TechRadar News

• Edge now auto-starts in Windows 11, nudging users to set it as their default
• Prompts and persistent notifications make dismissing Edge harder
• Microsoft’s aggressive push for Edge and its other products persists, despite backlash from users

In a disappointing (but not entirely surprising) move, the Edge web browser has started to open automatically in Windows 11, ignoring users’ default choices and urging them to use it as their default browser. Something similar happened at the beginning of the year, with users noticing that Microsoft was seemingly helping itself to their Chrome data to try and steer them in Edge’s direction.

There was a backlash when it happened, and while Microsoft did remedy the issue the first time, it looks a lot like history might be repeating itself.

According to Neowin, Edge is apparently automatically starting for some users, suggesting that they ‘enhance’ their browsing experience with Copilot. Copilot is the AI assistant that Microsoft debuted a short while ago, claiming that it could be an all-purpose digital assistant that will help you do all kinds of tasks and activities on your PC. However, it looks like Microsoft is struggling to get its users to be as enthusiastic about Copilot as it is.

In the notification that takes over the screen, originally spotted by The Verge, the option to import your data from the browser you use regularly is ticked automatically and all you have to do is click ‘Confirm and continue.’ This was shown to users automatically, and it’s also not obvious how you can navigate away from the message without agreeing to change your web browser to Edge. This seems to have been deliberately designed, with the only way to get out of the process being a faint small ‘x’ in the top right corner.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that it was a deliberate strategy, stating:

“This is a notification giving people the choice to import data from other browsers. There is an option to turn it off.”

Neowin points out that if you wanted to stop this from happening repeatedly, you would have to open Edge, close all reminders in there prodding for you to share your data, sign into your Microsoft account, and only then be able to turn off autostart.

(Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft: the great nag of the software world

Unfortunately, this is pretty in line with Microsoft’s previous behavior when it comes to trying to convert users to Edge. It showed pop-up ads on the official Chrome website and created a survey to find out why users are choosing Chrome over Edge, which some people felt was a rather pushy way of getting people to change their minds about Edge.

Microsoft’s rivals in the browser game, as well as consumer rights advocacy groups, have not been happy about Microsoft’s heavy-handed approach to trying to get users to stick with Edge, and have brought their complaints to regulators, but this hasn’t changed Microsoft’s mind.

It doesn’t even seem like this has resulted in Edge gaining many new users, so it doesn’t seem like this approach is paying off. I don’t see Microsoft changing course until regulatory bodies get involved, though I would guess that Microsoft might put an end to this specific Edge push and just try again, perhaps in some other way, in a few months.

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A decade after universally mocking Google Glass wearers, AI smart glasses may finally have their moment. We're starting to see AI-enhanced wearables for the face appear with an ever-growing array of features designed to entice you, with big names like Meta and Baidu, as well as startups like Brilliant Labs and Solos employing AI models and advanced hardware to change how we see the world, literally and metaphorically. Here are the biggest reasons 2025 will be the year for AI smart glasses.

Smart glasses focus AI in useful ways.

As people become more comfortable with using advanced AI tools, they want to use them in more settings. That can be annoying if you're driving or don't want to pull out your phone constantly. Unlike Google Glass, modern smart glasses are designed around easy access while not being distracting to people around you. Meta’s partnership with Ray-Ban, for example, offers a device that can take photos and videos, link you to the Meta AI assistant, and still look like stylish frames. Throw in features like real-time translation and health metrics, as showcased in the Solos AirGo 3 Smart Glasses, and the blending of eyewear and AI makes a lot of sense.

Plus, smart glasses may be the best way to get generative AI into hardware. Compare the excitement over smart glasses to t the struggles of devices like the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1, and the Plaud.ai NotePin. Smart glasses feel like a much safer bet than any other devices made explicitly for AI.

Productivity face

Converging with the recognition of smart glasses as the best vehicle for AI is how people use AI in ways that lend themselves to smart glasses. Next year, you might be wearing your personal study buddy or office assistant on your face. Brilliant Labs is envisioning that future with their Frame Smart Glasses. Equipped with the proprietary Noa AI assistant, they're specifically aimed at busy people by linking reminders, contextual information, and task lists to the wearable.

The same goes for Baidu and its new Xiaodu Smart Glasses. Powered by the Ernie large language model, Baidu's glasses include answers about the world around you, like nearby restaurants, and even track calories from your meals. Context-based conversational AI has only become feasible on a wide scale in recent months, but having sensors and communication tools on your face makes it a lot better for task management. The two trends reinforce each other.

Augmenting reality with augmented reality

Smart glasses can include everything from tiny speakers linked to a voice assistant to a small screen inset on one of the lenses. But augmented reality offers to completely overlay what you see with extra information. Improvements in augmented reality alone wouldn't mean AI smart glasses will have a huge 2025, but as Meta has teased with Orion, smart glasses that employ augmented reality along with AI could be a huge new market.

Orion doesn't come out until next year, but it's not alone in leveraging AR with AI. Brilliant Labs’ Frame Smart Glasses are also big on boosting experiences through AR with an open-source platform that encourages developers to create tailored applications, meaning you could soon have custom-built apps suited to your needs.

It may not be exactly around the corner, but a future where we are all wearing AI-fueled smart glasses is coming more into focus every week.

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• VMware Fusion and Workstation become free for all users
• Paid Pro versions discontinued along with Pro support
• Broadcom promises to listen to customer feedback

A year after Broadcom acquired VMware and enacted serious changes to the product portfolio, the company is now offering VMware Fusion and Workstation products for free to all users.

The significant change comes as a surprise, given the company’s previous and controversial change to paid subscriptions.

After sharp price rises across the board as a result of the so-called simplification of its lineup, which saw customers forced to buy into bundles that they might not have needed, the announcement of two free products is welcome news.

VMware confirms two free product offerings

Broadcom, which took ownership of VMware in November 2023, is now offering its VMware Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro products to all types of customers, including commercial, educational and personal users.

Head of Product Marketing for VMware Cloud Foundation, Mark Chuang, confirmed in a blog post: “Effective immediately, both VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation will transition away from the paid subscription model, meaning you can now utilize these tools without any cost.”

Existing subscribers with active support contracts will keep their service until their contract ends, however the Pro versions of Fusion and Workstation will be retired, which means support ticketing will no longer be offered. Support will only be available in the form of online resources like “documentation, user guides and community forums,” says Chuang.

