Anthropic has started a new blog called Claude Explains, discussing the capabilities of its AI models and written by that self-same AI model. The educational posts are “written” by Claude to explain how to use Claude. It's like an AI's personal diary, but with debugging tips instead of romantic exploits.
The blog is pitched as a “corner of the Anthropic universe where Claude is writing on every topic under the sun,” but that's not quite accurate. Claude may draft the pieces, but a team of human experts and editors sand and polish the rough outline to make sure they are readable and accurate, or as Anthropic calls it, a “collaborative approach."
Now, this idea isn't terrible on its face. This kind of AI-human tag team makes a lot of sense, at least when the AI is writing about itself. An article about how Claude can design a website or organize a financial report is well within Claude's wheelhouse. It's just explaining its own abilities. But a technically reasonable explanation and a few useful examples aren't a full blog post. Claude’s best work still won't always result in a coherent article, or one that a real person would want to read.
Anthropic is honest about how humans are part of the process throughout blog post production. Claude may start the car, but humans are at the wheel and navigating, lest it drive the article right into a ditch full of hallucinations and mixed metaphors. Anyone who’s used AI without guardrails knows this scenario isn’t far-fetched. AI is excellent at saying things that sound right until you try to actually apply them.
(Image credit: Anthropic)AI ghostwritingCollaboration is certainly an efficient approach. Claude can crank out thousands of words without breaking a sweat, and if you’re using it to explain the same concepts it was trained on, it’s got a decent shot at getting things mostly right. Problems arise much more quickly when AI writers are left unsupervised, especially on subjects outside of the AI model's abilities.
The blog doesn’t proclaim the human element, so a casual reader might assume Claude is doing all the writing. That’s a branding choice, and not a neutral one. It creates a kind of halo effect, subtly bragging about how the AI breaks down data analysis and sounds like a real writer. Except it isn’t human. It’s a word blender that gets better results when someone else chooses the ingredients and adjusts the settings. And that distinction matters, especially as more people begin to trust AI-generated information in contexts far beyond technical blogs.
There's a steady stream of stories about media outlets embarrassing themselves by believing AI can replace entire content teams. The Chicago Sun-Times published AI-generated book recommendations for titles that didn’t exist, and multiple outlets have published AI-written features full of errors. And that's not even counting Apple's attempts at news summary headlines.
Claude Explains feels downright reasonable by comparison. If you’re going to use AI to produce content for public consumption, maybe keep to what it knows best. And don't leave out the humans.
You might also likeAMD and Intel are on the frontlines battling it out in the CPU market for mobile and desktop platforms, and Team Blue's upcoming Nova Lake processors may offer a unique and rare architecture setup.
As reported by Wccftech, Intel's Nova Lake S desktop processors will reportedly feature a hybrid iGPU architecture, using Xe3 for graphics and Xe4 for display and media-related tasks, according to the reliable leaker @jaykihn0 on X. The rumor suggests that Intel intends to utilize Xe3's full potential in graphical workloads, while Xe4 could be essential for power efficiency.
It will be interesting to see whether the Nova Lake S processors will have the same effect as AMD's Ryzen AI Max processors (which are actively making their way to desktop systems), in terms of their iGPU capabilities. Notably, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 provides great performance at both 1080p and 1440p in games like Cyberpunk 2077.
Regardless, if this rumor is legitimate, it looks like Team Blue is taking a big stride with GPU power across the board, especially with rumors of a new Arc B770 16GB GPU. It also raises the question once again; if Nova Lake S and Panther Lake both provide great iGPU performance for desktop and mobile platforms, respectively, could we be seeing the beginning of the end for discrete GPUs?
Analysis: Maybe it's almost the end for budget discrete GPUs...(Image credit: Intel)Now, let's pump the brakes a little here. There's almost no way any SoC or iGPU will be able to match high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or RTX 5080, at least not any time soon.
However, we've already got AMD's strongest APU that has surpassed the likes of the RTX 4060 and even the RTX 4070 in some gaming scenarios – so at the very least, I think budget low-end discrete GPUs are in danger.
Perhaps the only factor saving them is that they are indeed budget GPUs, but the proposition of a PC without a discrete GPU taking up space may be a tempting one for gamers.
It's worth noting that Strix Halo APUs were reserved for laptops and other mobile platforms, but have gradually made their way to desktops, specifically present in mini-PC builds.
It's also no secret that some of the budget GPUs like the RTX 5060 (based on reviews), aren't good enough for consumers with their 8GB configurations – so if desktop processors, SoCs, or AMD's APUs can continue to match or outperform them, I wouldn't be surprised to see a decent portion of low-end discrete GPUs fade away...
You may also like...Rumors courtesy of 43rumors suggest that the OM System OM-5 II could be unveiled later this month, coinciding with the Bild Expo in New York, which takes place on June 17-18.
Such a model would succeed the OM-5, which remains in top spot of our best travel cameras guide, despite being almost three years old. That's thanks to its compact body, retro styling, superb lens choice, and competitive price.
OM-5 II details are scant at this stage, which leaves me skeptical about such an imminent announcement. However, there's one potential tasty upgrade being touted for the second-gen model – a stacked sensor.
