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In today’s increasingly connected world, the need for reliable, high-speed internet connectivity is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for both organizations and consumers alike. As more individuals and businesses continue to rely more heavily on digital platforms and technologies, the demand for seamless, secure and robust connectivity has never been so important. For many businesses, connectivity is not just about operational efficiency, it is at heart of business operations, innovation, and security in an age where even minor outages can cause significant disruptions.

This landscape highlights the important role vendors play in ensuring businesses have access to the necessary IT infrastructure and tools needed to succeed. Through focusing on inclusive policies, implementing advanced technologies, and offering tailored solutions, vendors can empower businesses to meet the challenges today’s digital world brings.

Bridging the digital divide for a more inclusive society

Delivering good connectivity for all is vital for fostering a more inclusive and safer digital society. The digital divide – the gap between those with access to reliable internet and those without – still remains a pressing issue globally. For organizations, this divide can translate into unequal opportunities, limited innovation, and reduced competitiveness in underserved regions. Addressing this issue requires a united effort among governments, industries, and internet service providers (ISPs).

Governments play a key role in facilitating widespread connectivity through funding infrastructure projects in underserved regions and establishing policies that incentivize private sector participation. Programs aimed at rural broadband expansion and low-cost internet services ensure that businesses in remote areas can compete on an equal footing with their urban counterparts.

Beyond access, connectivity must be affordable and environmentally sustainable. Vendors and ISPs need to have a bigger focus on low-cost, energy-efficient technologies, providing technology that can stand the test of time as networking continues to get more advanced, whether that’s through utilizing scalable solutions that doesn’t require costly replacements. These collective efforts foster a more inclusive digital society, ensuring businesses across the UK have the tools needed to succeed in today’s modern digital landscape.

Unlocking opportunities for ISPs and vendors

With increased innovation and advanced technology across a number of sectors, this presents a number of opportunities for ISPs and vendors to delivery comprehensive and advanced solutions that are tailored for the evolving needs of many businesses. Through adopting and implementing emerging technologies and enhancing service offerings, ISPs can strengthen their role in enabling businesses to succeed. ISPs and vendors can offer a number of benefits for businesses, including:

Premium services and tiered packages: Businesses often have varying and evolving needs when it comes to connectivity. Large organizations may require ultra-fast speeds and robust cybersecurity, while smaller businesses may prioritize affordability and reliability. ISPs can offer tiered service packages ensuring that businesses of all sizes can access the right level of support.

Enhanced network management: Advanced tools for network monitoring, optimization and management allow ISPs to adjust performance in real-time. For businesses, this translates to offering minimal downtime and consistent performance, which is essential for organizations to stay competitive.

Scalable solutions for growth: ISPs and vendors can provide businesses with flexible and scalable connectivity options that grow alongside their needs. Whether expanding to new locations, onboarding more users, or adopting cloud applications, these solutions ensure businesses maintain optimal performance and seamless connectivity as they evolve.

These tailored offerings not only benefit businesses but also enhance the ISP's reputation and customer loyalty. By positioning themselves as reliable partners, vendors and ISPs can secure long-term relationships which helps to drive mutual growth.

Transformative power of advanced technologies

The rise of technologies like Wi-Fi 7 represents a dramatic shift in the way businesses operate. These advancements go beyond offering fast connections, but address critical needs for stability, security, and scalability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Wi-Fi 7 introduces groundbreaking features such as multi-gig connectivity and improved latency. For businesses, this offers a range of benefits, from uninterrupted video conferencing, smoother data transfers, to enhanced support for IoT devices. These capabilities are particularly important for verticals like education and hospitality, where unstable connectivity can cause significant disruption and financial loss.

Having reliable and seamless connectivity has never been more important. Next-generation technologies enable fast and efficient communication through advanced networks and optimized access points, empowering businesses to stay connected and operating. By leveraging these innovations, organizations can enhance collaboration, streamline operations, and adapt more effectively to today’s demands.

A collaborative path forward

For businesses to thrive in a digitally driven economy, robust and reliable connectivity is vital. The role of vendors and ISPs in delivering this connectivity is at the centre, but success requires a collaborative approach. Governments, industries, and technology providers must work together to bridge the digital divide, unlock the potential of emerging technologies, and create a sustainable and secure digital ecosystem.

By focusing on inclusivity, innovation, and tailored solutions, vendors can empower businesses to achieve their full potential. In turn, businesses can leverage these robust solutions to drive growth, foster innovation, and navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving digital world. The future of connectivity is not just about speed or reliability; it is about creating opportunities, ensuring equity, and building resilience in a world where technology is at the heart of business operations.

We've compiled a list of the best Wi-Fi extenders.

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

• A new study has revealed the benefits of muscle strength and cardio fitness in cancer patients
• A systematic review of 42 studies has revealed high muscle strength or cardio fitness cuts all-cause mortality by at least a third
• In some cases, being fitter and stronger can reduce the chances of cancer patient death by heart

If your 2025 resolutions have started to stall out, and you're finding it that little bit harder to roll yourself out of bed and into the gym or onto your treadmill, then a new study just dropped that could completely change your outlook.

While it's well known that exercise provides mental health benefits, helps you burn calories and lose weight, and even has social benefits, a new study has revealed that being strong and fit can drastically improve your chances of surviving cancer.

Research published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine outlines the findings of a systematic review of 42 studies, examining the link between muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in patients diagnosed with cancer.

The results are clear and pretty astonishing. The research team discovered that cancer patients with high muscle strength or CRF levels "had a significant reduction in risk of all-cause mortality by 31–46% compared with those with low physical fitness levels."

Having muscle strength and CRF was also associated with "an 8–46% reduced risk of all-cause mortality in patients with advanced cancer stages," and a 19-41% reduced risk of all-cause mortality in lung and digestive cancers.

The upshot? High muscle strength and CRF "were significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality" in cancer patients, while CRF was further associated with a reduced risk of cancer-specific mortality. What's more, both were "especially predictive" in patients with advanced cancer stages, lung, and digestive cancers.

A body of research

It might be time to strap on those running shoes... (Image credit: Future)

While it isn't the cheeriest of subjects, this new review builds on existing studies linking strength and fitness to cancer mortality and survival rates. This 2015 study found resistance training (lifting weights) specifically reduced all-cause mortality rates in cancer patients by 33%. Likewise, this 2017 study revealed that higher muscle strength is linked to prolonged survival in older patients with advanced cancer.