Looking ahead, Broadcom is promising to continue investing in new features, usability improvements, and other enhancements. The firm also shared a commitment to “maintaining its high standards for stability” and delivering timely updates. The California-headquartered company also promises to listen to customer feedback for “valuable insights” – something it failed to do for the first twelve months of its VMware ownership, when many customers sought to find alternative solutions amid cost concerns.

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• Connor Moucka and John Binns accused of attacking 10 companies, including AT&T
• The US Government claims they extorted 36 bitcoin from their victims
• Both were known to law enforcement in the past

The US government has accused two individuals of breaching 10 major companies, stealing their sensitive data, and then either extorting the firms for money, or selling the stolen data on the dark web. Among the victims is, most likely, AT&T, the American telecommunications powerhouse.

In the indictment, which TechCrunch published, the two individuals are named as Connor Moucka and John Binns. Both are already known, to both the media and law enforcement, as Alexander ‘Connor’ Moucka (aka Waifu and Judische) was taken into custody on October 30, in Canada, following a request by US law enforcement.

Binns, on the other hand, was already mentioned in relation to the AT&T hack, as one of the hackers with access to the stolen database, who tried to sell it back to the company. He was arrested in Turkey, for alleged crimes he committed in 2021 and, apparently, was to blame for the data breach that happened at T-Mobile, as well.

Hints of AT&T

The US government claim Moucka and Binns “devised and executed international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes to hack into at least 10 victim organizations’ protected computer networks, steal sensitive information, threaten to leak the stolen data unless the victims paid ransoms, and offer to sell online, and sell, the stolen data.”

“Through this scheme, the co-conspirators gained unlawful access to billions of sensitive customer records, including individuals’ non-content call and text history records, banking and other financial information, payroll records, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, Social Security Numbers, and other personally identifiable information,” it says in the indictment.

The result of the attacks, the Government concludes, is profit of “at least 36 bitcoin ($2.5m at time of payment)” extorted from at least three victims.

While the document does not mention the names of victim companies, it does list Victim-2 as a major telecommunications company located in the United States, whose Cloud Computing Instance was hosted at computer servers located in Virginia. It was also said that this victim was breached in mid-April. All these things align it with AT&T.

Both the company, and the Department of Justice (DoJ), are currently silent on the matter.

Via TechCrunch

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• Adobe Stock gains new Generative Edits and Generate Variations tools
• Powered by in-house Firefly AI models, but each edit costs a ‘credit’
• Contributors will still get compensation when their image is used

Adobe has rolled out two new features designed to make it easier for users to find and customize stock images, which it says comes in response to the growing need for businesses to find suitable images that match their brand identity.

The software giant has launched a pair of generative AI tools to help businesses modify and personalize existing stock content in order to make it more tailored to their needs.

Using Adobe’s Firefly AI technology, the updates include two new tools – Generative Edits and Generate Variations – which can both be accessed from within Adobe Stock.

Adobe Stock gets AI-powered editing tools

“With demand for content increasing, we wanted to provide opportunities for creators to develop content at scale with confidence and continue to support our Contributor community," commented VP for Adobe Strategy, Design, & Emerging Products, Matthew Smith.

Besides offering more options for the users of stock images, Adobe also hopes that images will become more versatile, therefore contributors are more likely to license their images and generate an income, making the update a win-win for both sides of the transaction.

“Contributors are compensated when their Stock asset is used as a reference and the resulting generated output is downloaded," Smith added.

With Generative Edits, users will be able to replace and remove backgrounds as well as expand images using generative AI to fill different aspect ratios.

The Generate Variations tool lets users pick between different image styles to match existing content and ensure consistency, and composition such as image outline and depth.

Even with the generative AI tweaks, Adobe claims that outputs are commercially viable and backed by IP indemnification for eligible customers.

Generative Edits and Generate Variations are now generally available for Adobe Stock customers. Using the generative AI features will use a generative credit, and an additional Adobe Stock credit may be used depending on the plan type.

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• Strava is expanding its new Heatmaps feature
• There are new Night and Weekly Heatmaps
• They're designed to help users find active trails and roads, as well as populated routes, during winter

Strava has today rolled out an expansion of its helpful Heatmaps feature, bringing two new options to improve your winter workouts.

The new Night and Weekly Heatmaps are designed to help users make better decisions about the routes they take during the winter, especially in the evening after dark, or early in the morning. The Night Heatmap will show activities recorded between sunset and sunrise, so you can find popular areas for working out where there are plenty of people around.

The Weekly Heatmap is a broader look at activity from the last seven days, which should help inform users about which trails and roads are currently active, and which might be getting less use because of inclement weather and the changing seasonal conditions.

Strava expands Heatmaps

(Image credit: Strava)

Strava's Heatmaps are available to its premium subscribers only, and this week's additions bring the total number of Heatmaps up to four. Alongside the new Night and Weekly options, Global shows users the most popular areas all around the world, and the Personal option shows a one-of-a-kind record of all your recorded exploits, only visible to you. Only the Global Heatmap is available to all users, the rest are for subscribers.

To access the new Night or Weekly Heatmaps following the rollout, simply head to the Maps tab and select your desired Heatmap. You'll be able to filter by activity, and you can even view multiple Heatmaps at once.

Strava is definitely one of the best fitness apps out there, especially for adventurers. Its outdoor tracking and social networking features make it one of the most popular fitness communities on the planet, boasting 135 million users in more than 190 countries.

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In the digital age, much of our lives are conducted online. From social media accounts to banking applications, each digital service requires a password, making it difficult to remember them all. This is why a password manager is essential. However, with so many options available, selecting the right one can feel overwhelming. This article will guide you through the process, ensuring your digital life remains secure and convenient.

How to choose the perfect password manager for you

(Image credit: Future)

The first step in choosing a password manager is understanding your specific needs. Consider the following questions:

Number of Devices: How many devices do you need to sync your passwords across?

Platform Compatibility: Which operating systems and browsers do you use?

Features: Are you looking for features beyond password management, such as secure note storage or password sharing capabilities?

Budget: Are you willing to pay for a password manager, or are you looking for a free alternative?

When it comes to security, not all password managers are created equal. Here are essential security features to consider:

Encryption: Opt for a password manager that offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring your data is encrypted before it leaves your device.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security, requiring a second form of verification beyond your master password.

Zero-Knowledge Policy: This ensures that the password manager company doesn’t store or have access to your passwords.

