TechRadar News

• The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 are due in July
• We might have to wait longer for the cheaper Galaxy Z Flip FE
• The phone could feature the Exynos 2500 chip

Samsung has got a host of foldable phones in the wings ready for later this year, but it's not clear exactly when we're going to be able to get our hands on them – and a fresh rumor suggests the Galaxy Z Flip FE could be the phone we're waiting the longest for.

According to South Korean outlet The Bell (via 9to5Google), the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE – believed to be a cheaper flip phone option – is going to launch several months after the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, expected in July.

The main problem, as per the report, is that Samsung is struggling to make enough chips for the foldable. The company is said to be aiming to get its own Exynos 2500 chip inside the Galaxy Z Flip FE, but issues are continuing with production.

Those same production issues are reportedly part of the reason that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series went all-in with Qualcomm chips. The Exynos slices of silicon missed out with those flagship phones, and it looks as though they may miss out again with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Display and specs

The cover display on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Samsung)

While Samsung continues to toil away on Exynos 2500 production, it sounds as though the development of the Exynos 2600 is now well underway too (something that's been previously rumored). Samsung's aim is to make sure this next series is ready for the Samsung Galaxy S26 line-up.

In years past, Samsung has mixed up the chipsets used in its phones, depending on region and model: the Exynos chips are cheaper for Samsung to include, though they typically don't quite match the power of the Qualcomm Snapdragon alternatives.

As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE, we're anticipating that it's going to come with the same display as the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but a less powerful camera and overall specs. The phone has even been teased early by Samsung itself.

However, none of this is certain yet – Samsung's plans remain up in the air for its 2025 release schedule. Well-known tipster @MaxJmb suggests the Galaxy Z Flip FE may indeed launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, most probably in July.

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• Flashpoint report outlines a rise in stolen credentials and data breaches in 2024
• Over 3.2 billion credentials were compromised in 2024
• Profits from these attacks are fueling the cyber threat landscape

Over 3.2 billion credentials were compromised in 2024, new research has claimed, with these details then used to ‘fuel a number of illegal campaigns’.

Flashpoint’s Global Threat Intelligence Report said the figure represents a 33% spike year-on-year, and of these stolen credentials, an overwhelming 75% of these were obtained through information stealing malware, or ‘infostealers’ - which have now infected over 23 million devices worldwide. The most prolific of these is Redline - infecting 9.9 million hosts in 2024.

Unsurprisingly, 2024 saw a rise in ransomware attacks, with Flashpoint identifying a 10% increase across all sectors, adding to the 84% increase from the previous year - reinforcing reports that 2024 was the worst year for ransomware on record.

A resilient market

When ransomware and infostealer groups are disrupted, the market bounces back remarkably quickly, with new groups and malware strains emerging - indicating a “highly adaptable and resilient threat landscape”.

This makes life much more difficult for security teams and law enforcement, so robust threat monitoring and adaptability will be key for cybersecurity going forward.

A key takeaway from the report is the increase in data breach activity, with 6,670 publicly reported data breaches in 2024 - responsible for the exposure of over 16.8 billion records - putting organizations, customers, and users at risk, and funding cybercriminal organizations around the world.

“We live in interesting times, where technology is both a blessing and a curse,” said Ian Gray, VP of Intelligence at Flashpoint.

“The cybersecurity community will find new challenges in AI-augmented attacks, expanding attack surfaces, and increasingly sophisticated social engineering. Threat actors will find not just the opportunities they seek, but also the heightened scrutiny, improved defenses leveraging AI-tools shepherded by human intelligence, coordinated law enforcement actions, and inevitable consequences that follow.“

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• A German promotional video for the Google Pixel 9a has leaked
• Numerous promo images have also been shared by a leaker
• Between them they reveal numerous likely specs and features of the phone

It’s hard to believe that there’s anything left to leak about the Google Pixel 9a, as in the last couple of weeks we’ve seen specs lists, pictures, and even videos emerge. But now, some seemingly official promotional materials have leaked, in both picture and video form.

First up, there’s a short promo video shared by reputable leaker Roland Quandt on Bluesky. The video is in German, but it provides a good look at the phone, complete with its widely rumored new camera design.

The video is particularly focused on showing off the Google Pixel 9a’s AI skills, including the presence of Gemini, and Google’s Add Me feature, which lets you combine multiple group photos so the photographer can also be in the shot.

9a pic.twitter.com/MKPoqNW3eEMarch 18, 2025

Next up, leaker @MysteryLupin has shared several promotional images showing the Pixel 9a and highlighting various specs and features. Those features include photography tools like Macro Focus mode and Best Take, the latter of which merges multiple group photos to get the best combination of facial expressions.

The images also mention other existing Pixel features, like various theft protection tools and Call Screen.

A long-lasting battery and drop protection

On the specs side, there’s apparently a 6.3-inch screen, a Tensor G4 chipset, 8GB of RAM, a 48MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide one, a 13MP front-facing camera, and the promise of over 30 hours of battery life. The images also mention water resistance and “enhanced drop protection.” We've largely heard this stuff before, but 30-hour battery life sounds promising.

Finally, the Pixel 9a apparently comes in Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white), Peony (pink), and Iris (blue) shades.

As ever we’d take these leaks with a pinch of salt, but not only do they come from reputable sources, they also look very convincing, so we expect these are genuine promotional materials.

We should find out very soon, as leaks suggest the Google Pixel 9a could land later today (March 19), so stay tuned for all the official details.

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• The iPhone 17 Air will come with MagSafe, according to a new leak
• This is Apple’s magnetic charging tech that snaps your phone into place
• A leaked image of an iPhone 17 Air case has also surfaced

For months now, we’ve been hearing rumors that Apple will soon release an ultra-thin iPhone supposedly dubbed the iPhone 17 Air. Now, a new rumor has emerged regarding the device, and it’s good news for fans of wireless charging.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station on Chinese social media site Weibo, the iPhone 17 Air will support Apple’s MagSafe technology. This ensures optimal wireless charging efficiency by magnetically snapping the back of your iPhone to the charging puck.

