TechRadar News

• The 20th anniversary of the God of War series takes place on March 22
• It will be celebrated by an update for God of War Ragnarok, new merch, and more
• No new game or remaster has been announced yet

PlayStation has unveiled its plans for the 20th anniversary of the God of War series, which takes place on March 22, but the rumored remaster is nowhere to be seen.

As outlined by a recent PlayStation Blog post, the event will be commemorated with a new update for God of War Ragnarok. This will release on March 20 for both PlayStation 5 and PC and adds the 'Dark Odyssey Collection' of cosmetic items.

These will be available from any Lost Items chest in the base game or automatically while in Valhalla. The skins are inspired by the black and gold appearance unlocked when you beat God of War 2 on God Mode difficulty.

The full list of new items is as follows:

• Dark Odyssey Armor & Appearance for Kratos
  • Dark Odyssey Kratos Appearance
  • Dark Odyssey Armor Set for Kratos (Dark Odyssey Breastplate, Dark Odyssey Bracers, Dark Odyssey Belt)
• Dark Odyssey Companion Armor
  • Dark Odyssey Vestment for Atreus
  • Dark Odyssey Witch Frock for Freya
• Dark Odyssey Weapon Appearances & Attachments
  • Dark Odyssey Leviathan Axe [Appearance] & Dark Odyssey Knob [Attachment]
  • Dark Odyssey Blades of Chaos [Appearance] & Dark Odyssey Handles [Attachment]
  • Dark Odyssey Draupnir Spear [Appearance] & Dark Odyssey Hind [Attachment]
• Dark Odyssey Shield Appearances & Rond
  • Dark Odyssey Guardian Shield [Appearance]
  • Dark Odyssey Dauntless Shield [Appearance]
  • Dark Odyssey Stone Wall Shield [Appearance]
  • Dark Odyssey Shatter Start Shield [Appearance]
  • Dark Odyssey Onslaught Shield [Appearance]
  • Dark Odyssey Spartan Aspis Shield [Appearance]
  • Dark Odyssey Rond

The update will introduce the ability to edit the appearance of your weapon attachments and shield rond too, which is a nice touch.

Elsewhere, a comprehensive fan kit is being released for all platforms. Right now, this means you can download a series of free social media assets (such as banners and icons) in addition to some desktop and mobile wallpapers. On March 20, these will be joined by anniversary themed items in the Steam Points Shop and a free PlayStation Network Avatar for all PlayStation users.

There is a limited time collaboration with Gallery Nucleus in Los Angeles, California too, which lets fans explore a collection of artwork inspired by the God of War series plus concept art and memorabilia. It is open now and will run until March 23.

Pre-orders are now open for a new God of War: 20th Anniversary Retrospective book - a two-volume set filled with developer interviews and a behind-the-scenes look at the games. On March 18, pre-orders will also go up for a series of special anniversary art prints.

An adorable Jormungandr by merch company Fangamer has been also unveiled, measuring a whopping 67in / 170cm, with pre-orders set to begin on March 19.

For vinyl collectors, Sony has partnered with Laced Records to create a 13-disc limited edition vinyl set spanning the entire God of War series. Furthermore, double LP sets featuring music from the first three games in the series will be up for grabs.

The blog post also confirmed that a collection of God of War t-shirts will be sold by Insert Coin, with pre-orders opening on March 21.

Finally, if you're new to the series then now might be a great time to experience as God of War Ragnarok has been added to the PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra game catalog at no extra cost. For PC users, both God of War and God of War Ragnarok will be on sale until March 20th.

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• The Russo brothers have revealed how Avengers 5 and 6 will differ from Infinity War and Endgame
• Doomsday and Secret Wars will tell "a beginning story"
• The pair have also discussed whether the films' leaked concept art is real or not

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will differ from the last two Avengers movies in one big way, the Russo brothers have teased.

Joe and Anthony Russo told Brazilian outlet Omelete that the films are being treated as a curtain raiser for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) next saga. Rather than solely serving as the culmination of Marvel's Multiverse Saga, the pair say Avengers 5 and 6 will also double as "a beginning story" that'll pave the way for stories that'll be part of Phase 7 and beyond.

"The greatest thing that ever happened is we got to, you know, get immersed in a 20 movie arc and and see an ending to that arc," Joe Russo said. "What's compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they're a beginning. It's a new beginning. We told an ending story [with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame] and now we're going to tell a beginning story."

The veteran filmmakers' latest comments provide further insight into how they're approaching their next two MCU films, which are currently slated to arrive in May 2026 and May 2027.

In an exclusive interview with me earlier in March, the Russos revealed which of Marvel's Secret Wars comic book series they're drawing inspiration from for Avengers 5 and 6. As part of the same discussion, the pair also teased the possibility that heroes from Marvel TV shows on Disney+ could be part of Doomsday and/or Secret Wars' cast rosters. With principal photography rumored to begin in April, we might learn even more about the Marvel Phase 6 films if Marvel Studios fails to stop information from being leaked online.

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'That artwork was not from Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars'

Leaked concept art for Avengers 5 and 6 apparently revealed what Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom would look like (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Speaking of leaks, the Russo brothers have also responded to reports concerning the Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars imagery that recently appeared online.

At the start of March, I reported on the news that Marvel had suffered a huge internal leak after supposed concept art for Doomsday and Secret Wars was posted online. Unsurprisingly, fans spent days poring over the artwork, with many opining that there was more than an element of authenticity about them, especially as the concept art appeared to have been produced by an apparent Marvel Studios artist.

However, as part of a lengthy chat with The Hollywood Reporter, the Russo brothers denied that the artwork was genuine. Asked if any of the leaked images offered clues about the plot of either or both films, Joe Russo emphatically responded: "No, because that artwork was not from Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars" before Anthony Russo added: "Nothing spoiling in there. That’s not our concept art."

Naturally, this could be the pair's way of saving face or trying to throw fans off the scent post-leak. Until the films are released in theaters, we won't be able to determine if that's true or not. Roll on next May and mid-2027, then!

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• March updates for Windows 11 and Windows 10 have an odd bug that removes Copilot
• It’s easy enough to reinstall the AI, but the glitch is puzzling, not to mention embarrassing for Microsoft
• There are other bugs hitting Windows 11 users, including worrying reports of crashes or even boot failures

Microsoft’s latest patches for Windows 11 are causing some degree of trouble, it probably won’t surprise you to learn, with reports of various fresh bugs emerging after the release of those March updates last week.

Patch KB5053598 for Windows 11 24H2 seems to be the most problematic, but the major bug here has also affected other Windows versions.