Security Audits: Look for a password manager that undergoes regular, independent security audits.

A good user experience is crucial for a password manager, as you’ll interact with it daily. Consider these factors:

Ease of Use: The interface should be intuitive, making it easy to store, retrieve, and generate passwords.

Browser Integration: Look for seamless browser integration that automatically fills in your passwords.

Mobile App: A user-friendly mobile app is crucial for accessing your passwords on the go.

What to look for

(Image credit: Unsplash/Glenn Carstens-Peters)

When selecting a password manager, several crucial features should be considered to ensure maximum security and ease of use. Let's explore the key features that define a top-tier password manager.

End-to-End Encryption

Encryption is at the heart of a password manager's security. End-to-end encryption means that your data is encrypted on your device before it's transmitted to any server. Ideally, a password manager should use industry-standard encryption, such as AES-256, to protect your sensitive data.

Zero-Knowledge Architecture

This security feature ensures that the service provider cannot access your stored data. A zero-knowledge protocol means the service encrypts and decrypts data locally on your device, and even the pass manager’s developers cannot access your passwords and information.

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Adding a layer of security, 2FA requires you to provide two different authentication factors to verify yourself. This could be a combination of something you know (your password), something you have (a mobile device), or something you are (biometric data). A password manager with 2FA support dramatically decreases the likelihood of unauthorized access.

Password Generation

One of the most practical features of a password manager is the ability to generate complex, high-strength passwords. Look for a password manager that can create long, randomized passwords that are tough to crack, diminishing the risk of password-related security breaches.

Auto-Fill and Auto-Login

A password manager should integrate with your web browsers and apps to streamline your online experience. Auto-fill and auto-login features allow the software to automatically populate login fields with your username and password, saving you time and avoiding typos that can occur with manual entry.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

In our multi-device world, having a password manager that syncs across all your platforms is essential. Cross-platform compatibility ensures you can access your passwords anytime, anywhere, whether you switch from a PC to a smartphone or from Windows to macOS.

Secure Sharing

Sometimes, you need to share a password securely with a family member or colleague. A password manager with a secure sharing feature allows you to do this without exposing your password in plain text via messaging or email. Look for a manager that lets you share access through the manager itself.

Password Audit and Security Alerts

Top-notch password managers often include a security dashboard that analyzes your passwords for strength and security. The dashboard can alert you to weak, reused, or compromised passwords and prompt you to change them.

User-Friendly Interface

A robust array of features is valuable only if the password manager is user-friendly. The software should be intuitive so you can manage your passwords without any confusion or frustration.

Backup and Recovery Options

Your password manager should offer an efficient way to recover your data in the event of device loss or data corruption. Check for options like secure cloud or local backups to ensure you can always retrieve your passwords.

Customer Support

Reliable customer support is vital, especially if you encounter issues or have questions about your password manager. A responsible provider should offer comprehensive support through multiple channels, such as email, chat, or a knowledge base.

Why you need a password manager

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Memorizing dozens of complex passwords is neither feasible nor secure, often leading to weak password practices that put us at risk. On the other hand, password managers offer convenience and a robust solution for securing our digital lives. Let's explore why a password manager is no longer an option but a necessity.

The primary appeal of a password manager is its ability to simplify your online experience. Password managers securely store and organize your passwords in an encrypted vault, ensuring that even the provider cannot access your login information. You only need to remember one strong master password to access your login details.

Humans prioritize memorability over complexity, leading to the widespread use of weak passwords. A password manager eliminates this problem by generating unique passwords for each account. This significantly reduces the risk of account breaches, as the others remain secure even if one password is compromised.

One of the most common security lapses is reusing passwords across multiple accounts. If a hacker gains access to one account, all accounts that share the same password become compromised. A password manager creates a unique, strong password for each account, ensuring that a breach in one does not lead to a cascade of unauthorized access.

Most people tend to avoid changing passwords regularly. However, periodic changes are crucial for security. A password manager can often automate this task, ensuring your passwords are routinely updated without your intervention, thus keeping your digital fortress secure.

There are times when sharing passwords becomes necessary. Unfortunately, sharing passwords via text messages or emails is inherently insecure. Password managers offer secure sharing features that allow you to share access without the recipient seeing the actual password, and you can easily revoke that access when needed.

In our multi-device world, digital access points are not limited to one computer or phone. Password managers sync across devices, ensuring you have access to your passwords whether you're using your laptop at a café or your phone while on the go.

Granting someone access to critical accounts can be essential in extraordinary situations. Many password managers provide an emergency access feature that allows trusted individuals to access your account under predefined circumstances, ensuring continuity without compromising security until then.

Password managers encourage better overall security practices by facilitating unique, complex passwords for each account and securely storing them. They remove the guesswork from digital security and make maintaining a secure online presence more accessible.

Types of password managers

(Image credit: Kaspersky)

Not all password managers are created equal. They come in different forms, each with unique features and storage methods. Understanding these differences is crucial in selecting the right password manager for your security needs and lifestyle. 

1. Cloud-Based Password Managers

Cloud-based password managers are the most popular type. They store your passwords on the provider's servers, allowing easy access from any device with an internet connection. This type of password manager offers convenience, as you can synchronize your passwords across all your devices and platforms. Examples include LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane. They often have additional features like two-factor authentication, secure password sharing, and emergency access.

2. Local Password Managers

Local password managers store your passwords on your device rather than on an external server. This type offers heightened security, as your passwords are not exposed to potential breaches on cloud servers. KeePass is a notable example of a local password manager. They particularly appeal to those who prefer complete control over their data's storage location.

3. Browser-Based Password Managers

Most modern web browsers have built-in password managers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. These tools automatically offer to save your passwords whenever you log into a new site. While they provide a basic convenience for managing passwords, their security features may not be as robust as dedicated password managers.

4. Desktop Password Managers

Desktop password managers are installed as a software application on your computer. They store the password database locally but can also offer cloud synchronization options. Examples include RoboForm and specific KeePass configurations. These managers blend the security of local storage with the optional convenience of cloud backups.

5. Mobile Password Managers

Designed specifically for mobile devices, these apps offer password management capabilities tailored to the needs of smartphone and tablet users. They provide convenient access to your passwords on the go and often include features like biometric login (fingerprint or facial recognition) for added security. Examples include Bitwarden and the mobile versions of 1Password and LastPass.

