TechRadar News

Earlier today, some reports fired up enthusiasm around the possibility that Microsoft might have accidentally let slip the release date for Windows 11 24H2, and that the update was imminent - but that isn’t the case.

This originally came from Ghacks, which noticed a blog post written by Microsoft intended for IT professionals on the topic of enhanced data protection with Windows and Copilot. 

In that post, Microsoft said that Copilot-related updates will “align with the annual Windows 11 feature update release,” which clearly enough means Windows 11 24H2. And we were told that those Copilot updates would arrive in preview on September 24, 2024, with the full release following on October 8.

So, the conclusion was quickly (and understandably) reached that the Windows 11 24H2 update should also arrive on October 8, if the release of both 24H2 and these Copilot-related updates aligned as Microsoft told us. All very straightforward, right? Well, no...

(Image credit: Future) Mistakes were made

Microsoft has just updated the blog post to spell out in no uncertain terms: "The dates conveyed below are for our regular monthly servicing updates for supported versions of Windows 11 and unrelated to when Windows 11, version 24H2 will be generally available."

The mention of aligning with the annual update for Windows 11 has been stripped out of the post, so clearly, Microsoft made a mistake here (though it doesn’t directly admit that).

When it eventually arrives, Windows 11 24H2 will bring in a number of new features, including Wi-Fi 7 support (which will only be useful if your PC’s hardware, and router, also supports it), and some nifty changes on the AI front. That includes Copilot becoming an app, allowing you to resize its window and move the assistant around the desktop.

Head here for a deeper dive into all the incoming features Microsoft is packing into 24H2, which could still turn up in October, perhaps – just not on October 8, apparently.

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Valve’s Steam Deck, one of the best PC handhelds, has a massive library of the best PC games that it can tap into due to the sheer number of titles on the Steam storefront. But now, those with Amazon Prime subscriptions can get their hands on even more.

Amazon is currently offering over 40 free of the best Steam Deck games to its 200 million members, all of which can be played on the Steam Deck. As long as you have an active subscription, you can simply download the titles for free — just make sure to download them before time runs out. Two of them have already expired as of September 18: The Invisible Hand and Maneater.

There is one caveat, though: even though these are all Steam titles, you aren’t able to download many of them directly through the storefront. Instead, you’ll need to acquire them through Epic Game Store, Amazon Games Store, or GOG.

However, the Heroic Games Launcher is a handy tool that allows you to link all these accounts through the Steam app, simplifying the process of downloading and launching the games on Steam Deck. You can also create shortcuts on the Steam Deck to avoid constant switching between portable and desktop modes.

Below is a full list of games that you can download on your Steam Deck:

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A cybercriminal claims to have breached Temu and stolen millions of customer records, but the ecommerce giant is vehemently denying the claims.

A hacker with the alias ‘smokinthashit’ took to BreachForums, one of the most popular underground forums out there, and advertised a new database, allegedly stolen from the company.

“Temu company database for sale. +87M lines. Source: temu.com. The data has never been sold before. Only one copy will be sold,” the ad reads.

It's all false, says Temu

The ad also came with a small sample, as proof of the database’s authenticity. The sample apparently contains usernames and IDs, IP addresses, full names, birth dates, gender, shipping addresses, phone numbers, and hashed passwords. Should the archive prove to be authentic, it would put many people at risk of identity theft, wire fraud, and more.

But whether or not the archive is authentic remains to be seen. In a statement given to BleepingComputer, Temu denied claims of data theft, saying that nothing in the database belongs to the firm:

"Temu's security team has conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged data breach and can confirm that the claims are categorically false; the data being circulated is not from our systems. Not a single line of data matches our transaction records," Temu told the publication.

"At Temu, the security and privacy of our users are paramount. We follow industry-leading practices for data protection and cybersecurity, ensuring that consumers can shop with peace of mind on our platform."

Temu is right to be dismissive, especially if the claims indeed are false. Sometimes, even the mention of a company in context of a data breach, is enough for consumers to stay away and thus hurt the firm’s bottom line. And with an up-and-coming e-commerce platform such as Temu, a pristine image is pivotal to success.

Temu is an online marketplace that offers a wide range of products, from clothing and electronics to home goods, at highly competitive prices. It is a Chinese company, with a global presence, and sources products directly from manufacturers. The platform is designed to appeal to budget-conscious consumers looking for deals across various categories. Since its launch, Temu has grown rapidly, leveraging a model similar to other discount e-commerce platforms.

Via BleepingComputer

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee has announced plans, via X/Twitter, to retire its Summit supercomputer in November 2024. After six years of service and over 200 million node hours of research, Summit’s decommissioning marks the end of the road for what was, in 2018, the world’s most powerful supercomputer.

Summit's infrastructure includes 9,216 IBM Power 9 processors and 27,648 Nvidia Volta GPUs. With a peak performance of 148.6 petaflops, it has since been surpassed by newer technologies and now ranks ninth globally.