I caught up with TechRadar's very own Christian Guyton – Computing Editor and cancer survivor – to find out more. "Being in good shape was apparently a big factor in beating cancer for me," he shared. "It's not just about how your physical health affects the cancer's development itself, but it can also determine the degree of treatment your body is able to handle."

"Because I was fit and healthy when I was diagnosed, they were basically able to nuke me with a combination of heavy treatment approaches because they were confident the treatment itself wouldn't have a seriously detrimental long-term impact on me," he continued – "They said that in an older or less physically healthy patient, that treatment plan wouldn't be an option because it basically wouldn't be safe. It proved highly effective too since I'm two-plus years all clear now!"

So, we can definitely add cancer survival as another reason to get fitter and stronger, but where do you start? Here are a few tips.

Strength training apps

(Image credit: Future)

If you want to increase your muscle strength, you can get started pretty quickly by downloading one of the best fitness apps for building muscle. I recommend PUSH, but there are other great options. Find an app tailored towards building muscle and strength, with plans, progressive overload, rest counting, and more. You want an app that's pushing you to do a variety of exercises to support your whole body, with a good amount of structure, and of course some rest.

Get a smartwatch

(Image credit: Future)

One of the best smartwatches can help you track workouts for both strength and cardio. In fact, many smartwatches, like the best Garmins, even have strength plans built-in so you can follow the workouts on your wrist.

When it comes to CRF, a smartwatch can track runs, bike rides, hikes, and more. It'll keep a tab on your heart rate, calories, and progress. Personally, I've also found a nifty wearable is a real motivator that can encourage you to work out, even when you're not feeling it.

Lots of great smartwatches also come with wellness features like Daily Readiness scores (the best Fitbit trackers) or a Body Battery meter (the best Garmin watches) to help you keep on top of your sleep, rest, and recovery.

Take nutrition seriously

(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to either muscle strength or CRF, nutrition is a vital part of training that will help you grow and repair used muscles. A good nutrition scale like the COSORI smart scale can even track the calories of your raw ingredients, with a breakdown of macros like protein, carbs, and fats.

There are also great apps like MyFitnessPal to help you track your nutrition.

Tackling health, fitness, strength, and the gym can be a daunting task. But with a decent app, a smartwatch, or even a bit of willpower, you can definitely start moving in the right direction.

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• The education sector is a top target for cyberattacks, ESET report claims
• Many organizations don't have antivirus software
• Budget constrictions are the top reason for poor cybersecurity

As the world continues to become more digitally dependent, the threat of cyberattacks is always - amd healthcare and education are often the top targets for cybercriminals.

Following recent research revealing half of UK higher education institutions experiencing a cyber attack every week, a new study by ESET has found there’s a major cybersecurity gap in the education sector which is compounding this problem.

Despite a fifth of education organizations in the UK suffering three or more cyberattacks or data breaches in the last five years, many schools lack even basic protections against cyber threats.

Cyber insurance

ESET's study found a third of educational institutions lack protections like antivirus software and strong password policies, which are regarded as the bare minimum first line of defence against cyber threats. On top of this, the vast majority (79%), have not adopted advanced measures like managed detection and response either.

Another safeguard is regularly overlooked, the research shows, and that’s cyber insurance. Despite the regular attacks, only 44% of primary schools and just 36% of secondary schools report having a cyber insurance plan in place.

Every public sector worker is familiar with budget cuts, and this has left some schools (7%) to operate without an annual cybersecurity budget at all. When asked why they don’t have a cyber insurance policy, the top response is budget prioritization (37%), as well as the policies being too expensive (28%).

Institutions are confident in their staff, with 76% believing their staff have at least a good knowledge and awareness of cybersecurity best practices, but nearly half (47%) say that they would need to prove ‘potential detrimental and financial impact’ to the institution to help convince their finance department in order to approve a larger budget.

“Education organisations are sitting on a ticking time bomb,” said Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET.

“While it’s clear that the sector recognises the critical importance of cybersecurity, there is a huge disconnect between budget allocation, lack of insurance and its misconceptions, and inadequate measures, which is leaving institutions highly vulnerable.”

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iOS 18.3 is nearly here, and the free update coming to all the best iPhones is about to unlock even more Apple Intelligence features for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users.

The latest update for your iPhone is expected to launch in the coming weeks, and with the arrival of the iOS 18.3 Release Candidate for developers we've now got a glimpse of everything to expect.

One of the big additions coming in iOS 18.3 is a huge update to Visual Intelligence, the exclusive Apple Intelligence feature that's built into the iPhone 16's Camera Control. Visual Intelligence gets three new tricks in iOS 18.3, and it finally feels like Apple is delivering on the promises of that impressive unveiling during its iPhone keynote in September of last year.

Here are the three neat new upgrades coming to the iPhone 16's Visual Intelligence in iOS 18.3.

1. Add events to calendar from a flyer

(Image credit: Apple)

The biggest new trick coming to Visual Intelligence in iOS 18.3 is the ability to snap a photo of a poster or flyer – promoting a concert for example – and add all the details to your iPhone's Calendar app.

Visual Intelligence will now be able to quickly analyze a document, and allow you to tap on the date and time to create calendar events.

This is a very cool addition to Visual Intelligence, and one of the main features that Apple showcased initially. When I first tried Visual Intelligence towards the end of last year I was disappointed that this functionality wasn't available, so I'm excited to finally be able to quickly add events to my calendar when I spot something that I don't want to forget.

2. Identify animals

(Image credit: Apple)

How often do you see a cute dog or an interesting bird while walking through the park? Well, now you can use Apple Intelligence to identify the animal by simply snapping a photo with Visual Intelligence.

This is another trick Apple showcased when first unveiling Visual Intelligence, and one that should prove fun for animal lovers. In Apple's promotional video, a man snaps a photo of a dog on the street and instantly gets a pop-up identifying the breed.

As a dog owner myself, I often encounter different dog breeds while walking my French bulldog, and I this new addition to Visual Intelligence should be handy for the times I want to know more about them. That said, you won't want to start taking photos of someone's dog without asking.

3. Help with my allergies

This one might be a bit niche, but it could be hugely helpful for allergy sufferers. Visual Intelligence will be able to identify plants in the same way it can now identify animals. That might not sound that exciting, but I suffer from hay fever almost daily, and whenever my partner buys a new plant or adds flowers to our home, I usually end up with itchy eyes.

With Visual Intelligence's iOS 18.3 upgrade, I'll be able to snap a photo of any plant I see before we purchase it, and check whether it's likely to cause my allergies to flair up. Visual Intelligence works alongside ChatGPT and Google Search, allowing you to not only identify the plant but also ask questions related to it.