Recent OM-System cameras have tended to be minor upgrades, but a stacked sensor would represent a huge boost in performance from the original model.
The likely downside is a big price hike. That's because stacked sensors are much pricier than the regular kind, as used in the OM-5.
Currently, the OM System OM-3 is the cheapest mirrorless camera available with a stacked sensor, but it still costs a lot more than the OM-5.
A potential OM-5 II needs a sensible price gap from the OM-3, and if it materializes with a stacked sensor for less, it could be a bargain, cementing the OM-5 series' position as a top pick for travel.
That said, the competitive price of the OM-5 is a key factor for its top position in our best travel cameras guide, and utilizing a stacked sensor will inevitably push up the price.
Could an OM-5 II inherit the same stacked sensor as found in the stylish OM-3? (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Beyond potentially inheriting a stacked sensor, we know precious little about the potentially forthcoming OM-5 II.
One update I can be sure of, should the OM-5 II land, is USB-C charging. After all, the EU's new common charger directive mandates USB-C as the universal charging port standard, and the current model was one of the last cameras to launch with micro USB connectivity.
What do you think, is a stacked sensor a good idea for an OM-5 successor? What new features would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below.
You might also likeIf the Bluetooth audio from your computer or device is disappointing or laggy, or if you want to use aptX Adaptive headphones with Apple gear, Sennheiser has just the thing for you.
Its new BTD 700 Bluetooth dongle brings high quality wireless streaming at up to 24-bit/96kHz as well as a low-latency mode for gamers. It’s a tiny dongle that delivers a big audio upgrade to a wide range of devices when connecting to the best wireless headphones and best wireless earbuds.
The dongle is extremely small and extremely light, and it has USB-C for wide compatibility. There's an equally small USB-C to USB-A adapter included for older hardware.
(Image credit: Sennheiser)Sennheiser BTD 700: key features and pricingThe BTD 700 is Bluetooth 5.4 with Auracast transmission, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. It's a class-compliant USB audio device that should work happily with a huge variety of hardware.
The dongle can't upgrade your accessories – if your headphones don't support aptX Lossless or aptX Adaptive, it can't stream to them with those codecs.
The presence of Auracast is really useful, because that enables you to stream to multiple devices simultaneously (provided they're Auracast-compatible, of course). That means your laptop or other device can become a home streaming hub, streaming to multiple compatible speakers or headphones.
It's particularly interesting for Apple owners: Apple hardware such as iPhones and iPads don't support aptX Adaptive or Lossless, so you can't get the best wireless audio quality from them and your high-quality Apple Music subscription. With the BTD 700, you can.
You might also likeMy trusty 2018 MacBook Pro has served me well over the years, processing thousands of photos and more without complaint – but the latest macOS 16 rumors suggest its days are, like most Intel-powered Macs, very much numbered.
WWDC 2025 is now just days away and, according to a report from Apple Insider, macOS 16 – or macOS 26 Tahoe, as it seems likely to be named – will drop support for many Intel Mac models, including (sniff) mine.
Apple Insider says that "people familiar with the matter" have told it that only the Macs listed below will be able to run macOS 16. Notable by their absence are the 2018 MacBook Pro, 2020 Intel-based MacBook Air, 2017 iMac Pro, and 2018 Mac mini, all of which currently support the current macOS Sequoia.
There are two other things to note about this list. One is that, if it is indeed accurate when Apple announces macOS 26 on June 9, it wouldn't yet mark a significant end for all Intel-powered Macs.
The 2019 MacBook Pro, 2020 5K iMac, and 2019 Mac Pro would all soldier on until 2026. Next year, macOS 27 may presumably then become the first desktop OS to exclusively support Apple Silicon-powered Macs, which would be a big moment if so.
Secondly, those four Intel-powered Macs that are seemingly on the chopping block for macOS 26 wouldn't necessarily be obsolete. Apple typically continues to provide another two years of security-only updates for machines in that position, so I wouldn't necessarily have to wave goodbye to my 2018 MacBook Pro.
And yet, macOS 26 will likely be the excuse I've been looking for to do just that...
My next MacBookWe're expect to see Craig Federighi (above) present macOS 16 to us at WWDC 2025 on June 9, though it may well be called macOS 26 (Image credit: Apple)Moving to an Apple Silicon MacBook has been on my wishlist for a few years now, but buying one isn't exactly a $20 challenge. Still, if Apple does announce on June 9 that my 2018 MacBook Pro isn't invited to the Tahoe party, it'll likely be the nudge I need to make the leap – the other being that my MacBook is now very much showing its age.
There's all the usual seven-year-old laptop signs, like needing to be constantly connected to a charger and the fan going into overdrive at the merest hint of anything more taxing than three Chrome tabs. And yes, it does also have the much-maligned Touch Bar, which I've grown to like despite it being largely useless.
But it's really photo and video editing where my MacBook Pro is showing its advancing years. Adobe Lightroom's AI-powered noise reduction, for example, is very impressive, but applying it to one photo can take several minutes and makes the base of my laptop feel hot enough for cooking a steak dinner.
The question for me will likely be whether to get a MacBook Air 13-inch M4 or wait for the M5 MacBook Pro, which is expected to land later this year alongside M5 chips (possibly in "the fall" of 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman).
