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Cybercriminals have no limits when it comes to the scale, size, and organization they target. As long as there is data to be stolen, they will launch an attack.

Historically, these cybercriminals focused on large brands with valuable data; however, these companies often have the resources to invest in advanced firewalls and robust security measures to protect their information.

Consequently, cybercriminals are now shifting their focus to easier targets, such as educational institutions.

Why are educational institutions are prime targets?

According to a recent report by NordLayer, cyberattacks targeting educational institutions have increased by 37% compared to last year.

This alarming statistic shows the growing vulnerability of schools, colleges, and universities in the face of evolving cyber threats. Following best practices for security, such as using unique and strong passwords, should now be a priority for all members of the academic community.

The academic sector is particularly appealing to cybercriminals for several reasons. Schools and universities manage vast amounts of sensitive information, including personal data of students and faculty, financial records, and valuable research data. The rise of online learning has only added to the complexity of managing cybersecurity, introducing more infrastructure, software platforms, and endpoints that can be exploited.

Furthermore, educational institutions often struggle with limited budgets and inadequate cybersecurity measures, making it challenging to protect against sophisticated cyber threats. Both lower and higher education institutions have been frequent targets of ransomware, with 80% of lower education providers and 79% of higher education institutions reportedly falling victim to attacks, causing significant disruptions to academic operations and potentially leading to long-term damage to an institution’s reputation.

Beyond the financial impact, data breaches can lead to identity theft, reputational damage, and legal consequences for educational institutions. Protecting sensitive information is not only about safeguarding financial assets but also about maintaining trust and integrity in the academic community. Unfortunately, cyberattacks in the education sector continue to increase. In fact, it currently surpasses other high-risk sectors such as government, healthcare, and finance this year.

A UK government survey found that 86% of further education colleges reported experiencing a cyber breach or attack in the past year.

To combat the growing threat of cyberattacks, educational institutions must adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity. Regular updates to software and systems are essential to protect against known vulnerabilities. Training staff and students on recognizing phishing attempts and other social engineering tactics can reduce the risk of human error leading to a breach.

Educational institutions should also invest strategically in cybersecurity infrastructure, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption technologies. Furthermore, conducting regular assessments of current cybersecurity measures can help identify weaknesses and areas for improvement.

“Educational institutions need to prioritize cybersecurity, implementing measures that foster a culture of digital awareness among students and staff,” says Andrius Buinovskis, head of product at NordLayer.

“The stakes are especially high at the start of the new academic year, for educational organizations and they need to be prepared for cyberattacks…Every member of the academic community — from students to teachers, must play an active role in cybersecurity. Simple yet effective practices like using strong, unique passwords and learning to identify phishing attempts, can significantly improve an institution's security posture," Buinovskis concluded.

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At the recent Hot Chips 2024 symposium in Stanford, California, Enfabrica introduced its Accelerated Compute Fabric SuperNIC (ACF-S) silicon and system-level solutions. 

Designed to scale AI networks to millions of GPUs, it offers higher bandwidth, greater resiliency, lower latency, and enhanced programmatic control for data center operators.

The presentation, titled “ACF-S: An 8 Terabit/sec SuperNIC for High-Performance Data Movement in AI and Accelerated Compute Networks,” featured Enfabrica’s Chief Development Officer and Co-Founder, Shrijeet Mukherjee, alongside technical engineer Thomas Norrie. They discussed the architecture, design, and technical attributes of their first-generation ACF SuperNIC silicon, codenamed “Millennium.”

Built differently

(Image credit: Enfabrica/Hot Chips)

Covering the event, ServeTheHome noted Enfabrica’s ACF-S aims to unify scale-up (adding resources to a single system) and scale-out (connecting multiple systems) fabric communication. 

Although the network layout may resemble traditional PCIe switch-based networks, it is not a PCIe switch. Instead, it employs a logically rail-switched 2-tier CLOS network architecture that connects multiple CPUs, GPUs, and other components via ACF-S chips and GPU fabric switches. This architecture supports flexible, high-performance communication across different computing domains (like IPC and RPC), enabling efficient handling of data-intensive tasks without the constraints of conventional PCIe switch designs.

The ACF-S "Millennium" chip is a key component, designed to deliver resilient networking for GPUs with 3.2 Tbps bandwidth per accelerator. It features a full router, multi-planar internal switch fabric, and user-programmable transport, supporting scalable infrastructure with up to 40,000 copy engines and data movers.

Enfabrica notes that the Millennium chip is built differently by integrating higher chip I/O density, NICs within crossbars, scalable memory translation, and shared flow buffer and packet processing, all of which enhance performance and efficiency.

Enfabrica’s approach essentially focuses on maximizing compute efficiency by optimizing hardware and software integration, enhancing I/O and memory scalability, and implementing smart traffic management to improve network performance and system resilience. As ServeTheHome summarizes, “It is like taking a bunch of NICs and combining them, and PCIe switches, and combining all of these into one. The other interesting use case is that one could add CXL memory to the ACF-S fabric and present pools of CXL memory without hosts. This is super cool.”

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It’s safe to say that Samsung has been building up hype around its future mixed reality (or XR) endeavor. From partnering with Google to teasing it first at a Galaxy Unpacked in 2023 then again at July 2024 at the Paris Galaxy Unpacked event, we’re all hoping to see what it is eventually. 

And now, thanks to comments from Qualcomm CEO Cristian Amon, we’re getting a strong hint that Samsung's mixed-reality ambitions will take the form first as a part of smart glasses. 

In an interview with CNBC this week, Amon stated that the partnership between the three companies would present itself as “a new product; it’s gonna be new experiences.” He continued by saying he really expects the result to be a change in consumer behavior,  “want[ing] everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it.”

Teeing up that eventually, we’ll get to the point where smart glasses are just seen as regular glasses, something that Qualcomm is certainly pursuing as its silicon powers Meta’s RayBan smart glasses. These look like a classic pair of Wayfarers – albeit a bit thicker – with cameras, microphones, and bone-conduction speakers on board.

The comments from Amon offer the best indication yet for what the promised partnership between Samsung and Google will result in. Unlike previous rumors that have pointed towards a VR or AR headset potentially competing with the Meta Quest 3 or Apple’s Vision Pro, it seems that it’ll more likely than not be a pair of smart glasses.

Considering Samsung has been making Galaxy phones for years and has been continuing to expand its wearable devices beyond smartwatches with smart rings and smarter earbuds, a pair of glasses that act as a companion to a smartphone makes sense.

The turning point

(Image credit: Meta)

Beyond the confirmation that it’ll result in a new product enabling new experiences, though, Amon was pretty tight-lipped regarding further details. 

Regarding the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, though, he’s “incredibly pleased” and called out that generative AI was the “inflection point". It can run on the smart glasses themselves, the connected phone, and the cloud, which he views as a critical way to create new experiences as it’s fully embedded. It means that it can see and hear what you hear, allowing it to be more helpful for different queries.

Of course, these potentially smart glasses won’t be in the market alone. Meta has already teased the future and more feature-filled smart glasses, but Project Astra’s ambitions might eventually put them in glasses and smart Ray-Bans for consumers today.

