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Black Friday laptop deals 2024

(Image credit: Future)

Welcome to our pick of the best Black Friday laptop deals. We're only a few days away from November 29 (the big day itself), and early offers on Windows 11 machines, Chromebooks and MacBooks are rolling in at a steady pace.

This can all be a bit overwhelming, especially when there are so many offers out there, and there's so much jargon being thrown about. The good news is that we're here to help with this comprehensive guide. I've been covering Black Friday events for well over a decade, and reviewing laptops for even longer, so I'll be using my expert judgement when scouring retailers across the internet to pick only the best laptop deals for a wide range of uses.

I'll also be giving live expert advice throughout the week in this very article, so if you're on the hunt for a new laptop this Black Friday, then this page really is the only one you need. I'll be covering laptop deals for both the US and UK from all trustworthy retailers, so you can buy with confidence.

Black Friday laptop deals in the US

• Amazon: up to $300 off Apple MacBooks
• Best Buy: laptops and Chromebooks from $139
• Dell: up to $900 off XPS and Inspiron devices
• Samsung: up to $900 off Galaxy Books
• Target: up to 25% off laptops
• Walmart: MacBook Air M1 for $649.99

Processor: Intel Celeron N200
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 64GB

This early Black Friday deal on the HP Chromebook 15 is perfect if you're looking for a machine that can handle just the basics. As a Chromebook, it doesn't need much power under the hood to run so the combination of 8GB of RAM and an Intel Celeron chipset are perfect if you want something for checking emails or web browsing. There are cheaper Chromebooks on the market right now, but I'd recommend this one specifically because it has 8GB of RAM (and the price cut is so good).View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

It's hard to find a better cheap laptop deal in the early Black Friday sales than this Inspiron 15. It's nothing fancy, but this machine manages to pack in both a powerful Intel Core i5 chipset and a sizeable 512GB SSD in for just $300 - that's not bad to say the least. While you're only getting 8GB of RAM here, this is still a good choice if you're just looking for a cost-effective machine to cover the basics. View Deal

Processor: Ryzen 7-5700U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

This is my favorite lower to mid-range laptop deal in the early Best Buy Black Friday sale. It's another solid Windows workhorse that features deceptively powerful components for the price - in this case a Ryzen 7 chipset and 16GB of RAM. That's not bad for under $500 if you need something that can handle relatively demanding day-to-day tasks.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i7-1255U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

Moving up in price slightly, you'll be able to score this upgraded configuration on the Dell Inspiron 15 in the official Dell site's Black Friday sale. This particular machine comes with 16GB of RAM, a powerful Core i7 chipset, and a decent 1TB SSD, meaning it's a great choice if you want something that can handle more intensive tasks. This one is a good choice for a cheap working from home laptop in particular. View Deal

MSI is known for its powerful gaming laptops, but they can often come at a pretty hefty price point. The MSI Thin 15, however, is an absolute steal right now for under $600. This model has better specs than the one we reviewed a little while back (which we gave 4.5 out of 5 stars), so you won't find better 1080p gaming on the go for this price.View Deal

Processor: Apple M3
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

Recommended: The 2024 MacBook Air is TechRadar's pick for the best overall Apple laptop and this is the first discount we've spotted on the new version with 16GB of RAM for improved performance. It also houses the super-powerful M3 processor, which is strong enough to support Apple Intelligence and the majority of advanced computing jobs you can throw at it, including video editing, photo editing, and coding. As part of the Air family, it measures only half an inch thick, with battery life that can reportedly last up to 18 hours. If you want a build with more storage, you can upgrade to the 512GB model for an extra $200.View Deal

Processor: Snapdragon X Elite
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

Recommended: Here it is, folks - the best deal yet on the latest Dell XPS 13. Complete with a brand-new Snapdragon X Elite chipset, this model is capable of not just exceptional day-to-day performance, but also battery life that's simply a cut-above what Windows laptops usually offer. Alongside superb specs, the latest XPS 13 also features a gorgeous lightweight design and a display that's perfect for both work and casual everyday use.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7-155H
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

Dell's Black Friday deals on the higher-end XPS 13 models are also amazing this week. Take this Ultra 7 configuration, for example, a massive $500 price cut makes this one a lot easier on the pocket. While I wouldn't immediately recommend a machine with 32GB of RAM to everyone (it's overkill for most), this is a great choice for a professional-grade laptop. View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 4070
Processor: Intel Core i9-13900HX
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

If I had to buy a gaming laptop in the Dell Black Friday sale with my own money, it would be this Dell G16. At $1,299 what's not to like here? It's one of the cheapest RTX 4070 gaming laptop deals on the market right now and it has an incredibly powerful 13th gen Core i9 chipset, mechanical keyboard, and a 240Hz 1600p display. These are superb all-around specs and should last a few good years down the line in terms of performance. View Deal

A powerful RTX 4090 gaming laptop with an immersive mini-LED display, the Razer Blade 16 is simply one of the best gaming laptops on the market, and any discount on this system should be seen as generous - but this whopping $1300 price cut makes this Blade 16 the cheapest it's ever been.View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 4060
Processor: Ryzen 7-7840HS
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

Moving on to gaming laptops, my favorite cheaper option is this outstandingly good value Dell G15 with an RTX 4060 and Ryzen 7. These are outstanding specs to get at this price point and should be more than enough to get you started if you're aiming to play games at 1080p resolution. With 16GB out the box, this one doesn't need any glaring upgrades - although a 512GB SSD doesn't go far these days unless you're installing games with less storage requirement. View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 4070
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9-185H 
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

And, for those on the lookout for an Alienware gaming laptop - this is the best deal in the Dell Black Friday sale in my opinion. It's on the latest revision of the awesome m16 model and it features one of the latest Ultra 9 chipsets alongside the powerful RTX 4070 graphics card. These specs alongside a gorgeous design and 1600p 240Hz display mean that this is one serious high-end laptop - only made better by today's massive $400 price cut. View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

This is the best XPS laptop deal in the Dell Black Friday sale right now in my opinion. It's on the slightly older XPS 15 model but don't let that put you off as you're getting a super powerful 13th gen intel Core i7 chipset and 16GB of RAM here. The 15-inch model hasn't been updated like the 13 so the design here is a little older but it still has a really high-end lightweight construction and near-borderless display. View Deal

MacBook Air M3 (2024): was $1,099 now $899.99 at Best Buy
Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M3
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

This is my top pick for a MacBook deal in the build-up to Black Friday. It's on the latest MacBook Air M3 at Best Buy - in particular the slightly upgraded 16GB configuration. That should afford an edge with overall performance and longevity and today's $200 discount at Best Buy also brings this listing down to its lowest ever price. Generally speaking, this isn't the cheapest MacBook deal I've seen (you can get the M2 for $799) but it's probably the one I'd spring for right now if it were my own cash I was laying down. View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: was $1,099 now $899.99 at Best Buy
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X Elite
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

Looking for a cutting-edge Windows laptop that directly competes with the very best from Apple? This heavily reduced Samsung Galaxy Book4 at Best Buy comes complete with one of the latest ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite chipsets, which not only gives it great performance but also almost unbeatable battery life. View Deal

MacBook Air M2 (2022): was $999 now $649.99 at Best Buy
Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M2
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

Record low price: Just when you thought it couldn't go any lower - Best Buy has just listed a brand-new record-low price on the excellent MacBook Air m2. Even though a newer M3 version is available, we concluded that this is still one of the best laptops you can buy in our MacBook Air M2 review, thanks to the stylish design, clear display, impressive performance, and long 18-hour battery life. For those needing a premium powerhouse for creative apps such as photo editing, video editing and more intense workloads, this is a near-unbeatable offer on an Apple machine right now - and one I don't see going any lower thanks to the Best Buy Holiday price guarantee. View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 4060
Processor: Ryzen 7-8845HS
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

This is the best gaming laptop deal in the Curry's Black Friday sale, in my opinion. While the discount isn't the biggest, you're paying a fair price here for the specs on offer - and you're also getting recent specs here, unlike some listings. It's not cheap, but I'd say this is a wise investment if you're looking to play games smoothly for a good few years on this machine's 144Hz 1080p display.View Deal

Black Friday laptop deals in the UK

• Amazon: deals from £199.99
• Acer: up to 50% off laptops
• Argos: cheap Chromebooks from £179
• Currys: up to £500 off Apple, Lenovo & Acer
• Dell: up to £300 off
• John Lewis: Asus & HP from £159.99
• Samsung: Galaxy Book4 - up to £750 off

Processor: Intel Core i3
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB

This Acer 514 Chromebook Plus offers an impressive amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel i3 processor, dramatically boosting performance, boot times and load times. There's also a decent 128GB of storage and battery life is excellent at up to 10 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough to last a full working day. At £250, it's a bargain for school or college, or just as a home laptop that you use for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel Core i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

You'll be hard-pushed to find a cheaper Windows 11 laptop deal this Black Friday - certainly one that's worth buying, anyway. The specs for this laptop are solid, and will be fine for most day-to-day tasks, and the large 1080p screen will make using the laptop feel comfortable, especially if you like to multitask. You get the full version of Windows 11, which will give you more flexibility when it comes to software, yet for a price many Chromebooks go for.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i5-12500H
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

It's a bit older now but I'd highly rate this Asus Vivobook 15 when it comes to value. For £400 you're getting not just a powerful 12th gen Intel Core i5 chipset but also an OLED display - something you usually only see on higher-end machines. Generally speaking, the specs here are more than adequate for the basics and this lightweight machine is perfect for consuming content thanks to its decent display. View Deal

Processor: Intel i5
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

Currys has taken a whopping £300 off this mid-range laptop that boasts a slick 14-inch IPS screen, Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a decent up to 14-hour battery life. These components ensure solid overall performance for most day-to-day tasks including browsing, working and streaming videos. I'm particularly impressed with the large and fast storage at this price, which is more than enough room for your files, applications, photos, videos and more.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i9-13900H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

For the price, it's hard to imagine getting a laptop with better specs than this highly discounted Asus Zenbook in the Currys Black Friday sale. Not only does this one have a Core i9 chipset and 1TB SSD, but it also features a high-end OLED display that's perfect for both every-day work and watching content. Overall, this is a very premium machine for a mid-range price so you simply can't go wrong here if your budget fits.View Deal

Display - 13.2 inches
Processor - Intel Core i5-1340P
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - Windows 11

This stylish thin and light 2-in-1 laptop from Samsung offers very good performance in all manner of tasks, and thanks to its 360-degree hinge, you can flip the keyboard back to use it as a tablet, while still using full Windows 11 applications. The versatile S-Pen stylus makes it a joy to work on, as well as doodle and draw, and around 20-hours of battery life will keep it going over numerous work and school days.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i5
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB

If you’ve been looking to invest in a device that looks great and offers excellent performance here's a good deal on the latest Samsung Galaxy Book4. It's powered by one of the latest mid-range Intel Core 5 processors, plus there's 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for decent overall performance. You pay more for the lovely display and sleek design of these machines, so you can get more power for a similar price if you prefer. However, it's hard to find much that competes with this Samsung Galaxy Book4 in terms of style, especially when you consider it boasts a great battery life, too.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i7-1185G7
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

This Microsoft Surface 4 is a little older now but it's still an amazing choice if you want a premium Windows laptop at a relatively reasonable budget. Not only does this machine have a superb MacBook-like design and a great display, but this one also features an 11th gen Intel Core i7 chipset and 16GB of RAM for plenty of power under the hood. View Deal

The MSI Thin 15 is a fantastic device for 1080p gaming on the go that doesn't break the bank. This laptop offers a fast 144Hz refresh FHD display, 13th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, RTX 4050 GPU, and 16GB RAM. If we had a complaint, it'd be the rather small 512GB storage, but you can always upgrade it with a bigger SSD if necessary. And for the price, you really can't go wrong here. View Deal