Its successor, Frontier, has already claimed the title of the world’s first exascale supercomputer, significantly outpacing Summit's computational power. Although it is currently ranked number one in the world, Frontier itself faces stiff competition from several challengers, including Oracle and Elon Musk's xAI.

Goodbye, Summit!Attendees gathered on the final day of the 2024 OLCF User Meeting to sign a piece of @ORNL's Summit #supercomputer.After almost 6 years providing over 200 million node hours to researchers around the world, Summit will be decommissioned in November. pic.twitter.com/7bnsPy6bwxSeptember 11, 2024

Not for sale?

Originally scheduled for retirement earlier in 2024, Summit’s life was extended to support additional scientific initiatives. During its final year, it played a key role in over 100 research projects, including contributions to the National AI Research Resource initiative.

ORNL has not confirmed whether it would consider selling Summit, but for those with the financial resources, acquiring the supercomputer could be an attractive opportunity. There is certainly a precedent for such systems being sold. The Cheyenne supercomputer, formerly housed at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was ranked as the 20th most powerful computer in the world in 2016. It was sold through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in May 2024. Despite maintenance issues and significant operating costs - thousands of dollars per day - Cheyenne drew 27 bidders and eventually sold for $480,085, plus the costs of dismantling and relocating it. Summit, however, would likely come with a much higher price tag.

The supercomputing landscape has evolved massively since Summit's debut, especially with the rise of AI-driven data centers. This shift has increased demand on energy resources, with data center electricity consumption projected to reach 6.8% of total US power generation by 2030, up from 4% today.

Frontier is both the world's fastest and most energy efficient supercomputer, but ORNL thinks it can do better. Looking ahead, the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) is already planning successor to Frontier, named Discovery, which is set to debut by 2028.

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Intel has announced plans to establish a new Intel Foundry Services (IFS) spinoff – with the foundry business set to become its own standalone subsidiary.

The announcement, made by company CEO Pat Gelsinger, is said to align with three of Intel’s main goals, enhancing its foundry operations, cutting costs and focusing on its core x86 technology.

Gelsinger’s news also serves as confirmation of decisive action made by the company following its second-quarter earnings call.

Intel Foundry Services subsidiary

In its most recent three-month period, Intel reports $12.8 billion in revenue, marking a minor 1% decrease over the same period of the preceding year.

Announcing a major $10 billion cost-reduction plan, Gelsinger stated: “Our Q2 financial performance was disappointing, even as we hit key product and process technology milestones.”

Splitting off its foundry business will enable the newly formed IFS to have greater financial transparency as well as more flexibility. Gelsinger summarized the change, “provides our external foundry customers and suppliers with clearer separation and independence from the rest of Intel.”

No changes have been made to the leadership team, who continue to report to Intel’s CEO, however a separate operating board will be established.

In the announcement, Gelsinger also touched upon further changes that will apply to Intel in order to address many of the concerns raise following the most recent quarter.

Despite pausing facility projects in Germany and Poland, Intel will continue to build in Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico and Ohio in order to expand its US manufacturing footprint. These projects are backed by billions of US dollars as part of the CHIPS Act.

Gelsinger thanked Intel’s workers for their understanding, revealing the true scale of the change: “As I’ve said before, this is the most significant transformation of Intel in over four decades. Not since the memory to microprocessor transition have we attempted something so essential.”

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As Cillian Murphy prepares to reprise his role as fearsome gangster Tommy Shelby in the upcoming Netflix Peaky Blinders movie, his intense performance in the trailer for new movie Small Things Like These is just as goosebump-inducing.

After Murphy's well-deserved Oscar win for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's explosive biopic Oppenheimer, his next intense role comes in the form of historical drama Small Things Like These. Based on Claire Keegan's novel of the same name, Murphy showcases his character Bill Furlong in the haunting and gritty trailer (see below) that is a far cry from Oppenheimer.

In the trailer, quiet and melancholic Furlong is working in the coal mines and blends into the dark, bleak surroundings. However, when he sees a young woman being forcibly delivered to a convent, his disturbing discovery of abuse in the rural Irish community forces him to confront his own past traumas and risk upsetting the town by exposing the exploitation. 

It's definitely not a light-hearted watch and tackles painful themes as Murphy takes center stage in a movie that looks to be intoxicating and emotional, which I think could earn him his next Oscar win.

Small Things Like These takes on big things

Small Things Like These is an adaptation of Claire Keegan's best-selling novel which tells the story of Bill Furlong, a hard-working coal merchant and father who grapples with his traumatic past when he discovers secret abuses happening inside his local convent in the small Irish town of New Ross. 

These ordeals are inspired by the real-life history of the Magdalene Laundries, a set of workhouses and asylums run by the Catholic Church where 'fallen women', such as unmarried mothers and orphans, were physically and mentally abused in horrific conditions.

Furlong struggles with combatting the powerful and corrupt institution and his own past suffering as he thinks about the death of his mother, as well as the life of his daughters following such a barbaric revelation.

Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's company Artists Equity, Murphy told Vanity Fair of how he convinced Damon to take on the project: "I gave the script to Matt [Damon] when we were shooting, and he loved it. I remember saying that it’s a different film, but it would share some thematic crossover with Manchester by the Sea, which Matt also produced…. It was like I was pitching between Manchester by the Sea and Doubt.”

Small Things Like These also stars Eileen Walsh as Furlong's wife Eileen, Michelle Fairley as Mrs. Wilson, Emily Watson as Sister Mary, and Clare Dunne as Sister Carmel.

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Hackers are targeting construction companies with brute-force attacks, breaking into their networks and executing different commands remotely, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Huntress, who recently observed the attacks in the wild, noted cybercriminals are going after Foundation - a piece of software used by construction companies for accounting and project management. It helps manage financials, job costing, payroll, and reporting, and offers tools for tracking expenses, managing contracts, and staying compliant with industry regulations.

This software also has an accompanying mobile app, and in order for it to work properly, a Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) needs to be configured to be publicly accessible via TCP port 4243. This server has two admin accounts, and in many instances - users never changed the default passwords.

Running commands

Cybercriminals seem to have picked up on this information, targeting dozens of organizations with brute-force attacks, in an attempt to log into these accounts. In fact, Huntress spotted 35,000 attempts on a single host, within an hour. The researchers said they saw “active breaches” in organizations working on plumbing, HVAC, concrete, and similar.

After gaining access, the attackers try to enable features that allow them to run commands on the operating system. Some of the commands observed by the researchers were to retrieve network configuration details and pull information about the hardware, OS, and user accounts.

Huntress says that of all the endpoints it defends, 500 hosts were seen running Foundation, 33 of which had publicly exposed MSSQL databases with default admin credentials. The researchers notified the company of their findings, but Foundation said the problem only affects on-prem instances. In other words, software users should be the ones minding their security posture. The company did stress that not all servers have the same port open, and not everyone has the same default credentials.

Via BleepingComputer

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The Office is a strange phenomenon. Kicking off in the UK with Ricky Gervais' David Brent, it went across the pond to the US where it was led by Steve Carell's Michael Scott, quickly becoming a huge comedy hit. I am not alone in thinking the US reboot was very good indeed, but sadly the latest iteration of The Office on Prime Video has the potential to be the worst one yet. Though early days, it is very unlikely it'll make it onto our best Prime Video shows list. (But I'm happy to be proven wrong!)

Reboots are tough, especially when you're tackling something that is widely regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Part of what made the US version so special was its memorable characters, quotable moments, and the mix of cringe humor with some seriously heartfelt scenes. But based on the first look at The Office Australia, it seems like they're trying to emulate the US edition way too much, and it feels like a parody rather than a new series.

Take a look below and see for yourself. 

What else do we know about The Office Australia?

The Office Australia arrives on October 18, sharing a release date with Anna Kendrick's directorial debut over on Netflix. This release date comes after some first-look images were dropped earlier this year.

Instead of Dunder Mifflin, it's set in a new fictional company called Flinley Craddick which is headed up by an annoying, incompetent boss. But frustratingly, Felicity Ward's character Hannah Howard feels like she's trying to be too much like Michael. That's not the only obvious similarity too, as the trailer teases Dwight and Andy-esque characters and even a Pam and Jim-style romance, which makes me wonder if it'll actually have many new things to offer. 

Plot-wise, it will lean into modern-day topics like remote working with Hannah desperately trying to keep her "work family" together. This does provide topical things that audiences will be able to resonate with, giving it some space from the original two offerings, so hopefully, the Australian version's able to bring some unique things to the table instead of simply trying to mirror American work culture. 

While you wait for The Office Australia, why not check out everything new on Prime Video in September 2024 as there have been some big titles added this month.

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Gaming just took a giant leap forwards: the latest GeForce RTX 40 series graphics deliver truly astonishing images and performance, and they do it with incredible energy efficiency too. Their Ada Lovelace GPU technology is at the absolute cutting edge of mobile graphics technology, delivering laptop gaming unlike anything you've ever experienced. Quite simply, the RTX 40 series laptop GPUs power the world's fastest laptops for gamers and creators. 

There are lots of reasons to lust after the GeForce RTX 40 series laptop GPUs, and two of the biggest are DLSS 3 and full ray tracing. DLSS 3 is a revolutionary breakthrough in AI-powered graphics that enables you to push games such as Black Myth and Star Wars Outlaws to the limit with higher graphics settings and resolutions than ever before. And full ray tracing delivers the most astonishing and immersive graphics you've ever seen, with ultra-realistic lighting and incredible detail.

Whether you're a casual gamer or the hardest of the hardcore, you're going to love what your new MSI laptop can do.

Incredible power. Amazing prices

(Image credit: MSI)

We know what you're thinking: won't state of the art gaming laptops with cutting-edge graphics cost a fortune? Surprisingly, the answer is no. For a very limited period MSI is running some back-to-school gaming laptop deals that are just as impressive as the hardware, enabling you to get the very latest gaming tech for an incredibly good price. That means you can get the ultimate gaming laptop without breaking the bank. 

