TechRadar News

The Nevada state employment department has revealed it will be utilizing Artificial Intelligence to help speed up its unemployment appeals process by analyzing transcripts from appeal hearings and issuing a recommendation decision.

The department reported it has been ‘buried’ in a backlog of claims since the start of the pandemic, and is desperately looking for ways to get back on track.

It has also confirmed it will not be training a new generative AI model for the system, but will instead use Google’s Vertex AI studio, which will reportedly cut the review process from hours down to just five minutes - in spite of new research which suggests AI models in general are worse than humans in ‘every way’ at summarizing documents, and often create additional work for workers.

Clearing the backlog

Experts have warned against the approach, not just because Large Language Models don’t understand text or reason logically and within a context the way that humans can, but also because it may not save the department much time.

"If someone is reviewing something thoroughly and properly, they’re really not saving that much time," noted Morgan Shah, Director of Community engagement for Nevada Legal Services. "At what point are you creating an environment where people are sort of being encouraged to take a shortcut?”

A lack of accuracy in the model concerns Nevada Legal Services lawyers, who cite AI ‘hallucinations’ as a worry, which is an industry term used to describe when an AI model produces factually incorrect or misleading responses.

Any AI decision will also be double checked and reviewed by a human referee before it is handed out - but if the human referee makes a decision based on the AI hallucination, a court may not be able to overturn the decision.

The infamous IBM quote springs to mind, ‘a computer can never be held accountable, therefore must never make a management decision’. Research has shown many of us are still very wary about AI, especially in high-risk products (like medical diagnoses and automated vehicles). The success of this experiment could have an impact on a wide range of government departments going forward.

Via Gizmodo

More from TechRadar Pro

• Take a look at our best laptops for programming choices
• UK government says data centers are critical infrastructure
• Check out our pick of the best small business software

Full spoilers follow for The Batman. Mild spoilers also follow for The Penguin.

I adored The Batman but, whether it was its near-three-hour runtime, the fact that the legendary vigilante received another big-screen reboot, or some other reason, I can understand why some people didn't. Still, as my review of The Batman and its high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes suggest, it had many great things, including numerous scene-stealing turns from Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb/The Penguin, going for it.

When The Penguin, a TV spin-off centered on Farrell's morally complicated and manipulative antagonist, was announced, then, I was excited albeit apprehensive. Crowd-pleasing as Cobb was in The Batman, aka one of the best Batman movies, his total screen time was a miserly eight minutes. Could this unhinged yet charismatic lowlife really make the step up from minor villain to full-blown protagonist and hold down an eight-part miniseries?

The answer is yes. Admittedly, I've only seen The Penguin's first two episodes but, if the other six are as absorbingly chaotic as its initial entries, HBO has another unmissable TV hit on its hands.

Hatching a plan

The Penguin's story begins one week after the events of The Batman (Image credit: Macall Polay/Max)

Beginning one week after The Batman's ending, which saw much of Gotham flooded as part of The Riddler's seawall-destroying plan to expose the city's level of corruption, The Penguin finds its lawless underworld in disarray. The death of crime kingpin Carmine Falcone has created a power vacuum in Gotham's underbelly and a full-blown gang war between the city's various crime syndicates is inevitable.

For the weaselly and calculating Cobb (Farrell), the demise of the Falcone family's patriarch is particularly advantageous. Not only does it present him with the opportunity to worm his way up the career ladder – he was one of the Falcone family's most loyal servants until Carmine's death, after all – but, once near the summit, potentially assume control and become Gotham's new, undisputed crime boss.

The Penguin's first pair of episodes have only scratched the surface of this multidimensional individual

Doing so won't be easy, however, especially with Carmine's children – the alcohol-dependent, impetuous Alberto (Michael Zegen) and cold-blooded, psychotic Sofia (Cristin Milioti) – expected to replace their father. The vindictive Cobb, then, will have to employ every ounce of his cunning to achieve his goal as he embarks on the criminal warpath.

And, thanks to Farrell's scintillating return as Cobb, scheming and revenge-fuelled he most certainly is. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say Farrell delivers one of the finest TV performances of the year as Cobb, either. The Irish actor's powerhouse display builds on his all-too-brief showing in The Batman to anchor The Penguin with an Emmy-worthy, character-driven act.

The Penguin slowly teases out the backstories of its main cast, including Sofia Falcone (pictured) (Image credit: HBO)

The emotional intensity that Farrell imbues Cobb with is nothing short of terrific. Indeed, the unpredictability that Farrell weaves through his take on the famous Batman villain means you don't know which version of Cobb you're going to get. Farrell's ability to switch between Cobb's brutish, brooding, callous, darkly comedic, and wily personas from scene to scene – and even within the same scene – with immeasurable ease speaks to the Oscar-nominated star's natural talents and full commitment to a role that, as he told me during a chat about The Penguin's story beats and runtime, he was "excited" to sink his teeth into.

Farrell delivers one of the finest TV performances of the year

Speaking of "natural talents", Cobb has an intrinsic ability to talk anyone's ear off. Sure, there are rare occasions where The Penguin's lead character sits pensively to plot his next move, or stews in anger over a recent development, such as the bombshell revelation that his 'drophead' drugs operation is being shut down. A serial talker by trade, though, Cobb regularly floods the air with wisecracks, bizarre rants, and rhetorical conversational beats that provide a riveting insight into the inner workings of this tragic villain.

Oz Cobb (right) uses his cunning to make Salvatore Maroni (left) and his family go to war with the Falcones (Image credit: Max)

Such a skill helps, of course, when you're trying to play Gotham's two biggest crime syndicates – the aforementioned Falcones and their arch-rivals in the Maroni crime cartel – against one another. It's a perilous plan, not least because of his contrasting loyalties to each family, and when his plans are hindered by unforeseen events or fail entirely, the metaphorical noose slowly and continually tightens around Cobb's neck with each passing moment. But, ever the quick-thinking, clever, and crafty guy, he performs a Houdini-like escape that allows him to fight another day. I feel like The Penguin's first pair of episodes have only scratched the surface of this multidimensional individual, and I can't wait to learn more about him.

Family feuds

Victor Aguilar becomes Oz Cobb's hired goon after an unfortunate run-in with the Gotham gangster (Image credit: HBO)

And learn more I will, not least through Cobb's tense interactions with The Penguin's roster of compelling and equally morally complex supporting characters.

Chief among those individuals is Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Felix), a young criminal who reluctantly becomes Cobb's main lackey after an ill-fated run-in with The Iceberg Lounge's owner. A dynamic filled with tense drama and awkward humor, the felonious mentor-student partnership – if it can be labeled as such, given the verbal and psychological abuse Cobb occasionally inflicts on Aguilar – that develops is surprisingly potent and occasionally endearing in its makeup. Farrell and Felix are a wild but likable double act whenever they share the screen, and Aguilar's positioning as the audience's point-of-view character, particularly in episode one, lends itself well to contextualizing Cobb's motivations, fears, and trauma that inform the toxic yet ambitious survivalist he's become.

Cobb and Sofia's dynamic... drives The Penguin's melodramatic and blood-soaked story

There are other relationships that are ripe for exploration – and may take on greater prominence in later episodes – that tentatively provide glimpses into different aspects of Cobb's life. Interactions with Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo), Cobb's escort lover, have a sultry yet slightly dishonest quality, while the close bond Cobb shares with his mentally ill mom Francis (Deidre O'Connell) is simultaneously saccharine and incendiary.