Processor: Intel Ultra 7 155H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

The Asus Zenbook range is often overlooked in favour of the more well-known Apple MacBook or Dell XPS 13 laptops but they're awesome premium laptops in their own right. This Zenbook 14, for example, not only comes with incredibly up-to-date (and speedy) components, but it's also packing an impressive 3K OLED touchscreen display, which makes it absolutely perfect for working or kicking-back and consuming media. View Deal

Processor: Apple M3
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB

Apple's latest version of the MacBook Air is our pick for the best laptop you can buy right now, with a decent 23% discount for customers in the UK, which makes Apple's best-value MacBook even better value. Windows 11 laptops at this price point just can't compare, and this is an ideal Black Friday MacBook deal for people looking for a thin, light, and dependable laptop to use for school and work.View Deal

Thanks to its ridiculously powerful internal components (and RTX 4090 and Intel Core i9-14900HX plus 32GB of RAM), this iteration of Razer's iconic Blade 16 laptop can take full advantage of its gorgeous QHD+ OLED screen when playing the latest PC games. At almost 20% off, it's a solid deal for gamers seeking the best of the best this Black Friday.View Deal

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3: was £599.99 now £349.99 at Currys
Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel Core i5-13420H
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

When it comes to cheap Windows laptops that do the job, you can do a lot worse than this incredibly good value Lenovo IdeaPad at Currys. Not only are you getting a pretty recent (and powerful) 13th gen Core i5 chipset inside this machine but it also comes with a decent 512GB SSD. For £350? it's hard to complain here.View Deal

Asus Chromebook Plus: was £399.99 now £259.99 at Amazon
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
OS - ChromeOS

This Asus Chromebook Plus offers an impressive amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel i3 processor, dramatically boosting performance, boot times and load times. There's also a decent 128GB of storage and battery life is excellent at 10 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough to last a full working day. At around £250, it's a bargain for school or college, or just as a home laptop that you use for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7X: was £1,299 now £899 at Currys
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X Elite
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 1TB
OS - Windows 11

Copilot Plus PCs with the latest Snapdragon processors have shaken up the laptop market lately with their excellent performance, ludicrous battery life and impressive all-around power. If one has been on your shopping list then Currys has a solid £300 discount on this latest Lenovo model that boasts a high-end spec that will blitz through the majority of jobs. It also boasts a massive 24-hour battery life, a gorgeous 3K screen and weighs just over 1kg for easy portability.

Acer Aspire Go: was £429 now £349 at Currys
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - Windows 11

If you want a cheap Windows laptop then this new Acer Aspire Go is a strong buy at this low price. It features an Intel i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD to ensure good overall performance and a reasonable amount of speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you're on a budget and need a modern laptop with over 8 hours of battery life for general everyday use, admin tasks and light work.View Deal

(Image credit: Getty Images)

With Black Friday now fast approaching, Black Friday laptop deals are coming in thick and fast, so we've overhauled this guide to give you live buying advice and highlighting the best deals as they pop up.

Buying a new laptop at any time of the year is a big consideration, and during sales events like Black Friday, you might feel a bit lost or overwhelmed, with all kinds of specs and jargon flying around. How can you tell what's a genuinly good deal, and what's not? I'm here to help, and I'll be checking out laptop deals from Amazon, Best Buy, Currys and Argos – plus loads more.

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff)

Let's start with a bit of buying advice. Before buying a new laptop, have a clear idea of what your budget is and what you want to use the laptop for. There are a lot of different types of laptop out there, so knowing what kind will suit your needs will make things a lot easier.

You'll likely see laptops fall into three main categories: laptops, Chromebooks and MacBooks.

Laptops are usually Windows 11 devices, and these come in all shapes and sizes. There are plenty of budget laptops out there that are good picks for people who just need something to browse the web and write up documents. There are also powerful gaming laptops, premium thin and light laptops, 2-in-1 devices and more.

(Image credit: Future)

So, let's kick off with some awesome early Black Friday deals on laptops. Now that we are only a few days away from the big day itself, prices are steadily dropping - and in some cases, I can't see prices going much lower on November 29 (the day Black Friday lands on), so it's safe to jump on any of these deals.

As usual, Dell has got some great Black Friday deals on, like its Inspiron 15 laptop that comes with a 12th gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of strorage for just $470. That's an excellent price for a well-built and reliable everyday laptop.

Dell Inspiron 15 laptop: was $699 now $469.99 at Dell

(Image credit: Dell / Future)

If you're in the UK, then Dell has the excellent Inspiron 16 laptop for sale with a big £170 discount. This gets you an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage, plus a lovely large 16-inch screen to work on.

Dell Inspiron 16 laptop: was £749 now £579 at Dell

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Pramata)

Next, there are Chromebooks. These are usually much cheaper than Windows 11 laptops, and also boast impressively long battery lives, making them ideal for students in particular.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, rather than Windows 11, which is a lightweight operating system based on Google's Chrome browser. Chrome OS has evolved over the years, and there are lots of apps available for all kinds of tasks.

When I say Chrome OS is lightweight, what I mean by that is that it is designed for efficiency over power and features. This allows it to run on less powerful hardware than other operating systems which is why Chromebooks are often a lot cheaper than other laptops, and why their batteries last longer. The downside is that this does mean Chromebooks don't come with all the features you'd expect from traditional laptops, and many apps that you can use in Windows 11 or macOS don't work in Chrome OS - though there are usually alternatives. We've got a dedicated guide to the best Black Friday Chromebook deals if you feel these are the best type of laptop for your needs.

(Image credit: Future / HP)

Over in the Chromebook department, there are some super-cheap ChromeOS laptops available right now thanks to Black Friday sales at a range of retailers.

First up is this HP Chromebook 15, which is cheaper than half-price at Best Buy right now thanks to a hefty $220 reduction - an excellent deal for a laptop that was already pretty good value for money.

Equipped with an Intel N200 CPU and 8GB of RAM, it's not going to run all the latest games and dazzle you with its graphical performance, but if you're looking for a straightforward workhorse laptop for everyday tasks like answering emails and browsing the web, this is a solid pick. Thanks to the low hardware requirements of ChromeOS, you should have a smooth experience.

HP Chromebook 15: was $399 now $179 at Best Buy

(Image credit: Future / HP)

Chromebook hunters over in the UK will also be able to take advantage of some hearty Black Friday discounts - like this HP Chromebook Plus 15, which is down to £279 (a saving of £170) at Currys right now.

'Plus' Chromebooks are usually a bit pricier, but also adhere to a strict set of requirements laid down by Google to provide the best possible ChromeOS laptop experience. These include a certain level of processing power - delivered here by the Intel Core i3 chip - as well as minimum requirements for the RAM and storage capacity plus a mandatory Full HD webcam. All these features combined inside HP's unassuming Chromebook chassis make for a solid productivity laptop for any office worker or student.

HP Chromebook Plus 15: was £449 now £279 at Currys

(Image credit: Future / Acer)

For anyone looking for a more premium Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is an excellent choice right now - almost a third off at Amazon. This Chromebook features a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, Full HD touchscreen, and 360-degree hinge for swapping into tablet mode (with a garaged stylus too!) for a more versatile laptop experience.

I'd call the $749.99 entry price for this Acer Chromebook a bit steep - given that Chromebooks are meant to be affordable alternatives to Windows laptops - but cut down to $529 for Black Friday, it's an absolute bargain. You're getting a clean and premium design with fast performance for almost a third off the retail price, and I love to see it.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714: was $749.99 now $529 at Amazon

(Image credit: Future / Acer)

UK browsers can enjoy a nice discount on that Acer Chromebook Spin 714 too - not quite as large a reduction as seen over in the US, but still a very respectable £150 off at Currys - and this model packs a larger 512GB SSD, too, letting you download and store more apps and files locally.

Anyone who wants to use ChromeOS but doesn't want to compromise at all on the feature set and build quality of their laptop should definitely give this one a look. With a 1200p touchscreen, strong port selection, and a smart stylus that quick-charges when slotted back inside the chassis, this is the perfect Chromebook for the busy professional on the go.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714: was £799 now £649 at Currys

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Farknot Architect)

Then there are MacBooks. These laptops are made by Apple and run the macOS operating system. While macOS does things a bit differently from Windows 11, you shouldn't worry if you're making the leap, as you'll soon get accustomed to its user interface - and pretty much any program you use in Windows 11 will have a macOS version - even Microsoft products like Microsoft Office.

Currently, there are two main types of MacBook - the thin, light and affordable MacBook Air, and the much more powerful (and expensive) MacBook Pro. However, each of these actually come in various sizes and specifications.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

The MacBook Air M1 is a few years old by this point, but it is still a powerhouse of a laptop, especially for one as light and portable as it is (and quiet too, thanks to its fanless cooling).

Powered by first-generation Apple Silicon (the Apple M1 chip), this laptop absolutely changed the game when it came to laptop performance and longevity, with some of the best battery life you're going to find anywhere on the market.

This configuration, available now at Walmart, features the 8-core version of the Apple M1 chip, 8GB unified memory, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and a 13.3-inch Retina display. The Rose Gold colorway is sold out, but you can still get it in Silver and Space Gray, all for the lowest price I've ever seen for an M1 MacBook Air.

Apple MacBook Air M1: was $699 now $599 at Walmart

(Image credit: Future)

In my opinion, the best deal right now for a MacBook Air is this one from Amazon:

MacBook Air 13-inch (M3): was $1,099 now $844

Why is this so good? For a start, that big price cut gets it below $900, making an already fantastic-value MacBook even better value.

This deal is also for the new model of the MacBook Air - so you get the M3 chip, currently the most powerful chip in a MacBook Air, as well as 16GB of unified memory. This means it's an excellent buy for students or people looking for a thin and light MacBook that will last for years.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

In the UK, the same model gets a £150 price cut. Not quite as good as the offer our US cousins get, but you're again getting a gorgeous thin and light laptop with plenty of memory and powerful M3 chip at a price that puts a lot of Windows laptops to shame.

MacBook Air 13-inch (M3): was £999 now £849

(Image credit: Future) Should you buy a MacBook Air?

When it comes to the MacBook Air, the latest model comes with an M3 chip, 16GB of unified memory and 256GB SSD to start. This is available in two sizes: 13-inch and 15-inch. The M3 chip is an excellent all-round performer, and the choice in screen size will depend on what you feel most comfortable working on, with the smaller model offering more portability.

Apple also continues to officially sell the MacBook Air with M2 chip, again in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. This older model is cheaper than the M3 version, and while the hardware isn't quite as cutting edge, the M2 remains an excellent performer for day-to-day tasks. It also features the same design and screen as the newer model, so you're not making too many compromises if you want the cheapest MacBook out there.

Apple has also made a tweak to the base models of both the M2 and M3 versions, and they now come with 16GB of unified memory rather than 8GB - so you get a hefty upgrade for the same price.

Some retailers may still sell the 8GB models, and as they try to clear stock we've seen some big price cuts for these versions. I'd still recommend getting the 16GB model if your budget stretches to it, as those models will be more future-proof. But for the absolute lowest price for a MacBook Air, the 8GB model could be a real winner during Black Friday.

(Image credit: Apple) Should you buy a MacBook Pro?

Apple's other laptop series is the MacBook Pro. As the name suggests, these laptops are designed for professional-level tasks, which means they are much more powerful than the MacBook Air - and they come with higher price tags to boot.

Modern MacBook Pro laptops come in two sizes, 14-inch and 16-inch, and come with Apple's latest and most powerful chips. Only last month, Apple launched new MacBook Pros with the extremely powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. These are particularly adept at creative tasks such as 3D animation, game development, music production and video editing.

