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

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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 #543) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• APPLE
• LIME
• YELLOW
• FACE
• NOSE
• FRONT
• RHINE
• AMAZON
• SURFACE
• GIFT
• ORACLE
• BRIM
• INSTINCT
• INTUIT
• OUTSIDE
• FLAIR

NYT Connections today (game #543) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Natural gift
• Green: Outsiders
• Blue: Silicon Valley
• Purple: Think like a rock

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 #543) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: APTITUDE
• GREEN: EXTERIOR
• BLUE: TECH COMPANIES
• PURPLE: __STONE

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

NYT Connections today (game #543) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #543, are…

• YELLOW: APTITUDE FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, NOSE
• GREEN: EXTERIOR FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, SURFACE
• BLUE: TECH COMPANIES AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, ORACLE
• PURPLE: __STONE BRIM, LIME, RHINE, YELLOW

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

Today's lesson from NYT? Don't ignore what's in FRONT of your FACE.

I got BLUE first today, but it cost me a mistake. My first thought whenever I see the word APPLE is the popular purveyor of laptops and phones. However, seeing it alongside LIME, I initially wondered if I should be considering pies — there's also FACE Pie, but where is the pesky fourth word? Intuit doesn't fit with pies but they are the company behind QuickBooks, so maybe this is a tech answer after all — sometimes the obvious answer is the correct one.

It took me three attempts to get GREEN — mainly overthinking that I was looking for words connected to boxes or packaging. From here I used my natural GIFT for random guesswork to land YELLOW and shamefully clicked on the remaining four tiles without knowing what the theme was — despite RHINEstone Cowboy being one of my favorite songs. Not my finest 15 minutes.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 4 December, game #542)

• YELLOW: STEER DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, SHEPHERD
• GREEN: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S COMPASS, PINE TREE, SEWING KIT, TURNTABLE
• BLUE: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH ATLAS, ECHO, HELEN, PAN
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY CANDLE, JOHNSON, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES

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.

• Max is rolling out a live-feed of shows and movies dubbed channels
• Peacock and Disney Plus among others already have a similar experience
• Rather than trying to decide what to watch, you'll be able to hop into a themed channel

Max is having a particularly busy week, just confirming that its password-sharing crackdown has begun, but the streaming service is doing more. Now joining the likes of Peacock and Disney Plus, Max is starting to roll out channels to subscribers in the United States.

What is a channel? Well, much like cable from years past, Max will let you tune into a channel that’s a stream of HBO programming. Possibly solving the question and conundrum of what to watch and let you dive right into a category of programming you might be interested in.

For this initial rollout, Max’ Channels will be available to subscribers on Ad-Free or Ultimate Ad-Free plans in the United States, and the service has five feeds to pick from at launch. HBO, HBO 2, HBO Comedy, HBO Signature, and HBO Zone will serve up live feeds of classic HBO programming from shows to movies with documentaries, specials, and docuseries in between.

(Image credit: Max)

Much like a traditional cable channel paired with a DVR, you can hop into whatever is currently streamed with the added ability to pause the stream, rewind it, and even fast-forward it. This experience will live directly within the Max app and is designed to complement the traditional streaming service experience of finding and starting content.

It’s worth noting that the first channels debuting from Max are similar to HBO’s own channel lineup back in its prime. If I find myself a part of the test, I look forward to seeing Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO Comedy plenty. In a shared release, Max notes that this “launch provides the infrastructure for future iterations and ongoing innovation of channels.” This means that, much like Disney, we could see Max roll out themed channels throughout the year, even when new shows are launched.

For instance, when a new season of House of Dragon launches, Max could spin up a channel leading up to it, streaming the previous seasons and even episodes of Game of Thrones. And it’s likely that before this rolls out to all users in the United States or other markets, Max could make changes to the design and how channels work entirely.

Time will tell, but if you’re in the United States and have Ad-Free or Ultimate Ad-Free plans, keep an eye on the Max homepage for a new Channels bar.

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• AWS unveils Automated Reasoning checks
• New tool will look to cut down on AI hallucinations by checking responses against customer data
• Customers will be presented with AI responses to see how accurate they are

With businesses increasingly using AI tools for their key processes and tasks, hallucinations are proving to be a growing challenge.

To try and tackle this, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a new tool to tackle hallucinations.

Revealed at its AWS re:Invent 2024 event, the new Automated Reasoning checks system looks to cut down on potentially damaging errors caused by hallucinations, which could see businesses face security risks or financial losses.

An end to AI hallucinations?

At its simplest level, hallucinations are when an AI system or service behaves incorrectly, or becomes unreliable, often due to issues with errors in the data it has been trained on.

Described by the company as "the first and only generative AI safeguard that helps prevent factual errors due to model hallucinations", AWS' Automated Reasoning checks look to solve this by cross-checking the responses generated by a model against information provided by the customer. If it can't determine if the answer matches up exactly, the response gets sent back to the model for checking.

Available as part of Amazon Bedrock Guardrails, the company's system for keeping AI models accurate and reliable, the new checks will also attempt to see how the model came up with its answer, and if it deems it to be erroneous, will compare to the customer's information.

It will then present its answer alongside the initial response from the model, meaning customers can see the possible gap between the truth and the response, and tweak their model accordingly.

AWS gave the example of a healthcare provider using the tool to make sure customer enquiries about specific policies are given accurate answers.

"Over time, as generative AI transforms more companies and customer experiences, inference will become a core part of every application," said Dr. Swami Sivasubramanian, vice president of AI and Data at AWS.

"With the launch of these new capabilities, we are innovating on behalf of customers to solve some of the top challenges, like hallucinations and cost, that the entire industry is facing when moving generative AI applications to production.”

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• Latest SMS scam claims that your Netflix account has been suspended
• Links to a fake Netflix login screen that will steal your information
• Netflix will never request your personal information in a text message

If you’ve recently received an SMS about your Netflix account being suspended, chances are it’s a scam. Fraudsters are targeting phone numbers in 23 countries with a new text message campaign, trying to swindle Netflix users out of their account credentials and payment information.

With more than 280 million paid subscribers worldwide, it’s no surprise that scammers would use Netflix as the hook in a phishing scheme. Even if the fraudulent message is sent out with a scattergun approach, there’s a good chance that many of the recipients will have a Netflix account – and potentially be tricked into parting with their personal information.

According to screenshots we’ve seen, there are a few variations of the fake SMS, including versions in several different languages. Each text message (see below) has the same basic structure: it claims to be from Netflix and states that there’s been an issue processing the subscription payment for your account. It then asks you to update your details and shares a URL.