Conclusion

Choosing the right password manager depends on your priorities: convenience, security, or a balance of both. Cloud-based and browser-based managers offer simplicity and accessibility, while local and desktop options prioritize security. Mobile password managers cater to those constantly on the move. Regardless of your type, integrating a password manager into your digital routine is critical to safeguarding your online identity and information. Remember, the best password manager you regularly use fits seamlessly into your digital life.

• Here's our list of the best identity management services right now

How to watch UFO hearings live stream

Today's UFO hearings promise to 'pull back the curtain' on yet more UAP secrets live from 11.30am ET / 4.30pm GMT. The hearing, titled "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth" will feature testimony from former Pentagon UFO hunter Lue Elizondo. Here's where to watch UFO hearings 2024 live online for free.

Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) is the U.S. government's name for Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

Republican congressman and UFO hearing joint-chair Glenn Grothmann said: "We still have not got any solid information as to what we know about these aircraft. It's very frustrating that NASA, the Department of Defense have been very close-mouthed on these things."

"Americans deserve to understand what the government has learned about UAP sightings, and the nature of any potential threats these phenomena pose."

If you haven't read Luis Elizondo's mind-blowing book Imminent, in which he claims that "we are not alone", and they U.S. government has recovered both off-planet craft and their pilots ("non-human biologics"), it could be worth watching.

Read on as we explain how to watch UFO hearings live stream from anywhere.

Can I watch the UFO headings for free online?

Yes. The November 13 UAP hearings will be available for free on YouTube.

If traveling or in a location where YouTube is blocked, you can use a VPN to watch UFO hearings live streams safely and securely from anywhere in the world.

Unblock any stream with a VPN

If you're keen to watch the UFO hearings 2024 safely and privately, but you're away from home and access to YouTube is geo-blocked, then you could always use a VPN to access it. You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

Use a VPN to watch UFO hearings online and privately from anywhere:

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Where can you watch the UFO hearings 2024 in the US?

The November 13 UAP testimony from Luis Elizondo and others will be live on YouTube, which is free (with ads) from 11.30 am ET / 8.30 am PT in the States.

Currently away from home? Can't access YouTube? Or just want to watch the latest UFO hearings privately and securely? We recommend that you use NordVPN (save 70%) to watch UAP hearings. Nord has a ton of uses and is a great way to access online content without being profiled by advertisers.

How to watch UFO hearings 2024 for free in the UK

Today's UAP testimony from Luis Elizondo (Imminent: Inside The Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs) will be live on YouTube, which is free (with ads) from 4.30 pm GMT in the United Kingdom.

Currently away from home? Can't access YouTube? Use NordVPN (save 70%) to watch UAP hearings safely and privately.

Where to watch 2024 UFO hearings in Australia

UFO hearings 2024 with Luis Elizondo will be live on YouTube, which is free (with ads) from 3.30 am AEDT on Friday morning in Australia.

You're also likely to see highlights and live reporting on NewsNation (via Sling TV 50% off deal), which has covered this story with the help of Australian investigative journalist Ross Coulthart.

Currently away from home? Can't access YouTube? Use NordVPN (save 70%) to watch UAP hearings safely and privately.

UFO hearings line-up

A number of experts will testify live at today's hearings including former government workers and a member of NASA's UAP Independent Study Team. The star witnesses, so to speaker, will be:

• Luis Elizondo
• Admiral Tim Gallaudet

Who is chairing 2024 UAP hearings?

Chairs Nancy Mace and Glenn Grothman will jointly lead the UFO hearing.

It’s certainly an exciting day for Disney Plus subscribers everywhere now that the platform’s ‘new in 2025’ teaser trailer has finally dropped, which reveals sneaky first-look clips at some of the best Disney Plus shows and best Hulu shows expected to arrive next year. Disney shared the teaser trailer in alignment with the fifth anniversary of its platform, which has evolved to become one of the best streaming services out there.

In the two-minute long teaser trailer (see below), a rapid-fire spin of mini clips reveals a number of the platform’s fan-favorite titles that will be returning some time in 2025, most notably The Bear season 4 (unveiling the return of Jamie Lee Curtis) and the Star Wars drama series Andor season 2. Additionally, fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians can expect another action-packed season of the Greek demigod epic following the news of its new cast addition Andra Day.

But what are the new shows that will be gracing the streaming service in 2025? It wouldn’t be true to Disney Plus if it didn’t tease its two new additions to the MCU, of course – showing a brief insight to its new shows Daredevil: Born Again and Black Panther spin-off series Ironheart. Superhero shows aside, Disney also teased the new Hulu show Paradise, which appears to be a crime drama, and the new comedy-drama series Chad Powers, which caught my attention immediately, but that’s just because I’m a Glen Powell sympathizer.

We’re not even finished with 2024, and yet I’m already excited for what Disney Plus and Hulu has in store for us throughout next year. It makes it more difficult to narrow down the shows I’m most looking forward to, but these six are the ones that I will be adding to my watchlist as soon as they land on the platform.

Daredevil: Born Again

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Scheduled to arrive on Disney Plus on March 4, 2025 in the US and March 5, 2025 in the UK and Australia, Dario Scardapane, Christopher Ord and Matthew Corman's take on Daredevil is one of the most-anticipated shows coming to the platform next year.

The plot from Marvel reads: "Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course."

It will be the second Daredevil series following the Netflix Original show that lasted for three seasons between 2015-2018.

The Bear season 4

(Image credit: FX/Hulu/Disney Plus)

The Bear is one of the most intense TV shows I've watched, but its blend of drama and comedy has me crawling back for more. After making my way through its first three seasons far too quickly, seeing Jeremy Allen White – and especially Jamie Lee Curtis – crop up in Disney's teaser trailer has made me even more impatient for the arrival of its fourth installment.

But its not just Jeremy Allen White that makes the show what it is, but his co-star Ayo Edebiri has become one of my favorite actresses since I first saw her as Sydney and later in Emma Seligman's Gen Z high school comedy Bottoms (2023) alongside Rachel Sennott, who I admire just as much.

Andor season 2

(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)

Just like the MCU, Disney has taken the Star Wars franchise to a different level with both its spin-off movies and TV shows – particularly The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and the Obi Wan Kenobi miniseries.

As for Andor season two, will continue to tell the story of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and recall the four-year period leading up to the discovery of The Death Star and those of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – a prequel to the original Star Wars movie. Over the course of the second season, the rebel alliance grows stronger as the threats of the galactic war escalate.