Francis Cobb keeps Oz focused on his plan to become Gotham's new criminal kingpin (Image credit: HBO)

However, it's the twisty-turny nature of Cobb and Sofia's dynamic that drives The Penguin's melodramatic and blood-soaked story. Initially, given her understated introduction midway through its premiere, I expected Milioti's Sofia to lurk in the shadows for a while before taking on a greater role as the plot progressed.

I'm glad that wasn't the case. From the moment she takes Cobb out to dinner for a seemingly innocent catch-up, Milioti's Sofia is an unsettling presence whose mild-mannered exterior conceals her animalistic and ultraviolent tendencies. The discomforting and ice-cold aura she exudes, coupled with her mental instability, makes Sofia an incredibly dangerous individual that even Cobb has to walk on eggshells around. Indeed, sequences built around the pair play out with nail-biting brilliance that gives the untamed dynamic of The Penguin's Machiavellian-inspired leads plenty of room to shine amid the criminal underworld's wider power struggle, and their own inter- and intrapersonal issues. 

Sofia Falcone and Oz Cobb's relationship tos and fros throughout The Penguin (Image credit: Max)

The most absorbing aspect I noticed about this relationship is how much it shifted in the two episodes I've seen. From close associates to adversaries, and then frenemies with a common goal when Sofia is effectively displaced within the male-dominated Falcone crime family, there's a real Killing Eve and True Detective season 1 tonality to their bond. I fully expect the paradigm to change time and again, too, but it's nonetheless intriguing to see the duo ally themselves with the other – and likely use each other for their own nefarious means – as they aspire to become Gotham's new crime lord.

Fresh, yet faithful

Colin Farrell's transformation into Oz Cobb is nothing short of spectacular (Image credit: HBO)

Shocking no one, there's also a clear synergistic energy between The Penguin's gritty, downtrodden-flavored aesthetic and vibe and that of The Batman. Considering both projects exist in Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse – now known as The Batman Epic Crime Saga – that's to be expected, as is the big-budget, cinematic, prestige television feel that many HBO shows carry these days. Oh, and there's the odd intriguing reference to wider Batman lore that long-time fans of the Dark Knight should keep their eyes out for because, trust me, there are a couple mentioned in The Penguin that may set up some tantalizing things to come in The Batman Part II and beyond.

The Penguin is another crime epic home run for HBO

What I wasn't anticipating was how hard The Penguin goes in the violence stakes. The Batman wasn't a wholly family-friendly flick, in fact – the Tim Burton-directed Batman movies aside (read more about them in our Batman movies in order guide) – I'd argue The Batman is the iconic DC superhero's least kid-friendly movie due to its adult-leaning material, and stark commentary of societal oppression and marginalization. Even so, it toed the line of what passes for a PG-13 film, so I was pleased to see that The Penguin didn't overlook the more vicious elements of the Batman universe alongside its bleak overtures.

If I had one complaint about this TV spin-off – and it's an incredibly minor one – it's that The Penguin's first two episodes feel a little long. Yes, it's an HBO drama production, so episodic runtimes exceeding 50 minutes are par for the course. But, while I'm not asking for the bizarrely inconsistent nature of Marvel TV shows that air on Disney Plus, there were a couple of instances where I thought it was unnecessary for certain subplots to be dragged out. Let's see if I still hold that opinion further down the line.

My verdict

Bound by its morally complicated and love-to-hate characters, engaging and thematically dense plot, and equally fresh and faithful take on the Batman franchise, The Penguin is another crime epic home run for HBO. Its engrossing deconstruction of what it means to be a villain – one viewed through the prism of the seduction of power and opportunism – means, even just two episodes in, I already believe that it deserves to sit alongside The Sopranos, True Detective, The Wire, and more in the studio's crime drama pantheon.

I picked out The Penguin as one of 14 shows I'm excited for in late 2024 and, after seeing what it has to offer, I feel justified in doing so. With many powderkeg revelations to come amid its overarching cat-and-mouse narrative that's sure to contain reams of interfamilial discord, I simply can't wait to immerse myself in the rest of Oz Cobb's story. It'll have plenty of competition on the TV front around its launch date – Marvel's Agatha All Along and Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story to name just two – but don't be surprised if The Penguin is eventually labeled one of the best Max shows of all-time.

The Penguin launches on HBO and Max (US) on Thursday, September 19. It'll debut on Sky and Now TV (UK), plus Binge (Australia), on Friday, September 20.

Audiobooks are a booming business, but it's impossible to imagine high-quality performers reading every book ever written out loud. To try to fill that gap, Audible, Amazon's audiobook arm, is testing out using voice clones produced with AI to speed up the process. The idea of a massive increase in books with an audio format has obvious appeal but immediately begs the question of whether they would be able to match a human performance, or whether it's worth pursuing even if they can.

The program, in beta in the U.S., is for a group of current Audible narrators to create voice clones using AI trained on samples of their speech. They will then be able to plug these AI replicas into their book recordings. The AI voice won't just be a plug-in for certain chapters and passages, either. Narrators can edit their AI voices to fix pronunciation, slow down or speed up the pacing, and then review the final production to ensure accuracy, just as they would in a live reading.

Audible suggested that AI voices will be present alongside human performances in a book, aiding rather than replacing the narrator. That means the narrators retain control over their AI voice, and they can audition their real and synthetic voices for reading projects. The exact payment system Audible will use for AI voices hasn't been completely worked out yet, but the beta offers a share of royalties on income from titles. How much narrators can expect to earn from AI-generated recordings compared to live readings is less clear. Plus, Audible mentioned that beta participants will be able to produce their AI voice for free, hinting that those not in the beta may have to pay a fee, or possibly a subscription, for the synthetic version of their voice.

"Audible continues to hear from members of our creator community who are interested in using emerging technologies to make more audio content available to listeners. There is a vast catalog of books that does not yet exist in audio and as we explore ways to bring more books to life on Audible, we're committed to thoughtfully balancing the interests of authors, narrators, publishers, and listeners," Audible explained in the announcement. "Narrators continue to maintain control of the projects they want to audition for, using voice replica or live performance, and will remain central to the production process."

AI bookworms

Assuming the beta test goes well, the option to add an AI-produced audio track will then be expanded to the authors, agents, publishers, and other copyright owners later this year. That suggests Audible is testing both the technical and political waters to see how the people involved in making an audiobook feel about the idea even before it becomes available to listeners. 

Still, even if you don't get an AI version of a current professional narrator, AI-generated voices are spreading thanks to improved synthetic voice cloning. For instance, ElevenLabs now offers AI versions of the voices of James Dean, Burt Reynolds, Judy Garland, and Sir Laurence Olivier for its Reader App, which can read out everything from books to websites.

Amazon clearly wants to show that it is focused on ensuring that the people involved in the project are happy. However, the company was more cavalier with its self-published audiobooks, adding AI voices through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Authors could turn their books into audiobooks read by entirely synthetic voices with mixed reviews of their quality. There are now tens of thousands of titles on Audible with AI-generated voices. Professional narrators have complained about how it degrades their work and casts aside quality for cheapness even as it reduces their opportunities. The lack of a filter for AI-read books hasn't helped matters. If Audible is going to navigate through these issues and assuage the writers and narrators, along with their fans eager to hear the books, the company will need to listen closely.

