TechRadar News

• The Nintendo Today app has provided another Switch 2 hint
• This time it's a video that hints at Joy-Con mouse functionality
• The Switch 2 Direct is happening tomorrow on April 2

While Nintendo hasn't outright confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers have mouse functionality, the company sure isn't shy about teasing it.

The latest hint was spotted by VGC, and it comes via the recently launched Nintendo Today app. The app featured a short teaser video today (April 1) that displays the Nintendo Switch 2 console in a variety of setups including docked, handheld and tabletop modes.

The tabletop mode setup off to the right is what we're focusing on. It shows the Joy-Con controllers detached from the console, with one of them placed on its side like it was in the initial Switch 2 announcement video.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

While VGC originally spotted the video via its Japanese Nintendo account, it can now be viewed on the Nintendo Today app globally. You'll just need to download the app via Google Play or the Apple Store and log in with your own Nintendo account.

Now again, it's important to note that this is just a teaser video and it doesn't outright confirm mouse functionality is enabled for Switch 2's Joy-Con. However, you have to think that placing the Joy-Con on its side like that is a pretty deliberate choice, and it's not likely to be the default way to place them down after you've finished using them.

Of course, we'll likely know for sure at tomorrow's big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, which is airing on April 2 at 6am PDT / 9am EST / 2pm GMT / 3pm CEST.

We'll be covering the presentation live here at TechRadar Gaming, so be sure to stay tuned!

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The recent disclosure of another major firewall exploit should serve as a wake-up call to security teams everywhere. The latest vulnerabilities impacting Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls have once again exposed how fragile network security architectures are. While the immediate response has followed the predictable cycle of patching, monitoring, and damage assessment, the bigger issue remains unresolved.

The problem is not just a software flaw or an unpatched device. It is the lack of extensive network security policy management (NSPM) strategies. These are essential for any organization that is serious about attack surface reduction.

Modern network security cannot afford to operate reactively. Organizations that focus solely on perimeter defense and emergency patch management are constantly playing catch-up. The traditional ‘fix and forget’ model no longer works in an environment where threats evolve faster than most teams can respond.

Attackers are not just targeting known vulnerabilities; they are probing security policies, misconfigurations, and access control gaps that enterprises often overlook. This is where NSPM becomes a game-changer. Instead of reacting to breaches, organizations need to proactively manage their security posture, ensuring that their policies and configurations don’t introduce new risks.

Expanding complexity

The expansion of hybrid and cloud computing environments has made managing security policies more difficult than ever. Enterprises operate across on-premises data centers, multi-cloud architectures, and remote workforces, each introducing new layers of complexity.

Without a structured approach to NSPM, security teams lack visibility into how policies interact across these environments. This blind spot increases the risk of misconfigurations, redundant rules, and security gaps that adversaries can exploit. Gartner’s research on Attack Surface Management (ASM) highlights the challenges which businesses must contend with when it comes to policy complexity.

Attack surface management and NSPM go hand in hand. ASM focuses on identifying and monitoring all exposed digital assets, but without NSPM, that visibility is meaningless. Effective security starts with knowing whether firewall rules and access policies allow unauthorized traffic to exploit vulnerabilities.

The question every security team should be able to answer is: are there any security policy enforcement rules that allow access to known vulnerabilities across your environment? More importantly, when new rules are created, can you determine if they inadvertently expose an asset that was previously secure? Without an NSPM strategy in place, these risks remain unchecked, leaving enterprises vulnerable even when they believe they are secure.

Welcome to automation

Recent research shows that automation plays a critical role in minimizing attack surfaces. According to an IDC report on Firewall Policy Management, automating firewall policy management reduces human error and enforces compliance across complex architectures. Enterprises that adopt automated NSPM strategies experience fewer misconfigurations and can implement rule optimizations that remove redundant access points. When combined with ASM, this approach reduces the number of exploitable attack paths while maintaining flexibility for legitimate access requirements.

The importance of proactive security policy management is underscored by the increasing frequency of firewall-related breaches. While the immediate response to the latest Palo Alto vulnerability will be to patch and monitor affected devices, organizations should view this as an opportunity to rethink how they manage security policies. Patching alone is not enough. Attackers are always looking for the next unpatched device or the next misconfigured rule that provides a pathway into critical systems.

Ongoing process

An effective NSPM approach extends beyond simple rule enforcement. It enables security teams to continuously assess and refine policies based on evolving threats. A structured NSPM approach helps enforce segmentation strategies by dynamically validating policy changes. But segmentation alone is not enough without continuous network monitoring to ensure assets remain protected.

Organizations should be implementing a zero-trust approach that dynamically evaluates policy changes and their potential impact on security posture. This requires integrating NSPM into a broader risk management framework that considers exposure, compliance, and operational efficiency.

Another challenge is the growing reliance on multi-vendor security environments. Many enterprises use a mix of firewalls, cloud security controls, and endpoint protection platforms, each with its own policy management approach. Without a unified NSPM solution, security teams struggle to enforce consistent policies across different platforms. This inconsistency increases the likelihood of gaps in security enforcement, making it easier for attackers to exploit weak points in the network.

Compliance cornerstone

As cyber threats evolve, regulatory pressures are also increasing. Compliance standards such as GDPR, NIS2, and PCI-DSS require organizations to demonstrate effective security controls, including robust policy management. The IDC highlights that compliance is not just about avoiding fines.

Businesses should view it as potential for competitive differentiation. Companies that can demonstrate proactive security policy enforcement are in a stronger position to gain customer trust and meet regulatory expectations. NSPM provides a structured way to ensure that policies remain compliant, reducing the risk of audit failures and costly remediations.

Security teams must shift their approach from reactive to proactive policy management. The latest firewall vulnerabilities are proof that outdated security models are failing. Today, NSPM is a strategic imperative for reducing risk and ensuring resilience against the next inevitable breach.

We list the best small and medium business (SMB) firewall and the best cloud firewall.

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

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is almost over already.

The hit Marvel TV show's final episode will be with us sooner than you'd think – but, before we reach its climax, there's the small matter of two other chapters coming to Disney+ first.

So, when will Daredevil: Born Again episode 7 be released on Disney's primary streaming platform? Below, I've outlined when you can watch it in the US, UK, and Australia. You'll also find out when new episodes will launch on one of the world's best streaming services, too. Without further ado, then, here's when you can catch Born Again's seventh installment.

When will Daredevil: Born Again episode 7 launch in the US?

"Vanessa, when will the next episode of our show be released on Disney+?" (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Born Again's next entry is set to arrive on Disney+ in the US at 6PM PT / 9PM ET on Tuesday, April 1.