Alien: Earth

(Image credit: FX Networks/Hulu)

Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi horror from the '70s is getting another addition to its growing cinematic universe right off the back of the release of Alien: Romulus (2024), which is now available on Hulu.

The new show gives a backstory to the entire franchise, taking place thirty years prior to the events of its first movie Alien (1979). Tipped for a summer 2025 release date, the official Alien: Earth webpage shares the following plot outline: "When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s highly anticipated TV series Alien: Earth from creator Noah Hawley".

I'm over here hoping and praying for a surprise Sigourney Weaver appearance.

Ironheart

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Give me a powerful female superhero protagonist and I'm sold. Ironheart is a new Marvel miniseries centered around the titular character who made a first impression in the 2022 movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – the sequel to 2018's Black Panther. Not familiar with the character? Read our guide to who is Ironheart to find out more.

Chinaka Hodge serves as the show's creator and head writer, and has enlisted actress Dominique Thorne (If Beale Street Could Talk and Judas and the Black Messiah) to reprise her role as Riri Williams/Ironheart starring alongside Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, and Regan Aliyah. After the events that took place in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, MIT student Riri returns to her home in Chicago where she learns that technology and magic are clashing, sparking the beginning of her own unique journey.

Good American Family

(Image credit: Hulu; Disney)

One of the new Disney Plus shows that caught my eye in its 'new in 2025' trailer was limited drama series for Hulu Good American Family, simply because I knew exactly what true story it's based on just from first glance.

Starring Mark Durplass (Creep) and Dr. Meredith Grey herself Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy), Good American Family explores the unbelievable story of Michael and Kristine Barnett who adopted Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace believing she was a child with dwarfism, but started to develop concerns over her legitimate age.

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• IT leaders reporting burnout and stress, Google Workspace report finds
• Generative AI is becoming more important to solutions and threats
• Legacy tech is putting organizations at risk

It probably won’t come as a huge surprise that burnout is a significant concern for IT workers and security leaders, but new research from Google Workspace has claimed most are more worried about their teams being overwhelmed.

The company's report found nearly half (43%) saw being overwhelmed as a serious concern, showing current approaches are unsustainable for many businesses.

Overall, the report found nearly all (96%) of organizations said they were confident in their security posture, yet 81% reported experiencing at least one security incident per year, showing there is much work left to be done.

Ever-present threats

The threat landscape is changing thanks to AI, and security teams are seeing more incidents than ever. The new research shows that 81% of organizations see at least one threat per year, with the average being 8 per year.

This may not sound like much, but when the average cost of a data breach is now $4.45 million, even one incident per year can cripple an organization if they're not properly protected.

Some risky behaviors were uncovered in the report, with 63% of respondents using unlicensed generative AI tools on a weekly basis, and almost half (48%) trust unlicensed gen AI tools to help them deal with threats.

As might be expected, AI is at the forefront of security concerns, and while 93% of security decision makers are worried about incidents, the top breach issue is from generative AI attacks, with nearly a third (31%) identifying this as a primary concern.

Gen AI as a security tool is also gaining traction, with 59% of security decision-makers seeing it as a key tool in combating evolving threats.

Legacy tech was also identified as a major issue, which 75% of IT leaders say is leaving them ill-equipped to handle modern security threats. Nearly two-thirds (59%) of organizations admitted relying on outdated technology had hinders their security preparedness, and 71% said legacy technology has left them less prepared for the future.

"The evidence from our research is clear: Organizations don’t need more security products, they need more secure products," noted Andy Wen, Senior Director of Product Management, Security, Google Workspace.

"If they’re going to stave off a barrage of sophisticated attacks in the future, they need to move away from outdated solutions and approaches that were designed for the desktop era. They need to embrace secure-by-design solutions that address the modern threat landscape and the way we work now."

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• Nvidia APU rumored to equal RTX 4070 laptop GPU in performance
• Laptops are already being made with the APU, including from Alienware
• The Arm-based APU could outgun AMD’s Strix Halo by miles for efficiency

Nvidia’s apparent plan to make an Arm-based CPU for PCs – in conjunction with MediaTek – raised some eyebrows, certainly, and now we’re hearing a bit more about how powerful said APU from Team Green might be in terms of its integrated graphics.

For the uninitiated, an APU is an all-in-one chip (packing a processor, alongside an integrated GPU and NPU) and with a powerful enough graphics solution, these can make for a great engine for thin-and-light gaming laptops, dispensing with the need to have a separate graphics card in the chassis. (They’re also ideal for PC gaming handhelds, too).

Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID) has some fresh info on Nvidia’s rumored Arm-based SoC, namely that said integrated graphics will match the RTX 4070 laptop GPU (with the chip running at around 65W).

MLID further notes that laptop makers are already working with Nvidia to realize this APU, and there’s a rumored deal with Alienware on the boil.

We could see new entrants bursting onto our best gaming laptop list powered by the Nvidia APU as soon as the end of 2025, or the leaker still believes that’s a possibility – though we may realistically be waiting until 2026.

It is, after all, a big move for Nvidia, and one that Team Green and its partners will want to get right.

Analysis: The battle against a Halo product

If you recall, AMD also has powerful APUs on the cards, and is closer to launch than Nvidia – in fact, Team Red is expected to reveal new Strix Halo chips at CES 2025 (alongside a whole heap of other goodies).

Interestingly, the Strix Halo flagship APU has also been strongly rumored to have seriously peppy integrated graphics, and comparisons have been drawn to the discrete RTX 4070 laptop GPU here, as well – or that Team Red’s top chip might even be slightly more powerful.

Still, in Nvidia’s favor, it’s not clear if that flagship APU will serve gaming laptops, or just workstations, as we’ve discussed in the past. And even if the Nvidia APU is a bit behind in terms of the performance of its integrated GPU, it’s targeting much better efficiency. (Strix Halo rumors point to 120W for the flagship, and as we see here, 65W is mentioned for Nvidia’s effort – that kind of power difference is huge in the world of portables).

We can also expect a seriously powerful NPU from Nvidia, and AMD Strix Halo for that matter.

What’s going to be the problematic area for Nvidia is that its APU is Arm-based, so will run Windows on Arm with its inherent drawbacks, as seen with current Snapdragon SoCs. Whereas AMD’s Strix Halo is a traditional x86 chip and won’t have any compatibility (or performance overhead) worries – though come 2026, the picture for Arm chips in that respect may have changed a great deal. Microsoft is certainly betting on that, and Nvidia too, no doubt – if this rumor is right.