You might also like

• This app can add AI narration to any site or text – here's how to make it work
• How you can get (AI versions of) Judy Garland or Burt Reynolds to read to you
• Sorry, Morgan Freeman is not narrating that viral TikTok video

Wix, one of the best website builders, has now added its Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to yet another website building feature, promising an even more streamlined and enhanced design process. This time around, Wix has announced its ‘AI theme assistant’, offering a new way to support web designers in choosing the best visual design and helping further cement the platform as one of the best AI website builders on the market.

A website theme carries multiple elements, from the color palette, to fonts, to the size of the characters, and more. Picking the best theme is as important as the site’s functionality, Wix argues, since only together can a business create a “unified, professional experience.”

As of today, English language users can open the Wix Editor and find a chatbot with whom they can discuss different design elements.

Supporting designers

"Our theme assistant is designed to translate users' creative needs into actionable steps, guiding them through the vast array of design options,” commented Oded Nachshon, Head of Wix Editor. “We’re already seeing users complete their sites with impressive results, demonstrating the effectiveness of the assistant in simplifying the design process and helping users create websites that truly reflect their vision."

In practice, users will chat with the bot and ask it for guidance about the design process. The bot will respond not just with actionable results, but also with information that can further educate the user about visual design, elevating the overall aesthetic of the site.

After programming, text generation, and image generation, web design seems to be the next frontier where AI is confidently pushing through. So far, we’ve seen all of the biggest website builder service providers integrate generative AI tools, helping web designers create new websites from scratch, using nothing more than simple human-like conversation.

Furthermore, Yoast also recently introduced artificial intelligence, helping users optimize their content for search engines with nothing else than a few clicks.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Check out our list of the best free website builders
• Is AI revolutionizing website building?
• Wix launches AI portfolio builder

If there is a villain in the story of our distracted culture, it’s not necessarily the smartphone – it’s what lives inside of it.

“Smartphones by themselves are not addictive, it’s the incentive behind social media that tries to maximize attention that makes them addictive. When you are trying to access a simple thing on a smartphone, the interface is designed in such a way that it’s easy to get sucked into doom scrolling,” said Farbod Shakouri, Co-Founder & CEO at Phantom Technology when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago.

Shakouri and his company have a solution, and it harkens back to the OG wearable glasses: think Google Glass without the embarrassment and a lot more native artificial intelligence.

Journey Lens, which goes on preorder today, weighs just 40 grams (Meta Ry-Ban Wayfarers, by contrast, weigh about 50g) and look like a fashionable pair of glasses or sunglasses. But they hide an information secret: a small micro-LED screen fed to the eye through a prism in the upper left or right of the frames. It's designed to deliver necessary information and app access but is actually focused more on keeping a helpful eye on you.

In addition to the screen, Journey Lens includes a sensor in the nose bridge that can, sense distraction and attention. Shakouri claimed the frames can “monitor and guide your focus.” Phantom is calling this feature 'Focus Compass', and it watches your daily routine and keeps track of when you become distracted.

The frames include a single microphone (not far field, which might mean some issues with it hearing you outdoors) so you can ask the AI (powered by ChatGPT-4o with other LLMs to come) questions about what you see through the lens’ 2K camera.

(Image credit: Phantom Technology)

You can also use the Journey Lens to life journal but in a more interactive and conversational way. Shakouri described a scenario in which you climb a mountain, and the Journey Lens AI asks you, unprompted, through its stereo speakers, “How was the climb?” You might tell the lens that the journey was tough, but it was worthwhile, and you want to remember it. The lenses would then automatically grab photos and a short video to make an album.

As for how the lens knows what you are doing, it uses an onboard neural net to interpret images and then works with the companion app and large language model on your phone to deliver full understanding. Shakouri told me your data will never go to the cloud.

Like Google Glass before it, Journey Lens doesn’t try to augment your reality, Instead, the display prism is far from the center of either lens and you would need to glance up to the left or right (depending on where you have the prism) to view what will look like an iPad screen held at arm’s length.

Having used Google Glass for a time, I understand this interaction but I remember how it also felt less than natural. Hopefully, the glance on Journey Lens isn’t too exaggerated and the visuals are clear enough for a quick glance. At least I know they’ll be bright. Phantom claims the Journey Lens screen outputs up to 4,000 nits of brightness.

Since the tiny display is housed in standard-looking smart glasses (available in multiple styles), perhaps no one will notice that little prism. It’ll be nicely hidden on sunglasses. However, even on clear lenses (prescription or standard), the upper portion of the lens will be tinted to hide the screen technology.

Journey Lens will arrive next year and should list for $195 / £150 (around AU$290), with pre-orders starting today. If that holds up, it’s significantly cheaper than competing smart frames from Amazon (Echo Frames) and Meta. There is a catch, though. If you want access to the smart companion, Life Journal, and the full array of your onboard apps, you’ll need to sign up for a monthly subscription fee that, depending on which services you choose, will range from $7 to $18 a month.

With full AR-ready lenses expected this year from companies like Meta and next year from Google and Samsung, Phantom may have mistimed its, ahem, Journey. After all, its imaging technology is decidedly first-gen but also potentially less intrusive than what some of these next-gen AR/AI lenses will bring.

Maybe the answer to distractibility is not to combine a technology overlay with your whole world but to keep the tech in its own corner and only let it peek its head out when you glance in its direction or call it by its name.

You might also like

• I took these ChatGPT smart glasses on a day trip to the beach, and I ...
• Ray Ban Meta glasses made me feel creepy, but people were ready ...
• I finally tried the Meta AI in my Ray-Ban smart glasses thanks to an ...
• nreal unveils consumer and developer versions of its AR smartglasses

The London branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has suffered a ransomware attack that saw the hackers make off with plenty of sensitive data.

A report from The Register, citing an announcement posted on the threat actor’s data leak site, says ICBC has until September 13 to pay the ransom demand or witness its data leaking.

The ransomware attack on ICBC's London branch was carried out by a group known as Hunters International, who claim to have stolen 5.2 million files - equivalent to 6.6 TB of sensitive data.

ICBC ransomware attack

For those with shorter memory, Hunters International might sound like a relatively new entrant in the game of ransomware. However, some experts claim it is actually a rebrand of the infamous Hive ransomware, which was one of the largest and most dangerous groups of its tim, until it was dismantled by the FBI in July 2022, when the law enforcement successfully infiltrated the collective and obtained decryption keys.

Hunters International emerged roughly a year ago, as a threat actor that focuses more on data exfiltration, and less on system encryption. Some researchers argue that building, maintaining, and deploying encryptors is too cumbersome, and that simply stealing files is as lucrative.

ICBC is the largest bank in the world by total assets and market capitalization. It is owned by the Chinese state and is a key player in the country’s financial system. The bank provides a wide range of services such as corporate and personal banking, wealth management, and investment banking. ICBC has a vast global presence with branches and subsidiaries in major financial centers around the world. As such, it plays a major role in financing infrastructure projects both within China and internationally.

So far, the bank has not yet responded to any requests for comment, nor has it said anything about the incident.