I wish I'd had this feature over the holidays, when my partner bought a poinsettia that made my eyes burn for a good week before we realized that it was the cause. So this one might not be interesting to everyone, but it's certainly exciting for me.

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Crime shouldn't be an excuse to break encryption. Encrypted communications are either secure – and private – or they are not.

That's what some experts told TechRadar, commenting on recent Europol's chief statement. Talking to the Financial Times, Catherine De Bolle said that technology giants have a "social responsibility" to give the police access to encrypted messages used by criminals.

"Anonymity is not a fundamental right," she said, arguing that law enforcement needs to be able to decrypt encrypted messages to fight back crime.

Experts, however, warn that creating a backdoor for law enforcement will undermine the protection for all, opening up to unmaintained consequences.

The encryption conundrum

Tensions between technologists and law enforcement around end-to-end encryption aren't new. Encryption refers to scrambling data into an unreadable form to prevent third-party access and ensure communications stay private between the sender and the receiver – end to end.

As encrypted messaging apps went mainstream, however, law enforcement has been arguing police officers need to be able to decode these private messages to successfully catch criminals.

The moment an end-to-end encrypted system contains a ‘backdoor’ it is no longer secure

Amandine Le Pape, COO at Element

In the EU, for instance, lawmakers are currently pushing for the so-called Chat Control proposal that, if enacted, will require all encrypted communications providers to create such a backdoor into their software. Other countries, including the US, are also considering similar legislation.

"The truth is that people - and organizations - want secure communications except when it causes inconvenience," said Amandine Le Pape, COO at Element, a secure communications platform used by organizations within governments, defense, and national security.

A police team, Le Pape pointed out, needs its own communication to be secure. Imagine what could happen if an organized crime gang could compromise law enforcement's network. This is, however, exactly what would happen to citizens if secure communication platform providers would need to come with mandatory encryption backdoors.

"On a technical level, the moment an end-to-end encrypted system contains a ‘backdoor’ it is no longer secure," said Le Pape, explaining how the same backdoor can also be exploited by 'the bad guys' with the same goal.

U.S. authorities installed backdoors to mass-monitor their own citizens. Someone hacked the backdoors, and millions of Americans' communications ended up in unintended hands.They are doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.Ad in today’s… pic.twitter.com/XgwmBNx1VfJanuary 20, 2025

Jan Jonsson, CEO of Mullvad VPN, agrees with this. "Either [De Bolle] is aware of the consequences of backdoors and wants to impose mass surveillance on the people. Or she doesn’t understand the basics," Jonsson told TechRadar. "Communication is either secure, or it is not."

The Salt Typhoon attack – the China-linked cyberattack targeting all major US telecoms – is a reminder of such a threat. Attackers exploit a backdoor with malware to gain access and spy on people's communications. This led to US authorities warning all citizens to switch to encryption.

This is why, according to Le Pape from Element, it's unlikely that the legal efforts to weaken the security of communication will be enforced in the near future.

Although the debate swings back and forth, she explains, the tech minds guiding legislation support the need for end-to-end encryption. This is also why, for example, the EU cannot agree on Chat Control after over two years.

Jonsson from Mullvad appears less optimistic about it, arguing that Europol was involved in both the Chat Control proposal and the so-called Going Dark initiative in the EU.

He said: "We hope that politicians realize the security risks and violations of fundamental rights that these initiatives come with."

• OpenAI announces Project Stargate, funded also by SoftBank, Oracle and MGX
• They will invest $500bn over four years, starting with $100bn now
• Azure consumption will rise despite end of exclusivity deal

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has revealed its huge new Stargate Project, which it hopes will improve the state of artificial intelligence and boost the tech sector across the US.

In a blog post announcing the launch, the AI giant confirmed it had signed a deal with SoftBank (lead partner), Oracle (initial equity funder) and MGX (initial equity funder) to provide $500 billion in funding over the course of four years.

Project Stargate’s wheels are already spinning, with $100 billion made available “immediately” to start work, OpenAI noted.

OpenAI Project Stargate

“This infrastructure will secure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and generate massive economic benefit for the entire world," the company's statement added.

OpenAI described the project as a “re-industrialization” effort for the US, adding that it would also help strengthen the national security of both America and its allies.

Investments are currently headed to Texas, but the partnership is exploring further sites across the US to build more campuses.

Key initial technology partners will include Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle and OpenAI, but it’s the latter three that will build and operate the computing system.

“This builds on a deep collaboration between OpenAI and NVIDIA going back to 2016 and a newer partnership between OpenAI and Oracle," it added.

On the same day, Microsoft shared an update on its deal with OpenAI, confirming that it would no longer be the company's exclusive cloud provider. However, with the launch of Project Stargate, OpenAI said it would continue to increase its consumption of Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform.

The announcement concluded: “All of us look forward to continuing to build and develop AI – and in particular AGI – for the benefit of all of humanity. We believe that this new step is critical on the path, and will enable creative people to figure out how to use AI to elevate humanity.”

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• A leaker posted images claiming to show the iPhone 17 Air’s camera design
• They show a wide bar housing the camera and flash
• However, there are many reasons to doubt the accuracy of the leak

Apple is widely expected to launch a so-called ‘iPhone 17 Air’ in the fall, adding a super-slim device to its iPhone roster and dropping the ‘Plus’ model in the process. That’s fueled a lot of speculation, some of it quite outlandish, and that’s definitely the case for the latest iPhone 17 Air claim.

It comes from leaker Majin Bu, who posted an image on X that they claimed depicted the design of the iPhone 17 Air – something that they later claimed was “confirmed.”

What’s interesting about the image is it shows the rear of the device with an elongated camera module that stretches across almost its entire back surface. There’s a single camera lens on the left, a flash on the right, and a small microphone cutout on the right-hand edge.

The image is very blurry and pixelated, making it difficult to see much in the way of details. Majin Bu also has a spotty track record when it comes to Apple leaks – they accurately predicted the “Desert Titanium” color name of the iPhone 16 Pro months before it launched, but have also published a slew of incorrect rumors, such as the claim that the iPhone 15 would have two front-facing cameras.

Reasons for doubt

Based on what was reported by my source, this would be the new iPhone 17 design. I can't be sure if the image is real, but if it were, it would reflect the leaked design. pic.twitter.com/vXhHqunzN7January 21, 2025

There are other reasons to be skeptical of the leak. For one thing, it would be a complete departure from Apple’s regular camera design. Every other iPhone places the camera in the corner of the device, and it’s been that way for years. If Apple was really going to implement a completely new design, you’d think some of the more high-profile leakers and analysts would have got wind of it from their sources. Yet they’ve all remained tellingly silent so far.