If you click on the link, it will take you to a fake sign-in page which is designed to look convincingly like the real Netflix website. Enter your details here and you’ll be handing them over to fraudsters, who can use them to access your Netflix account. With these details, certain scammers may try to sell your account on the dark web.

The scam also goes a step further. The next screen shows a warning message claiming that your account is temporarily suspended due to a payment issue. It then asks you to make a payment using a credit or debit card. Do this and the scammers will have your card details. The scam also gives you the option to pay using a Netflix gift card, which would give the value of that card to the fraudsters.

How to keep your Netflix account secure

(Image credit: Apple)

Like most phishing scams, the Netflix SMS con relies on a few factors to trick you into parting with your personal information. The text message and website look real enough that people might give it their attention. On top of that, the account suspension alert is designed to create a sense of urgency.

For many users, losing Netflix account access to due to a missed payment would be a serious issue. A sense of panic, as well as a desire to resolve the problem quickly, could cause people to act without thinking twice, giving their sensitive personal information to fraudsters even if alarm bells should be ringing.

Netflix accounts are particularly vulnerable to phishing attacks as Netflix doesn’t offer two-factor authentication.

Netflix accounts are particularly vulnerable to phishing attacks as Netflix doesn’t offer two-factor authentication. That means anyone with your username and password will be able to sign in to your account. Because of this, you need to be vigilant about messages claiming to be from Netflix.

Netflix has a dedicated article about phishing emails and texts on its website. It says, “If you get an email or text message (SMS) asking for your Netflix account email, phone, password, or payment method it probably didn't come from Netflix.”

Users need to be especially careful when it comes to clicking links. Netflix says, “If the text or email links to a URL that you don't recognize, don't tap or click it. If you did already, do not enter any information on the website that opened.”

If you’re ever in doubt, the safest thing to do is navigate directly to Netflix.com and sign in there, to check the status of your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, you should change your password. You can also sign out of unrecognized devizes. Netflix has more information about how to keep your account secure here.

If you do receive an SMS or email which you believe to be a scam, you should forward it to phishing@netflix.com, then delete the message.

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The many AI-powered chatbots emulating famous fictional personalities are leaving the digital halls of Character.AI as the company seeks to crack down on AI imitations of intellectual property. The oft-ignored specter of copyright law hovers over the ranks of virtual companions imitating your favorite fictional personalities, taking a scythe to the names you recognize from films, books, TV shows, and comics.

Character.AI confirmed in a statement to Futurism that it is seeking to comply with copyright law seems like an obvious choice at first glance. No company wants to be vulnerable to legal attacks by giant corporations with infinite lawyers. That said, a huge amount of discourse on Character.AI involves users engaging with AI versions of fictitious people (or cartoon rabbits, hobbits, and more). Fans roleplaying friendship with the AI simulacra are upset, but Character.AI's larger goals demand a bit more fidelity to intellectual property laws.

Character.AI's statement just restates the relevant part of a blog post explaining how the company recently updated its terms and conditions. The changes emphasized making the platform safer for children and upping content moderation as well as boosting copyright law enforcement.

"We conduct proactive detection and moderation of user-created Characters, including using industry-standard and custom blocklists that are regularly updated. We proactively, and in response to user reports, remove Characters that violate our Terms of Service," Character.AI explained in its post. "Users may notice that we’ve recently removed a group of Characters that have been flagged as violative, and these will be added to our custom blocklists moving forward."

Harold Putter and the Magician's Rock

The effort appears incomplete so far. The characters with the exact name of a character are mostly gone, but more elaborate or silly variants survive. No more Harry Potter or Daenerys Targaryen but Harold Putter and Dany Dragonlady live to talk for at least a little longer.

Even with the loopholes in place, it's questionable if Character.AI's popularity will survive the cull. Talking to figures from favorite films and books, even just an AI imitation, will entice plenty of people otherwise uninterested in AI. Features like audible voices and the two-way voice conversations available with Character Calls might not have the same draw. Will they stick around for original characters or do they prefer those based on historical celebrities?

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• Tim Cook sat down with Wired for a wide-ranging interview
• He confirmed that Apple hasn't considered charging for AI features as of yet
• Cook shedded some light on Vision Pro performance, albeit indirectly

I like Tim Cook. The now long-time Apple CEO is gracious, smart, and as close to a human sphinx as you can imagine. He rarely drops major news, either casually or when the media are grilling him.

Cook did not disappoint in his latest wide-ranging interview with Wired's Steven Levy. One of the best in the business, Levy peppered Cook with questions about everything from the iPhone's 16's new Camera Control button to Apple Intelligence, the company, and his own legacy. Cook didn't exactly break news, but there were areas where he revealed a bit more about himself and some of Apple's strategic decisions relating to AI, mixed reality, and what comes next for Cook himself.

Apple Intelligence, Apple's brand of AI that Cook insists is not a pun, has been slowly rolling out to supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs, with each iteration getting a bit closer to what Apple promised during its June WWDC 2024 keynote. Cook didn't walk through any new features, though he does have a point of view on the fine line between utility and taking over. Cook tends to believe that AI is an assistant (like a copilot, I guess) and is not straight-up doing things for you.

However, Cook's perspective on charging for additional and maybe more powerful AI Apple Intelligence features was more interesting. It's not a discussion they've been having on the Apple Campus.

"We never talked about charging for it," Cook told Levy. Now, that doesn't mean it's off the table, but since Apple and Cook view Apple Intelligence as similar to multitouch on the iPhone, AI is likely a feature that adds value to all the other products and services Apple charges for. Apple could simply raise the prices on them to cover the cost of building and supporting Apple intelligence features.

Vision Pro realities

Apple has been mum on Vision Pro sales. The powerful VR and mixed-reality headset is undoubtedly the apex of Apple's consumer electronics capabilities and the company makes you pay dearly for it – $3,500 – which may account for consumer apathy.

Cook didn't speak directly about sales performance, but he's still bullish about the headset. I think, though, he may have acknowledged that the pricey wearable is not for everyone. Here's how Cook characterized it to Levy:

"It’s an early adopter product, for people who want tomorrow’s technology today."

Cook insisted that the ecosystem is flourishing, which may be a sign of product category health, but then he added one encouraging bit of almost news about what might come next.

Levy asked about Meta Orion and Snap AR glasses. These lighter and more glasses-like wearables focus on AR experiences, and I wondered if Vision Pro's next iteration could be headed in that direction.