Via The Register

More from TechRadar Pro

• One of the most dangerous ransomware kits around might have just gotten a rebrand
• Here's a list of the best firewalls around today
• These are the best endpoint security tools right now

Anyone who's frequented TechRadar since November 2021 will know how much I love Arcane. The highly-rated animated Netflix series is not only visually gorgeous, superbly animated, and full of dramatic and emotional character-driven moments, but it also has one of the best original TV show soundtracks in recent memory.

So, as excited as I've been to watch Arcane season 2 ever since its November 2024 launch date was announced late last year, I've also been eagerly awaiting details on who's written and/or composed the forthcoming season's batch of blood-pumping and emotionally devastating tunes. Well, I – and you, fellow Arcane enthusiast – don't have to wait any longer, because season 2's original soundtrack has been officially unveiled.

Arcane season 2's original soundtrack is available to pre-order right now (Image credit: Riot Games/Virgin Music Group)

Created and produced by Riot Games – Arcane's co-creator and the studio behind hit videogame franchise League of Legends (LoL), which Arcane is based on – and Virgin Music Group, 'Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 Original Soundtrack' contains a diverse line-up of wholly original songs from a global line-up of artists comprising various genres, languages, and cultures.

Indeed, per a Riot press release, over 20 singers, rappers, bands, and musicians – ranging from established acts to relative newcomers – have contributed to season 2's official album. Chief among those who have lent their undisputed talents to one of the best Netflix shows' sophomore season's soundtrack are US alt-rock duo Twenty One Pilots, South Korean boy band Stray Kids, French singer-songwriter Woodkid, Belgian rapper Stromae, and US singer-songwriter d4vd.

Imagine Dragons, who penned 'Enemy', Arcane season 1's title track that's been streamed globally 5.6 billion times since its November 2021 debut, are also part of proceedings. However, the electropop-rock band aren't back with a new track; instead, 'Enemy' has simply been included as the final song on this season's album tracklist, which you can view in full below:

• I Can't Hear It Now – Freya Ridings
• Sucker – Marcus King
• Renegade (We Never Run) – Stefflon Don, Raja Kumari ft. Jarina De Marco
• Hellfire – Fever 333
• To Ashes And Blood – Woodkid
• Paint The Town Blue – Ashnikko
• Remember Me (Intro) – d4vd
• Remember Me – d4vd
• Cocktail Molotov – ZAND
• What Have They Done To Us – Mako, Grey
• Rebel Heart – Djerv
• The Beast – Misha Mansoor
• Spin The Wheel – Mick Wingert
• Ma Meilleure Ennemie – Stromae, Pomme
• Fantastic – King Princess
• The Line – Twenty One Pilots
• Blood Sweat & Tears – Sheryl Lee Ralph
• Come Play – Stray Kids, Young Miko, Tom Morello
• Wasteland – Royal & the Serpent
• Enemy with JID (Opening Title version) from the series Arcane League of Legends) – Imagine Dragons feat. JID

Each of the aforementioned musical numbers has, according to Riot, been "designed to capture the emotional depth of these beloved characters and enhance the storytelling experience". Many of the artists involved are also long-time LoL fans, Arcane fanatics, and/or have previously collaborated with Riot on other ventures, too, so I'm extremely confident that every track has had the requisite love, care, and attention to detail poured into every aspect of it.

The full album reveal comes a week after its first track – Ashnikko's 'Paint The Town Blue' – debuted alongside the second official trailer for Arcane season 2. You can listen to it below, if you haven't heard the full single yet.

For what it's worth, I certainly have. Indeed, I've had 'Paint The Town Blue' on repeat on Spotify since its unveiling and, after listening to Arcane season 1's soundtrack on the music streaming platform for almost three years, I can't wait to do likewise with these new tunes. Arcane season 2's official album is going to be the soundtrack for the rest of my 2024, that's for sure.

As the clock counts down to Arcane season 2's release, fans – myself included – have been running a fine-toothed comb over its numerous trailers and clip-based teasers for clues about its narrative direction. Indeed, in the wake of its latest trailer, Arcane fans have crafted a magical theory about who the hit Netflix show's main villain really is. Elsewhere, a gorgeous poster for Arcane's second and final season suggested a fan-favorite season 1 character would return, but not as a hero this time.

Arcane season 2's release date hasn't been announced yet but, with the Emmy-award winning series confirmed to be part of Netflix Geeked Week 2024, which runs from September 16 to 19, I'm praying one is revealed soon. In the meantime, make sure you pre-save your copy of its original soundtrack.

You might also like

• Exclusive: 'I cried': Arcane star claims season 2 of the hit Netflix show will emotionally devastate fans
• Netflix 'aggressively taking action' after huge data breach sees full episodes of Arcane season 2, Heartstopper season 3, and more leak online
• I watch TV for a living – these are the 14 shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more I'm most excited to see in late 2024

BioWare has announced that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will feature photo mode at launch.

This makes The Veilguard the first game in the Dragon Age series to have photo mode at launch, a feature fans have been hoping for. This means players won't have to install third-party applications to capture their favorite moments in the upcoming game.

The new photo mode will come with all the tools that players may be familiar with from other modern releases, like Horizon Forbidden West and Spider-Man 2. It will feature a free-roaming camera, autofocus, the ability to hide the player, the party, enemies, and NPCs, as well as customize the screenshots settings like brightness and saturation.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard photo mode features:

• Free-roaming camera, tilt, focal length, and lens distortion
• Depth of Field
• Auto Focus
• Distance
• F-Stop, which lets you control the lighting
• Vignette mode, which darkens the edge of the screen and gives it a more cinematic look
• Bloom strength
• Saturation, brightness, and contrast
• The ability to hide the player, the party, enemies, or NPCs

Speaking to IGN, game director Corinne Busche gave The Veilguard's photo mode credit to Mass Effect: The Legendary Edition's technical design director Brenon Holmes, saying he helped implement it into the game.

"Not only did he drive this feature, he did a lot of the work to support it," Busche said. "What I really like is the tab that lets you hide various characters. So hide character, hide party, hide enemies, hide NPCs. You can really curate the shot to your liking...You might be mid-fight with a dragon, but there’s a character in the way, so you can clear them out."

Dragon Age: The Veilguard launches on October 31 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

You might also like...

• Best RPGs 2024 - top role-playing games for PC and consoles
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard preview: an emphasis on moment-to-moment action and a strong lineup of companions
• The PS5 Pro could potentially sell around the same as the PS4 Pro, analysts say - "for PlayStation enthusiasts the pricing is less of a consideration"

Adobe has added generative video to Firefly’s skill set, and the results certainly look promising. You’ll be able to use Adobe Firefly Video Model to create AI-generated video just as easily as you currently can with AI-generated images using Firefly. The initial video that Adobe has produced certainly looks impressive:

Rather than seeing Adobe Firefly Video Model as a way to replace human-created content, Adobe is pitching it as a way to augment your existing video content, giving you the ability to seamlessly fill in gaps in your project by generating B-Roll, adding intros, or extending scenes. The ability to extend a scene is integrated into Premiere Pro. By generating extra frames you can hold a shot for a moment or two longer and it should look as if you simply carried on filming. The same can be done with audio, so you can generate audio to help you transition from one scene to another.