Meet the ultimate gaming squad

Let's start with a really affordable option that proves you don't need to cut corners to save cash. The MSI Thin 15 B12VE-1251UK is an exceptional entry level gaming laptop with a blisteringly fast NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and a silky-smooth 144Hz display. At just 21.7mm thin it's as portable as it is powerful, and right now it's just £639.

Need even more power? Say hello to the exceptional Katana A15 AI B8VG-443UK. This is an exceptionally cool laptop, and we mean that literally: the combination of its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU and Cooler Boost 5 technology means you can run it harder for longer without worrying about the heat. And the Katana doesn't just run cool: thanks to its 4-zone customisable RGB keyboard it looks pretty spectacular too. And it's yours for just £1,099.

Last but definitely not least there's the flagship Raider series, the most iconic of MSI's gaming laptops. The Raider GE68 HX 14VGG-261UK teams up the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU with MSI's own Overboost Ultra Technology, delivering a powerful 240W performance and a super-speedy 240Hz QHD display. It looks amazing too thanks to its built-in RGB lightbar, but perhaps the most amazing thing about it is that for a strictly limited period it's just £1,699.

(Image credit: MSI) Ultimate power. Incredible value

Whether you go for the amazingly affordable and portable MSI 15 Thin, the cutting-edge Katana A15 or the no-holds-barred power of the Raider GE68, there's never been a better time to buy an MSI gaming laptop: the combination of cutting-edge tech, incredible design and exceptional affordability makes these laptops the ultimate power-up for every kind of gamer.

Click here to discover your next gaming laptop and get ready to rule the school.

Research from AppOmni has claimed over 1,000 individual instances at ServiceNow which unintentionally exposed data from Knowledge Bases (KBs). This accounts for 45% of enterprises tested by the researchers.

ServiceNow offers KBs, which are self-service platforms “for users to store, share, and manage content”.

Aaron Costello, chief of SaaS security research at AppOmni, noted the risk comes from KBs that have been misconfigured by companies, leading to the exposed data. The applications affected were made public, so any threat actors could potentially see the information the bases contain.

Sensitive data

ServiceNow is used by 85% of the Fortune 500 to manage IT services and processes, and companies use the service to set up systems that define, automate, manage, and structure IT services.

The information found by researchers contained personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, credentials, phone numbers, and internal system details. Internal information such as HR processes or cyber attack response protocol was compromised, which could cause serious issues for a company’s cyber security.

“This is critical for organizations that use ServiceNow to know about because it can lead to the exposure of sensitive information such as PII, internal system information, and active credentials,” said Costello. “This highlights the urgent need for enterprises to routinely check and update their security configurations to prevent unauthorized access and protect their data assets.”

This is not the first time ServiceNow has presented vulnerabilities, with security flaws also spotted by researchers earlier this year.

ServiceNow introduced a round of updates in 2023 to their Access Controls Lists (ACLs) which were aimed at improving data protection but crucially these didn’t include KBs. Whilst externally facing information has legitimate uses, the KBs expose customer information which could be leveraged by threat actors.

To mitigate the risks of exposed information, the security researchers advise running routine diagnostics and communicating with software platform providers for the latest security updates.

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There have been plenty of leaks surrounding the Intel Core Lunar Lake series and its capabilities, but a new CPU-Z benchmark result for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K Arrow Lake desktop processor has leaked, and they’re quite impressive so far.

According to popular Chinese hardware leaker ECSM_Official, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scored 850.6 points in the single-core performance and a multi-core score of 10,907.1 points. This puts the Core Ultra 5 245K between the Intel Core i9-13980HX’s 842 points and the Intel Core i5-14600K/KF’s 852 points in terms of single-core performance, or about 99.8% of the performance of the Raptor Lake Refresh chip.

The processor shines in multi-core testing, however, as it beats the 14600K/KF’s 9,868 multi-core score by roughly 10.5%, putting it at 90% of the performance of the higher-end Intel Core i7-14700K, which scored 12,117 points. The 245K doesn’t feature hyperthreading either, so its 14 threads delivering performance similar to chips with 20 and 28 threads is even more impressive.

Though Arrow Lake is in its final stages, there are still plenty of tweaks and changes that can be made right until the processors start rolling off the line. Not to mention that performance leaks could always be outliers due to an incredibly small sample size. So, take these results with a grain of salt until the product launches and is fully tested.

Is hyperthreading really that great?

According to Intel, hyperthreading was dropped to improve the efficiency of its Arrow Lake chips. Judging from the leaked benchmark results, this was the ideal decision. The 245K has a maximum power of 159 watts, compared to the 14600K’s 181 watts, and yet the former nearly matched the latter in a single-core test and bested it in a multi-core test.