Digital Chat Station used its post to back up rumors posted by leaker Sonny Dickson over the past weekend. Writing on Weibo, Digital Chat Station said that “The whole series has MagSafe,” referring to the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, which would include the iPhone 17 Air should Apple unveil that phone.

That stands in contrast to the iPhone 16e, which came without MagSafe functionality when it launched. That was presumably to help keep the cost down, but with the iPhone 17 Air expected to be a mid-range phone when it arrives, that concern is presumably less pressing for Apple.

iPhone 17 Air case leaks out

(Image credit: TechRadar)

This isn't the only iPhone 17 leak we’ve recently come across. The aforementioned Sonny Dickson has posted a new photo of a case which they claim has been made specifically for the iPhone 17 Air. It features a clear back shell, and a large horizontal cutout for the camera and rear sensors.

Posting on X, Dickson said that “If you didn’t know an Air was coming, you’d swear it was a Google Pixel case.” Google’s Pixel phones have a horizontal bar along the back that houses the camera array, and multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 17 Air will adopt a similar look.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 Air alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 range at an event in September. Until then, we can’t be sure exactly what that device will include; but if the latest rumors are true, both MagSafe and the horizontal camera bar could be ticked off your bingo card.

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• Google has shared 6 health AI updates at its annual event The Check Up
• It is improving AI Search results for health queries, and helping researchers parse large volumes of literature
• It has also created a model that could improve AI-powered drug discovery

At its annual The Check Up event, Google has shared six ways it says it's using AI to improve health care and advances in medicine and science.

The company claims "AI can lead to scientific progress and cutting-edge products that help improve health outcomes for people all around the world." While some of the benefits of tools like Gemini are much more obvious when it comes to sifting through emails or doing research, the medical application can appear less obvious, although no less exciting.

Here are the six developments the company shared, including one that I think might cause some concern.

1. AI Overviews Search improvements

(Image credit: Google)

The first development is a change to Google's AI Overviews in Search, which I believe will have the biggest day-to-day impact on Google users and should be treated with the most caution.

Google says Search and AI Overviews "to find credible and relevant information about health, from common illnesses to rare conditions," and that it's improving the AI Overview results on health topics to be "so they’re more relevant, comprehensive and continue to meet a high bar for clinical factuality."

The change is a new What people suggest section. "While people come to Search to find reliable medical information from experts, they also value hearing from others who have similar experiences," Google says.

To that end, AI will organize different perspectives from online discussions to help you sift through helpful experiences from people in similar situations. The example Google uses is a person dealing with arthritis who might want to know how other people with the condition exercise.

Obviously, there's the potential for misinformation to surface here. Google's image includes a disclaimer that the results are "for informational purposes only" and suggests consulting a medical professional for advice or diagnosis.

As with everything you read on Google, a level of caution and discernment is required, all of this information already exists on the internet, Google is just trying to make the helpful stuff easier to find. Real-world results will determine whether or not it's successful.

2. Medical Records changes

Google has also launched a new Medical Records API globally in Health Connect, which lets apps read and write medical record information like allergies and medications in a standard format that you can share with your doctor's office.

3. Pixel Watch 3 Loss of Pulse Detection

Announced last month, the Pixel Watch 3, one of the best Android smartwatches, is getting Loss of Pulse Detection in the US at the end of March. The tool can automatically call emergency services and notify people close by if your heart stops beating.

4. AI co-scientist

Google's recently launched AI co-scientist can help researchers "parse large volumes of scientific literature and generate high-quality, novel hypotheses." Google says the tool won't automate the scientific process but is designed "to help experts uncover new ideas and accelerate their work." The company says it's already being used in Imperial College London and Stanford.

5. TxGemma

Google has launched a new collection of Gemma-based models it hopes "will help improve the efficiency of AI-powered drug discovery." The AI can "understand regular text and the structures of different therapeutic entities, like small molecules, chemicals, and proteins," which means researchers can use it to predict how safe or effective new therapies and drugs might be.

6. Cancer treatment

Finally, Google highlighted how it's helping a hospital in the Netherlands develop an AI tool that can "accelerate the identification of personalized cancer treatments by combining vast public medical data and de-identified patient data." It can reportedly generate "summaries of treatment options and relevant medical publications," giving Doctors more time to focus on patient care.

The efficacy and reach of all of these initiatives remain to be seen, but Google's update is a clear sign that as AI continues to permeate the world around us, its advance into every facet of life including medicine appears inevitable. With lives at stake and patient well-being on the line, getting it right is more important than ever, but the rewards for success are also infinitely greater.

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• Ransomware operators Babuk adds Orange to their data leak site
• They claim to have broken into Orange in mid-March 2024, stealing sensitive data
• Researchers believe there is merit to the claims

Telecom giant Orange has reportedly again been hit by a ransomware attack after cybercriminal organization Babuk posted a data sample on its website, claiming proof of a successful breach at the company.

The group claims to have broken into Orange on Sunday, March 16, stealing “all information related to orange.com and orange.ro from Romania.”

“We will publish 1TB if they do not want to negotiate with us,” Babuk apparently said on its website. “And there is still a lot more that we stole, the sample is not much.”

"Very detailed information"

Babuk is not as popular as LockBit, or RansomHub, but it’s still a major ransomware player, who allegedly claimed 60 victims this year alone. It’s been around for years, although with long periods of inactivity.

If the group is telling the truth, they stole 4.5TB of “very detailed information”, including email addresses, customer records, source code, internal documents, invoices, contracts, projects, tickets, user data, employee data, messages, credit cards, call logs, and other personally identifiable information (PII) among the stolen data.

Researchers from Cybernews reviewed the sample posted on the website and say the claims “might be credible.”

“The threat actor uploaded a 6.44GB Orange data sample with thousands of Orange internal documents,” Cybernews explained. “Some files include employee data, like names, usernames, email addresses, and time zones, as well as a list of various Jira projects related to the Orange.ro domain.”

In late February, Orange Group confirmed suffering a cyberattack, but said at the time it was still looking into claims of valuable data being stolen. This attack was claimed by a member of the HellCat ransomware application, who also stole data belonging to Orange Romania.