Some users on Windows 11 24H2 and 23H2 – and those who’ve installed Windows 10’s March patch (KB5053606) – are finding that the Copilot app has been randomly removed from their PC.

Windows Latest noticed this strange affair, which Microsoft has since acknowledged. The bug causes the Copilot app to be uninstalled and unpinned from the taskbar - so essentially, the AI assistant is vanishing completely from affected Windows 11 and 10 PCs.

Microsoft says it’s aware of the issue and is “working on a resolution”, but in the meantime, the workaround is to simply reinstall the Copilot app (from the Microsoft Store) and then manually pin it back to the taskbar.

Other reports of bugs that those using Windows 11 24H2 have encountered include installation failures, Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes, or indeed the most feared of system gremlins, total boot failure (so the PC isn’t starting up at all after crashing during the update).

All of this was flagged by Windows Latest, and the tech site also observes that there’s a glitch that causes remote desktop (RDP) sessions to either fail completely or to continually keep disconnecting (that’s a bug that only really applies to business users, though).

This thread on Reddit has some further complaints about BSODs and other issues such as USB keyboards and mice failing to work post-update with Windows 11.

(Image credit: Marjan Apostolovic / Shutterstock) Analysis: An embarrassing inconvenience alongside major woes

It seems like quite a few new bugs are floating around with the March updates, and some of them are very unfortunate – particularly the nasty crashes (or complete boot failures) that are evident in a scattering of reports.

The bug that’s ejecting Copilot from Windows in such an unceremonious fashion is also particularly embarrassing for Microsoft, seeing as the software giant is on a drive to try to get people to use its AI helper – which will be tricky if it’s suddenly MIA for no apparent reason. (It’s worth noting that this doesn’t affect the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, by the way).

This is an odd glitch indeed, although it doesn’t appear to be that widespread, luckily for Microsoft. Presumably, a solution will be found soon enough – it’ll surely be a priority for the company to resolve – but it’s not difficult to reinstall the Copilot app, anyway. This is more of an inconvenience, really, but one that has surely got Microsoft blushing a bit, as it’s difficult to imagine how an accidental Copilot wipe was triggered in this way.

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• Samsung launches a new Game Booster+ tool
• Extra options include GPU tweaks and app categorization
• For now at least, it's limited to South Korea

When it comes to the best gaming phones available at any given time, you'll usually find multiple Galaxy phones and iPhones vying to come out on top – and with a new software update, Samsung might just have edged ahead overall.

As spotted by SamMobile, there's now a new Game Booster+ app available as part of the Good Lock suite of utilities that comes with every Samsung Galaxy phone. It adds some useful improvements for the gaming experience on these handsets.

You can, for example, mark any app as a game and get the optimized gaming mode for it, as well as remap the keys on a connected controller. You're able to set up four different controller profiles for four separate games, if needed.

The update also enables you to dig deeper into the graphics settings for your phone, taking more control over how game demands are handled. These options include improving texture quality, if your phone and its battery life can take it.

South Korea only, for now

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There is a pretty big caveat here, which is that Samsung has only made Game Booster+ available in South Korea – so the rest of us are left with the standard Game Booster that's been around for a while, until Samsung rolls the update out more widely.

As yet, there's been no official word on if or when we'll all get Game Booster+, but there doesn't seem to be any major reason why it would stay locked to one region. There are plenty of keen mobile gamers outside South Korea, after all.

Tech tipster @tarunvats33 has made the app available for anyone to download, though as usual with sideloading on Android, you do this at your own risk. It's not quite the same as getting the official version direct from Samsung.

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• KnowBe4 surveyed employees around the world to gauge their confidence in spotting phishing
• Many confident people have also fallen victim in the past
• Education and transparency are key to combating phishing, researchers said

Despite being confident in their ability to spot phishing, many employees still fall for such scams, new research has claimed.

A report from KnowBe4 warns about “misplaced confidence” which can cause even more problems for businesses, showing almost all (86%) of respondents believe they can confidently identify phishing emails.

Yet more than half (53%) fell victim to some form of social engineering scams: 24% fell for a phishing attack, 17% were tricked by a social media scam, and 12% were tricked by a deepfake scam.

High confidence often leads to victimization

Employees in South Africa lead the way in both the highest confidence levels and highest scam victimization rate (68%), KnowBe4 explains, hinting that misplace confidence can create a false sense of security.

At the other end of the spectrum are UK employees, who reported the lowest scam victim rate (43%). However, this figure too is down 5% compared to 2021, indicating that vulnerability is rising even in regions with historically high confidence levels.

Training is paramount to combating phishing and social engineering, KnowBe4 says, adding that “fostering a transparent security culture” is equally important. While more than half (56%) of employees feel “very comfortable” reporting security concerns, 1 in 10 still hesitate, either out of fear, or uncertainty.

“The Dunning-Kruger effect, which is a cognitive bias where people overestimate their ability, is alive and well in cybersecurity,” commented Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4.

“This overconfidence fosters a dangerous blind spot - employees assume they are scam-savvy when, in reality, cybercriminals can exploit more than 30 susceptibility factors, including psychological and cognitive biases, situational awareness gaps, behavioral tendencies, and even demographic traits.”

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The time for talk is over. After two years of exploring the potential use cases, growing numbers of organizations are beginning to adopt generative AI (GenAI) to drive tangible business value. Gartner reports that investment in these technologies will continue to rise in the coming months — driving global IT spend to almost USD 6 trillion in the next year.

CIOs are keen to progress beyond the proof-of-concept stage and start putting GenAI to work. Although exciting new capabilities and use cases are emerging on a daily basis, GenAI needs to be built on firm foundations to deliver results. The teams charged with coming up with ideas on how GenAI can be used – and the leaders signing off on their investments of time and money need a solid understanding of how it works. First and foremost, however, they need to focus on making sure they have the data required to fuel the successful adoption of Gen AI tools.

Covering the bases

From Microsoft leadership teams to US courtrooms, experts are sounding the alarm: with AI, ‘garbage in = garbage out’. If they fail to heed these warnings, organizations will not unlock the benefits they are expecting. Before investing time and money into adopting new use cases for GenAI, organizations need to get the data in place to enable it to succeed. Specifically, they need to cover four core main bases:

1) Modernize existing data

First, organizations need to transform the existing data sets that will be used to train models and drive insights. They need to map and analyze their current data to understand the existing landscape, then use a mix of data warehousing and data lakes to lay the foundations for a robust architecture. They also need to consider the data aggregation, storage, and retrieval requirements, to ensure they can conduct analytics in real time. Data modernization projects can take years to complete, but there is no time to waste – they must be completed in a matter of months.