They come with much higher amounts of memory and storage space, and they feature some of the best displays you'll find in a laptop. All of this means prices can be very high, so if you're a creative professional looking to invest in a mobile workstation that will blast through tasks with ease for years to come, they are brilliant machines. However, if you don't need the extremely high level of performance they offer, you'll be much better off going for a MacBook Air.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

The new MacBook Pro 14-inch with the Apple M4 chip has been on the market for less than a month, but it's already getting a major price cut for Black Friday at Best Buy.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 (16GB/512GB/Space Black): was $1,599 now $1,399 at Best Buy

The model on sale at Best Buy right now is the base configuration of the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch, but don't let that fool you, as it's still more than powerful enough to chew through all kinds of prosumer workloads like photo and video editing, 3D modeling, and more.

Normally a very premium item in the best of times, this $200 discount for Black Friday makes it a lot more accessible for students and Mac fans on a tighter budget.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

While I'm still on the hunt for Black Friday MacBook Pro deals on MacBook Pro models with M4 chip in the UK, there are a bunch of M3-series MacBook Pro configurations on sale.

One of the best deals I've found so far is this £500 discount on the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Max chip, 36GB memory, and a 1TB SSD in the Silver colorway. Even on sale, this MacBook Pro isn't cheap, but this deal does manage to get one of the most powerful laptops around to just under £3000, which is a great deal for pros who need a seriously powerful workstation.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max/36GB/1TB/Silver): was £3,299 now £2,799 at Currys

(Image credit: Future / Lenovo)

Taking a break from MacBooks for the moment, I wanted to come around and bring you this fantastic Chromebook deal right now at Best Buy. It's not the absolute cheapest Chromebook I've been able to find this Black Friday, but it is the cheapest one I'd actually recommend you buy: the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook brings Lenovo's trusted design and build quality to the ultra-budget space, now even more ultra-budget-ier.

At half the retail price, this $159 Chromebook gives you lightweight laptop functionality for an incredibly low entry cost, making it an ideal first laptop for younger users (especially given ChromeOS's baked-in parental controls) or a solid pick for anyone with a tight budget who just needs a simple work laptop.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $319 now $159 at Best Buy

(Image credit: Future / Lenovo)

Funnily enough, the cheapest Chromebook I'd actually recommend to anyone in the UK this Black Friday is the exact same as in the US (a rare occurrence given how much discounts can fluctuate across the pond) - the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is currently £100 off at Currys, bringing it down to an extremely reasonable £149.

Again: this laptop is not going to break any speed records. It's a very basic model, but the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor and 4GB of RAM can still handle the lightweight ChromeOS and give you a perfectly pleasant laptop experience - provided you just want it for emails, word processing, and perhaps the odd bit of Netflix or YouTube.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was £249 now £149 at Currys

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

Looking for a larger laptop that's still lightweight and easy to carry? Look no further than the MacBook Air 15-inch with M3 chip, which is down to nearly $1,000, a far cry from its original pricing:

MacBook Air 15-inch (M3): was $1,299 now $1,044 at Amazon

Though the increased size does hurt its portability a bit, it provides users with a larger screen, which is worth the tradeoff for many. Not to mention that it still has strong performance, speaker array, and a great design.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Morning has broken here in the rainy UK, and that means my hunt for the best Black Friday laptop deals continues! Amazingly, I didn't dream about laptop deals last night, which has happened before during Black Friday.

Anyway, I'll be bringing you top offers that might seem like a dream, but are DEADLY real. OK, maybe not 'deadly'...

Let's kick things off with an absolutely brilliant deal in the UK for the MacBook Air M2 model. As I suspected, Apple changing the base memory from 8GB to 16GB recently means retailers are cutting the price of the older 8GB models to new lows.

(Image credit: Apple)

Thanks to retailers bumping up newer models to 16GB of memory, this is the perfect time to get your hands on the M2 8GB model, which has plummeted in price:

MacBook Air 13-inch (M2): was £996 now £749 at Currys

The M2 chip is an upgrade from the M1, with even better performance and efficiency. And it's now close to the current sales price of the M1 MacBook Air, sweetening the deal.

(Image credit: Asus)

OK, here's an absolutely brilliant cheap Windows 11 laptop deal from John Lewis, knocking the price down to Chromebook-levels:

Vivobook 15 Laptop: was £349 now £259.99 at John Lewis

This laptop comes with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and a 15.6-inch 1080p screen. It's a solidly built and stylish-looking budget laptop, and while it's not the most powerful laptop in the world, it offers incredible value for money.

This is a great pick for students or people looking for a casual laptop to do some work on, who wants something for less than £300 that's not a Chromebook. It looks like it's selling quickly at this price.

(Image credit: Future)

I've just spotted this great deal at Currys for the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360. A few years ago, Samsung laptops weren't anything to get too excited about, but the company has been putting out some fantastic devices recently, and at this new lower price (£350 off), you get an excellent 2-in-1 laptop:

Samsung Galaxy Book3 360: was £949 now £599

With an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a stunning OLED touchscreen, this is a brilliant performer, and a versatile laptop, as it can be used as a normal laptop, or with the keyboard folded back, it can be used like a tablet. Samsung claims up to 20 hours of battery life, which tracks with my experience of laptops powered by the Intel Core i5-1340P processor, depending on what tasks you're using it for.

For this price, I think it's an excellent deal for students and people who want a laptop they can use from the couch. Samsung's S Pen stylus is also included, giving this laptop even more versatility.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

For those in the US looking for the perfect creative machine, the MacBook Pro equipped with the powerful M3 is a great start, thanks to superior Apple silicon, and now the price makes it much more approachable.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3): was $1,599 now $1,399 at Amazon

It also comes with a gorgeous liquid retina display and an impressive 22 hours of battery life, making it the perfect workstation for creatives.

The MacBook Pro 14-inch powered by the M3 chip has gotten a sizable discount in Australia as well, giving buyers a great workstation that offers excellent performance, a beautiful display, fantastic battery life, and more.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3): was AU$1,327 now AU$1,599 at JB Hi-Fi

(Image credit: Future / MSI)

Enough MacBooks, Chromebooks, and ultrabooks: let's talk gaming laptops for a minute. We're going to look at a few different deals on top-notch gaming hardware now, but I'm starting with something for budget-conscious gamers: the heavily discounted MSI Thin 15.

With a 13th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM, the Thin 15 isn't a top-of-the-line powerhouse laptop, but it'll handle modern games just fine on its 144Hz 1080p display - especially since being an RTX 4000-series laptop, it can utilize Nvidia's DLSS 3 upscaling and frame-gen technology to boost performance and provide a more future-proof laptop experience. This is one of the absolutely cheapest RTX 4000 laptops we've seen this Black Friday, so don't skip this deal if you're gaming on a budget.

MSI Thin 15: was $899.99 now $599.99 at Best Buy

I've just been sent some Black Friday deals from Huawei, and there's some pretty good offers. Huawei products are still pretty much impossible to get in the US, but in the UK, they are more affordable alternatives to the likes of HP, Lenovo and Apple.

The Huawei's MateBook series takes obvious inspiration from the design of MacBooks, but in the past here at TechRadar we've found them to be more than just cheap lookalikes - they are very good laptops in their own rights, and if you have a Huawei smartphone or tablet, there's some nice productivity features that allow you to move files between devices quickly and easily, as well as see your phone screen within Windows 11, and lots more. Definitely worth considering these deals if you want an affordable laptop that doesn't feel cheap:

Huawei MateBook 14 (Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage): was £949.99 now £749.99 at Huawei

Huawei MateBook D16 (13th Gen Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage): was £699.99 now £449.99 at Huawei

Huawei MateBook D14 (12th gen Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage): was £699.99 now £499.99

(Image credit: Future / MSI)

For gamers over in the UK, the cheapest gaming laptop I'd recommend is that trusty MSI Thin 15 again - though it looks like discounts on gaming laptops aren't quite as deep this Black Friday in the UK, so it might be worth considering a handheld gaming PC instead.

Still, this is the best-value RTX 4000 laptop I could track down in sunny (read: not sunny at all) Great Britain this week, a respectable 25% reduction bringing this MSI Thin 15 down to £749. It's worth noting that while this is a bit pricier than the US deal I already featured, it features an Intel Core i7 rather than the US model's i5, so it's a little more powerful in the CPU department.

MSI Thin 15: was £999 now £749 at Amazon

(Image credit: Future / Razer)

From the budget to the super-super-super-high-end, let's take a look at the iconic Razer Blade 16. The high entry price on Razer's flagship laptop line places them out of reach for many gamers - especially those equipped with a powerhouse RTX 4090 graphics card - but this staggeringly large discount suddenly makes this Blade 16 model look very attractive...

Packing an RTX 4090, 24-core Intel Core i9 HX CPU, and 32GB of RAM (along with a beefy 2TB of SSD storage), this Razer Blade 16 is phenomenal value thanks to a huge $1300 discount - almost a third off the retail price. If you're shopping for some high-end gaming hardware this Black Friday, this is the one to buy.

Razer Blade 16: was $4,299.99 now $2,999.99 at Amazon

(Image credit: Future / Razer)

You can snag a discounted Razer Blade 16 over in the UK too, with £800 (technically £800.99) off this model packing an RTX 4090 graphics card and 14th-gen Intel Core i9 CPU. The 16-inch OLED QHD+ 240Hz display is quite literally one of the best you're going to find on any laptop, making this an awesome choice for anyone who craves high-end gaming performance and has the cash to splash on a premium laptop.

Again, the discounts aren't quite as deep as our friends across the pond are seeing, but this is still a worthy deal - and since it's the 2024 model with full access to Nvidia's DLSS 3 tech, you can rest assured that this will be one future-proofed piece of gaming equipment.

Razer Blade 16: was £4,199.99 now £3,399 at Amazon

(Image credit: Future)

Onto some midrange gaming laptops now: I'll start with laptops featuring the RTX 4060, which sit comfortably at the more affordable end of the midrange space. My top pick in the US is the Dell G15, a delightfully unassuming 15.6-inch gaming laptop that's currently 20% off at Amazon.

With an AMD Ryzen 7-7840HS Processor and 16GB of DDR5 RAM backing up that RTX 4060 graphics card, this laptop is ideal for gaming at 1080p resolution and offers a 165Hz refresh rate on its display to ensure your screen never holds back your framerates in-game.

Dell G15: was $1,499.99 now $914.99 at Amazon

(Image credit: Dell / Future)

If you like the sound of these gaming laptop deals, then make sure you check out our whole collection of the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals, which our Computing Editor Christian Guyton is looking after. He knows his stuff, so he'll be offering plenty of excellent buying advice over there.

(Image credit: Future/Amazon)

When it comes to gaming laptops, I personally prefer gaming on a desktop PC - though I also love gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X, which offer an excellent portable way for me to play PC games while out and about.

I've been playing a lot of the ROG Ally recently, and I would actually recommend it over a gaming laptop for many people - and thankfully there's some great deals for Black Friday, such as this one:

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme: was US$659.99 now US$614.99 at Amazon

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme: was £499.99 now £399 at Amazon

That UK price is especially impressive. While this handheld isn't as powerful as most gaming laptops, it still does a fantastic job in a form factor I find much more comfortable to use. You won't get many good gaming laptops for $600/£400 either, no matter how big the Black Friday discount.

(Image credit: Future)

Our own Allisa James reviewed the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 14-inch and she said it was easily one of the best laptops she's used all year. It has the full package including exceptional performance, a great display, incredible battery life, and a thin and lightweight design. This is all in part to the Snapdragon X Plus CPU, which has completely turned around this laptop series to make it a true MacBook rival.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: w̶a̶s̶ $999.99, now $849.99 at Amazon

(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)

If you're looking for an even larger screen for your Surface Laptop, the 15-inch model is an excellent choice, especially at this price point:

Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) 15-inch: w̶a̶s̶ $1,299.99, now $1,094.99

This version is equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite CPU with 12 cores, guaranteeing even better performance, speed, and battery life. This one also has a touchscreen, making it ideal as a workstation for creatives.