Even with these comments, we’ll need to wait for Samsung to reveal the exact result of this partnership. Its next official event will be the Samsung Developer Conference on October 4, 2024. Still, it remains to be seen if the company will be ready to discuss it further… I guess we can expect another teasing mention, if nothing else.

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Cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro have recently spotted a never-before-seen backdoor malware being used to target a Chinese trading company.

The malware is called KTLVdoor, and since it’s written Golang, it can be used against both Windows and Linux-powered endpoints. It is designed to tamper with files, run code, and more: "KTLVdoor is a highly obfuscated malware that masquerades as different system utilities, allowing attackers to carry out a variety of tasks including file manipulation, command execution, and remote port scanning," Trend Micro researchers said in a security advisory published earlier this week.

The researchers also said that the tool masquerades as sshd, Java, SQLite, bash, edr-agent, and more.

Earth Lusca Golang malware

It was built by a Chinese threat actor called Earth Lusca. Apparently, the group distributes the malware either as a .DLL file, or as a .SO (shared object). However, the researchers are still pretty much in the dark when it comes to distribution: "This new tool is used by Earth Lusca, but it might also be shared with other Chinese-speaking threat actors," the researchers said. "Seeing that all C&C servers were on IP addresses from China-based provider Alibaba, we wonder if the whole appearance of this new malware and the C&C server could not be some early stage of testing new tooling."

Speaking of C2 servers, Trend Micro found more than 50 of them, all hosted on Alibaba. This led them to speculate that multiple groups could be sharing the same infrastructure.

Earth Lusca is a sophisticated cyber threat actor group, believed to be linked to advanced persistent threats (APTs) with a focus on espionage and intelligence gathering. The group, whose first reported activity dates back to 2021, is known for targeting a wide range of sectors, including government agencies, healthcare, telecommunications, and education, primarily in Southeast Asia.

Via The Hacker News

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The A18 Pro is likely to be Apple’s next-generation mobile chipset and the beating heart of the as-yet-unannounced iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max – and possibly even the lower-end iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

All four devices are hotly tipped to launch at the next Apple Event on September 9, and we can’t wait to see how the A18 Pro – which will surely be more powerful than the current A17 Pro chipset inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – improves what will surely be Apple’s best iPhones, well, ever.

Below, we’ve detailed the biggest leaks, rumors, and predictions surrounding Apple’s likely next chipset. We’ll be updating this page with more information once the iPhone 16 series – and, we hope, the A18 Pro – is announced in the coming days.

A18 Pro: predicted release date

As mentioned, Apple has confirmed that its next product launch event will take place at 10am PT /1pm ET / 6pm BST on Monday, September 9, which is 3am AEST on Tuesday, September 10 for those in Australia.

We’re expecting the company to debut the iPhone 16 line at this event, and therefore the A18 Pro chipset. Naturally, the iPhone 16 release date hasn’t yet been confirmed, but we predict that iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 13.

Incidentally, the colorful invitation for Apple’s upcoming event states “It’s Glowtime”, which appears to be a reference to the Apple Intelligence toolset that will feature heavily in the company’s newest products and operating systems.

In addition to the iPhone 16 and A18 Pro, Apple could also announce the AirPods 4, Apple Watch 10, and updates to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS Sequoia, and tvOS 18 at Monday’s event. To watch along yourself, check out our how to watch the iPhone 16 launch live explainer.

A18 Pro: leaks and rumors

(Image credit: Future)

Apple Intelligence was announced at WWDC 2024 back in June, so we already know what sort of Apple Intelligence features to expect come September 9. Tools like the new-and-improved Siri, the Clean Up editing feature, and automatic text summarization will all require quite a bit of power to function, and that means Apple’s new devices need a powerful chipset to take advantage of this new technology.

So, the A18 Pro is going to be blazing fast, right? Maybe. In past years, it’s been pretty much a given that the flagship iPhone will have a more powerful chipset than the equivalent Android phone, but we’re not sure that’ll be the case this year. According to tipster Nguyen Phi Hung on X (via Phone Arena), the A18 Pro may offer just a 10% increase in speed over the current A17 Pro, which sounds like a surprisingly small increase given how heavily Apple Intelligence will surely feature in the new iPhone lineup. That said, this is still just a rumor, after all.

The A17 Pro powering Genshin Impact on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Keep in mind, too, that the A17 Pro chipset is no slouch. Apple has already confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to run Apple Intelligence features (or at least some of them), so the A18 Pro may not need to be all that much more powerful. Specifically, the A17 Pro is a 3-nanometer chipset that boasts a 16-core Neural Engine and a 6-core GPU that supports ray tracing, maximizing performance for mobile games such as Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, and Death Stranding.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, by contrast, have the A16 Bionic chip with only 6GB of memory, meaning they’re definitely not powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence features. The good news: rumors suggest that the entire iPhone 16 lineup, including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, could be getting the A18 Pro chipset.

We’ve also been hearing that the A18 Pro might have a lot more cores in its Neural Engine. Noted on Taiwanese site Economic Daily News (via 9to5Mac), the Neural Engine in Apple’s next best chipset will have “significantly” more cores than the Neural Engine in the A17 Pro. This is promising news, since the Neural Engine is the part of Apple’s chipsets that specifically power artificial intelligence. It makes sense, then, that the A18 Pro chipset would see an increase in Neural Engine cores to power those aforementioned power-hungry Apple Intelligence features.

The A18 Pro will reportedly have more cores than the A17 Pro (above) (Image credit: Apple)

With regards to the A18 Pro being designed with AI in mind, we’ve also heard from leaker Jeff Pu at Haiton International Tech Research (via 9to5Mac) that the A18 Pro “will feature a larger die area (compared to A17 Pro), which could be a trend for edge AI computing.”

What is edge AI? This refers to the ability to carry out AI tasks on the phone itself rather than in the cloud. Edge AI is important because it can be faster and it works without an internet connection. But there are downsides, too. Increasing the die area of a chipset to achieve those improved speeds can decrease its ability to dissipate heat. It can also decrease energy efficiency.

So, with the A18 Pro, Apple will need to maximize speed and power without compromising on heat dissipation and energy efficiency. In any case, we’ll likely learn all about it at the company’s “It’s Glowtime” event, which is just around the corner.

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Samsung finally unveiled its latest projectors, The Premiere 9 and The Premiere 7, in late August after first offering a sneak peek at CES 2024 and at IFA 2024 I got to see the Premiere 9 in action.

When it comes to the visuals, there's wasn't much surprising going on – it has a 'triple laser' projection design, the colors were rich and nuanced, and combined with the brightness of over 3,000 ANSI Lumens, it looked rich even with the lights on, and very impressive with them off.

But it wasn't the picture quality that I was most interested in (especially given it wasn't overall ideal viewing conditions – we'll review the Premiere 9 and get serious about that stuff later). Instead, the 2.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos sound system is the most fun part.