Choose camera motion, zoom and handheld effects. (Image credit: Adobe)

If you want to generate new video using Adobe Firefly Video Model there’s a text-to-video mode, so you can simply enter text prompts to describe the sort of video you want to create and Firefly will produce it. This means you can enter a prompt like “Close up of a dog on a skateboard on a sunny day”, and it will generate the video. You can also mention camera controls in your prompt, like angle, motion, or zoom.

Another thing you can do with Adobe FireFly Video model is feed it images and get it to generate video from them. Used in this way, Firefly becomes a part of a larger number of apps all working together to help you create content.

Commercially safe

A big advantage of using Adobe Firefly Video Mode, and something that sets it apart from its competitors, like Sora, is that it is commercially safe. Because Firefly is trained on Adobe’s own library of video and images, there should be no copyright issues, which have so far plagued many AI image and video generators.

Adobe Firefly Video Model will be coming to Creative Cloud, Experience Cloud, and Adobe Express later this year.

You may also like

• What is OpenAI's Sora? The text-to-video tool explained and when you might be able to use it
• Best Adobe Premiere Pro alternatives of 2024
• Adobe Creative Cloud (2024) review

Hackers are taking advantage of vulnerable servers to take over websites, and use them to steal people’s credentials, deploy malware, and more.

A report from Cisco Talos, who have been tracking the activity for some time now, revealed the group would first seek out vulnerable web application services such as phpMyAdmin, WordPress, or similar. Then, they would use the vulnerabilities to deploy a web shell which grants them control over the server.

Finally, the web shell allows them to collect system information, or deploy additional malware such as PlugX, or BadIIS, or to run different infostealers such as Mimikatz, GodPotato, and others. To get people to visit the infected websites, the group uses SEO poisoning, pushing the sites higher up on search engine results pages.

DragonRank

The researchers are dubbing the new threat “DragonRank”. They believe the group is targeting mostly organizations in Asia, with a few victims found in Europe, as well. So far, the malware was spotted in Thailand, India, Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, and China.

The victims come from all sorts of industries, including jewelry, media, research services, healthcare, video and television production, manufacturing, transportation, religious and spiritual organizations, IT services, international affairs, agriculture, sports, and even niche markets like feng shui.

All of this leads the researchers to conclude that DragonRank doesn’t really have a particular target and just looks to compromise as many organizations as possible.

So far, more than 35 IIS servers were compromised, and deployed the BadIIS malware, the researchers concluded. BadIIS was first discovered in 2020, and it acts as a backdoor that grants unauthorized access to compromised servers. One of its key features is stealth, since it uses advanced techniques to evade detection.

Since the group has a commercial website, a business model, and instant message accounts, the researchers concluded that the group is most likely of Chinese origin.

More from TechRadar Pro

• SEO poisoning and VPN spoofing used to target anything and everything with WikiLoader malware
• Here's a list of the best firewalls around today
• These are the best endpoint security tools right now

At the ‘It’s Glowtime’ event on September 9, Apple revealed that you will soon be able to edit the playback speed of your recorded videos right on your iPhone. Yet it nestled this announcement inside the show’s iPhone 16 Pro segment alongside a slate of other high-end features, giving the impression that this is a feature that’s exclusive to Apple’s top-end flagship iPhones.

Fortunately, it turns out that’s not the case – you’ll actually be able to edit the playback speed of your videos with any iPhone that can run iOS 18. That includes the newest entry-level iPhone 16, as well as any phone going all the way back to the iPhone XS.

At the iPhone 16 launch event, Apple demonstrated how the new Photos app in iOS 18 will let you tap a stopwatch icon when viewing a video, which brings up a ‘Playback Speed’ menu. This contains frame-rate options for the video, including 120fps, 60fps, 30fps, and 24fps. You can then switch to any of them to adjust the playback speed of your video on the fly.

Perhaps the best part of this is that you don’t need to make the frame rate decision before shooting – you can apply your changes after the video has been saved. That gives you a lot of flexibility to change your mind if your needs alter over time. And with this feature being available on a wide range of iPhones, you don’t need to upgrade to the latest models to be able to use it.

Repair Assistant makes its debut

(Image credit: Apple)

This video upgrade is not the only new change coming to iOS 18. If you’ve had an iPhone component replaced by a third-party repair shop – or have replaced a part yourself – you’ll now be able to configure it as a genuine Apple part (providing it is a genuine Apple part, of course) using the Repair Assistant tool, which ensures all of the part’s features work correctly.

For instance, if you’ve replaced your iPhone’s display and have used an official screen from Apple, configuring it with the Repair Assistant in iOS 18 will make sure that features like True Tone, automatic brightness options, and more all work as expected. To enable this configuration process, you just need to open the Settings app and head to About > Parts and Service, then follow the on-screen instructions.

Apple first introduced the Repair Assistant in April 2024, and it’s now being rolled out to iOS 18 users. Whether you’re interested in replacing an iPhone part yourself or want to get it done somewhere else, it should help guarantee your iPhone is back up and running as quickly as possible.

You might also like

• Apple Glowtime as it happened – iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, an AirPods 4 ANC surprise, plus AI news and more
• iPhone 16 Pro: release date, new cameras, A18 Pro, Camera Control and more – here's what you need to know
• iOS 18: new features, release date, and everything you need to know

Every single new Apple iPhone 16, from the basic to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, can shoot spatial photos and videos, and now I think this is the first real sign we have that Apple is developing a mixed-reality headset that will appeal to all consumers.

I admit, I was confounded by Apple's embrace of spatial photos and videos, going so far as to reposition cameras on all the handsets it introduced at its Glowtime Event, including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

In case you didn't notice, the diagonal configuration is gone, replaced with two vertically aligned cameras. Apple did this because when you hold the phone in landscape mode, the cameras are perfectly positioned to grab stereo imagery, which captures two slightly off-angled photos of the same thing. Your two eyes combine those images in a VR headset to create the illusion of 3D.

With this new area set up and the Spatial option in the Camera app in iOS 18, you can capture stereo photos and videos with all iPhone 16 phones...and do what?

When I first heard this, I was confused. Why would Apple make such a significant change to all its devices for what is, at best, an edge case? Apple Vision Pro is an incredible mixed reality device that lets you go full virtual reality immersion or blend realistic-looking AR content with your real world. It can track your gestures, eyes, and face. The headset also costs $3,499.

Apple has not shared sales numbers, but even anecdotal evidence makes it clear this is not an iPhone-level seller – it's not even a Mac or iPad-level one. Most consumers do not own a Vision Pro, but now Apple has redesigned the camera array on its most affordable iPhone to support it. There can be only one reason.

Vision Pro for the rest of us

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple is readying a much more affordable Vision Pro, let's call it Vision Lite, and it could show up much sooner than most analysts predicted.

I did not invent the concept of a cheaper Vision Pro (often called "Vision Pro 2"). Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has been talking about it for a while, but he predicts it won't arrive until 2026.

Gurman might be right but then why is Apple delivering spatial photography to the masses now? Do we really need more than a year to prepare? You can indeed port spatial imagery captured on the iPhone to a Meta Quest headset, but when does Apple do something for the competition? It's not helping you build a library of immersive content to support Mark Zuckerbnerg's competing products.