With the former sitting at the top of our best laptops guide and likely offering everything I'll need (Liquid Retina display with P3 color gamut, 10-core Apple M4 chip and all-day battery life), I'm leaning towards that – particularly as it starts at a pretty reasonable $999 / £999 / AU$1,699. Which will somehow double when I add more RAM and storage.
There are also the rumors that this year's MacBook Pro M5 might be a slightly disappointing upgrade. The real fireworks are likely coming with a redesigned MacBook Pro M6 that's been tipped to land in 2026 with an OLED display, according to rumors at least.
So while my tired 2018 MacBook Pro isn't completely obsolete yet, the switch to an M4-powered MacBook would likely feel like a night-and-day difference – and those are now pretty rare.
You might also likeRobotic lawn mowers have come a long way in recent years. Boundary wires are gradually becoming a thing of the past, with most modern lawnbots using RTK receivers to navigate neatly and accurately using satellite signals. But Eufy's new models take things a step further, and operate without either of those.
The new Eufy E15 and E18 are V-FSD (visual full self-driving) robot lawn mowers, and find their way around using a combination of binocular cameras and AI algorithms – it's a similar system to what you'd find in a self-driving car.
Aside from not having to deal with the extra hassle of setting up a separate RTK receiver, this could be an ideal solution for those who have a lot of overhead obstacles in their garden – satellite navigation relies on a direct line of sight to multiple satellites in the sky.
(Image credit: Eufy)These are Eufy's first ever lawnbots – the brand is better known for its robot vacuums, smart locks and security cameras. Given that a Eufy model is currently sitting at the top of TechRadar's best robot vacuum ranking, I'm intrigued to see if it can take some of that indoor magic outside.
Eufy promises an effort-free setup process: simply connect the bot up to your Wi-Fi, pop it on your lawn, and it'll automatically map the area. The V-FSD 1.0 tech is designed to accurately identify lawn edges and paths, as well as spotting any obstacles to avoid. There's the option to add no-go zones (via the app, without having to drive the lawnbot over as you would usually have to) and to map multiple lawn zones.
The system might sound a little too good to be true, but based on our early tests things are looking very promising. So far, our reviewer has been impressed by his E15's navigation, reporting largely accurate auto-mapping and reliable object avoidance for anything the size of a tennis ball or larger. We'll get a full review live as soon as we've had a chance to put it through its paces properly.
(Image credit: Eufy)The Eufy E15 is available in the US and UK, and is designed for yards up to 0.2 acres / 800m², while the E18 is currently US-only, and can tackle larger spaces up to 0.3 acres / 1,200m².
Like a satellite-based lawnbot, both of these V-FSD models can cut in uniform lines. You can adjust desired cutting height between 1-3in / 2.5-7.5cm, and there's also a 'Ride On Edge' feature where the bot will straddle the perimeter of paths so you don't need to bother trimming the edges manually.
The bots come equipped with a GPS+4G anti-theft system, backed up with the option of remote visual camera viewing.
In the US, the E15 and E18 are available to buy now direct from Eufy US, at a list price of $1,799.99 and $1,999.99 respectively. In the UK, the E15 is available direct from Eufy UK for £1,499.
You might also like...Wicked: For Good has a magical new trailer and it's made me want to relive the Oscar-winning first movie all over again. Thankfully I can, as Wicked is now available on Peacock, one of the best streaming services.
Wicked, one of the 2025 Best Picture nominees, ended up walking away with two Academy Awards – Best Costume Design and Best Production Design – and if this new trailer is anything to go by, Wicked: For Good could sweep even more awards in the future.
According to Universal, Wicked became "the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time", so it's no surprise fans have flocked to watch the new trailer which is trending at #1 on YouTube at the time of writing.
Take a look at the trailer everyone's talking about below, ahead of its global release on November 21, 2025.
What is the plot of Wicked: For Good?(Image credit: Universal Pictures)Expanding on the first movie, Wicked: For Good's juicy story makes it one of my most anticipated new movies of 2025.
Wicked: For Good will follow Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as they "grapple with the consequences of their choices and the events of the Wizard of Oz", once again told from the perspective of the witches.
Their friendship is put to the test as Elphaba is now demonized as "The Wicked Witch of the West", while the other is hailed as "Glinda the Good". The movie switches focus, depicting the land of Oz both before and after the arrival of Dorothy Gale.
Many of Wicked's original cast reprise their roles alongside Erivo and Grande, including Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum.
Will Wicked: For Good defy gravity and soar to even greater heights than the first installment? We'll have to wait to find out, but at least this trailer will keep you going in the meantime.
You might also likeWindows 11 is set to receive fresh capabilities to preserve the battery life of your laptop with the introduction of a new feature in testing recently.
Windows Latest picked up on this one, with the power-management feature being revealed in a preview build from a couple of weeks back (which the site missed at the time, and I did, too).
Microsoft rather clunkily calls this functionality ‘User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management’ but to be fair, that does describe how it works.
The idea is that when you leave your laptop to go and do something else, and maybe get distracted, Windows 11 will notice that you’ve gone and are no longer interacting with the device.