Orange has not yet made any statement on the attack, but has been contacted for comment.

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As data centers push for higher data throughput and reduced latency, many are transitioning from hard disk drives (HDDs) in their servers to solid-state drives. This shift aims to boost performance, increase efficiency and cut operating costs. But not all SSDs are built the same, making it key to select the right type for enterprise and other environments.

SSD classes are distinguished by the two main components: the flash storage controller and the non-volatile NAND flash memory used to store data.

In today’s market, SSD and NAND flash memory consumption are split into three main groups:

• Consumer devices (tablets, cameras, mobile phones)
• Client systems (found in personal computers such as notebooks, desktop computers, and Ultrabooks)
• Enterprise computing platforms (HPC, data center servers)

Choosing the right SSD for enterprise use involves more than simply replacing HDDs. SSDs come in various form factors (such as 2.5") and interfaces including Serial ATA (SATA), Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and the newer NVMe PCIe which directly connects storage to the server’s CPU.

Despite their ease of deployment, not every SSD is suitable in the long term for enterprise workloads, and the cost of making the wrong – or cheapest – choice can lead to premature wear, inconsistent write performance and increased latency.

To guide the selection process, let’s explore the three key characteristic that separate enterprise-grade SSDs from their client-class counterparts: performance, reliability and endurance.

1. Performance

Enterprise SSDs are designed to provide sustained high-speed read and write operations for both sequential and random data requests from the CPU through multi-channel architecture and parallel access from the SSD’s controller to the NAND flash chips.

In environments handling complex workloads like real-time data analysis, CAD collaborations or global banking transactions, the storage devices must deliver low latency and simultaneous multi-client data access without any degradation in response time. User productivity is a direct result of low latency.

Client applications involve only single users or application access with a higher tolerable delta between the minimum and maximum response time (or latency) on any user or system actions.

SSDs used in complex storage arrays, such as Network Attached Storage, Direct Attached Storage or Storage Area Network can also be negatively impacted by mismatched performance, causing problems with the storage array latency, the ability to sustain performance and, of course, quality of service as perceived by users.

Unlike client SSDs, enterprise SSDs use multi-channel architectures and parallel NAND access to maintain peak and steady-state performance, ensuring consistent quality of service (QoS) even during traffic surges.

2. Reliability

NAND flash memory, though fast, comes with inherent limitations such as finite life expectancy (as NAND flash cells wear during repeated writes) and natural error rates. Enterprise SSDs combat this with advanced Error Correction Code (ECC) mechanisms to manage bit errors and maintain data integrity.

The SSD controller’s ability to correct bit errors can be interpreted by the Uncorrectable Bit Error Ratio (UBER), “a metric for data corruption rate equal to the number of data errors per bit read after applying any specified error-correction method”, as defined by the industry standards association, JEDEC. Enterprise class SSDs differ from client-class SSDs in terms of their ability to support heavier write workloads, more extreme environmental conditions and to recover from a higher Bit Error Ratio than a client SSD.

To further enhance reliability, enterprise SSDs often integrate end-to-end data protection. This ensures data accuracy as it moves between the host and NAND storage, using parity data and redundancy checks to recover corrupted data blocks. In these SSDs, periodic checkpoint creation, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and ECC error correction are also implemented in an end-to-end internal protection scheme to ensure the integrity of data from the host through the flash and back to the host.

SSDs can incorporate physical circuitry for power loss detection that manages power storage capacitors on the SSDs. This allows the capacitor to complete pending writes during sudden outages, adding another layer of security. Power loss protection (PLP) circuitry is usually required for applications where data loss is not recoverable.

There are environments in which the use of software-defined storage or server clustering can cut the need for hardware-based power fail support as any data is replicated onto a separate and independent storage device on a different server or servers. Web-scale data centers often dispense with power fail support using software defined storage to RAID servers to store redundant copies of the same data.

3. Endurance

Endurance reflects how long an SSD can reliably handle data writes. NAND Flash cells degrade with each program or erase (P/E) cycle until they are unable to store data accurately. When this happens, the degraded block is removed from the user addressable storage pool and the logical block address (or LBA) is moved to a new physical address on the NAND Flash storage array.

A new storage block is used to replace the bad one on the SSD. This also means that the Bit Error Ratio rises, resulting in a set of management techniques being implemented on the enterprise SSD controller to manage the cell capability to reliably store data over the expected life of the SSD.

Enterprise SSDs are built for continuous 24/7 use, unlike client SSDs that typically operate on an 8-hour cycle, but in both cases their endurance needs to be understood. To measure this, manufacturers usually use the JEDEC committee endurance measurement metric of ‘terabytes written’ (TBW), which estimates the amount of data an SSD can handle before the NAND flash becomes unreliable.

The write amplification factor (WAF) – the ratio of actual NAND writes compared to data received from the host – also impacts endurance. Higher WAF can accelerate wear, so enterprise SSD controllers use sophisticated algorithms to manage data distribution and extend lifespan.

When considering other measures of component reliability, the ‘mean time between failure’ (MTBF) is an important model. Enterprise SSD components are assessed on longevity and their ability to manage the voltages across all NAND flash memory over their lifespan. All enterprise SSDs should be rated at least at two million hours MTBF.

SMART monitoring and reporting on enterprise-class SSDs allows the device to be assessed for life expectancy prior to failure based on the current write amplification factor (WAF) and wear level. Pre-failure predictive warnings for failure events, including loss of power, bit errors occurring from the physical interface or uneven wear distribution, are often also supported.

Client-class SSDs may only feature the minimum SMART output for monitoring the SSD during standard use or post failure.

Some SSDs also allow for an increased reserve capacity of NAND flash memory to be allocated as an over-provisioned (OP) spare capacity. Not visible to the user and operating system access, this is a temporary write buffer for higher sustained performance and as a replacement of defective flash memory cells and enhances the reliability and endurance of the SSD.