If you're wondering why we've jumped from Born Again episode 5's release time to episode 7's, it's because two chapters were released on Disney+ last week. Indeed, there was a double helping of Daredevil's standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV series last week (March 25). So, if you somehow missed that double-header, you'll need to watch its sixth installment ASAP.

When can I watch Daredevil: Born Again episode 7 in the UK?

Jumping into a new episode of Born Again like... (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The Marvel Phase 5 TV show's next outing will make its debut on Disney+ UK at 2AM BST on Wednesday, April 2.

Why the time shift? The clocks went forward one hour in the UK last Sunday (March 30), so those of us on British shores will have to wait an extra hour to watch The Man Without Fear's next law- or vigilante-based story on the streaming giant.

What time is Daredevil: Born Again episode 7 going to debut on Disney+ in Australia?

Things won't get any easier for Matt Murdock from here on out (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Those Down Under can check out Born Again's next chapter on Wednesday, April 2 at 12PM AEDT.

This is the final time you'll be able to watch the show at this time, too. The clocks are due to go back on Sunday (April 6), which makes things better for Australian viewers because you'll be able to stream episodes 8 and 9 at the earlier time of 11PM AEST.

What is the full release schedule for new episodes of Daredevil: Born Again?

We're not a-Muse-d that Born Again's first season has almost ended already (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

There are only two more episodes of Daredevil: Born Again to come before its first season ends. Find out when new entries for one of the best Disney+ shows will arrive in the US, UK, and Australia below:

• Episode 1 – out now
• Episode 2 – out now
• Episode 3 – out now
• Episode 4 – out now
• Episode 5 – out now
• Episode 6 – out now
• Episode 7 – April 1 (US); April 2 (UK and Australia)
• Episode 8 – April 8 (US); April 9 (UK and Australia)
• Episode 9 – April 15 (US); April 16 (UK and Australia)

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Marvel Unlimited monthly subscription: was $9.99 per month now $4.99 at Marvel
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• Apple Home now supports select Matter-enabled robot vacuums
• Assuming your vacuum is supported, you could soon be saying, 'Siri, vacuum the kitchen'
• It's been a long time coming, as support was originally promised by the end of 2024

If you’ve been dreaming about one day saying, ‘Hey Siri, have the vacuum clean the living room and the kitchen,’ Apple’s answering your prayers. Well, at least if you have one of the eligible robot vacuum cleaners.

With iOS 18.4 – Apple’s latest software, which is rolling out right now alongside iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, tvOS 18.4, and HomePods software – Apple Home can now play nice and control eligible Matter-compatible robot vacuums from Roborock, iRobot, and Ecovacs.

It’s been a long time coming, to say the least.

Apple first promised that support for these smart home cleaners would arrive by the end of 2024, but it took a little bit longer – four months exactly. Still, the support is here with the latest release.

(Image credit: Apple)

So what does this mean? Well, if you have a supported model from those three brands, you can add your robot vacuum to your Apple Home and control it right from there or even integrate it into an existing automation.

That latter means you could set up a routine to have your vacuum cleaner start up a session when you leave the house on Wednesdays to ensure that when you return, the floor is clean.

Additionally, within Apple Home or via Siri from really any Apple device, you’ll be able to ask the robot vacuum to clean a specific room or ask for it’s status. Now, you may need to update your robot vacuum cleaner. Roborock announced many firmware updates today that will enable the models to work with Apple Home when they roll out in early April 2025. Those include the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Saros Z70, Saros 10, Saros 10R, Qrevo Curv, Qrevo Edge, and Qrevo Master.

Models from Ecovacs and iRobot will likely require software updates as well, and we’ll update you when we hear more about those. Regardless of whether an update is required, it’s excellent to see Apple make good on its promise of rolling out robot vacuum support to Apple Home, and it really will bolster the smart home offering.

Of course, we’re all still waiting on the AI-infused Siri as part of Apple Intelligence, which could make smart home control even better, but that’s set to arrive ‘in the coming year.’ That’ll likely need to arrive before the smart home display – aka a HomePod with a screen – that I and many others dream of, if it ever arrives.

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• visionOS 2.4 brings Apple Intelligence to the $3,499 spatial computer
• Image Playground, Writing Tools, and Genmoji lead the enhancements
• AVision Pro app for the iPhone highlights new content and makes hardware information easily accessible

Apple Vision Pro just got a lot smarter with a visionOS 2.4 update that brings some of the best parts of Apple Intelligence to the mixed reality headset.

Apple's visionOS 2.4 is available now for download to your $3,499 headset. It adds key Apple Intelligence features, including:

• Image Playground
• Genmojis
• Writing Tools

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

While Writing Tools brings AI-powered writing suggestions to Messages, Notes, and other first-party Apple tools, Image Playground is an entirely new app in the Vision Pro arsenal.

It works pretty much the way it does on iOS. There's an app that you can open and then, using gesture and voice, create wild generative images that feature Apple Intelligence interpretations of you and your contacts. These images are manipulated based on your prompt and other visual options you apply, like "Rainforest," "Sci-fi," "Spring," "Party," and more.

The artwork now appears in three style options: Animations, Illustration, and Sketch.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Vision Pro's OS update arrives simultaneously alongside iOS 18.4, which delivers the new Apple Vision Pro app to the iPhone. Inside the app are tech details about your own Vision Pro headset, including the specifics of your prescription inserts, if you have them. It's also a great place to discover fresh content for the headset.

Meanwhile, back on the Vision Pro, there's the new Spatial Gallery, which is an immersive content gallery. It'll be where Apple will highlight its newest piece of spatial video content: VIP: Yankee Stadium, an immersive look at the iconic ballpark.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future)

We spent a little bit of time with the new Apple Intelligence features in Vision Pro. They're all easy to use and integrate well with the Vision pro's gaze and gesture-based interface. This is especially effective when you want to use your voice to alter your Image Playground creations.

As for Siri, you do gain access to ChatGPT via Apple's digital assistant, but, as in iOS, there are still no significant updates with visionOS 2.4. That said, we cannot wait until we finally have a Siri that can recognize everything on our Vision Pro desktop and take mixed-reality actions on our behalf.

Finally, visionOS 2.4 updates Guest Mode. Now, you can enable the mode from your iPhone without having to first wear the headset, hand it to a guest wearer, and see what they see through your iPhone or iPad. It makes sharing much easier.

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• Asus just teased it's 'cooking something up' on X (formerly Twitter)
• We think the device might be the rumored Xbox handheld
• The computer brand is promising more power with the device

Sure, we’re all waiting for Nintendo to spill all the remaining beans about the Switch 2 during its ‘Direct’ live stream on April 2, 2025, but there is another handheld courting our attention right now.