"Yes," Cook told Levy, "It’s a progression over time in terms of what happens with form factors."

I think the market cannot wait to try out those next form factors.

After Cook

Some believe that Apple Hardware lead John Ternus is the next likely Apple CEO, but for Ternus to step in, Cook would have to step away. The current Apple CEO, however, did not paint a picture of someone running out of steam or one who is becoming less engaged with the brand.

The Apple-Tim Cook love affair is still very much alive. Cook is not planning his exit and told Levy that he would not "do it until the voice in my head says, 'It's time."

Cook said he loves the job and can't imagine his life without it. Put another way, Tim Cook will be steering the Apple ship and building upon his legacy, which Cook wants to be health. "We have research going on. We’re pouring all of ourselves in here, and we work on things that are years in the making," Cook told Levy.

I think it will likely be Apple Silicon for many years to come, though.

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• ChatGPT can be manipulated into creating viruses and malicious code
• A report shows that some hackers are using it in the wild for Macs
• But ChatGPT might not be the devastating weapon that some fear

The subject of whether Macs can get viruses – and if they do, whether you should install antivirus software – is a contentious one among Apple fans.

A new report from Mac security firm Moonlock suggests the threat is now on the rise from AI-powered malware. Yet on one side are those who believe antivirus apps are more hassle than they’re worth, slowing down your computer in the face of a minimal threat level. On the other, there are people who urge caution against a changing world of hackers and virus creators.

It's all a bit of a mess, and it can often be hard to know which side to believe. But with this new report shedding light on some of the tactics hackers are using to victimize Mac users, could it be that that’s all about to change? Here's our verdict.

The myth: Macs don’t get viruses

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

There’s a long-held belief that Macs don’t get viruses, with adherents claiming that a mixture of common sense (don’t download torrents and pirated software, for instance) and built-in macOS tools like Gatekeeper are sufficient to keep you protected from anything that’s thrown your way.

There’s some weight to those claims – Macs certainly get far less malware than Windows PCs thanks to a combination of macOS’s sturdy antivirus tools and Apple’s much lower market share being less attractive to would-be attackers. But the idea that Macs are totally invulnerable to spyware, trojans, and other digital nasties is wide of the mark.

In fact, we’ve seen reports of Mac virus threats increasing at a rapid rate over the last few years, with malware writers honing their skills in order to target Apple fans. Even North Korean hackers are getting in on the act, such is the growing importance of macOS to threat actors.

The reality: They can – but the threat of AI tools may be overblown

(Image credit: Unsplash)

With the simultaneous rise of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, there’s been notable concern among some that tools like ChatGPT will empower even novice hackers to create devastating malware strains that can get around the most robust of Mac defenses.

Now, a new report from Mac security firm Moonlock seems to confirm some of those fears. It cites cases of hackers creating working malware just by prompting an AI chatbot to start coding.

For instance, Moonlock’s report includes messages posted by hacker known as 'barboris', who listed code produced by ChatGPT on a malware forum. There, barboris explained that they had little coding experience, but were still able to get ChatGPT to do their bidding with a little creative prompting.

However, before we get too panicked, ChatGPT is not quite the all-powerful malware-creation tool that it seems. As with any other experience of using an AI chatbot, it can be prone to mistakes and garbled nonsense, which has the potential to ruin any would-be hacker’s day. If someone with no malware experience were to use ChatGPT to create a virus, they might struggle to troubleshoot it and forge something workable.

The risk posed by chatbot-generated malware remains relatively low at this time.

Martin Zugec, Bitdefender

I previously spoke to a range of security experts on this very subject, and they were skeptical about ChatGPT’s ability to create effective malware. Chatbots have built-in guardrails to prevent people from crafting malware code, and for Martin Zugec, the Technical Solutions Director at Bitdefender, if a person is relying on ChatGPT to create code for them, they probably don’t possess the skills to bypass these guardrails.

Due to that, Zugec says, “the risk posed by chatbot-generated malware remains relatively low at this time.” What’s more, Zugec adds that “the quality of malware code produced by chatbots tends to be low, making it a less attractive option for experienced malware writers who can find better examples in public code repositories.”

In other words, while barboris may have been able to put together a virus using ChatGPT despite their limited hacking knowledge, a more experienced coder would likely get better results and more effective malware from public repositories and their own honed skills.

Still, clearly it is possible for inexperienced hackers to code up working viruses with little more than ChatGPT, a handful of effective prompts, and plenty of patience. This is something we’ll have to keep a close eye on over the coming years.

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• AI-powered Allwinner CPU supports advanced tasks like video upscaling
• 11-inch 90Hz display, up to 16GB memory, 1TB expandable
• Dual USB-C ports, PC Mode, priced from $125

Chinese electronics manufacturer Teclast has launched its latest tablet, the P50AI. Powered by an Allwinner A733 octa-core processor with a 3 TOPS NPU, it can handle a number of AI-driven tasks such as video upscaling, color optimization, hands-free gesture control, and text extraction. It also offers an AI posture awareness feature, which reminds users to sit up straight if it spots them slouching.

The device’s 11-inch IPS display offers a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals, and the tablet comes with up to 16GB of memory (6GB LPDDR5 RAM and 10GB virtual) and 128GB of UFS3.0 storage, expandable by an additional 1TB via MicroSD.

Running on Android 15 with TeclastOS, the tablet offers a handy PC Mode, which lets users switch to a desktop-like experience. They can open multiple windows or apps, resize and rearrange them, and pair the tablet with a keyboard and mouse. Multi-window management and single-app screen recording features are also on offer.

Dual USB-C ports

A standout feature of the P50AI, for me, is its dual USB-C ports, which can be used simultaneously. The primary port supports 10Gbps data transfer and video output via DisplayPort (DP), allowing the tablet to connect to external displays. A low-cost tablet like this with video-in capability, enabling it to function as a portable monitor, remains on my wish list.

Connectivity options are provided through Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. Other features include a 7000mAh battery, dual speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and dual-mic noise reduction. The camera setup includes a 13MP rear camera with an AI secondary lens for quicker focus and shooting, and a 5MP front camera for selfies and video calls.

The tablet has a sleek metal body with rounded edges and comes in a Guava Teal finish. It measures 258mm x 170mm x 8.3mm and weighs 530g. Priced at around $145 on Temu and just $125.32 on AliExpress, the P50AI should be available on Amazon soon.