2) Identify and ingest new sources of quality data

Next, they need to enrich existing data with external insights to add crucial holistic context to supercharge AI. To date, ingesting external data sets has been a time-consuming process, but cloud-based Extract, Transform, Load (ELT) solutions can automatically create pipelines. This enables organizations to quickly bring in reliable data sets that can put them on the path to unlocking deeper insights to fuel their AI use cases.

3) Proactively remove any bias

Next, organizations need to review the entire data landscape to ensure it is clean. They need to be certain their data can be trusted to inform their AI, driving it to make the right decisions. It’s crucial that they identify and remove any unintended biases that might emerge if they feed this data into their AI. By stepping back to consider the potential biases that could arise in their AI use cases before deploying them, they can head off the likelihood of these problems arising in advance.

4) Ensure visibility to underpin data quality and governance

Finally, organizations must eliminate silos, unifying data with end to end visibility to create a single source of truth. AI will not be reliable and accurate if fed with conflicting data - so they must be able to identify confusing conflicts, and remove them. Data evolves over time, which means it is important to maintain visibility over who has changed or added data, and why. This traceability will help identify and overcome potential mistakes, for example, if synthetic training data has been accidentally used for real-world decision-making.

Increasing AI literacy to capitalize on the opportunity

This data provides the raw materials, but it needs to be used in the right way to drive GenAI success. Building knowledge across the business will enable teams to identify use cases that can really generate value. Multiple departments could potentially benefit from GenAI in different ways, so it’s crucial to start with a clear vision and objective in mind. Organizations that invest budget and manhours in training will likely be rewarded with use cases that enable them to confidently deploy GenAI in ways that unlock the fastest ROI.

To enable this, leadership teams must also have a solid level of AI literacy and data literacy. Business leaders need understand how traditional and GenAI models work and how underlying data and training can influence the inferences presented by these models. This will give them a deeper appreciation of the recommendations coming out of an AI based solution in the context of the business use case and they will find themselves in a much better position to accept or decline such recommendations. This is the whole point of the “human in the loop” which is a key factor in the success and acceptance of AI based solutions.

Building on the foundations for successful adoption

By laying solid data foundations, empowering teams to uncover use cases and ensuring leaders can green-light the right projects, organizations will be on the path to successful GenAI adoption. The opportunity is very exciting, and evolving at a rapid pace, so there is no time to lose. CIOs just need to balance the need for speed with a firm focus on making sure none of the corners are cut. Taking time to lay solid foundations will put them on course for successful GenAI adoption that will unlock value and benefit many different teams across the business.

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

The growing popularity of Macs and MacBooks in enterprises can in part be attributed to their “secure by design” reputation. And generally, macOS is considered a safe platform, a view widely shared across the tech community.

Although macOS is widely perceived as more secure than Windows, 2024 revealed a worrying trend – a notable increase in Mac-targeted threats. From infostealers like Amos Atomic and Poseidon to advanced nation-state campaigns like BeaverTail and RustBucket, threat actors are exploiting macOS design elements to compromise corporate environments.

An over-reliance on the security mechanisms built-in to macOS can leave organizations vulnerable to attacks, so it’s key for organizations to recognize these risks and understand how to mitigate them effectively.

The Rise of macOS crimeware

There is a growing concern about the presence of malware on macOS, a problem that was relatively minor ten years ago. One contributing factor is the increased prevalence of Macs in business environments, a significant shift from the late 2010s, that has made them more attractive to attackers.

Threat actors have realized there is money to be made from Mac users. As a result, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting them, recognizing the value of these devices for conducting malicious activities.

Additionally, there are more targeted attacks in business environments. Beyond general attacks, Mac users in business environments face targeted attacks from sophisticated threat actors who aim to steal sensitive company data or disrupt operations.

Today, there are more threats to Macs than ever before, but awareness of these threats remains low. In contrast, most Windows users are generally aware of the need for the best antivirus software. However, Mac users often believe their devices are safe by design, a misconception that needs to be reconsidered given the current threat landscape.

Mac myth-busting

While the myth that “Macs don’t get malware” has been thoroughly debunked, a lingering perception persists that macOS is inherently safer than other OSes. This belief stems from comparisons to Windows, which faces a staggering volume of malware, but it doesn’t mean that threat actors aren’t actively targeting Macs, too.

2024 saw a significant uptick in macOS-focused crimeware. Infostealers-as-a-service, such as Amos Atomic, Banshee Stealer, Cuckoo Stealer, Poseidon and others, represent a significant portion of these threats. These tools are designed for quick, opportunistic attacks, aiming to steal credentials, financial data, and other sensitive information in one fell swoop.

Amos Atomic, which reportedly began as a ChatGPT project in April 2023, has quickly evolved into one of the most prominent Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms targeting Mac users. Initially a standalone offering, Amos Atomic has splintered into multiple variants, including Banshee, Cthulu, Poseidon, and RodrigoStealer. These versions are now developed and marketed by competing crimeware groups, spreading rapidly and affecting businesses throughout 2024.

What sets this malware family apart is its shift in distribution tactics. Instead of focusing on cracked games or user productivity apps, it now spoofs a wide range of enterprise applications, significantly broadening its reach and posing a greater threat to corporate environments.

Safe – or unsafe – by design?

For convenience, Apple designed Macs so that a single password could be used to unlock the device and allow administrator functions. This means that by default, the same password is used for logging in, installing software, and unlocking the Keychain – the database built into macOS that stores other passwords, including online credentials saved in the browser, application certificates, and more.

In addition, a built-in AppleScript mechanism makes it easy for attackers to fake a legitimate-looking password dialog box. Malware that successfully spoofs a password dialog box to install a fake program is then able to access all the sensitive data stored in the Keychain.

This straightforward yet effective approach is widely adopted by the rash of infostealers currently plaguing macOS businesses and home users. Given how deeply these features are integrated into the system itself, this technique is unlikely to be mitigated by Apple any time soon.

Advanced adversaries: Staying hidden in plain sight

Rather than the quick-hit tactics of smash-and-grab infostealers, advanced adversaries such as nation-state actors also aim to persist on the device over time. Their goal is to maintain long-term access to compromised devices, often for espionage or other high-value objectives. With Apple introducing user notifications for background login items in macOS Ventura, attackers have adapted by exploring new ways to remain undetected.

Common techniques include trojanizing software, which consists of compromising popular or frequently used applications to ensure the malicious code runs regularly. This can involve infecting development environments such as Visual Studio and Xcode with malicious payloads.

Additionally, leveraging Unix components, threat actors are exploiting overlooked command line elements like zsh environment files (“.zshenv” and “.zshrc”), which execute whenever the user opens a new terminal session, granting the attacker persistent access to the system.

Such tactics underscore the importance of scrutinizing trusted applications, development tools, and the underlying command line environment.