(Image credit: Future / Lenovo)

Year after year, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 continues to be one of, if not THE, most popular Chromebooks on Black Friday, and it's not hard to see why.

This little, nearly-pocketable Chromebook might not have the most powerful specs, but for its already fantastic price, this is one of the best travel laptops you could ask for, giving you the functionality of a laptop (albeit with ChromeOS) together with the portability of the best tablets out there.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3: was $399.99 now $239.99 at Lenovo

(Image credit: Dell)

The Dell XPS 13 is an excellent buy for those wanting a highly portable laptop with plenty of extra power, as it features the AI-powered Intel Ultra 7 155H CPU along with a massive 32GB of RAM and 4TB of storage. Right now, the price has dropped by over $300.

Dell XPS 13: w̶a̶s̶ $1,759.99 now $1,439.99

Not to mention the unique and very sleek design that's sure to stand out. If you need a true workstation for heavy-duty creative or editing projects, this is the laptop to get now.

(Image credit: Acer)

Acer's latest AI PC offering is no slouch with a 3K OLED display that boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, perfect for PC gaming. It also has 16GB of RAM and a 1TB of storage, all wrapped up in a thinner and lighter package.

The best part is that this Ultrabook-level laptop is below $1,000 thanks to the $200 discount, so now's the time to invest.

Acer Swift 16 AI: w̶a̶s̶ $1,199.99 now $999.99

(Image credit: Dell)

If you want that same sleek and unique design from the XPS laptop series but with a slightly larger screen, the 14-inch model is up your alley. Even better, with its performance-driven specs it's a straight-up gaming laptop. Its Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 1 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage makes it a better gaming setup than most actual dedicated ones on the market.

Though the price is a bit steep, it's still $500 off and essentially a thin and light laptop with the latest in components.

Dell XPS 14: w̶a̶s̶ $2,499.99, now $1,999.99

(Image credit: Future / Lenovo)

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is a long-time favorite here at TechRadar, with Computing Editor John Loeffler declaring in his review that "One of the best Chromebooks ever just got better", thanks to its solid performance (for a Chromebook), phenomenal battery life, and it's absolutely stunning OLED 1080p display, a rarity on a device this affordable.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook: was $499 now $349 at Best Buy

(Image credit: Future / Lenovo)

While we're giving the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook line some love here this week, I also wanted to make sure to not leave out our UK readers. Right now, you can get this Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook for 47% off, but this one surely won't last long.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook: was £315.22 now £169.99 at Amazon

This particular model comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor with built-in graphics, 4GB memory, and 128GB eMMC flash storage, so it's not a performance powerhouse by any means, but as a hybrid Chromebook that can double as an 11-inch tablet with 2K display, it's hard to beat at this price.

(Image credit: Future / MSI)

OK, so I'm going to end my day here in New York with a bit of niche one for the two or three of you out there who might actually be up for buying this monster of a gaming laptop. This is the MSI Titan 18 HX, which is quite possibly the most overpowered, most unnecessarily extra gaming laptop on the market with a retail price tag that is usually stuck to the windshield of a decent used car.

Normally selling for near or above $5,000, Micro Center has a deal on it right now that takes a substantial chunk off the top, making it at least somewhat more affordable. In fact, it's the lowest price I've ever seen for this laptop in the year since Computing Editor John Loeffler reviewed it (he gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars).

The only catch on this deal is that it's in-store pickup only, so you'll have to see if your nearest Micro Center has stock (the page conveniently tells you if it does), but if you want a desktop replacement you'll be playing on for the rest of the decade without compromise, this laptop will deliver thanks to its stunning mini-LED 4K+ display, RTX 4090 GPU, 64GB RAM, and 4TB of PCIe SSD storage.

MSI Titan 18 HX: was $4,999.99 now $4,199.99 at Micro Center

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Good morning! We are now just under three days from Black Friday, but it seems more so than any other year, an increasing amount of retailers are going big on early Black Friday deals, and that means the days of waiting until Black Friday itself to make a purchase are long gone.

Instead, there are some absolutely excellent deals that you should jump on right now, and I'll continue to highlight all the latest offers right here as they hit, for both the UK and US.

(Image credit: Future)

Here's a bit of a peek behind the curtains - I've just got in the brand new Dell XPS 13 with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chip, and due to Black Friday I won't be able to properly review it until next week - so I'm ditching my trusty M2 MacBook Pro for the next few days and will be using the Dell XPS 13 as my main machine throughout Black Friday.

First impressions are that it's nicely design, though the flat keyboard will take a bit of getting used to. I'm not too keen on the invisible trackpad just yet, but hopefully that grows on me. Still, the screen looks amazing, and Dell promises 26 hours of battery life. Will this go a few days of heavy deals writing? Time will tell....

Also as you can see from the image above, I've opened up Microsoft Edge.... to download Chrome.

(Image credit: Future)

Oh look, the new Dell XPS 13 has a Copilot button. How many times am I going to use it? I'm guessing... zero. Zero times.

(Image credit: Dell)

However, the Dell XPS 13 is one of the best laptops you can buy - throughout the years various editions have topped our Best Laptops page, and I can already tell this new one is going to be impressive.

The good news is that Dell usually goes really hard on Black Friday deals, especially with the Dell XPS 13, so let's kick off with some great Dell XPS 13 deals I've found - and straight away at Dell's official store I've found what might be the best laptop Black Friday deal yet:

Dell XPS 13 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB): was £968.99 now £598.99

This is a fantastic deal for a few reasons. While this isn't the most recent model, it comes with a 12th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. Those specs would normally be classed as 'OK', as 8GB of RAM is a bit limited these days, and the SSD could fill up quickly. However, at just under £600, you're not going to get a better laptop at this price - the design, build quality, screen and overall performance is incredible for what Dell is selling this for. This might be the laptop deal of Black Friday 2024, so don't hang around if you've been waiting for an epic deal on a thin and light laptop. This is the one to get - yes, even over a MacBook Air.

(Image credit: Dell)

If you're after the most recent model of the Dell XPS, which comes with the AI-ready Snapdragon X Elite chip, 32GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, Dell also has a great offer on that:

Dell XPS 13 (Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB RAM, 512GB): was £1,699.99 now £1,249

Now, this is still a pricey laptop, but with a massive £450 off, this is about as close to affordable as you'll see for such a cutting-edge device. The 32GB of RAM will ensure this is a speedy performer for years, and the X Elite chip offers great performance as well as incredibly long battery life. It's well worth considering if you want a thin, light and portable laptop you can use to work pretty much anywhere.

• Microsoft announces third-party passkey support update for Windows
• Credential managers such as 1Password and Bitwarden can be used to sign in
• The update is available for users in the Windows Insider Beta Channel

Microsoft is testing support for third-party passkeys for Windows 11 in order to make signing in to your accounts quicker and safer.

The updates to WebAuthn API would provide support for password manager providers such as 1Password and Bitwarden, with whom Microsoft has partnered to improve passkeys on Windows 11.

The update would allow users to choose their own passkey provider in addition to the default Windows Hello authenticator.

Future of passkeys is now the present

Passkeys have exploded in popularity over the past couple of years, with organizations adopting them for their enhanced security and phishing-resistance, and consumers for the easy sign-in experience that typically uses a biometric authentication method such as a facial recognition scan or fingerprint - cutting down on bulky and hard to remember passwords.

“We are releasing updates to WebAuthn APIs to support a plugin authentication model for passkeys,” the Windows Insider team said in the announcement.

“In the coming months, Windows customers will be able to choose a third-party provider as an additional choice alongside the native Windows passkey provider while maintaining the Windows Hello user experience.”

“Messages in WebAuthn flows will be forwarded to the plugin and responses are returned to the WebAuthn client applications. This enables plugins to create and authenticate with passkeys when requested by the customer.”

Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel can test out the new update and provide feedback via the Feedback Hub by installing Preview Build 22635.4515 (KB5046756). Source code is also available for developers to download to enhance their product compatibility with Windows 11.

Google, Amazon, and many other tech giants are leading the charge when it comes to passkeys with adoption rates growing and quickly replacing passwords. In 2022, Google, Microsoft, and Apple committed to a FIDO Alliance agreement to expand the availability of passkeys on their platforms. Microsoft has also improved multi-factor authentication availability across its products as part of commitments to the Secure Future Initiative.

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• Sling TV's price hikes take effect from 20 December
• All Blue and Orange plans are increasing by $5.99 per month
• But Sling still undercuts similar rivals, despite price rises

Sling TV has announced some fairly hefty price hikes on all three of its plans, which are effective from December 2024. The increases are the first since 2022.

Sling Orange, the cheapest plan, is going up from $40 to $45.99 per month, an increase of 15%. The same $5.99 increase is coming to the other plans. Sling Blue is currently $45 per month and the combined Blue + Orange plan is $60.

The new charges will take effect from the next billing cycle on or after 20 December.

Why is this happening? According to Sling, it's because of the program providers. "The price we pay to provide you with the programming you enjoy continues to increase well above the pace of inflation," Sling said in a note to customers.

But while "we actively fight every day on your behalf to keep costs as low as possible" it can no longer absorb the rising costs.

An industry-wide issue

(Image credit: Future)

Sling says, correctly, that this is an industry-wide issue; other streamers have upped their prices too. And it points out that it still offers "some of the lowest prices in paid live TV".

Its closest rival in live TV streaming, YouTube TV, is $72.99 for the base plan compared to $60 for Sling's full-fat offering; even with the price hike Sling's service will be cheaper, although it does differ in the range of channels it provides.

If you've been thinking of signing up to Sling but haven't yet done it, there are some offers to cut the costs: it's currently offering half-price subscriptions for the first month, and there are additional offers including $5 off the monthly Sling with Max bundle and similar add-ons such as AMC and Paramount Plus With Showtime.

You can also get a free month of the Premium pass, which is normally $32.99, to help soften the blow.

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Pakistan restricted yet another social media platform over the weekend.

WhatsApp is the new target of government censorship after X, Facebook, Instagram, and, most recently, Bluesky were blocked across the country.

The internet watchdog NetBlocks reported the outage on Saturday, November 23, 2024 (see tweet below).

"The measure comes as authorities tighten security ahead of protests planned by opposition party PTI calling for the release of former PM Imran Khan," noted the experts.

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show WhatsApp backends have been restricted in #Pakistan corroborating reports of media sharing issues; the measure comes as authorities tighten security ahead of protests planned by opposition party PTI calling for the release of former PM Imran Khan pic.twitter.com/aHYDLN934MNovember 23, 2024

Censorship levels in Pakistan have increased significantly in 2024.

Today's most popular social media platforms first went dark in January, a month away from general elections, as Khan's party, PTI, launched its online election fundraising telethon.

Authorities enforced a temporary internet shutdown on February 8, election day. X was then restricted on the night of February 17, as a wave of protests contesting election results spread across the country. To this day, Pakistanis still cannot access the ex-Twitter app without one of the best VPNs, together with Meta's Facebook and Instagram and, since November 21, Bluesky.

Data suggests censorship tactics have become more technically sophisticated, with these advanced techniques likely to also target circumventing tools like VPNs.

Overall, experts believe that this increase in censorship is the main cause of the decline of the country's internet.

Can a VPN help?

A virtual private network (VPN) is the software that bypasses social media blocks. In addition to encrypting all your internet connections, a VPN spoofs your real IP address location, in fact, granting you access to otherwise geo-blocked content.

