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Fear Street: Prom Night will premiere on May 23, with Netflix confirming the news in an intriguing announcement trailer. The first three movies in the Fear Street slasher franchise really surprised me when they arrived on Netflix in 2021. I was very quickly lured into the world-building and seeing three different eras portrayed against a horror backdrop was very fun indeed.

Fear Street parts One, Two, and Three – set in 1994, 1978, and 1666 respectively – received critical acclaim, and all of them are worthy holders of spots on our best Netflix movies round-up. I was worried that the creators might rest on their laurels after a hat-trick of successes, but now they're back with another chilling tale, and based on the trailer, it’s already shaping up to be one of my best horror movies of the year.

This time around, we'll follow prom season at Shadyside High (I'm already suspicious of a name like that, to be fair), but the cut-throat (not in the literal sense) competition for the title of Prom Queen will soon be the least of the school's worries when girls start mysteriously disappearing. Surely someone wouldn't go that far for a high school title, right? I guess we'll find out…

Take a look at the teaser below.

Why was Fear Street so successful?

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Fear Street series has been celebrated for a number of reasons. Many loved the franchise's retro appeal and the inspired casting, including Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. I'm among those who sang the praises of the Fear Street franchise, and it was refreshing to see horror adaptations of this quality among some of the less good Netflix horrors. Unfortunately, the Netflix library is home to some offerings of questionable quality – looking at you, The Open House, but we can't win them all. If only Netflix hadn't canceled nine great shows last year and gotten rid of the disappointing horrors instead. But I digress.

The movies are based on R. L. Stine's novels, and revolve around teens who must break a curse that’s been haunting their town for hundreds of years. And they’re every bit as nerve-jangling as his iconic series Goosebumps, which now has two seasons on Disney+. So, the Stine horror adaptations are really killing it, and I couldn't be happier about that.

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• Lonestar plans to offer disaster recovery services from the Moon
• It successfully tested a lunar software-defined data center in 2024
• Its next mission, launching soon, will test a physical data center (kind of)

We all know how important it is to back up our personal data in case of a disaster - I certainly learned that lesson the hard way years ago when a hard drive malfunctioned and fried my desktop PC. As devastating as that was for me personally, for businesses, the loss of data can be catastrophic, as while files and folders can be backed up in many ways, including to the cloud, offsite data centers, tape storage, and NAS, some solutions take the idea to the extreme.

One such example is the Arctic World Archive (AWA), which stores data-filled containers inside a sealed chamber within a decommissioned coal mine in Svalbard, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. If that isn’t safe and remote enough for you, well, there’s always space.

Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings was founded by Chris Stott in 2021 to provide data services such as Disaster Recovery and Resilience-as-a-Service from Earth’s ultimate backup location - the Moon.

A RISC-V venture

Lonestar successfully tested the world’s first software-defined data center on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021 and 2022, then conducted a full data storage test from the Moon's surface last year.

Working with its lunar access provider, Intuitive Machines, Lonestar completed its first mission to the Moon (called "Independence") with a proof-of-concept demonstration after the IM-1 Odysseus Nova-C lander touched down on the lunar south pole last February. It wasn’t a complete success, as the vehicle ended up on its side.

Lonestar’s next mission, again with Intuitive Machines (this one called "Freedom"), will be a test of its first physical “data center” (a RISC-V processor with a Phison SSD running Ubuntu) sent off-planet. That mission is set to launch on February 26.

Writing about Lonestar, Blocks and Files says, “The Freedom IT unit has a 3D-printed casing designed by BiG, an architecture and design group led by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The exterior is said to ‘reflect the silhouettes of NASA astronauts Charlie Duke (Apollo Moonwalker) and Nicole Stott (Space Station Space Walker).’

It is somewhat unexpected that a small computer system in a lunar landing vehicle would have resources devoted to a casing that, once enclosed in the Athena vehicle and loaded into the SpaceX launch rocket, will never be seen again. Presumably, Lonestar wants to capture people’s imagination with the idea.” As far as marketing stunts go, it’s a good one.

Assuming everything goes to plan, Lonestar hopes to begin continuous commercial services in 2026.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, February 26 (game #1129).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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

Quordle today (game #1130) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1130) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1130) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1130) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

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

Quordle today (game #1130) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• C

• E

• G

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

Quordle today (game #1130) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1130, are…

• THIEF
• CHAIR
• ETHER
• GRIME

My start words gave me the ideal situation of a column with all five letters. Perhaps the real dream situation would be having them all green, but then you wouldn’t have the joy of a quick untangle to find the correct word – in this case GRIME.

For my second correct guess, I already had the letters I-H-R-A, which made sense forming H-A-I-R and there is only one letter that could fit at the front.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1130) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1130, are…

• BREAK
• SUING
• SALTY
• PETTY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
• Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY
• Quordle #1118, Saturday 15 February: CREEP, CONDO, GRILL, FANCY
• Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
• Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK
• Quordle #1115, Wednesday 12 February: SHOOK, GRADE, POLAR, SEEDY
• Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
• Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY
• Quordle #1112, Sunday 9 February: TAPIR, SHAKE, TOKEN, SEVEN
• Quordle #1111, Saturday 8 February: AFOOT, ALIKE, HUMUS, TOWEL
• Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, February 26 (game #360).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

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

NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Living large

NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• GUSH
• RUSH
• NEST
• SUGAR
• BRIDE
• BLAG

NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Great things

NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #361) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #361, are…

• FOOT
• BIRD
• BREAK
• SPENDER
• CHEESE
• LEAGUES
• PICTURE
• SPANGRAM: BIG STUFF

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

I had a Connections-like experience of not exactly knowing what I was looking for with today’s puzzle. The answer only came into focus after I got SPENDER and, of course, Shirley Bassey’s classic Hey Big Spender came to mind.

My favorite of all the BIG STUFF is CHEESE – and not just because cheese is one of humanity’s greatest culinary creations. Big Cheese is also a lovely way to describe a boss. It’s disarming and charming, but also complimentary (you’re not just a cheese, you’re a big cheese). Had this been an actual job title I may have been more ambitious during my career – being a manager always sounded like hard work and dull, being a big cheese sounds fun and aspirational and maybe you could get there just by being fabulously cheesy rather than stomping on all the little cheese on your way to the top.