Samsung's demo footage was designed to show off what it can do with height and width, and you can really tell the system has the benefit of upfiring drivers, because even in a sub-optimal conference center room, elements of the sound steered across the 130-inch screen with precision, and burst up way higher than the low profile of the projector's body. The positioning had some specificity too, it didn't just run up or to the side – it felt like it had more of a clear point of height and width.

It was a pretty dynamic sound, and offered a solid grasp on detail and clarity, though not as strong as the best soundbars can go, if you spend a lot of month just on that, rather than having it bundled into your projector price.

But I was seriously impressed with the spatial sound and general home theater effect of the Atmos reproduction, and I don't think you'd need a soundbar in many cases, with one serious issue: bass.

Samsung has certainly tried to put bass into the Premiere 9 (it does claim two sub channels, after all!), but there's simply no physical way to put a really impactful subwoofer in a unit that large if you're also squeezing in a whole projector.

(Image credit: Future)

I just wrote about how Yaber's new projector that comes with a separate subwoofer unit made me realise that all ultra short throw projectors that pride themselves on offering sound too should give you the option of a bundled subwoofer, and The Premiere 9 really hammered that home.

It sounded great in so many ways, but a 130-inch picture isn't going to satisfy home theater fans without great bass underpinning it. Movie soundtracks are made with hefty low-end in mind, and the effort of the Premiere 9's drivers just couldn't add any real impact.

It's not like it would need to be a massive subwoofer – Samsung makes an excellent little compact subwoofer that comes with the Samsung HW-S800D soundbar. I tested the previous version – the Samsung HW-S800B – and that tiny cube sub did an excellent job. If Samsung gave people the option of paying an extra $250 to add it to the Premiere 9 and get a more full movie sound out of the box, I think a lot of people would go for it.

Based on my experience with The Premiere 9, I could definitely be tempted by the 130-inch rich 4K images – we'll test it when it launches in 2025 to see if it rivals the best 4K projectors – and having built-in good Dolby Atmos positional audio to simplify my setup only makes it more tempting… but I'll need it to deliver the bass as well.

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Nanoleaf fans, wait no longer; the smart lighting brand's new music visualization software is finally here and ready to make your house parties better than ever.

We first covered Nanoleaf's new desktop app tool, Orchestrator, back in January at CES 2024. Originally tipped as a Spring 2024 release, it's taken a short while for Orchestrator to hit the market, but now it's finally in beta in the Nanoleaf Desktop app - in fact, it's quietly been available there for a few weeks. 

Orchestrator uses song detection and analysis to generate matching color palettes and motions in real-time on some of the best smart lights from Nanoleaf, all specifically tuned to whatever song is playing. You can assign your lights to different parts of the song, meaning your light strips could be pulsing to the bassline while your wall panels dance to the mids or treble of a track, and also set your own preferred color palettes if the automatically generated options don't fit your vibe. 

Until now, the only option for music-syncing with Nanoleaf has been to use the Nanoleaf Rhythm feature in the mobile app, which listens out for sound using the built-in mics on your lights and responds based on your preferred scenes.

However, you still need to manually set the coloration and motion, and Nanoleaf Rhythm is often interrupted by ambient noise like talking, clapping and moving furniture. Orchestrator, on the other hand, directly connects to your PC's audio source (support has been confirmed for Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube "and more") and translates the audio to your own personal light show. 

I've tried both tools, and without a doubt, Orchestrator is the only smart light software that's ever delivered on creating the smart light disco of my dreams. While it's still only in beta and there's consequently sure to be some quirks to how the software responds, if what I tried back in January is any indication, it's a real treat.

Alongside a slew of new product announcements including the upcoming Nanoleaf Blocks, Nanoleaf also announced a new tool called Scenescapes, an immersive light and sound experience that's designed to set the mood for relaxation and focus, which is planned for release in October.

The new Level Up lighting scene uses lively shades of blue (Image credit: Nanoleaf) Immersive entertainment at its finest

From the best Ambilight alternatives to responsive software like Orchestrator, smart lighting is fast becoming a must-have addition to home entertainment systems. Nanoleaf, in particular, seems to be leaning on gaming, film, and music as a way for consumers to get more out of their smart lighting. 

In the past few years alone, it's released devices like Nanoleaf 4D, reams of new light panels that add to its existing Shapes and Lines product categories like Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes, and even its own holiday lights for the festive season, all of which offer a host of features and tools to take full control of your smart light setup. 

Plus, Nanoleaf has partnered with brands like Overwolf and Razer with its desktop app to enhance gaming experiences, as well as features like screen mirroring. However, many of these features aren't yet available on mobile devices, with the only smart lighting service offering direct-to-source music synchronization on mobile devices being Philips Hue's Spotify sync feature. While this isn't quite as sophisticated as Orchestrator based on my in-person experience at CES, it's still a lot more convenient to have something pocket-sized to control your lights with, especially if you're hosting a social event. 

This focus on immersive lighting is a trend that looks set to continue in the coming years as the smart lighting market continues to mature, with more and more smart light manufacturers leaning into the software powering their lights - however until this comes to more convenient mobile devices, the jury is out for who will become the real winner in immersive lighting. 

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The Qrevo Curv is a new robot vacuum from Roborock, and it promises to be able to reach places no robovac has been before. That's thanks to a bouncy chassis and quad bike-style chunky wheels that can bump this robot vacuum up over thresholds up to 4cm high. It's also able to venture into deep-pile carpets without getting stuck. 

The 'AdaptiLift Chassis' is an industry-first, and appears on both the Qrevo Curv and sister model Qrevo Edge (which is the same model, just with a different dock). I got to see them both in action at IFA 2024, where they're being launched, and was impressed with what I saw.

Flip the Curv over and you'll find three wheels – big left and right main wheels, and a smaller 'omni' wheel' – each of which can be independently adjusted by up to 1cm in height. These are what enables the vac to traverse uneven terrain.

(Image credit: Future)

For a long time, the best robot vacuum brands have been focused on improving suction, battery life and navigation, but we're also increasingly seeing them addressing the physical limitations of the robovac form factor – or, more specifically, where they can and can't go in your home. (The other IFA robovac launch is a super-slim robovac designed to get under low-slung furniture – the Qrevo Slim – more on that in a sec).

Tangle-tackling features

The suspension system is the headline addition, but the Roborock Qrevo Curv and Edge also have an improved anti-hair-tangle system. The main brush roller is now split in the middle, so that hair can be directed straight into a central dustbin inlet rather than getting tangled around the brush roller. 

On test, we've actually found a few robot vacs that are adept at dealing with long hair (it's one of the key specs we look for in our best robot vacuum for pet hair picks). Often, it's the spinning side brushes that are more of an issue in terms of hair tangling. The Qrevo Curv does have an extendable side brush, but the three brushes have been positioned at an angle, so the hair should slide off. Roborock promises a "0% tangling rate and 100% removal rate", which is a confident claim if ever I heard one. 

(Image credit: Future)

Elsewhere, you'll find 18,500Pa of suction and 75C hot mop-washing to neutralize bacteria, while the aforementioned side brush is joined by a right-side mop to help you get right up to the edges of rooms. 