This is exactly why VPN usage has soared throughout the year, with Proton VPN recording an increase in sign-ups of over 350% at the beginning of November alone.

Yet, people could lose access to their VPN apps at the end of the month. November 30 is the deadline to register their services with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to avoid disruptions.

While the PTA urges businesses and freelance workers not to miss the registration deadline, the debate is still ongoing on whether or not commercial VPNs should also be blocked.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

On November 15, Pakistan's religious chief said that using a VPN is against Islamic law and called for a ban – then blamed a typo error in the statement a few days later, The News reported. Yet, the Ministry of Interior also called to block all "illegal" VPNs on the same day, claiming that terrorists use these tools "to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions in Pakistan."

Even VPN providers are still in the dark about the fate of their users.

"It's still unclear how it will be implemented in practice if implemented at all," Gytis Malinauskas, Head of Legal at VPN provider Surfshark, told TechRadar.

"However, it seems that the government aims to block access to certain websites/services by blocking VPN access to people who are not registered as VPN users in Pakistan," he added.

At the beginning of the month, residents already experienced issues accessing their VPN tools for about 24 hours. What appeared to be the beginning of the crackdown on "unregistered" VPNs was later deemed a "brief technical glitch" by authorities. Surfshark was among the services temporarily throttled.

If you're looking for a way to keep accessing WhatsApp and other blocked platforms, I suggest checking out our best free VPN page to get all the most secure freebies out there without paying for them all. This will allow you to hop from one service to another in case of throttling. Tools like the Tor Browser could also help.

• Get Licensing Ready site will cease to exist from January 1, 2025
• Users have been given until New Year’s Eve to complete training
• New AI-powered learning enhancements are coming soon

Microsoft has quietly confirmed it will be closing down its ‘Get Licensing Ready’ page in the New Year, giving users until just the end of the year to finish their training modules.

Advertised as a “complete and up-to-date resource for anyone who needs to learn about Microsoft licensing,” the page hosts over 50 modules and other documentation designed to help users navigate the tricky world of software licensing.

The dedicated email alias for Get Licensing Ready will also stop working on January 1, 2025.

Microsoft closes down Get Licensing Ready

A pop-up on the page confirms: “The Get Licensing Ready website will be retiring on January 1st, 2025. Microsoft will be ending support for licensing certifications through this platform and phasing out the Get Licensing Ready resource.”

Although users have a little over a month to complete any active modules and download their certificates, current certificates will remain valid for the full 12-month period from the date that they were issued.

Despite the platform’s closure, it seems the content and resources will be relocated to microsoft.com/licensing. A spokesperson stated (via The Register) the company “remains committed to supporting licensing knowledge and solution-building for our partners and customers.”

Microsoft also hinted at new features, citing “new AI capabilities to further enhance learning and engagement.” The recently launched Partner Center AI assistant currently helps with managing partner accounts, billing and memberships, but it doesn’t address licensing concerns.

In the meantime, although resources will continue to be available in a slightly different format, users of the site will need to act quickly to ensure that their certifications are complete and downloaded before the New Year deadline.

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• Yet more adverts have been spotted in Windows 11
• Ads for Black Ops 6 and Microsoft 365 appear via the notifications panel
• You can turn off these 'suggestions' though

If you don’t like adverts in Windows 11 – the efforts that Microsoft calls ‘suggestions’ or ‘recommendations’ – then steel yourself, because it seems the software giant is stepping up its promotional drive in the OS, in a somewhat left-field way.

Windows Latest calls our attention to these fresh ad-related activities in Windows 11 which amount to nudges to purchase a game, and also Microsoft 365.

Both of these adverts come via the notification panel, labeled as ‘suggestions,’ and the game in question is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Vault Edition – which Microsoft wants you to buy from, you guessed it, the Microsoft Store. In fact, a ‘Buy Now’ button in the notification will take you straight to the store page for that version of Black Ops 6. The other choice is simply to click to ‘Dismiss’ the nag panel.

Windows Latest also shows us another notification prompt in the exact same vein as the Black Ops 6 affair, except this time it’s advertising the Microsoft Defender app.

Note that this is different than the Defender tool built into Windows 11 (or 10) as an integrated antivirus. This is the standalone Defender app that offers the ability to monitor your security and protection across platforms – Windows 11 and Android – with bits of extra functionality therein.

If you want the Microsoft Defender app, though, you’ll find out the catch if you click on the choice in the notification to ‘Stay Safer,’ which takes you to a page for said app – where you’ll find out that you need to subscribe to Microsoft 365 to use it.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Reaching for the off switch

So, that second ad is Microsoft’s way of trying to drum up some extra subscriptions for Microsoft 365, though we have to say, it’s a pretty flimsy lure. Ditto for the prospect of all that many PC gamers buying Black Ops 6 through the Microsoft Store.

What we should note about these adverts – or suggestions, if you’re inclined to agree with Microsoft’s, shall we say, kinder wording – is that you don’t have to receive them.

All you need to do to get rid of these prompts is to uncheck the box to ‘Get tips and suggestions when using Windows’ in the Settings app, under System > Notifications. You can also get rid of post-update nag panels, and those prompts about finishing setting up your PC that appear periodically, by unticking those boxes, too.

There are, however, embedded bits of ads, or advert-like behavior, elsewhere in Windows 11 that you can’t switch off. Eventually, we’d like to see a system-wide switch to turn off any recommendations for users who’d prefer not to have a single prompt anywhere, but let’s face it, we’re pretty much dreaming here. (Although it does look like Microsoft might be becoming a bit more transparent around its suggestions, though).

Sadly, more advertising seems like a growing trend this year, not just in Windows 11, but also in Windows 10 – where Microsoft’s latest move is to try and push those users on the older OS to switch to Windows 11 via a hardware upgrade to a Copilot+ PC. Again, that’s quite a stretch, especially in these early days, as the AI capabilities of those Copilot+ laptops are still to be fully fleshed out (Recall is finally in testing, mind – for some folks).

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• Wolfs will not be getting a sequel at Apple TV Plus, the director has confirmed
• This news comes after the movie broke records for the streaming service
• Director Jon Watts told Deadline he "no longer trusts Apple as a creative partner"

Wolfs broke a new record for one of the best streaming services, as it ended up being the most-watched feature film in the entire history of Apple TV Plus, according to Deadline. So much so, that the streamer decided to greenlight a sequel, but we can now reveal that it will no longer be going ahead.

The comedy-thriller movie is led by an all-star duo of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, who play two professional fixers who are forced to work together on a job despite their preference to operate as lone wolves. Despite the fact it got a 66% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, rendering it unable to qualify for our best Apple TV movies list, it was still widely viewed to the point that Apple TV Plus decided it wanted more. Unfortunately, director Jon Watts has decided not to give it to them.

Here's what happened.

Why has the Wolfs sequel been canceled?

We're used to streaming services pulling the plug on movies and TV shows but this time, Jon Watts has decided not to move forward with a sequel. A lot of this decision was influenced by the fact Wolfs did not get a worldwide theatrical release and instead got a streaming one.

In an exclusive interview with Deadline, Watts revealed: “I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year. They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion.

He added: "I wasn’t even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel."

Watts went on to say he had stayed silent on the matter because he didn't want to generate "negative press", but that he chose to cancel the Wolfs sequel because he "no longer trusted them as a creative partner". The director also added he loved working with the cast and would do so again given the opportunity.

If you haven't seen the original Wolfs movie, here are all the ways you can get an Apple TV Plus free trial so you can watch this movie and many more, including the best Apple TV shows.

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• Google crackdown identifies four PR firms infiltrating search results
• 'Glassbridge' firms spread Chinese propaganda
• Google removed 1,000 domains form the network

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group has revealed it has blocked over 1,000 sites belonging to a small number of PR firms that spread pro-China propaganda through inauthentic news sites.

The sites posed as local news networks, even publishing authentic localized content alongside state sponsored press releases to deceive readers.

The network, dubbed ‘Glassbridge’, was made up of four companies who bulk-created and operated hundreds of domains which posed as independent news sites. These sites published content which “emphasizes narratives aligned to the political interests of the People’s Republic of China”, said Google.

A new kind of influence campaign

The Glassbridge network used private PR firms to gain plausible deniability and obscured their role in the spreading of coordinated misinformation. The sites violated Google’s policies which prohibit deceptive behavior and require editorial transparency, and will no longer appear in Google News Features and Google Discover.

The four firms, Shanghai Haixun Technology, Times Newswire, Durinbridge, and Shenzhen Bowen media. The most prolific, Shanghai Haixun Technology, was found to be operating over 600 policy-violating domains, all of which have since been removed.

“By posing as independent, and often local news outlets, IO (information operations) actors are able to tailor their content to specific regional audiences and present their narratives as seemingly legitimate news and editorial content,” said Vanessa Molter.

Google believes this is an evolution of previously observed mass produced social media disinformation campaigns, which have targeted western states and US voters in particular, aiming to spread discourse and divide public opinion.

Most of us can spot the social media ‘bot’ accounts with relative ease, and most bots generate very little authentic engagement, which highlights the difficulties states like China, Russia, and Iran have had in producing convincing political content through social media.

Whilst it’s unlikely that foreign actors will abandon social media campaigns, its clear that new tactics are being adopted to try and sew distrust in western political systems and spread favorable narratives for Beijing.

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• Apple has announced the finalists for its App Store Awards 2024
• It highlights the best new apps for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more
• For the first time, it also includes apps for the Apple Vision Pro

Yes, it's that time of year again – no, we're not talking about the Black Friday sales, but the end-of-year highlights lists that arrive for everything from Spotify Wrapped to Google TV. Today, it's Apple's turn – with the tech giant revealing the finalists for its annual App Store Awards.

If you're looking for a new app for your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, the App Store Awards is a handy breakdown of the new ones you may have missed. We now have shortlists for the potential winners across every Apple platform –including, for the first time, the Apple Vision Pro.

In this round-up, we've focused on the non-gaming nominees across all of Apple's categories. We've also rounded up the apps included in Apple's more nebulous 'Cultural Impact' award, which nevertheless highlights some interesting and more left-field apps.

iPhone apps of the year 1. Kino

(Image credit: Apple)

The team behind the Halide camera app is a mainstay of the App Store Awards, having won the iPhone App of the Year in 2019 with Spectre – and now it's been nominated again for the video app Kino.

Kino landed earlier this year with support for the iPhone 15 Pro's Apple Log video format, which gives you much more flexibility when color-grading videos. But it's not just for pros either, with handy features that help you pick the best settings to achieve a cinematic motion blur and more.

Apple praised the app for "turning everyday moments into cinematic masterpieces", which is potentially going overboard. But Kino certainly has a strong shout for being one of the best video editing apps around for iPhone.

• Download Kino for iPhone

2. Runna

(Image credit: Apple)

We're happy to see Runna in Apple's App Store Award finalists, because it's a fine new option for planning and executing your running goals. Our Runna review praises its detailed stat breakdowns and also the audio prompts to help you understand your pacing.

The app first launched back in 2021, but the motivational tool has developed into a popular option for those who need a motivational coach for anything from a 5km to a marathon. Its layout is pretty, but that's something beginners will appreciate – particularly when hitting 'the wall' after 200m.

• Download Runna for iPhone

3. Tripsy

(Image credit: Apple)

Tripsy is another app that's been around for a while (first launching in 2019), but it's aging like a fine wine – particularly now that travel's been back on the agenda for a couple of years.

The app is designed to lower your stress levels while traveling by rounding up your itinerary (including hotels, must-see spots, and more), giving you flight alerts, and storing your documents in one place.

More recently, Tripsy's added support for weather conditions and a customizable dashboard – so if 2025 is going to be a big travel year for you, it's worth checking out.