Anyway, I digress… apologies. A lovely puzzle, big thanks to the big cheeses at the big Strands office for making it happen.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 26 February, game #360)

• CHALLENGE
• JURY
• MERGE
• REWARD
• ALLIANCE
• IMMUNITY
• SPANGRAM: SURVIVOR

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, February 26 (game #626).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #627) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TISSUE
• RING
• BIGFOOT
• WHEEL
• THERMOMETER
• HORN
• PHONE
• ORGAN
• CELL
• INSTAGRAM
• BELT
• DIAL
• MIRROR
• CALL
• COMPOUND
• ATOM

NYT Connections today (game #627) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Use the dog and bone 
• GREEN: Vehicle elements 
• BLUE: The hierarchical structure of living things
• PURPLE: Weighty words

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #627) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: CONTACT VIA TELEPHONE 
• GREEN: PARTS OF A CAR 
• BLUE: LEVELS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION 
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH UNITS OF MEASURE 

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

NYT Connections today (game #627) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #627, are…

• YELLOW: CONTACT VIA TELEPHONE CALL, DIAL, PHONE, RING
• GREEN: PARTS OF A CAR BELT, HORN, MIRROR, WHEEL
• BLUE: LEVELS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION ATOM, CELL, ORGAN, TISSUE
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH UNITS OF MEASURE BIGFOOT, COMPOUND, INSTAGRAM, THERMOMETER

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

I managed to get the Green group today, thinking it was something to do with astronomy (Orion’s BELT, the Holmdel HORN, errr something WHEEL…) which is a bit ridiculous when you consider how obvious the correct answer (PARTS OF A CAR) was.

Speaking of which, just to let you know if I ever become President of the world, the first executive order I will be signing with my giant pen will be that car owners are only allowed to use their HORN five times a year. I feel this will cut down radically on road rage and force people to only use them when it’s important, rather than harassing cyclist/nose pickers at traffic lights/other road users/people sleeping at 2am.

Meanwhile, CONTACT VIA TELEPHONE got me thinking about all the brilliant songs about the analog age of telephony, when you had to remember people’s numbers or have them written down on a matchbook or back of your hand – the classic of this surprisingly enormous song topic is Operator (That’s Not The Way It Goes) by Jim Croce, but there are plenty of others. Today you don’t need to know anyone’s number to give them a CALL, but you’d be pretty defiant to technological advances if you were still giving them a DIAL.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 26 February, game #626)

• YELLOW: EXPENDITURE CHARGE, COST, PRICE, RATE
• GREEN: ONETIME FORMER, LATE, PAST, PRIOR
• BLUE: MADE WITH HORIZONTAL LINES DASH, HYPHEN, MINUS, UNDERSCORE
• PURPLE: SIMPSON FAMILY MEMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED BAGGIE, BARGE, COMER, PISA

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Today, we got our first glimpse of the new AI-infused virtual assistant that Amazon's engineers have been busily crafting behind the scenes. Alexa Plus, which is rolling out to users in the US over the coming months, can book you a restaurant reservation, manage your schedule, and even show video evidence of your driver walking your dog in the morning. You know, normal, everyday things. And it can do all this for $19.99 per month – or free if you already subscribe to Amazon Prime.

That standalone price is very high, and almost totally arbitrary. After all, an Amazon Prime subscription currently costs $14.99 monthly or $139 per year, so paying more for Alexa Plus alone would make no sense at all. And that's the point. The fee for Alexa Plus by itself could have been anything because Amazon doesn't actually expect anyone to buy it that way.

What it does want is for you to think "Well, might as well..." and finally press the button to commit to Prime, or decide to keep your subscription active just to see what the new Alexa Plus experience is like.

The price of 'free'

What else does Amazon stand to gain from the generous offer of 'free' Alexa Plus? Well, according to the company's Devices and Services event blog, the service "will start rolling out in the US in the next few weeks, and subsequently in waves in the coming months starting with households with Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21." If you don't own such a device, the company not-too-subtly suggests that "you can buy one today". I'm only surprised there's not a button to add one right to your cart.

It's not clear whether Alexa Plus will eventually be made available for all existing Echo devices. It looks like all the processing happens server-side and not everything requires a screen, in which case there's seemingly no reason as to why it wouldn't be freely available, but from a business perspective it makes a lot more sense to restrict it to the relatively pricey Echo Show series. The humble Amazon Echo might have earned the top spot in our roundup of the best smart speakers, but if that's all you have at home, you might miss out on the AI action; at least in the short term, anyway.

There's also no word on privacy, and how much you might have to sacrifice to get the most out of Alexa Plus. During its launch event, Amazon showed off a wall covered in logos for companies it's working with to deliver services via AI, and presumably, you'll have to grant Amazon access to your various accounts for these integrations to work. At this point, we just don't know, but your data is valuable, so it's well worth finding out.

Alexa Plus might well prove to be a valuable addition to your home. Justt bear in mind that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and that $19.99 tag doesn't really mean a great deal by itself. If you're getting something like that 'free', then you're usually paying in other ways.

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• NordVPN research reveals billions of malware incidents in 2024
• Almost 85,000 fake Google URLs were identified
• Phishing remains a serious problem, so be on your guard

The US saw 1.9 billion malware incidents in 2024, new research has claimed, showing the huge scale of the cybersecurity problem facing businesses and consumers alike.

Research from NordVPN also discovered almost 85,000 fake URLs impersonating Google websites and services - and takes the spot as the scammer’s favorite, with Facebook taking second place with 6,000 fake URLs, and Microsoft in third with 5,000.

Interestingly, NordVPN blocked over 1.5 billion malware infection attempts from video hosting sites alone - so be careful with those dodgy streaming site ads.

Phishing is king

The malicious URLs are part of a phishing scam, in which the sites are impersonated as part of a credential harvesting scheme. The social engineering attacks will prompt users to click links, enter their details, or hand over their sensitive information.

These will try to scare victims by making them think their accounts have been compromised or that their details are needed for a reset - before delivering the malware.

This tactic isn’t unusual, we’ve recently seen Microsoft authentication systems spoofed via phishing attacks, and this is a fairly common tactic amongst cybercriminals.

“In fact, the majority of all phishing attacks use around 300 brand names for deception. The brands themselves are not at fault – such fakes hurt their reputation as well, forcing companies to actively hunt them down,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor at NordVPN.

Experts recommend being very careful when opening unexpected communications, especially avoiding any unsolicited links, and verifying all downloads. This research does outline the dangers of visiting unsafe websites, so its always good advice to avoid these, especially when using a company device which stores sensitive information.

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• Amazon has announced the pricing for its new Alexa Plus assistant
• It'll cost $19.99 per month or will be free to Amazon Prime subscribers
• There's no news yet on international availability or pricing

Amazon has just announced its new AI-powered Alexa Plus assistant – and we now know the most important detail, its pricing.