In these cases, after a set period of time Windows will apply power-consumption reduction measures to extend battery life, because while you’re not using the laptop, you’re not going to be worried about what that might do to performance (obviously).
When you return to your device and start using it again, Microsoft promises that “full performance [is] instantly restored” as you’d hope.
Analysis: promises and caveats(Image credit: Shutterstock/Ham patipak)There’s no downside here, then, at least if what Microsoft is maintaining here is true – that as soon as you come back to use your device, full performance is instantly back at your fingertips. If there’s a bit of lag in terms of responsiveness returning, that might be annoying, depending on how much – but we’ll take Microsoft’s word at face value that this won’t be an issue.
The company does mention one caveat, though, which is that the power savings Windows 11 users benefit from will vary. They’ll depend on the power plan chosen in the OS, and whether your laptop is plugged in, and also processor power-management settings as defined by the manufacturer.
In the latter case, this means there may be factors that the laptop maker has implemented that affect how much battery life the feature can preserve.
If you don’t want this functionality there will seemingly be a way to turn it off, presumably under Windows 11’s power management settings. I can’t see why you wouldn’t want extra battery savings to happen in this way, though, providing the feature works as seamlessly as Microsoft is suggesting.
With this new power-management trickery in testing now, it seems like there’s a good chance it’ll arrive with Windows 11 25H2 later this year. This is an area Microsoft has been working on quite a lot recently, including bringing in the revamped Energy Saver with Windows 11 24H2.
You might also like...Keeping up to date with any changes made to key Google Workspace work or business files should soon be a lot easier thanks to a new "Catch me up" feature powered by Gemini.
The tool is able to scan through your Google Drive space and quickly identify which files have been recently edited, providing a full recap of the changes in a brief overview.
Although Google cautions that these reports are not meant to be entirely comprehensive, the tool will cover the likes of file edits on Docs, and file comments on Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Gemini "catch me up"(Image credit: Google Workspace)""Catch me up" provides a high-level overview of important changes across documents from your Drive, or a synopsis of the main changes and comments in a particular file since it was last opened to ensure users are always up to date," a Google Workspace Updates blog post announcing the changes explained.
The tool will be able to provide several types of update - a high-level Catch Me Up report can be found by selecting the “Catch me up” nudge at the top of the Google Drive home page, with the response shown in the Gemini side panel.
For a specific file or doc, the tool can show if there have been changes to that file since you last viewed it and provide an overview of what changed, with a specific Catch Me Up activity indicator displayed next to the file name in Google Drive.
Users will need to have smart features and personalization turned on for Google Workspace in order to access Catch Me Up, which is rolling out now.
It will be available across the following Google Workspace tiers; Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on, and Google One AI Premium - with any users who have previously purchased the Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-ons also set to receive the feature.
You might also likeApple is scheduled to tell us all about its grand plans for iOS 19 – which may be rebranded as iOS 26 – next week, and a new rumor suggests that this year's software update is going to leave some iPhone models behind.
According to a "very reliable" source in contact with MacRumors, the oldest handsets that will support iOS 19 are the iPhone 11 models and the iPhone SE 2. Those phones launched in September 2019 and April 2020 respectively.
In terms of phones that can run iOS 18 but apparently won't be able to run its successor, we're saying goodbye to the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XS Max. Those three iPhones were all announced by Apple in September 2018.
Bear in mind that none of this is confirmed by Apple yet. It's also worth noting that even if those older phones miss out on iOS 26, they may still get security updates for some time – the iPhone 8 most recently got an update in March 2025, for example.
Here's what's comingThe iPhone 16 will no doubt get iOS 26 (Image credit: Apple)Besides the rebrand from iOS 19 to iOS 26, we've heard quite a few rumors about the next software update for the iPhone. The interface is apparently going to be given quite an overhaul, which has actually been hinted at in Apple's own WWDC 2025 invites.
A slew of new features are expected to make an appearance across Messages, Music, and Notes, including automatic translations for messages in a foreign language, and animated album art for your playlists that shows up on the lock screen.
There have also been leaks about a dedicated gaming hub that runs across iPhones and other Apple devices, as well as the introduction of more AI voice assistants that work with iOS – including, perhaps, Google Gemini.
All will be revealed next Monday, June 9, at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC): the annual software showcase for iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and more. We'll be covering the event and all the announcements live, and if you want to follow along then check out our guide on how to watch the event.
You might also likeKoei Tecmo has officially announced Nioh 3 at PlayStation's June State of Play showcase.
Revealed alongside a story trailer, the studio confirmed that its new open-world Nioh game will be set in Japan's Sengoku period and will be released for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam in 2026.
Although the soulslike game is one year away, fans can check out the Nioh 3 Alpha Demo, which is available exclusively on PS5 until June 18. The demo offers an early look at the game, featuring an in-progress character creation system.
After players complete the demo, they can provide feedback, including thoughts on the new battle styles and open field exploration. They'll also receive a special helmet for use in Nioh 3's full game.
"In Nioh 3, fans take on the role of a young warrior poised to become the next Shogun during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku period. Players will be able to enjoy a unique open-field experience that combines the freedom of exploration with the tension and intensity of action characteristics that encompasses all Nioh titles," Koei Tecmo said.