• Download Tripsy for iPhone

iPad apps of the year 4. Bluey: Let's Play

Not content with making our guide to the best Disney Plus shows, the Australian animated TV series Bluey is also in Apple's App Store Awards finalists for its iPad app.

Bluey is about a family of Blue Heeler dogs who are exploring the realities of everyday day life and is naturally aimed at young kids (even pre-school or toddler age). The app lets you explore the family home, make up stories, and rebuild the house as you see fit.

Apple praised the app for "delivering lovable characters and family-friendly fun" and it certainly seems to deliver on that.

• Download Bluey: Let's Play for iPad

5. Moises

(Image credit: Apple)

We expected to see a lot of AI-powered tools in this year's App Store Awards – and this music app fits that bill. The idea is pretty simple: Moises lets you separate a song into its various elements (or 'stems') and remove those parts so you can practice along.

For example, you can split a song into vocals, drums, bass, guitar, and more, and also adjust their speed or pitch to suit. Naturally, you need to pay for its more powerful features (subscriptions start at $5.99 / £4.99 / AU$9.99 a month), but there's a free starter plan to give you a taste of its handy talents.

• Download Moises for iPad

6. Procreate Dreams

(Image credit: Apple)

Procreate has long been one of our favorite drawing apps, so we were very excited to try out its animation-themed Dreams sibling earlier this year – and it's impressed Apple enough to make its shortlist for iPad app of the year.

We certainly fell for some of its charms, particularly the fact that it's completely subscription-free and supports older iPads (running iPadOS 16.3 or later). We found it to be very intuitive for first-time animators too, particularly the Performance Mode which lets you animate your assets and effects in real-time.

That said, there were a few niggles and missing features when we first tried Procreate Dreams, so we're looking forward to giving it another spin following its App Store Awards nomination.

• Download Procreate Dreams for iPad

Apple Watch apps of the year 7. LookUp

(Image credit: Apple)

Not to be confused with the Visual Look Up feature on iPhones, which works a bit like Google Lens, this handy Apple Watch app is instead designed to improve your English vocabulary.

Powered by the Oxford English Dictionary, it includes 'Word of the Day' cards complete with illustrations. You can also tap cards to confirm pronunciations, etymology, and synonyms – which sounds ideal whether you're an English learner or an improver.

• Download LookUp for Apple Watch

8. Lumy

(Image credit: Apple)

Lumy has been around for over a decade now, but it remains one of the best ways to track the location of the sun and moon on any date – making it ideal for planning a 'golden hour' photo shoot.

It isn't just for photographers, with the seven-day weather info making it a useful ally for hikers and walkers. And Lumy's clean design and Apple Watch complications make it particularly good on a smartwatch. If Photopills is a bit too much for you, Lumy looks like a fine alternative, particularly for Apple Watch fans.

• Download Lumy for Apple Watch

9. Watch to 5K

(Image credit: Watch to 5K)

This app has been a mainstay on our guide to the best Apple Watch apps, so we're glad to see it given a nod in the App Store Awards 2024 – even if it's far from new.

The appeal of Watch to 5K remains its simplicity – if you're not quite ready to tackle an ultra-marathon, it'll guide you through making a training plan that'll push you towards finishing a 5km run in under 30 minutes.

You get all the usual metrics like pacing, calories burnt, and heart rate – and it integrates nicely with Apple Fitness, too.

• Download Watch to 5K for Apple Watch

App Store Awards – Best of the rest

An interesting inclusion in this year's App Store Awards is a category for the Apple Vision Pro – and even though most of us won't get to try those apps, it's fascinating to see what Apple thinks is the current gold standard for its pricey headset.

Apple has praised the NBA app for "redefining the future of how users watch the sports they love". If that future is to go fully mainstream then everyone will need to be wearing a mixed-reality headset, which seems quite far off – but the app's courtside seats are certainly a novel experience.

Elsewhere on Vision Pro, Apple has highlighted the What If…? An Immersive Story "for inviting players into a new kind of Marvel experience". We described the "part film, part game" app as "the most fun" we've had on the Vision Pro, so it certainly justifies its place – even if the competition is relatively thin.

The final non-gaming app that Apple has praised for the Vision Pro is JigSpace, which has been included for "empowering users to view 3D and augmented reality models with ease". That's a pretty niche one right there, so we'll take Apple's word for it.

And what about those Cultural Impact finalists? It seems sleep (or lack of it) has been a big theme of 2024, with two apps receiving mentions in that category. The Bear was praised "for turning bedtime into a calming, interactive experience", while Apple gave BetterSleepthe nod for "helping users sleep – and feel – better".

Outside of games, Apple has included DailyArtfor "inspiring curiosity about artistic masterpieces" and, slightly strangely, Pinterest for "inspiring new ideas and endless possibilities". A suitable choice for this time of year is also Partiful, which Apple says has helped to simplify "social gatherings to foster connection and community".

Lastly, Apple has included three apps that genuinely go beyond the usual remit of apps, including Do You Really Want to Know 2for "addressing misconceptions about HIV through an endearing interactive story", Okofor "for making street-crossing safer and more accessible to all" and EF Hellofor "empowering language learners with AI-enhanced tools".

Despite many apps in the list existing well before this year, we think it's a pretty strong App Store Awards lineup. Here's the full list of finalists, with Apple likely picking each category's winner very soon.

App Store Awards – the full list of 45 apps and games

iPhone App of the Year

• Kino
• Runna
• Tripsy

iPhone Game of the Year

• AFK Journey
• The WereCleaner
• Zenless Zone Zero

iPad App of the Year

• Bluey: Let’s Play
• Moises
• Procreate Dreams

iPad Game of the Year

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage
• Disney Speedstorm
• Squad Busters

Apple Arcade Game of the Year

• Balatro+
• Outlanders 2
• Sonic Dream Team

Mac App of the Year

• Adobe Lightroom
• OmniFocus 4
• Shapr3D

Mac Game of the Year

• Frostpunk 2
• Stray 
• Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Apple Watch App of the Year

• LookUp
• Lumy
• Watch to 5K

Apple Vision Pro App of the Year

• JigSpace
• NBA
• What If…? An Immersive Story

Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year

• Loóna
• THRASHER
• Vacation Simulator

Apple TV App of the Year

• DROPOUT
• F1 TV
• Zoom

Cultural Impact Finalists

• Arco
• The Bear
• BetterSleep
• Brawl Stars 
• DailyArt
• Do You Really Want to Know 2
• EF Hello
• NYT Games
• Oko
• Partiful, 
• Pinterest
• The Wreck

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• ChatGPT might be coming to Samsung phones
• This could match OpenAI's deal with Apple
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman may have already met with Samsung

According to a new tweet by financial analyst Dan Nystedt, Open AI is in talks with Samsung to bring ChatGPT, its popular AI chatbot, to its mobile devices in an arrangement that would be similar to the one that Apple has with OpenAI.

OpenAI is in talks with Samsung Electronics to bring its AI capabilities to Samsung’s electronic devices, media report, which could mean a challenge to Google, which already provides AI services on Samsung smartphones. The OpenAI-Samsung discussions are said to mirror that…November 23, 2024

As the tweet points out, it would be a surprising move because Samsung already has the Google Gemini LLM behind its Galaxy AI, which is powering its most recent smartphones, as we discussed in our recent Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, powered by Galaxy AI. (Image credit: Samsung) A blow to Google

If Samsung makes the move to ChatGPT it will be another blow to Google, which has recently seen its search business targeted by OpenAI with the release of ChatGPT search, and would put it on equal footing with Apple, which has already integrated Apple Intelligence with ChatGPT.

Apple’s ChatGPT integration with its iPhone 16 range is expected to go live in December with the release of iOS 18.2, which is the first iteration of Apple Intelligence to feature Siri handing off requests to ChatGPT when they become too complicated for it to handle on the device.

The rumor of Samsung and OpenAI doing a deal has been around since a Reuters report of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman traveling to South Korea to meet executives from Samsung and SK Hynix to discuss a potential partnership for making semiconductor chips for AI processing, back in January.

Recently, Samsung unveiled its next-gen Bixby AI, but a move to ChatGPT could shortcut its path to having a powerful AI assistant on board its smartphones and mobile devices.

In July, Samsung announced it was on track to bring Galaxy AI to 200 million devices this year alone. Its recent releases include the innovative Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, which you can find in our roundup of the best Samsung phones of 2024.

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• Peacock and Sky have renewed The Day of the Jackal for season 2
• The Day of the Jackal has been a huge success in both the US and UK following its launch
• No other details about season 2 have been revealed yet

My day has been made as The Day of the Jackal has been renewed for a second season at Peacock and Sky.

The espionage thriller has been a successful hit on both sides of the pond since it aired on Peacock in the US and Sky in the UK, earning an impressive 84% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics. The series became the number one most-watched show on Peacock and was a top five streaming original in the US for its opening weekend, according to Nielsen data. Meanwhile, it has become Sky's biggest original of all time, with 3 millions views in one week.

The Day of the Jackal is a modern day reimagining of Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel of the same name. The 10-part series follows an extraordinarily elusive assassin, the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), who carries out hits for the highest fee. After pulling off an impressive kill in Munich, he's hired to assassinate a powerful tech tycoon, but he soon meets his match in determined MI6 agent Bianca (Lashana Lynch) as she tails the elite contract killer in a gripping cat-and-mouse chase across Europe.

What can we expect in The Day of the Jackal season 2?

Since The Day of the Jackal is still releasing new episodes in both the US and UK, there's no news just yet regarding plot details for season 2, whether Redmayne and Lynch will reprise their roles, or when we can expect it to return to our screens.

The Day of the Jackal was previously adapted into a 1973 feature film, which saw Edward Fox play the titular Jackal, a hitman who is hired by the French militant far-right to assassinate president Charles de Gaulle in 1963.

Now 27 years later, Sky and Peacock have put a contemporary twist on the source material, which I think has really paid off thanks to the team of executive producers on board, which include Ronan Bennett, Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant, Brian Kirk, Sam Hoyle, Sue Naegle and Marianne Buckland.

In an interview with GQ, executive producers Neame and Marchant revealed that they were initially hesitant to develop this iconic story into a TV series, but it was too good of an opportunity to turn down. "We both loved the book, and we saw the film when we were kids - I’ve seen the film many times through my life, and always really respected it. It’s such an iconic, gripping story, that to revisit that in a contemporary context, with all the benefits of a multi-episodic show … we thought that would be really interesting to take this much-respected IP and develop it this way” they shared.

With The Day of the Jackal armed for another season, there's one thing that I'm hoping for – more espionage thrills, spills, and kills.

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• More rumors are lining up behind a CES 2025 launch for RTX 5090 and 5080
• However, Nvidia might just pitch both GPUs at the ‘professional’ market
• That could indicate the RTX 5090 and 5080 will end up seriously pricey

It’s looking more and more likely that Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards are indeed being revealed at CES 2025, as previous chatter has indicated – plus we’ve heard some more worrying hints on pricing, sadly.

Much of the latest next-gen Blackwell speculation over the weekend comes from Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID), and the info here should be regarded with some skepticism, naturally.

MLID’s latest YouTube video has word from two sources at Nvidia’s retail partners who both claim that the unveiling of the RTX 5090 and 5080 is set to happen at CES 2025.

The first source MLID has heard from notes that their firm is currently talking to Nvidia about initial shipment numbers of these graphics cards, and that the on-sale date of the RTX 5090 and 5080 is a matter of weeks after the reveal – so likely late January.

On top of that, VideoCardz noticed that a leaker on X, MegaSizeGPU, has aired details of the GB202 chip (the GPU in the RTX 5090), which will supposedly be 20% bigger than the AD102 in the RTX 4090.