Alexa Plus will cost $19.99 per month and will initially only roll out in the US over the "next few weeks". But the good news for Prime members is that it'll be free if you already have the subscription, which currently costs $14.99 a month (or $139 annually).

In other words, Alexa Plus is going to be another key way to lure you towards a Prime subscription, alongside Amazon Music, Prime Gaming and those incredibly reliable next-day deliveries.

After its initial rollout, Amazon says the assistant will roll out "subsequently in waves in the coming months" to owners of the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21. If you don't have one of those smart speakers, Amazon says you'll get early access to Alexa Plus if you buy one of them today.

Unfortunately, we don't yet know anything about international availability, but we're at the Alexa event now and will be doing our best to find out more information soon.

Analysis: Prime could now be a no-brainer

(Image credit: Future)

The early Alexa Plus rumors suggested it might cost in the region of $5-$10 a month (around £5-£10 / AU$8-AU$16). But while this official pricing is higher than expected, it's now clear that Alexa Plus is clearly a way to push more people towards Amazon Prime. In fact, it's currently cheaper to simply get Amazon Prime.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

While there are impressive free, AI-powered voice assistants – not least ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode, which recently came to its free tier – none are as tightly integrated with smart speakers as Alexa Plus, and that's where Amazon's new assistant could carve out an audience.

We'll have to see how well it works in practice, but the demos showed it to be impressively versatile – offering powerful smart home integration, an ability to order products or groceries, book tickets or restaurant reservations and much more.

Amazon says that Alexa Plus will work on almost every Alexa device it's released, though the early access will start on the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 – so those are the ones to have if you want to try it first.

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• ForeScout says Silver Fox crime group is targeting hospital patients
• The group uses spoofed medical software to install malware
• Credentials, sensitive data, and crypto are then stolen

A Chinese hacking group has been spotted spoofing legitimate medical software to infect patient computers with malware.

The attacks have been attributed by Forescout to a group tracked as Silver Fox, Void Arachne, and The Great Thief of Valley, and use legitimate medical software such as Philips DICOM medical image viewer to deploy the ValleyRAT remote access tool.

ValleyRAT is then used as a backdoor to deploy infostealing malware that targets sensitive data, credentials, and cryptocurrency.

Expanding horizons

As a China-based group, Silver Fox has typically targeted Chinese speakers in previous attacks, but Forescout notes that malware samples they have collected show “filenames mimicking healthcare applications, English-language executables, and file submissions from the United States and Canada, suggest[ing] that the group may be expanding its targeting to new regions and sectors.”

How Silver Fox gets their malware onto the victims devices has not yet been determined, but Forescout notes that previous attacks have seen the group use phishing and SEO poisoning techniques to ship their malware.

Once installed, the malware will establish a connection with the attackers command and control (C2) server using ping.exe, find.exe, cmd.exe, and ipconfig.exe. The malware will also run PowerShell commands to hide its communications paths from Windows Defender scans.

The malware will then retrieve additional payloads from the C2 server, such as a security tool sniffing malware that will search the system for antivirus and endpoint protection software that could detect it, and disables them where possible. ValleyRAT is then deployed, stealing information and extracting it to the C2 server.

Forescout also notes that while not directly targeting a hospital, but rather the victim’s device, the malware still poses a significant risk for patients who take infected devices into medical facilities, where the malware could spread through unsecured networks and into hospital systems.

Via TheRegister

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Slack is currently down, with an outage hitting the messaging and collaboration service at around 11 am ET / 4pm GMT . This has affected TechRadar directly as we and our sibling publications all use Slack to communicate and collaborate.

Slack reports it's working on getting the service up and running, but at the time of writing the Slack is still down.

So read on for live coverage of this rather huge outage.

What is Slack anyway?

Slack is an ubiquitous cloud-based communication platform used by millions of businesses of all sizes around the world. It made its public debut in August 2013 and rapidly grew as one of the few independent business-grade online collaboration tool, with rivals such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. In 2020, Slack was acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion in a move that, some said, gave it the necessary clout to protect it from bigger competitors.

Yeah so Slack is definitely down and I'm kinda flying blind with no easy contact with my colleagues.

But this outage doesn't appear to be affectinve everyone, as my boss Marc Mclaren reports his Slack is still working... how odd.

Ok now he's just told me his Slack is down. So yeah, this isn't good for remote collaboration.

Just got an email from Future Publishing's (the company that owns TechRadar) IT department that Slack is down across the board.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / fizkes)

Usually when outages happen they don't always directly affect us at TechRadar. But we all use Slack to collaborate remotely and across multiple countries and continents.

So this is a outage I'm really feeling directly; I can't quickly contact my colleagues in the US, which is a pain when there's a major Amazon product event going on.

So we're back to some rather old school communication in the form of email and collaborating in Google Docs. No bad thing, as Google's G Suite is a rather robust set of tools. Equally, this isn't exactly optimal.

On its service status page, Slack has posted the following:

"We're still working to restore functionality to affected Slack features such as sending messages, workflows, threads and other API-related features. Users may also experience issues when attempting to log-in. Thank you for your continued patience as we continue investigating. We'll be following up with further updates as they become available."

(Image credit: Unsplash / Jason Strull)

I can't tell if I'm feeling rather zen from the lack of Slack notification dings, or if I'm feeling rather isolated; the latter is probably down to me also listening to an atmospheric sci-fi soundtrack as I type.

Thanks to the magic of cloud-based software, I've got some insights from Desire Athow, Managing Editor of TechRadar Pro, on the state of play with Slack and what the outage means for businesses.

"Here’s how we're coping. Slack is a single point of failure for an entire organization, when it went down a few minutes ago, my first thought was, what do we have as an alternative?" he writes.

"Slack is where all real-time communication happens within tens of thousands of businesses including. At the time of writing, Downdetector has thousands instances of outage reported over the past three hours and rising."

Wonder how quickly I'll get sick of seening the image below? Slack is still borked for me.

(Image credit: Future)

And some more for Desire:

A rather regular occurrence

(Image credit: Slack)

Over the past four years, Slack has had at least one big outage every single year. We had one in January 2021, one in February 2022, March 2022 and July 2022 and the last one was in July 2023.

So the popular business communication platform is not immune to downtimes and the fact that it keeps happening is worrying to say the least.

Here's the latest update from Slack:

"We're continuing our efforts to restore functionality to affected features such as workflows, sending messages, threads and API-related features. Users may also experience issues when attempting to log-in. We appreciate your continued patience. More updates will be shared as soon as possible."