In summary

Understanding the differences between enterprise and client SSDs — from NAND endurance to performance optimization — is essential when upgrading data center storage. Enterprise SSDs offer robust solutions tailored for high-intensity workloads, ensuring reliability and minimizing downtime.

By carefully selecting SSDs suited to specific applications, organizations can future-proof their storage infrastructure and maintain seamless operations.

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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

Leadership teams across the public and private sectors face some tough decisions that could ultimately define their technology strategies for years to come. Rising cloud computing costs and the accelerated uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) now rank highly on the agenda for many. At the same time, the ongoing reliance on legacy systems continues to impede further digital transformation.

With budgetary pressures mounting and the need to demonstrate the value of IT now more urgently than ever, leaders need to get a handle on the rapidly changing IT landscape or risk falling behind. As they plan for the future, here are my top five trends set to dominate the agenda in 2025.

1. A return to on-premises infrastructure

Over the past decade, cloud computing has become foundational for IT infrastructure, promising flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency. Today, many organizations are reconsidering their cloud-first strategies and looking to return to—at least partly—on-premises infrastructure.

This shift is primarily driven by rising overheads, which are exacerbated by unpredictable pricing models, data egress fees, and the increased costs associated with the shift to AI. As a result, enterprises are exploring hybrid models, such as repatriating some services, to reduce costs and gain more control over their infrastructure. Although this may seem surprising, the return to on-premises infrastructure is not about rejecting the cloud but optimizing IT investments for long-term sustainability.

2. AI—From buzzword to business process revolution

No one can doubt the impact of AI on the digital world. For many, 2025 is the year AI moves from the ‘hype phase’ to a mainstay of business processes. Organizations are no longer simply experimenting with AI–they’re embedding the technology into their workflows to drive efficiency gains and competitive advantage.

AI-driven automation is key. Routine tasks that once required significant human effort are all being optimized with AI tools. It’s a similar story with AI’s predictive capabilities reshaping decision-making at the executive level. However, to truly integrate AI into business processes, organizations must address concerns around bias, data integrity, and regulation to establish AI as a reliable, ethical, and scalable tool for transformation.

3. The end of legacy systems as companies accelerate digital transformation

Reliance on legacy IT systems has long been a challenge for enterprises, but 2025 may mark a tipping point where organizations can no longer afford to delay modernization. Companies will need to replace outdated systems to reap the benefits of AI, automation, and advanced analytics.

Still, the replacement of legacy systems is being hastened thanks to ongoing regulatory pressures and ever-present security concerns. In today’s digital world, organizations need modern IT infrastructures to support real-time data access and seamless integrations.

4. Dismantling IT silos for collaboration and better results

It’s a similar story with IT silos, which for years have stifled innovation and prevented organizations from fully realizing the benefits of emerging technologies. With AI and automation transforming industries, organizations want to foster stronger collaboration between IT, security, operations, and business teams. Without this, the roll-out of AI risks stumbling before it can succeed.

As a result, cross-functional collaboration is becoming increasingly important as organizations embrace methodologies such as DevOps, SecOps, and DataOps. Platforms that unify data access and provide real-time insights across departments will be essential in breaking down silos.

5. Leaders need to prove value amid rising costs

Without acknowledging chief information officers' (CIOs) growing budgetary challenges, no discussion about the year ahead would be complete. As each quarter passes, IT leaders are being asked to stretch their resources further by streamlining operations, cutting redundant tools, and seeking maximum ROI.

As a result, there’s a stronger push for IT teams to demonstrate how their spending directly supports business goals. In some cases, this drives a renewed focus on IT financial management (ITFM), where CIOs are expected to align technology investments directly with business outcomes.

Looking ahead

Looking ahead, IT departments designed to show real impact—whether through cost savings, boosting revenue, reducing risks, or driving innovation—will secure continued investment. With economic uncertainty and rising costs, there’s a growing belief that IT should be regarded simply as an expense but as a key driver of business success.

The year ahead poses some interesting challenges for business leaders. AI is becoming a core part of operations; cloud costs are making companies rethink their strategies, and legacy systems are reaching their limit. At the same time, CIOs are under growing pressure to show the actual value of IT investments while bringing teams together to work more effectively. The balance between opportunities and threats will be key to success in the coming months.

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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

• Valve's SteamOS 3.7.0 Preview comes with "beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds"
• Non-Steam Deck handheld PCs could soon use SteamOS instead of Windows 11
• Such a move could unleash more power from handhelds made by the likes of Asus, Lenovo and MSI

I’d be lying if I said I’d not been wishing for ages that Valve opened up SteamOS to other handheld PCs and machines beyond its excellent Steam Deck. And after some waiting, that looks to be finally happening with the recent SteamOS 3.7.0 Preview coming with the "beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds."

Now that’s not a vast amount to go off given it's only for a preview version of SteamOS. But with a model of the Lenovo Legion Go S being powered by SteamOS and set to arrive in May, we could see the advent of a new range of SteamOS-based handheld PCs.

There are already ways to run SteamOS on non-Steam Deck machines, but support for them is unofficial and they lack the slick handheld integration of Steam in the same vein as the Steam Deck. The best handheld PCs tend to run Windows 11 with a form of handheld interface on top of the operating system and then tap into Steam’s Big Picture Mode to enable a console-like handheld gaming experience.

Having native SteamOS support would surely make all this slicker for new handheld PCs and those that could be retrofitted or dual-booted with Valve’s Linux-based operating system. In our hands-on time with the Lenovo Legion Go S, we were certainly sold on the idea of the SteamOS version.

Steamy dreams

While I still want Microsoft to work on refining Windows 11 to work more smoothly on handheld PCs, especially if it does indeed make a form of Xbox handheld, I feel SteamOS is more up to the task of supporting handheld PC gaming, especially given it’s had some three years to mature.

What excites me further, is that by dropping Windows 11 reliance, handheld PCs from the likes of Asus, Lenovo and MSI could tap into an operating system that requires less overhead resources and can thus unlock more power out of the chips on handheld PCs.