The Qrevo Curv will be available in APAC, the EU and the US. We currently only have EU pricing though – it'll have a list price of €1,499.99 (that's around $1,600 / £1,260 / AU$2,450, based on current exchange rates). 

Anniversary launches

The Qrevo Curv and Edge are two of five new smart home-cleaning products Roborock has unveiled at IFA 2024 – a bumper crop, to mark the brand's 10-year anniversary. 

There's one more robot vacuum: the Qrevo Slim. In the bear hunt of home cleaning, where the Curv and Edge are designed to go over it, the Qrevo Slim will go under it. This streamlined and slim robot vacuum has a height of just 8.2cm, which is good news for anyone with low-sitting furniture. 

The Slim also has an innovative navigation system, engineered as part of a five-year collaboration between Roborock, Infineon, pmd, and OFlim. It comprises "dual-light 3D ToF technology" that forms "a high-density laser array with over 21,600 sensor points and a 38,400Hz sampling frequency", combined with an intelligent RGB camera. 

I do understand all of that, but if you don't, the key thing is that it should ensure more precise navigation – including the ability to capture precise height and depth information – and better obstacle recognition. Elsewhere, there's the 11,000Pa of suction, a FlexiArm side brush and mop for getting close to the edges of rooms, and a self-cleaning dock. 

That one will also be available in APAC, EU, US, and we have pricing for Europe (€1,299.99) and the US ($1,399). That's around £1,100 or AU$2,100.

(Image credit: Roborock)

Alongside the robovacs, there's also a new Roborock cordless vacuum, and a smart washer dryer. The H5 cordless vac is lightweight and slimline, but packs 158AW of suction, and a five-stage filtration system. It'll be available in the EU and APAC. We have the EU price – €299.99 (around $330 / £250 / AU$490).

The Zeo Lite joins the Zeo One in Roborock's budding expansion into home appliances. It uses 'Zeo-cycle technology' (AI-powered, because of course it is) to absorb water vapor more efficiently, without the need for extreme heat. No word on launch dates, pricing or locations yet.

Earlier this week, US law enforcement seized 32 websites, and charged two individuals with conspiracy, as it cracks down on attempts to influence the upcoming US presidential elections. This scheme is part of a larger influence campaign orchestrated by Russia, with the goal of getting former president Donald Trump back in the Oval office.

"The Department's seizure of 32 internet domains secretly deployed to spread foreign malign influence demonstrates once again that Russia remains a predominant foreign threat to our elections," deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco declared in a statement, The Register reports. "At Putin's direction, Russian companies SDA, Structura, and ANO Dialog used cybersquatting, fabricated influencers, and fake profiles to covertly promote AI-generated false narratives on social media."

In other words, Russia is paying good money to have people create typosquatted websites, fake news websites, fake influencers, and fake social media profiles, and use all of that to spread misinformation and propaganda that aimed to tilt the US public opinion towards Donald Trump.

Detailing Moscow's plans

To get the warrant to seize the websites, law enforcement prepared a big fat affidavit, which apparently details internal strategy meeting notes, and different propaganda projects built by Russia. In them, Moscow’s agents were openly discussing putting Trump back into power, since the Republicans are more interested in domestic issues. That, in turn, should give Russia more breathing room in Ukraine, and elsewhere around the world where it’s pursuing its interests.

The names were redacted in the notes, but according to The Register, it’s pretty clear from the context, who Russia supports.

Besides seizing the websites, the Justice Department also charged two Russian nationals - Kostiantyn Kalashnikov (31) and Elena Afanasyeva (27), with “conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.” Both are allegedly employed by RT, which is a Russian state-funded media organization. Allegedly, they were given $10 million to create the content needed to sway the US public opinion. On YouTube alone, the content has more than 16 million views, the affidavit states. Both remain at large.

Via The Register

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Long a pioneer in flexible and transparent displays, LG Display is staking out new territory with what it's calling a groundbreaking development: stretchable displays.

Yes, you heard that right. According to LG Display, "Stretchable displays...can be freely stretched, folded, and twisted."

The folding and even twisting part is not that remarkable. I've been to many LG Display private meeting rooms at CES and other events where they've demonstrated all kinds of screen rolls, curves, twists, and bends. Stretching, however, that's something different.

LG Display's first Stretchable Display prototype is making its debut at the 2025 S/S Seoul Fashion Week (September 5-7) where runway models will show how the display can stretch from 12 to 14 inches. That's something I've never seen before.

As for what you might do with stretchy screens, well, that's why LG is showing it off at a fashion show. Imagine it on a dress that has to adjust for your curves or a bag that can handle being stuffed until it bulges. LG provided some photos and a very brief video of the LG Stretchable Display in use in a pair of fashion scenarios, but I look forward to seeing, touching, and stretching these screens myself.

“Stretchable displays will have a great impact on the fashion industry by enabling the implementation of designs that previously could only be imagined," said Korean fashion designer Chung-Chung Lee in LG's release.

But how?

(Image credit: LG Display)

LG Display explained to me that these stretchy displays are high-resolution active matrix micro-LED screens. The maximum stretch is about 20%, and the secret to that stretchability is LG Display's use of silicon material, most commonly used in contact lenses. It gives them, they claim, an almost rubberband-like stretchability. These stretchable screens could also last a while, with promised support for more than 10,000 form changes. So push, pull, and scrunch your display dress until you're worn out; the stretchable screen can apparently take it.

LG Display told me the Micro-LED screen is durable and "has a resolution that competes with standard monitors." That may be so, but the full-RGB displays only support 100 ppi. That's less than a quarter of the resolution you might get on your standard best iPhone. We still don't know anything about display size limitations or where the power source for these screens might live. Will you be wearing a battery-powered dress?

While LG Display is currently positioning Stretchable Displays for commercial use, the technology allows screens to stick not only to fabric but also to human skin. If LG Display can work out the power source situation, we could be slapping these thin, lightweight, and fungible screens on our arms and then stretching them a bit to create illustrative and ever-changing tattoo sleeves.

As LG notes in its release, "...they could revolutionize everyday life by enabling an era of IT devices that can be comfortably worn like clothes or attached to the body."

LG, by the way, is not alone in the stretchable display quest. Earlier this year, we stumbled upon an Apple patent that outlined stretchy displays for things like an Apple Watch and MacBooks. Of course, that's just a patent that may never see the light of day. LG Display's stretchable displays are already adorning shirts and bags.

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If you struggle remember people, places or even the specific meal you ate on holiday, then fear not – Google Photos is getting two big upgrades that mean it will increasingly act like your AI-powered photographic memory.

The first is a big update to the search function in Google Photos. Google says that, starting from today (September 5), you'll be able to search your photos in the iOS or Android app using more everyday language, rather than specific keywords.

A few of the examples of the types of phrasing you can use include "Alice and me laughing", "kayaking on a lake surrounded by mountains" or "Emma painting in the backyard". In other words, your searches can now be much more conversational and descriptive.

To help you refine your searches further, you'll also be able filter and sort your searches by date or relevance. Google says this new search experience is rolling out now for English speakers, but will expand to more languages "over the coming weeks".