Leaker ECSM_Official also noted that the tested 245K processor had not been fully optimized, with a frequency lower by 100 to 200 MHz from the standard. If this is true, then it’s clear that the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K will most likely score even higher benchmark scores once it officially launches.

Hyperthreading is the name of Intel’s tech that allows more than one thread to run on each core in a CPU, meaning that more work can be done in parallel (AMD and ARM have similar tech as well). The idea is that with hyperthreading enabled, a PC is able to process more information in less time and can run more background tasks without any disruption.

However, the fact that removing hyperthreading from the most recent Arrow Lake chips can up the processor performance so drastically calls into question just how useful the tech really is. Most likely the amount of overhead required to implement the tech essentially negates any benefits from it.

It’ll be interesting to see the Arrow Lake in full capacity once it’s released, and whether or not Intel will reconsider including hyperthreading in its future processors.

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Watch The Golden Bachelorette online

They say that good things come to those who wait, and as the first ever Golden Bachelorette, enchanting 61-year-old Joan Vassos has the pick of a very promising litter. The Golden Bachelorette season 1 airs on ABC in the U.S. — and viewers abroad can watch it from anywhere with a VPN.

Her 24 suitors run the gamut from rancher David to girl dad Keith, from chiropractor Bob to retired bank CEO Michael, but one thing they all appear to have in common is not just a twinkle in their eye, but straight up swagger.

60 is the new 40, according to sales manager Jordan, and if you're not immediately convinced, just take a look at these guys. "Hopeful romantic" Jonathan, a shipping consultant, is the kind of guy who'd give everyone from "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" sleepless nights, while certified adrenaline junkie and salon owner Pascal looks like trouble.

Read on as we explain how to watch The Golden Bachelorette season 1 online and from anywhere.

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Watch The Golden Bachelorette online in the US

The Golden Bachelorette premieres on Wednesday, September 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. 

No cable? Sling TV offers ABC in selected locations. Other options include Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.

Sling TV is among the best value cable replacements, costing from just $40/month and half price for your first month.

Episodes are also available to stream the next day on Hulu (30-day FREE trial).

How to watch The Golden Bachelorette from anywhere

If you’re traveling abroad when The Golden Bachelorette airs, you’ll be unable to watch the show 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 The Golden Bachelorette from anywhere.

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How to watch The Golden Bachelorette online in Canada

Canadians can watch The Golden Bachelorette at the same time as Americans on CityTV — that's at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Wednesdays.

US viewer currently traveling in Canada? Download a VPN to watch your usual streaming service from abroad.

Can I watch The Golden Bachelorette online in the UK?

Hayu was previously the home of all things The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in the U.K., but the whole franchise was pulled from the streamer earlier in the year, and there's no word on when or if The Golden Bachelorette will hop across the pond. 

Don't forget: U.S. and Canadian nationals visiting the U.K. can still access their usual streaming services with the help of NordVPN.

Can I watch The Golden Bachelorette S1 in Australia?

The franchise used to be hosted by Hayu, but is now up in the air, with no word on when or if The Golden Bachelorette season 1 will head Down Under.

For now, anybody currently abroad in Australia from the U.S. or Canada can use one of the best VPN services to access their usual streaming service. We recommend NordVPN thanks to its speed, reliability and trusted security features. 

Can I watch The Golden Bachelorette for free?

Canadian viewers can watch The Golden Bachelorette season 1 for free with the Citytv 7-day free trial (via Amazon Prime Video). Meanwhile, US fans can watch episodes the day after they air with the Hulu 30-day free trial.

The Golden Bachelorette contestants

• Bill Hernandez, 68 from Portland, Oregon
• Bob Kilroy, 66 from Marina del Rey, California
• Charles Chapple, 60 from Wichita, Kansas
• Charles King, 62 from Rancho Palos Verdes, California
• Charles Ling, 66 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Christopher Stallworth, 64 from West Babylon, New York
• Dan Roemer, 64 from Naples, Florida
• David Huff, 68 from Austin, Texas
• Gary Levingston, 65 from Palm Desert, California
• Gil Ramirez, 60 from Mission Viejo, California
• Gregg Lassen, 64 from Longboat Key, Florida
• Guy Gansert, 66 from Reno, Nevada
• Jack Lencioni, 68 from Schererville, Indiana
• Jonathan Rone, 61 from Oakland, Iowa
• Jordan Heller, 61 from Riverwoods, Illinois
• Keith Gordon, 62 from Columbus, Indiana
• Ken O'Brien, 60 from Peabody, Massachusetts
• Kim Buike, 69 from Seattle, Washington
• Mark Anderson, 57 from Leesville, Louisiana
• Michael Stevens, 65 from Denver, North Carolina
• Pablo Gonzalez-Juana, 63 from Cambridge, Maryland
• Pascal Ibgui, 69 from Glencoe, Illinois
• Ralph Johnson, 66 from Irvine, California
• Thomas, 62 from New York City, New York

It’s not every day that an art exhibit is secretly a laptop launch, but that’s exactly what just happened: at a swanky studio venue in London, I bore witness to Asus showcasing a fresh Zenbook laptop line built from an entirely new and unique material.

