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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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• Reputable analyst Mark Gurman predicts the iPhone 17 Air won't be a big hit
• Leaks support this theory, with major spec compromises and a not especially thin design being tipped
• Gurman suggests a foldable iPhone could prove much more popular

In recent years Apple has tried to expand its iPhone line with new models like the mini and Plus, and so far these models haven’t been especially successful, at least by iPhone standards. Apple’s next attempt at an alternative iPhone could be the rumored iPhone 17 Air, but a reputable analyst predicts this won’t fare any better.

In his latest subscriber-only newsletter for Bloomberg (via Phone Arena) Mark Gurman has predicted that “the 'iPhone Air' will suffer the same fate as the mini and Plus lines.”

Gurman argues that with this rumored slimmed-down phone, Apple is attempting to replicate the success it found with the MacBook Air, with the iPhone Air positioned as “a mid-tier offering at a great price, for people who don’t need the most impressive specifications.”

However, Gurman doesn’t think this strategy will work as well with phones as with laptops, and while he doesn’t say why, there are some obvious potential issues.

Too many compromises for too little gain

The iPhone 16 is already quite a slim phone (Image credit: Future)

For one thing, the iPhone 17 Air's key selling point is expected to be a slimmer and probably also lighter build than current iPhones, but phones – even large ones like the iPhone 16 Pro Max – aren’t massive, heavy things in the first place, so slimming them down will have less impact than it does with a laptop.

And going by leaks, the iPhone 17 Air might not actually be as slim as Apple hoped anyway, while the spec compromises – including rumors of just one camera on the back of the iPhone 17 Air – could be big enough to put people off.

So what can Apple do? Well, in Gurman’s view “the only alternative iPhone that will sell well is a foldable model.” That would make sense – a foldable iPhone is a radically different proposition to any current models, and would probably slot in above even the Pro Max phones, which currently tend to be the most popular.

We might not be waiting too much longer for a foldable iPhone either, as while leakers disagree about if or when such a device will launch, the most recent claim we’ve heard is that the foldable iPhone could land in 2025. In which case, we could soon see whether that or the iPhone 17 Air proves the more popular new kind of iPhone.

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IT downtime costs businesses over £300 billion annually. 2024 alone has proven that organizations are deeply vulnerable to IT outages, which resulted in widespread disruptions in sectors including healthcare, aviation and banking. However, these critical services cannot afford a single minute of downtime as this significantly impacts emergency services and the business’s bottom line.

These disruptions have exposed the risk of complex digital environments and the vulnerabilities existing within many companies’ IT infrastructure. As such, organizations should explore prevention strategies and impact mitigation to safeguard their business. By addressing cybersecurity breaches within hybrid cloud environments and implementing contingency measures, CIOs can strengthen resilience against potential IT outages. Here are four strategies that CIOs should consider.

Evaluate existing infrastructure

To effectively prepare against future service outages, CIOs must first look within - to gain a better understanding of their weaknesses and bottlenecks. This assessment of their existing infrastructure should include an extensive audit of all legacy systems, interdependencies and business continuity planning.

Once they have a holistic view of their existing infrastructure, CIOs can make the necessary changes to their mission-critical systems. Attention should be given to those areas most vulnerable to potential outages or those that would cause the most damage to data security and operations should they be offline.

A key part of this evaluation process should be testing backup systems and failover mechanisms crucial for business continuity when IT disruptions occur. Reducing downtime and keeping services online will be a priority for any CIO amidst unexpected outages.

Adopt bespoke cloud solutions

Cloud-based solutions improve resilience against outages, vital for organizations handling sensitive data. CIOs should seek to unlock the potential of hybrid cloud and combine the scalability and cost-efficiency of public clouds with the enhanced security and risk mitigation capabilities of private infrastructure.

The global hybrid cloud market size was valued at $73.5 billion in 2023 – and is projected to reach $210.4 billion by 2032 so it’s unsurprising that organizations are adopting a hybrid cloud approach to further enhance resilience. A hybrid cloud approach provides a robust and flexible IT environment which backs up legacy systems and spreads workloads between several cloud providers to limit their reliance on a single point of failure. However, when moving to the public cloud, CIOs must consider data sovereignty to comply with local regulations, for example, selecting a provider that complies with GDPR in the UK or the CPPA in the US.

For this to be successful, employees need the necessary training to work across multiple cloud computing providers so critical operations can continue uninterrupted through other cloud platforms.

Reduce security vulnerabilities

Alongside adopting cloud solutions that enhance resilience against outages, CIOs should frequently update systems to protect themselves against service disruptions. Recent outages have demonstrated that not all businesses are testing and implementing these patches as carefully as they should, so it’s crucial to ensure being top of patch management to mitigate the threat of cyber vulnerabilities.

To increase their threat detection, CIOs need to strengthen their cyber intelligence, security analytics, alerts and response services. A key stage in this process is monitoring and analyzing vast quantities of traffic and events in real time.

CIOs should also have an incident response plan to combat multi-cloud vulnerabilities. With the appropriate planning, procedures, controls and cloud-specific response policies, they can limit the potential issues caused by security breaches and ensure a quick recovery after incidents occur.

Build a skilled IT workforce

Communication gaps between IT security teams and senior corporate leaders can create significant gaps in application and broader service security. This is proof that CIOs can’t prepare their organizations for IT outages alone. Successful outage prevention and recovery relies on a workforce that is technologically competent and has the skills needed to work together towards resilience strategies.

To achieve this, CIOs must take responsibility for building a skilled workforce that can help to manage complex, multi-cloud environments. Building this team of experts requires a detailed training program covering crucial areas like cloud management, cyber and resilience planning combined with disaster recovery.

CIOs also need to ensure departments within their organization are collaborating to improve each other’s understanding of their unique operational needs. CIOs should be running simulations and test scenarios which consider the wider context such as the consequences of outages on each team’s functional capacity. And they should be communicating with all stakeholders so that everyone – internally or externally – is aware of what’s happening within the business.

Leading the way in network outage prevention

At a time when organizations are regularly experiencing IT outages, it’s more essential than ever for CIOs to evaluate their organization's IT infrastructure and cyber vulnerabilities both for the ‘as-is’ landscape but also any software and infrastructure change program impacts. Once they have a holistic view of the gaps that need to be filled, they can unlock the benefits of cloud-based solutions and coordinate their team to mitigate the threat of disruption. If they don’t follow these steps, they could be opening the door to future significant business impact.

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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

As the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry continues to mature, it necessitates the development of robust infrastructure to train models and deliver services – greatly impacting data storage and management. This has significant implications for the amount of data generated and most importantly, how and where to store this insight.

The ability to manage this data efficiently is becoming critical as data requirements increase exponentially due to the continuous growth and development of AI tools. Therefore, the storage infrastructure needed to support these systems must be able to scale in parallel with the rapid advancements in AI applications and capabilities.

With AI creating new data and making existing data even more valuable, a cycle quickly emerges, where increased data generation leads to expanded storage needs. This fuels further data generation – forming a "virtuous AI data cycle" which drives AI development forward. To fully leverage AI’s potential, organizations must not only grasp this cycle, but fully understand its implications for infrastructure and resource management.