The Steam Deck’s AMD Zen 2 and RDNA 2-based APU isn’t as powerful as other chips in other handhelds, such as the Asus ROG Ally X that sports a more powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and RDNA 3-based graphics. But the Steam Deck arguably offers the slickest and smoothest gaming experience when one takes into account software and hardware in tandem.

Letting SteamOS take care of the operating system and interface could be the best of both worlds, with, say, a next-generation ROG Ally sporting a powerful APU with silicon horsepower that can be readily accessed thanks to a smaller need for overhead compute resources.

All this could open up a new avenue for handheld PCs that could finally challenge the Steam Deck, at least in my eyes.

The only caveat would be access to third-party game services. SteamOS and the Steam Deck were been built around users tapping into the wide array of games supported on the Steam Store, rather than enable easy access to Xbox Game Pass or the Epic Games Launcher.

However, there are already workarounds to get the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming running on the Steam Deck; Valve doesn't appear to discourage this. So I’d not be surprised to see hardware makers work to build on SteamOS to integrate other launchers in a neat, easy-to-use fashion.

It's hard to say when we could see more SteamOS-based handhelds. But given we’ve just got the latest SteamOS preview, it shouldn’t be long before a full version is let out into the wild; that could come in April.

If that happens we could see a bunch of handheld PCs that eschew Windows 11 for SteamOS this side of 2025; I’m crossing my fingers.

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• Volvo’s partnership with Nvidia goes beyond chips in cars
• Gaussian splatting creates high-fidelity 3D scenes
• The technique can recreate “edge cases” to train models faster

Volvo is using a new AI technique called 'Gaussian splatting' to train its vehicles and accelerate its goal of zero collisions on the roads – and it's all thanks to its recently expanded partnership with Nvidia.

Last month we reported that the upcoming Volvo ES90 will be the most powerful car it has ever created in terms of core computing capacity, due to it packing a dual Nvidia AGX Orin configuration.

Now, the company has revealed how this sort of supercomputing is also helping it to more quickly train its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

Volvo claims that it can now synthesize incident data collected by the advanced sensors in its latest vehicles, such as emergency braking, sharp steering or manual intervention.

This then allows the company to reconstruct and explore them in new ways to better understand how incidents can be avoided.

The novel method is dubbed Gaussian splatting and it allows the company’s software to produce realistic, high-fidelity 3D scenes and subjects from real-world visuals.

(Image credit: Volvo)

Once these scenes have been created, Volvo’s engineers can manipulate them to generate a number outcomes. The video clip examples the Swedish marque provides are freakishly realistic.

It's akin to a human learning how to skateboard by playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater for hours and hours on end.

“We can select one of the rare edge cases and explode it into thousands of new variations of the scenario to train and validate our models against," Alwin Bakkenes, Head of Global Software Engineering at Volvo Cars, explains.

Bakkenes says this has the potential to unlock a scale that Volvo has never had before and even to catch edge cases before they happen in the real world.

Now the computers are training the computers

(Image credit: Volvo)

Gaussian splatting is a relatively new 3D rendering technique that doesn’t rely on neural networks, unlike more complex methods such as Neural Radiance Field (NeRFS).

This allows for incredibly complex 3D scenes to be created in real time. The technique is currently being explored in multiple industries, from gaming to interactive app development.

Volvo’s use of advanced Lidar, sensor and high-definition camera technology, as first showcased in the EX90, collects reams of data that can then be reproduced in a manipulatable 3D model, which allows its engineers to then train the vehicle’s AI to perform better in the real world.

There was some disappointment when the EX90 launched, seeing as its Lidar technology would remain offline for consumer use, effectively banished to merely collecting data until Volvo’s compute power was at a level where the company was happy to introduce ADAS systems that rely on the sensor suite and software stack.

Thankfully, its recently announced partnership with Nvidia will help the Swedish marque, which is synonymous with road safety, to realize its vision of zero collisions and driver assistance systems that actually help, rather than simply nag.

What’s more, the company has also stated that early EX90 models will be updated with the dual Nvidia AGX Orin System on a Chip set-up, so they too can make the most of the latest developments in autonomous driving and ADAS systems.

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• Free file converters are scamming victims, law enforcement warns
• The FBI has warned against using untrusted the services
• Malware can put victims at risk of identity theft and fraud

Many of us have used file converters before, as when you need an MP3 but your recording is an M4A, free online file converters are a first port of call.

However the FBI has now warned some of these “free tools” are increasingly infecting victim’s devices with malware.

It says criminals are using the enticing offer of an easy and swift file transfer, like a .doc to a .pdf file, or combining files, like multiple .jpegs into one .pdf - useful when you need to upload something or send it in a particular format.

Risk of ransomware

AThe conversion tools will convert your files, but in the meantime, will infect the converted file with hidden malware, which it then hands over to the victim.

The malware can then exfiltrate personal information like names, social security numbers, banking information, crypto currency, and more - leaving the user at risk of identity theft or fraud.

s if that isn’t bad enough, some of these attacks also infect the victim’s device with ransomware, taking control of the computer.

Viruses and malware infections can have disruptive consequences for users, but there are key tools that can help.

“The best way to thwart these fraudsters is to educate people so they don’t fall victim to these fraudsters in the first place,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek.

“If you or someone you know has been affected by this scheme, we encourage you to make a report and take actions to protect your assets. Every day, we are working to hold these scammers accountable and provide victims with the resources they need.”

If you think you may have accidentally downloaded malware or a virus, we have advice on how to remove malware from your device, but the best defense is being careful and never downloading anything from an untrusted source.

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I don’t think it is an understatement to say that Nvidia wants to be the company that powers the artificial intelligence universe we may one day live in permanently.

The opening keynote at Nvidia GTC 2025, colloquially referred to as the Woodstock of AI, saw CEO Jensen Huang extol the virtues of an AI ecosystem powered by hardware - and software - from the second most valuable company in the world.

We were re-introduced to the concept of AI factories, which are essentially gigantic data centers and where, Nvidia’s world, tokens generated are equivalent to revenue: the presentation mentioned a price, $1 trillion.