More competition in the mobile CPU arena will be a prospect that Intel isn’t keen on. Team Blue has a big business in producing laptop CPUs, an area it continues to be strong in despite all the woes around its desktop processors. Is that going to change with Nvidia’s entry into the laptop CPU market? It’s not what Intel needs right now, that’s for sure.

Via TweakTown

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• Amazon Freevee to be phased out in coming weeks
• Freevee content is available on Prime Video instead
• Prime Video's successful ads rollout picks up pace

Amazon Freevee is officially being shut down as the company looks to simplify its streaming offerings by making Prime Video a one-stop shop, according to Deadline.

The free streaming service will be phased out over the coming weeks in the US, UK, Germany and Austria, but you'll still be able to find Amazon Freevee content on Prime Video, including flagship series like Jury Duty, Bosch: Legacy and Judy Justice. These titles will be identifiable by the label 'Watch for Free' in the Prime Video app.

Amazon had already begun shifting Freevee Originals to Prime Video way before it introduced ads earlier this year and had given us more signs of the upcoming shift when it announced that the third and final season of Bosch: Legacy would be shared across Freevee and Prime Video in September.

Opinion: It was inevitable that Amazon would shutter its free streaming service

Despite being one of the best free streaming services, there has been talk of Amazon Freevee closing ever since the launch of an ad-supported tier on Prime Video at the end of January earlier this year, which many considered at the time wasn't necessary.

Amazon denied rumors of Freevee closing at the time, but a lot of us were unconvinced, mainly because the introduction of an ad-supported plan meant there was no real point of difference between Prime Video and its free streaming offering. After all, the overlap between content meant you didn't have to leave Prime Video to find Freevee titles.

The rollout of the ad-tier had been viewed as controversial as many subscribers had been frustrated at the fact that Prime Video was inserting ads unless you paid more – essentially forcing you to spend an extra $2.99 in the US and £2.99 in the UK if you wanted to go ad-free.

Bosch: Legacy is one of Amazon Frevee's flagship Originals. (Image credit: Amazon)

But it turns out that the new ad-tier didn't dent subscriber numbers as much as people initially thought it would. In fact, because people didn't complain enough, Prime Video is expected to be filled with even more ads in 2025, with plans to introduce three new types of adverts to the service, including carousel ads, pause ads and trivia ads – and your Fire TV will not be spared.

Amazon has since doubled down on its advertising efforts, following the successful launch of its new plan – UK ratings body Barb found that 86% of homes are now signed up to its ad-tier – and we can only expect more growth to occur as Amazon Freevee users migrate to Prime Video.

Amazon Freevee had been voted as the best free streaming service by readers at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024, so it's likely to see a bump in activity in upcoming months. As the new home for Amazon Freevee content, including select Amazon MGM Studios Originals, licensed movies and series alongside over 450 FAST channels in the US, Prime Video has even more reasons why it's the best streaming service for movies.

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• Combines an amp and speaker system for turntables
• High pass filter for adding a subwoofer
• Bluetooth and optional Wi-Fi streaming

Sometimes the trick to making a successful product is to think the unthinkable, or at least think the highly unusual. And Andover Audio did just that with the SpinBase, which answered the question: "what if a soundbar, but for vinyl?" And now there's a new and improved version.

The SpinBase 2 is designed to sit underneath your turntable, and while Andover will happily sell you its own SpinDeck 2, it's designed to work with any turntable. It's an amp and a speaker system in a single device, and it's designed to produce a reasonably wide sound via its 270-degree sound system. It's not going to be as wide as a standard set of the best stereo speakers properly spaced, but as with the best soundbars, it's aimed at people for whom space is at a premium.

One of the key differences between this device and all-in-one turntables is what Andover calls IsoGroove, which it says reduces the vibration from the speakers as well as reducing feedback. That should mean louder audio without bouncing your tonearm around.

(Image credit: Andover Audio) What's new in the Andover SpinBase 2

The second generation SpinBase retains the same looks as the original, which is no bad thing, but replaces the perforated metal grille with a "heathered fabric". The single vented enclosure contains a pair of 1.75-inch x 4-inch oval woofers with 3/4-inch silk-dome tweeters, and each woofer has its own dedicated amp instead of the passive crossovers used in the first generation. There's 2 x 20W power going to the woofers and 2 x 15W to the tweeters, and the frequency range is 65Hz to 20kHz.

That's not as low as your average bookshelf speakers, but too much low end is going to send your stylus skipping when your turntable is atop any speaker system, no matter how clever. If you want more bass there's a new selectable high-pass filter that's designed to work with a subwoofer.

There are multiple inputs: Phono, Line, Bluetooth, Optical Digital, and USB for flash drives. And there are line outs for additional powered speakers or the aforementioned subwoofer as well as Bluetooth streaming to headphones or speakers. Andover also sells an add-on Wi-Fi streaming adapter for access to internet radio and the usual streaming suspects.

The SpinBase 2 is available to order now with deliveries scheduled for December. It's currently US-only and the price is $349.

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• Hyundai design VP says owners are calling out for more buttons
• Changes to safety tests will put an onus on physical controls
• As a result, manufacturers are finally rethinking vehicle interiors

Hyundai is the latest manufacturer to go on record to say that it is reintroducing physical buttons to future vehicles, following customer backlash surrounding fiddly and often distracting touchscreen systems.

Hyundai Design North America vice president, Ha Hak-soo, recently revealed in an interview with Korea’s JoongAng Daily news website that the company had been taken in by the “wow factor” of massive screens and had neglected the ease and convenience of physical buttons.

“When we tested with our focus group, we realized that people get stressed, annoyed and steamed when they want to control something in a pinch but are unable to do so,” Ha said.

The company joins a growing list of automotive manufacturers than have seen fit to reintroduce physical controls for key functionality, with the likes of VW pulling a U-turn on its decision to go screen-only in early ID electric models following negative feedback from the press and general public.

VW’s then-CEO Thomas Schäfer said that the reliance on touchscreens "did a lot of damage" to the brand and it subsequently revised the infotainment offering during mid-life refreshes of the numerous models in the ID range to include proper, back-lit physical buttons for climate control, window de-misters and hazard lights.