A six stage AI data cycle

The AI Data Cycle consists of a six-stage framework designed to streamline data handling and storage. The first stage is focused on collecting existing raw data and storage. Data here is collected and stored from various sources, and the analysis of the quality and diversity of collected data is critical – setting the base for the next stages. For this stage of the cycle, capacity enterprise hard disk drives (eHDDs) are recommended, as they deliver the highest capacity per drive and lowest cost per bit.

The next stage is where data is prepared for intake and the evaluation from the previous stage is administered, prepared and transformed for training purposes. To accommodate this stage, datacentres are applying upgraded storage infrastructure – like fast data lakes – to support data for preparation and intake. Here, high-capacity SSDs are needed to enhance existing HDD storage or to create new all-flash storage systems. This ensures swift access to organised and prepared data.

Then comes the next phase of training of AI models to make accurate projections with training data. This phase typically occurs on high-performance supercomputers – requiring specific and high-performance storage solutions to operate as effectively as possible. Here, high-bandwidth flash storage and low-latency enhanced eSSDs are created to meet the specific needs of this stage, providing necessary speed and precision.

Next, following training, the inference and prompting stage focuses on the creation of a user-friendly interface for AI models. This stage incorporates the use of an application programming interface (API), dashboards and tools that combine context to specific data with end-user prompts. Then, AI models will integrate into internet and client applications without needing to interchange current systems. This means that maintaining current systems alongside new AI computing will require further storage.

Here, larger and faster SSDs are essential for AI upgrades in computers, and higher-capacity embedded flash devices are needed for smartphones and IoT systems to maintain seamless functionality in real-world applications.

The AI inference engine stage follows, where trained models are positioned into production environments to perform the examination of new data, produce new content or provide real-time predictions. At this stage, the engine’s level of efficiency is critical in achieving quick and accurate AI responses. Therefore, to ensure a comprehensive data analysis, significant storage performance is essential. To support this stage, high-capacity SSDs can be used for streaming or to model data into inference servers based on scale or response time needs, while high-performance SSDs can be used for caching.

The final stage is where the new content is created, with insights produced by AI models and then stored. This stage completes the data cycle, by continually enhancing data value for future model training and analysis. The generated content will be stored away on enterprise hard drives for datacenter archive purposes and in both high-capacity SSDs and embedded flash devices for AI edge devices, making it readily available for future analysis.

A self-sustaining data generation cycle

By fully understanding the six stages of the AI data cycle and employing the right storage tools to support each phase, businesses can effectively sustain AI technology, streamline their internal operations, and maximize the benefits of their AI investment.

Today’s AI applications use data to produce text, video, images and various other forms of interesting content. This continuous loop of data consumption and generation accelerates the need for performance-driven and scalable storage technologies for managing large AI datasets and re-factoring complex data efficiently, driving further innovation.

The demand for appropriate storage solutions will significantly increase in time as the role of AI across operations becomes even more prevalent and integral. As a result, the access to data, the efficiency and accuracy of AI models, and larger, higher-quality datasets will also become increasingly important. Additionally, as AI becomes embedded across nearly every industry, partners and customers can expect to see storage component providers tailor their products so that there is an appropriate solution at each and every stage of the AI data cycle.

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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

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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

Quordle today (game #1036) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

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

Quordle today (game #1036) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1036) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1036) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

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

Quordle today (game #1036) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• S

• S

• D

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

Quordle today (game #1036) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1036, are…

• NUDGE
• SNOOP
• SHACK
• DRYLY

DRYLY is the kind of word that crops up occasionally in Quordle or Wordle with the potential to cause all kinds of trouble, due to the fact that it contains no vowels. Or does it? Debate rages (in some, admittedly niche, circles) as to whether Y counts as a vowel or not. The answer is that it sometimes does and it sometimes doesn't. Here, it most definitely does, standing in for the 'I' sound in the middle and the 'E' sound at the end. However, I don't count Y as a vowel in my Quordle hints, because it would be far too confusing to do so.

DRYLY aside, today's game is not too difficult, but I did run it close having guessed SPOON when the answer was SNOOP. That aside, it was pretty approachable as Quordle goes.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1036) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1036, are…

• HOVER
• CROOK
• DUSTY
• SHALL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1035, Sunday 24 November: CLOTH, CLAMP, PETTY, CHEST
• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY
• Quordle #1032, Thursday 21 November: RABBI, EAGER, COUGH, BRASH
• Quordle #1031, Wednesday 20 November: MINTY, TOPAZ, BRUSH, LAPEL
• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
• Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
• Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
• Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
• Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
• Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
• Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH
• Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY

• MSI launches two business laptops powered by Intel’s Core i7-13620H CPU
• Includes Microsoft Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 Basic software
• Both models have limited battery life

MSI has released two new business-oriented notebooks in Japan, the Modern 15 H B13M 5039JP and Modern 14 H D13MG 5029JP. These laptops, designed with productivity in mind, are powered by Intel’s Core i7-13620H.

Both models come pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 and a year's subscription to Microsoft 365 Basic, giving business users access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, along with 100GB of OneDrive storage.

This offer is currently only available in Japan, and MSI isn’t the only company providing it; Dynabook has included the same software package with two of its new laptops, suggesting a possible trend. It’s certainly something we’d like to see rolled out globally.

Why Windows 11 Home?

The Modern 15 H B13M 5039JP offers a 15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) non-glare LCD, 32GB of memory, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and runs Windows 11 Home.

Connectivity options include USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with video output and USB PD compatibility, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, HDMI, a 920,000-pixel webcam, an audio combo jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. It measures 359 x 241 x 19.9 mm, weighs about 1.9 kg, and its 53.8Whr battery lasts just four hours during video playback (up to eight hours when idle), so you won’t want to stray too far from a power outlet.

The Modern 14 H D13MG 5029JP is the smaller counterpart, featuring a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) non-glare LCD, with the same memory and storage configuration as the 15.6-inch model.

It includes Thunderbolt 4, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 920,000-pixel webcam, HDMI, an audio combo jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. It measures 313.7 x 236 x 18.6 mm, weighs approximately 1.6 kg, and has the same battery but with a longer life - up to six hours during video playback and 14 hours when idle.

Interestingly, although Microsoft’s productivity software is included for free with these two laptops, they ship with Windows 11 Home. MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business, so it’s surprising the firm didn’t upgrade the default OS to suit the productivity package. Both laptops come In any color you like, so long as it’s Classic Black. No word on pricing or availability yet.

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• Gemini could control app actions in Android 16
• A new chat option for YouTube has also been spotted
• Interface tweaks may be coming too

The Google Gemini app on Android has gradually been getting more and more of the features and functions of Google Assistant – on top of its generative AI capabilities – and it seems even more upgrades are on the way.

First up, as reported by Android Authority, there are new APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) in the developer preview of Android 16 that could give Gemini more control over what's happening inside other apps on your device.