No, I'm convinced that this is the first real sign we have that Apple is hurrying up on getting a cheaper Vision Pro headset out the door. And it cannot come soon enough. Even though Apple has been updating Vision Pro since its launch over a year ago, and VisionOS 2 brings some really cool new features, like transforming flat photos into spatial imagery, Apple has done nothing on the price front, and consumers are unmoved.

If Apple is committed to mixed reality – it is, trust me – it must deliver Vision Pro Lite or 2 well before 2026 and the iPhone 17. I think the iPhone 16 and its new camera array signal that Apple agrees with me, and that means next spring (think June and WWDC 2025) could be a watershed moment for the Vision Pro strategy and broad consumer access to Apple's vision for mixed reality.

So go ahead, buy an iPhone 16, and start taking lots of spatial photos and videos right away. Before you know it, you will have an incredible new product – one that you can afford – with which to view it.

You might also like

• Hands on: Apple Watch Series 10 review – this makes me want to ...
• Apple iPhone 16 event – everything Apple announced and 16 things ...
• Apple Intelligence feels like the HomePod all over again

If you've got an appetite for adventure, Disney Plus is giving you the chance to escape into some great TV shows for less. If you're frustrated by the service's recent subscription price hike, then you might want to take advantage of this incredible new deal that gets you three months of Disney Plus Standard with Ads for just $1.99 / £1.99 per month. This offer is also available outside of the US and UK, with those based in Australia able to get the same marvellous Disney Plus deal.

This deal runs from September 12 (08:00 BST) through September 28 (07:59 BST) and is available for new and returning customers. After the three month period, it will auto-renew at the regular Disney Plus price until cancelled, so make sure you don't get caught out. 

Disney Plus Standard with Ads (3 months): was $9.99 per month now $1.99 at Disney Plus

The timing of this deal couldn't be better. With Disney's recent price hike coming into effect on October 17 for Disney Plus, Hulu and EPSN Plus, there's no better time take advantage of an offer that will give you access to a huge catalog of movies and shows, from Star Wars to Marvel.  View Deal

But three months is plenty of time to take advantage of many of the streamer's offerings. Outside of the best Disney Plus shows and best Disney Plus movies, the deal coincides with the 20th anniversary of the hit TV show Lost, so I've put together some similar adventure-based shows if you want to watch various people being put through their paces.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

RT Score: 91%
Age rating: TV-PG (US); PG (UK); PG (AUS)
Length: ~32-43 minutes
Creators: Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg

Lost was definitely not kid-friendly, but Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a great adventure series the whole family can enjoy. Based on the beloved books by Rick Riordan, the series takes us on a mythology-filled adventure where the twelve-year-old demigod Percy Jackson is accused by the Greek god Zeus of stealing his thunderbolt. Look, I'm no expert, but you probably shouldn't annoy Zeus. Bad idea.

It's an adaptation with a lot of love and it's so easy to get sucked into the world it builds. There's good news if you devour it quickly too, as season 2 is on the way. So there's plenty more where that came from.

Renegade Nell

RT Score: 87%
Age rating: TV-14 (US); 12 (UK); M (AUS)
Length: ~45 -55 minutes
Creators: Sally Wainwright

I do love any excuse to recommend Sally Wainwright. Her gritty crime series Happy Valley had my jaw on the floor (that finale though) and Gentleman Jack is a wonderful exploration of LGBTQ+ trailblazer Anne Lister. Her track record of hits just continues with Renegade Nell, a period drama that definitely fits into the adventure category.

After being accused of murder, Nell Jackson becomes a notorious outlaw in 18th-century England. Guided by Billy Blind, she travels with her two sisters and realises that fate has a lot in store for her. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after one season but the episodes we do have are a real joy.

Limitless With Chris Hemsworth

RT Score: 88%
Age rating: TV-14 (US); 12 (UK); M (AUS)
Length: ~43–45 minutes
Creators:  Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel

Adventure isn't just fictional! There's plenty to explore in the real world, and you can watch Thor himself as he takes on some tough challenges and pushes himself to live better for longer. I'm not going to comment on the amount of times I've watched this idling on the sofa while eating snacks, mind your own business.

Anyway, give this show a go if you want to see him teaming up with world-class experts, family, and friends to learn more about the human condition. It's fascinating stuff and might get you inspired. 

The Mandalorian

RT Score: 90%
Age rating: TV-14 (US); 12 (UK); M (AUS)
Length: ~25-47 minutes
Creators:  Jon Favreau

I do kind of feel sorry for Din Djarin (the titular Mandalorian). You've got a three season show and an upcoming movie named after you, but most people's attention is on the rebellious toddler alien that keeps you company. Well, that was just the creator's fault for making him so cute, I suppose.

If it's adventure you want, you won't find better than The Mandalorian. As a great show for both Star Wars fans and relative newcomers, we travel the galaxy alongside this bounty hunter, encountering numerous threats and fascinating things along the way. The fact he's basically adopted this child doesn't make any of that any easier, but hey, it's hugely entertaining.

American Born Chinese

RT Score: 94%
Age rating: TV-PG (US); PG (UK); PG (AUS)
Length: ~29–43 minutes
Creators: Kelvin Yu

Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan are back and continuing to deliver great performances in this eight part series. A must watch for fantasy lovers, this one delves into Chinese folk tales and mysticism, thrusting the viewer into a battle between mythical gods.

Protagonist Jin Wang gets a lot more than he bargained for and soon his problems become far bigger than juggling school life and his personal life. Alongside a new student, who is also Chinese, this is a journey in both the physical and metaphorical sense. 

You might also like

• James Gunn's Creature Commandos TV show finally has a Max release date, and it's set to go up against two big Disney Plus series
• New Disney Plus show Rivals looks like a curious cross between Succession and The Gentlemen, and it's releasing in October
• This new budget projector will go up to 200 inches, and has Netflix, Disney Plus and more streamers built in

Months after NordVPN initially launched its consumer-focused eSIM, Saily, the company has now released a business-oriented version designed to cater to the unique needs of travelling workers.

Saily Business comes as a response to numerous community requests for such a product and the success of its consumer counterpart, the company said.

“Staying connected while working from abroad is paramount for today’s companies. This is why we listened to our customer feedback and launched Saily Business," noted Saily CEO Vykintas Maknickas.

Saily launches a new Business option

Saily brands itself as an affordable and user-friendly eSIM package for those travelling to countries outside of their existing SIM’s roaming zones. Customers benefit from 24/7 support, flexible plans with varying data packages at different price points, and global coverage.

Business users get a dedicated account manager on top of this.

Nord Security B2B Chief Commercial Offiver Justas Morkunas commented: “Now, with remote work being the new normal, we see a need for a more flexible and convenient way to stay connected while traveling – without extra hidden fees or limits set by the provider.”

Saily Business adds to Nord Security’s existing portfolio of business-focused solutions, including the newly added NordStellar threat intelligence solution and other popular products like password manager NordPass and network security solution NordLayer.

Maknickas told TechRadar Pro in an email: "Currently, the pricing structure will depend on how much your company travels and consumes, but it will be in line with Saily B2C - prices will be better than regular roaming.

"According to our research, our current consumer pricing is already more advantageous than what the majority of carriers offer for businesses as well. Therefore, with our business solution we try to focus more on convenience, time saving benefits for organizations, and a bit less on additional discounts and offers."