But the real glimpse of where Google Photos – and our memories – are headed is the app's the 'Ask Photos' feature. This was first announced at Google IO 2024, but Google has just opened up the waitlist for those in the US – and you can sign up for it on the official 'Ask Photos' page.

The Gemini-powered feature (which is currently free doesn't need a subscription) seemingly understands your photographic history on a much deeper level, letting you effectively treat it as your photographic memory with even more conversational, natural language searches.

For example, you can apparently ask it questions "What did we eat at the hotel in Stanley?" or "Where did we camp last time we went to Yosemite?", and it'll rifle through your snaps to hunt down the answer. Clever, and potentially slightly creepy, stuff.

The ultimate argument settler?

(Image credit: Google)

There are clearly some privacy concerns around a feature as powerful as 'Ask Photos' – in fact, it reminds us a little of the Black Mirror episode 'The Entire History of You', where tech records the characters' audiovisual senses and allows them to relive memories – with mixed results.

Of course, Google isn't proposing recording your every move, just using AI-powered search to understand your life on a deeper level – and only through the photos you share with it. 

Google says that it's taking a "responsible" approach to launching Ask Photos, and states that that "your data in Google Photos is never used for ads" and is "protected with our industry-leading security measures".

It adds that in order to improve Ask Photos, "queries may be reviewed by humans, but only after being disconnected from your Google Account to protect your privacy". In other words, your questions are anonymized and Google confirms that the answers you get from the feature "are not reviewed by humans".

So while some may understandably have reservations about signing up for a feature that has such a deep insight into their personal life, the considerable flipside is having an AI-powered memory that can help you rediscover forgotten details – or perhaps settle arguments, too.

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JLab is well known for making affordable earbuds that punch way above their price tag, and you'll often find its earbuds among our picks of the best wireless earbuds. And now the firm has unveiled three brand new buds and over-ears. Once again they're very keenly priced and deliver impressive specifications including multipoint Bluetooth and in the Epic model, hybrid ANC.

The new Epic Sport ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds have been developed in collaboration with Knowles, makers of high precision audio components, and JLab says these are its best-sounding sports earbuds yet. They feature a 10mm dynamic driver with Knowles' balanced armature driver to deliver what the firm promises are deep, resonant bass frequencies and crystal clear highs. There's support for Hi-Res Audio, Bluetooth LE and Spatial Audio, and the hybrid ANC should keep the outside world quiet. There's also JLab's take on transparency mode, which it calls Be Aware Audio. 

Battery life is a promised 12 hours from the buds and a total of 52 hours play time, and even with ANC enabled you can expect up to 42 hours. 

The Epic Sport ANC 3 will go on sale later this month in the US, UK and Germany for $99.99 / £ 99.99 / €119.99 directly from the manufacturer, and will be available from retailers in October 2024.

JLab's Epic Sport ANC 3 are the stars of the company's new offering at the IFA show, for us…  (Image credit: JLab) JLab Flex Open Clip and Open Sport earbuds: key features and pricing

In addition to the Epic Sport ANC 3, JLab has also unveiled two new open-ear models at the annual tech event IFA, in Berlin: the Flex Open Clip Wireless Earbuds and the JBuds Open Sport True Wireless Earbuds.

The JLab Flex is the more affordable model, with a price tag of $49.99 / £ 49.99 / € 69.99. With a weight of just 12g and a clip-on cuff design, the Flex features large 12mm drivers, 7 hours of battery (21 hours total) and according to the manufacturer, bass that's comparable to closed-ear models.

The JBuds Open Sport have even bigger drivers: 14.2mm. The Open Sport have an ear hook design and a two-microphone environmental noise canceling system to deliver clear speech in calls. There's 26 hours of playtime (9 solo) and the Open Sport price is $79.99 / £ 79.99 / €99.99.

In addition to these new earbuds, JLab is also bringing its JBuds Sport ANC 4 True Wireless Earbuds to the European market. Those buds have Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation and Find My Device support, and they're available in the US and UK for $69.99 / £ 69.99. They'll go on sale in Germany in October for €79.99.

And because JLab's served up some of the best budget wireless earbuds to date, including the excellent JLab JBuds Mini, which took the place of the also-splendid-for-the-money JLab GO Air Pop in that buying guide when the newer offering arrived, we can't wait to hear them. 

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Nanoleaf, the company behind some of the best smart lights, has launched a new system of LED panels and storage that lets you show off your collections while keeping them organized.

The Nanoleaf Blocks system includes square LED panels in two sizes, which you can combine with textured square light panels, pegboards, and shelves to make a bespoke layout. 

The Blocks panels are thicker and sturdier than Nanoleaf's earlier square panels, with seamless edge-to-edge illumination to create a smooth, even look without dark corners or hot spots. The pegboards are particularly interesting, giving you a place to store objects like keyboards and headphones that you want to use regularly, with light and animations shining through the holes behind them.

As with all Nanoleaf panels, you can use preset 'scenes' to set the mood with subtle or dramatic ambient lighting, and the Blocks system includes several new options. The new Minimalist scene uses white lights at different temperatures, Level Up (shown below) uses fresh blue shades, and Lo-Fi Dreams features soft pastel colors. There are thousands of other scenes to choose from in the Nanoleaf app  too, or you can create your own.

The new Level Up lighting scene uses lively shades of blue (Image credit: Nanoleaf) Magic and mirrors

Nanoleaf Blocks can respond to sound via the Rhythm Music Visualizer, and you can use Screen Mirror to extend the content of your screen (much like a Philips Ambilight TV). There's also Magic Scenes, which lets you type in a word or phrase, and uses AI to generate lighting accordingly. For example, you might type 'Winter Wonderland' to generate something festive, or enter the name of the movie you're about to watch.

Nanoleaf Blocks are compatible with all the major smart home ecosystems (including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa) so you can control them using voice commands or your smart home hub. You can also operate them using Nanoleaf's mobile and desktop apps, or with the physical controller built into the power cable.

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Technogym has announced it is working with Samsung to bring a new fitness app to 2024 Samsung TVs. 

The app will be available on the Samsung Daily+ platform, which is one of several hubs found within the Tizen smart TV platform featured in the best Samsung TVs, and will offer users personalized fitness workouts – both bodyweight-only and with equipment. 

The Technogym app is also said to offer 130+ trainer-led workouts, covering yoga, HIIT training, bodyweight routines, Pilates and more. Users will also recieved tailored workouts based on their goals, be that strength building, endurance building and general health maintenance as well. 

There are curated playlist options as well, such as 'Most Performed Routines' and 'Most Loved Session Episodes', which are based on the most popular workouts among Technogym users.

It's worth saying that there's a paid subscription to the Technogym app, as well as the free one, with the paid version offering more in-depth workouts and training. If you have a Technogym account, you can track your progress and history through any device. 

The Technogym Samsung TV apps will be available on most Samsung 2024 TVs including OLED, Neo QLED 8K and 4K, QLED and LED (above the entry-level DU7000) and even the Frame. 

Samsung – the home hub TV

(Image credit: Samsung/TechnoGym)

Samsung has been adding more features, and further integration with other devices, into TVs in recent years, with a focus on gaming, everyday use and even smart home functionality. 