Seems like the reports of Slack outages on Downdetector have peaked. So either people have accepted Slack is out or the service is on the road to recovery and might be up soon... we'll see.

Another post from Slack:

"Our investigation is still in progress with regard to deprecated functionality for Slack features such as workflows, threads, sending messages and API-related features. We'll be back with more updates as soon as they're available."

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

So I can still see my Slack messages in the mobile app on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, but I can't send any new ones as one might expect with the outage still in effect. Still that's handy to check the status of work as a snapshot before the outage hit.

For what it's worth, I'm quite a fan of the Slack app on iOS. It's near, works well and feels decently integrated with Apple's mobile platform.

Oh hang on a minute... both fellow Managing Editor Josie Watson and I have been able to send messages on the Slack app, so this may be the sign of the outage abating.

However, the desktop app and browser version of Slack is still throwing up 'trouble loading your workspace' messages for me.

According to Desire and Josie, Slack is back for both of them... I'm not so lucky.

But my mobile version of Slack is now fine.

No official word from Slack's status page that it's up again. But it appears that we're coming to the end of this outage. Though those could be famous last words, so to speak.

Emoji reactions to messages don't seem to be working, however. Hardly a crucial part of Slack, but an indication that things could be a tad buggy for a bit as Slack gets back up to speed.

My colleagues are reporting they have access to Slack on desktop on both Windows and macOS.

But I had to restart my MacBook and Slack fully logged me out and seems to be struggling to authenticate me via my Google Workspaces account. Mildly frustrating, I have to say.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Going by Slack's status page it doesn't look like everything has been ironed out yet:

"We're still working to restore functionality to affected Slack features such as sending messages, workflows, threads and other API-related features. We'll be back with more updates as soon as they're available."

According to Downdetector, there were also outages at Amazon Web Services, Instagram Microsoft Copilot, among others. Now it's unclear if these are related, but a lot of services use AWS for their cloud platform, so if that went down it could be the crux of these outages.

Still no desktop Slack login for me. Pretty sure I'm not doing anything odd on my end...

This is all I'm seeing when I try to log into Slack. Getting infuriating now.

(Image credit: Future)

Another update from Slack's status page, and it reads much the same as before:

"We’re still actively investigating this issue, but we don’t have any new information to share at this time. Thanks for sticking with us as we continue to work towards a fix. We’ll keep you posted as soon we have an update."

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I'm not the only one with no Slack desktop access as my colleague Mackenzie Frazier is also in the same boat, and I think a few others are too. But with communication a tad stifled it's hard to tell.

Another update from Slack:

"We’re still looking into the cause of the issue and working on restoring functionality to affected features such as workflows, sending messages, threads and API-related features. Users may also continue to experience issues when attempting to log-in. We’ll provide new information as soon as it’s available."

Still no joy on desktop login for me on Slack. Sigh.

If you’ve just got a new Apple Watch, a new iPhone, or both (you lucky thing), the process to pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone is pretty straightforward.

Your Apple Watch needs to be paired with an iPhone – and it does need to be an iPhone – to work. That’s where you’ll get all of your data for contacts, calls, communications, music, and more. It’s also the connection that sends your health data from your Apple Watch the other way to your iPhone so you can keep track of your overall wellbeing. While you can use an Apple Watch without an iPhone present, particularly a cellular model, it’ll need to be paired with an iPhone to set up the device.

There are two distinct processes depending on whether your new device is your Watch or your iPhone. Let me explain: if you’ve got a new Apple Watch and you’re pairing it to an existing iPhone, that’s a straightforward process you carry out mostly on your new watch. If you’ve got an existing Apple Watch you want to pair with a new iPhone, there are a couple of extra steps. I’ll explain both in detail, just make sure you know which one you’re supposed to be doing. It’s a common occurrence, because people often buy the best iPhone every year when it launches, but might only replace their Apple Watch every few years.

How to pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone

(Image credit: Future)

If this is your first Apple Watch, or you’re pairing a new Watch with your existing iPhone for the first time, the steps are fairly straightforward.

You’ll need:

• Your Apple Watch
• An iPhone Xs (or later) running iOS 18

Before you start:

• Update your iPhone to the latest software (you can do this in the General section of Settings)
• Turn on Bluetooth

Once you’ve unboxed your new Apple Watch and you’re ready to start, go ahead and put it on your wrist.

To pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone:

1. Turn your Apple Watch on (press and hold the side button)
2. Hold your iPhone near your Apple Watch until the pairing screen appears, tap Continue
3. Tap Set Up for Myself and scan your Apple Watch screen using the camera, when prompted

After you’ve done this, you’ll be prompted to follow a series of instructions to sign into your Apple Account, create a passcode, and customize settings like text size and health information. Once this process is finished, your Apple Watch is paired with your iPhone and ready to use.

How to pair your old Apple Watch with a new iPhone

(Image credit: Future)

If you’ve already got an Apple Watch and you’ve just got a new iPhone, the instructions are a little more complicated. That’s because may need to unpair your Apple Watch from your old device before pairing it with your new one.

You’ll need:

• Your Apple Watch (preferably on your wrist, and switched on)
• Both your old and your new iPhone (ideally, don’t worry if you don’t have the old one)

Before you start:

• Update your old iPhone to the latest software (you can do this in the General section of Settings)
• Check you’ve backed up Health and Activity data (this ensures things like your Activity streaks will be preserved, otherwise you will lose this data)
• Back up your old iPhone (this also backs up your Apple Watch data)

When you set up your new iPhone, you should have the option to restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup. Pick the most recent backup and you should get a prompt that says “Do you want to use (name of Apple Watch) with this iPhone?”. Tap continue and follow the onscreen steps.

If this doesn’t work, your iPhone might ask you to Start Pairing your Apple Watch instead. At this point, you need to unpair your Apple Watch from your old iPhone, and then set it up following the instructions above. Finish setting up your iPhone, then pair it with your Apple Watch as if the Watch was new.

If you don’t have your old iPhone

Before getting rid of an iPhone, it's always important to unpair your Apple Watch from your old device. If you haven’t done this and your phone is no longer in your possession (you might have traded it in or sold it), you’ll need to erase your Apple Watch.

How to erase your Apple Watch

1. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings
2. Enter your Password
3. Tap Erase All to confirm

Once wiped, you can pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone.

Apple Watch pairing not working? Quick tips

If in doubt, you can start the process again by restarting your Apple Watch: press and hold the Digital Crown and side button at the same time until it restarts.

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• Amazon has announced an AI-powered version of its Alexa voice assistant
• Alexa Plus is more conversational and can carry out complex tasks for you
• There's no word yet on pricing or availability (this is breaking story)...