Defensive strategies for organizations

To protect against the rising tide of macOS threats, organizations should implement proactive and comprehensive security measures. Key defensive strategies include:

• Control user actions: Recognize that most malware on Macs comes through user interaction. Use device management to control what users can change and do on their devices and limit admin privileges to reduce the risk of malware installation.
• User education: Educate employees on the risks of using Apple’s built-in Passwords app and Keychain for storing corporate credentials. Instead, mandate the use of trusted third-party password managers that provide stronger security and compartmentalization.
• Ensure visibility: Implement software that provides visibility into the system to monitor changes and detect suspicious activities. Understand how to check for malware and what tools to use for confidence in the system's security.
• Adopt robust security solutions: macOS’s built-in XProtect malware detection is updated infrequently and offers limited coverage. Organizations should deploy an advanced security solution that provides real-time threat detection and prevention.

Rethinking macOS security

The perception that macOS is inherently more secure can create a dangerous blind spot for organizations. Macs are not necessarily more “secure by design” than any other computing platform, and the evidence from 2024 demonstrates that threat actors are increasingly targeting them.

Organizations must treat macOS as a primary target in their security strategy, adopting a layered defense approach and educating users about the risks.

By recognizing and addressing these vulnerabilities, organizations can mitigate the risks of betting too heavily on macOS security – and avoid becoming sitting ducks for the next wave of attacks.

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

• BraX3 is a privacy-focused, modular smartphone running iodéOS
• Advanced tools block trackers and analyze your data’s digital path
• Open source iodéOS promises privacy and security

A little-known device maker is looking to address the growing concerns about smartphone surveillance as modern devices collect and share extensive user data to build digital profiles.

BraX is working to launch BraX3, a business smartphone designed for those who value their privacy above all else - it runs iodéOS, a de-Googled, open source Android 14-based alternative operating system that blocks ads, trackers, and unwanted data sharing.

Instead, the BraX3 uses dedicated privacy-focused servers for essential services, providing safe browsing with privacy-first search engines like Qwant, Brave, and Ecosia.

The most privacy-friendly smartphone yet?

The BraX3 also employs Lunar Network for geolocation, blending GPS for outdoor navigation and a secure indoor network-based location service. With no Google identity required, users can enjoy complete anonymity.

It also includes an internet traffic analysis tool, which visualizes who is accessing your data, how much is being collected, and where it is sent. By restricting intrusive applications and ensuring only privacy-compliant apps are used, BraX3 minimizes data exposure without sacrificing functionality.

As for hardware, the BraX3's modular design allows users to replace parts using standard tools, with spare parts available for six years post-launch.

It offers a 6.56-inch HD+ display which supports 90Hz refresh rate, and a pixel density of 280 xhdpi. Under the hood, it boasts the Dimensity 6300 processor (Octa-core, 2.4GHz, 6nm), paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. A 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging ensures lasting performance.

It comes with a 50MP camera on the rear as well as a 5MP front camera for selfies. This device features a fingerprint sensor, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and multiple 4G and 5G bands.

Crucially, it also supports an eSIM for international travel, dual SIM, and a MicroSD slot.

While the porting process may face delays, BraX hopes that power users will have the option to run Ubuntu Touch, offering an independent app store and Terminal access.

The BraX3 is available for pre-order for $299.00 via crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. With 2,792 backers at press time, this alternative business smartphone signals a rising demand for tech that prioritizes privacy and the right-to-repair.

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• Despite predictions, HDDs are here to stay and increasing in capacity
• Seagate recently sold one exabyte of HAMR storage to two hyperscalers
• The "tens of thousands of drives" likely cost between $33 and $35 million

Although the likes of Pure Storage, IBM, and Meta believe the writing is on the wall for hard drives, the technology doesn’t look like it will be going away any time soon.

Seagate and its main rival Western Digital are working on magnetic recording methods that will allow the drives to continue increasing in capacity, helping them maintain a clear advantage over SSDs when it comes to storage density.

The main technology leading this charge is HAMR, or heat-assisted magnetic recording, which could see HDDs hitting incredible 100TB capacities. HAMR works by briefly heating the disk surface with a laser to make it easier to write data at higher densities. HDMR - short for heated dot magnetic recording - is HAMR’s likely successor and could lead to even larger drives by focusing the heat and magnetic energy into smaller, more precise areas for even denser data storage.

Not an unreasonable outlay

In a recent The Wall Street Journal article, John Keilman wrote an article covering Seagate’s “fight to store the world’s data”, and mentioned something which caught my attention. “Seagate said two large cloud-computing customers have each ordered one exabyte’s worth of HAMR storage, which works out to tens of thousands of hard drives.”

Keilman didn’t name names - Seagate wouldn’t have told him who the buyers were - but we can narrow the list of suspects down to the usual big US hyperscalers, including Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta. It’s possible that Chinese hyperscalers could have come shopping for the drives, but that seems unlikely to me.

Keilman doesn’t say what capacity drives were sold, but we can assume they will have been Seagate’s highest commercial HDD, the Exos M, which ranges from 30TB (CMR) to 36TB (SMR), with a breakthrough 3TB-per-platter density. Based on timing, it’s likely we’re talking about the 30TB models, as the 32TB drive was only added to the range in December 2024, followed by the 36TB model just a month later.

Assuming the hyperscalers in question paid bulk pricing of around $500 per drive (refurbished models of Seagate's Exos 28TB HDD can currently be purchased for as low as $365), their combined bill likely came to somewhere between $33 and $35 million. For a full exabyte of cutting-edge, high-capacity storage, $16 billion or so isn't an unreasonable outlay.

Seagate previously revealed that a 60TB drive was on its way, and the firm recently announced plans to acquire Intevac, a HAMR specialist, which could help it achieve that 100TB capacity goal faster, as well as ramp up HAMR drive production.

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• Hundreds of the world's largest hard disk drive have gone on sale online

If you've read my previous articles, you should know that PC is my preferred option for gaming. Whether it's with handheld gaming PCs or a full-fledged desktop setup, I believe it offers the best gaming experiences possible with better performance and advanced graphics options.

There's also a much greater level of freedom PC players have over console players: lower game prices thanks to digital marketplaces, free multiplayer online access (which shouldn't even be a debate), and modding capabilities all play an integral part. I can't deny that PC gaming isn't cheap, but there also isn't much of an argument when looking at the likes of the PS5 Pro and its $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199 price - as I've said before, you may as well start saving for a PC build at that price point.