We've raved about Samsung's super useful Game hub in all of our reviews – from one of the best OLED TVs the Samsung S95D to the entry-level Neo QLED Samsung QN85D. The Game hub has proved to be a user friendly feature that collects all things gaming into one place – it's why Samsung continues to find itself among the best gaming TVs on the market. 

It's now taking this approach to its Daily+ platform, focusing on everyday tasks such as working from home based functions to health and wellbeing, including its own Samsung Health app. Adding the Technogym app to the equation gives users more options once again and sees Samsung attempt to eliminate the 'isolated' home hub and connect everything via its SmartThings app – which it announced as its intention at CES 2024. 

Across our reviews, we've lauded Tizen as a smart TV platform and although it's not perfect, its integration with aspects of your life aside from on-TV entertainment has always been a positive, so it's great to see it continue further down the health and fitness path, via Technogym. 

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Sexual and reproductive health care provider Planned Parenthood of Montana suffered a ransomware attack earlier this week in which it lost gigabytes of sensitive customer data.

The company’s CEO and president of the Planned Parenthood Montana office, Martha Fuller, confirmed the news to The Register, giving the usual in-advance prepared statement how the company activated its incident response protocol, notified law enforcement, and is taking the matter “very seriously”.

"We are grateful to our IT staff and cyber security partners, who are working around the clock to securely restore impacted systems as quickly as possible, and who are tirelessly investigating the cause and scope of the incident," she told the publication. "That investigation is ongoing."

RansomHub takes the blame

While Planned Parenthood of Montana is investigating the matter, the hackers behind the attack have already added the organization to its data leak site and are threatening to release gigabytes of data unless a ransom is paid. The group, according to the same source, is RansomHub, the infamous threat actor that spun out of the defunct ALPHV. In fact, just earlier this week, CISA and friends issued a new security advisory warning organizations in both the public and private sector of the dangers RansomHub poses to their operations.

On the data leak site, RansomHub claims to have stolen 93 GB of sensitive data and has given the organization seven days to come back with the money. So far, neither Planned Parenthood, nor RansomHub, discussed the nature of the data stolen, so we don’t know how much personally identifiable information (PII) is found in the archives.

It’s also worth mentioning that Planned Parenthood of Montana is a non-profit, and most of its money comes from government grants and different donations. Whether or not the organization has enough money to pay the ransom demand remains to be seen.

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We’ve all been there. Staring at a computer screen with a fresh PDF file sent to us via a message or email, and no way to interact with it. You might be able to open it with a built-in tool on your computer, but making any edits or saving changes is certainly going to be out of the question. There is no need for an exhaustive search for multiple editing and saving solutions to fulfill your PDF-related needs. Wondershare PDFelement 11 can help unlock your productivity and meet your professional and educational PDF file needs. PDFelement 11.0, the latest update, can even enhance your workflow with powerful and supportive AI features.

Powerful enough for businesses, lightweight enough for students, smart enough for everybody 

PDF software tends to err in two directions. Either the software is designed to be lightweight, to the point, and snappy so that it is easy and inexpensive enough for students to get the hang of, or it’s bogged down with convoluted features that make using it a logistical nightmare even for the most experienced professionals. PDFelement walks a fine line between providing smart and flexible features without bogging the software down. The user experience is intuitive, making it ideal for users across all PDF-handling skill levels, and it offers enhanced AI features for students and professionals alike that boost productivity and accessibility.

There is nothing worse than turning in a huge report that you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into, only to realize it’s riddled with glaring errors. PDFelement 11’s AI-powered Grammar Checker can prevent that scenario from playing out, significantly increasing the accuracy and readability of your PDFs. You can even crank up the effectiveness of your PDF with AI-powered knowledge cards, which make it possible to highlight key points, important tags, provide a brief overview, or otherwise highlight vital information in your document. PDFelement’s Chat with Multiple PDFs feature further builds on this, making it possible to generate a multi-document summarization of your work (complete with a Q&A!) with the power of AI. Providing a summary and Q&A can help boost the reading efficiency of your document, further improving your productivity.

Wondershare PDFelement has been enhanced with an AI-powered assistant and features for improved productivity. (Image credit: Wondershare)

Wondershare PDFelement 11 features enhanced functionality, including support for built-in plugins for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. PDFelement 11 also includes new, powerful PDF solutions like support for JavaScript, split-view, and cross-platform collaboration. It's even easier to share your PDFs with PDFelement thanks to new support for QR Code scanning, which allows you to easily transfer your PDF to mobile. QR Code scanning is further bolstered by PDFelement’s cloud-based platform. It’s never been easier to edit, share, and manage your PDF collection. PDFelement 11’s cloud-based system automatically stores your documents and easily syncs your files and signatures across multiple documents, allowing seamless cross-platform collaboration. 

The right software for the job, wherever it takes you 

Today's students and professionals often work in hybrid environments, splitting time between home, remote spaces, and occasional in-office or in-person settings. Our files need to be able to travel with us no matter where we work or study. The software that manages those files needs to be able to provide a suite of features that can get the job done without sending us on a search to find multiple software products where one will do. PDFelement 11 is that do-it-all software. It is designed to be smart and approachable without being cumbersome. 

PDFelement is not just an innovative, feature-rich PDF solution. It’s an affordable one, as well. PDFelement 11 is over 50% less costly than the market leaders, all while still providing productivity-boosting, AI-powered features that make getting your work done efficiently and professionally. Want to try PDFelement 11 for yourself? Download a free demo today, or check out the desktop software option available with a flexible yearly or perpetual license plan.

How can manufacturers ensure a smooth integration?

Pressure from customers to produce highly complex and good quality products quickly is mounting on manufacturers. AI may seem the answer, but when nearly 80% of AI projects fail to reach targets or get completed – is it really the solution to manufacturing problems? For Nicholas Lea-Trengrouse, Head of Business Intelligence at Columbus, success is dependent on the operational approach taken. AI projects must deliver value at every level to be a success. So how can manufacturers achieve this result?

AI experiments are a thing of the past. AI and machine learning are on the rise with over 85% of UK manufacturers already invested and wanting to incorporate AI tools full-time into their operations. UK manufacturers are primarily using these technologies in four key areas: quality control (38%), cybersecurity (37%), logistics (34%), and customer service (32%).

The AI hype is here but on the factory floor, the success of working adoption frameworks and journeys are limited. This is causing new adopters to be skeptical, but with the right product development plan manufacturers can smoothly adopt AI into all levels of their operations. Here’s how.

1. Avoid stalling at the first phase

A recent Gartner AI survey revealed that only 54% of projects progress from the pilot phase to production. So, what’s behind this? Manufacturers often identify use cases for AI and conduct proof of concept or pilot projects, but these efforts frequently stall – a phenomenon known as pilot purgatory.

Gartner’s hype cycle for AI shows we are currently at the peak of inflated expectations. AI projects fail because they often overlook the anticipated value and the true implications of implementing the technology within the organization. So, how can manufacturers avoid falling into the AI void?

What’s the secret to AI success?