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• Some Windows 11 testers found Recall didn’t work at all
• Microsoft has explained this is due to a bug caused by an optional update
• That optional update causes issues with the Dev build Recall is in, but there’s no fix for those affected

Some of the Windows 11 testers trying out the Recall feature (which recently went live for Windows Insiders) ran into a baffling issue where it didn’t work at all, and Microsoft has just explained the problem – but failed to provide a fix for those affected.

As we saw last week, after Recall was finally deployed in the Dev channel for Windows 11, it was immediately hit by some bugs. Indeed, some testers complained that it refused to save any snapshots at all (those being the regular screenshots Recall takes to facilitate its AI-supercharged search functionality).

According to an update on Microsoft’s blog post for the preview build in question, the glitch happens to Windows 11 users who first install patch KB5046740 – which is the preview update for November – and then go on to install build 26120.2415.

Essentially, something in the KB5046740 optional update for Windows 11 clashes with the Dev channel build, and throws a serious spanner in the works for Recall.

Microsoft’s advice is: “We recommend you not install this preview update before joining the Dev channel until we fix the issue in a future update.”

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Already in this pickle? You’re out of luck, it seems

Of course, Microsoft doesn’t tell us what to do if you’re already in this pickle, and you’ve installed the preview update before deciding to join the Dev channel in order to test Recall. So, we can only presume that you’re going to need to reinstall Windows 11 to fix this (or just put up with Recall not working – and maybe never working, going forward with Dev test builds).

Recall is, of course, a feature for Copilot+ PCs only – and just Arm-based Snapdragon devices to begin with, too – so there will be a limited pool of testers anyway. And an even smaller subset who went this route before installing the Dev build.

Even so, that’s still a bunch of users who are left in the lurch, but such are the perils of being a Windows 11 tester. Especially in the earlier testing channels, Canary and Dev, where the changes brought in are fresher and more likely to suffer from bugs.

Via The Register

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• SemiQon announces first CMOS transistor for cryogenic conditions
• Engineered for extreme cold: operates efficiently at 1 Kelvin
• Transistor reduces heat dissipation 1,000x, consumes 0.1% usual power

Heat is widely recognized as the enemy of sensitive electronic components, but ultra-low temperatures can also pose serious performance challenges.

Now, SemiQon, a Finland-based company focused on quantum computing hardware, has announced the development of what it describes as the first CMOS transistor fully optimized for cryogenic conditions.

The transistor is engineered to function effectively at temperatures as low as 1 Kelvin (-272.15°C or -457.87°F), just 1 degree above absolute zero, where most quantum computers operate. According to the company, this innovation addresses key challenges in scaling quantum computers while also being compatible with existing CMOS manufacturing processes, requiring no new infrastructure.

Space-borne applications

SemiQon says its transistor reduces heat dissipation by 1,000 times compared to conventional room-temperature transistors and consumes only 0.1% of the power. This allows control and readout electronics to be located inside a cryostat with the processors, eliminating heat dissipation problems that could disrupt the system. SemiQon believes this solution simplifies the growing complexity of managing quantum processors as their scale increases.

“It was clear to us and others in the scientific community, that a transistor which can operate efficiently at ultra-low temperatures would offer substantial value to users in the advanced computing sector and wherever these devices are required to function in cryogenic conditions,” said Himadri Majumdar, CEO and Co-Founder of SemiQon.

“Our company is just 2 years old, and already we’ve delivered something which the world has never seen before. Our cryo-CMOS transistor will provide considerable advantages to users both in terms of CapEx and OpEx, as well as by enhancing the functionality of their hardware. This could potentially accelerate the development of quantum technologies, or even enable a new era of cryogenic electronics.”

The transistor’s potential extends beyond quantum computing to high-performance computing and space-borne applications. SemiQon also highlights its impact on energy efficiency, noting that cooling costs for data centers are projected to grow significantly in the coming years.

SemiQon says it expects to deliver its first cryo-optimized CMOS transistors to customers in 2025. A short technical paper on the new transistor can be found on the arXiv pre-print server.

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• Mac users need to stop believing that macOS is safer than Windows
• Generative AI has helped non-coders to create their own malware
• Social engineering continues to be the most common attack method

Cybersecurity experts from Moonlock are warning of the increasing prevalence of sophisticated macOS malware created with the help of generative AI.

In its 2024 Threat Report, Moonlock explored how publicly available tools like ChatGPT have enabled hackers to work around the technical barriers they were previously subject to in order to create malicious software more quickly.

The research found screenshots posted to darknet forums showing hackers using artificial intelligence to guide them through the development of Mac-bound malware step by step.

AI is helping to build macOS malware

Among the examples given was a case involving Russian-speaking threat actor ‘barboris,’ who admitted to building macOS malware without any prior coding experience thanks to generative AI. With natural language prompts, barboris was able to create an infostealer capable of targeting Keychain credentials and cryptocurrency wallet information.

The reported summarizes: “The barrier to entry is lower than ever, and AI has become a new ally for cybercriminals seeking to launch macOS-focused campaigns.”

Moonlock explains that the rise of malware-as-a-service (MaaS) has also made macOS malware more accessible than ever. Cheapening MaaS options are lowering the barriers for attackers and making macOS malware more common that it used to be.

The researchers claim that the rise of MaaS has made cybercrime into a collaborative effort, creating new roles for creators and distributors.

Previously, Apple’s desktop operating system was favored over its Windows counterpart for being less susceptible to cyberattacks, however the researchers explained that the notion that macOS is still as safe is now a dated one.

Users are being advised to treat macOS as they would any other operating system or internet-connected device, by keeping software updated with security patches, only downloading apps from trusted sources such as the Mac App Store, and installing renowned third-party security tools.

However, while the threat environment may be shifting, social engineering remains the most common way of forcing entry, and all users should be wear of handing out sensitive information unless it is absolutely necessary.

"We expect a surge in the variety of stealers targeting macOS in 2025," noted Mykhailo Pazyniuk, Malware Research Engineer at Moonlock. "During 2024 we've observed different threat actors trying to bypass Apple’s protection mechanisms, emphasizing on users as the weakest link in this attack chain. Therefore, threat actors haven’t bothered much with finding exploits in macOS itself just yet."

"One thing is certain – since many stealers eventually did their job and managed to exfiltrate sensitive user data and their crypto assets, the market of MaaS and macOS exploits will continue to grow in 2025, possibly offering more ways to stay undetected for antivirus software," Pazyniuk said.

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• Sony has announced PSVR 2 hand tracking
• But it's done so at a booth at the Siggraph Asia show, and seemingly nowhere else
• It's already in the PS5 SDK, so keep an eye out for hand tracking coming to your favorite PSVR 2 titles

Sony has dropped a major update for the PlayStation VR 2 headset: hand tracking. But oddly it announced the feature in the most low-key way it could – via a written description on a booth at a tech show.