And there’s another problem. The iPhone 17 Air is, as the name suggests, expected to be far thinner than Apple’s other iPhones, which means much less internal space for components. If the camera bar stretches across the entire back frame, it will occupy the same space as the Face ID camera array on the front of the device. It’s highly unlikely that Apple will drop a feature as vital as Face ID, which makes it hard to imagine the company using a rear camera design like this.

Ultimately, we won’t find out for sure until Apple’s iPhone launch event in the fall (assuming the iPhone 17 Air is real and will arrive then). Until that time, we’d recommend treating this latest rumor with a huge dose of skepticism. Until more reputable sources confirm its accuracy, it’s probably safe to assume it’s wide of the mark.

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• A new Xbox Wireless Controller has been official revealed
• The new Pulse Cipher colorway is a dazzling red
• It comes after the Ghost Cipher and Sky Cipher controllers

Microsoft has officially revealed its latest special edition Xbox Wireless Controller - the Pulse Cipher - which was only recently leaked by French outlet Dealabs.

An Xbox Wire post has all the details on this new gamepad, with keeps the general look of the Cipher line-up we've seen so far. A translucent frame, solid underside with textured grips and triggers that stand out brightly with an almost metallic sheen - it's all there, just in a pretty dazzling red this time.

If you want to know when you can get your hands on it for yourself, the Pulse Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller will be available from February 4, 2025, costing the usual $74.99 / £69.99. Nice.

The Pulse Cipher controller follows a similar naming conventions to the standard Pulse Red Xbox Wireless Controller. It's the third entry in the 'Cipher' series of gamepads, following the delightful blue of the Sky Cipher controller, and the crystal clear Ghost Cipher pad. I imagine more will follow in the coming months and years (I'm personally hoping for a purple one).

As for where it'll be made available to purchase, check the list of pre-order links below:

This dazzling red Xbox Wireless Controller will be available at the Microsoft Store on February 4, 2025. You can reliably get your pre-order in here, or one of these other retailers:

US links

Best Buy: $74.99
GameStop: $74.99
Amazon: $74.99

UK links

Microsoft Store: £69.99
Smyths Toys: £69.99 (yet to be stocked)

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• Photos showing the Samsung Galaxy S25 series from the back have emerged
• You can also see retail boxes for the phones
• With the launch happening later today, it's likely these are genuine

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is almost certainly landing later today, but thanks to leaks and rumors, there probably isn’t much we don’t already know. Case in point: new photos seemingly show the backs and boxes of all three upcoming models.

Shared by @yoboigucci2 (via Phone Arena), these images feature a Samsung Galaxy S25 in a gray shade (likely to be called Silver Shadow officially), a Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in a blue shade (which will reportedly be called Navy), and a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in what might be the rumored Titanium Pink Gold shade.

The designs match what we’ve seen before, which is to say they look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, except with larger rings around the camera lenses, and – in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – curvier corners.

Here is the blue Galaxy S25 on the left with the S25, S25+ and the S25 Ultra on the left.You don't have to see unpacked event just for the looks of these phones. These are the phones. pic.twitter.com/RMtpVwU1E7January 22, 2025

A monochrome makeover

The boxes have undergone more changes though, with this year’s packaging showing the phones from the side, and in monochrome.

Sadly, neither of the photos show the phones from the front, but plenty of earlier leaks do, so we know to expect flat screens, tiny bezels, and punch-hole cameras.

And while we’d take these photos with a pinch of salt, they look like they’re probably genuine; this close to launch, it’s certainly believable that there would be a large number of retail units out in the world.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT today (Wednesday, January 22), which is 5am AEDT on January 23 for those in Australia.

If you’d like to tune in, here’s how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 live, but we’ve also got a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked live blog up and running, where you can follow along with any last-minute news ahead of the event, followed by the announcements and our reactions once the launch gets underway.

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• Netflix now costs a bit more.
• The streaming service has announced price increases for all three of its plans.
• Its cheapest plan now starts at $7.99 a month and tops out at $24.99 in the US.

We must be experiencing deja vu as Netflix just raised its prices again, though it might just be that we recently streamed Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour documentary on the streaming service, too. As announced in Netflix’s latest letter to shareholders, price increases are coming for the streaming services' three main plans.

The streaming service writes: “As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix.” It’s become a trend with Netflix, and other streaming services included, to raise prices, and the latest hikes aren’t shocking but can be substantial over time.

In the United States, the 'standard plan with advertisements' is up $1 from $6.99 to $7.99 a month, 'standard without advertisements' jumps to $17.99 from $15.49, and 'premium' is now $24.99 a month from $22.99. These price hikes go into effect immediately, with similar increases in Canada, Portugal, and Argentina as well.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix writes that the price hikes are so that it can continue to invest further in programming and deliver more value for its subscribers. The latter is a number that continues to grow, with Netflix adding 18.9 million new subscribers in quarter four of 2024, for a total of 302 million paid subscribers globally.

Impressive, to say the least, and while it’s not new content, The Verge reports that the streamer is also rolling out a new plan called Extra Member with Ads plan that will let you add a member who lives at a different address to the plan. No price for this plan has been shared as of yet, but it’s worth noting that it’s currently $7.99 to add to an existing plan.

These new prices for standard with or without advertisements and premium go into effect immediately, and if you’re already subscribed, you’ll see the increase on your next bill. We don't yet know if the price hike will apply to other regions like the UK or Australia as well, but we'll be sure to report back as soon as we hear more.

At least Netflix isn’t changing any of its features yet, and if you want to know what to watch, check out our list of the best movies on the service here.

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James W. Marshall and ChatGPT 3.5 have one thing in common. Both sparked a “rush” and changed the world. While Marshall found the first gold nugget in January 1848, initiating a rush of 300,000 people to California, the launch of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022 caused a stir among users and tech investors. AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) suddenly became mainstream, with millions of users rushing to use the chatbot, changing the world forever.

Negative aspects of the AI boom are now coming to light, whether in handling copyrights, bias, ethics, privacy, security, or the impact on jobs. That is why the EU's intention to consider ethical and moral issues by regulating technology with the AI Act is timely and appropriate. At the same time, perhaps every major company on the planet has considered how to intelligently integrate Artificial Intelligence into their websites, products, and services to increase productivity, optimize customer satisfaction, and ultimately boost sales.