The cost of building data centers, like mega-farms, increases exponentially every generation as they get more complex, and require more power to house even more compute.

A prototype of the Newton robot in Nvidia's Isaac lab (Image credit: Nvidia)

The lofty Stargate project has a budget of $500 billion and Apple has already committed to spending $500 billion over the next few years, a large chunk of which will be on data centres.

Depending on what analysts you talk to, the global data centre capital expenditure is expected to reach $1 trillion either in 2027 (PWC) or 2029 (Dell’Oro).

So that gives you a measure of Nvidia’s extremely ambitious targets for itself and for humanity.

A big piece of that puzzle that Nvidia introduced at the keynote is its Photonics switch systems which will allow those AI factories to “scale to millions of GPUs”, seemingly within the same physical perimeter.

A Nvidia GB300 NVL72 server rack (Image credit: Nvidia) Big, huge numbers

The biggest number of them all in this presentation was when Rev Lebaredian Nvidia’s VP, Omniverse and Simulation Technology, presented a slide about how Physical AI is transforming $50 trillion industries.

These span across two billion cameras, 10 million factories, two billion vehicles and, Lebareian added ‘Future Billion humanoid robots’.

Yes, it’s not just about robots, but humanoid robots, millions of them. Robots, in general, have been around for decades in many shapes and forms.

Nvidia, however, envisions a world where billions of robots are built on what it calls, its “Three Computers”: Pre and post-training (done via DGX), simulation and synthetic data generation (done via Omniverse) and Runtime (done using AGX).

The world of the future may be home to “multiple types of humanoid robots” that will be able to post-train - while on the job so to speak - with real or synthetic data, allowing them to learn new skills or enhance their knowledgebase on the fly, literally at (or near) the speed of light.

And the first of them may well be based on its new GR00T N1 humanoid robot foundation model, developed in partnership with Google Deepmind and … Disney Research.

(Ed: One can not see the tie-in with GR00T from Guardians of the Galaxy and Wall-E, a potentially prescient movie about the impact of robotics and AI on humanity).

Where does this leave us? With a clear roadmap to a world where AI becomes an indispensable part of what it means to be human, perhaps the most important utility of them all. Never, in the history of humanity, will so many depend on so few.

Oh and the other acronym (AGI) was not mentioned during the presentation, not once.

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• Apple’s latest ad features Pedro Pascal and is directed by Spike Jonze
• It features Pascal dancing through icy landscapes and vibrant streets
• The purpose is to promote Apple’s AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

If you’ve ever wanted to see Pedro Pascal dancing in a red and yellow dreamland, well, today is your lucky day. That’s because Apple has just released a new ad featuring the actor and directed by Spike Jonze, and the aim is to promote the company’s AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.

The spot begins with Pascal leaving a café after seemingly getting his heart broken. As he walks down a snowy street, he puts in his AirPods and begins listening to El Conticinio by Spanish musician Guitarricadelafuente. As he turns on the active noise cancellation mode, his surroundings change to an icy landscape filled with dancers moving in time to the music.

He’s then snapped back to reality when a passerby asks him for directions, whereupon Pascal activates the AirPods’ transparency mode so that he can hear the person while still listening to his music.

He then spies a happier version of himself across the street. This incarnation of Pedro Pascal re-enables active noise cancellation on his AirPods and suddenly finds himself in a bright red and yellow world. As Perfect by Sam i & Tropkillaz begins playing, he joyfully dances through the flowery streets, seemingly restored to happiness.

By the end, he returns to the real world and sees his sadder self. The two exchange comforting glances with each other before the original Pascal walks away down the street.

Highlighting key features

The purpose of the ad is to highlight the active noise cancellation feature in Apple’s AirPods 4. This can cut out background noise, allowing you to focus on whatever it is you are listening to. These also feature a transparency mode that allows some external sounds to be heard so you can conduct a conversation and be more aware of your surroundings.

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation also come with an Adaptive Audio feature that can automatically change between active noise cancellation and transparency mode without you having to do anything. It doesn’t look like that’s in use in the commercial, though, as Pascal reaches up to manually change the audio mode on his AirPods throughout the short film.

The ad might feel familiar to fans of Apple’s original iPod commercials, which featured silhouetted figures dancing while listening to music on the device.

It’s also not the first time Jonze has directed an Apple ad – in 2018, he worked with the company on a short film titled Welcome Home that was made to promote the HomePod.

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Better and more accurate weather forecasts could soon be a more common occurrence for all of us thanks to a new upgrade from Nvidia.

At its Nvidia GTC 2025 event, the company unveiled the next step along in its plan of using a digital twin of planet Earth to help forecasters build more accurate forecasting models.

The NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for Earth-2 weather analytics model provide a significant update on the original iteration, announced at GTC 2024, providing more accurate and powerful tools to make forecasts even better.

Better forecasts, faster

Nvidia says severe weather-related events have caused a $2 trillion impact on the global economy over the last decade, and better forecasts could be one way of mitigating this.

It says the NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for Earth-2 offers a number of useful tools, including Nvidia GPU acceleration libraries, a physics-AI framework, development tools and microservices to help speed up the process of going from prototyping to production with weather forecast models.

In effect, Nvidia says this should all help developers build solutions that deliver warnings and updated forecasts in seconds, rather than the minutes or hours needed with traditional CPU-driven modeling.

“We’re seeing more extreme weather events and natural disasters than ever, threatening lives and property,” said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

“The NVIDIA Omiverse Blueprint for Earth-2 will help industries around the world prepare for — and mitigate — climate change and weather-related disasters.”

The platform has already signed up several major climate tech companies including AI company G42, JBA Risk Management, Spire and others.

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• Sennheiser has announced a new premium set of headphones called the HD 550
• It's aimed squarely at audiophiles and gamers
• You can pre-order it now for $299.95 / £249.99

Sennheiser has announced a brand new headphone model specifically geared toward gaming and audiophiles.

The Sennheiser HD 550 open-back headphones are pitched as bringing "a compelling new choice to audiophiles and gamers seeking next-level capability". Sennheiser is talking a big game for the HD 550 too saying that the headphones will boast "sprawling stereo imaging and an ultra-light build, the HD 550 is an open invitation to unpack the lush layers of today’s music and games for hours on end."