AI adoption success lies in a product development roadmap that helps organizations scale effectively. The key is to aim for early wins by identifying business areas already primed for AI success and where significant impact is possible.

Consider this scenario: a manufacturer aims to increase its profit margins by 10% next year. Achieving this goal depends on meeting three objectives: reducing machine downtime, minimizing wastage, and addressing supplier irregularities.

From this assessment, the manufacturer can pinpoint opportunities to use AI analytics to predict machine failures, detect product quality issues, and optimize supplier routes. The focus is on understanding which processes can be transformed to successfully adopt AI and create new value, which will benefit both the bottom line and the workforce.

2. Finding the right data and insight balance is crucial in avoiding analysis paralysis

One of the biggest challenges in AI adoption for manufacturers is data management. Organizations often collect data from multiple disparate sources, including Excel spreadsheets, manual entries, on-premise servers, and cloud-based systems. Manufacturers that attempt to integrate all this data to gain a comprehensive view of the business and train AI models are left with the significant hurdle of analysis paralysis.

To overcome this challenge, manufacturers need a robust data strategy that ensures seamless data integration and accessibility. This requires manufacturers to standardize data formats, implement centralized data storage solutions, and employ advanced data processing techniques. A unified data ecosystem allows organizations to improve data quality, streamline workflows, and enhance the accuracy of AI models.

Cut through the data clutter with robust data management

When it comes to AI use case scenarios, manufacturers have limited reference examples, so they must assess the data they have available and determine what additional data might be needed to train the AI tools. Organisations are inundated with data, but quality matters as much as quantity. To ensure data quality, manufacturers need to implement robust processes and policies for managing data correctly, ensuring its usability, consistency, and integrity.

This is where the outputs of machine learning models and associated decision-making data in end-to-end solutions can make a significant difference. These outputs can be integrated into dashboards tailored for everyday business use, seamlessly fitting into user workflows to provide actionable insights. Manufacturers can then use these insights to optimize operations, improve decision-making, and drive better business outcomes.

3. Employee pushback is to be expected – AI is there to empower not replace!

One of the initial hurdles manufacturers face with AI adoption is employee resistance. When businesses introduce changes, especially technological ones, the immediate concern for many employees is, “Will this take my job?” However, manufacturers aim to harness AI not to replace roles but to make staff more efficient, reduce repetitive tasks, and enhance overall productivity. So, what can be done to increase acceptance?

Strong leadership and communication can ensure a smooth adoption through the pilot stage and beyond

It’s time for leadership to step up and demonstrate how AI implementation will benefit everyone. The focus should be on how employees can use the technology to enhance job functions, improve working conditions, and create new opportunities for career growth rather than being replaced by it. Leadership teams need to align AI initiatives with business objectives, working backward from desired outcomes to identify applications that drive these goals. This product-based approach helps organizations understand what their people need from AI and how it will integrate into larger operational frameworks.

At this stage it is vital to involve employees in the AI implementation process to boost acceptance. Manufacturing companies can seek employee input and demonstrate how AI can address their concerns and make their tasks easier and more efficient to create a sense of ownership. Manufacturers can encourage cross-functional teams to work together and share insights in order to ensure a smoother AI integration process and alignment with organizational goals.

To ensure success beyond the initial pilot phase, leadership teams must evaluate AI products using more than just standard performance metrics. User adoption rates can provide valuable insights. By examining the proportion of the target audience actively using the product, the repeat usage rate, and how well AI helps employees resolve initial issues, manufacturers can assess whether both employees and the company are realizing the long-term value.

4. A growing data skills gap is holding AI implementation back – what’s the answer?

A third (33%) of UK manufacturers report that a lack of skills is the most significant barrier to implementing smart manufacturing technologies like AI. This highlights a substantial gap between the demand for these technologies and the ability to implement them effectively. So, how can manufacturers address this skill divide?

The skills are already at a manufacturer’s disposal they just need to realize it!

One approach is to invest in training programs to upskill current employees. IBM research found that reskilling and workforce development (39%) are among the top AI investments for organizations exploring or deploying AI. Many manufacturing organizations often don't realize they already have employees with the technical or transferable skills needed for AI roles. For instance, a logistics coordinator could pivot to being a data engineer or data analyst because they already understand the data, processes, ERP systems, and CRMs.

What’s often missing is a bit of targeted learning and support in areas such as data engineering, data lakehouses, data warehousing, or coding. With this additional training, manufacturers can transform their employees into data engineers and effectively use AI to augment and enhance their work.

Additionally, manufacturers can look to hire new talent with expertise in AI and smart manufacturing. A team built with a mix of experienced employees and new hires with fresh, specialized knowledge can create a dynamic workforce capable of driving technological innovation.

Organizations that are able to tap into the existing skills within their workforce and provide the necessary training to new hires, can more smoothly integrate AI technologies, improve operational efficiency, and ultimately enhance their competitiveness.

AI roadmaps are key to success

Manufactures that approach AI project with a two-pronged approach will see lasting success. First, they need to break down their adoption into manageable stages. Second, they will also need an AI roadmap which allows them to see where AI can add value, streamline operations, and improve production. Brought together, these two steps will help manufacturers gain success from implementation and avoid becoming another statistic of failed AI projects.

We've featured the best AI phone.

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At its Always Incredible event as part of Berlin-based tech show IFA 2024, Asus has revealed a trio of new AI-enhanced laptops including the new ExpertBook P5 which promises a highly efficient and secure machine for modern professionals when it launches starting at $1,099.99 / £999.9 in November.

The driving force behind the P5’s capabilities are the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 200 processors. The best of which – the Ultra 9 chipset – boasts an NPU that can perform 48 trillion operations per second (TOPS), equating to a three times higher AI performance over the previous generation.

These new AI capabilities will help boost on-device AI processes in Microsoft's CoPilot+, Asus’ MuseTree idea generation tool, adaptive locking (which secures your PC automatically if you walk away while it’s unlocked), and AI noise cancellation which is handy for virtual meetings. 

Slim military grade design 

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of, the ExpertBook P5 has a new free AI Expert Meet tool with several handy built-in AI tools. This includes a live transcription and a post-meeting summary so you can recap everything you discussed later, automatic watermarking to flag confidential discussions, and a live AI translation tool which can translate directly between eight languages (including English, Mandarin, Spanish, and French) – not merely into and out of English.

Asus’s ExpertBook P5 also delivers with a solid design.

While maintaining a fairly light and slim profile – at 1.29kg and 1.49cm thick – and boasting a 2.5K 144 Hz display, Asus’s new machine meets the US MIL-STD 810H military standard. Asus says this durability rating is there to provide some peace of mind that your vital work documents won’t be lost because you knocked your laptop off the table; the P5 can survive more than its fair share of bumps and even some extreme conditions.

If something does go wrong the P5 comes with a three-year international warranty so you can get assistance even when you’re traveling (for more precise details you can check out Asus’ official list of where this warranty applies [PDF])

What’s more, it's designed with customizability in mind. To open up the internals you simply remove six Philips screws and can get access to every part with relative ease.