Furthermore, a second leaker on X, Hongxing2020, has shared a purported image of the PCIe 5.0 interface for the Blackwell flagship, and these pieces of spillage are likely from sample 5090 cards that have been sent out – which underlines that the next-gen GPU could be imminent.

Back to MLID’s video (which you can view below), and interestingly, the second source cited also mentions the RTX 5070 is going to be revealed in January – possibly teased at CES 2025, and then getting a proper announcement later in the month, by the sound of things.

That third Blackwell GPU will go on sale shortly after January, MLID says, so we could reasonably guess it will be in February (and this isn’t the first time the RTX 5070 has been rumored to be inbound for the near future).

This second source also mentions pricing, and the more positive piece of news here is that on the topic of the RTX 5090, it seems this GPU will be priced at the lower end of the range that was previously leaked.

If you recall, that rumored range was $1,999 to $2,499 in the US (and proportional to that elsewhere, as ever), so it seems that two grand is what Nvidia is now mulling. That is, of course, still 25% pricier than the MSRP of the RTX 4090, and therefore a major hike, so it’s hardly great news – and there’s a gloomier note to follow.

Namely, a claim that some of the marketing materials Nvidia has provided on the subject of talking to customers notes that retailers should be telling would-be buyers that anything above the RTX 5070 Ti is “really for professionals” – so that’s effectively a hint that the RTX 5080 could be pricey, too. Why, exactly? Let’s dive into that next.

Analysis: GeForce is for gaming – right?

What Nvidia appears to be doing here – take all of this with plentiful seasoning, and this bit of speculation, even more so – is preparing retailers for the reality that the top Blackwell models, the RTX 5090 and 5080, are going to be seriously expensive.

So, when PC gamers come into the shop and see the price tags on those GPUs, staff are primed to basically justify those asking prices on the basis that these are really graphics cards for professional use. In other words, gamers don’t need that much horsepower and should be looking at the RTX 5070 (or its variants) or indeed lower (eventually, when the range is filled out).

Now, you could certainly argue this is true of the RTX 4090 already, but it seems like Nvidia is shifting up a gear in this respect, and including the RTX 5080 in that ‘pro’ bracket – possibly due to a weighty price tag of perhaps $1,200 in the US, or maybe even more, up towards $1,400, or so MLID has theorized in the past.

However, if this is true, it feels a bit odd to have not just the flagship, but the top two tiers of the GeForce range of Blackwell GPUs as models angled towards ‘professionals’ – remember, this is a gaming brand. However, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here really, and we need to see if this pricing pans out.

On that point, we should note that in the past, we have heard more positive predictions about pricing not being a ‘significant’ hike for the RTX 5090 – which we’d read as maybe more like a $200 rise – but MLID is very much doubling down on his previous forecast here.

Whatever happens with pricing – and Nvidia may still be judging online reaction to these leaks at this point – it seems that with the weight of rumors now, the RTX 5090 and 5080 are likely imminent (and we might well see Blackwell laptop GPUs at CES 2025, too).

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• Google Tasks is now part of Google Calendar on Android
• It follows the web apps merging last year
• Google Tasks may eventually be retired as a standalone app

Google has certainly never been afraid of killing off apps and products it's not that interested in any more (see Killed by Google for details), and it appears that Google Tasks could be the next app on the chopping block.

The Google Tasks app is now available inside Google Calendar for Android, Google has announced (via 9to5Google). Google is positioning this as a benefit – but are we wrong to be a little worried about the future of the standalone Google Tasks app?

Perhaps not, given Google's history with merging and dropping products, and the way that Google Tasks has been slowly finding its way into other apps – not just Google Calendar, but also Gmail and the Google Assistant.

The Android update follows the addition of Google Tasks to Google Calendar on the web, which happened last year. "This update makes it easier for users to stay on top of and organize their tasks, especially while on the go," Google says.

The future of Google Tasks

Google has killed off a lot of projects, including Google Stadia (Image credit: Colleen Michaels)

There's no indication that Google Tasks is going to be killed off in the very near future, and we're doing a little bit of reading between the lines here. It's still available for Android and iOS, in addition to being available on the web.

However, as noted above, the old Google Tasks website portal now takes you to Google Calendar instead. There's a toggle switch up in the top-right corner that lets you switch between seeing your schedule and seeing your to-do lists.

It makes sense for your tasks to be inside your calendar – most of them will probably have a due date, after all – but it would be a shame if Google were to get rid of the separate Google Tasks app entirely. Sometimes less is more, and part of the appeal of Google Tasks is its simple, uncluttered interface.

We'll have to wait and see what Google's next move is, but we hope Google Tasks sticks around for many years to come. It does at least seem to still have more life in it as an independent app than Google Fit does.

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• Two in five leaders are ‘conservative’ leaders – unwilling to lead a transformation
• For many, company transformation is just a tool to implement layoffs
• The “wrong approach” is causing “anxiety”, report finds

Many tech CEOs are so put off by workplace transformation that they’d rather quit, new research has found.

A survey of 700 senior decision-makers from large organizations by Orgvue found that nearly two-fifths (38%) of CEOs would rather resign than lead a large-scale workforce restructuring.

Alarmingly, less than a third (29%) of CEOs would be willing to lead significant restructuring efforts, and fewer still (25%) would be prepared to challenge and break down traditional hierarchies and management tiers in the name of efficiency.

CEOs are not prepared to lead transformation efforts

Often seen as a cost-cutting tool associated with company layoffs, three in five see human emotion as a key driver behind workforce transformation as opposed to rational analysis.

A similar number (63%) agreed cost-cutting was the primary motive behind their transformation, with three-quarters (74%) prepared to go through the transformation process to facilitate this.

Concerningly, two-thirds (64%) of CEOs also stated they would rather make workers redundant than miss earnings targets.

“Organisations are taking the wrong approach to transformation, creating anxiety around these large, arduous, risky projects that invariably don’t return the cost savings they promise," noted Orgvue CEO Oliver Shaw.

The research splits CEOs into one of two categories – conservative leaders who would rather quit than go through transformation represent two in five CEOs. An overwhelming majority (97%) of agile CEOs – those with an opposing view – are willing to lead major restructuring projects.

Shaw added: “Encouragingly, the research shows there’s a cohort of CEOs that see transformation in a different way and they’re more willing to lead major restructuring programs as a result. They see transformation as a continuous, iterative process that takes the pain out of organisational change and makes it more sustainable.”

Looking ahead, the company identified three key barriers that leaders must overcome in order to move their company into the next era – resistance to ‘do the hard thing,’ resistance to change and a lack of shared vision.

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• Sony is working on a new handheld according to insiders
• It'll run PS5 games, but is still years from launch (if it ever releases)
• It'll compete with the Nintendo Switch and Xbox's handheld

Sony’s PS5 Pro has been out less than a month, but there’s already speculation about what its next gaming hardware release could have in store for us. And the latest report isn’t about some even more high-performance PS6 – rather, it’s that Sony is working on a new handheld that’ll be able to play PS5 games natively.

Little else is known about the project right now, but Bloomberg reports that sources familiar with the device say it’ll compete against Nintendo’s Switch and the final version of the Xbox handheld that's currently being prototyped.

Sony currently has a pseudo-PS5 portable in the shape of the five-star PlayStation Portal; however, where that handheld relies on an internet connection to facilitate Remote Play, or now cloud gaming for PS Plus Premium members, this new handheld would run PS5 games all on its own – like a souped up version of the scrapped PlayStation Vita or PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Don’t get too excited about this possible return of the PSP just yet though, as Bloomberg’s sources added that Sony could still decide against bringing this in-development handheld to market – and that it’s still “likely years away from launch.”

What we want to see from the PlayStation handheld

The Steam Deck is the rival Sony should aim to beat (Image credit: Valve)

So it'll likely be a while before we get a better idea of what the PlayStation handheld could have in store for us, but rather than this being a Nintendo Switch rival we hope Sony targets a different portable console to take on: the Steam Deck.

This would mean Sony's handheld would command a more premium price, which would make it a little less accessible, but it would likely come with a slew of possible benefits that could help justify the price, such as an OLED display instead of the disappointing LCD of the Portal, and software parity with the PS6 – which is likely to launch in a few years itself.

By parity we don’t mean identical performance, but in the same way that most new PC games also launch on Steam Deck – with some graphical and performance limitations if they’re beefier AAA releases – we’d want a similar setup with the PlayStation handheld.

This would also hopefully mean the new handheld would be much easier to maintain and less likely to get canned. Rather than needing its own dedicated platform of games like the PSP, Vita and (as a more recent, albeit not handheld, example) PSVR 2, it would rely on games that are already being developed. Sure it would require some extra costs to port those titles, but likely a lot less than an all-new dedicated portable title would require.

This is just one possibility for the approach Sony could take out of several viable options. All we really want is for Sony to support the new handheld effectively, and not let it join the growing graveyard of failed Sony spin-off consoles. Perhaps, given competition from Xbox and the growing dominance of mobile gaming, Sony might try a little harder this time around – for now we can only hope.

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If the recent cyberattack on the UK’s rail Wi-Fi network showcased anything it’s that disrupted public transport systems can cause widespread concern. It is also a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that public Wi-Fi can pose to our security, on both a societal and individual level. While many view free internet access as a convenience – whether on the train, in cafés, or at airports – these growing attacks highlights how easily unprotected Wi-Fi can be exploited by cybercriminals and malicious actors.

To ensure data privacy, and limit the risks of personal information falling into the wrong hands, there is an urgent need for everyone to rethink their use of public Wi-Fi, especially through unsecured networks such as public transport.

The increasing use of public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is a convenient tool for people to use social media, watch movies or work during long commutes, helping to explain its significant rise in popularity in recent years. Nowadays it’s rare to see a business that doesn’t offer public hotspots with companies embracing the benefits in customer satisfaction, but also the commercial potential for social media posts and geotagging.

Generally, users need to authorize the network or sign up by sharing their emails to use these free Wi-Fi services, however devices can also connect to one of these open and accessible networks automatically. In doing so, users are vulnerable to online threats, data leaks and cyberattacks from malicious actors monitoring the same networks.

Dangers of public Wi-Fi

While organizations think they're offering a helpful service, they often forget or are generally unaware that there is a need always implement robust security measures – endangering end users.

The most common risk is Man-in-the-Middle Attacks (MITM), where hackers intercept communication between advice and the Wi-Fi network, gaining access to sensitive information like passwords, emails, and financial details. Typically, the user has no idea that this is even happening, let alone implementing the measures necessary to stop an attack. Data relating to an individual’s online activities, alongside passwords and personally identifiable information, can be collected and sold to third parties and advertisers or be used to set up elaborate phishing attacks.

The second threat is through the ‘Evil Twin’ attack, where the bad actors can hijack the connection between the node and the Wi-Fi hotspot. Evil twins are fake Wi-Fi hotspots that imitate actual public Wi-Fi networks in the area. For example, if you’re in a Starbucks and see two Wi-Fi networks, one named ‘Starbucks’ and the other ‘Starbucks-for-customers,’ you might believe they are both legitimate. In reality, one of them could be set up by a hacker looking to steal your data.

Additionally, bad actors also tend to target your cookies just as much as your traffic. These cookies can be used to get sensitive information, such as your login details, home address, and name. Sometimes hackers can also implant computer worms into your device even if you don’t download them or install malicious software. Clearly, one wrong click of joining a fake Wi-Fi network can be enough to compromise your data.

Stay safe when using public Wi-Fi

Using WIFI on the move is a necessity for many, particularly on long journeys, or to facilitate remote working. However, with data theft incidents and WIFI related attacks becoming more frequent and more sophisticated, protecting yourself when public Wi-Fi is the only win-win option for users.

One of the most effective solutions is using a VPN to encrypts your data. This means that anybody snooping on a public Wi-Fi connection will only see a collection of jumbled, unusable information.