At the Siggraph 2024 Asia computer graphics and interactive tech expo in Tokyo, attendees can experience PSVR 2 without using any kind of controller, with a video of the demo (see below) showing a player shooting water jets from their fingers to take out flying monsters. And as long as your hands are in view of the headsets’ cameras it will be able to track them in virtual reality.

According to UploadVR, a description posted on the booth explains that hand tracking is available with “the latest SDK of PlayStation 5” which means that game devs could start incorporating hand tracking into their games right now. The description adds that the tracking rate is at a smooth 60fps with low latency.

There's also a brief mention of the hand tracking feature buried in an overview of Sony's demos and announcements at Siggraph 2024.

SONYブースPS VR 2のハンドトラッキング指から泡出し手をグーパーで水がでるカメラの前にある限り外れない #SIGGRAPHAsia2024 pic.twitter.com/KeNQryHy6QDecember 4, 2024

Now we wait for updates

While controllers can’t always be replaced in VR experiences – their buttons provide quick access to features that would be clunky to incorporate otherwise – for games that could rely on hand tracking there’s nothing quite like the immersion it provides.

Hand tracking is also so much more intuitive to VR and gaming newcomers – it’s a lot easier to reach out and grasp something than to perform even simple button movements. It’s frankly a major feature announcement, and I’m shocked that Sony hasn’t made a bigger deal of hand tracking’s arrival.

It will require developers to incorporate the updated SDK into their software, but if any third-party games and apps already support hand tracking on headsets that support the feature (like Meta's Quests) then it hopefully shouldn't take much time or effort to port hand-tracking to the PSVR 2 version.

So if you decided to pick up a PSVR 2 headset over Black Friday while it was $250-off (or you own one already) be on the lookout for some hand tracking updates to your favorite titles in the coming months – and hopefully we'll see not just updates, but also some brand-new VR experiences.

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• A cross-scripting bug plaguing Cisco's Adaptive Security Appliance is being actively exploited, the company warns
• The flaw was first discovered a decade ago
• CISA added it to KEV, and warned federal agencies to patch

Cisco has updated a decade-old advisory to warn users that the ancient vulnerability is now being actively exploited in the wild to spread malware.

Spotted by The Hacker News, the advisory is for a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the WebVPN login page for the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software.

The vulnerability was spotted in 2014, and has since been tracked as CVE-2014-2120. It has a severity score of 6.1 (medium), and allows threat actors to remotely inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an unspecified parameter.

A surge in abuse

"An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to access a malicious link," Cisco said at the time.

Earlier this week, however, the company updated the advisory, saying it observed “additional attempted exploitation" of the bug in the wild.

The discovery has also prompted the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) to add the bug to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Federal agencies and adjacent organizations have a three-week deadline to patch the software, or stop using it altogether. CISA added the bug on November 12, meaning that the deadline for patching was December 3.

If you are using Cisco’s ASA, it would be wise to patch the software up without hesitation. Cybercriminals are known to take advantage of age-old vulnerabilities, since they already have working exploits and can easily be abused.

For example, late in 2023, news broke of threat actors abusing a six-year-old flaw in Microsoft’s Excel to deliver an information-stealing piece of malware called Agent Tesla. Also, in 2020, it was found that crooks were using a three-year-old Office bug to target businesses in the real estate, entertainment and banking industries in both Hong Kong and North America.

Some researchers would argue that old vulnerabilities are more dangerous than zero-day ones, since the practice is already established. However, these vulnerabilities are also easiest to address, by simply keeping the software up to date.

Via The Hacker News

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will probably be sold in seven different shades, as not only is that the number of colors that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is available in, but that many colors have also already leaked.

As such, we have a good idea of what colors you’ll be able to get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in, and we’ve even seen apparently leaked images of many of the possible shades.

You’ll find full details of these colors below, along with accompanying imagery where available, and we’ll be updating this article whenever we hear more.

Titanium Blue Image 1 of 2

A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Blue (Image credit: Samsung)Image 2 of 2

A leaked SIM card tray in blue (Image credit: SamMobile)

Let’s start with one of the most interesting rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra colors, namely Titanium Blue.

This has been mentioned by name in a leak from Ross Young, who has a strong track record for smartphone leaks.

But that’s not all, as leaker @UniverseIce has also mentioned a blue shade, and leaked images of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra SIM card trays also include a blue one, which you can see above.

So between all that it’s looking very likely that a blue or Titanium Blue model will be offered, and we’d be happy to see it, as blue is a bit less common than some of the colors we’ve heard about – though it is a shade you can get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in, as also pictured above.

Titanium Silver Image 1 of 2

A Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Silver (Image credit: Samsung)Image 2 of 2

A leaked SIM card tray in silver (Image credit: SamMobile)

Now we come to one of the less interesting shades, in the form of Titanium Silver, which has also been mentioned by Ross Young, and appeared in a leaked SIM card tray image, pictured above.

Since this hasn’t been mentioned by quite as many sources as some other colors we’re less sure of this one. But with two sources having seemingly leaked it there’s still a good chance it will happen.

And while we’ve said it’s less interesting – simply because silver is such a common smartphone color – it’s undeniably a color that can look good. It’s also not a color you can get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in, so it’s a bit different from last year’s options at least.

Samsung has sold silver phones before though, such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra in Phantom Silver, pictured above.

Titanium Gray / Titanium Gold Image 1 of 2

A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray (Image credit: Samsung)Image 2 of 2

A leaked SIM card tray in gold (Image credit: SamMobile)

Next up there’s Titanium Gray, or perhaps Titanium Gold. We’re not certain what this will be called as while Ross Young has mentioned a Titanium Gray option, a leaked SIM card tray image (shown above) looks more gold, and leaker @UniverseIce has referred to one of the colors simply as ‘Titanium.’

But we suspect all three of these are one and the same, since the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray (pictured above) also has a hint of gold in it, and since titanium itself is a silvery-gray metal. Of the three, our best guess is that it will be called Titanium Gray.

Titanium Black Image 1 of 3

A leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra render (Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks)Image 2 of 3

A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Black (Image credit: Samsung)Image 3 of 3

A leaked SIM card tray in black (Image credit: SamMobile)

Titanium Black could be a classic shade, with versions of black proving extremely popular smartphone colors. This shade is another that has been mentioned by Ross Young, and a black option has also been mentioned by @UniverseIce.