Don't turn a blind eye to risks and side effects

Like the gold rush, the AI boom also created a rapid influx of people jumping on the bandwagon to avoid missing out on the opportunity it presented. However, the use of AI in companies should not be conducted in a manner akin to the ‘Wild West’ like the gold rush; instead, it should come with a clear warning similar to nicotine advertising because ignoring AI risks and side effects could - in extreme circumstances - have fatal consequences.

The more typical risks scale from development departments accidentally sharing designs or lines of code with public LLMs to changing customer expectations about how companies use AI and data in the process. But these risks can scale exponentially, causing harm; for example, in 2016 when, Microsoft’s Tay pushed ~95,000 tweets over 16 hours, with many being racist and misogynistic. According to a study by Cohesity, more than three-quarters of consumers (78 percent) have serious concerns about the unrestricted or uncontrolled use of their data by AI.

But how can AI be tamed? It has already been deployed across many companies without anyone setting rules for its use or monitoring compliance - comparable to how the “rush” to cloud computing occurred, leading to many firms restarting over from scratch and losing time and money. To prevent this from causing all problems, any organization that wants to use AI responsibly in the coming year must regulate this proliferation internally, control access, and have strict AI policies. In recent times, many companies, including Amazon and financial giant JPMC, have introduced restrictions to their staff using ChatGPT to bring a high level of control in place before the floodgates open and plan to gently reintroduce appropriate access as and when usage policies and technical controls are in place.

It is also crucial for companies to clearly define which data their own AI projects can access and how they can process it. Classic role-based access controls that link roles and tasks with data sources are a good option for controlling this in a scalable manner. Only those with the necessary privileges can open the data sources. These roles should also reflect that someone not allowed to open specific data sources for legal reasons cannot. And that geographic constraints such as data sovereignty are tightly controlled.

What is rarely checked currently - and could become problematic in the future - is whether and how to trace what, exactly, the AI models were fed (trained on) and in what order. This blind spot may have legal, moral, and ethical consequences. If AI makes a fatal decision in the future, that will have problematic consequences in at least one - or, in the worst case - all of those areas. A rigorous judge will want to know how the AI models were trained to achieve the fatal outcome. You would also be required to keep an entire version history of model training for the prescribed period.

Make learning processes transparent and install a "back" button

Therefore, it is crucial to classify the data fed in and document the learning process. This will enable companies to create more transparency for customers and improve the quality of the learning process. It is also right to approach this in a governed and responsible manner, only using appropriately approved data, ensuring that the AI and its human element have the right level of access to the data and that they cannot amend data inappropriately or access data they are not allowed to see - role-based access controls ensuring both privacy, but also that AI access is also properly controlled.

At the same time, however, the AI learning process is still a mystery; it takes place in mathematically complex algorithms, and, above all, it takes a long time. For years, Tesla has trained its AI to drive autonomously in real traffic situations. But how do you protect the essence of years of learning from loss and incorrect input? How do you protect that learning from your competition or threat actors, who may want to influence behaviors adversely? How do you protect your intellectual property from being included in AI training unlawfully? A good example of the latter is the New York Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft for the unpermitted use of NYT articles to train GPT LLMs. This leads us nicely back to approaching AI in a responsible and governed manner.

So far, no startup has devised how the AI engine can record which bits and bytes were changed in the learning process after entering fresh data. Anyone who wants to reset the AI to an earlier state because they fed it incorrectly - with, for example, legally protected content - will be unable to do this directly in the AI engine. They need a workaround that has already been established in other IT areas. In IT security, tried and tested methods can also be useful for better-protecting AI models. Some solutions make it possible to take snapshots of the entire system and then return to a previous version in an emergency. You then lose the days between the snapshot creation and the identified time problems, but not all the knowledge works. Companies need to consider this and take advantage of it when considering the risks of AI.

We've compiled an extensive list of the best AI tools.

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

Dyson has just revealed two new special edition colorways for its popular hair styling tools, and I think I'm in love. They're called 'Jasper Plum' and 'Red Velvet & Gold' and they'll be available across the full haircare range, including the Airwrap i.d. multi-styler, the Supersonic dryer, and the Airstrait wet-to-straight styler.

While I don't dislike the current purple-and-orange or turquoise options, they have more of a 'Children's TV presenter' energy than I'd ideally want in a haircare tool that costs upwards of $400 / £350. These new options have a much more luxe feel that fits the premium price tag, and are perfect for a grown-up dressing table. I've been eyeing up an Airwrap for some time, and this might be the thing that makes me take the plunge.

The Jasper Plum colorway will be available to buy direct from Dyson UK from today (22 January), with the Red Velvet & Gold options joining in late February. There are no specifics on other territories yet, although a Dyson spokesperson told us the new-look tools "will become available at a later date" in the US and Australia.

(Image credit: Dyson Supersonic Nural hair dryer in red with case, then the same dryer, the AirWrap and the AirStraight in purple)

Dyson says the new color options are "thoughtfully designed to celebrate love, individuality, and the small yet powerful moments of self-care". The Jasper Plum option, which combines violet and plum with blush pink detailing, symbolizes "strength and self-discovery". The Red Velvet & Gold model "embodies sophistication and modern beauty".

I didn't immediately get all that, but the new colors certainly do look very nice. And the Red Velvet version taps into the current obsession with burgundy that's sweeping the fashion world.

(Image credit: Dyson)

We consistently rate Dyson's styling gadgets among the best hair dryers and best hair styling tools you can buy. Having made its name in vacuum cleaners and fans, the brand gained prominence in the beauty market with its Supersonic hair dryer, which reimagined the traditional dryer shape to make it more streamlined and put the weight in the handle to make it easier to control. The current version – Dyson Supersonic Nural – adds some clever features to streamline the styling process.

That was followed by the Dyson Airwrap, an innovative gadget that harnesses the Coanda effect to shape hair into curls without the extreme heat of traditional curling tongs. More recently, the Dyson Airstrait – which again does away with the extreme temperatures of regular straightening irons and instead uses concentrated blades of air to smooth your tresses – has been gaining popularity. All of these options are available in the new colors.

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• Apple Intelligence has been opt in since it debuted in Oct. 2024, but the next iOS will automatically turn it on.
• The change is set to rollout with iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3
• Anyone can still turn it off in Settings, if you like.

Whether you’ve been waiting for Genmoji, Image Playground, or Notification Summaries – and the ability to turn these on or off on a per-app basis – the next version of iOS and macOS for your Apple Intelligence capable iPhone or Mac will toss you right into the deep end.

As spotted by 9to5Mac in the latest developers' betas of iOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3, the latest version of the operating system will automatically enable Apple Intelligence.