Live from its HQ in New York City Amazon is currently hosting its Alexa event where we’ve all been expecting the launch of a brand new Alexa voice assistant. And lo and behold, it’s finally here – Amazon has revealed Alexa Plus, its new AI-infused voice assistant.

The announcement marks the biggest upgrade for the voice assistant since its launch in 2014. And from Vice President of Devices and Services Panos Panay’s demonstration at Amazon’s devices event, it looks rather impressive. Need a concierge? Sous-chef? Assistant? House manager? Alexa Plus seemingly has it all covered.

Live from New York City, Vice President of Devices and Services, Panos Panay, gives a first-look demonstration to Alexa Plus. (Image credit: Future)

One of the biggest improvements in Alexa Plus compared to the classic Alexa voice assistant is its impressive ability to hold conversations, which Panay seamlessly trialled live on stage at the event.

He asked “I'm a little bit nervous about it, but we're about to do live demos. What do you think can go wrong?”. Alexa Plus responded with “With so many eyes on you, it's natural to feel a bit nervous. As for what could go wrong, let's just say Murphy's Law is probably sharpening his pencil right now”. So it’s confirmed; Alexa Plus has a great sense of humor.

So what can Alexa Plus do? Powered by AI models from Anthropic and Amazon Nova, it looks impressively versatile. Some of the demos included smart home control, making restaurant reservations and connecting to your calendar to add events or send invites to friends. The AI assistant also has vision powers, which means it can scan documents and recall information later.

Naturally, there's lots for kids too. Ademo video showed Alexa Plus answering questions and creating stories, which it was able to do before – but this time it includes AI-generated images, too.

This is a breaking story, we'll update it with more information soon...

• Unit 42 spots a new Linux malware
• Auto-color can grant the attackers full access to compromised endpoints
• Initial infection vector is unknown, but universities and governments hit

Universities and government offices in North America and Asia are being targeted by a brand new Linux backdoor called “Auto-color”, experts have claimed.

Cybersecurity researchers from Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 revealed in early November 2024, it came across a backdoor which was relatively difficult to spot, and impossible to remove without specialized software.

The backdoor was capable of opening a reverse shell to give the attackers full remote access, running arbitrary commands on the target system, tampering with local files, acting as a proxy, or dynamically modifying its configuration. The malware also comes with a kill switch, which allows the threat actors to remove all evidence of compromise and thus make analysis and forensics more difficult.

Dangerous threat

Given its advanced obfuscation features, and an extensive list of dangerous capabilities, Auto-color was described as a very dangerous threat. However, Unit 42 could not attribute it to any known threat actor, nor did it want to discuss the victims in more detail. Therefore, we don’t know how many organizations were infected, nor what the end goal of the campaign is.

What’s also unknown is how the victims got infected in the first place. Unit 42 says the initial infection vector is unknown, but added it has to start with the victim executing a file on the target system. The file usually has a benign name, such as “door”, “log”, or “egg”.

Linux malware is becoming more sophisticated and widespread due to increased Linux adoption in cloud computing, enterprise servers, and IoT devices. Cybercriminals are shifting focus from traditional Windows targets to include Linux environments, exploiting misconfigurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, and weak security practices.

The rise of malware-as-a-service (MaaS) and automated attack tools also makes Linux-based threats more effective, as well.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Nvidia's 32-bit PhysX support isn't present on RTX 5000 series GPUs
• This will effect a number of older titles that utilize the physics API for enhanced visuals and particle effects
• It adds to the multitude of issues the RTX 5000 series GPU users are currently facing

The RTX 5000 series launch has come with an abundance of issues and controversies that Nvidia is attempting to helm - one of them, is the removal of a big feature among Nvidia's Gameworks that has left many frustrated but it may not be as bad as it seems.

As highlighted by Tom's Hardware, Nvidia quietly removed 32-bit support for one of its proprietary technologies, PhysX, on RTX 5000 series GPUs - a feature that was used in plenty of older titles, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro: Exodus, and Borderlands 2, all of which took advantage of the API for enhanced in-game physics (such as ragdoll and cloth physics seen in the evgaonthetube video below) and visual effects in-game (particularly particle effects). Using the tool saved developers a lot of time in coding, allowing complex physics to be more easily implemented.

Well, owners of Team Green's new Blackwell GPUs no longer have this luxury - it's forced some gamers to slave a second, older GPU for dedicated PhysX support while using their next-gen cards (as shown in this report by XDA Developers), but isn't very power efficient as is generally a hassle, as it requires running two GPUs simultaneously.

It seems like a frustrating move for fans, but Nvidia's recent focus on RTX and AI is likely why PhysX is being left behind. It's also worth noting that modern games are effectively no longer using PhysX, which means only older titles (those more than five years old) will see worse performance on RTX 5000 series GPUs - although I have to say that it's really not that big of a problem, as you can simply turn PhysX off.

Don't panic, this isn't going to render older games unplayable... but you should probably preserve your older GPU

Now, before I get hunted by Reddit for saying this, I am in no way saying the omission of PhysX is something to be championed or praised - as a matter of fact, I think this is yet another reason why you should stay away from the RTX 5000 series GPUs until its problems are resolved.

The ability to play older games with a certain graphics setting enabled on a flagship GPU shouldn't even be a question - it's totally mind-boggling to see worse performance on a newly-released flagship GPU when PhysX is enabled in a game like Batman: Arkham City, and I'm hoping the complaints will encourage Nvidia to consider catering to older games.

It's also a very valid argument that potentially paying over $2,000 (in the case of the RTX 5090's inflated pricing for third-party cards) and losing out on a feature that enhances the visual quality of older titles is absurd. What I can say, is that the removal of 32-bit PhysX support on the new Blackwell GPUs isn't the height of Team Green's issues as of now and doesn't mean you won't get to play classic titles - you will however need to disable PhysX in games that support it to avoid significant frame drops.

Since most AAA titles today are moving away from the use of PhysX, I daresay it's omission (at least 32-bit support, as 64-bit is still functional) is somewhat reasonable - the focus on RTX and AI and ways to bring different technologies to enhance new games are clear, it just hurts gamers like myself who love playing classic games.

If you still own an older RTX GPU and you're a classic video game enthusiast, I'd advise you to preserve it - with more advanced technologies coming, the likelihood of Nvidia dropping support for other old features under the Nvidia Gameworks umbrella is high. I honestly believe the RTX 4000 series is still your best bet (while some cards are still available), because trust me, you don't want to deal with the litany of issues RTX 5000 series users are facing...