ASUS has just formally teased a gaming handheld in one of the most delightful ways possible. This comes after rumors of Microsoft partnering with the tech brand on a potential Xbox gaming handheld. We're hoping that means a device that’s as well equipped as a Steam Deck with Xbox flare.

The teaser, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter), reads, “Our little robot friend is cooking something up… #ROG #ROGALLY #PlayALLYourGames #NextLevelGaming” and features a 34-second video of that ‘little robot friend’ building out something on a large-screen monitor and then tossing a ROG Ally and a ROG Raikiri Pro controller into a chamber emitting smoke.

Our little robot friend is cooking something up...#ROG #ROGALLY #PlayALLYourGames #NextLevelGaming pic.twitter.com/nDG7rlEIhHMarch 31, 2025

What comes out? Well, it’s seemingly the rumored ASUS x Xbox handheld, and we couldn’t be more excited. The device that appears has a simple character winking with one eye with a grin and controls on either side.

It’s worth noting that on the screen during the building process, four things are being worked on:

• Marathon Stamina
• Faster Speeds
• More Capacity
• Fresh Look!

(Image credit: Asus)

e qualities of both an upgrade to the ASUS Rog Ally and what you’d want from a portable handheld console. While the original post on X doesn’t exactly mention Xbox anywhere, this post comes after rumors earlier this year, and Xbox did slide in here with a reply.

pic.twitter.com/ONZpeEmNkaMarch 31, 2025

The social team at Xbox responded with a member showing a side-eye, at least hopefully hinting at the partnership or maybe just causing false hope for us all.

Either way, whether this future ASUS ROG device runs on the Xbox platform or opts for an alternative operating system, it surely seems that it will be plenty powerful. Asus also seemingly wants to get ahead of Nintendo’s much-anticipated Direct stream on April 2, 2025.

As for when Asus we’ll share more, no exact date or timeframe is given. Though Computex 2025, which kicks off on May 19, 2025, is a potential event where this device could debut. Either route, stick with TechRadar for the news as it breaks during the April 2 Nintendo Direct and forever when Asus is ready to share more.

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• YouTube demonetized two channels for sharing AI-made fake trailers
• Some Hollywood studios secretly claimed ad revenue from the misleading trailers
• The crackdown comes amid new contracts and laws limiting unauthorized AI replicas

If you've ever visited YouTube and clicked on a trailer for the next superhero film and thought it seemed too good to be true, well, you might have been right. Wishful thinking, clever editing, and a scoop of AI fakery produced clips enticing billions of clicks and earning plenty of cash through advertising. The shocking part is that a lot of that money apparently found its way to the very studios you might expect to try and shut down any such unauthorized use of their intellectual property, at least according to information uncovered recently by Deadline.

That sidehustle may now be over with YouTube removing two of the biggest homes of these AI-laced fake trailers, Screen Culture and KH Studio, from its Partner Program. That means no more ad revenue for them or the studios reportedly getting a piece of the action.

Screen Culture has made many popular trailers full of AI-generated shots for upcoming films like The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman. KH Studio is more famous for its imaginary casting, like Leonardo DiCaprio in the next Squid Game or Henry Cavill as the next James Bond. You would be forgiven for assuming the plotlines, characters, and visuals on display were teasing details of the films, but they were produced far from the real film development.

The fakes were good enough to sometimes come up in searches before the real trailers, and enough clicks could prompt YouTube’s recommendation algorithm to highlight the fakes above the real deal. That translates into a lot of cash for a monetized video. That's likely why, according to Deadline, studios made arrangements with YouTube to redirect the ad revenue from these fake trailers into their own accounts.

Trailer tricks

Still, YouTube has its own rules. The monetization deal may have been okay in theory, but the channels broke other rules. For instance, to earn ad revenue, a creator can't just remix someone else's content; they need to add original elements. A reviewer might show a brief clip of a film to comment on it, but most of the video is the review, not the movie. You also can't copy others' work, mislead viewers, or make content for the “sole purpose of getting views.”

Screen Culture and KH Studio can appeal the demonetization, but that might be a long shot. YouTube's decision reflects a larger ongoing debate about AI in the entertainment industry. The SAG-AFTRA strike highlighted the demands of actors for limits and control of any AI replicas of people in film and TV. The final agreement reached following the long strike set out new rules for consent by a performer before any studio can use AI to mimic their likeness.

In case that wasn't clear enough, California lawmakers passed two bills barring the use of AI to recreate a performer’s voice or image without their consent, even posthumously. That makes it harder for studios or rogue creators to conjure digital versions of famous faces just to juice a trailer, real or otherwise.

YouTube is somewhat stuck as fan-made trailers have long been a popular kind of content. Using AI, though, can make a fake trailer seem good enough to trick people, even if only by accident. And YouTube doesn't want to encourage the practice by monetizing it. For now, the message from YouTube is clear: you can imagine a world where Cavill is Bond or Galactus shows up in Fantastic Four, but you can’t cash in on that fantasy if it's built only around AI.

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• Plugable USBC-7400H4 adapter supports four HDMI outputs and 90W power delivery
• Multi-display support for Windows, macOS, and Apple M4 laptops
• Quad 4K at 60Hz plus virtual 8K monitor via USB-C

Plugable, an American brand known for USB flash devices, has introduced the USBC-7400H4, a new graphics adapter which connects up to four 4K displays at 60Hz from a single USB-C port.

This is the first adapter to feature the DisplayLink DL-7400 chipset, providing extensive screen space for demanding workloads, making it one of the best docking stations in the market.

It works with both Windows and macOS, including base models of M1, M2, M3, and M4 MacBooks. It can also be paired with the best monitor for MacBook Pro or the best monitor for Mac Mini.

High-resolution output with integrated power delivery

The adapter also introduces a virtual 8K monitor powered through a single USB Type-C connection, allowing even Apple M4 laptops, which have limited built-in multi-display support, to create an extended workspace.

Unlike many competing adapters that are limited to 1080p resolution or fewer displays, this device supports multiple high-resolution screens via four HDMI outputs, enabling users to expand their display setup beyond what most business laptops natively support.

With 100W pass-through Power Delivery, the adapter allows users to charge their laptops while expanding their display setup, delivering 90W to the host. If external power isn’t needed, it can operate in a bus-powered mode, drawing power directly from the host computer.