This means that if you have an iPhone, Mac, or iPad that can run Apple’s suite of AI features, it’ll be turned on by default…so if you want to opt-out, you’ll need to hop into settings and turn it off.

It won’t be too much of a surprise that Apple Intelligence will be enabled, though, as the onboarding you'll see after you update the device will likely make it clear that it’s being turned on and what you’ll get.

Apple Intelligence currently offers an enhanced Siri – though not the entirely generational leap that is still promised to arrive later in 2025 – writing tools, integration with ChatGPT, Image Playground, Clean Up in Photos, custom Memories in Photos, and Genmoji, among others.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple writes in the release notes for the latest beta of iOS 18.3, “For users new or upgrading to iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be enabled automatically during iPhone onboarding. Users will have access to Apple Intelligence features after setting up their devices. To disable Apple Intelligence, users will need to navigate to the Apple Intelligence & Siri Settings pane and turn off the Apple Intelligence toggle. This will disable Apple Intelligence features on their device.”

This change to auto-enable the AI suite of features out of the box comes after Apple Intelligence has been out since October 28, 2024, with the release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1—many of the features are still labeled as beta even in the latest versions of software for testing and Apple encourages folks to share feedback.

iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, which all dropped release candidate versions of the developer beta today, don’t introduce any of the already announced and very anticipated Apple Intelligence features. It’s more focused on bug squashing and offering more control around the criticized Notifications Summaries feature.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

With the latest edition of software, summaries for ‘News and Entertainment apps’ are turned off by default, you can turn the feature off on a per app basis, and these will be presented in italics to better make you aware that it’s in beta.

Considering Apple has rolled out the release candidate of the developer betas of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, the public beta equivalent of these will likely roll out next, followed by a full release for all eligible devices at some point in the near future.

And if you haven’t yet turned on Apple Intelligence, know that iOS 18.3 and its macOS and iPadOS equivalents will do so; just promise me you’ll have fun making Genmojis.

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• President Trump has signaled his intent to reverse Biden’s EV policies
• Trump declared a "national energy emergency"
• Electric vehicle charging infrastructure spend will be paused

While the 47th US President's inauguration was arguably overshadowed by the number of tech bros and questionable world leaders who were invited, Donald Trump didn’t waste any time getting to work. As soon as he entered the White House, he signed a raft of executive orders.

In fact, President Trump told a massive crowd that was packed into an arena in Washington DC that he would revoke "80 destructive and radical executive actions of the previous administration".

"The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity," he said to roaring applause.

Some of this would involve undoing work the previous Biden administration had carried out on protecting the environment, promoting the use of electric vehicles, and preventing further drilling for oil.

Whichever way you cut it, the new president appears to be coming down hard on electric vehicles and the infrastructure surrounding them. Here are the five ways these early executive orders could impact the future of EVs in the US.

EVs will likely become even more expensive

(Image credit: Myriam Joire)

Although he falsely labeled a number of Biden’s EV-friendly policies as a "mandate" (no such EV mandate exists in the US as it does in Europe), President Trump is keen to eliminate "unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies," according to Whitehouse.gov.

Read between the lines, and it looks highly likely that federal tax credits for purchasing new electric vehicles will be reduced or removed entirely.

Trump's executive orders will also slacken tailpipe emissions and promote fresh drilling projects for oil, which all point towards gasoline cars remaining the most affordable vehicles to buy and run in the near future.

It will become harder to publicly charge your EV

(Image credit: Nyobolt)

Inertia in an industry as gargantuan as the automotive space is difficult to slow, and the years of incentives for new electric vehicle customers in North America will see more EVs hitting the streets in the coming months and years.

In 2024, US customers purchased 1.3 million EVs - an increase of 7.3% on the previous year, according to Cox Automotive.

This is all well and good, so long as the charging infrastructure continues to grow to support the increase in the number of customers looking to charge, but Trump’s executive order seems to do just the opposite.

All funds for electric vehicle charging stations made available through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program are set to be paused while Trump’s administration reviews their "processes, policies, and programs for issuing grants, loans, contracts, or any other financial disbursements."

A pause in funds will lead to a pause in the rollout of new public EV charging stations and the potential scrapping of large-scale public projects, meaning charging infrastructure will be left to individuals in the form of home charging point installation.

Consumer choice will be restricted

(Image credit: Ford)

The Biden administration has already denied the US public the freedom to buy more affordable electric vehicles manufactured in China by initially slapping massive trade tariffs on them and then effectively banning them altogether under the pretense of national security.

It is still unsure whether President Trump will uphold these policies, but he has already threatened a 25% trade tariff on Mexico and Canada, close neighbors of the US and two important regions for electric vehicle manufacture and export.

General Motors, Ford, the Volkswagen Group, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all produce cars in Mexico. At the same time, numerous automotive manufacturers and battery makers have earmarked huge sums for new vehicle and battery plants in Canada.

Many of these promises have recently been revoked, with the slow uptake of electric vehicles in Canada and North America to blame. However, Trump’s proposed 25% tariff has the potential to devastate Canada’s burgeoning automotive industry.

According to Maclean’s Canada, nearly 90 percent of vehicles made there are exported to the US, and more than 60 percent of auto parts made in Canada are shipped to US assembly plants.

It won’t take much for some of the world’s largest automakers to stop delivering electric vehicles to the North American market. This means consumer choice will be limited to the select few models that remain profitable for their manufacturers.

EVs will struggle to charge using clean energy

The holy grail of EV ownership is the ability to top up a vehicle’s battery cheaply and from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy, as this doesn’t require the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity and, therefore, drastically reduces the carbon footprint.

President Trump’s national energy emergency declaration has his administration temporarily withdrawing areas on the outer continental shelf from offshore wind leasing, citing the potential threat to marine life as a reason.

"We’re not going to do the wind thing," Trump said at the rally, according to The Verge, instead shifting his focus on increased gas and oil drilling.

The Unleashing American Energy Act will also review any policies that could stand in the way of drilling operations, including hydropower and biofuels.

Innovation will slow and China will continue to race ahead

(Image credit: BYD)

Although many of President Trump’s executive orders will directly impact potential EV customers in North America, they will also have a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

The mere act of pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen, means the US is no longer committed to slowing the devastating effects of climate change and will effectively allow the nation to pollute with gay abandon.

But more than this, vilifying the electric vehicle makes it a less attractive option for US-based automakers, meaning their willingness to innovate in this area is stymied by the desire to make quick profits - largely by selling the same gasoline and diesel vehicles they have done for decades.