More from TechRadar Pro

• eSIM connections are going to shake up the mobile market in a huge way
• Fancy an upgrade? Check out the best business smartphones
• The best travel VPNs could help keep you safe online

If you’ve stuck with Windows 10 because you don’t like how Microsoft is seemingly pumping Windows 11 full of adverts then we have some bad news, as it looks like the company could start doing the same with Windows 10’s Start menu. 

The tech giant is currently testing out bringing the “Microsoft account manager” flyout menu in a couple of different layouts to the Start menu. This would enable Windows 10 users to manage their Microsoft accounts in various ways, including switching between different accounts, changing account settings, or signing out completely. 

This would be fairly benign if that was the whole story, but it appears that Microsoft account manager could be used to encourage users to sign up for Microsoft’s own products and services like Microsoft 365, a subscription service for apps like Word, Excel, and OneDrive. 

Windows Latest explains that Windows 10 users might start seeing more notifications and prompts reminding you (or as some might put it, nagging you) that your Microsoft account actually exists, to set up a recovery plan, and to learn more about Microsoft 365. Apparently, this doesn’t go away even if you've subscribed to the basic Microsoft 365 plan. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock/insta_photos) More bad news - it looks like you can't get rid of it

As reported by Windows Latest, Microsoft seems to be playing around with a couple of different designs for this account manager feature. In screenshots provided by Windows Latest, you can see the dedicated button in different parts of the left-hand Start menu sidebar, and while it’s not fully functional at the moment, it does look like it could be easier to jump to account management (if that’s something you’re after). 

I personally don’t manage my Microsoft account that often so this wouldn’t do very much for me, and unfortunately, if you want to remove this feature, it doesn’t appear that there’s a straightforward way to switch it off. 

I’ve gone through cycles of frustration with Microsoft and it’s a bummer that this intrusive method of pushing its own services appears to be the new normal. Also, it wants to convert its Windows 10 user base to Windows 11, even if users are reluctant to do so. However, Microsoft also peppers Windows 11’s UI with ads so it doesn’t look like there will be an easy escape from these kinds of interruptions - unless you switch to a different, non-Microsoft, operating system such as macOS 15 Sequoia or Linux.

Of course, Microsoft understandably wants more people to subscribe or purchase its products and services, but there’s a real danger that this heavy-handed approach could do more harm than good. In these financially uncertain times, many people are looking to cut down on their subscriptions, for example, and they won’t like feeling like they are being encouraged to sign up for more.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Windows 10 users have pushed back against intrusive pop-ups to get them to upgrade to Windows 11 – and Microsoft has finally backed down
• Hanging onto Windows 10 to avoid Microsoft’s latest brainwaves with Copilot AI? I’ve got bad news for you
• Want Wi-Fi 7 on Windows 10? Forget it, Microsoft has confirmed it’s for Copilot+ PCs only

Developer Rebellion has revealed brand-new Atomfall merchandise ahead of its 2025 release.

The survival-action game may not be arriving until next March, but that doesn't mean fans can't already secure some exclusive merch ahead of time.

Today, the indie studio behind Sniper Elite: Resistance and Zombie Army announced the Atomfall Survival Pack, a unique merchandise bundle inspired by the upcoming single-player game.

Starting today and running until October 11, fans can preorder the bundle for £89.99 (around $116.99) to get their hands on some limited-time goodies that will ship when the game launches next year.

The Atomfall Survival Pack is bundled within a Tin Box Cache Replica and comes featured with some decorative items like a poster and postcards, a badge, a diorama, and more.

Those who preorder the limited-time pack will also receive exclusive downloadable content (DLC) including the metal detector cosmetic skin which can be redeemed at launch. It's important to note that the Atomfall Survival Pack does not come with a copy of the game.

(Image credit: Rebellion Developments)

Atomfall Survival Pack includes:

• Diorama – a 20cm diorama of the classic British red phone box
• Postcards – A perfect way to treasure your idyllic visit to the village of Wyndham with its rolling green hills and friendly locals.
• Tin Box Cache Replica – Store your survival necessities in this replica cache measuring 20 x 14 x 7cm
• The Old Bridge Beer Mat– A local favourite
• BARD Pin badge – An essential for any member of the British Atomic Research Department
• Poster – Help keep your community safe and educate your neighbours on the dangers of playing with robots
• British flag Rosette – Carry on and show your national pride
• 3 x Skill patches – Display your newly learnt skills
• Exclusive DLC – Cosmetic metal detector skin (will be emailed in March 2025 to a provided email address)

Atomfall, which was first announced as part of the Xbox Games Showcase in June, is coming to PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and is a first-person survival game inspired by the real-life events set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England.

You might also like...

• The next PlayStation handheld may be in development according to PS5 Pro specs leaker
• The PS5 Pro could potentially sell around the same as the PS4 Pro, analysts say - "for PlayStation enthusiasts the pricing is less of a consideration"
• Microsoft is laying off 650 more Xbox staff members, Phil Spencer says the decision was made "to organize our business for long term success"

Leica's M11 line-up is now seemingly complete with the announcement of the M11-D, the luxury German brand's costliest and most niche digital rangefinder yet. It's niche because of what it lacks: a screen, and I'm all for it. 

The screen-less model follows the Leica M11, Leica M11 Monochrom, and the content credentials-featuring M11-P, debuting an ISO dial on the camera's rear in place of a touchscreen. 

Anyone who's used an analog Leica rangefinder, such as the Leica M-A or Leica MP, will appreciate Leica's design choice here – the dial is where the ISO dial is usually located on Leica's classic film cameras.

By removing the instant feedback provided by a screen for image composition and playback, and installing a traditional ISO dial instead, Leica gives us about as authentic an analog photography experience as one could hope for from a digital camera. 

Instead of in-camera playback, your 61MP photos can be sent via Bluetooth to your phone and viewed in Leica's Fotos app, and the DNG raw and JPEG files edited with your favorite mobile editor app, plus of course you can upload photos stored in the camera's built-in 256GB memory or UHS-II SD memory card to your computer at a later point.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Leica)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Leica)

Battery life is an impressive 700 shots using the rangefinder mode, which can be bolstered to 1,700 shots using Leica's adapted shooting cycle.

We still get Leica's 'Made in Germany' quality, and the understated all-metal, all-black M11-D weighs just 540g – that's 115g lighter than its peers, most likely because the touchscreen has been stripped out.

There's also the same C2PA-approved Content Credentials hardware as found in the M11-P, designed to help guarantee the authenticity of your digital images.

Otherwise, the M11-D packs the same 61MP sensor as found in other M11 models and the Leica Q3, with an uncropped 9528 x 6328 pixel resolution, and DNG raw file sizes in the region of 100MB and JPEGs around 15MB.

Leica has set the body-only price of the M11-D at $9,395 / £8,100 / AU$15,990. That's expensive even for Leica, and especially for a standard-issue version that lacks a screen – but perhaps it isn't logical to expect a screen-less Leica to costs less.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Leica)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Leica)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Leica) Does a screen-less digital camera make sense in 2024?

If you're used to shooting pictures with a digital camera or your phone, then not being able to check exposure on-screen and seeing your images immediately after capture will be an uncomfortable reality. However, if you want to get right back to the photography basics, it's a revelation. 