If app developers make use of these APIs, Gemini could get the ability to order takeaway food or call a cab for you, for example – the sort of AI agent upgrade that's now being talked about as the next stage for these artificial intelligence bots.

Right now, Gemini makes use of extensions to interface with apps like YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, Spotify, and WhatsApp. However, Google can't build these for every single Android app – APIs would let developers do the job themselves.

More changes incoming

The Gemini Live interface on mobile (Image credit: Google)

This AI agent upgrade for Android 16 isn't the only Gemini leak we've come across this weekend. As per some more code digging by the team at Android Authority, the advanced Gemini Live voice mode could soon let you dig deeper into YouTube videos.

The idea is you could have a natural conversation with Gemini Live about a video you're watching on your phone, in addition to the Ask about this video feature that's already available if you need explanations or summaries.

Lastly, a potential interface change has been spotted for Gemini Live, again by Android Authority. Hidden code in the Android app suggests you'll soon be able to pause and resume chats from a notification in the status bar.

The advantage of using Gemini Live over the other Gemini input modes is you can talk with it as you would a real person – with interruptions, pauses, and so on – and these tweaks would make the AI app even more useful.

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• Available in massive 8TB and 16TB capacities, T-CREATE EXPERT P32 is designed for creators
• USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 1,800MB/s speeds, broad compatibility
• Portable unibody design, patented cooling, launches Q4 2024

From ultra-high-resolution videos to expansive photo libraries and complex project files, the sheer volume of data content creators generate can quickly overwhelm smaller drives.

For professionals, the need for high-capacity, fast, and reliable storage can be vital - and to address this need, T-CREATE, the creator-focused brand from memory provider Team Group, has announced the EXPERT P32 Desktop External SSD.

Available in 8TB and 16TB sizes, the 16TB model features two 8TB SSDs rather than a single large drive, although the total capacity is still the largest available for an external SSD.

Transfer speeds of up to 1,800MB/s

If you're wondering how much data a drive of that size can hold, T-CREATE says the 16TB storage is enough for up to 672 minutes (nearly 10.5 hours) of uncompressed 4K 120fps N-RAW video, or 335,544 RAW format photos at 50 MB each.

Constructed from aluminum alloy using 4-axis CNC cutting, the device features a durable unibody design. Functional in design rather than fancy, it promises transfer speeds of up to 1,800MB/s (or up to 1,700MB/s for the 8TB model).

It uses a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C interface, ensuring compatibility with USB Type-C and Thunderbolt devices. A patented graphene heat dissipation pad is included to maintain cooling performance during intensive use. The SSD operates at temperatures between 5˚C and 55˚C and supports storage temperatures ranging from -20˚C to 50˚C.

Weighing 261g, the EXPERT P32 measures 110 x 65 x 26mm, so it's easily portable. The package includes a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, a DC power cable, and international plug adapters for global use. It is formatted with exFAT for compatibility across Windows, macOS, and Linux. The SSD comes with a three-year warranty, providing reliable support for creators. It is set to debut globally in Q4 2024, although pricing details have yet to be announced.

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The White Lotus season 3: key information

- Filming has officially wrapped
- No official release date revealed yet, though it's et to return sometime in 2025
- First footage teased in a 'new on Max in 2025' trailer
- Cast member from season 1 is slated to return
- All-new cast members confirmed
- Creator Mike White keeping plot under wraps
- Max CEO Casey Bloys has hinted there'll be a fourth season

The White Lotus season 3 will welcome a whole host of new guests (and returning customers in its ravenous fanbase) sometime next year. Despite the luxury hotel brand being plagued by – spoilers! – multiple murders, it appears socialites are still willing to visit the opulent resorts.

Following the success of the award-winning Max anthology series' first two installments, there’s been quite the hiatus since The White Lotus season 2 debuted in 2022.

Still, while there’s no sign yet of a release date, there’s rousing news to share on season 3’s cast, likely plot, and the hit series' future. You'll need to book in for a stay (or, rather, read through this guide) to learn more, though. Full spoilers follow for The White Lotus seasons 1 and 2.

The White Lotus season 3 release date prediction

A post shared by Walton Goggins (@waltongogginsbonafide)

A photo posted by on

The White Lotus season 3 doesn't have a launch date yet. However, the show was renewed for another outing in 2022. Since then, it's been hit with various delays, including last year's Hollywood, but now we know it'll be with us sometime in 2025.

In August, Walton Goggins – one of season 3's ensemble – took to Instagram (see above) to confirm that filming has officially wrapped. Unlike season 2, the turnaround from filming to release will be a little longer, so we’d imagine The White Lotus will return in early to mid-2025. Pressed for a month, we predict we'll all be enjoying a bit of winter sun (in the northern hemisphere, anyway) when it arrives, with a January or February launch likely.

Even better news, Max subscribers will get a "longer, bigger, crazier" season 3 of The White Lotus, with showrunner Like White also telling Entertainment Weekly (EW) it'll be a "supersized" installment. With season 1 lasting six episodes and season 2 running for seven episodes, we’d be surprised if The White Lotus season 3 didn't comprise at least eight episodes. White's tease indicates it may be even longer than that, though.

The White Lotus season 3 trailer: is there one?

New luxuries await you in Thailand. Season 3 of the @HBO Original Series #TheWhiteLotus is coming soon to Max. pic.twitter.com/6f25m4MI5fAugust 5, 2024

There isn't an official trailer for The White Lotus season 3. But, in November, a 'new on Max in 2025' teaser dropped first-look clips at season 3 alongside many other highly anticipated shows.

That footage followed a six-second teaser (see the X/Twitter post above) showing off season 3's new Thai resort, which opened with season 1's spa worker, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) arriving at the luxury hotel's lobby. There were also quick glimpses at its new cast, including Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. A final shot of Posey lounging by the pool with Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan is also briefly seen before the words "What happens in Thailand, stays in Thailand" appear on the screen.

The White Lotus season 3 confirmed cast

Belinda is the only returning cast member of The White Lotus season 3 (Image credit: Max)

Spoilers follow for The White Lotus season 1.

Here’s the confirmed cast for The White Lotus season 3, including a returning star from season 1 and the many new faces who'll be checking in this time around:

• Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey
• Jason Isaacs as TBC
• Carrie Coon as TBC
• Patrick Schwarzenegger as TBC
• Aimee Lou Wood as TBC
• Scott Glenn as TBC
• Walton Goggins as TBC
• Leslie Bibb as TBC
• Michelle Monaghan as TBC
• Parker Posey as TBC
• Lalisa 'Lisa' Manobal as TBC
• Dom Hertakul as TBC
• Tayme Thapthimthong as TBC
• Sarah Catherine Hook as TBC
• Sam Nivola as TBC
• Nicholas Duvernay as TBC
• Francesca Corney as TBC
• Arna Fedaravičius as TBC
• Christian Friedel as TBC
• Morgana O’Reilly as TBC
• Lek Patravadi as TBC
• Shalini Peiris as TBC
• Julian Kostov as TBC

As confirmed in the season 3 teaser, season 1’s unfortunate spa worker Belinda is back for more dealings with the satirical series' new elitist characters.