What’s more, Europe’s premier passenger car safety body, Euro NCAP, said earlier this year that it would “incentivize OEMs to have physical, easy-to-use, and tactile controls of the main driving features like wipers, warning lights, and indicators,” its Technical Director, Richard Schram told Auto Express.

Analysis: Blame the Tesla effect

(Image credit: Tesla)

Although very few automakers will admit it, the trend for committing absolutely everything to a large touchscreen display is partly down to Tesla and its innovative use of tablet-style infotainment systems.

Before this, legacy brands had merely toyed with screens that were neatly embedded into the dash or centre console, often operated via a rotary dial and other switches.

Rewind to 2009, with the debut of the Tesla Model S, and Mercedes-Benz still had a physical numerical keypad for inputting phone numbers. Now, Tesla has taken things further by removing indicator stalks and other automotive mainstays.

Things have changed and in-car screens are most certainly here to stay, with Hyundai even revealing recently that it had partnered with German optical specialist Zeiss to work on a head-up display that spans the entire windshield.

But committing everything to a display and its numerous sub-menus is, on the surface level, frustrating and often downright dangerous. Having to hunt for a slider to adjust the temperature in the cabin is a chore, while asking a clunky AI-powered voice assistant to defrost the rear window is more hassle than simply pressing an easy-to-locate button.

Until we get to the point where highly autonomous vehicles do most of the driving, we still need physical switches and buttons to make life behind the wheel more convenient and safer.

After all, there’s a reason why an aeroplane cockpit looks the way it does and isn’t just a giant touchscreen computer.

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• Netflix has released the official trailer for festive thriller Carry-On
• The movie is heading to the streaming service on December 13
• Trailer gives first-look at Jason Bateman's villain character

It's mid-November, so all the Christmas teasers are rolling in and Netflix has just dropped a first proper look at Carry-On, which looks a lot like Phone Booth if it was set at an airport during Christmas. If I haven't sold you on that alone, you can watch the trailer below and you'll see exactly what I mean ahead of the movie's release on December 13. It happens to be a Friday as well so, well played Netflix, because this protagonist really is having an unlucky day!

The best streaming service seems to be leading the charge when it comes to Christmas movies – if you don't think this new thriller sounds like one then read why we previously compared Carry-On to the beloved festive movie Die Hard, which is a Christmas movie, actually. It's a fair comparison, but something about the latest trailer just screams Phone Booth to me, and that's a very good thing.

The trailer gives me that high-tension feeling like you're trapped despite being in a public setting with a madman targeting you. This is exactly what I was talking about when I said Red One has proven we need more action-packed festive movies. Sorry Hallmark, but I want to go where the action is.

What do we know about Carry-On?

The gripping thriller follows a young TSA agent who has to spend his Christmas Eve fighting a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a flight. As if festive travel wasn't stressful enough as it is, you know?

Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, and Jason Bateman lead the cast of the movie, which was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who is also the genius behind The Shallows, one of my favorite shark movies. It's also important to note that Bateman is playing a bad, shady guy in this, and I'm loving the emergence of actors in more villainous roles. Recently, Hugh Grant terrified me in Heretic, and I can't wait to see Jason Bateman in action too.

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• A new strength-training program from Garmin is rumored
• Get Fit would be aimed at beginners
• The number of compatible watches could be limited

It would seem that a new strength-training course is set to arrive on the best Garmin watches in the near future: apparently called Get Fit, the program is said to be aimed specifically at beginners.

This news comes from notable tipster the5krunner (via Notebookcheck), and follows on from the strength-training revamp rolled out in August. The existing courses in this category are Accumulation, Intensification, Exploring Benchmarks, Realization and Deloading.

The source says Get Fit will offer three weekly workouts over 12 weeks, bookended with two benchmarking sessions so you can see how much progress you've made (or haven't made) over the months.

As you may have already noticed, the Garmin Coach component of the Connect App was recently revamped to offer separate sections: Cycling Coach, Running Coach, and Strength Coach. Get Fit would slot into that last one.

Keep updated

The strength training option on the Enduro 3 (Image credit: Garmin)

We don't have any more details about the program, but the source says it'll appear "soon" – and "probably" before the end of the year. There's been no official word from Garmin about it so far though.

For now, the Strength Coach is only available on a limited number of watches: the Fenix 8, the Fenix 8 Solar, the Enduro 3, and the Fenix E. Whether Get Fit is available on any devices outside of those four remains to be seen.

If it is exclusive to the latest and greatest Garmin watches, our full Fenix 8 review will help you decide whether or not you should upgrade. In short, we found it to be a "phenomenal adventure watch" with "a smorgasbord of hardware and software features".

Last week we saw the first round of Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 updates pushed out to users in the beta channel, so be on the lookout for more new functionality in the near future – functionality that will help Garmin keep pace with competing watches such as the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

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• Sony's latest flagship mirrorless camera will be revealed next week
• Live event is on Nov 19 at 9am EST / 2pm GMT (Nov 20 at 1am AEST)
• Set to replace the Alpha A1

Sony has officially revealed that the A1 II will be its next mirrorless camera through a live event announcement on its website and social media channels – the event will take place on November 19 at 9am EST / 2pm GMT (that's November 20 at 1am AEST).

The second-generation model will succeed Sony's current flagship, the Alpha A1, which was launched back in January 2021, and is set to become the most powerful and versatile Sony mirrorless camera ever.

Details of what we can expect from the A1 II are thin on the ground, although Sony Alpha Rumors suggests that it could be a minor update of the A1, which at launch cost $6,500 / £6,500 / AU$10,499 for the body only.

Even if it is a minor update with the same 50MP stills up to 30fps and 8K video, the A1 II should still hold its own against 2024 rivals such as the Nikon Z9 and Canon EOS R1, which goes to show just how ahead of the game the A1 was back in 2021.

The next best professional mirrorless camera?

The Sony Alpha A1 was the first professional camera of its kind to boast a high-resolution sensor for superb detail and fast frame-rates to capture the moment for high-speed action.

Previously, pros would have to choose between detail or speed, but suddenly they had a 50MP camera that could shoot up to 30fps. It was a genuine game-changer that set a new bar for hybrid cameras.

The A9 III (above) was Sony's last professional camera – and the A1 II could inherit some of its design and features. (Image credit: Future)

Since then, Sony's rivals have got in on the game with cameras such as the Nikon Z8 / Z9 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II / Canon EOS R1. The Z8 and EOS R5 Mark II look like particularly good value now, so it'll be interesting to see what price tag (and potential upgrades) Sony gives the A1 II.