This allows you or your IT department to tinker with the P5 as necessary. Perhaps swapping out the WiFi card with one that meets your bespoke security requirements, or upgrading the parts after a few years when they’re starting to show their age – which should be a lot cheaper and a much more sustainable route than replacing the whole machine with a new laptop.

Furthering its sustainability credentials, the ExpertBook P5’s modular design and incorporation of recycled materials has allowed it to achieve 50% circularity in its design (up from 10%) based on Circular Transition Indicators.

We haven’t yet had hands-on time with this new laptop to see Asus promises in action for ourselves, but as its November launch approaches it certainly looks like an enterprise laptop to keep your eyes on.  

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Hackers are using the MacroPack framework to generate weaponized Microsoft Office documents. These documents, in turn, deploy different malware to their targets, including Blue Ratel, PhantomCore, and Havoc.

This is according to a new report from cybersecurity researchers Cisco Talos. In a detailed analysis published earlier this week, the researchers said they spotted what appear to be multiple threat actor groups abusing MacroPack in their malicious campaigns.

The MacroPack framework is a legitimate tool used to create and manipulate Microsoft Office documents with embedded macros, often used in cybersecurity contexts for penetration testing and red teaming. It allows users to automate the generation of documents that can execute payloads or scripts, which can be exploited by attackers to deliver malicious code.

MacroPack Abuse

As explained in the report, the researchers took multiple files uploaded to the VirusTotal database, and came to the conclusion that at least four different groups are abusing MacroPack. One is from China, Taiwan, and Pakistan, and it was active between May and July this year, distributing Brute Ratel and Havoc. The C2 servers for this campaign were located in Henan, China. One is in Pakistan, impersonating the Pakistan Air Force, and distributing Brute Ratel. One is in Russia, dropping PhantomCore, and the last one is in the US, and was deploying a previously unknown malware labeled mshta.exe.

Brute Ratel is a sophisticated red-teaming and adversary simulation tool designed for offensive cybersecurity professionals. It helps simulate advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks by mimicking real-world tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by cyber adversaries. The tool is used to test and improve the defenses of organizations by evaluating their security posture against complex attacks. As such, it is seen as an alternative to Cobalt Strike, another legitimate tool which was abused to the point that antivirus programs started flagging it.

Via BleepingComputer

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The average family has witnessed groundbreaking technological advancements within their own homes over the last couple of decades. Technologies and services have developed drastically, from simply having access to the internet to interactive and immersive experiences such as Virtual Reality (VR) gaming being increasingly prevalent. Many of these technologies and services have been driven from broadband access innovation.

But each evolution within the broadband ecosystem has been met with differing demands. Issues surrounding speed and manual operation from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to get the end user’s home broadband working again are now of the distant past. These challenges would not have been possible to navigate without a solid foundation and collective understanding of the path that is to be taken, set out by open standards and open source software.

Now that we enter the “Application Age”, it is important that this collaboration and standardization efforts continue to align and adapt with the end-user’s growing needs and requirements.

Setting the standard

The introduction of fixed broadband revitalized home connectivity in the early 2000s by allowing the signal in one line to be split between the telephone and online services, meaning the end-user could make phone calls and be online at the same time. This new digitalized way of life spawned new challenges. Online businesses grew, entertainment sites boomed and the sharing of images, video and music took off. But for these to operate as desired, consistent connectivity was required.

As the internet was still relatively new and not yet ubiquitous, if your home broadband connection went down, you were shut off from the online world. And this blackout could last as long as it took for an engineer to visit your house, diagnose the problem, and get your home broadband up and running again. Not only was this often time consuming and a pain point for the end-user, but it was also costly for the ISP in terms of the engineer call out costs and customer churn due to displeasure in their broadband service.

Recently celebrating 20 years since its inception, TR-069, a technical specification for broadband device management, has become an integral part of ISP deployments. By providing an interface for the remote configuration and management of user devices, the standard had streamlined service provisioning and reduced operational expenditures for ISPs. As a result, broadband connectivity services have become more reliable and efficient, benefitting both ISPs and their customers.

A new age of broadband

With the challenge and high costs of attaining connectivity and speed no longer the inhibitor to more broadband services, you may wonder how ISPs make their brand unique? And how do they manage to turn in a profit if they are constantly undercutting their competitors to sell more services and faster speeds? Well, those ISPs that wish to drive more value from their offerings, beyond speed and connectivity, are certainly missing a trick.

In recent years, the connected home has become increasingly comprehensive with smart devices and services. It is now a hotspot for online working, schooling and entertainment, such as gaming and streaming. For end-users to enjoy the plethora of services and applications in the home, they require much more than fast speeds alone. They need low, consistent latency which is ubiquitous throughout the home, improved customer support and network automation.

Broadband networks need to become more dynamic with service-aware and application-appropriate intelligence and end-to-end low latency, as well as equipped to adapt and prioritize traffic if any congestion is experienced within the network. With consumer expectations growing and the responsibility and blame of poor online experience often falling on the ISP, this perfectly positions them to capitalize on the full potential of broadband beyond residential broadband services.

If ISPs are to strategically transition to intelligent networks and reap all the monetary benefits it has to offer, the industry must realize the importance that standards play in delivering greater interoperability and device management.

Honoring the past while creating the future

As ISP demands evolve for a “services-led” broadband experience for their subscribers, so too must the foundations for this innovation. The Broadband Forum recently announced that TR-369, also known as the User Services Platform (USP), has now become the cornerstone for future developments in device management as it responds to the rapidly growing needs of the connected world.

However, this is not entirely an “out with the old, in with the new”, scenario. The history of TR-069 will be ingrained on the future of broadband, quite literally. USP builds on TR-069 blueprint and the existing data model, adapting and expanding to meet the new challenges and possibilities in an ever-connected world. USP’s technology is also being used to realize the promise of “application-enabled services gateways”, allowing operators to quickly deploy new, value-added services in an interoperable way for the first time in history.

While TR-069 still exists for those that wish to solely ensure reliable connectivity services for their customers, making the step towards USP signifies a shift toward more agile, distributed, robust and secure network infrastructure that aligns with an expanding market of application providers and provides more opportunities for the consumer electronics industry.

Where interoperability meets innovation: Revitalizing ISP offerings

The interoperability – enabled by open standards – of multiple devices, services and applications, ranging from security to home automation and entertainment, is essential for securing value beyond speed and lower priced broadband packages. Standardizing the managed connected home offers a number of benefits to ISPs.

ISPs can increase average revenue per user (ARPU) and generate new revenue streams by offering value-added services on top of their broadband offerings. For example, by targeting the increasingly diverse connected home subscriber, operators can offer personalized broadband packages where the user, such as a gamer, may be more willing to spend funds on greater QoE and lower latency which they value much more than just the speed of their connection.

ISPs are transitioning from self-build networks to autonomous, sustainable and multi-service broadband networks that cater for the multiple users in the home. Open standards offer the key for ISPs to monetize their networks with relevant QoE per application and allow customers to pick and choose their own services. More differentiation alongside a prioritized user experience will lead to greater customer satisfaction in the connected home, today and in the years ahead.

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