The USBC-7400H4 is available from Plugable and Amazon for $124.95, with a 10% launch discount, and is also offered for bulk and business purchases through affiliate partners

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• Storyblok says website issues cost businesses up to $101,000 in lost revenue
• High marketing budgets fail to prevent costly website inefficiencies
• Despite issues, 96% of businesses claim their website meets expectations

A new survey has revealed nearly half of businesses worldwide are dissatisfied with their websites, even after substantial financial investments.

Despite these significant investments, 36% of ecommerce businesses admitted that their website had caused embarrassment in front of customers or stakeholders.

This highlights a growing gap between spending and satisfaction, suggesting that even with the best website builder or the best web hosting for small businesses, many businesses struggle to maintain a site that meets their expectations.

The growing impact of website inefficiencies

Storyblok surveyed 300 senior business leaders across the US and Europe, finding companies spent an average of $550,688 on marketing technology over five years, with 18% exceeding $1 million.

96% of those surveyed still claimed their website met all or most of their expectations, suggesting that while companies acknowledge website shortcomings, they may underestimate their impact on customer experience and revenue.

Losses due to poor website performance have risen from $72,000 in 2023 to $94,500 per year, demonstrating the financial consequences of neglecting site optimization.

“When we conducted this research two years ago, we were surprised to find so many businesses were embarrassed by their website and believed it was losing them vast sums of money. What made it more puzzling is that the majority of businesses said they received good ROI on their marketing technology,” said Dominik Angerer, Storyblok's CEO and co-founder.

“Fast forward to today, and we are genuinely shocked to find the situation has become worse. Businesses are losing a lot more money, maintenance times are increasing, and costs are soaring. Yet, satisfaction with marketing solutions has increased.”

European businesses are seeing the largest losses, with an average estimated impact of $101,000 annually, compared to $80,500 for US companies.

Despite investing in the best web hosting solutions, many businesses continue to face website inefficiencies that contribute to these losses.

With cybersecurity threats and accessibility needs rising, maintaining a high-performing website is becoming increasingly complex.

However, Storyblok believes that “a new generation of composable architecture and solutions provides a much more cost and time-effective solution than inefficient legacy tech stacks that are increasingly unfit for their purpose.”

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Remember that time TikTok shut down and disappeared from app stores? It wasn't that long ago. For roughly 12 hours on January 19, TikTok was stripped away from roughly 175M US users only to be saved by a Presidential executive order decree that extended the ban deadline by 75 days. Don't worry; the White House promised we'll have a sale in place by then.

Guess what? While TikTok has multiple suitors, no US company, and certainly not the White House, has purchased any portion of ByteDance's popular social media content-sharing platform.

Throughout this process, ByteDance – a Chinese company – has yet to comment directly on the potential of a sale to a US firm. TikTok's US leadership and its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, have publicly praised President Donald Trump for his intervention but have been mostly silent since then.

In the meantime, TikTok has spent millions on televised ads and infomercial segments touting TikTok's positive impact on people and US businesses, specifically small businesses. The company currently says it has roughly 7.5M businesses on the platform. In a recent economic impact report, TikTok claims small businesses drove $15B in revenue in 2023.

There's no question that TikTok has had a significant impact on US business and, especially, culture (remember the pivotal role it played during COVID?). However, the US climate and appetite for a last-minute save of the social media platform may have shifted since January.

After all, that was the literal dawn of President Trump's second term. Since then, there have been dozens of Executive Orders touching almost every part of American life (including technology; see this AI-related order), and there's a chance consumers may have bigger fish to fry.

Even so, the fate of one of the world's most popular social media platforms does hang in the balance. Here's what we know about what comes next:

I did reach out to the White House, Apple, Google, and TikTok about the current state of negotiations and what might happen if the ban does not get another extension. As of this writing, only Google responded, but it had nothing new to share.

While there have been no public indications of any real progress or movement in the TikTok sale negotiation process, we do know that multiple suitors include:

• Mr Beast
• Perplexity AI
• Oracle
• A consortium that includes Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary
• The White House

Oracle is already managing TikTok's US data, so it might be the leading prospective buyer.

The White House has often been mentioned as acquiring a partial stake in the US-owned version of the company. here are already legal hurdles involved with a sitting President also running a private or non-public-sector business.

Perplexity AI is the most interesting suitor. In a lengthy blog post, the AI search company made an impassioned case for "Rebuilding TikTok in America."

While ByteDance and the White House remain mum on deal details or progress, multiple US senators are still urging the White House to extend the ban postponement to October of this year.

The White House stated this week that a deal would be done before the April 5 deadline but has yet to offer any further details beyond reiterating that there are "lots of potential buyers" and they have "tremendous interest."

What's next?

(Image credit: Future)

If the deal does not happen by then, TikTok could face a new ban, and that might mean the removal not only of TikTok but all of ByteDance's US apps, including Lemon8 and the popular video-editing app CapCut.

Apple and Google removed the apps, and even after the US president extended the ban, they remained unavailable on the app stores for weeks.

Apple did not respond to my request for comment. As I noted above, Google told me it had nothing new to share at this time.

So, the current state of play is that while there's a lot of sale chatter from some major US business players and investors, there is nothing solid. There are not even leaks of a deal being close. All we have is Trump's promises and mostly silence from TikTok and ByteDance.

What this boils down to is that you can't buy something that isn't for sale. ByteDance has never publicly stated that it is open to a sale. TikTok in the US, which has publicly appreciated the extension, may not have control of the situation without a sale agreement from its parent company. TikTok might be out of options.

With five days left, anything could happen, but realistically, it's been almost a year since Former President Joe Biden signed the bill that triggered the ban countdown.

Nothing material has changed, and time is running out.

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• Google's latest feature drop might be a big win for summer travel
• As with flights, you can now track prices and set alerts for hotels
• Google Maps can also now pull potential places to visit from screenshots

If you’re a fan of Google Flights, especially for the price tracking data and how the current prices you’re seeing rank against other days, you’re in for a treat. As part of a drop of features fit for upcoming summer travel, Google aims to do for hotels what it’s done for flights.

And yes, it’s as good as it sounds. Now, when you search for hotels on Google, you’ll have the option to ask the search giant to track prices. Essentially, you turn on the feature and then get an alert if there is a price drop.

Similar to flights, you can be a bit descriptive, setting a price range or a 'don’t bother me if it doesn’t fall' here. It will even factor in a star rating if you have one selected and the general area where you were searching for a hotel.

(Image credit: Google)

Google is rolling out this new hotel price tracking feature globally on desktop and mobile. Once it’s available, you’ll find it right in search, complementing the historical knowledge of hotel pricing history.

This hotel-focused feature is launching alongside some other new functionality from Google, all billed under getting ready for summer travel. The ability to set up price alerts for hotels is undoubtedly the most user-friendly feature and could have the most significant impact. It could potentially help you save on a stay.