On the M11-D you have manual shutter speed and ISO dials, together with the aperture ring on the attached lens, and precious little else to navigate. There's a steep learning curve to nail manual focus and image composition through the viewfinder, but I find it an addictive way of taking pictures, even if it's unsuitable for most photography genres – rangefinders sure do slow you down. 

I recently had the Leica MP analog rangefinder for an extended period, and it was as refreshing as it was challenging. But I reveled in the experience, and I suspect I'd get a similar feeling with its digital equivalent, the M11-D, without the exorbitant ongoing cost of buying and developing film. 

I feel a little pompous to champion a $9,395 / £8,100 / AU$15,990 digital camera that doesn't even have a screen, but for anti-tech, Leica, and analog photography fans, the M11-D makes the most sense of all. It's just a shame that I'm never likely to be able to afford one.  

You might also like

• I’m a photographer and Leica’s new smartphone makes my iPhone look painfully dull
• My favorite camera of 2023 wasn't a Sony or Canon, it was this pricey compact
• The best camera for photography 2024: top picks for every budget

It's been almost three years since Sony launched the A7 IV, a mirrorless hybrid that we still consider the world's best camera for most people – and now fresh rumors are finally predicting a release date for its successor.

According to the pretty reliable Sony Alpha Rumors and its "two trusted sources", the Sony A7 V will be "on the market between January and March 2025". That's apparently a little later than planned, with the camera apparently due to have been announced in October 2024.

Still, it's good to hear that an announcement is on the cards (potentially in late 2024) with Sony Alpha Rumors claiming that "the camera will start shipping in Q1". That means, at worst, sometime before the end of March.

What upgrades can we expect to the full-frame camera that our Sony A7 IV review called "the best hybrid mirrorless camera you can buy right now"? The specs are a little hazy right now, but Sony Alpha Rumors claims the big upgrades will be related to "speed" and "new AI features".

We don't have to look too far for a glimpse of what those might be – since the A7 IV launched, the Sony A7R V and Sony ZV-E1 have come equipped with an AI chipset that delivers some genuinely useful video features. 'Auto Framing' crops into the full image and intelligently tracks your subject as they move around the frame, while Sony's subject-detection autofocus remains the best around.

Two things we shouldn't expect, according to the rumors, are 8K video powers or global shutter, as seen on the Sony A9 III. For most people, those are relatively niche features, so wouldn't be a great miss – and we'd imagine that the A7 V could also inherit the A7R V's handy four-axis touchscreen, too.

The new sweet spot?

The Sony A7 IV (above) already offered excellent subject-detection for its autofocus, which produced a good hit-rate –but the Sony A7 V would likely take that up a notch. (Image credit: Future)

The main appeal of the Sony A7 IV was that it combined most of the best features of Sony's stills and video cameras in one small, approachable body – so if the A7 V can repeat that trick, it could be a real contender to take the crown at the top of our guide to the world's best cameras.

Our only real complaints with the A7 IV, other than its price hike from the classic Sony A7 III, were its relatively modest burst shooting ceiling (of around 9fps) and its heavily cropped 4K/60p video. If the A7 V improves on those, as the rumors predict it will, while adding AI features, it could be a near-perfect camera for those who like to shoot an even mix of photos and video. 

The only real stumbling block could be outside of Sony's hands. Canon recently announced in Japan that it was "experiencing delivery delays" for new products like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II due to "the impact of global parts supply". We don't know if that's the reason for the A7 V's seemingly delayed announcement, but Sony certainly has been quiet on the announcements front this year. 

Still, Sony Alpha Rumors says that a Sony A1 II is also en route "within the next 6-7 months" alongside a new 24-70mm f/2 lens and another mystery lens. So it seems the Sony camera drought could end in spectacular fashion soon, even if it does all come a bit too late for Christmas. 

You might also like...

• Sony’s full-frame mirrorless turns 10: The real mirrorless camera dawn
• Sony takes aim at fake photos with new camera authenticity tech
• The world's best cameras for photography 2024: top picks for every budget

North Korean state-sponsored threat actors Lazarus Group is evolving its “fake job” hacking campaign, researchers have warned.

Lazarus has been creating fake LinkedIn accounts and posting fake job ads across the internet for years. They offer their victims, often developers, enticing packages, high salaries, and plenty of perks. But instead of getting the job, after a few interview rounds, the only thing these people would get is malware, often from .PDF files posing as job details and such.

Now, cybersecurity researchers from ReversingLabs are saying that Lazarus is still going about the same thing, but now targeting Python developers with a fake coding test project.

Moving the WHOIS server

Apparently, the group would still start the same way - by impersonating someone on LinkedIn. This time around, it is the Capital One bank. Then, they would host the malware on GitHub, masquerading it as a password manager project. After that, they would find suitable victims, and at one point - ask to test their skills.

The “test” includes downloading and installing the password manager, and then “hunting” for bugs. The entire thing must be finished within half an hour. The crooks would argue that the limit prevents the candidates from cheating, but ReversingLabs says it’s to prevent the victims from spotting the ruse and acting on it.

The malware acts as a downloader, granting the attackers the ability to deploy secondary malicious code, depending on the compromised environment. The campaign is dubbed “VMConnect campaign” and it’s been active since August 2023, more than a year now. ReversingLabs believe the campaign is still ongoing.

North Koreans are usually targeting developers working on cryptocurrency projects, as that allows them to steal people’s money and use it to fund the state apparatus and the country’s weapons program. One of Lazarus’ biggest heists netted them more than half a billion dollars.

Via BleepingComputer

More from TechRadar Pro

• North Korean hackers are targeting aerospace - Lazarus Group tricks employees into installing malware themselves
• Here's a list of the best firewalls around today
• These are the best endpoint security tools right now

Researchers at Checkmarx recently identified critical Cross-Site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities on the website of polling firm Gallup which they say could have been used by malicious actors to gain access to the survey company’s platform.

The research notes XSS is a vulnerability that might enable attackers to gain ‘full control over an application’s functionality and data’, especially if the user impersonated has been granted special access.

By allowing the execution of arbitrary code, the vulnerability could have even given threat actors the ability to add unauthorized items to user’s shopping carts (as the site also sells customizable surveys and books).

Misinformation risk

The vulnerabilities were discovered in June 2024, but have since been resolved - but in a time where reliable and safe information is so vital, especially relating to political opinion, the consequences of the flaw could have been dire. It is possible a malicious actor could have posted false polling results or information to the site, confirmed the Checkmarx team.

“In an era where misinformation and identity theft pose significant threats, the security of survey platforms is crucial, particularly during pivotal global election cycles," the report notes. "It's important to note that this endpoint is commonly used to access Gallup surveys, which may make users more susceptible to exploitation.”

The 2024 election cycle has seen particularly high rates of misinformation and election interference attempts, so it’s important for firms with influence or prominence to ensure security on their sites to keep information safe.

Web defacement is a relatively common practice for hackers to use to spread their message or embarrass the site owners, but in this case the information could easily have been disguised as legitimate, with the intention of swaying voters. In a remarkably close election race, swing state votes in particular are impactful, so any potential vulnerabilities should be closely monitored.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Check out our list of the best firewall software
• Exploring modern Hacktivist tactics, a threat to digital infrastructure
• Take a look at our top endpoint protection software choices