Many legacy automakers are already lagging a long way behind Chinese rivals when it comes to EV technology. Still, this chasm is surely only going to get wider if one of the world’s superpowers turns its back on electrification.

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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #591) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BOXER
• DITCH
• BATTER
• LAB
• CHIN
• JUDGE
• PIT
• LAWYER
• LECTURE
• HOLE
• WIZARD
• DISCUSSION
• TRENCH
• BOTTOMS
• SEMINAR
• MONK

NYT Connections today (game #591) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• GREEN: Can you dig it?
• YELLOW:  Learning formats
• BLUE: Get cape, wear cape, work 
• PURPLE: Add the opposite of “down”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #591) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• GREEN: RESULTS OF SOME DIGGING
• YELLOW:  TYPES OF ACADEMIC COURSES
• BLUE: ONES WEARING ROBES 
• PURPLE: ___ UP

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #591) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #591, are…

• GREEN: RESULTS OF SOME DIGGING DITCH, HOLE, PIT, TRENCH
• YELLOW:  TYPES OF ACADEMIC COURSES DISCUSSION, LAB, LECTURE, SEMINAR
• BLUE: ONES WEARING ROBES BOXER, JUDGE, MONK, WIZARD
• PURPLE: ___ UP BATTER, BOTTOMS, CHIN, LAWYER

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

As someone who spends most of their life almost exclusively in denim and fleece, the idea of having to wear a robe to do my job seems utterly bizarre – although it could add a touch of panache to my day spent sitting in front of a laptop pretending to work.

It is really odd when you consider it and who decided the ONES WEARING ROBES had to wear robes anyway? Of the quartet in today’s Connections, a robe makes most sense for a boxer, considering they are wearing so little under them. Plus, they look good with your name on the back – something JUDGE and MONK robe merchants could learn from perhaps?

Only one mistake from me today, as I momentarily thought TYPES OF ACADEMIC COURSES could include JUDGE. What a fool.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 21 January, game #590)

• YELLOW: PUTDOWN BARB, CRACK, DIG, SLIGHT
• GREEN: SMALL LIKENESS DOLL, FIGURE, MINIATURE, MODEL
• BLUE: USED TO CLEAR SNOW PLOW, SALT, SAND, SHOVEL
• PURPLE: DOCTORS IN POP CULTURE NO, OCTOPUS, PEPPER, WHO

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #325) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Pixar this

NYT Strands today (game #325) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CONE
• DRONE
• DRAW
• MALE
• LINE
• LATE

NYT Strands today (game #325) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Perfectly drawn

NYT Strands today (game #325) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 4th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #325) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #325, are…

• BRAVE
• CARS
• SOUL
• ONWARD
• ELEMENTAL
• RATATOUILLE
• SPANGRAM: ANIMATION

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

Even though I could see that this Pixar-themed puzzle included RATATOUILLE, I still had to leave it until last – and even then struggled to connect the letters in the right order. What a tricky word to spell.

Sadly, Strands didn’t include my favorite Pixar movie – WALL-E – no doubt for punctuation reasons. Same for the magnificent MONSTERS, INC.

Whenever I catch myself taking life too easy, watching soccer in a reclined position with a bag of chips on my lap, I often snap out of my drooling stupor by thinking about WALL-E and the spacecraft full of fitless humans who have forgotten how to fend for themselves. Admittedly, this is most days.

Maybe I should buy a treadmill for my sports TV viewing. It’d make it harder to eat the chips, at least.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 21 January, game #324)

• CHERRY
• BOSS
• MAJOR
• PHAT
• FRESH
• RADICAL
• TUBULAR
• SPANGRAM: DATED SLANG

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1094) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1094) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1094) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1094) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1094) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• T

• W

• E

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1094) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1094, are…

• SLANT
• TRUNK
• WOOZY
• EATEN

Very happy to check out after seven turns – especially as today featured a rare outing for the letter Z.

WOOZY was my final word and although I was impressed with myself and dusting imaginary dust from my shoulders, the truth is that, after deducing that the word had to include a double-O, there were only two choices – WOOZY or BOOZY, one of which you experience after being one of the other. For once in Quordle, I guessed the right one.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1094) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1094, are…

• DEMUR
• BEZEL
• AFOOT
• SEGUE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1093, Tuesday 21 January: CHART, VIGOR, PRINT, SPAWN
• Quordle #1092, Monday 20 January: SIXTY, THONG, TATTY, ROBIN
• Quordle #1091, Sunday 19 January: WREST, RINSE, SCOUR, CANNY
• Quordle #1090, Saturday 18 January: BLARE, ITCHY, BICEP, PIPER
• Quordle #1089, Friday 17 January: CATCH, WEARY, SWOON, LATHE
• Quordle #1088, Thursday 16 January: PARTY, BLUNT, TWEED, PLANT
• Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY
• Quordle #1086, Tuesday 14 January: SWARM, SCRAP, ONION, BELCH
• Quordle #1085, Monday 13 January: EYING, GIDDY, CHEAP, PETAL
• Quordle #1084, Sunday 12 January: BRIEF, PETAL, WOMAN, FELON
• Quordle #1083, Saturday 11 January: ASCOT, FIBER, ROGUE, SMELL
• Quordle #1082, Friday 10 January: BIGOT, INLET, LEECH, TUNIC
• Quordle #1081, Thursday 9 January: RESET, HUMOR, TENOR, IMAGE
• Quordle #1080, Wednesday 8 January: MINCE, SADLY, RISEN, VOUCH
• Quordle #1079, Tuesday 7 January: CREED, FILET, ROUTE, TAPER
• Quordle #1078, Monday 6 January: PIVOT, WOOLY, GRUNT, GROOM
• Quordle #1077, Sunday 5 January: BORAX, JUDGE, CADET, SALON
• Quordle #1076, Saturday 4 January: CORER, CRATE, QUASI, EXIST
• Quordle #1075, Friday 3 January: PERKY, QUARK, NAVEL, SHEEN
• Quordle #1074, Thursday 2 January: UNIFY, SWORE, DEPOT, INTRO

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is already shaping up to be a beast of a GPU, given the specs unveiled at CES 2025, but if a new report is correct, it could have been even more of a monster.

A well-regarded rumor miller, HXL, shared a post on the Chinese hardware forum ChipHell that claims to show the PCB for an early prototype RTX 5090, along with some rather eye-watering specs well beyond those for the production model RTX 5090 due out next week.