Another new feature that could help you better prepare for a trip is screenshot support within Google Maps. If you enable it, Google Maps will look through photos and deliver a list of places you've screenshotted.

So, if you've been screenshotting TikToks about the best places to eat in New York City or maybe a list of the best ice cream spots in Boston, you won't need to dig through all of them to find every place mentioned.

Instead, with some AI help, Google Maps will look through your screenshots, find those spots, and list them well in a handy list for you. It'll live in the app in a list titled "Screenshots," and this feature is entirely optional.

(Image credit: Google)

This feature could prove helpful, but considering that screenshots aren’t just used for travel or remembering specific spots, this could also be a bit of a privacy concern.

It is opt-in only and not on by default, but it is rolling out now to mobile devices with U.S. English on iOS first, with Android following shortly.

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Yesterday morning, I logged into Facebook and saw an image of the Colosseum turned into a water park. On LinkedIn, everyone was busy transforming their headshots into Studio Ghibli characters, courtesy of ChatGPT’s latest update. Threads showed me a video reimagining the cast of Severance crawling around Lumon as babies. And X kindly served up a Grok-generated image of Elon Musk and Donald Trump in a pose I wish I could unsee.

It’s not just me, right? Social media has become a swirling mess of synthetic content. We’ve written about the rise of AI slop before – part cringe-inducing art gallery, part uncanny valley fever dream. And sure, the algorithm is feeding me stuff it thinks I care about – Severance babies, travel inspo, a healthy dose of Musk mockery. That checks out.

But I keep thinking: has AI officially ruined social media? And is this just harmless chaos or is it quietly rewiring how we see truth, trust, and reality?

The four horsemen of the AI slopocalypse

One of the biggest problems with AI content is the sheer volume – and it’s coming from all sides. AI evangelists. Your coworkers. Your friends. Your gran (who probably doesn’t even realize what she’s reposting). And brands that absolutely should know better.

To make sense of the mess, I spoke to Joe Goulcher, a creative director and social media expert. He works with brands on this stuff daily and has a front-row seat to the AI slop flood. According to Joe, AI content tends to fall into four distinct “strains” – “like a virus,” he tells me.

Functional AI slop
“Crudely, badly made stuff that is basically stock imagery used to fill a hole where an image should be,” Goulcher explains. “It's bottom of the barrel, and barely any conscious thought has gone into why or what it is.” This is the lowest-effort tier. Bland visuals slapped onto posts just to have something there. Placeholder content that somehow became the content.

Clickbait slop
“Stuff that makes us stop scrolling and think ‘god this is disgusting and bad,’ but it’s by design to generate conversation,” Goulcher says. This one’s the most insidious. It’s not trying to be good, it’s trying to be just bad enough to go viral.

The ‘look what I made!’ post
“This is where people use AI to create something that looks like LOTR, Star Wars or another behemoth IP because it’s trained on it,” Goulcher tells me. “They say things like ‘look what I did in ten mins!! this is going to change the industry and you should be scared and using it now instead of spending thousands with artists.’ It usually goes down like a sack of bricks.” This is the hype-fuelled, tech-bro theatre of generative content. The tone is always breathless, and the results are always underwhelming.

The genuinely good stuff
“There are actually good AI campaigns, with purpose, permission, and laced with incredible VFX, handcrafted where AI couldn't do the job,” Goulcher says. Yes, some brands are doing it well, with thought, care, and actual artistry. But it’s rare. And usually buried under a steaming pile of junk.

Breaking it down like this might feel bleak – like we’ve gone full epidemiology on the most cursed content – but it’s actually useful. Categorizing the chaos helps explain why AI content feels inescapable, and why it hits so many different shades of dystopian.

AI for the sake of AI

We’re in an era of AI content being made simply because it can be. People, brands, entire businesses are churning it out. Not necessarily because they have something to say, and not because it’s better than the alternatives, but because the tools exist, they're easy to use, and the pressure to use them is enormous.

This speaks to a deeper issue in tech. Just look at Apple’s recent AI missteps. Despite all the hype, AI isn’t delivering the magic it was sold on. It’s being shoved into products not because users need it, but because shareholders want to hear “AI” on earnings calls.

And right now? It’s not revolutionizing much of anything. In fact, in most applications, it’s starting to look like a very expensive gimmick.

“It reminds me of the early days of torrenting or music streaming – a bit of a Wild West,” Goulcher explains. “Even though brands whacked a logo on them, it didn't make it ethically good in any way. They were just trying to ride the waves of legality and dosh until legislation kicked in far too late.”

Like crypto or NFTs, we see there’s innovation, hype, overuse, and then fatigue. “I think we can apply the same tech hype graph to AI content,” Goulcher says. “There's always something in my gut that’s like, ‘this bubble will burst.’ And I still think that will happen. When AI data sets start eating themselves, and the innovative wow factor wears off – what’s left?”

And he’s asking the question more of us probably should be: “How are any of these billion-dollar tools actually making our lives better? Because the novelty is wearing off, the ethics (or lack of them) are becoming clearer, and the shock value is beginning to wane.”

AI hasn’t just broken social media, it’s broken the truth

It’s not like social media was perfect before this. AI didn’t start the rot, things were already slipping. But this latest wave of generative content has pushed it straight into uncanny, derivative, brain-melting chaos.

And if AI is flooding our feeds with pointless slop, it’s also doing something more dangerous: weaponizing it. It’s easy to laugh at AI-generated celeb babies or cringe at a brand ad that crawled out of the uncanny valley. But that reaction misses the bigger, scarier picture.

Because AI can fuel misinformation at scale. For example, across Europe, far-right groups are using AI-generated images to provoke outrage, spread conspiracy theories, and stoke division. And these aren’t just fringe trolls – they’re coordinated campaigns, designed to manipulate public opinion.

That’s just one example. Election misinformation. Deepfake porn. Fake war footage. Yes, it's the kind of content that has always existed online. Only now, the rules have changed. You don’t need skills. You don’t need a team. You don’t even need a budget. Just a narrative and a willingness to abandon reality. And on social media, the rest takes care of itself.

That’s the real horror story. Not just that we’re drowning in junk, or that brands think we want AI-generated ads, but that we’re slipping into a world where what’s fake moves faster than what’s true. And the algorithm doesn’t care if it’s real – just that it’s getting your clicks, your likes, your attention.