However, my stance on that has changed at least for the time being - not because I think consoles are more powerful than most PCs, no - but because the current landscape of the GPU market is an absolute mess. Nvidia and AMD both launched new GPUs: the Blackwell RTX 5000 series and Radeon RX 9000 series respectively, and getting your hands on any of these graphics cards at MSRP (or even at all) is one heck of a mission.

From scalpers to retailers, you'll more than likely find yourself overpaying for a new mid-range or high-end GPU. Now it's worth mentioning that Intel is also in the mix with its Battlemage Arc B570 and B580 GPUs, but it's got some catching up to do against Team Green and Team Red in terms of performance capabilities and its XeSS upscaling method.

Ultimately, it means that if there was any opportunity for a large amount of console-only gamers (or even new gamers entirely) to join the PC platform, that chance is nearly dead in the water - and I don't see it getting better anytime soon.

GPUs are far too expensive and it's completely unreasonable

(Image credit: Andrew Derr / Shutterstock)

It's important I note that I absolutely don't expect powerful graphics cards to be cheap, especially considering the advancement of tech and power capabilities we've seen over the years from Nvidia and AMD. Game developers are now able to provide exceptional and immersive gaming experiences with hyper-realistic visuals, thanks to the power provided by GPUs like the RTX 5090.

This is even possible with midrange cards at high resolutions, with the help of upscaling tools like DLSS and FSR. What I do expect, however, is for hardware to be affordable, especially with less powerful products - and unfortunately, that's the complete opposite of what we're seeing.

Examples of this are evident with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080: both of these Blackwell GPUs are high-end offerings, priced at $1,999 / £1,939 / AU$4,039 and $999 / £999 / AU$2,019 respectively, and will give gamers the best performance possible this generation. Those prices are arguably too high, particularly when the leap from the previous flagship GPU, the RTX 4090, is significant but perhaps not enough to pay another $400 above its $1,599 MSRP.

When you add scalpers, low stock, and hardware issues into the equation, it makes matters worse - and we've seen this occur since board partners are selling the GPUs at inflated prices. It means either you won't find a GPU to buy at all, or if you do, you'll more than likely be overpaying.

You might be thinking it's best to just buy a midrange GPU, but the exact same thing is happening there too. AMD's Radeon RX 9070 series GPU prices have seen a sudden hike - so instead of paying $599 / £569 / around AU$944 for the RX 9070 XT, you'll be paying much more.

It's also worth noting that PC games are released with bad optimization - so even if you do manage to find a powerhouse GPU without overpaying, you'll have to deal with bad performance and game-breaking bugs.

If I was a console-only player, I would stay away too...

(Image credit: Mohsen Vaziri / Shutterstock.com)

As a gamer who is on both PC and console, I can totally understand why most console players are hesitant when advised to build gaming PCs. Yes, I still think PC is the better platform and there's plenty of freedom to be had with your gaming experience - but if you can't even acquire the right hardware at affordable prices, what choice do you have but to stick with a console?

Again, you may end up building your desired gaming PC and then still be met with frustrating performance problems. While performance may not be as good on console, it's a manageable experience with stable frame rates that come without the need to tinker or mess around with settings.

I believe it's a big part of why handheld gaming options like the Steam Deck are so popular: gamers can simply select a game they want to play (with the help of Deck Verified) and dive in. It's not like that isn't the case on Windows PCs, but it's annoying dealing with regular performance drops due to bad optimization, along with Windows 11 and its game incompatibility problems.

Gamers just want to be able to purchase the right hardware and get their money's worth while gaming - and if PCs can't provide that right now because of GPU price inflation, then I can't blame anyone for sticking with a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.

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• AMD describes its recent RDNA 4 GPU launch as 'unprecedented' and promises restocking the Radeon RX 9070 XT as 'priority number one'
• Nvidia RTX 5080 stock is so barren that retailers are holding competitions where you can "win" the right to buy one for MSRP
• Nvidia could unleash RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti GPUs on PC gamers tomorrow, but there’s no sign of rumored RTX 5050 yet

• Benchmarks for the Pixel 9a have appeared online
• Some – but not all – of the scores match the Pixel 9
• The handset could be launching sometime this month

If the rumors we've heard so far turn out to be accurate, we could be seeing the official launch of the Google Pixel 9a as early as next week – and fresh benchmarks that have appeared online give us some idea of the kind of performance we can expect from it.

These benchmarks come from tipster @KaroulSahil (via Notebookcheck), and are presumably from a device that's being tested somewhere, ahead of the full reveal. The stats include an AnTuTu score of 1,049,844, and Geekbench scores of 1,530 (single-core) and 3,344 (multi-core).

While that AnTuTu score is along the same lines as the existing Google Pixel 9 phones – which you would expect, given that the Pixel 9a is predicted to be running the same Tensor G4 processor inside – the Geekbench scores are some way short of the flagship phones that Google unveiled last August.

There could be a few reasons for this, with the primary one most likely to be that this is a Pixel 9a running pre-launch software that hasn't been properly optimized yet. There might be a few hardware tweaks that still need to be made too.

The price is right?

Google Pixel 9a Benchmark result#Google #GooglePixel9a pic.twitter.com/3lZBobYt6gMarch 15, 2025

Given the history of this mid-range phone series – see our Google Pixel 8a review, for example – it's unlikely that we're going to be too surprised by what the Pixel 9a has to offer in terms of performance, when it finally shows up.

Typically with these phones, the internal specs have been comparable to the flagship models that came before them, while cost savings have been made in the design and materials. That makes them a more affordable choice if you don't want the most expensive Pixel phones Google has to offer.

As always, pricing is going to be crucial. The Pixel 8a launched for a starting price of $499 / £499 / AU$849, and it looks as though the 128GB model of the Google Pixel 9a is going to match that. However, we have also heard that the variant with 256GB of storage is going to cost a little more than its predecessor.

It seems there's a surprising design decision on the way that we're going to have to come to terms with: Google is apparently getting rid of the classic Pixel camera bump, so it will have a flatter back than the phones that came before it.

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644).

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

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

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

NYT Connections today (game #645) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PICKUP
• GARBAGE
• ABANDON
• FIBER
• MAROON
• FREEDOM
• MC
• STRAND
• THREAD
• MONSTER
• SPONTANEITY
• JACKSON
• BEN FOLDS
• STRING
• UNRESTRAINT
• DUMP

NYT Connections today (game #645) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Material
• GREEN: Carefree words
• BLUE: Big wheels 
• PURPLE: Music artists 

Need more clues?