After meeting with Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) in Hawaii and pitching her business plan, it appeared that Tanya might invest some of her wealth to support Belinda's dream. Clearly, though, she didn’t, hence Belinda having to get her old job back, albeit at a different resort. When it comes to her return in season 3, Natasha Rothwell told Variety: “Everyone needs to buckle up, because it’s going to get real!”

Aside from Belinda’s character, the other confirmed cast’s roles are unknown. If previous seasons are anything to go by, they'll stay that way until just before this season airs, too. While Tanya was the only character to reprise her role in season 2, we know from that season's tumultuous finale because – well, let's get into it...

The White Lotus season 3 story speculation

First it was Hawaii, then it was Sicily, and now it's now Thailand for The White Lotus season 3 (Image credit: Max)

Full spoilers follow for The White Lotus seasons 1 and 2.

As has been the case with the previous seasons of The White Lotus, creator Mike White is keeping schtum about this season's plot. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), though, he revealed season 3 will be a “satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.”

In another interview with THR, White spoke about whether season 3 would start the way the other two seasons had – with a dead body: “I don’t think it needs to always be a body. There are so many ways that we want to reinvent the show each year. Like, what is this show, other than people? A fresh mystery, people maybe expect that. But I don’t feel constrained by expectation. It’s fun.”

Award-winning Jennifer Coolidge met a dramatic end in season 2 (Image credit: Max)

There are a few things we know for certain about The White Lotus season 3. For starters, it's based at another luxury resort property – this time in Thailand – and Belinda will have a major role to play.

There's also a little bit of news about the new characters. Last year, a list of 13 roles that White was casting for, included nine series regulars. As reported by Deadline, the roles “ranged in ages between 18-80s – with a patriarch, a corporate executive, an actress, a couple of mothers, a misfit, and a yogi among the bunch.” Who from the confirmed cast will play each role, and what those roles will mean, remain strictly under wraps.

Will we see the return of Greg in The White Lotus season 3? (Image credit: Max)

Considering each season has a whole new cast, there's not much point looking to the previous seasons for clues. Although, when it comes to Jennifer Coolidge, she may hope that the husband of her character Tanya – named Greg – returns in some capacity so she can get indirect revenge for his murderous plot to steal her fortune. Speaking with Variety, Coolidge said: "My hope for Jon [Gries] is that he's not finished with Greg. I hope there's some comeuppance for evil Greg. I think he should, I don't know, end up in a meat-grinding machine."

Will The White Lotus return after season 3?

What picturesque location could The White Lotus open its doors in next? (Image credit: Max)

With the success of the anthology series, we’d be really surprised if The White Lotus ends after three seasons. Thankfully, it sounds like HBO boss Casey Bloys is onboard for more installments.

Speaking with Variety about future plans for the show, he said: "I know Mike has a lot of ideas for where it could go. We’re lucky to be in business with him. And we have actors who now really, really want to be on the show because it’s a great opportunity and it’s great writing. So, I think as long as he wants to do it, we’ll go along for the ride. He’s really built a very interesting model to go from different parts of the world and have a rotating cast."

That's not quite a confirmation about a fourth entry, but it's certainly a positive putlook for Bloys to have. After all, there are so many different locations The White Lotus could head for next and, with new multifaceted characters that we'd no doubt love to hate, the scope of this series could be vast.

So, what could future seasons look like? Speaking to THR, White was asked whether he’d be open to revisiting Greg’s character in the future, to which he said: "It would be easy to just be a full-on anthology, but I think it’s more fun to have little threads through the show. If the show goes on for a couple of seasons, it would be fun to have an all-star season". An all-star season? Sign us up.

For more Max-focused coverage, read our guides on the best Max shows, best Max movies, The Last of Us season 2, and Peacemaker season 2.

• New study trained AI models on answers given in a two-hour interview
• AI could replicate participants’ responses with 85% accuracy
• Agents could be used instead of humans in future research studies

You might think your personality is unique, but all it takes is a two-hour interview for an AI model to create a virtual replica with your attitudes and behaviors. That’s according to a new paper published by researchers from Stanford and Google DeepMind.

What are simulation agents?

(Image credit: Getty Images / Mikkelwilliam)

Simulation agents are described by the paper as generative AI models that can accurately simulate a person's behavior 'across a range of social, political, or informational contexts'.

In the study, 1,052 participants were asked to complete a two-hour interview which covered a wide range of topics, from their personal life story to their views on contemporary social issues. Their responses were recorded and the script was used to train generative AI models – or “simulation agents” – for each individual.

To test how well these agents could mimic their human counterparts, both were asked to complete a set of tasks, including personality tests and games. Participants were then asked to replicate their own answers a fortnight later. Remarkably, the AI agents were able to simulate answers with 85% accuracy compared to the human participants.

What’s more, the simulation agents were similarly effective when asked to predict personality traits across five social science experiments.

While your personality might seem like an intangible or unquantifiable thing, this research shows that it's possible to distill your value structure from a relatively small amount of information, by capturing qualitative responses to a fixed set of questions. Fed this data, AI models can convincingly imitate your personality – at least, in a controlled, test-based setting. And that could make deepfakes even more dangerous.

Double agent

(Image credit: Getty Images / Vesalainen)

The research was led by Joon Sung Park, a Stanford PhD student. The idea behind creating these simulation agents is to give social science researchers more freedom when conducting studies. By creating digital replicas which behave like the real people they’re based on, scientists can run studies without the expense of bringing in thousands of human participants every time.

You can have a bunch of small ‘yous’ running around and actually making the decisions that you would have made.

Joon Sung Park, Stanford PhD student

They may also be able to run experiments which would be unethical to conduct with real human participants. Speaking to MIT Technology Review, John Horton, an associate professor of information technologies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, said that the paper demonstrates a way you can “use real humans to generate personas which can then be used programmatically/in-simulation in ways you could not with real humans.”

Whether study participants are morally comfortable with this is one thing. More concerning for many people will be the potential for simulation agents to become something more nefarious in the future. In that same MIT Technology Review story, Park predicted that one day “you can have a bunch of small ‘yous’ running around and actually making the decisions that you would have made.”

For many, this will set dystopian alarm bells ringing. The idea of digital replicas opens up a realm of security, privacy and identity theft concerns. It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to foresee a world where scammers – who are already using AI to imitate the voices of loved-ones – could build personality deepfakes to imitate people online.

This is particularly concerning when you consider that the AI simulation agents were created in the study using just two hours of interview data. This is much less than the amount of information currently required by companies such as Tavus, which create digital twins based on a trove of user data.

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• The S25 Slim camera may be "stronger" than the standard S25
• There's still a lot of uncertainty around this model
• The standard Galaxy S25 may not get any significant camera upgrades

As rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S25 have increased in number, we've started to hear reports of an additional 'Slim' model in the pipeline – and this particular handset could be set for a major camera boost, according to a new leak.