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Have you recently experienced a customer service agent say, “Sorry, my computer is slow”? Have you been frustrated by a site that is not loading quickly? Have you had poor connectivity right when you need to have an important call? Well, you are not alone.

Why is it that customers and corporate users experience so much frustration? According to Gartner Research, 47% of technology users experience high “digital friction” on a daily basis. It is true that most human activity today is either digital or supported by digital processes. We depend on technology for our daily life.

However, while the software industry has been building and improving software for the past decades, and today there are very effective technologies for high availability, redundancy, and self-healing, there is another technology trend happening – the internet.

Yes, the internet is much more fragile than people realize. But it has been in the last few years that everything has become internet-based. Smartphones, SaaS, the cloud, and lately Covid have resulted in both users becoming increasingly distributed and internet-dependent, and applications becoming more modular, complex, service-oriented, hybrid, distributed, and internet-centric.

Let’s just say you want to check today’s news. A recent Web Page Test showed it takes 625 different calls to load the page. These include loading fronts from one site, ads from another, cookies, images from a CDN, tags, code snippets, APIs, etc. This does not include the back-end calls that happen to a content management system, database interactions, APIs to gather weather, and so on.

Each of these depends on a series of internet technologies and protocols to work: DNS, BGP, an ISP, etc. The collection of these technologies is called The Internet Stack. It’s a small miracle that all these 625 dependencies work in a few seconds – and it must be a few seconds, because users are increasingly impatient. Slow is the new down.

To help IT operations teams manage this complexity, get visibility into the internet stack, and deliver a great customer experience, a new category of tools has emerged - Internet Performance Monitoring or IPM. A subset of IPM is Digital Experience Monitoring, which has emerged as an essential tool for IT teams to ensure performance and maintain the reliability that users expect. Gartner introduced the first Magic Quadrant for DEM just a few months ago, signaling just how critical DEM has become. But what exactly is DEM, and why does it matter for your business?

DEM defined

According to Gartner, DEM tools assess the availability, performance and quality of the experience of applications, whether those users are customers, employees or even digital agents accessing APIs.

Combined with a broader observability strategy, DEM is becoming critical for an IT team’s toolkit, helping businesses maintain the user-centric perspective they need in today’s customer- and employee-driven digital environment.

DEM tools monitor actual and simulated interactions with critical applications, allowing IT teams to anticipate problems before an impact is even noticed. While traditional observability is like your car’s dashboard, revealing the details of the system’s inner workings like RPMs, oil temperature, and gas levels, DEM is like a GPS that focuses on the route to the destination, which is the ultimate goal. Both are important, but DEM provides unique visibility into how systems are performing from an end-user perspective — not just whether an application is up and running, but whether it’s meeting the expectations of those who rely on it every day.

Requirements for effective DEM

For DEM to be effective in modern IT Operations, it must meet a few critical requirements:

· RUM and synthetic testing: Synthetic tests provide proactive, controlled, ongoing tests that ensure a system is working and can measure very precisely changes in performance over time

· Global visibility: While some observability platforms offer monitoring from the cloud, these are insufficient for DEM as probably no users are accessing your applications from within a cloud data center which has very different connectivity and compute power. It is critical for a DEM to have thousands of vantage points around the world, in last mile, wireless, and backbone nodes, to effectively understand the experience of users in each relevant geographic area

· Visibility into the internet stack: For DEM to be effective, it must be able to provide intelligence on how data gets from one place to another, with a deep understanding of DNS, real-time BGP data, and flexibility to support multiple protocols such as SIP for telephony, MQTT for IoT applications, as well as modern internet technologies such as ECN and http/3. · Supporting SLAs and XLOs: A breached SLA can have significant impact and costs; certainly, something to avoid. With DEM, the opportunity is to focus on eXperience Level Objectives (XLOs), which have the potential to align IT with the business around the metrics that really matter and prove the value of IT investments.

The DEM advantage: Observability plus actionable insights

IT teams are expected to do more than just keep systems up and running; they must ensure those systems deliver value to end-users. This is where DEM’s focus on user experience truly stands out. Unlike observability platforms, which dive into the internal processes of applications, DEM offers visibility into how those applications impact actual user experiences.

This user-centered focus allows IT teams to spot trends in user behavior, benchmark performance, and identify areas for improvement — all while staying agile in a fast-paced environment. As DEM solutions continue to evolve, IT teams can expect an even more granular view of user experiences, from application-level performance to specific interactions with digital interfaces.

An unavoidable truth: Your digital experience is now synonymous with brand reputation. With DEM, organizations are able to create meaningful experiences for their users to connect with their brand. DEM provides IT teams with the tools they need to turn observability data into actionable improvements that keep users happy and businesses running smoothly.

DEM is no longer optional; it’s an essential component of success for any business connected to the digital world. By focusing on the experiences that truly matter to users, DEM empowers IT teams to monitor, measure and improve in ways that traditional monitoring tools simply can’t match. And with new tools and capabilities emerging, the future of DEM promises to offer IT teams even more powerful ways to ensure that digital experiences are always at their best.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Microsoft invertedly introduced a bug to Entra ID
• The bug prevented users from logging into different Azure services
• It has now been resolved, but users aren't happy

Microsoft has fixed a problem in its Entra ID authenticator service which briefly prevented users from logging into different Azure cloud services. The problem stemmed from Seamless SSO and Microsoft Entra Connect Sync, which caused DNS authentication failures.

In its Azure Status web page, Microsoft explained that it recently made changes that caused DNS resolution failures for the autologon.microsoftazuread.sso.com domain. The failure prevented customers from accessing Azure services between 17:18 UTC and 18:35 UTC on February 25, 2025.

"As part of a cleanup effort to remove duplicate IPv6 CNAMEs, a change was introduced which removed a domain utilized in the authentication process for Microsoft Entra ID's seamless single sign-on feature. Once removed the domain could no longer be resolved and requests for authentication would fail," the status page apparently read.

DNS change

"These issues were caused by a recent DNS change, which has now been reverted, and the service is fully recovered. At this time, customers should no longer encounter DNS resolution failures."

The status update was later removed, but not before being picked up by BleepingComputer. It was apparently removed because the page is made to only track “widespread incidents”, and since the issue was resolved, the update was removed.

Still, Microsoft said it would share more details about the misstep in the future - however at press time, that is yet to happen.

Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service. It handles authentication and authorization for users accessing Microsoft services like Microsoft 365, Azure, and other integrated applications.