All will be revealed during Sony's live event on November 19 / 20, so do mark it in the diary if you're interested to learn about the A1 II and where it might rank among the best mirrorless cameras.

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• Android TV and Google TV may be moving to a biannual update cycle
• TV OSes don't need upgraded as frequently as phone OSes do
• Changes won't affect bug fixing or security updates

As we reported a few days ago, Google is making some changes to the hardware requirements for Google TV. But it's also making another big change, and that could mean a much longer gap between TV software updates in the future.

Google is reportedly moving to a two-year update schedule for Android TV and Google TV. We've seen that happen already, with Google skipping Android 13 for TV devices and moving from Android 12 to Android 14 instead. And now, Android Authority says that Android 15 is going to be skipped too.

What's happening with Google TV and Android TV updates?

According to Android Authority's source, Google privately announced a change to its software release plans at this year's Android TV partner conference. The change means that instead of offering an Android 15 update to Google TV and Android TV sets, Google plans to sit that one out and wait for Android 16 instead.

Android Authority has contacted Google to corroborate the story, but Google says that it has "nothing to share" right now.

The reason for the change seems simple enough: Android is a smartphone-driven operating system, and that means it's on a very intense upgrade schedule to meet the needs and demands of smartphone manufacturers and smartphone users. TV isn't anywhere near as fast-moving, and there's much less of a need for TVs to get operating system updates. And the version of Android for TVs is based on the Android Open Source Project, which tends not to have quite as many gee-whiz new features as Google's own Android.

What does that mean for you? Provided Google stays on top of bug fixes and security updates it shouldn't make much difference; as with other releases in the past, most of the new features arriving in Android 15 are for phones, not TVs. And there may be an upside: better to have a slightly older but solid TV OS with its bugs fixed and its security issues squashed than to have a newer OS that introduces new things to fix.

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• Oura CEO Tom Hale doesn’t think Apple will launch a smart ring
• This is despite analysts predicting that an Apple Ring could land in the coming years
• There's some basis for Hale's speculation, but it ignores Apple’s approach in other tech categories

Smart rings are steadily becoming all the rage in the wearables space. While they’re often a little lacking feature-wise compared to the best smartwatches their simplicity, as well as more compact form factor and longer battery life, make them an excellent alternative for some people – especially those among us that want to wear a classic analogue clock without losing out on too many health-tracking tools.

After Samsung got on board the smart-ring train with the Galaxy Ring there have been rumors Apple would join in too with an Apple Ring, but the Oura CEO doesn’t think that’s likely.

Speaking to CNBC, Oura CEO Tom Hale seemed unconvinced that Apple would create a smart ring, saying “I think they [Apple] are unconvinced about the value of having a ring and a watch together and they’re not interested in undercutting the Apple Watch as a business.”

He added, “Apple is very much a focused company. They’re like: ‘We’ve put our bet on the watch. We’re gonna make the watch our platform.’”

Hale certainly makes a good point; smart rings are direct competitors to other wearables, so Apple’s ring would potentially cannibalize part of its existing Apple Watch brand. However Hale’s argument has a few holes in it, with a big one being that Apple already creates different platforms within its product categories.

Apple makes multiple different kinds of Mac – with the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro and Mac Studio; different iPads – the regular, mini, Pro and Air; and even makes different Apple Watches already, with base and Ultra models. So offering an Apple Ring alternative to suit the needs of a different kind of user isn’t as outside of Apple’s usual strategy as Hale is arguing.

An Apple Ring won't come soon

Will the Oura Ring 4 have an Apple Rival? (Image credit: Future)

Where Hale makes more sense is when he says of smart rings that "it’s hard to do this product category right.”

As mentioned, smart rings are inherently less feature-rich than smartwatches – with a big difference being that lack of a screen. They’re also generally less impressive at tracking fitness goals, but are better for sleep and health, as their longer battery life means you need to recharge a ring a lot less often than a watch, and their small form factor means they're comfortable to wear when you're sleeping.

Making a smart ring that feels like good value for money and is well stocked with helpful tools, but isn’t bulky, is a tough line to walk. Especially when you factor in that Apple would want a new wearable device to slot next to its Apple Watch rather than replace it.

That challenge isn’t an impossible one to crack though, and while there’s no guarantee that Apple will or won’t create a smart ring, I still think an Apple Ring is more likely than not – just don’t expect to see it any time soon.

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• Volt Typhoon is rapidly rebuilding its botnet of legacy routers
• Traffic is being obscured through webshells and MIPS-based malware
• Critical infrastructure needs to upgrade away from EOL devices

US allies and authorities recently dismantled parts of a network of legacy routers in small offices and home offices (SOHO) infected with the KV Botnet malware, used by the notorious Volt Typhoon group to target US critical infrastructure.

However, a huge new botnet targeting the same vulnerable legacy edge devices within critical infrastructure is rapidly growing, and Security Scorecard’s STRIKE Team thinks it is Volt Typhoon emerging from the ashes.

‘End-of-life’ (EOL) devices, those for which manufacturer support has ended, are again the main targets for this growing network.

SOHO and EOL devices

This time, Volt Typhoon has adapted to more effectively obscure its traffic using a number of tactics. By using SOHO and EOL devices, Volt Typhoon can maintain persistence within legacy routers without fear of security updates that could potentially boot them from their infrastructure. The group has also been spotted using MIPS-based malware to hide its connections and communications through port forwarding via 8433.

Webshells are also being implanted into routers to maintain remote control, which also disguise malicious traffic inside the router's standard network operations. Many of these devices have been detected on the Pacific island of New Caledonia, acting as a transfer point for traffic coming from Volt Typhoon in the Asia-Pacific region heading into the US, and vice versa.

The prime targets of Volt Typhoon’s activities are Cisco RV320/325 and Netgear ProSafe routers. Software maintenance releases and bug fixes for the Cisco RV320/325 ended in 2021, with STRIKE Team highlighting that Volt Typhoon compromised 30% of visible Cisco RV320/325 routers in just 37 days, with government and critical infrastructure being prime targets.

STRIKE Team recommends that government departments should address weaknesses such as the use of legacy devices within critical infrastructure to reduce the number of potential vulnerabilities and access points for cyber criminal organizations and state-sponsored groups.

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