Well-known tipster @UniverseIce says the Galaxy S25 Slim (as we'll call it for now) is going to have a camera setup that's "stronger than S25". That should add to its appeal, beyond being thinner and lighter than a regular Samsung Galaxy flagship phone.

In the same leak there's a reference to the Vivo X200 Pro mini, which has apparently been something of an inspiration for Samsung. That 6.31-inch Vivo phone is fitted with a big triple-lens 50MP+50MP+50MP rear camera around the back.

As our Samsung Galaxy S24 review will tell you, that handset has a triple-lens 50MP+10MP+12MP with 3x optical zoom capabilities. Based on previous rumors, the Galaxy S25 isn't going to be much of an improvement in the camera department.

Camera specs

The difference between Samsung Galaxy Slim and iPhone Slim models is that Samsung wants to make the camera stronger, stronger than S25, and more similar to the idea of vivo X200 Pro mini, not just thin and light.November 23, 2024

This isn't the first time we've heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim would offer a top-tier camera: the camera on this upcoming phone has previously been described as being on an "ultra" level – possibly a reference to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review goes into detail in terms of the rear camera setup on that phone: a quad-lens 200MP+10MP+50MP+12MP with a 5x optical zoom feature. Perhaps the 2025 Slim model will offer something similar.

The tipster behind this latest leak compares Samsung's approach to Apple's with the iPhone 17 Slim (or iPhone 17 Air) – with the rumored iPhone model, the focus is said to be on the thinner form factor, rather than any significant spec upgrades.

There has been talk that the Galaxy S25 Slim is just the Galaxy S25 FE – the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE – with a different name. However, a major camera upgrade would make this a more powerful (and expensive) proposition.

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• AI voice-clone scams are on the rise, according to security experts
• Voice-enabled AI models can be used to imitate loved ones
• Experts recommend agreeing a safe phrase with friends and family

The next spam call you receive might not be a real person – and your ear won’t be able to tell the difference. Scammers are using voice-enabled AI models to automate their fraudulent schemes, tricking individuals by imitating real human callers, including family members.

What are AI voice scams?

Scam calls aren't new, but AI-powered ones are a new dangerous breed. They use generative AI to imitate not just authorities or celebrities, but friends and family.

The arrival of AI models trained on human voices has unlocked a new realm of risk when it comes to phone scams. These tools, such as OpenAI’s voice API, support real-time conversation between a human and the AI model. With a small amount of code, these models can be programmed to execute phone scams automatically, encouraging victims to disclose sensitive information.

So how can you stay safe? What makes the threat so problematic is not just how easily and cheaply it can be deployed, but how convincing AI voices have become.

OpenAI faced backlash for its Sky voice option earlier this year, which sounded spookily like Scarlett Johansson, while Sir David Attenborough has described himself as “profoundly disturbed” by an AI voice clone which was indistinguishable from his real speech.

(Image credit: Getty Images / d3sign)

Just a few seconds of audio is enough to simulate the voice of a loved-one. This could easily be sourced form a video shared on social media.

Even tools designed to beat scammers demonstrate how blurred the lines have become. UK network O2 recently launched Daisy, an AI grandma designed to trap phone scammers in a time-wasting conversation, which they believe is with a real senior citizen. It’s a clever use of the technology, but also one that shows just how well AI can simulate human interactions.

Disturbingly, fraudsters can train AI voices based on very small audio samples. According to F-Secure, a cybersecurity firm, just a few seconds of audio is enough to simulate the voice of a loved-one. This could easily be sourced form a video shared on social media.

How AI voice-cloning scams work

The basic concept of a voice-clone scam is similar to standard phone scams: cybercriminals impersonate someone to gain the victim’s trust, then create a sense of urgency which encourages them to disclose sensitive information or transfer money to the fraudster.

The difference with voice-clone scams are two-fold. Firstly, the criminals can automate the process with code, allowing them to target more people, more quickly and for less money. Secondly, they are able to imitate not just authorities and celebrities, but people known directly to you.

All that’s required is an audio sample, which is usually taken from a video online. This is then analyzed by the AI model and imitated, allowing it to be used in deceptive interactions. One increasingly common technique is for the AI model to imitate a family member requesting money in an emergency.

The technology can also be used to simulate voices of high-profile individuals to manipulate victims. Scammers recently used an AI voice clone of Queensland Premier, Steven Miles, to try an execute an investment con.

How to stay safe from AI voice scams

According to Starling Bank, a digital lender, 28% of UK adults say they have been targeted by AI voice-clone scams, yet only 30% are confident that they’d know how to recognize one. That’s why Starling launched its Safe Phrases campaign, which encourages friends and family to agree a secret phrase which they can use to confirm each other’s identity – and that's a wise tactic.

TL;DR How to stay safe

(Image credit: Getty Images / Ronstick)

1. Agree a safe phrase with friends and family
2. Ask the caller to confirm some recent private information
3. Listen for uneven stresses on words or emotionless talk
4. Hang up and call the person back
5. Be wary of unusual requests, like requests for bank details

Even without a pre-agreed safe phrase, you can use a similar tactic if you’re ever in doubt as to the veracity of a caller’s identity. AI voice clones can imitate a person’s speech pattern, but they won’t necessarily have access to private information. Asking the caller to confirm something that only they would know, such as information shared in the last conversation you had, is one step closer to certainty.

Trust your ear as well. While AI voice clones are very convincing, they aren’t 100% accurate. Listen for tell-tale signs such as uneven stresses on certain words, emotionless expression or slurring.

Scammers have the ability to mask the number they’re calling from and may even appear to be calling from your friend’s number. If you’re ever in doubt, the safest thing you can do is hang up and call the person back on the usual number you have for them.

Voice-clone scams also rely on the same tactics as traditional phone scams. These tactics aim to apply emotional pressure and create a sense of urgency, to force you into taking an action your otherwise wouldn’t. Be alert to these and be wary of unusual requests, especially when it relates to making a money transfer.

The same red flags apply to callers claiming to be from your bank or another authority. It pays to be familiar with the procedures used by your bank when contacting you. Starling, for example, has a call status indicator in its app, which can you check at any time to see if the bank is genuinely calling you.

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Science fiction promised us robot butlers, but it seems they rather fancy themselves as artists instead. And who can blame them? On November 7, a painting of the mathematician Alan Turing by an AI-powered robot called Ai-Da sold at auction for a cool $1,084,000 (around £865,000). That's a more appealing lifestyle than having to sprint around a Boston Dynamics assault course.

The Sotheby's auction house said Ai-Da is "the first humanoid robot artist to have an artwork sold at auction." It probably also set the record the most online grumbling about a painting, which is understandable – after all, shouldn't robots be sweeping up and making the tea, while we artfully dab at the canvases?

The Ai-Da robot (seen here standing in front of her record-setting 'AI God' painting) uses a combination of cameras in her eyes, AI algorithms, and a robotic arm to make her artworks. (Image credit: Ai-Da)

Naturally, the Ai-Da robot and its maker Aidan Meller don't agree that art should be ring-fenced by humans. As Marvin from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy once noted: "Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they ask me to take you down to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction? ’Cos I don’t.”