In terms of what's under the hood, the HD 550 headphones will feature a custom 38mm transducer, that will offer "exceptional clarity" from 6Hz to 39.5kHz.

And for gaming specifically, Sennheiser says that players will get "superb, lag-free spatial awareness and immersion" from the HD 550. Punchy bass, crystal-clear transients, and neutral mids without straying from the truthful voicing that audiophiles prefer, will also be at the core of the audio the HD 550 can give you in games.

Describing the HD 550s, Sennheiser Audiophile Product Manager Klas Hanselmann says in the official press release: "Audiophiles looking for featherlight headphones with honest voicing and deep bass extension are in for a treat."

Elsewhere, practically speaking, the HD 550 will share the 500 series characteristic of having a modular design, allowing users to swap out cables and earpads easily. It's a wired set of headphones, and comes with a 6ft/1.8m cable, with a 3.5mm jack connection, but also offers extra compatibility by coming with a 6.35mm adapter.

It also only weighs 8.36oz / 237g so comes in lighter than a DualSense Wireless controller, for example, and way lighter than my personal premium gaming headset pick, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.

The HD 550 comes hot on the heels of the new Sennheiser HD 505 headphones too which we really rated in our full review.

(Image credit: Sennheiser)

It might be obvious, but it's worth noting that these are Sennheiser headphones through and through - not a dip back into full-fledged gaming headsets from the premium audio brand. There's no microphone here, for example, and they are geared toward folks who are after, simply, top-tier audio for their games - as well as the flexibility to choose their own microphone.

Nonetheless, I'm excited about the HD 550 set of headphones. I was a huge fan of some of the last gaming headset models the brand made in the GSP 670s, 370s, and 300s.

While the HD 550s are a very distant relation to such headsets, I'm enormously looking forward to trying something from the brand that is definitively geared towards gaming. Plus, with the HD 550 being wired, it could be an audiophile's dream PS5 headset, Xbox Series X headset, or Nintendo Switch headset.

The Sennheiser HD 550 headphones are available to pre-order at Sennheiser Hearing right now for $299.95 or £249.99.

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• Perplexity AI has launched an ad campaign starring Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae
• The ad mocks Google, renamed Poogle, as useless compared to Perplexity
• The ad showcases how important AI assistant reliability is to consumers

AI conversational search engine Perplexity is getting as ruthless in its marketing as the judges in Squid Game's eponymous game show. The company has introduced a major celebrity-driven ad campaign featuring Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae and some jabs at Google.

The 90-second spot above portrays Jung-jae playing a game very similar to the Squid Game. First, he must figure out how to get coffee stains out of a white shirt. When he opens the very obvious Google parody Poogle, it responds in typical search engine fashion with a list of blue links.

Realizing that sifting through articles for answers isn’t going to cut it, he panics and asks Perplexity instead. Using its voice model, the AI chatbot provides him with clear, step-by-step guidance.

He next has to ask Perplexity how to make cheese stick to pizza. Perplexity provides the right answer before quipping, “Don’t use glue,” a direct nod to the infamous mistake Google’s AI made in suggesting Elmer’s glue as a potential pizza ingredient.

The ad concludes with Jung-jae being asked to name the first Korean to win an Emmy award, which he doesn't need any help with as he is that actor.

Perplexity pokes at Google

The timing of the ad campaign is no accident, as Netflix’s third and final season of Squid Game is expected to drop in June. The campaign is also part of a yearlong partnership between Perplexity and Artist United, which Jung-jae co-owns. Artist United has also integrated Perplexity into its daily research and content creation operations.

The ad begins running today in the U.S. before rolling out to Korea, Japan, and Europe over the next ten days. Each region will get a localized version of the text and voiceovers, though Jung-jae’s dialogue will remain in Korean.

Perplexity’s strategy with the ad is notable beyond just having a world-famous actor poke fun at the search industry’s biggest player. It suggests that Perplexity grasps that accuracy and reliability are what people care most about when it comes to AI assistants.

If Perplexity can overtake Google's reputation as the go-to online information authority, it would be a major coup. Even seizing on small cracks in Google's place at the top could propel Perplexity above many of its rivals.

Whether Google has the glue to fill in those cracks after making pizza is an open question.

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I love The Simpsons. Even if I criticized the show's decision to keep churning out seasons, I'm a sucker for the classics, and I endured two hours of pain to get Blinky the Fish tattooed on me.

You could say it's a big part of my life, so I am actually quite thrilled by the news that Disney+ is getting a Stream channel that will play non-stop Simpsons episodes.

Considering one of the best Disney+ shows has so many episodes now, 768 – you want to be precise – choosing which one I want to revisit can sometimes take a very long time.

Even when I look at my self-appointed "golden era" between seasons 1 and 12, there are still so many I enjoy revisiting. Now, Disney+ is doing the hard work for me, and I consider that a huge win. I'm excited to tune in and be surprised by whatever episode is showing at the time, ready to relive some iconic moments.

Unfortunately, Streams is only available in the US for now, so UK and Australian subscribers will have to wait for this fun new feature.

How does the Simpsons Stream work?

A post shared by Disney+ (@disneyplus)

A photo posted by on

Instead of navigating The Simpsons library, this stream will continuously play episodes 24/7, and at launch, it's kicking off from season 1 all the way up to new episodes. However, the press release has suggested that the "programming lineup of the stream will be refreshed monthly," implying it will continue to show random episodes or perhaps opt for themed line-ups. (I'd love to see a Treehouse of Horror one, personally!).

Still, it's important to note that season 3, episode 1, Stark Raving Dad, will be omitted from the stream, as Polygon has reported this is per the wishes of Matt Groening and others behind the episode, which the publication has explained in their previous coverage.

This is an exciting addition to one of the best streaming services, and it definitely simplifies the viewing experience by doing the hard work for us. Hopefully putting an end to wasting precious free time scrolling through all the episodes.