Seamless SSO and Entra Connect Sync are features that enhance how Entra ID manages authentication. Seamless SSO automatically signs in users when they are on a corporate network, using their on-premises credentials without requiring a password prompt. Entra Connect Sync ensures that user identities, group memberships, and credentials remain synchronized between an organization’s on-premises Active Directory and Entra ID, enabling hybrid identity management.

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Generative AI is reshaping industries and redefining how we harness technology, unlocking new opportunities at a scale never seen before.

However, this transformation comes with a list of challenges. Chief among them is the erosion of data privacy. Traditional methods of anonymizing data, once considered effective in unlocking valuable insights while preserving privacy, have quickly become vulnerable against AI’s growing capabilities.

As AI lowers the barriers to identifying individuals from supposedly anonymous datasets, organizations must adopt a paradigm shift toward encryption-based methods. Solutions like confidential computing offer a clear path forward, ensuring that data remains protected even as AI’s capabilities grow.

Without these advances, the promise of privacy in the digital age could become a thing of the past.

The illusion of anonymity

For decades, enterprises have relied on anonymization techniques such as removing HIPAA identifiers, tokenizing PII fields, or “adding noise” to data to protect sensitive information. These traditional methods, while well-intentioned, are fundamentally flawed.

Consider the famous case of the Netflix Prize dataset from 2006 as a prime example. Netflix released an anonymized set of movie ratings to encourage the development of better recommendation algorithms. Yet, that same year, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin re-identified users by cross-referencing the anonymized movie ratings with publicly available datasets.

Similarly, Latanya Sweeney’s seminal study in 2000 demonstrated that combining public records—like voter registration data—with seemingly innocuous details like ZIP codes, birth dates, and gender could deanonymize individuals with startling accuracy.

Today, fast developing AI tools make these vulnerabilities even more apparent. While Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have introduced unprecedented efficiencies and possibilities across industries, the associated risks are twofold. With their ability to process vast datasets and cross-reference information faster and more accurately than ever, these tools are not only powerful but widely accessible, making privacy challenges even more pervasive.

Experiment: deanonymizing the PGP dataset

To illustrate the power of AI in deanonymization, consider an experiment my colleagues and I conducted involving a GPT model and the Personal Genome Project (PGP) dataset. Participants in the PGP voluntarily share their genomic and health data for research purposes, with their identities anonymized through demographic noise and ID assignments.

As a proof-of-concept, we explored whether AI could match publicly available biographical data of prominent individuals to anonymized profiles within the dataset (for instance, Steven Pinker, a well-known cognitive psychologist and public figure whose participation in PGP is well-documented). We found that by leveraging auxiliary information, AI could correctly identify Pinker’s profile with high confidence, demonstrating the increasing challenge of maintaining anonymity.

While our experiment adhered to ethical research principles and was designed to highlight privacy risks rather than compromise them, it underscores how easily AI can pierce the veil of anonymized datasets.

The growing threat across industries

The implications of such experiments extend far beyond individual privacy. The stakes are higher than ever in industries like healthcare, finance, and marketing, where enterprises handle vast amounts of sensitive data.

Sensitive datasets in these industries often include transactional histories, patient health records, or insurance information—data that is anonymized to protect privacy. Deanonymization methods, when applied to such datasets, can expose individuals and organizations to serious risks.

The Steven Pinker example is not merely an academic exercise. It highlights the ease with which modern AI tools like LLMs can lead to deanonymization. Details that once seemed trivial can now be weaponized to expose sensitive data, and the urgency to adopt more robust data protection measures across industries has grown exponentially.

What once required significant effort and expertise can now be done with automated systems. The potential for harm isn’t theoretical; it is a present and escalating risk.

The role of confidential computing and PETs

The rise of AI technologies, particularly LLMs like GPT, has blurred the lines between anonymized and identifiable data, raising serious concerns about presumed privacy and security. As deanonymization becomes easier, our perception of data privacy must evolve. Traditional privacy safeguards are no longer sufficient to protect against advanced threats.

To meet this challenge, organizations need an additional layer of security that enables the sharing and processing of sensitive data without compromising confidentiality. This is where encryption-based solutions like confidential computing and other privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) become indispensable.

These technologies ensure that data remains encrypted not only at rest and in transit but also during processing—enabling organizations to unlock the full value of data without risk of exposure, even when data is actively being analyzed or shared across systems.

The dual benefit of privacy and utility makes PETs like confidential computing a cornerstone of modern data privacy strategies.

Safeguarding anonymity in an AI-driven world

In the new era of AI, the term “anonymous” is increasingly a misnomer. Traditional anonymization techniques are no longer sufficient to protect sensitive data against the capabilities of AI. However, this does not mean privacy is lost entirely—rather, the way we approach data protection must evolve.

Organizations need to take meaningful steps to protect their data and preserve the trust of those who depend on them. Encryption-based technologies like confidential computing offer a way to strengthen privacy safeguards and ensure anonymity remains possible in an increasingly AI-powered world.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here : https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Apple TV+'s Foundation has reportedly found a new showrunner
• Fear the Walking Dead showrunner Ian Goldberg has reportedly been hired to replace David Goyer
• The big-budget sci-fi series is also getting a fourth season, apparently

Apple has reportedly hired a new showrunner for its critically-acclaimed Foundation TV show – and secretly greenlit a fourth season.

Per Deadline, the tech giant has secured the services of Ian Goldberg, whose previous credits include helming seasons 4 through 8 of Fear The Walking Dead. A big-budget and oft-times narratively complex sci-fi series is a far cry from Goldberg's work on the dystopian horror spin-off of AMC's popular The Walking Dead TV adaptation. However, Goldberg has penned scripts for other sci-fi shows, including Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Krypton, so the genre won't be alien to him.

Goldberg's rumored hiring comes exactly one year (i.e. February 26, 2024) after reports emerged that Foundation had lost its previous showrunner/executive producer David S. Goyer. The US filmmaker is said to have clashed with Apple TV+ executives over the budget for Foundation season 3, which is currently in its post-production phase. Goyer is believed to have stepped back from his duties following those apparently tense conversations, with Bill Bost being asked to oversee the rest of season 3's lengthy shooting schedule.

Goldberg's installation as the series' new showrunner isn't the only new, erm, news that Deadline reported on. The US outlet also claims that Foundation has been internally renewed for a fourth season and that a writers room has already been assembled by Goldberg to start work on its screenplays.

I reached out to Apple for comment on Goldberg's hiring and the series' season 4 renewal, but hadn't received a response by the time of publication. I'll update this article if I hear back.