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

NYT Connections today (game #645) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FILAMENT 
• GREEN: UNINHIBITEDNESS 
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS 
• PURPLE: BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE 

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

NYT Connections today (game #645) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #645, are…

• YELLOW: FILAMENT FIBER, STRAND, STRING, THREAD
• GREEN: UNINHIBITEDNESS ABANDON, FREEDOM, SPONTANEITY, UNRESTRAINT
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS DUMP, GARBAGE, MONSTER, PICKUP
• PURPLE: BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE BEN FOLDS, JACKSON, MAROON, MC

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Seeing the name BEN FOLDS in Connections was a nice buzz – a good human, excellent songwriter, and of course forever associated with the number five, making BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE the most gettable purple group (for me at least) for a month. JACKSON and MAROON were also easy to find, but I took a guess on MC before remembering that they’re a heavy rock band.

Here’s a good game to play if you’re bored and with a friend – take it in turns to name artists with numbers in their names and see how far you can count. If you forget 15 and 18 you should be able to get to Matchbox 20.

Meanwhile, seeing MONSTER and PICKUP in close proximity made the Green group equally easy and it probably says a lot about my own lack of SPONTANEITY that I got UNINHIBITEDNESS last.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 16 March, game #644)

• YELLOW: BUNCH CLUSTER, COLLECTION, CONSTELLATION, GROUP
• GREEN: ENDING WITH SILENT "T" BALLET, DEBUT, RAPPORT, TAROT
• BLUE: SERIAL KILLER MOVIES MONSTER, PSYCHO, SEVEN, ZODIAC
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH CONSTELLATIONS DRACONIAN, HYDRANT, LEONARDO, LIBRARY

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

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

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

Quordle today (game #1148) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1148) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1148) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1148) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1148) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• I

• F

• C

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1148) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1148, are…

• INFER
• FLINT
• CHUMP
• SHEER

A slightly more thoughtful three start words (using up 15 letters) got me good results today, with just one wrong guess (NICER instead of INFER).

Talking of start words, FLINT, CHUMP, and SHEER wouldn’t be bad, if not for the repeated H and E. I may try those tomorrow.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1148) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1148, are…

• MUSIC
• REACT
• STINK
• DRILL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE
• Quordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT
• Quordle #1143, Wednesday 12 March: AWASH, PUSHY, RALPH, PROOF
• Quordle #1142, Tuesday 11 March: LINGO, JUICE, SHARP, REVEL
• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Sound switching

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• DINE
• TRICK
• STICK
• HELP
• BEEN
• GRIN

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #379) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #379, are…

• CROW
• CHIPS
• WELLS
• BEDDING
• BLUSHING
• STRICKEN
• SPANGRAM: SPOONERISMS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 hints

SPOONERISMS are a verbal error where the speaker mixes up the letters of two or more words in a phrase, often with comedic results.

They also make for a very tricky Strands and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who struggled with the search – not least because if you didn't have the first one you'd find it tough to locate its pair.

Spoonerisms often occur when someone is struggling to find the right words or speaking in a hurry and getting their words muddled – for instance a priest talking about BEDDING WELLS or someone delivering a BLUSHING CROW.

Back in the late 20th century there was a British comedian called Stanley Unwin who became famous after turning Spoonerisms into an artform and creating his own language (Unwinese) out of it.

He’d begin by asking the audience: “Are you all sitty comftybold two-square on your botty?” before launching into his routine of nonsense verse and rambling stories, interspersed with cries of “deep joy”. He was a lovely man.

Anyway, got to go, I’m off to make a chilled STRICKEN CHIPS sandwich for lunch.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 16 March, game #378)

• RACE
• QUALIFYING
• PITS
• PODIUM
• PRACTICE
• SPRINT
• SPANGRAM: FORMULA ONE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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

• Oracle reveals Newfold Digital is migrating to its cloud platform
• Newfold’s portfolio of hosting brands includes Bluehost and HostGator
• Bluehost is one of the web hosts recommended by WordPress.org

You may not be massively familiar with Newfold Digital, but the privately held global web and ecommerce giant provides a wide range of digital solutions to help businesses establish and grow their presence online.

In Oracle’s latest earnings call, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison talked about the gigantic 64,000-GPU, liquid-cooled Nvidia GB200 cluster Oracle is building for AI training, saying: "Our multicloud business at Amazon, Google, and Microsoft grew 200% in the last three months alone. But in addition to these rapidly growing existing businesses, new customers and new businesses are migrating to the Oracle Cloud at an unprecedented rate."

He then went on to reveal that "all four of the leading cloud security companies - CrowdStrike, Cybereason, Newfold Digital, and Palo Alto - they all decided to move to the Oracle Cloud." That’s huge news and highlights the company’s growing influence in the cloud market.

Database available everywhere

Ellison didn’t go into any specific details, so we don’t know how much business Newfold Digital is moving over to Oracle, or whether it has entirely shifted away from the likes of AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure.

He did, however, state, "Customers can get our database everywhere. They can install an Oracle Cloud region on their premises. They can get Oracle from Azure. They can get Oracle from Google. They can get Oracle from AWS. They obviously can get Oracle from OCI. And that Oracle database is becoming more and more capable. It does store most of the world’s valuable data."

Formed in 2021 through the merger of Endurance Web Presence and Web.com Group, it owns and operates a portfolio of well-known brands including Bluehost, HostGator, Network Solutions, and Register.com.

It serves millions of small-to-medium businesses globally and offers services such as domain registration, website hosting, website building tools, email marketing, ecommerce solutions, and digital marketing services.

Bluehost, arguably the best known of Newfold Digital's businesses, powers millions of websites worldwide. It’s also officially recommended by WordPress.org (alongside Pressable and Hostinger), so that’s likely going to mean a lot of WordPress sites will be shifting over to Oracle Cloud in the near future.

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I'm not a morning person, and I'm also a light sleeper. Even the best wake-up lights tend to startle me awake when they start to brighten, and don't even get me started on those irritating snippets of synthetic bird song that gradually increase in volume until sheer annoyance motivates you to get out of bed.

It doesn't have to be that way, though - if only my Garmin watch had a smart alarm.

The premise of a smart alarm is simple. Each night, we go through sleep cycles comprising periods of light, deep, and REM sleep. During light sleep we're easily woken and generally feel okay, but if something (like fake birdsong or a bright light) wrenches us out of deep sleep then we end up feeling groggy, confused, and disoriented.

A smart alarm is designed to wake you during a period of light sleep at roughly the time your alarm would normally go off, with a backup alarm in case you're firmly stuck in the land of nod and at risk of oversleeping.

It's a feature offered by many of the best fitness trackers, including those from Fitbit, and there are third-party smart alarm apps available for most of the best smartwatches, but so far there's nothing for Garmin owners like me.