"From fighting monstruous yokai and exploring villages where suspicious beings lurk, to tackling the daunting challenges of the Crucible, players will enjoy thrilling and hostile new environments as they fight to survive in this cursed kingdom."
The latest Nioh entry will introduce two distinct fighting styles: samurai and ninja. Samurai will offer a similar gameplay experience to previous Nioh titles, while also introducing new actions such as enhancing the power of martial arts with the 'Arts Proficiency' action, or the ability to block enemy attacks with the 'Deflect'.
The Ninja playstyle offers a faster gameplay experience, allowing players to perform aerial actions and dodges, and attack enemies outside of their range.
Ninja players will also be able to outmaneuver enemies and deliver devastating speed attacks from behind using a variety of Ninjitsu techniques, such as 'Mist', which leaves a clone after attacking, and 'Evade', which allows them to narrowly avoid enemy strikes.
There's no need to decide between just one playstyle, as Koei Tecmo has explained that the game allows players to instantaneously switch from one combat style to another during battle, or choose to continuously use only one style.
Nioh 3 is available to wishlist now on Steam. The game will also be available in Japanese and English voices with English, French. Italian, German, and Spanish subtitles.
You might also like...Microsoft is expanding its security umbrella to cover European governments in a bid to reduce the threats posed by AI and state-sponsored attacks from the likes of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
Russian state-sponsored hackers have been targeting European governments using zero day vulnerabilities, China has been hiding its spying activities using open-source VPNs, and North Korea has been infiltrating Western organizations through job interviews - to name just a few recent campaigns.
The new European Security Program will provide additional threat intelligence sharing, especially for AI threats, alongside added cybersecurity investment and partnerships - provided to European governments free of charge.
Free cybersecurity for EuropeMicrosoft says the program will provide rapid cutting edge AI insights and analysis into cyber threats, helping governments defend faster and more effectively against state-sponsored attacks.
Additional intelligence sharing and collaboration between governments and Microsoft will also help enhance response rates and coordination when responding to threats that target multiple nations at once.
Microsoft will also advise governments on the latest vulnerabilities and exploited zero-days through initiatives including the Threat Microsoft Security Update Guide, Vulnerability Reporting process, and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management.
The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) will also provide information on foreign-influence and disinformation campaigns, especially those that utilize AI, with added focus on the tactics used in each campaign and their methods of distribution.
The program will be available to all EU member states, as well as EU accession countries, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members, plus the UK, Monaco, and the Vatican.
“This new program expands the geographic reach of our existing work and adds new elements that will become critical to Europe’s protection. It puts AI at the center of our work as a tool to protect traditional cybersecurity needs and strengthens our protection of digital and AI infrastructure,” Microsoft explained in a statement.
“Together, these efforts reflect Microsoft’s long-term commitment to defending Europe’s digital ecosystem—ensuring that, no matter how the threat landscape evolves, we will remain a trusted and steadfast partner to Europe in securing its digital future,” Microsoft said.
You might also likeIn a major cybercrime crackdown, the FBI and international partners declared victory against Qakbot - also known as Qbot - back in August 2023.
The malware operation, which infected over 700,000 computers globally (including around 200,000 in the US), was linked to $58 million in ransomware-related losses.
Described by U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada as “the most significant technological and financial operation ever led by the Department of Justice against a botnet,” Operation Duck Hunt led to the seizure of 52 servers and the confiscation of $8.6 million in cryptocurrency - but, as with many supposed knockouts in cybercrime, the celebration was premature.
Qakbot re-emergesWithin just three months, Qakbot re-emerged, demonstrating that even coordinated, resource-intensive law enforcement actions can have disappointingly limited long-term impact.
Following the 2023 takedown, alleged ringleader Rustam Rafailevich Gallyamov and his crew didn’t retreat, they adapted - rather than relying on traditional phishing to distribute malware, they reportedly shifted to more deceptive tactics.
And according to The Register, newly unsealed indictments reveal a novel strategy involving “spam bomb attacks” - overwhelming employees’ inboxes with unwanted subscription emails.
The attackers would then pose as IT staff offering to help, tricking victims into running malicious code.
This tactic enabled the group to regain access to company systems, encrypt files, and exfiltrate sensitive data.
“Defendant Gallyamov and co-conspirators would launch targeted spam bomb attacks at employees of victim companies,” court documents state, “and then contact those employees, posing as information technology workers.”
Once access was granted, the consequences were swift and severe: data theft, encryption, and ransom demands.
Qakbot malware enables attackers to backdoor systems, install additional threats, and harvest credentials.
Operators behind ransomware strains such as REvil, Black Basta, and Conti allegedly paid Gallyamov and his associates for access, or even shared a portion of their extorted proceeds.
In April 2025, additional illicit funds, over 30 bitcoin and US $700,000 were seized from Gallyamov, but he remains in Russia, beyond the reach of US law enforcement.
As federal officials put it, “unless he foolishly decides to leave the protection of the motherland,” Gallyamov is likely to remain untouchable.
To stay protected from these kinds of threats, organizations need to invest in the best antivirus - additionally, using a leading endpoint protection platform can help detect and isolate suspicious activity before it escalates into a data breach or ransomware attack.