On top of that, we’ve seen a leaked SIM card tray image for the phone in black, and even a leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra render in black. So we think it’s extremely likely this will be offered, and if it is, then it might look like the Titanium Black Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which you can also see above.

Titanium Jade Green Image 1 of 2

A Samsung Galaxy S24 in Jade Green (Image credit: Samsung)Image 2 of 2

A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Green (Image credit: Samsung)

The four colors above will reportedly be sold in numerous stores, but Samsung usually makes some shades exclusive to its online store, and Titanium Jade Green could be one of these according to Ross Young, while @UniverseIce has simply mentioned a ‘green’ shade.

This sounds like an unusual color for a phone, but it’s likely to be similar to ones Samsung has offered before. We expect it will be close to the Jade Green Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Titanium Green Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, both pictured above. However, we haven’t seen any leaked imagery of this yet, so we can’t be certain.

Titanium Pink Gold

A Samsung Galaxy S22 in Pink Gold (Image credit: Samsung)

Titanium Pink Gold could be another Samsung store-exclusive according to Ross Young, and while we haven’t seen any pictures of this, it could look like the Pink Gold color scheme on the Samsung Galaxy S22, pictured above.

This sort of shade is a popular choice for phones, so it would make sense for Samsung to offer it. But so far this color has only been mentioned in one leak, so we’d take it with a pinch of salt.

Titanium Blue/Black

Finally there’s Titanium Blue/Black, which was also mentioned by Ross Young and which we take to mean a bluey black of some kind.

This could prove one of the more unusual and interesting options, though with both Titanium Blue and Titanium Black probably also being sold, it might not look drastically different to some other Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra colors.

In any case, this is another one that we haven’t seen, and that has only been mentioned by one source, so we’d take it with a pinch of salt. And if it is offered, it will probably be exclusive to Samsung’s online store according to Young.

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Investment in AI infrastructure is booming globally as organizations look to build the strong foundations necessary for an AI-powered economy. Data centrers can handle vast volumes of data traffic with minimal latency, making them indispensable in realizing the true potential of AI. Multiple stakeholders, including tech giants, investment firms and government bodies are betting big when it comes to AI and the underlying infrastructure. For example, SK Telecom has vowed to create an “AI infrastructure superhighway, " including constructing gigawatt-scale data centers across Asia and the Pacific.

The scale of this growth is not to be underestimated. According to analysis from McKinsey, global demand for data center capacity could rise at an annual rate of between 19 and 22 percent from 2023 to 2030, meaning that to meet demand, at least twice the data center capacity built since 2000 would have to be built in less than a quarter of the time.

Key security risks

Much like any other investment, this infrastructure will require protection from cybersecurity threats. As data centers become increasingly indispensable, they become more of a target, allowing cybercriminals to disrupt operations, access data and steal valuable outputs.

Many have already started to recognize the significant threat that cybercriminals pose to data centers. For example, the UK government announced in September that data centers powering the economy will be designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) alongside energy and water systems. This designation will allow the government to support the sector in the event of critical incidents, minimizing impacts on the economy.

Threats to AI infrastructure will be amplified by the emergence of quantum computing. Quantum computers will not be superior to classical computers in every application, but they will vastly increase our ability to compute and break existing public key cryptography protocols, widening the threat vector facing data centers.

Overall, there are three main areas of risk:

- Compromising data: Much of the data used to generate results from an AI model comes from Operational Technology (OT) systems. These systems, traditionally isolated from external networks and almost like a "forgotten" sub-sector, now face heightened vulnerability to cyber threats in the form of both tampering on-site and attacks enabled through their connectivity to IT networks. Any compromise of the source data in these systems risks reducing the integrity of AI-generated outputs, as manipulated data can produce misleading results.

- Intercepting data: In transit, source data and AI outputs are vulnerable to interception and theft, enabling adversaries to access knowledge without detection. “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” in which data is stolen for future decryption when decryption capabilities improve, poses a substantial threat. Adversaries may be able to gain the upper hand by intercepting confidential strategies, ideas and technical knowledge created by AI.

- ​​The threat of unauthorized access: Advancements in AI allow for the creation of sophisticated and convincing deep-fakes, which can facilitate real-time impersonation. As computational power continues to increase, traditional identity and access management systems risk becoming obsolete. This presents a critical challenge for securing the valuable outputs generated by AI, as unauthorized access to these outputs can occur even within an encrypted system if attackers acquire the necessary credentials. Establishing protective measures.

To minimize these risks, data center stakeholders must take concrete steps to increase the physical and cyber security of their investments. These measures should be integrated at the earliest possible stage to ensure that AI infrastructure is secure by design.

- Zero trust architecture: Data centers should be equipped with a Zero-Trust Architecture, which will ensure that inherent trust in the network is removed, the network is assumed hostile and each request is verified based on an access policy.

- Physical security: It's important to restrict access to crucial infrastructure with systems like surveillance cameras, on-site biometric authentication, and perimeter fencing to avoid physical tampering. Being positioned in a remote and isolated location can also eliminate many physical threats.

- Crypto agility: Secure encryption protocols are vital to protecting data during transmission and the rise of quantum computing means that current cryptographic methods will be inadequate. Next-generation cryptography, employing a combination of existing algorithms and post-quantum algorithms, is essential to enhance data security while ensuring system interoperability. By designing systems that are inherently quantum-safe, flexible, and backward-compatible, organizations can protect confidential information.

- Multi-factor biometrics: Effective access management protocols are crucial to safeguarding AI-generated outputs. Implementing rigorous Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and, ideally, Multi-Factor Biometrics (MFB), restricts access to authorized users only. Regular employee training on secure protocols and phishing prevention can also prevent breaches - employees should be equipped to identify schemes and recognize potential signs of deep-fake threats, which can now be synthesized near real time.

Future-proofing the AI economy

As the AI economy continues to grow, it is essential for stakeholders to prioritize comprehensive security measures to safeguard critical infrastructure such as data centers. Securing AI systems protects strategic AI-generated assets, ensuring that investments yield the intended competitive advantage rather than allowing outputs to fall into the hands of adversaries, who will be able to front-run the rightful data owner without spending the same capital investment. To truly capitalize on AI’s potential, organizations must ensure that this infrastructure is secure by design and can withstand future threats, including those enabled by the development of quantum computers.

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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

Businesses are playing catch-up with AI. The rapid pace of AI in general, and generative AI (GenAI) in particular, has put an extraordinarily powerful new tool in our hands while we’re still learning how and where to use it. We’ve been impressed by the technology’s capabilities, but now we must get serious about AI's real-life business impact. The question is: Do we know how?