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• Microsoft has reportedly canceled data center leases amid shifting infrastructure priorities
• TD Cowen analysts suggest lease deferrals reflect oversupply vs demand
• Microsoft doesn't deny the report but says it's investing $80 billion in infrastructure

We recently reported Microsoft had cancelled leases with at least two private data center operators in the US, totaling “a couple hundred megawatts,” and how the company was also not converting “so-called statements of qualifications into leases,” according to claims from TD Cowen analysts.

Shortly after that news broke, Microsoft pulled out of a $12 billion deal with CoreWeave (the "WeWork of AI"), passing on buying more data center capacity from the AI hyperscaler. That option was snapped up by OpenAI, but as it counts Microsoft as its biggest backer, it was essentially paying CoreWeave with Microsoft money!

Microsoft appears to be taking a more tactical approach to AI spending, a move that is echoed in a new Bloomberg report quoting TD Cowen analysts saying Microsoft has walked away from additional data center projects in the US and Europe.

On track to spend $80 billion

Bloomberg writes, “Microsoft’s retrenchment in the last six months included lease cancellations and deferrals, the TD Cowen analysts said in their latest research note. Alphabet Inc.’s Google had stepped in to grab some leases Microsoft abandoned in Europe, the analysts wrote, while Meta Platforms Inc. had scooped up some of the freed capacity in Europe.”

Responding to the article, Microsoft pointed out that it was still on track to spend about $80 billion investing in growing infrastructure projects.

“Thanks to the significant investments we have made up to this point, we are well positioned to meet our current and increasing customer demand,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.

“While we may strategically pace or adjust our infrastructure in some areas, we will continue to grow strongly in all regions. This allows us to invest and allocate resources to growth areas for our future.”

Bloomberg adds TD Cowen analysts Michael Elias, Cooper Belanger, and Gregory Williams said, “We continue to believe the lease cancellations and deferrals of capacity points to data center oversupply relative to its current demand forecast.”

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• A Hyundai Ioniq 5 has driven over 500,000km on its original battery
• Battery health degradation is considerably lower than many predicted
• Models from Nissan, Tesla and Chevrolet can be found with high mileage

News has surfaced this week of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 owner in South Korea who clocked up a staggering 360,000 miles (579,363 km) on their EV's original battery.

Rewind the clock to 2011 and the introduction of the first-generation Nissan Leaf and industry experts were worried that EV batteries wouldn’t last five years before they need replacing… at a huge cost.

However, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 owner, who regularly posts on a Facebook Group called “Mileage Impossible”, claims he covers around 10,000 miles, reaching 360,000 miles before Hyundai offered to replace the battery for free, despite it being well beyond its warranty period.

Perhaps most amazing of all is that the original battery pack was still showing 87% of its original health, despite the owner reportedly only using DC fast charging to top up the battery packs, according to Electrek. This was likely so Hyundai could run tests on the battery pack for its own data records.

Still going strong, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has now hit 666,255km (413,991 miles) and counting, although it hasn’t been completely free of issues. The owner reported that the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) broke, meaning it can’t be charged on Level 1 and Level 2 low-powered AC outlets, while standard maintenance and general wear and tear will have likely thrown up some bills.

But the high-mileage Hyundai is a shining example of how robust and reliable a modern EV can be if it is taken care of properly. And it isn't alone...

Electric vehicles keep rolling

(Image credit: GearBrain)

For data nerds, the high-mileage Hyundai example is an anomaly and it is much better to look at numbers sourced from the wider EV industry to get a more reliable picture on battery and electric motor health after vehicles reach very high mileage.

That said, the news isn’t awash with reports of EV batteries failing after just a few years (you know it would be if that was the case). And there are numerous reports of owners maxing out their mileage in a number of electric vehicles with very little issue.

Here are just a handful of examples...

1. Tesla Model S 70D

(Image credit: Tesla)

Inside EVs ran a story about how one Tesla owner, who used the vehicle as a taxi service, covered a mammoth 70,000 miles (112,650km) a year. At the last count, the car showed a staggering 424,000-miles on the clock (682,361km).

According to the report, the battery pack was replaced under warranty at 250,000 miles (402,335 km), as well as a new front motor 380,000 miles (611,550 km).

Amazingly, it still uses its original rear motor unit but, like any combustion engine counterpart, it has also received a number of new parts to keep it roadworthy.

Rear axles, suspension components and the AC compressor all required replacing, which is understandable on a vehicle that has gone that sort of distance. We bet this isn't the only example of a Model S managing to out-last combustion engine counterparts.

2. Tesla Model 3

(Image credit: Tesla)

Although it lacks the video evidence of the previously mentioned Model S, one Model 3 owner took to Twitter in 2022 to post an image of their Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor hitting 500,000km (or 310,685).

According to the owner, it was still using the original battery pack, motors and even brakes, which is slightly concerning. Although the owner admitted that they drove 90% of the time at highway speeds.

The only maintenance, aside from tires and other commonly replaced parts, was a new drivetrain oil pump at 286,000 miles (460,000 km), which reportedly cost just 250 Canadian Dollars ($194).

3. BMW i3

(Image credit: BMW)

BMW put out a press release in 2019 to celebrate Shaun Maidment's achievements, an i3 owner in South Africa who had clocked up 200,000km in a first generation 60Ah model in just three years of ownership.

According to an update in 2022, the vehicle had amassed 187,000 miles (301,998 km). However, it is worth noting that Shaun’s i3 was the range extender variant, so the smaller battery pack is capable of 126 miles on electricity alone, with petrol used to power the range extending system to around 200 miles.

Regardless, it's another great example of a car that wasn't designed to hit such lofty mileage proving the naysayers wrong.

4. Chevrolet Bolt

(Image credit: Chevrolet)

The Chevy Bolt forums are awash with members trying to outdo each other on mileage, but one video surfaced that showed an owner managing a staggering 138,000 miles (222,089km) on its original battery, with the second still going strong at a further 122,000 miles (196,339km).

The vehicle is still cruising happily at 300,000 miles and counting, with the content owner documenting the life of his 2019 model in various videos on YouTube.

5. Nissan Leaf

(Image credit: Nissan)

A driver in Washington managed to rack up 150,000 miles in his first-generation Nissan Leaf, with the original battery pack managing to go the distance, despite the owner reporting that the battery fade has been considerable.

But considering the battery technology is now 16 years old, it is amazing that the packs still offer 60% capacity, which is good for around 35 miles of range in warm weather.

Owner Steve Marsh told Inside EVs that he now has a newer 2014 Leaf for everyday use, with the the last few clicks to hit 150,000 miles on his original model more a "proof of capability" than a conscious decision to use the car.