According to the poster, the prototype was an engineering sample produced in mid-July 2024 and was sent to AIB partners to help them prepare their own versions of the GPU. How the user got their hand on the prototype – assuming it's real, which is not at all certain, so take everything with a heap of salt – they did not say, but they did provide some of the supposed specs on the sample.

This includes the GPU SKU of GB202-200-A1, a CUDA core count of 24,576 (or about 13% more than the 21,760 in the production RTX 5090), a slightly higher clock speed of 2,100MHz base and 2,514MHz boost, and slightly faster GDDR7 memory modules clocked at 32Gbps (compared to the 28 Gbps chips in the production RTX 5090). These would have pushed the card's memory bandwidth to 2TB/s rather than 1.79TB/s for the production 5090.

Given the CUDA core count, we can also extrapolate that there would have been 192 SMs for the GPU, so 192 ray tracing cores and 768 Tensor cores for AI workloads.

The most incredible spec, however, is the 800W TDP, which is almost double the power draw of the RTX 4090 and about 40% more than the RTX 5090. As such, it would require two 12VHPWR connectors to supply enough power for the card.

Could it be a Blackwell Titan RTX?

As our buddies over at Tom's Hardware note, this card could also fit the specs of a Titan RTX card built on Blackwell or an RTX 5090 Ti. We haven't seen a Titan RTX since the Turing era, though the argument can be made (and has) that the RTX 3090 and RTX 4090 graphics cards are the successors to the Titan RTX cards of old, and it's definitely possible that an RTX 5090 TI could sport these kinds of increased specs.

Personally, if the GPU posted to ChipHell is legitimately an early engineering sample of the RTX 5090 that has made its way to production, I think it is simply that: a sample. It'd be analogous to a first- or second-draft GPU before refining the architecture down to the RTX 5090 that will go on sale next week.

While it's interesting to see some behind-the-scenes engineering compared to the actual production model, ultimately, it probably isn't much more than that.

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• Microsoft is testing AI-powered search for Windows 11 on Copilot+ PCs.
• The new feature lets users find local files using casual language.
• Microsoft is also testing AI-powered 'Click to Do' rewriting tools.

Microsoft is testing an AI-powered search feature for Windows 11 that promises to end the days of organizing and naming your files well to find them later. Currently only available to testers with Copilot+ PCs, this new search tool uses semantic indexing to locate files with a conversational twist.

So, instead of wracking your brain for precise filenames, you can now type casual queries like, “Where’s that presentation I made last week?” With any luck, the AI will find it.

The feature works across Settings, File Explorer, and the taskbar, covering standard file formats for images, documents, and spreadsheets. Since it relies on built-in AI models, there is no need for an internet connection. That said, the search will only work in locations you’ve chosen to index. You can index everything by switching to the new "enhanced" mode, but that might require more trust in Microsoft than is comfortable.

Still, for those who feel their digital lives are scattered across desktops, downloads, and who-knows-where, the feature is definitely going to be helpful, even if it's limited to the computer for now. That means you can't search your cloud-stored OneDrive files yet, though Microsoft says that capability is on the way. Still, if you’re not on a Copilot Plus machine, you’re out of luck for now.

Copilot+

The feature is a logical extension of Microsoft’s AI agenda, which aims to weave AI tools across the company's products. On Copilot+ PCs, those tools include other features undergoing testing, like Click to Do, which lets users perform AI-powered tasks with a simple keyboard-and-mouse shortcut. You just highlight a chunk of text, hold the Windows key, and click to access a menu of options, including “Rewrite” and the grammar-correcting “Refine.”

Microsoft’s AI ambitions are clearly all about making life easier for people, provided you’ve invested in the proper hardware. Shifting from rigid commands to a more human approach has obvious appeal. The days of typing exact filenames or endless keywords could be numbered. And it's a relatively small step from helping find your PowerPoint deck to helping you write it.

Whether this is the killer app that gets people to buy a Copilot+ PC as Microsoft wants is still debatable. But if it can save you from renaming files with “final_final_v2” for the millionth time, it might just be worth it.

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Aside from the possible introduction of artificial general intelligence (AGI), AI agents, autonomous processes that you can instruct to perform complex tasks for you on your computer, will be perhaps the biggest new AI feature in 2025. Agents could be essential for turning your mobile phone into a true AI assistant, capable of doing whatever you ask it without you needing to get involved.

OpenAI has been teasing us with the release of its first AI agent, called Operator, for a while now, but the latest code leak suggests that it could arrive very soon and on the Mac.

A new leak on X from Tibor Blaho claims to have revealed evidence that OpenAI’s Operator agent is coming to the ChatGPT Mac app. Tobor has discovered hidden options to define shortcuts for the desktop launcher to “Toggle Operator” and “Force Quit Operator,” which might indicate that you might need a quick way to shut it down if it gets out of control!

Confirmed - the ChatGPT macOS desktop app has hidden options to define shortcuts for the desktop launcher to "Toggle Operator" and "Force Quit Operator" https://t.co/rSFobi4iPN pic.twitter.com/j19YSlexASJanuary 19, 2025

Tobor also claims to have found code in the browser version of ChatGPT that references Operator with references to an “Operator System Card Table,” “Operator Research Eval Table,” and “Operator Refusal Rate Table.” The last entry indicates that perhaps the Operator fails to perform the tasks it is asked to do enough to require a refusal rate.

OpenAI website already has references to Operator/OpenAI CUA (Computer Use Agent) - "Operator System Card Table", "Operator Research Eval Table" and "Operator Refusal Rate Table"Including comparison to Claude 3.5 Sonnet Computer use, Google Mariner, etc.(preview of tables… pic.twitter.com/OOBgC3ddkUJanuary 20, 2025

Automating daily tasks

Recently, one of the founders of OpenAI, Wojciech Zaremba, slammed rival Anthropic in a post on X for releasing its AI agent without the necessary safety precautions in place. His post read:

“Anthropic — just released a computer-using agent without any safety mitigations. I can only imagine the negative reactions if OpenAI made a similar release”.

Where does the gap between perception and reality on AGI company safety come from?https://t.co/hu2UBxwkSW — Elon is very vocal about safety, but so far, no one at https://t.co/hu2UBxwkSW works on safety.Anthropic — just released a computer-using agent without any safety…December 14, 2024

It's an AI agent's ability to integrate into your daily computer tasks that makes it such a big step forward for AI and has the potential to change how we interact with our devices entirely. Just imagine if you didn’t have to book hotel rooms yourself, pay bills, or even write code.

Obviously, a lot of work is going to need to be done before people will trust an AI agent to perform such tasks autonomously, and privacy will be a key issue.

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