‘Ceraluminum’ took Asus four years to conceive and design in its 5,000-strong R&D department (no, they weren’t all just working on this), and while I was initially skeptical, I can now say that I’m a true believer. Described by Asus Chief of Design Mitch Yang as “a fusion of aluminum and ceramic, designed to integrate the best qualities of both materials,” the substance is created by bonding aluminum with a mystery ceramic ingredient, producing a strong plated material with a pottery-like matte surface.

Even the big-screen Zenbook S 16 is still phenomenally thin and light thanks to ceraluminum. (Image credit: Future)

Asus kept repeating that the new material is ‘inspired by nature,’ and while I’m not really sure what that means, I can attest to its impressive physical properties. It’s fantastically lightweight, enabling some incredibly thin and light new Zenbook models, and it repels fingerprints like nobody’s business. 

Seriously, I couldn’t see the slightest blemish on these laptops, even after handling them for several minutes. It’s also stronger and more resilient than conventional milled aluminum; Asus had a ceraluminum disc spinning endlessly under a turntable needle to show exactly how scratch-resistant it is.

Can the ‘forever laptop’ become a reality?

Yang described the material as ‘everlasting,’ making it clear that the new Zenbooks made using ceraluminum should prove more enduring than the competition. It’s not hard to see why; these devices, especially the new Zenbook Duo on show, feel like the future of laptops.

It’s perhaps a little at odds with the general ethos of the tech industry as a whole, which I’m convinced is ‘new is always better.’ We’re constantly being encouraged to upgrade and toss aside our outdated (read: two years old) hardware in favor of something newer and more exciting.

Thankfully, Asus has prepared for this eventuality, too: even if you do choose to replace your ceraluminum Zenbook, the material is 100% recyclable. As Yang stated: “We are trying to encourage a more sustainable approach to tech ownership… we are trying to create a balance between sustainability and enjoyment.” When I spoke to him in a private interview after the panel discussion, he was visibly filled with almost childlike joy at the product he helped create, running his hand over the lid of his new laptop and admitting: “It’s just nice to touch.”

Other than the new ceraluminum outer casing, the new slate of Zenbooks has undergone some subtle (but nice) design changes. (Image credit: Future)

He’s not wrong, either; it’s a bit strange at first to pick up a one-kilogram laptop that feels like an ancient Roman tablet under your fingertips, but the matte surface is oddly pleasing. It’s not as cold as metal and feels far higher quality than plastic. It’s not painted or coated; it doesn’t need to be. Combined with the straight-lined inlaid silver patterning on the lids, there’s no denying that the new Zenbook line looks fantastic.

As for whether they’ll truly last forever, well, that’s sort of out of Asus’s hands. The components that power these laptops are what really determine their longevity. However, with powerful new Intel Lunar Lake and AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips (though notably no Snapdragon X Elite models) at the heart of these laptops, they should last for a good while yet - at least, until the next big CPU industry upheaval.

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AWS has revealed a growing trend whereby customers are looking to reduce their reliance on cloud and revert back to on-prem options.

The news came during a hearing with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is investigating anticompetitive practices within Britain’s cloud market.

Amazon occupies around one-third of the cloud market globally, the equivalent of Microsoft and Google combined.

Are customers fed up of cloud’s unrealistic promises?

AWS admitted customers are moving their workloads back to on-prem infrastructure in a move known as cloud repatriation. The trend highlights the flexibility and range of cloud storage options available to customers, as well as the varied use cases and associated benefits.

Amazon’s cloud division said customers may be doing this for any number of reasons, including: “to reallocate their own internal finances, adjust their access to technology and increase the ownership of their resources, data and security.”

One of the key drivers could be cost – cloud once promised to be a cost-effective way to access data anywhere, but on-prem and hybrid infrastructure is beginning to blur the boundaries.

However, while AWS acknowledged evolving competition from on-prem infrastructure providers, the company doesn’t seem to be overly bothered about the trend. AWS believes that companies are migrating on a workload-by-workload basis, and many are exploring hybrid and multicloud setups where they don’t entirely abandon AWS.

That being said, strong competition is causing AWS to reevaluate its business practices, and ongoing global investigations into anticompetitive behavior across the entire cloud sector means that cloud hosting companies and responding to pressures from these organizations and customers to offer greater flexibility and cost efficiency.

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Microsoft has announced plans to integrate Python into excel as part of its latest Copilot AI push.

The move, part of the company’s broader expansion of its Microsoft 365 Copilot suite, is designed to boost productivity to giving workers access to advanced tools that can be controlled through natural language input.

Python integration will allow workers to perform complex tasks, like data analysis, forecasting, risk assessment and machine learning, without the need to write code.

Excel gets AI-powered Python

Microsoft hopes that by enabling users to carry out these more advanced tasks from within its spreadsheet software, Excel can become a better tool for modern data science.