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• AMD's CEO Lisa Su hints at more Ryzen AI Max APUs coming to desktop PCs
• Some of the APUs have been used in Framework Desktops
• It could be the start of discrete GPUs being subsided

While Nvidia and AMD's new GPU lineups are at the forefront of PC gaming news, Team Red's processors are on the verge of taking the spotlight: the Ryzen AI Max APUs have mostly been reserved for laptops, providing enough power to run demanding triple-A games, but that could change very soon.

In an interview with DeepSeek Exploded on Bilibili, AMD's CEO Lisa Su hinted at more Ryzen AI Max processors making their way to the desktop space. We've seen the top-end processor (Ryzen AI 395+) in some mini-PCs and laptops, which provide exceptional performance results in games - and we could see the same results for even more desktop PCs.

Thanks to the Ryzen AI Max+ 395's Radeon 8060S iGPU with 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores and 16 CPU cores with 32 threads, gaming works great above 1080p. It's evident in ETA Prime's Framework Desktop PC tests on YouTube: a prime example is Cyberpunk 2077, with its frame rate hovering between 55 and 60fps with ultra graphics settings at 1440p.

It's also worth noting that FSR 4 could be making its way to RDNA 3 - it's currently reserved for RDNA 4 - and this could be incredibly beneficial to systems powered by the APUs.

The important thing is that all of this is possible without a discrete GPU, and with a desktop PC, this could work wonders for efficiency. While it won't match high-end desktop GPUs, it still packs a punch and could be the start of something new - or perhaps, the beginning of the end for discrete GPUs.

(Image credit: AMD) If we can get stronger APUs sooner, it may be time up for some discrete GPUs

For a long time, discrete GPUs for both laptops and desktop PCs have been the one-way ticket to great gaming experiences. Now, that's gradually beginning to change with APUs becoming more powerful: it's evident with handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and the recent MSI Claw 8 AI+ using Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor.

While the high-end Ryzen AI Max chips haven't been used in handheld gaming PCs yet, they're the ideal chips for mini-PC setups. Discrete GPUs (specifically desktop ones) provide fantastic performance across the board but use plenty of power - however, that won't be the case with an AI Max+ 395.

Tech is moving faster than ever, and APUs are the perfect example. If we manage to get more powerful APUs in the foreseeable future, we might just see a slow fade away of mid-range discrete GPUs - and perhaps a strong rival to current consoles (if the prices for the PCs are reasonable, anyway).

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Black Mirror season 7 looks very promising so far, and I'm excited to dive back into one of the best Netflix shows when it returns on April 10. Like all anthologies, there have been some duds along the way, but personally, I've enjoyed most of the twisted tales.

Charlie Brooker's dystopian series has changed a lot since its Channel 4 days, achieving global success on Netflix, one of the best streaming services. Huge things are coming in season 7, too, like the anthology's first-ever sequel episode.

Take a look at the announcement teaser below for a proper look at season 7.

What will each episode in Black Mirror season 7 be about?

Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry return for Black Mirror season 7. (Image credit: Netflix)

First off, we have six new episode titles giving us little clues of what to expect. These are 'Common People', 'Bête Noire', 'Hotel Reverie', 'Plaything', 'Eulogy', and 'USS Callister: Into Infinity'.

We do have brief synopses for each too, if you're keen to learn more. For 'Common People', which stars Sunny's Rashida Jones, Netflix teases: "When a medical emergency leaves schoolteacher Amanda fighting for her life, desperate husband Mike signs her up for Rivermind, a high-tech system that will keep her alive – but at a cost…"

Then there's 'Bête Noire', which reads: "Maria is a high-flying development executive at a chocolate company. Everything is going well for her until someone she hasn’t seen since school – a woman named Verity – shows up for a focus group tasting session.

"It could be the chance for a heartfelt reunion – except there’s something very odd about Verity, and Maria seems to be the only person to notice."

Emma Corrin, Issa Rae, Awkwafina, and Harriet Walter star in 'Hotel Reverie', a black and white one, much like how they filmed season 4's 'Metalhead'. The synopsis reads: "Hollywood A-list actress Brandy Friday is thrown into an unusually immersive high-tech remake of a vintage romantic movie, and must stick to the script if she ever wants to make it home…"

Episode 4, 'Plaything', stars Peter Capaldi alongside Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry, who are reprising their roles from the interactive movie Bandersnatch, something that came as a shock to me in my Black Mirror season 7 trailer reaction.

The synopsis is: "An eccentric loner named Cameron who harbours an intense obsession with a mysterious '90s video game is arrested in connection with a grisly cold case – and his interrogation soon goes to places the police weren’t expecting."

'Eulogy' is the fifth episode, and its synopsis is: "An innovative system that enables users to literally step into photographic memories of the past leads a lonely man to re-examine a heartbreaking period from his past."

Finally, the anticipated 'USS Callister' sequel sees the old crew reprising their roles and reads: "Robert Daly is dead, but the crew of the USS Callister – led by Captain Nanette Cole – find their problems are just beginning."

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• Sony consoles have a VRR problem
• Tests have revealed it's not an issue with a specifc game or monitor
• There's no fix yet, but hopefully Sony will release one soon

If you’ve been experiencing stuttering while playing games on your PS5 or PS5 Pro then you aren’t alone. And finally we might know what’s causing it, but on that front there’s good and bad news.

Many players have noticed that when playing games that support 120Hz VRR (variable refersh rate) there’s an occasional stutter. It usually takes about 20 minutes to begin stuttering, but once it does happen, the stutter recurs about every 8 seconds – and naturally, this regular cadence adds to the distraction it causes.

Digital Foundry decided to investigate and has found that the issues appear to be with the console itself rather than any specific game or other hardware.

As detailed in its very in-depth YouTube explanation (and shared in written form via Eurogamer) Digital Foundry discovered this visual hiccup occurs on several different titles – including The Last of Us Part 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Elden Ring, and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

It also found the stuttering occurred across different displays including LG OLED TVs, a Samsung mini-LED display, and an Eve Spectrum monitor. Digital Foundry even tested the same games across both Xbox and Sony consoles and found only the Sony hardware had issues.

However, while Sony’s tech has been pinned as the source of the issue, what hasn’t yet been discovered is why the games are stuttering.

We do know that the stutter itself is because games will be running within a smooth frame rate window (say 60 to 70 fps) then every 8 seconds or so, spike momentarily to 120Hz. It’s why this spike happens which we don’t know.

With all signs pointing Sony’s tech being the issue it should hopefully be fixable with a simple software update in the near future. For now, your best immediate solution would be to disable VRR in your system’s settings and play with a fixed refresh rate.

It’s not ideal, but it should tide you over until Sony can put out a patch.