Laying the groundwork for a brighter future

Foundation's third season has faced plenty of hardships throughout its development (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

It's an understatement to say that one of the best Apple TV+ shows has run into development problems since its outstanding second season aired in 2023 (read my Foundation season 2 review to find out why I liked it so much).

Two months after Foundation's season 3 renewal in December 2023, reports started to emerge that its cast and crew faced an agonizing filming delay amid multiple development issues with its third season. Principal photography had already started before these problems arose, but the 2023 Hollywood strikes and aforementioned budget woes were blamed as the main culprits for the hold-up last February.

Filming restarted on Foundation season 3 on February 19, 2024, but its problems didn't end there. Goyer's departure notwithstanding, the loss of Mikael Persbrandt, who had been cast as The Mule, an incredibly important and dangerous antagonist in Isaac Asimov's Foundation book series, caused further issues. Game of Thrones' Pilou Asbaek was hired to play The Mule following a season 3 cast shake-up last March.

Thankfully, it doesn't appear that there have been any other significant issues that have hampered season 3's development. As long as its post-production phase continues to run as smoothly as possible, it's likely that Foundation's next chapter will debut on one of the world's best streaming services before 2025 ends.

For more details on its next season, read my dedicated Foundation season 3 guide or remind yourself what happened in its predecessor's last episode by way of my Foundation season 2 ending explained piece.

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This week, both new and existing Mint Mobile customers on the carrier's already great unlimited data plan have received an unexpected but welcome bonus.

The carrier has just announced that it's removing the strict 40GB data cap that was previously in place on the unlimited plan. This cap meant that customer speeds were dramatically reduced after you hit your cap - thankfully, that's not the case now.

Instead, the unlimited plan will now only be slowed when you're over 35GB of data usage and the local area is particularly busy. You won't get any deprioritized speeds unless you go over that cap - and your plan will go back to full speed if your local area isn't experiencing heavy traffic.

This makes the Mint Mobile unlimited data plan much more forgiving for high-data users since you won't get any permanent slow-downs on your data speeds until the next bill cycle. Mint hasn't hiked up the prices for its unlimited plan, so you're getting even more bang for the buck than you were previously. In fact, there is a deal on the unlimited plan that I've also attached below.

Today's best deals at Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile: unlimited plan for $30 $25/mo when you buy a year upfront
Mint Mobile's just launched a great deal for its excellent unlimited plan. Instead of paying the usual $360 upfront, you can now get a full year of unlimited data for just $300 right now. That brings the average monthly price down to just $25/mo - the same that you'd usually pay for the 20GB plan. Even better still, Mint has just removed the strict 40GB cap on its unlimited plan, which makes it an even better option regardless of this deal. View Deal

Google Pixel 9: was $799 now $399, plus one year of unlimited data for $180 at Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile's current promotion on the Google Pixel 9 is one of the best prepaid phone deals you'll find anywhere right now. For a limited time only, new customers can get a massive $400 discount on this excellent flagship as well as one full year of unlimited data for just $15/mo. Overall, this is a great plan and phone combo, although note that the Pixel 9 did briefly go down to just $299 over Black Friday. Still, this is an amazing deal and one that's hard to beat.View Deal

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: was $1799 now $1,449, plus one year of unlimited data for $180 at Mint Mobile
Another one of Mint's superb deals on Google Pixel phones, this time on the really, really high-end Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This particular foldable isn't for everyone with it's massive tablet-like display and high price tag but today's deal at Mint Mint will get you a nice $300 discount. You'll also be able to score a full year of unlimited data for just $15 per month, for an additional $180 saving. View Deal

You can see even more promotions over at our main Mint Mobile deals page. It's also worth checking out more cheap cell phone plans if you're thinking of making the switch to a more budget-friendly carrier.

It should come as no surprise to regular readers of TechRadar’s Computing section that I’m a big, big fan of Framework. It’s the laptop maker that does everything right: repairability, eco-friendly designs, great customization options, and a company ethos that puts employees first. I waxed lyrical about the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition’s awesome design back in 2023, and now I’m getting excited all over again - because Framework is finally making a desktop PC.

The Framework Desktop, showcased in a blog post on the manufacturer’s website, does admittedly feel slightly counterintuitive to Framework’s mission statement. After all, desktop PCs are already more customizable, repairable, and upgradable than laptops, a set of benefits Framework was keen to bring to the laptop space with its main product line. The blog post addresses this, though, saying that the reason it’s finally decided to make a tower PC is because of the new AMD Ryzen AI Max processors - chips so good that Framework shifted its roadmap a year ago to incorporate them into a desktop system to “unlock every bit of its performance”.

AMD’s latest are some seriously meaty CPUs, so it makes perfect sense to see this happen. With up to 16 CPU cores at a 5.1GHz boost clock and newly powered-up Radeon 8060S integrated graphics plus an NPU for running local AI workloads, AMD isn’t messing around, potentially making the Framework Desktop a candidate for our list of the best workstation PCs. Framework claims that the top-spec Ryzen AI Max+ 395 configuration is capable of 1440p gaming in even “the heaviest titles”, something I’m keen to put to the test.

Good things come in small packages

Also… this is just the cutest little desktop system I’ve seen in my life. Seriously, look at it. It’s adorable. Fit to be one of the best mini PCs ever seen, frankly. The front panel is formed of 21 swappable colored tiles, and Framework has open-sourced the design so you can 3D-print your own too. You can choose between a solid black or glass side panel, pick an RGB fan, and even add an optional carry handle for those of us who still go to LAN parties.

(Image credit: Framework)

All that is great, and I adore how sleek and compact this thing is, but there’s one more design choice here that is far more important: Framework has included the hot-swappable ‘Expansion Cards’ used for customizing the ports on its laptops, meaning that you can choose exactly which two ports you want on your front I/O. That’s neat.

The top-spec Ryzen AI Max+ 395 configuration starts at $1,999 (£1,999 / about AU$3,160), which is a fairly high price of admission for a desktop PC, but as I noted in my review of Framework’s Chromebook, you’re getting a lot of computer for your cash and you’re making a socially and ecologically responsible purchase. For those who don’t need that peak performance, the 8-core Ryzen AI Max 385 configuration will start at $1,099 (£1,099 / about AU$1,740). Framework has also confirmed that there will be new models of its flagship 13-inch laptop, plus the new 2-in-1 touchscreen 12-inch model.

Framework describes its desktop PC as “the easiest PC you’ll ever build”, and even offers the mainboard - which is the motherboard, CPU, and RAM - as a standalone unit starting at $799 (£799 / about AU$1,265), so you can install it your own custom-build compact PC instead if you’d prefer. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on the whole PC.

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