But rather than rely on Douglas Adams to fill in the blanks, we asked Ai-Da and Meller what they'd say to those who are skeptical about AI-generated art – and what the landmark 'A.I. God' painting means for the future of creativity...

The latest 'non-artist'

Ai-Da herself usually prefers to let her art do the talking. When we asked her why she paints her answer was: "The key value of my work is in its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies".

Fortunately, her creator Aidan Meller, a gallerist and veteran of the art world, was more forthcoming on why team Ai-Da doesn't think the painting or her work should be considered a threat to human artists.

"Contemporary art has always provoked discussions about what art is and Ai-Da and her work is no different," Meller told us. "Just her existence is quite controversial for the art world," he added. Given the reaction to the 'A.I. God' painting, her presence is also pretty controversial for amateur artists, too.

Meller prefers to see Ai-Da as the natural successor to the artistic disruptors of the past. "History is littered with artists that society called “non-artists”. Everyone from Picasso to Matisse challenged people’s idea of what art was during their time. Because it didn’t fit into their conception of what art should be," he told us.

The heart of the project is a robot artist that explores the impact new technologies are having on society.

Aidan Meller, Ai-Da Project Director

"Duchamp challenged the idea of what art could be by putting a urinal in an art gallery and changed the future of art. The Ai-Da Robot challenges the idea of what an artist can be, by creating art using AI technology and creative agency," he added.

But how exactly is AI art created, in Ai-Da's case, and are humanoid robots a necessary part of it gaining mainstream acceptance? After all, there's a difference between hitting the 'create' button in the best AI art generators and seeing a robot physically apply strokes to a canvas.

Who's really holding the brush?

In reality, Ai-Da's work is a collaboration between AI, robots and humans, with the latter still a very necessary part of the process. "We had a discussion with Ai-Da about what she might paint in relation to the concept of “AI for Good”, and she came up with Alan Turing," Meller explained.

"We then showed Ai-Da Robot an image of Alan Turning, which Ai-Da responded to by creating the artwork. She painted 15 images of Alan Turing and then selected three to be combined together to form A.I. God," he added.

A combination of Ai-Da and human artists apply the finishing textures to her artworks – which means she is very much a "machine-human collaboration", as her creators describe her. (Image credit: Ai-Da)

Those three portraits were uploaded to a computer and then printed on a canvas, with Ai-Da then applying marks and textures to finish the painting. Some final bits of texture were added by human assistants, in the parts of the canvas where Ai-Da couldn't reach.

The finished artwork has more in common with Warhol's 'Factory' process, then, rather than a decade-long Da Vinci masterpiece. But what does this all mean for the future of art?

The $1 million question

Ai-Da's creator definitely isn't on the side of the AI cynics like Linux founder Linus Torvalds, who recently slammed AI as "90% marketing and 10% reality".

History is littered with artists that society called “non-artists”. Everyone from Picasso to Matisse challenged people’s idea of what art was during their time.

Aidan Meller, Ai-Da Project Director

"I think the response to the painting at auction shows that people understand the importance and power of AI in how it is shaping the world we live in and all of our futures," Aidan Meller said. "The auction shows that AI is on the rise and it is going to change society enormously".

The painting's landmark price tag, which shattered its pre-auction estimate of around around $120,000-$180,000 (£100,00-£150,000) suggests something has shifted in art collecting, too.

"I think it does also mean that the art world is beginning to accept that AI art is here to stay. It also shows that creativity comes in many forms and that AI has the ability to be creative and to add value to the world," Meller added.

Ai-Da has also perfected the artful side-glance pose perfected by artists over the decades. (Image credit: Ai-Da)

That last point is up for debate and will likely remain so indefinitely. The makers of the popular digital art app Procreate, for example, recently said it will never embrace generative AI. In fact, they went a bit harder than that, with CEO James Cuda stating: "I really f***ing hate generative AI. I don’t like what’s happening in the industry and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists."

Clearly, Ai-Da and her process is few steps beyond the basic generative AI we're seeing bolted onto consumer apps, but it could be a tough battle to win over skeptics. Then again, Ai-Da's creator says the point of the robot is to stimulate debate rather than convince you to swap sides...

The 'fourth industrial revolution'

For many, Ai-Da herself is the art story rather than the $1 million painting she co-created. That's something Meller echoed when we asked him why Ai-Da was created in the first place.

"The key value of Ai-Da as a robot artist is not necessarily in acceptance, but in the capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies," he said. Clearly, the art world thinks there's a monetary value in the results produced by the project, but Meller thinks it goes beyond that.

(Image credit: Ai-Da)

"One purpose of contemporary art is to ask questions of our time and to challenge the status quo, creating debate," he said. "So art created by an AI-powered robot was a good platform to engage audiences into a discussion around the ethical issues surrounding the development of AI technology and our response as a society."

When sat-nav came out, we didn't quite trust it, but now we wouldn't go anywhere without it. AI has infiltrated every part of our lives.

Aidan Meller, Ai-Da Project Director

Ai-Da herself isn't new – we first covered the portrait artist back in 2019 – but the rapid development of AI models has helped transform her skills and make her the face of a hot debate that is sparking controversies on a weekly basis. And Meller admits that Ai-Da is as much as a conduit for debate as an established artist.

"We are currently going through the fourth Industrial revolution, and this is resulting in extreme shifts in both technology and human behavior globally," he said. "So the heart of the project is a robot artist that explores the impact new technologies are having on society".

Art vs sat-navs

The core of the Ai-Da debate revolves around the question of whether there's something unique, even sacrosanct, about art.

For many, art is a communication between humans – the creator and audience – which gives AI-driven art a hollow air of meaninglessness. But Meller disagrees, seeing Ai-Da's approach as the latest development of how humans are using technology.

"Many people look at Ai-Da and think about her being an AI-powered robot, but in many ways humans are becoming more robotic in our use of technology," he said. "We are transferring our decision-making and our agency onto machines, and in lots of ways as humans we are merging with machines and becoming cyborgs ourselves" he observed, pointing to smartphones as the obvious example.

"When sat-nav came out, we didn't quite trust it, but now we wouldn't go anywhere without it. AI has infiltrated every part of our lives, from what work we will do, what news we watch, what kind of partner we have, what kind of baby even we might want to have," he added. "By painting this picture of Alan Turing, Ai-Da Robot is really digging into all of these big ethical issues."

We've been here before

While some will flinch at parallels being drawn between sat-navs and paintings, there's no doubt Ai-Da has succeeded in reviving a debate that's as old as at art itself.

The key value of my work is in its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies.

Ai-Da

The obvious example is the invention of photography in the mid-1800s, which shocked painters who dismissed the mechanized 'imitation' of their painterly hand as an art form.

Ultimately, photography and art learned to not only co-exist, but to develop a symbiotic relationship. The French painter Degas was influenced by photography, while holding a contempt for the commercialized industry it became. As 'pictorialist' photographers sought to imitate traditional watercolors, painters moved towards impressionism.