Skills, governance, and culture are essential to making GenAI a success. A recent IBM study found that while CEOs globally realize the need for GenAI governance, only 39% said they have good GenAI governance in place. Yet they’re driven to take risks and make significant GenAI investments, even without understanding its full value. This is because the danger of falling behind competitors and missing out on the potential gains it could bring would be worse.

All the while, hackers continue to target employees with AI generating smarter phishing emails, texts, and even deep fakes. In one of the largest corporate frauds known to date, a finance worker transferred more than $25 million to scammers using deepfake technology to pose as a company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on a video conference call.

Creating guardrails and governance around using GenAI more safely, securely, and effectively, while cultivating a culture around AI is essential to GenAI’s success in business. Here are three steps you can take to develop governance and culture in your organisation that pave the way for success with AI.

1. Establish an AI governance structure

This first critical step is how we began our AI journey. It’s tempting to jump right in with new technology like GenAI, but wise to take a step back and structure how to leverage it across your organization.

Effective AI integration begins with a solid governance structure. To establish AI governance, you need to define a set of core principles reflecting your organization's values and covering aspects like data privacy, security, and ethical AI use.

A governance or executive steering committee defines guidelines on how to leverage GenAI safely and securely. This group should be cross-functional and include top-level executives from business units across your organization, including representatives from legal and security. Together, they determine the best tools, platforms, and standards for your organization, establishing security, privacy, and legal foundations to guide your GenAI journey.

Without a governing body in place, your business cannot address any potential privacy, confidentiality, or data leakage issues. For example, imagine employees using GenAI ‘x’, inputting valuable or confidential company information as part of their work. Unless this risk was identified, reviewed, and mitigated, that company information could be used to further train the GenAI ‘x’ algorithm and potentially leak private company information publicly.

Legal risks are another growing business concern. Lawsuits are growing against AI companies whose models may include confidential, copyrighted, or proprietary information – and companies that leverage infringing services may also be liable or sued. A governance model works to ensure legal protections are in place. For example, ensuring your agreement with an AI service provider includes a strong indemnity in your favor will help mitigate your risk exposure if you are sued based on your use of a service provider’s AI solution.

Before embarking on an AI journey for your organization, it’s critical to create a governance team or steering committee to oversee the process. The risks – and rewards – are too great to leave using GenAI to chance. Remember, governance is not about crushing innovation. It’s about creating an environment where employees can leverage GenAI for greater efficiency and innovation – safely. The focus should be on aligning with your organization's values and creating a safe environment for your AI journey.

2. Operationalize AI excellence

Once the ground rules are established, the next step is to put the foundational governance policies, Generative AI tools, platforms and standards into practice. A working committee, or center of excellence, can bring GenAI to life and continually improve its use throughout your organization.

A working committee develops a common architecture, framework, and use cases that the whole company can leverage within the guides established by the governing committee. Ideally, your AI platform should align with the other tech platforms standardized across your organization. By taking this approach, you can develop proprietary GenAI tools so that everyone across the organization can use AI securely, keeping all information within our walls; our organization's information isn’t used by external entities to train AI models.

This approach democratizes the use of GenAI. The nature of the technology is such that whether you are a business user or an IT team member, you can be very proficient in AI based on the nature of the tools made available throughout an organization.

Turning AI principles into actionable policies that organizations can follow effectively and responsibly is a significant challenge. Governance develops the guiding roadmap and the working committee delivers AI platforms, tools and use cases. But when it comes to helping ensure employees embrace the GenAI tools, that’s where culture comes in.

3. Build AI culture from the bottom up and the top down

It’s the human touch that brings AI culture to life. Companies should look to have a full-circle AI culture, where people from every level of the organization share their passion and knowledge about AI.

Senior leaders should be participating and leading by example, learning about the GenAI tools and leveraging them, encouraging their teams to do the same. Additionally, every employee should receive GenAI training. This will help employees upskill, build a baseline of understanding, reduce fear of AI, and adopt internal AI tools more broadly.

It’s important to foster a culture that supports learning and innovation when it comes to GenAI. Empower those using GenAI to share their experiences related to working and learning with new technology and provide learning and training opportunities to your AI evangelists. AI culture is being built this way as more and more employees leverage GenAI and know how to get the most out of it.

GenAI for the generations

GenAI in business isn’t just for data scientists. Its capabilities can be leveraged across your organization by every employee. As AI technologies become more prevalent, it’s crucial employees are equipped to handle the opportunities and threats that come with it. A governing structure and working committee can provide the GenAI roadmap that brings people together as they delve into this tech journey successfully.

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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

• ENGlobal recently filed a new report with the SEC, detailing a ransomware attack
• It said the attack forced it to shut down parts of its infrastructure
• The incident is still being handled

A US government contractor was forced to shut down parts of its infrastructure in order to contain a ransomware attack.

ENGlobal Corporation, a US-based provider of engineering and automation services, filed a new 8-K report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently, in which it said that the attack is still being remedied and that the deadline is still unknown.

“On November 25, 2024, ENGlobal Corporation became aware of a cybersecurity incident. The preliminary investigation has revealed that a threat actor illegally accessed the Company’s information technology (“IT”) system and encrypted some of its data files,” the company said in the filing.

Unknown attackers

“Upon detecting the unauthorized access, the Company immediately took steps to contain, assess and remediate the cybersecurity incident, including beginning an internal investigation, engaging external cybersecurity specialists, and restricting access to its IT system.”

To tackle the problem, ENGlobal shut parts of its network down, meaning that its systems are “limited to essential business operations”.

“The timing of restoration of full access to the Company’s IT system remains unclear as of the date of this filing,” the document reads, concluding that it still doesn’t know if the attack will impact the company financially.

The company did not discuss who the attackers were, or if they exfiltrated any sensitive files from its systems, which is standard practice in ransomware attacks. No threat actors claimed responsibility yet, either.

ENGlobal Corporation specializes in projects for the energy, government, and industrial sectors. The company focuses on delivering solutions in areas such as modular process systems, automation integration, and advanced technologies for energy and sustainability. According to The Register, it reported $39 million in revenue last year.

It counts roughly 130 employees, and primarily operates within the US. Its headquarters are in Houston, Texas, and has offices in Denver, Tulsa, and Henderson.