You might also likeThere are few modern experiences more demoralizing than waking up, picking up your phone to turn off your alarm, and discovering an avalanche of emails burying your inbox in notifications. Forget writing back, just sorting through them all and determining which need responses and how quickly you need to answer can eat up a whole day. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis believes AI should handle all of that organizing and responding, and he and his team have a plan to embed a virtual robot secretary in your inbox so that you never need to crawl through irrelevant sales pitches and unnecessary LinkedIn notifications ever again.
Email is the quintessential magical treasure with a dark curse attached. Miraculous instant communication worldwide is burdened with spam, late-night demands for immediate action from a boss, and the dreaded accidental reply-all button. Hassabis thinks AI can restore the good parts of email by handling all the "mundane chores" and recommending responses instead of leaving you filled with despair at your triple-digit unread count.
Hassabis told the audience at the recent SXSW London event he'd happily pay quite a lot of money to end the current tyranny of the inbox. And not in some far-off future. DeepMind is working to make email inboxes self-managing, capable of sorting through incoming messages, deciding which ones matter, and drafting responses that sound like you. So the next annoying email not only won't find you well, it won't find you at all until the AI works up a response for your approval.
From a marketing perspective, it's a brilliant approach. Plenty of people rightly worried about some of the implications of AI might have a soft spot for the technology if it can clear up even a couple of hours a week for actual productive work (or even seeing your family).
AI email utopiaHassabis described his vision of a “universal AI assistant” that can be proactive and smart enough to act on your behalf. Instead of regularly giving the AI orders and explaining your priorities, the AI will learn from observing how you deal with a variety of emails and perhaps a one-time broad description of your approach to different kinds of messages. It will know not only how you respond to emails, but also which you ignore on purpose and which you are just stumped at figuring out how to answer.
An AI assistant of that caliber, "gives you more time and maybe protects your attention from other algorithms trying to gain your attention," Hassabis said. "I think we can actually use AI in service of the individual.” “
That's the long-term big picture. For now, Hassabis said we can look forward to AI tools that know when to say, “Thanks for the follow-up. I’ll take a look and get back to you soon.” And when to immediately click delete. Everyone would appreciate an AI that gets us to inbox zero without losing our minds.
You might also likeBrowser extensions often make browsing easier by blocking ads, autofilling passwords, or providing productivity tools, but they also pose one of the most overlooked security risks in today’s digital ecosystem.
To address this, cybersecurity company LayerX has launched ExtensionPedia, a kind of “Wikipedia for extensions,” aimed at providing in-depth risk assessments for over 200,000 browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
Internet users typically rely on app stores to vet these extensions and ensure they are safe. However, LayerX claims that these stores “only do a superficial job of vetting extensions.” While they scan for malware and obvious red flags, they do not investigate behavioral patterns or the ownership lineage of extension code.
Extra scrutiny for browser extensions“When someone installs a browser extension - either for personal or work use - users and their organizations have no idea what permissions the extension has, how reputable the author is, or the extension’s overall risk profile,” said Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO of LayerX.
This has created a loophole through which malicious actors have repeatedly introduced spyware, adware, and data-harvesting tools.
In recent months, browser-based identity theft and data exfiltration via extensions have become so prevalent that they’ve prompted official warnings from agencies like the FBI.
“While browser extensions are often considered harmless, in practice they are frequently granted extensive access permissions to users’ identity information and data,” LayerX notes, “leading hackers to use them as an attack channel for credential theft, account takeover, and data theft.”
LayerX says its service pulls anonymous data from millions of browser sessions via its database, which includes unified risk scores, granular permission breakdowns, and detailed reputation analyses, all in one searchable, public-facing tool.
While antivirus and endpoint protection platforms can help guard against malicious extensions, the availability of a dedicated risk score could empower users to make more informed decisions.
However, users must actively search the ExtensionPedia database and understand the significance of permission scopes or publisher risk scores.
The concept is promising, but skepticism remains over whether users will truly comprehend the scores or simply dismiss them as technical jargon. Additionally, the effectiveness of such a database in addressing the broader cybersecurity threat landscape remains to be seen.
The concept also assumes users will research extensions before installing them, something that rarely happens in practice.
By making extension risk scores public, LayerX is undeniably increasing transparency, but visibility alone does not equate to protection.
ExtensionPedia is currently available for free, but its real impact will depend on how widely, and thoughtfully, it’s used.
You might also likeIf you've ever dreamed of seeing your hockey heroes playing alongside the biggest animated stars then Sony's new deal with the NHL might get you excited.
Sony has already expanded into the professional sports world via its Beyond Sports brand, which is key to real-time data processing and the ability to take all that action and translate it into something else.
Its partnership with the NFL (National Football League) led to the airing of the The Simpsons Funday Football on Disney+ and ESPN last year, and now the NHL could be next for that kind of treatment.
The NHL already uses Sony's Hawk-Eye Technology system – a combination of cameras above the ice and wearable sensors on players – but this new deal will expand on that, while continuing the use of Sony cameras for both still photography and video.
Most excitingly, it promises to broaden the role that Beyond Sports could play in changing how fans of any age can experience a hockey game.
(Image credit: Sony)If real-time animated simulcasts are on the horizon as part of this deal, it won't be the first time the NHL and Sony have collaborated on such a venture.