(Image credit: Ai-Da)

Will AI-driven art and human artists do the same, rather than seeking to extinguish each other? History would suggest so. Whatever the financial or artistic merits of the 'A.I. God' painting, it's certainly a lightning rod for debate – and whichever side of the debate you're on, it's one that's worth engaging in.

As the Hungarian artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy said in the early 1900s, "anyone who fails to understand photography will be one of the illiterates of the future". AI-driven art is clearly here to stay and, while we may eventually get our robot butlers, it'll probably pay to engage with, rather than dismiss, their artistic cousins in the meantime.

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*Contains spoilers for Spellbound*

I was left surprisingly moved after watching Netflix’s newest animated adventure Spellbound. It's no surprise that these types of films often explore deep emotional themes, but Spellbound has an incredibly touching message that many families will appreciate.

Spellbound is a perfect family-friendly film that unravels nicely without surprising anyone. So you can understand my shock when I left the Spellbound screening with a tear in my eye as I discovered that this wasn't just your average kids movie - it actually serves a very important purpose, in helping children understand divorce in a positive way.

Spellbound follows Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), the spritely young daughter of King Solon (Javier Bardem) and Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) of Lumbria, as she goes on an adventure to break the spell that has turned her parents into monsters. It may sound like the plot of your average children's fantasy, but the film is brimming with metaphors about separation, grief, and family that you don't even realize until towards the end.

A traditional fairy tale with a modern twist

In Spellbound, 15-year-old Ellian has been forced to become a caregiver to her own parents as they've become a pair of rambunctious monsters causing havoc in the castle that’s the family’s home. While trying to tame her rollicking royals and hide their unfortunate transformation from their subjects, she also has to assume other adult responsibilities like ruling the kingdom alone with the guidance of Minister Bolinar (John Lithgow) and Minister Nazara Prone (Jenifer Lewis). After Ellian summons two magical Oracles for help, the wisecracking pair tell her that the King and Queen have "lost their light" and she must venture into the Dark Forest to the Lake of Light and get it back.

What follows is a magical, musical delight that's straight out of a Disney adventure with its bright, imaginative world and weird and wonderful creatures that reminded me of my favorite Disney story Tangled. Ellian's quest isn't all song and dance though, as she and her monster parents must avoid being swallowed by The Darkness, a black tornado that consumes people's negative emotions and transforms them into a monster. This means the trio need to stay upbeat, which is a tall order given the King and Queen’s constant bickering and disagreements when they remember how to talk again, the spell having robbed them of the power of speech.

The obligatory happy ending appears to be on the horizon when they reach the Lake of Light - but this isn’t your traditional fairy tale. As the King and Queen step into the golden shimmering pool, it's revealed that their fractured marriage is the cause of their transformation. The couple’s continuous quarreling is the reason why The Darkness came and turned them into monsters, a clever metaphor for how destructive and transformative a broken relationship can be on a family.

Once the King and Queen realize the detrimental effect their marital issues are having on their daughter, they make the decision to separate. Unfortunately, this revelation sends Ellian into a spiral of anger, despair and resentment that’s heartbreaking to watch. Even though I haven't gone through this experience, I instantly empathized with the sense of devastation, betrayal, and inner turmoil that many children go through when their parents divorce. Ellian's woe soon attracts the wrath of The Darkness and her parents put aside their differences, and join forces to save their daughter before she's turned into a monster herself. Ultimately, thanks to her parents’ endless reassurance, comfort and love, Ellian comes to terms with their divorce, and goes back to being the happy girl she was before.

Divorce can bring huge changes to a child’s life that can feel like the world is ending. But this potential best Netflix movie approaches the topic with a positive mindset in a way that can help children cope with divorce and explore their emotions. It's an important message that I'm sure kids and adults will benefit from, and Spellbound will definitely make you shed a tear or two, even if you haven't experienced a life-changing event like this.

Spellbound is available to stream on the best streaming service from November 22.

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Slow Horses season 5: key information

- Season 5 wrapped production in October 2024
- No official release date yet
- Teaser trailer unveiled after season 4 finale
- Main cast returning
- Plot to follow Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ novel
- Season 6 already renewed
- Showrunner Will Smith hints at a potential Slough House spin-off

Apple TV Plus’ gritty spy thriller, Slow Horses, has impressed viewers with its action-packed scenes, gripping drama, and incredible acting. It’s one of the longest-running Apple Originals and an Emmy-nominated TV show for good reason and there's more to come as Jackson Lamb and his Slough House team are set to return for season 5.

The fact that Slow Horses has so far managed to release a new season every year is a wildly impressive feat in today’s streaming landscape and they’re clearly not stopping anytime soon. Slow Horses season 4 has secured a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and season 5 is already well on the way. Here’s everything we know about it so far from the Apple TV Plus release date, trailer, possible plot, and more news and rumors.

Potential spoilers follow for Slow Horses season 1-4. This is your fair warning.

Slow Horses season 5 release date prediction

‘SLOW HORSES’ season 5 has wrapped production.Season 4 aired its final episode last week. pic.twitter.com/pSao2Sx89uOctober 13, 2024

Apple TV Plus renewed Slow Horses for a fifth season back in January 2024. And, in October, a X/Twitter post from FilmUpdates revealed that season 5 had already wrapped production, just ten months after renewal.

To back this up, during an interview with Collider in early October, showrunner Will Smith said: “We've nearly done Season 5. We've got a couple of days to finish off on it, but we're already into the edit, so it's coming. Don't worry, it's coming. Not as quick as you want, but it's coming.”

When asked when it would be out, Smith replied: “I genuinely don't know the answer as to when it's gonna be out, but I can't imagine that Apple would want to leave it longer than a year since Season 4. So, the latest it would be out, I would say, would be the same slot next year.” And Apple certainly haven't left it longer than a year so far.

Slow Horses has demonstrated an impressive release schedule, dropping a season every year since 2022 – and season 1 and 2 even came out in the same year. So, given that season 5 has wrapped production and was reportedly in edit in October, we’d make a release date prediction of mid-to-late 2025.

Slow Horses season 5 trailer

The teaser trailer for Slow Horses season 5 isn't available on YouTube (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

In what appears to be establishing itself as a Slow Horses tradition, there was a season 5 teaser trailer shared at the end of the season 4 finale.

In less than a minute, someone tries to kill Roddy, a terrorist plot threatens London, and once again, the police turn to Lamb to help them predict the next move. Plus, an unknown killing, although if Slow Horses’ history is anything to go by, it could be anyone – no cast member is safe. We’ll get into more about what the teaser trailer alludes to when it comes to plot below, and we'll update here as soon as we have a full trailer to share.

Slow Horses season 5 confirmed cast

Kristin Scott Thomas will reprise her role as Diana Taverner (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Full spoilers follow for Slow Horses season 4.