Via The Register

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AI video generation has come a long way since we saw the first demos of OpenAI’s Sora way back in February. Despite it being recently leaked for a few hours, we’re still waiting for Sora to be released to the public. Still, a lot of other apps have emerged, filled the void since then, and are actually delivering on the promise of delivering a fully AI-generated movie.

The most recent video to knock our socks off has been a 10-minute Batman fan film created entirely in AI. While it’s obviously taken its visual cues from the 2022 The Batman movie, it’s incredibly realistic. The fact that it’s now possible for a fan to make their own great-looking Batman movie using AI tools that are available to everyone will leave many people questioning how long it will be before actors, movie sets, and film production crews become a thing of the past.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; we’re a long, long way from that yet, and a lot of the creatives currently involved in producing AI movies see AI as just another tool that is going to be utilized in current movie production, rather than something that replaces it.

But the point is, we’re now at the stage where pretty much anybody can produce watchable 10-minute fan films, and I feel like we’ve reached a kind of milestone in the process.

Meet your bad guy. (Image credit: kavan-the-kid/DC) Breaking down the tools

The film was posted on Reddit by user kavan-the-kid, who lists the tools he used to produce it as KLING AI, Hailuo AI, Runway Act-One, Midjourney, Topaz Labs AI, Lima Dream Machine, Eleven Labs, Magnific, Blender, Character Creator 4, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop and Davinci Resolve.

Kavan-the-kid said it took just 3 weeks to produce the movie, and when asked about his production process, he replied, “Started in Midjourney, then AI video tools like KLING AI, MiniMax and Runway Act-One. Cloned the voices in Eleven Labs. Topaz for upscaling.” Reddit users responded with phrases like “mind blowing,” “amazing,” and “impressive."

If you find the Batman fan movie inspiring and want to get into producing your own AI fan films, you might like to start with our roundup of the best AI image generators and take it from there.

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• Microsoft has stated that requirement for TPM 2.0 is ‘non-negotiable’
• This clarification came as part of a blog post for businesses
• It looks like there’s no chance of consumers being let off the hook either

Those with Windows 10 PCs who are blocked from upgrading to Windows 11 due to a lack of TPM 2.0 may have been hoping Microsoft might relent on that requirement – but the software giant has clarified that this won’t happen.

Neowin noticed that in a post addressing IT admins, Microsoft explained that TPM 2.0 is a ‘non-negotiable’ element for the future of Windows computers running Windows 1

To rewind briefly, TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module, and this hardware security measure can be present as a standalone module in your PC, or more commonly, it’s simply enabled in your motherboard firmware (meaning diving into the BIOS, and we explain what to do here).

The problem arises when you have an older chipset and there’s no TPM 2.0 capability (and indeed Windows 11 requirements rule out older CPUs too). That leaves you with a potentially tricky and expensive upgrade to perform in order to get Windows 11.

Microsoft is firm on the need for TPM 2.0 (and complementary security features like secure boot) because it implements a tighter level of security for Windows 11 PCs, something the company feels is necessary.

As the blog post tells us: “From supporting more intricate encryption algorithms to adding cryptographic functionality, TPM 2.0 is essential to counteracting present-day cyber risks.”

Microsoft adds: “By instituting TPM 2.0 as a non-negotiable standard for the future of Windows, we elevate the security benchmark.”

(Image credit: fizkes / Shutterstock) Analysis: No hope of Microsoft budging an inch

Of course, this is all about businesses, which are obviously in much greater need of defenses against the ‘present-day cyber risks’ flying around than your average consumer sat at home with their PC.

However, the use of language like ‘non-negotiable standard’ makes it seem extremely unlikely that any exceptions are going to be made for consumers (especially given other moves Microsoft is busy making, which we’ll come back to shortly). Even though those consumers are likely much less bothered about super-tight security than business organizations are.

You might be wondering: why would Microsoft make any exceptions, anyway, all this time after the launch of Windows 11? Well, with Windows 10 End of Life arriving next year, in October 2025, quite a lot of negative noise has (understandably) been made about hundreds of millions of PCs that don’t qualify for Windows 11’s requirements potentially ending up in landfill.

So, given that, perhaps there were still embers of hope that Microsoft could change its mind about Windows 11’s spec requirements in some way – but it’s looking very much like the company won’t budge. Also backing that up is the fact that Microsoft has, for the first time ever, given consumers an option to pay for extended support (security updates) for Windows 10 for an extra year, through to October 2026.

That appears to be Microsoft’s sole compromise in terms of consumers with Windows 10 PCs, while it busily badgers them about buying a new Windows 11 computer (preferably a Copilot+ PC, of course).

We should note that there are unofficial workarounds to get Windows 11 on a PC that doesn’t have TPM 2.0 (or falls short of other requirements), but they aren’t recommended – and Microsoft very much cautions against this route.

In fact, Microsoft just added an ugly watermark on the desktop (yes, the same as when running an unactivated copy of Windows) and an annoying pop-up for those using Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, having leveraged one of those aforementioned fudges to get the OS installed. If you needed more evidence of Microsoft’s apparently concrete stance on Windows 11’s upgrade requirements, well, there it is.

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• China has shadow-banned US semiconductors
• The sanctions hit back against US export controls for chip manufacturing kit
• China has also restricted exports of rare minerals used in military devices

China has hit back against the latest round of US sanctions by declaring US semiconductors "no longer safe" for use by Chinese organizations.

Earlier this week, the US issued its third round of sanctions that look to limit China’s ability to produce semiconductors domestically by restricting companies from selling chip assembly technology to China.

China did not offer any evidence or reasoning as to why US semiconductors were unsafe, but it is likely an attempt to steer Chinese markets away from using imported chips from companies such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel and on to domestic productions.

Chip war continues

China’s warning isn’t a ban on US chips per se, but the Internet Society of China told companies to carefully consider their choice of semiconductor manufacturers, and urged organizations to use China’s growing domestic market of chips “proactively.”

Last year, China added several specific semiconductors produced by Intel, AMD, and other chip manufacturers to a blacklist, forcing companies to shift away from Western technology. Moreover, a group representing China’s cybersecurity professionals claimed that Intel was installing backdoors into CPUs to be used by the NSA for espionage.

Additionally, China has banned the export of gallium, antimony, and germanium to the US due to their use in both military and civilian applications. China accounts for 98% of the world's raw gallium production, 48% of antimony, and 83% of germanium, causing prices to skyrocket and likely forcing the US to seek alternative sources.

As part of the warning against the use of US semiconductors, the China Association of Communication Enterprises has urged Beijing to investigate potential supply chain vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure that use Western-produced semiconductors.

Via Reuters

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