centric's CES video, showcasing just how quiet it is under heavy load in Cyberpunk 2077.

While it's a lot smaller than the previous RTX 4090 FE, the 5090 FE is still a chunky card. (Image credit: Future)

While the new power connector I mentioned earlier will surely help many PC builders, Nvidia has taken an extra step to alleviate any potential issues by setting the power connector at an angle to avoid cables pushing up against side panels.

It's insane to imagine that a GPU this small packs greater power than the RTX 4090, so I must say I'm impressed with Nvidia's efforts here. There's still a lot left to be unveiled in terms of the power consumption leap from the previous 450W to 575W (with rumors suggesting that it's actually 600W) and whether an upgrade to this GPU will be worthwhile - but from what I've seen so far with the unboxing, it's certainly so far so good from Team Green.

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• Hackers seen running malvertising campaign promoting a fake Homebrew package
• Victims were targeted with AMOS, a powerful infostealer
• Campaign has since been taken down, but users should still be on guard

Mac users are once again being targeted with powerful malware as hackers try to steal their login information, sensitive data, and cryptocurrencies.

Software developer Ryan Chenkie spotted the malicious campaign on Google, noting threat actors have been running malicious advertising campaigns on Google’s network promoting a fake version of Homebrew, an open source package manager for macOS and Linux.

“Developers, please be careful when installing Homebrew,” he said. “Google is serving sponsored links to a Homebrew site clone that has a cURL command to malware. The URL for this site is one letter different than the official site.”

Grabbing AMOS

The ad being served on Google shows the right Homebrew URL - brew.sh. However, once a victim clicks, they get redirected to brewe.sh, a site with an extra “e” letter at the end. It’s a common typosquatting technique often seen not just in malvertising, but in other forms of cyberattacks, as well.

Victims who don’t spot the trick are prompted to install Homebrew, by pasting a command shown in the macOS Terminal, or a Linux shell prompt, not unlike what the legitimate Homebrew site does.

But instead of getting the actual software, victims will be served AMOS, a popular infostealer that grabs people’s passwords, browser data, cryptocurrency information, and more. Security researchers have been warning about AMOS (AKA Atomic) for months now, saying the tool is being offered in a subscription model for $1,000 a month.

Soon after Chenkie posted his warning, Homebrew’s Project Leader, Mike McQuaid, replied, saying the campaign has already been taken down, but also voiced his concerns about repeating offenses: “This seems taken down now. There's little we can do about this really, it keeps happening again and again and Google seems to like taking money from scammers,” he said. “Please signal-boost this and hopefully someone at Google will fix this for good.”

Via BleepingComputer

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• Not for taking photos or video: it's an extra input for AI
• Meta is reportedly unhappy with progress so far
• Samsung's plans are still largely secret

Apple isn't the only firm considering sticking cameras into your earbuds, although it's probably closer than most: as we reported last year, Apple has been experimenting with IR cameras in AirPods, and is apparently planning to use them to help inform AI and deliver the audio equivalent of smart glasses.

A new report says that Apple isn't the only firm wanting to be an eye-in-ear pioneer. Meta and Samsung are apparently looking into people's ears too, but the path to in-ear cameras has proved to be a little tricky.

Ear we go, ear we go, ear we go

The report, by Bloomberg, details the efforts of Apple's earbud rivals. Meta's system appears to have the same goal as Apple's one – not to take photos or record video, but to analyze the world around you and provide input to AI assistants – and "would let users look at an object and ask the earbuds to analyze the item", much like Meta's Ray-Ban glasses do. However, such devices are at least a few years away.

Meta has encountered several issues, which presumably Apple has encountered too. The report says that there have been issues with people who have long hair, and Meta is apparently unsatisfied with the camera angles of the devices currently named "Camera Buds".

As for Samsung, those legendary leakers "people with knowledge of the matter" say that the firm is also considering a version of earbuds with cameras inside. However as yet there's no detail of how advanced that project is, or if it's even begun.

Cameras on earbuds make a lot of sense as an alternative to the idea of smart AR glasses, because there will be a big hurdle to get people who don't wear glasses normally to put them on. But so many of us wear a pair of the best earbuds when out and about that they might be a better solution to the question of what kind of camera people would really wear. But as mentioned above, they bring their own troubles, ranging from hair to hats.

Is there an option to simply not have cameras feeding information to your phone's AI? That seems to be Plan Z…

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• President Donald Trump has signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for Ross Ulbricht
• The Silk Road operator had received two life sentences and a further 40 years
• Trump said the same “lunatics” were behind the fight against him

President Trump has signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for Silk Road foudner and operator Ross Ulbricht.

Silk Road was a notorious dark web marketplace selling illegal drugs, hacking tools and stolen passports during its operation between 2011 and 2013.

Ulbricht, who has been in prison since 2015, was arrested in 2013 and later convicted in 2015 on charges of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. The result was two life sentences and a further 40 years without parole.