A demo video shared in the announcement confirmed workers can overwrite the Python code to tweak as necessary.

Jared Spataro, Corporate VP of AI at Work for Microsoft, commented: “It’s like adding a skilled data analyst to the team.”

The tool, Copilot in Excel with Python, is currently in public preview.

The welcome addition forms part of a much broader strategy that Microsoft is currently rolling out, which it calls ‘Wave 2’. Redmond says this is in response to the positive feedback of its AI-powered tools in Teams.

Wave 2 will include further enhancements across the entire suit, including dynamic storytelling in PowerPoint and inbox management aids in Outlook.

The Python-powered Excel enhancements are part of a partnership with data science, ML and AI company Anaconda.

Anaconda’s Chief AI & Innovation Officer, Peter Wang, commented: “We are thrilled to announce the general availability of Python in Excel, a major breakthrough that will transform the workflow of millions of Excel users around the world.”

Microsoft Excel Head of Product Catherine Pidgeon added: “With the general availability of Python in Excel, we are ushering in a new era of data analysis.”

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Tech giant Microsoft revealed that its board of directors approved a new $60 billion stock-buyback program. The repurchase program has no expiration date and may be terminated at any time, according to the company’s statement.

The board also outlined a quaterly dividend of $0.83 per share, which reflects a 10% rise over the previous quarter. Shares for the company gained 31% in the last 12 months, bringing its market value to $3.2 trillion.

A partnership with OpenAI and investments into cloud technologies has ushered in a new era for the corporation, seemingly one met with optimism and confidence. The company is reported to have $75.5 billion in cash and equivalents as of June 30th, with free cash flow of $23.3 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter, “up 18% year-over-year reflecting higher capital expenditures to support our cloud and AI offerings.”

More investments to come

AI infrastructure is set to secure more investments in the near future, with the company already reporting a 77% rise in capital spending largely due to AI related endeavors.

Tech giants are facing huge pressure to produce returns from the recent AI, with Microsoft being one of the few companies to do so. Microsoft surpassed the $3 trillion market value mark, and is the second company to ever reach this level.

AI is certainly emerging as a driving force behind Microsoft's success, especially after the company integrated generative AI into a lot of core products, including its dedicated chatbot, Copilot. The projections are incredibly promising for the company, which could be set to take the title of the world's most valuable company from its current #2 spot.

Via Bloomberg

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Document AI, a Google Cloud service for file processing, had a worrying security flaw which allowed threat actors to steal sensitive data from people’s cloud storage accounts, and possibly even smuggle malware inside.

This is according to a new report from cybersecurity researchers Vectra AI, who found and reported the flaw to Google in early April. It was fixed in early September this year.

Google Cloud Document AI is a suite of machine learning tools that automates the extraction, analysis, and understanding of documents. It processes unstructured data like invoices, forms, or contracts by converting them into structured, usable information. The service is designed to improve document workflows, enhancing speed and accuracy in data extraction.

Batch processing woes

Users can process documents stored in Google Cloud via so-called batch processing - automation of document analysis for large volumes of documents simultaneously. During this process, the service uses “service agent”, a Google-managed service that acts as the identity in the process. However, instead of using the caller’s set of permissions for the job, batch processing uses the service agent permissions, which are too broad.

As a result, the caller (which could be a malicious individual) can access any Google Cloud Storage buckets within the same project, and through it - all of the data found there. The researchers demonstrated a Proof of Concept to Google, showing how the vulnerability could be abused to exfiltrate a .PDF file, modify it, and then return it to the same place.

Soon after learning about the issue, Google apparently released a patch, and changed the status of the problem as ‘fixed’. However, the researchers said the fix wasn’t sufficient, and pressured the company further. Finally, in early September, Google confirmed applying a downgrade that sorted it out, “because the attacker needs to have an access to an impacted victim's project.”

Via The Register

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September is shaping up to be one helluva month for virtual reality. We got the mid-range Pico 4 Ultra a couple of weeks ago – alongside its impressive motion trackers for bringing accurate foot tracking into compatible software – and in a week’s time Meta Connect 2024 will kick off – which is where the much-leaked budget Meta Quets 3S will probably get shown off. And right now we’ve been introduced to a brand-new high-end headset from HTC with the Vive Focus Vision.

Preorders are live as you’re reading this for $999 / £999 / AU$1,899, and with this XR headset Vive is promising some impressive hardware. We’re talking dual 2448 x 2448 pixel per eye displays with support for up to 90Hz (or 120Hz when used for DisplayPort mode), an FOV up to 120 degrees, 12GB of RAM, a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset for standalone VR experiences, dual 16MP color cameras for mixed reality passthrough, and eye-tracking to top it all off.

Two features I’m particularly excited for however are 1) the easy to clean PU leather trim for the padding – fabric padding needs to be a thing of the past, and silicon or synthetic leather accessories certainly not a paid add-on *cough* Meta *cough* Pico – and (the bigger of the two) 2) DisplayPort mode.