Many smartwatches supports third-party sleep apps with smart alarms, such as Sleep As Android for WearOS (Image credit: Samsung) Wakey wakey

Each night my trusty Garmin Fenix 7 tracks my sleep stages based on my heart rate and movement, and it can be set to wake me with an audible or vibrating alarm, so far the two have never been combined. It seems like a no-brainer, but it's something that's still missing from even the best Garmin watches.

I'm not the only Garmin user who'd love to be woken more naturally during a period of light sleep. It's a subject that comes up regularly on Garmin's support forums, and the Garmin Subreddit.

Why can’t garmin introduce a smart alarm? from r/Garmin

I could just break away from Garmin entirely, but it would be a wrench. There's years of health and fitness data attached to my Garmin profile – not to mention all those hard-earned virtual badges. I'm halfway up Mt Everest and only 3% off completing the Appalachian Trail badge.

I'd hoped that smart alarms might be introduced along with the three sleep badges last year (Sleep Savant, Sleep Sleep, and Mythical Sleep – none of which I've managed to earn) but sadly not.

For now, I can only wait and hope that smart alarms are one of the features that comes to the latest batch of watches over the coming months. Who knows, if it's limited to the latest devices like the Garmin Fenix 8 and Garmin Instinct 3, it might even be enough to convince me to upgrade.

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• Report claims finance leaders prioritize Excel over AI for automation and security
• Cautious optimism defines finance's approach to AI integration challenges
• Regulatory compliance remains a significant barrier to AI deployment

There is a significant gap between the industry’s excitement about AI tools and the cautious reality of their implementation in finance, new research has claimed.

Rossum surveyed 470 finance leaders from the UK, US, and Germany to understand how they are navigating the current landscape of automation, and what challenges lie ahead.

It found finance leaders are cautiously optimistic, recognizing the potential benefits of AI but still wary of the associated risks - a point reflected in 58% of finance leaders still relying on traditional productivity tools like Excel.

Excel still dominates as the automation tool of choice

Leaders in the finance industry, known for handling sensitive and highly regulated data, face unique challenges when it comes to adopting AI.

Cybersecurity is a top concern for many leaders, as AI agents and systems introduce new vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.

AI also complicates compliance with GDPR and financial data protection law, and finance departments must establish clear guidelines to govern how these technologies are used.

AI or not, compliance and legal requirements have long posed a barrier to cloud based tools. Google Sheets, often touted for its cloud-native advantages, remains far less popular than Excel, particularly in larger enterprises.

While AI is seen as a powerful tool for automating document management, the survey found that 27% of finance leaders believe that the risks of implementing AI outweigh the potential benefits.

For finance leaders looking to embrace AI-powered automation, the report outlines several tactical steps. First, addressing the gap between current tools like Excel and more advanced AI technologies is crucial, and Rossum advise organisations to invest in training employees in AI implementation.

Additionally, building robust cybersecurity frameworks and ensuring compliance with regulations will help mitigate the risks associated with AI adoption, and establishing governance protocols, especially for generative AI, will be essential in navigating the complexities of maintaining ethical standards while implementing AI.

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• Asus is making a Fragrance Mouse with an essential oil compartment
• No pricing has been announced, but it’s expected in April or May
• Asus last year announced a laptop with a scent dispenser

If you’ve ever wanted to improve the aroma of your workspace, Asus could have the answer: it’s working on a wireless computer mouse with a refillable fragrance compartment.

The idea is that you’ll fill the perfumed peripheral with an aromatherapy oil of your choice. As you use the mouse, it will passively scent your desktop.

Not an early April Fools’ joke – in fact, it's really quite a genius idea – the MD101 is very real and very much in development. Asus hasn’t confirmed pricing or a release date, but a company spokesperson has been quoted by The Verge as saying that the mouse will hit US shelves in “late April, early May.”

It follows last year’s announcement of the Asus Adol Book 14, a laptop with a built-in fragrance dispenser. Whether other Asus product lines are due to receive a scented upgrade remains to be seen, the company did also recently announce three new air-purifying monitors – so it's very much into the idea of melding homeware with computing tech. And we reckon it's onto something.

The scent of a good idea

(Image credit: Asus)

When choosing one of the best computer mice, most users go for physical ergonomics over the smell of a given model. Yet there could be an argument for scented accessories.

While oils can naturally give your workspace a nicer aroma, they could also have soothing benefits for different health conditions. Many people find aromatherapy oils soothing for headaches and stress, for example.

There’s an argument, then, that the olfactory characteristics of accessories do have a role to play in making workspaces more ergonomic. That certainly seems to be what Asus is suggesting with the MD101. How many people will buy into that thinking is another matter.

It’s worth noting that 100% pure essential oils can’t be used with the Fragrance Mouse. In the small (smell?) print of the product listing, Asus instructs users to only fill the vial with “essential oils for reed diffusers, ultrasonic diffusers, and aroma stones.” While that means you can’t mix up your own blend of pure essential oils, it still gives you plenty of scents to choose from.

(Image credit: Asus)

Unlike powered diffusers, it seems the MD101 won’t actively distribute whatever oil you choose to fill it with. Instead, it appears to be a passive diffuser. While this approach will be beneficial for battery life, only real-world testing will determine how effective the mouse actually is at scenting an area.

Besides the refillable vial, the Fragrance Mouse MD101 is otherwise a pretty standard wireless mouse. Available in Iridescent White or Rose Clay finishes, it can connect to Windows, macOS and Chromebook devices via Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz wireless. DPI is adjustable up to 2400, while PTFE feet promise to glide easy on different surfaces.

A single AA battery is expected to deliver up to a year of usage, although that may vary depending on how much you make use of the MD101’s “delicate underglow lighting”. Together with the fragrance compartment, Asus reckons it will add “a dash of elegance” to your work surface.

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• Dummy units for four iPhone 17 models appear
• The Pro and Pro Max are set for a noticeable redesign
• Apple is also tipped to launch an iPhone 17 Air

The pace is starting to pick up when it comes to iPhone 17 leaks and rumors, and some new images of dummy units for all four expected models have now found their way online, giving us a detailed look at the various designs Apple has been working on.

These pictures come courtesy of well-known tipster @SonnyDickson, and cover the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max – which we've heard may in fact be called the iPhone 17 Ultra.

Dummy units often appear ahead of phone launches: they're based on schematics sourced from the supply chain, and they help manufacturers producing cases and other accessories to get their wares ready in time for the actual launch day.

That means these are just metal blocks – there are no electronics inside them, and we can't take a look at the phones in action, but we can see the sizes and the contours of the handsets that are due to make their actual debut in September.

Four models expected

Here’s your first look at the iPhone 17 dummies, Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/WnOjD71IbaMarch 16, 2025

The iPhone 17 seems to be the only one of these phones to not get a noticeable redesign: it's going to look a lot like the iPhone 16, based on this leak and previous ones we've seen. The other models, however, are apparently getting raised camera bumps on the back.