Of course, if you'd rather choose for yourself, the episode library will be there on demand as normal.

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• Apple’s first foldable device could have impressive battery life
• That’s according to a new rumor that details Apple’s latest efforts
• It would compete with Samsung’s best foldable on battery life

Apple’s first foldable device appears to be on the way – we got another rumor seemingly confirming that just today – and now a new detail has emerged that could help Apple compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

According to a Chinese leaker known as Phone Chip Expert (via MacRumors), Apple has been pulling out all the stops to increase the efficiency of its foldable display. That could give it an edge against the best foldable phones in what is a highly competitive market.

To achieve this, Phone Chip Expert claims that Apple has reduced the display driver integrated circuit from 28nm to 16nm. That’s a massive reduction and could significantly impact battery life.

Apple likes to promise that its devices come with “all day battery life,” and when you’re dealing with a large screen like on a foldable product, battery life is key. That makes Phone Chip Expert’s claim seem believable at first glance.

All day battery life

(Image credit: Future)

A move like this makes a lot of sense. After all, a foldable iPhone or MacBook will have a much larger display than its non-foldable siblings, and all that screen real estate can get awfully power-hungry. That’s something we’ve seen in other foldable devices like the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold, which have failed to impress us with their mediocre battery life.

Apple is thought to be building both a foldable iPhone and a MacBook-iPad hybrid with a foldable display. In the case of the former, it’s likely to directly compete with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is rumored to get the same battery capacity as the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

That said, Samsung is apparently working on making its foldable screen more efficient, so it will be fascinating to see which device comes out on top here.

At the moment, most of this is confined to the land of rumors, but it is worth noting that Phone Chip Expert has a reasonably solid track record regarding Apple rumors.

They correctly predicted that Apple would build its own servers to run Apple Intelligence and that the iPhone 15 would continue to use the A15 Bionic chip instead of the newer A16 chip, among other claims.

That doesn’t mean that this latest rumor is nailed on to happen, though. Various sources have claimed that Apple’s first foldable device could arrive in either 2026 or 2027, so we’ll have to wait until then to judge the efficiency and battery life of Apple’s first foldable product.

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• HP Threat Insights Report reveals new malware campaigns
• Victims have their data exfiltrated by a remote access trojan
• Attackers have been observed using fake CAPTCHA verification pages

New research has claimed victims are increasingly infecting themselves with malware thanks to a surge in fake CAPTCHA verification tests - taking advantage of a growing ‘click tolerance’ as users are increasingly accustomed to ‘jumping through hoops to authenticate themselves online.’

This isn’t the first report to flag this attack, with security researchers identifying fake CAPTCHA pages spreading infostealer malware in late 2024, but HP’s latest Threat Insights Report now warns this is on the rise.

Users were commonly directed to attacker-controlled websites, and then pushed to complete convincing but fake authentication challenges.

More campaigns identified

These false CAPTCHAs usually trick users into running malicious PowerShell commands on their device that install a Lumma Stealer remote access trojan - a popular infostealer capable of exfiltrating a wide range of sensitive information, like browser details, email credentials, client data, and even cryptocurrency wallets.

Fake CAPTCHA spreading wasn’t the only threat uncovered, with attackers also able to access end-users webcams and microphones in concerning attacks spread via social engineering attacks, primarily using open source RAT and XenoRat to control devices, exfiltrate data, and log keystrokes.

Alongside this, attackers were observed delivering malicious JavaScript code “inside Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) images to evade detection”. These images are opened “by default” in browsers, and the embedded code is executed, “offering redundancy and monetization opportunities for the attacker” thanks to the remote access tools.

"A common thread across these campaigns is the use of obfuscation and anti-analysis techniques to slow down investigations," said Patrick Schläpfer, Principal Threat Researcher in the HP Security Lab.

“Even simple but effective defence evasion techniques can delay the detection and response of security operations teams, making it harder to contain an intrusion. By using methods like direct system calls, attackers make it tougher for security tools to catch malicious activity, giving them more time to operate undetected – and compromise victims endpoints."

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Nvidia has unveiled a dozen new GPUs at its GTC 2025 event, the company's biggest launch in two years.

Based on the Blackwell architecture, the newcomers use the RTX Pro moniker to differentiate themselves from the previous generations (Ada Lovelace, Ampere, and Turing) and, from their consumer breathens.

The flagship models are three RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell GPU variants with 96GB ECC GDDR7 memory and up to 4000 AI TOPS performance - twice the amount of memory in its former performance champion, the RTX 6000 and a staggering 4x the RTX 5090, the best GPU on the consumer market has to offer.

Nvidia GPU launches

Alongside the standard Workstation Edition, Nvidia also introduced the Blackwell Max-Q Workstation Edition and the Server Edition.

The latter is the successor to the L40 Data Center GPU series, bringing some much-needed consistency to the GPU nomenclature.

As for the Max-Q Workstation Edition, it remains a bit of a mystery. Nvidia launched Max-Q technology back in 2017 and this is usually associated with laptop GPUs trying to achieve maximum efficiency.

However, workstation PCs rarely aim for optimal energy consumption except perhaps in power-constrained environments like small form factor mini PCs.

Three other professional desktop GPUs were also introduced: the Pro 5000, Pro 4500 and Pro 4000, which will be available starting May 2025.

Given past product launch cycles, I expect more models focusing on the entry-level and mainstream parts of the market, to be launched by the end of 2025.

Six new laptop GPUs were also launched, all of them carrying the RTX Pro naming convention and, confusingly enough, some having the same name as their desktop counterparts.

The RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell is the new laptop flagship GPU with 24GB ECC GDDR7 memory; other models include the 4000, 3000, 2000, 1000, and 500 series and should directly replace their respective “Ada Generation” part.

All these parts will be available from OEM partners in mobile workstations starting in June 2025.

We’ll strive to update this article when further details of the cards (including pricing) are published.

Nvidia’s GTC Keynote also saw the formal launch of DGX Spark, formerly known as Project Digits, the DGX station and Blackwell Ultra (or GB300), Nvidia’s most powerful GPU ever.

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