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• A Google Photos redesign could be on the way
• A survey shows a new design with a focus on search features
• It also makes Memories larger and rounds the edges of your snaps

According to a leak from a recent survey, Google Photos could be about to get a design overhaul, which could make managing your library of snaps a little easier.

Details of a supposed Google survey were shared with Android Authority by a user on Telegram called @Arfus_UwU, who sent a screenshot of two Google Photos layouts. One is the current layout, and the other a redesign, which the user is asked to judge based on how modern or outdated it feels out of 50.

At first glance, the designs seem very similar, with only a couple of minor changes, such as making image borders more round and making the Google Photos Memories action buttons a little larger – the latter of which you’ll either appreciate or hate based on how frequently you use Memories.

However, a few subtler changes could make a world of difference to the Google Photos experience.

Big changes coming?

The current Google Photos design, which could soon be changed (Image credit: Future)

Firstly, we can see that the Today heading no longer has a checkmark next to it and instead shows what appears to be a filter icon. This means instead of being able to quickly select every photo you took that day you’d be able to trim down the snaps you see based on criteria like where they were taken and who’s in the shot.

At the bottom, we can also see that the Photos Collections and Search tabs have been replaced by a floating search bar and an icon that looks like it leads to your collections pages.

All of these changes look to streamline the process of finding a specific photo in as few taps and swipes as possible.

Whether you love or hate the supposed redesign, remember to take this leak with a pinch of salt. Even if Google is conducting surveys, there’s a chance it won’t copy the survey’s design exactly in its eventual rollout – it’s probably testing for a bunch of different factors when asking for opinions.

Even so, we, for one, love the new look. Memories could be smaller but the easy access search bar and filter options look super useful, especially as Google’s AI gets better at smart search so it can locate the precise picture you’re describing but can’t spot in your camera roll no matter how much you scroll.

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• Surfshark is looking to improve the privacy of current end-to-end encryption with a new patent
• The plan is currently based on distributed trust-based communication frameworks
• Despite this, Surfshark says its approach differs from the likes of NymVPN and ObscuraVPN

Surfshark has just registered a new patent looking to improve the privacy of current end-to-end encryption (E2E) systems.

Based on a distributed trust-based communication infrastructure, Surfshark's proposed method seeks to reduce the amount of visible metadata – meaning all the data that isn't the content – by splitting the encryption process between two separate VPN providers.

Better metadata privacy

Encryption refers to the scrambling of data into an unreadable form and is the technical solution born to protect the network-based communications we all rely on daily – whether that's a text message, a document, or a photo shared with another user over the internet.

End-to-end encryption (E2E) is the tech used by virtual private networks (VPNs), some secure email services, and messaging platforms to ensure the content of these online activities remains private between the sender and the receiver.

A lot of metadata is still visible to the provider

Karolis Kaciulis, Surfshark

Yet, Surfshark's Lead System Engineer, Karolis Kaciulis believes that it's time to go beyond E2E.

He told TechRadar: "After the emergence of E2E encryption, we feel that the topic of user anonymity and security while using various messaging systems and technologies has stagnated. We believe there is still room for improvement."

The main issue with today's encrypted messages, Kaciulis explains, is that while these messages cannot be accessed by unwanted third parties, "a lot of metadata is still visible to the provider."

Metadata includes details such as who sent a message to whom, when the message was sent, the size of the message, and many others.

At the time of writing, Surfshark reroute your internet traffic via its own servers only. The provider is now looking if this new tech could fit in its product design roadmap. (Image credit: Surfshark)

This is where Surfshark's new patent comes in. Based on a distributed trust-based communication framework, it seeks to introduce a new way for VPN providers to handle encryption and de-centralize the ownership of the message.

Such a framework would involve two different VPN companies handling the encryption process so that no single entity has all the information in its entirety.

"The patented method would ensure that the information is split," said the patent inventor. "Thus, the metadata seen by the provider companies (as well as governments where they reside) is reduced."

Don't call it decentralized VPN

It's worth mentioning that some providers already offer decentralized VPN solutions that split users' information between several entities without having a single point of governance.

For example, the newly launched NymVPN is built on a decentralized server network run by anonymous users across the world. Obscura VPN employs a two-party VPN structure, using Mullvad's WireGuard VPN as an exit hop.

Kaciulis, however, thinks that Surfshark's patent goes beyond what a decentralized VPN stands for.

"Personally, I believe that today 'decentralized VPN' is a little bit of a buzzword used to convince users that it’s a better solution than the status quo. The Internet is built on trust and authority, and losing said authority only makes it less safe," Kaciulis told TechRadar.

Therefore, this solution comes as a way to emphasise the importance of having even more authority. "It’s just that the authority is shared between multiple actors instead of one."

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• Oracle Health has potentially suffered a second data breach
• Any such incident could affect sensitive patient data
• Oracle has not yet confirmed the scale of the breach

Oracle Health has denied having had sensitive patient data stolen by threat actors in two separate data breaches, leaving millions of customers potentially at risk.

The company had previously denied any breach after a hacker claimed to hold six million records belonging to the company but now a second incident appears to have led to a separate breach.

The company hasn’t yet commented on the compromises, but BleepingComputer has now reportedly seen private communications sent to impacted customers which confirm patient data was stolen.

Sensitive stolen data

The attack used compromised customer credentials to breach servers, and the legacy Cerner data migration servers sometime after January 22 2025, and the firm was made aware of the breach on February 20, 2025.

Reports confirmed patient information was included in the information stolen in the attack, and that the company will help identify the affected users. It’s not clear if this was the result of a ransomware attack, or if this was just data exfiltration, and it's also as yet unknown how the customer credentials were obtained.

The attacker, going by the name “Andrew”, has not claimed affiliation with any ransomware or hacking groups, and is demanding millions of dollars in cryptocurrency to stop the sale or leak of the exfiltrated information.

Healthcare organizations are increasingly at risk from cyberattackers, especially given the sensitive nature of the data they collect, and the often limited budgets for cybersecurity.

In fact, a 2024 breach of insurance firm United Healthcare impacted almost 200 million patients.

Since a data breach containing personally identifiable information such as this would put those exposed at serious risk of identity theft or fraud, Oracle Health has apparently offered to pay for credit monitoring services for those impacted.

"As cybersecurity leaders, we’re responsible for strong cyber hygiene: continuously monitoring our environments for unusual activity, leveraging cyber threat intelligence to stay ahead of emerging risks, and empowering employees to be our human firewall," commented Pierre Noel, Field CISO EMEA at Expel.

"No system is completely impenetrable, but understanding our risk landscape and layering defenses can make it much harder for attackers to succeed. Cyber resilience starts with us."

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