These bumps are the biggest on the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, as these handsets are set to have the most cameras. The Pixel-style camera bar could be made from a different material or come in a different color, as per earlier rumors.

Then there's the iPhone 17 Air, which is said to be replacing the iPhone 16 Plus. We can see the camera bump on this model too, as well as how thin it is compared to the other three handsets – some leaks suggest it's as thin as 5.5 mm, front to back.

We're going to have to wait another six months for all of this to be confirmed of course, but we've now seen a substantial number of leaks showing off this same design. No doubt more details are going to emerge ahead of launch day.

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Money no object

We love to give practical buying advice on the latest gadgets here at TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That's what we bring you in our Money No Object columns – you can find the whole series here.

In case you missed the news, a quick recap: back in mid January, the gloriously oddball Portland Oregon IEM specialist Campfire Audio and Alessandro Cortini – oh yes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inductee and celebrated Nine Inch Nails synth player/guitarist/bassist – announced an in-ear monitor collaboration called Clara. And the story goes that it was actually Cortini humbly sniffing around Ken Ball's Campfire, if you will, not the other way around.

I still don't know how it happened (and look, this isn't the place to get into that) but I got hold of a pair. And reader, I put them in my ears. I am not about to bite the hand that feeds…

(Image credit: Future)

This is not to be considered a full review – you'll note the lack of a star-rating at the top of this missive. But you should note that I have tested many, many in-ear monitors over the years (including most of the best wired earbuds on the market), and listening to Nine Inch Nails with Campfire-and-Cortini's Clara was a rare joy indeed.

My listening session included reference Flac files stored on my trusty FiiO M23; downloaded Apple Music tracks on my lowly old iPhone 12 Pro via the superb iFi hip dac 3 (this CA x AC collab arrives with a USB-C to Lightning adapter and a Pilot 3.5mm to USB-C DAC/dongle, plus Campfire's 3.5mm and 4.4mm 'Time Stream Duet' cables, so practically all portable sources are on the menu), and the Astell & Kern HC4 to my MacBook Pro, streaming Tidal's hi-res output.

All I ask is that if you're using your smartphone as a source, please, please hardwire these in-ears to a good digital-to-analog-converter – and by that I mean one of the best portable DACs. Because given the highest resolution you (and your wallet) can muster, CA's Clara IEMs will have at it, pull it apart, separate it, emphatically not violate or desecrate it, and bring it closer to God.

Let me be abundantly clear: if you've never heard Nine Inch Nails (or in fact any layered, heavier track) in hi-res audio or on a decent high-res portable player, and you're a fan, I really hope you get the opportunity to at least try these in-ear monitors.

(Image credit: Future) We're in this together… 

Deep breath everyone: Campfire Audio's Clara IEMs are available now, as I type, priced at $1,999 / £1,999 (around AU$3,900). So nearly two grand – yes, with a capital G. And I think they're worth every last cent. If you cannot get your head around that right now, it's okay. But I'd like you to try…

Aside from being some of the most stunning-looking in-ear monitors I've seen in some time – think ice cubes permeated with a deep-blue melancholy – the pre-fitted Comply memory foam tips slip into my ears happily to allow the ergonomic driver housing to hug my concha. The cable also snakes neatly around my auricle as if its sole desire is to be there, and that's highly unusual for my smaller ears. Often, fitting IEMs is an issue for me, the kind of thing I wouldn't do in a rush but worth it once I get it right. That's simply not the case here; these earpieces are spot on.

I've written countless words on this Portland Oregon IEM maker's output since I became a full-time audio journalist in 2018, (see my considered thoughts on the Trifecta, Fathom, excellent Solaris Stellar Horizon, and Moon Rover) but the Clara have stolen the spot on heavy rotation I'd previously assigned to the Solaris Stellar Horizon. Why? Because for me, Campfire Audio x Alessandro Cortini – specifically Ken Ball on design and production; Cortini on headshell and overall sonic profile – is the perfect drug.

(Image credit: Future) No, you can't take it

I cue up Head Like a Hole, because if you can convince me Cortini did anything other than tune Clara using tracks on which he's played synth, guitars, keys and bass live, I'll give up (and perhaps head into the void). The percussion, drum kicks and samples over in my right ear reveal themselves like sonic artifacts in cut-glass jars, each ready for my approval – but only if I've fully appreciated the previous article, intake of breath, or frequency.

Even if I didn't know it beforehand, listening to the IEMs Cortini has put his name to emphatically confirms that he'd already mastered various axes before joining NIN in the mid noughties. Cortini never lets anything go awry. Keys are human, brought deftly to the front of my cerebral cortex; guitars remain resolutely held in check but with miles of space to expand; a hardcore industrial inky bass underpins the whole. The band's more ambient or purely instrumental soundscapes (A Warm Place; The Persistence of Loss) call to mind the silky layers one sees in French pastry lamination.

(Image credit: Future)

The brooding With Teeth intro slithers from my left to right ear. A guitar arrives somewhere above my left collarbone. It moves to my right ear and ultimately back again, of course. It always does. But this time I hear how slowly it snakes over; I notice an overlap I'd not detected before, as if I've just glanced at it anew.

I also listened to a treasured Cortini collaboration with Daniel Avery, (one I was lucky enough to hear at L-Acoustics in London), Illusion of Time, and seldom have I heard a set of in-ears so eager to open out and celebrate the delightfully dark and pensive detail in these tracks. A set of headphones rarely reveals fresh elements within much-thumbed albums for me any more. But it happened here.

(Image credit: Future)

What else should you know? The cable is flat in design, noise-free, and certainly will not tangle. Oh, the accessories! Yes, there's plenty to get through. You get a hard case, a folding leather pouch with a carabiner to clip it to things (it's marginally smaller than the one I got with the Solaris Stellar Horizon, but still), a mesh zipper bag, and a two-pocket IEM pouch for just the headshells. Then, there's a microfiber cleaning cloth, assorted eartips (foam, silicone, Final Type-E) and a little IEM cleaning tool.

(Image credit: Future)

Underneath it all is the latest version of Campfire’s dual-magnet dynamic driver, an advanced dual-diaphragm balanced armature driver for mids, and Campfire’s signature dual super-tweeters with proprietary Tuned Acoustic Expansion Chamber (TAEC) tech. And I have no complaints about their integration.

In fact, I've yet to detect a significant flaw in the dynamic rise and fall, healthy low end, sparkling treble or stone-cold sonic precision that Campfire Audio and Cortini have achieved here for the money. You could even say that when Campfire agreed to send me a set, I had to try… and I came back haunted.

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