In 2023, the NHL Big City Greens Classic was produced using Beyond Sports technology and that system, along with the Hawk-Eye setup, is now installed in all 32 arenas.
As with other animated broadcasts, the goal is to expand the appeal and attract a wider audience – one that might be different from or adjacent to those attending the game in person.
Speaking to TechRadar, David Lehanski, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Innovation at the NHL, said that the talks began with a question about how the league can reach more fans.
Now, though, “We're going to eventually get to a point where we allow the fan to customize so they can have some role in determining what the environment looks like. And then another step after that might be to even give the fans an ability to interact with the content,” Lehanski continued.
A preview of the Simpsons Monday Night Football game (Image credit: Sony's Beyond Sports)Those comments echo back to TechRadar’s conversation with Sander Schouten, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Beyond Sports last year.
Schouten then hinted that more environments could come depending on the partner, and that we could see more interactive streams. He also highlighted the sheer volume of data being generated and its rapid pace, suggesting that the runway is wide open for various implementations.
That could mean multiple streams or different ways of accessing the action – be it on a traditional TV, through streaming, or even in a virtual reality environment. The latter is something the NHL has already explored, both for analysts and for players.
For both Sony and the NHL, this is an exciting endeavor – a formalized partnership built on technology already being used in games. It should open the door to more robust interactions and increased investment, enhancing the game experience whether you’re in the stands or watching from home.
While neither Sony nor the NHL would comment on future partners for real-time animated moments, I am hopeful we might see a return of The Simpsons – not for football, but for hockey.
You Might Also LikeIn the fast-paced world of digital products, expectations are high, patience is limited, and brands invest heavily in aesthetics, sleek interfaces, and gamified user journeys. Yet, what actually drives users away is often much simpler, and far more damaging.
Research from Amplitude has claimed intrusive popups, frequent crashes, tiny unreadable text, and unclear privacy settings are now major tipping points that prompt users to delete apps altogether.
Some developers argue that popups are a necessary evil for monetization, but as the report found, customer behavior tells a different story.
Popups are intrusive and mostly poorly executedOver half of app users (54%) ignore popups entirely, and only 46% have ever responded to one. Engagement varies dramatically across generations, with 53% of Gen Z users saying they’ve acted on a popup, compared to just 17% of Boomers.
“This is a clear signal that people want popups that are better timed, less intrusive, and more relevant to their unique needs - and this is especially important for older generations,” said Lee Edwards, Vice President, EMEA at Amplitude.
The data suggests that popups are not inherently ineffective; rather, they’re often mistimed, disruptive, or irrelevant, as poorly placed promotions erode trust instead of driving conversions.
But it’s not just about popups. When apps glitch or freeze, the consequences are immediate. Over a third (35%) of users will abandon an app within minutes of it malfunctioning, while 10% won’t even give it that long.
User loyalty is rare: only 16% of users bother to report problems or contact support, while 58% simply leave, never to return.
Beyond bugs, poor design choices add to user frustration. Nearly half (45%) of users who’ve encountered flawed design say it made them feel “enraged,” with the number rising to 59% among Millennials and Gen Z.
Small text, forced account creation, and confusing navigation all contribute to the problem - notably, older users are especially frustrated by illegible text, an issue made worse when designers optimize exclusively for modern devices, without considering accessibility on older or smaller screens.
What users overwhelmingly want is reliability. An eye-catching app is meaningless if it can’t deliver a stable experience - and in fact, 85% of users prefer a plain-looking app which works consistently over a beautiful one that breaks.
To stay relevant, apps must earn their place on a user’s device, there is no room for mediocrity. Even promising concepts like “super apps,” which combine messaging, shopping, banking, and more, appeal to just 41% of users.
Ultimately, brands hoping to build loyalty must go beyond analytics dashboards and deeply examine how real users interact, where they struggle, and why they leave.
You might also likeWe love to give practical buying advice on the latest gadgets here at TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That's what we bring you in these Money no Object columns – you can read the whole series here.
Struggling to sleep? Perhaps you need to invest in a new bed, friend. And if you've never thought of adding some sleep-specific (or at the very least, Sunday chill-specific) stereo speakers to set you up for the best shut-eye session of your life, well… maybe you should.
Look, it's not every day you see a very high-end bed with some very high-end speakers built in. But that's what you're looking at here.
I only need to glance at The Seventy Five, a collaboration between audio specialist KEF and Savoir, a British bedmaker since 1905, to feel a little more relaxed about life. That is, until I see the price…
Rest is the sweet sauce of labor(Image credit: KEF)Just imagine those 10 hand-upholstered panels, gently curving around your crown and discreetly housing two glorious Ci3160REFM, THX Ultra-certified KEF speakers. Don't worry, they're towed in just right, because they're nestled into the penultimate panels around the bed aren't they?
Why call this creation The Seventy Five? Because that has long been considered the ideal number of beats per minute a musical track should have, to help you relax.
Music is the answerKEF's magnetic removable grilles will allow you to conceal or reveal the speakers within your aspirational bed, but I'm sure you want to know what you're getting in the first instance – because KEF makes some of the best stereo speakers we've had the pleasure of testing.