Trump pardons Silk Road operator

The President informed Ulbricht’s mother about the pardon via a phone call, he stated on TRUTH Social.

“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," the post read.

Trump described the sentencing as “ridiculous,” adding the same “lunatics” who convicted Ulbricht were also involved in the “modern day weaponization of government against [himself].”

Silk Road was a dark web site accessible via the open source, decentralized Tor browser. It supported anonymized transactions via Bitcoin – something that he declared during his sentencing was important to his desire to “empower people to make choices in their lives and have privacy and anonymity.”

It’s believed that the site generated more than $200 million in drug sales during its short two-year lifespan, but Ulbricht acknowledged the site’s unintended consequences. Court documents also indicated the site had close to a million registered users.

“I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more equitable world,” he said in 2021 (via SiliconANGLE).

Ulbricht, who went by the pseudonym ‘Dread Pirate Roberts,’ was also accused of soliciting six murders-for-hire, however no evidence was found.

The now-president had previously pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence immediately if he was reelected, which Ulbright shared to X on May 26, 2024.

No further comments from Trump or Ulbricht have been shared at this time.

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You’d imagine that meeting your favorite music artists would feel like the most spellbound and full-circle moment of your life, but when it comes to A24’s first trailer for upcoming music thriller Opus, this is far from the case. Yesterday (January 21) A24, which has made some of the best Max movies, dropped the first-look trailer (see below) for Opus starring John Malkovich and Ayo Edebiri, star of one of the best Hulu shows, The Bear. With its March 14 release date now in the calendar, I’m already buckled in for what will undoubtedly become one of my favorite new movies this year.

From filmmaker Mark Anthony Green in his feature directorial debut Opus is a music horror-thriller focussing on Ariel Ecton (Edebiri), a magazine writer determined to get her hands on a career-altering story when missing pop star of 30 years, Alfred Moretti (Malkovich), surfaces from a compound to unveil new music to a private select group of celebrities. When Ariel accepts a personal invitation to spend the weekend at his compound, she sees it as a bold career opportunity but finds herself amidst a cult run by Moretti himself, whose plans to release new music are much more unsettling than anticipated. Think Mark Mylod’s The Menu (2022), but with a pop cult fandom edge.

Though the movie’s theatrical release isn’t until spring, Opus is set to premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival on January 27. In addition to its two leading stars, Green’s feature packs a solid supporting cast including Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Young Mazino, and Tatanka Means.

Macro Film Studios, creators of Sorry to Bother You (2018) and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), has taken the reins on production, enlisting Joshua Bachove, Collin Creighton, Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson and Brad Weston as producers.

Pop music meets Ayo Edebiri - is this movie made for me personally?

You can bet your bottom dollar that when the trailer for Opus dropped, I paused everything in the moment to fully immerse myself in yet another Ayo Edebiri-centric piece of media. Since watching her in FX’s The Bear, Inside Out 2 (2024), and of course Emma Seligman’s black comedy high school satire Bottoms (2023), I’ve become the self-styled president of the Ayo Edebiri fan club.

But as an admirer of movies like The Menu (2022) and someone who actively participates in fan culture, I’ve been patiently waiting for a movie like Opus to examine and exaggerate fan behavior through the lens of a cult. And since platforms like TikTok have enhanced the ferocity and defensive nature of music fandoms, there has never been a more appropriate time for a movie like this to come along - hence why it has shot right to the top of my must-watch list for 2025.

All things aside, the trailer reinforces a fun conspiracy about artists taking long absences that I can’t help but hyperfixate on. Who knows, maybe Rihanna’s decade-long break from music is much more than a simple retirement period…?

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• Warhorse Studios has released a new Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 post-launch roadmap
• It details the free updates coming to the game
• It also provides further information about the three upcoming DLC expansions

Developer Warhorse Studios has outlined some of the post-launch content for upcoming open-world role-playing game (RPG) Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in a newly revealed roadmap.

Four updates will be delivered throughout the year, with the first arriving in spring and containing a number of free features. This includes a new Hardcore Mode for those seeking the most rigorous challenge, the ability to participate in horse races to improve your riding skills, and the option to visit barbers in order to give Henry a haircut and further customize your look.

The other three updates then contain content from the paid expansion pass, which is available as part of the game's Gold Edition. In summer, the new Brushes with Death quest will be added, challenging you to uncover the secrets of a mysterious artists.

Legacy of the Forge arrives in autumn, focusing more closely on Henry's history and his beginnings as a blacksmith's assistant.

This will then be followed by Mysteria Ecclesia in winter, where you will be able to explore the large Sedlec Monastery in a covert mission. These will be accompanied by free quality of life updates, to "further enhance the game experience".

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is set to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on February 4. Pre-orders are open now, with those who opt to pick up the game early receiving the Lion’s Crest bonus items.

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