(Image credit: HTC)

I mentioned it briefly above, but for people after a PCVR setup the presence of this feature should instantly raise the profile of the HTC Vive Focus Vision for you. When it launches later this year DisplayPort allows you to connect your headset directly to your computer’s graphics card for a lossless visual experience – allowing you to put the Vive Focus Vision’s displays to great use.

It was rumored to appear on the next Pico headset, but didn’t materialize with the recent Ultra – something which left a lot of us a little disappointed.

Unfortunately I haven’t yet had the chance to try out the new Vive headset, but based on what I’ve heard I’m desperate to see if it’s the standalone-PCVR-hybrid headset that plenty of users have been waiting for. If that includes you one advantage for getting a preorder in while you can is it’ll include the VIVE Wired Streaming Kit for DisplayPort mode for free – usually it’d cost you £159 (US and Australia prices to come).

You’ll also get one of three free bundles of games. I’m writing this ahead of the announcement so I don’t have details on the bundles yet, but I'll be adding them in as soon as I have them.

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Netflix has released the teaser trailer for a new Thai anthology series Tomorrow and I that looks like it could fill the Black Mirror void in my life.

If the series is anything like Black Mirror, then Tomorrow and I has a high chance of becoming one of the best Netflix shows and best sci-fi shows from around the world. It similarly combines futuristic technologies with social politics (but instead of a western focus, this will be more about Thai culture), which could be a winning formula for the best streaming service. 

Much like the acclaimed Black Mirror, the series uses sci-fi technology and dystopian themes to make a statement on social issues but with a Thai twist, which will be very interesting to see while I wait for Black Mirror season 7 to arrive in 2025.

Tomorrow and I was first announced earlier this year as part of the streaming giant's Southeast Asian production slate and now the streaming giant has unveiled a sneak peek for Netflix's Geeked Week (see below), which features a wacky montage of Thai citizens engaging in everyday activities within a world dominated by dystopian high-tech.

What is Tomorrow and I about?

Tomorrow and I consists of four 70-minute episodes that explore the clash between conservative Thai traditions and modern technology. Each episode touches upon controversial topics, such as bringing loved ones back from the dead through cloning technology, intelligent sex robots, how artificial intelligence can challenge or revolutionize ancient Buddhist teachings, and how humanity might rely on 'octopuses' to survive in flooded cities. 

Tomorrow and I will encourage you to use your imagination and challenge your perceptions of a world where technology takes over every aspect of our lives. It's also the first of a series of projects from Thailand, as the company told Variety: "This groundbreaking anthology series is the first sci-fi title from Netflix Thailand, where we continue to push the boundaries of local storytelling." 

Tomorrow and I, which is directed by Paween Purijitpanya, isn't the only Thai project that Netflix is backing this year with crime thriller Bangkok Breaking: Heaven and Hell, rom-com series Ready, Set, Love, horror anthology series Terror Tuesday: Extreme, and dark mystery Don't Come Home all making up their expanding roster of Thai content.

While you wait for Tomorrow and I to drop on Netflix sometime in 2024, check out our list of the ten best Black Mirror episodes.

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ChatGPT’s new reasoning o1-mini AI model, previously codenamed ‘Project Strawberry’ arrived last week and it’s already rolling out to free users.

o1-mini and o1-preview are new AI models with impressive reasoning ability that can quickly solve riddles, answer equations, and even show you the thought process behind their decisions. If you want to see what o1-mini and o1-preview are capable of, check out Eric Hal Schwartz's test which showed the AI model was incredible at solving even the hardest riddles.

At launch, OpenAI had promised free users would get to test out the reasoning model in the future, too. And that time has already come, with free users gaining access to o1-mini without subscribing to ChatGPT Plus.

There is a caveat, however, as neither myself nor my colleague has access to o1-mini for free just yet, so it looks like you’ll need to be one of the lucky ones to use ‘Project Strawberry’ for free right now. OpenAI hasn’t confirmed how it’s determining which free accounts to give access to but we expect it’s a slow rollout that should grant everyone access in due course.

ChatGPT free users now have access to the o1-mini model. I'm not sure about the number of prompts allowed per day, but this is a good update. pic.twitter.com/uUVOTYLghUSeptember 17, 2024

o1-mini for free

Currently, o1-mini is a standalone AI model that you need to select before asking a complex question. To check if you’ve got access for free, simply log in to ChatGPT on your desktop and click ‘ChatGPT Auto’. If you’re lucky enough to have free access to o1-mini, you’ll be able to select the AI model from the dropdown menu.

I’ve been testing o1-mini over the last few days using my ChatGPT Plus subscription and I’m seriously impressed with the AI model’s ability to solve the most complex of riddles. Internally, o1-mini has been used to solve puzzles like New York Times Connections and Wordle, a pretty impressive feat for artificial intelligence. 

There’s no further info on the free version of o1-mini, such as how many prompts you can ask it per day, but just having access in general is a major step forward in improving ChatGPT for the masses, without signing up for a monthly fee.

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