Additionally, every device that accesses the internet has a unique digital badge, called an IP address. This IP address carries identifying information whether you’re making an online order, browsing X, or creating a presentation for work. When you connect to a VPN server, your IP address is replaced by the server’s IP address. This way, your actual IP address remains private.

VPNs offer robust protection and can be used across multiple devices, ideal for frequent travelers or remote workers who rely on public Wi-Fi. It is important that while connecting on a VPN cross check that you are pairing with trustworthy open-source VPN protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard.

When accessing or using public WIFI without a VPN, avoid logging into your online accounts and inputting passwords when on a public network. This includes using passwords for online banking, email accounts, social media, and more. Similarly, make sure to disable auto-connect on your device, as it will save you from automatically connecting to any fake networks.

Cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility

The attack on the UK’s rail Wi-Fi network is a sobering reminder of how interconnected our communications have become, and how reliant we are on digital infrastructure to facilitate our day-to-day activities. Users need to stay vigilant or else one can end up providing a lot of your personally identifiable and sensitive information through the Wi-Fi network you’re connected to. As a reminder, using Incognito/Private mode doesn’t help. It only limits your device from tracking browsing history. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or the owner of the Wi-Fi hotspot can still see the traffic.

In a world of remote work and frequent business travelers, data security must be top of mind. With sensitive company or personal data potentially being accessed over public networks, using tools like VPNs and adopting strict practices isn’t just recommended – it’s highly important. The question we all need to ask ourselves is, if the free Wi-Fi network worth the potential loss of privacy and security? Protect yourself now – before convenience becomes a costly mistake.

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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

Remote, hybrid, or back to the office full-time? That’s the debate that’s been rumbling on since pandemic lockdown restrictions started to lift, with strong opinions and advocates on either side of the argument.

This debate has been reignited once again, with many large-scale tech companies ordering workers back to the office on a full-time basis – extolling the benefits of collaboration and connection to drive innovation and productivity.

This argument is true to a point. Collaboration in-person and connection with team members is, of course, important to develop and invent new products and services. However, it doesn’t mean that this is only achieved by returning to pre-pandemic ways of working.

While every company is different, the pandemic forced us to fundamentally change and reevaluate the way we work – in many cases for the better. There’s a greater appreciation for work/life balance, and an understanding that what a company builds is more important than where it’s built.

In this piece, I’ll explore the myths that many businesses use to justify a full-time return to the office, the benefits of an open work policy, and why the future of tech will require some degree of flexibility.

Myth: Remote work damages employee productivity

A common argument for return-to-office mandates is the potential impact of working from home on employee productivity. Many business leaders believe that employees are more distracted at home, and that office work and in-person meetings lead to greater efficiency and creativity. However, businesses must remember what you build is more important than how you build it, suggesting that the quality and outcomes of work should take precedence over the specific methods or locations of work.

However, research contradicts this theory, with 59% of UK workers reporting increased productivity when working remotely. Employees are not just surviving; they are thriving. The flexibility and autonomy of remote work have enhanced work-life balance for many, resulting in happier and more motivated teams.

Many remote-first companies are still figuring out how to optimize distributed teams, meaning continuous education is essential. Equipping your managers with resources and tools to lead effectively is crucial. For example, to support our employees' productivity we host ‘Focus Friday’s’ across all regions so employees can be focused on their work without any scheduled meetings. Providing real-time feedback on team health through regular pulse surveys, also offers actionable insights and recommendations to support employee productivity whilst remote working.

Myth: Remote working policies don’t attract talent

While many tech companies are forcing a return to the office, we recently reassured our employees that remote work is here to stay. Our own research of employees shows 93% reported effective remote team collaboration, and remote work is the top motivator for candidates to accept a role at the company. 

In fact, being remote-first is a big driver to attract and retain top talent from around the world. Flexible working has created new talent opportunities, enabling businesses to hire from a global pool of candidates. Geographical barriers have dissolved, allowing companies to recruit the best workers regardless of their location. This innovative approach has enabled companies to hire experts from around the world without the logistical and financial costs of relocation.

In recent years, the job market has become increasingly competitive, presenting ongoing challenges for businesses to attract and retain talent. Work flexibility has become a top priority for job seekers, particularly in the tech industry. Since the pandemic, offering remote or hybrid options is no longer a perk but an expectation. With more companies mandating a five-day in-office week, many will struggle to fill roles as potential candidates gravitate towards opportunities that offer more flexibility.

Myth: You can’t foster team spirit unless in the office

Companies often worry about the lack of human interaction and the potential impact on colleagues due to remote working. However, advancing technology offers innovative ways to stay connected. Many organizations budget for annual in-person meetings and team offsites. When budgets are tight, they can utilize existing technology to host virtual team-building events.

With employees worldwide at Twilio, our priority is to keep them connected. We acknowledge that while remote work isn’t perfect and has its challenges, we are continuously experimenting and adjusting to improve it. We discovered that many employees live near each other or within commuting distance. To enhance connectivity and engagement, we organized in-person hub events in cities or towns with a significant number of remote workers. Our CEO, Khozema Shipchandler, has recently voiced strong support for remote working. He emphasizes that companies need to continue offering remote work options to remain competitive in today’s evolving market.

For remote first companies, it’s also essential to continuously listen to employees and use their feedback to inform business strategy. As part of our Open Work policy we collect and respond to feedback from our employees – we listen, learn, and implement new programs as employees’ needs change. Additionally, being clear and consistent about remote work policies helps reduce employee anxiety amid changing work trends.

The future of tech requires flexibility

As more companies consider mandating a return to the office in the coming years, they risk losing their competitive edge – when it comes to employee retention, talent attraction, and customer impact.

For businesses that prioritize employee well-being, retention, and productivity, remote working offers clear advantages. Companies that are willing to rethink the workplace and introduce innovative ways of working will be better positioned for future success. By moving away from the rigid pre-pandemic office mandates and embracing the potential of remote-first work like Twilio has, tech companies can attract top talent, boost productivity, and create a more satisfied workforce. CEOs contemplating an RTO need to carefully consider the detrimental impacts this could have on their business. The tech world is evolving, and those who adapt to these changes—rather than resist them—will thrive in this new era.

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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

• Many of those increasing their budgets will do so by between 5% and 15%
• AI-assisted cyberattacks and new tech FOMO are to blame
• Implementing new software could be a challenge for some

Three-quarters (76%) of companies have said they plan to increase software budgets next year in a new report.

Three-fifths of those surveyed by Capterra reported planning to spend more anticipate increasing their budgets by 5-15% compared with 2023.

With IT security and artificial intelligence at the top of the list, companies are clearly interested in safeguarding their networks and driving increased efficiency and productivity.

Software spend is on the up

Capterra puts the increased spend on IT and AI down to the “growing sophistication” of AI-enhanced attacks, however the research also suggests that many companies are simply planning to invest in new software because they fear missing out (FOMO). Two-thirds (67%) identified technological advancements as a major external influencing factor.

However, in an era of endless software options, some challenges remain. Nearly two in five (38%) UK respondents are worried that tech implementation will be a challenge for them next year, while employee training and upskilling (36%) and possible global and economic uncertainties (35%) are also standing in the way of successful software rollouts.

“Timing is key to successful tech adoption. Businesses need to find the right balance between moving fast to keep up with the technological curve and allowing time to assess software options properly," noted Capterra Analyst David Jani.

It took 60% of UK buyers four months to settle on a software purchase, but 86% were highly confident in their final decisions. Suggestions by industry experts (43%), customer testimonials (40%) and customer reviews (39%) proved vital in the purchasing process. More than half (57%) of those who have bought new software in the past year also implemented a learning management system to help employees get up to speed.

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• The AirPods Max lack some features of Apple’s less expensive earphones
• A new report says Apple has “no concrete plans” to change that
• It suggests Apple’s interest in its high-end headphones is waning

Apple updated the AirPods Max headphones in September this year, but the change was as small as it could get – new color options appeared and the Lightning port was replaced with USB-C, but that was it. If you’ve been hoping for a more significant hardware upgrade, there’s some bad news: it looks like the AirPods Max have a potentially long wait for any significant changes.

That idea was reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the paid-for section of his Power On newsletter. There, Gurman said that Apple has “no concrete plans” to level up the hardware of the AirPods Max, at least in the near future.

The AirPods Max were first introduced in 2020 and have remained largely the same ever since. Beyond the minor color and USB-C changes that we saw in September, the Max are essentially the same device that debuted four years ago.

And Gurman says that sales of the AirPods Max are apparently too low for Apple to consider making substantial changes to the device. But this raises the question: how will Apple stimulate a sales resurgence if it doesn’t add new features?

Analysis: A baffling decision

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple’s decision to not give the AirPods Max hardware a significant overhaul is a baffling one considering it’s meant to be the pinnacle of Apple’s headphones experience. And it’s made even stranger when you consider some of the features that less expensive Apple earphones come with.

Take the lack of support for Adaptive Audio, for example. This feature automatically adjusts the volume of sounds around you as needed, and it’s a key part of the less expensive AirPods Pro. There’s also no support for wirelessly listening to high-bitrate lossless audio, a flagship feature of Apple Music Classical, meaning the AirPods Max are not compatible with a key element of one of Apple’s own services.

The main reason these features (and more) are not available on the AirPods Max is the fact that it still uses Apple’s H1 chip instead of the newer H2. You would think that adding this to the AirPods Max would be a relatively straightforward – and beneficial – move on Apple’s part, but the company has declined to do it.

Until that changes, the AirPods Max will be missing some important functionality that Apple’s more affordable earphones offer. And with no major hardware changes on the horizon, it could be a while until we see that kind of improvement.

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• Companies are keen to do more with AI, but are lacking capabilities, report finds
• Cisco AI Readiness Index shows barely any firms feel ready to get the maximum from AI
• Lack of skills and proper infrastructure also remain a challenge for many

Many companies are desperate to use AI in their workplace, but simply don't have the skills or talent required to do so effectively, new research has claimed.

Covering nearly eight thousand companies, the latest AI Readiness Index from Cisco has found only 13% of companies feel they are fully ready to capture the potential of AI tools.

This is even a fall from the previous year, but comes alongside a growing urgency from bosses to ensure they don't fall behind when it comes to the advantages AI technology can bring.

AI struggles

The study found nearly all companies (98%) said there was an increased urgency to deploy AI over the past 12 months, despite readiness for the technology declining.

This readiness was not helped by the apparent shortfall in back-end technology, with networks in particular not equipped to meet the strain of AI workloads, as the study found only 21% of companies believed they had the necessary GPUs to meet current and future AI demands.

Security was also a concern, as less than a third (30%) of firms said they had the capabilities to protect data in AI models with end–to–end encryption, security audits, continuous monitoring and instant threat response.

However this is not to say that the outlook is necessarily bleak for firms looking to use AI, as budgets are set to evolve as the technology landscape changes.

The study found roughly 30% of IT budgets will be dedicated to AI, nearly double the current fuigure, and nearly half of companies say although AI implementations across top priorities have fallen short of expectations so far, nearly two-thirds (59%) believe the impact from AI investments will surpass expectations after five years.

Nearly two-thirds (66%) of boards are also reportedly highly or moderately receptive of focusing more on AI in the future, potentially signalling further support - although the study did note this was down from 82% last year.

“Eventually there will be only two kinds of companies: those that are AI companies, and those that are irrelevant. AI is making us rethink power requirements, compute needs, high-performance connectivity inside and between data centers, data requirements, security and more,” said Jeetu Patel, Chief Product Officer at Cisco.

“Regardless of where they are on their AI journey, organizations need to be preparing existing data centers and cloud strategies for changing requirements, and have a plan for how to adopt AI, with agility and resilience, as strategies evolve.”

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