Given who we saw in the season 5 teaser, here’s the confirmed cast for Slow Horses season 5:

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
• Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
• Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish
• Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander
• Rosaline Eleazar as Louisa Guy
• Ruth Bradly as Emma Flyte
• James Callis as Claude Whelan
• Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe

While there wasn’t any sign of Joanna Scanlan (Moira Tregorian), Hugo Weaving (Frank Harkness), or Jonathan Pryce (David Cartwright), we’re not yet sure if they’ll be reprising their roles. Though Smith hinted at a highly possible return of Hugo Weaving, when speaking to Collider: “All I can say is that Hugo's character reappears in the books. That’s the only tantalizing glimpse I can give you of that.”

Slow Horses season 5 potential plot synopsis and rumors

How much more complicated can things get for River? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Major spoilers follow for Slow Horses seasons 1-4.

Slow Horses season 5 is confirmed to be an adaptation of Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ novel, the sequel to ‘Spook Street’ which acted as the basis for season 4.

To get a strong look at the possible plot for season 5 then, here’s the book’s official synopsis: “Regent's Park's First Desk, Claude Whelan, is learning this the hard way. Tasked with protecting a beleaguered prime minister, he's facing attack from all directions himself: from the showboating MP who orchestrated the Brexit vote, and now has his sights set on Number Ten; from the showboat's wife, a tabloid columnist, who's crucifying Whelan in print; and especially from his own deputy, Lady Di Taverner, who's alert for Claude's every stumble. Meanwhile, the country's being rocked by an apparently random string of terror attacks, and someone's trying to kill Roddy Ho.

Over at Slough House, the crew are struggling with personal problems: repressed grief, various addictions, retail paralysis, and the nagging suspicion that their newest colleague is a psychopath. But collectively, they're about to rediscover their greatest strength - that of making a bad situation much, much worse. It's a good job Jackson Lamb knows the rules. Because those things aren't going to break themselves.”

The Slough House team get another chance to redeem themselves (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

From the season 5 trailer, we know that much of the show will stay true to the book. We also catch a glimpse of most of the main cast to confirm their return to Slough House, and there's an awkward kiss between River and Louisa that we're keen to unpack.

Following suit with the previous seasons, Slow Horses always runs for six episodes with the plot spanning the events of two or three days. It appears with season 5, they’ll be sticking to this tried-and-tested method, as Smith spoke to Collider: “You feel if you stretch it beyond that — I mean, you can invent — I worry it would feel like padding, and it would take you away from what is great about the books. So, six, I think, is the magic number.”

Will Hugo return as Frank in Slow Horses season 5? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

In season 4, River met his biological father, Jack (Hugo Weaving), which only looked to strengthen his relationship with Lamb. But what about more from Frank? Well, the man himself spoke to Forbes, further confirming a reappearance: "You probably know that Frank is in one of the other books, and so the assumption is at the end of this season, and certainly to anyone who had read the books, is that Frank will be coming back.”

He adds: "Frank gets to play his Get Out of Jail Free card, which he has had all along because he knows that MI5 and David Cartwright tried to set him up. He knows he's got that, so he can say that fabulous line, 'I'll get the next train.' He can be that sort of a character because he actually is a survivor and excellently slippery."

With the book synopsis and teaser trailer as a starting point, it's fair to say the core plot is etched out. But, for those who haven't read the books, and with the unique additions of the cast & crew, Slow Horses will undoubtedly bring twists and turns that we didn't see coming.

Will Slow Horses get more seasons on Apple TV Plus?

Who's that calling? It's Slow Horses season 6 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Slow Horses has already been renewed for season 6, so yes there’s most definitely more to come. As reported by Deadline, season 6 will be based on Mick Herron’s ‘Joe Country’ and ‘Slough House’ which are the sixth and seventh books in the series. Adding: “In season 6, the spies head out on the run as Diana Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge.”

While season 6 will take its plot from two novels, that leaves only one behind in the series. Though, according to Smith when speaking to Collider, Herron is working on book nine.

Furthermore, Smith adds that there’s interest from his perspective in a spin-off, “I do think, though, there’s a great book he wrote, the last book that came out, which is in the Slough House universe, and Slow Horses do come into it, which is called The Secret Hours. That could be a movie or a more limited number just because of the nature of that story.”

When asked about the potential for a Christmas special, Smith said: “Gary and Gisele [Schmidt], his wife, had a fantastic idea that I loved, which was to do a Slow Horses advent calendar where we did 25 little films, and you kind of went in each day like an advent calendar, but you could dot around the timeline.

So, you could maybe do one where Min was still alive, and you could just go in and have these little vignettes. I've also spoken to Gary about, “What do you think Lamb's Christmas is like, his actual Christmas Day? Where's he going?” We think he probably goes to the pub on his own. But that would be a great thing to do.” We didn’t have Slow Horses advent calendar on our 2024 bingo card, but we’re certainly here for it.

For more Apple TV Plus show-related coverage, read our guides on Ted Lasso season 4 and Severance season 2.

• Phison announces 122.88TB PCIe Gen5 Pascari D205V SSD
• Delivers 14,600 MB/s reads, 3,200 MB/s writes
• Includes Power Loss Protection, 128 namespaces, 2.5M-hour MTBF

Phison has announced the Pascari D205V SSD, the first PCIe Gen5 data center-class SSD with a huge 122.88TB capacity.

The drive, set to be showcased at SC24, is designed to address the growing demands of modern data centers, where increasing data volumes require efficient storage solutions. It is tailored for high-demand environments, including AI, media and entertainment, and research.

The D205V is equipped with PCIe 5.0x4 (single port) or PCIe 5.0 2x2 (dual port) connectivity and supports NVMe 2.0, ISE, TCG Opal, and NVMe-MI standards. It also features Power Loss Protection (PLP), 128 namespaces, and a durability rating of 0.3 DWPD, with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 2.5 million hours.

U.2 and E3.L form factors

The new drive offers 122.88TB of usable storage, providing a four-to-one capacity advantage over traditional cold storage drives. Phison says the D205V combines the company’s industry-leading X2 controller and the latest 2Tb 3D QLC technology to deliver sequential read speeds reaching up to 14,600 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3,200 MB/s. The drive also supports random read performance of up to 3,000K IOPS (4K) and random write performance of up to 35K IOPS (16K).

Phison told TechRadar Pro: "We were originally going to have 122.88 under D200V but created D205V for 122.88TB. D200V caps at 61.22TB. To be clear, the D205V is 122.88TB and we will ensure the website is corrected. "

The Pascari D205V is available for preorder, with shipments expected in Q2 2025. It will be offered in the U.2 and E3.L form factors. No word on pricing at the moment.

“With the acceleration in AI training and data-intensive workloads, there has been a tangible shift to a future-forward focus on storage as a critical component in capturing necessary volume to support data quality and integrity," said Michael Wu, General Manager and President of Phison US.

"With today’s launch, each drive maximizes capacity while reducing power, space, and cooling constraints to minimize bottlenecks for transformative use cases. Customers can essentially push past previous infrastructure barriers to continue to scale as the market demands.”

The drive’s enhanced capacity per watt and support for larger datasets make it a good fit for organizations looking to scale their infrastructure while maintaining cost efficiency and minimizing physical footprint.

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