At the core of each speaker within The Seventy Five lies KEF’s 12th generation signature driver array, Uni-Q (proprietary tech found in all KEF stereo speakers, which you can read more on in our KEF LSX II LT review).
However, the sound system here is completed with six (yes, six) KEF Kube 8b subwoofers, discreetly installed in the base of the bed. These subwoofers feature KEF's iBX technology to extend the bass depth, but make no mistake, in-bed amplifiers, drivers and sealed cabinets are all on board here – a sound system selected and tuned by KEF’s team in Maidstone, UK.
(Image credit: KEF / Savoir)And so to bedWhat about the bit you sleep on? Well, if you reckon you've read about Savoir within TechRadar's digital pages before today, you're not wrong; the brand featured in our 7 most expensive mattresses in the world article not too long ago.
But this is expensive with added expensive KEF speakers. Savoir tells me its London Bedworks invests over 150 hours of handcraft into The Seventy Five, to deliver "a masterpiece of sleeping comfort". And while you're getting music, there's no need for headphones or wires – Savoir's team has also put wireless charging ports into the bed's side tables, so your devices can power up as you drift off.
Ready for some pricing? OK. But maybe sit down. Remember, this is a piece of furniture designed for how people actually use their bedrooms today: reading, listening, watching, winding down… and it's an investment.
In the US, The Seventy Five will cost you from $68,605 for a King; in the UK, it's £51,385 for a Super King (because bed sizes are actually different across the pond). Perhaps one for the apartment in St. Barts…
You may also likeMeta has revealed a deal to prop up a nuclear power plant over the next 20 years in what it says is a bid to power the continued demand for AI.
The Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, owned by Constellation Energy, was due to be mothballed in 2027, but will now stay open thanks to Meta's support.
The 20-year deal will see the facility provide 1,121 megawatts of "emissions-free nuclear energy", with additional incremental capacity of 30MW if needed.
Nuclear power for Meta AIThe deal will mark only the second US site to host a nuclear reactor built entirely this century, following Plant Vogtle, built in 2023 near Waynesboro, Georgia.
"As we have embarked on understanding and helping to grow nuclear energy in the U.S., we have heard from across the ecosystem that existing nuclear power plants will not be able to stay online indefinitely without partners and investments that help extend existing operating licenses and increase generation capacity," Meta said in a statement.
"It’s clear that there are many nuclear power plants serving the U.S. that need long-term support to help our electricity grids remain reliable as energy needs grow."
"Keeping an existing plant operating will have the same positive effect as adding new clean energy to the grid, and avoid the disruption that has occurred when other nuclear units have retired prematurely."
(Image credit: Constellation Energy)Built in 1987, Meta says the Clinton Clean Energy Center support will also preserve over 1,100 local jobs and contributes $13.5 million annually in tax revenue.
The plant had been facing closure as long ago as 2017 due to financial pressure, but Illinois passed its Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which extended its operations via a zero-emission credit (ZEC) program. This was due to expire in 2027, but Meta's support should now see it operate long past this.
“We are proud to partner with Meta because they asked that important question, and even better, they figured out that supporting the relicensing and expansion of existing plants is just as impactful as finding new sources of energy," noted said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO, Constellation.
"Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards.”
A March 2025 report commissioned by the firm and carried out by The Brattle Group claimed shuttering the Clinton plant would have led to 34 million metric tons of additional carbon pollution over 20 years - the equivalent of an additional 7.4 million gas-powered cars coming onto the road for one year - as well causing as Illinois’ GDP to drop by $765 million annually.
You might also likeSamsung may have quietly handed the smackdown to Apple and whatever super-slim phone the Cupertino crew might be cooking up.
That's because in a recent video interview with our sibling publication Tom’s Guide, Blake Gaiser, director of smartphone product management at Samsung Electronics America, touted the efforts and innovations the South Korean company made to bring the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge to fruition.
Describing it as a “Goldilocks” of smartphones to Global Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer, Gaiser championed how the Galaxy S25 Edge is a true high-end phone that could create a whole new category of smartphone.
“We do consider it to be a flagship. It is a new innovation piece that we're bringing forth where we're taking out so much weight, so much thickness of this device, while not compromising on the things that are really important to our customers, such as durability, the performance of the chipset, having that flagship 200MP camera,” explained Gaiser.
“And so we do believe that this is that kind of Goldilocks for so many of our customers that is going to give them everything they want and not give them the things that they're not looking for.”
Gaiser went on to discuss more aspects of the Galaxy S25 Edge, from its design to its cameras and AI.
But what resonated with me, as a tech journalist with copious amounts of experience writing about and handling some of the best phones, is that Samsung may have seriously thrown down the gauntlet at Apple and what it might do with the rumored iPhone 17 Air.
I feel Apple will need to bring something special to the table in order to somewhat clap back at Samsung, while also being seen as forging its own path.
As it stands, the iPhone 17 Air exists in the realms of rumor and speculation, but I’d place a favourable bet that Apple will look to slim down its next-generation iPhones; as much as I love the design of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I’m not against it getting a nip and a tuck.
Check out the full interview in the video above and then let me know in the comments whether you think Samsung has created something special here or if it's more of a gimmick.
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