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2025 is a watershed moment for AI in the enterprise, especially generative AI. Businesses across industries are integrating the technology at scale and with their critical systems and objectives. By the end of the year, more than three-quarters of enterprises will have deployed the technology, according to Gartner – up from just five percent in 2023.

This is the year that AI truly becomes entwined with business’ most coveted data, influencing their strategic decisions and interfacing directly with their customers. Meanwhile, AI regulations are proliferating: The EU AI Act is rolling out across Europe and several U.S. states have introduced AI bills.    

More than ever, enterprises must ensure their AI systems are trustworthy: explainable, fair, robust, transparent, and privacy-respecting. Only then can AI be a net positive for business. But how do they do so?

Trustworthy AI requires a framework with two important perspectives: AI governance, which sets and enforces rules to ensure AI systems are safe and ethical. And AI security, which monitors AI behavior, securing AI models, data, and applications.   

When approached together, AI governance and AI security provide a 1 + 1 = 3 effect, bridging business imperatives with compliance requirements, enterprise risk, and CISO mandates. Safe, ethical systems are easier to secure; and secure systems are easier to govern. But enterprises are often overwhelmed and underprepared, and their governance and security efforts are frequently siloed – which can seriously undermine AI initiatives and investments.

Without governance + security, trust falls apart

Here is an analogy: Imagine a food manufacturer with a meticulous governance process. They carefully oversee how ingredients are grown, procured, stored, and mixed. Yet that same company keeps their factory doors unlocked and does not place tamper-proof seals on their products. Do you trust them?

On the flipside: Imagine a food manufacturer that carefully secures its factories and products – but does little to govern how food is grown, procured, stored, and mixed. Do you trust them? 

This same logic apples to AI. You cannot govern a system that is not secure. And you cannot secure a system without proper oversight.

A mix of fragmented tooling, poor communication, and skills gaps are driving this problem. There are a dearth of integrated, end-to-end tools and processes for AI security and AI governance. In many businesses, data scientists and model validators are using ad-hoc security and governance point solutions, sometimes not even formally supported by the organization. Recent IBM research revealed that fewer than half of companies surveyed are taking key steps towards trustworthy AI like reducing bias (27%), tracking data provenance (37%), making sure they can explain the decisions of their AI models (41%), or developing ethical AI policies (44%).

There is also a major skills gap: The people who create and maintain AI models are not cybersecurity experts. And security experts generally are not versed in AI. That may be why only 24% of current generative AI projects have a component to secure the initiatives, according to the IBM Institute for Business Value.

These shortcomings carry steep costs. Enterprises not only miss the full potential of AI, but also invite a range of risks and threats. Improper AI governance and security can result in incorrect outputs, including hallucinations, bias, hate, and profanity. Data breaches can become more common – costing businesses millions of dollars and violating compliance mandates. And vulnerabilities can proliferate, creating attractive targets for bad actors.

 Bridging the gap

AI governance and AI security are shared responsibilities. The two disciplines have common objectives: heightening visibility and mitigating risk. Both are also closely tied to data: Properly governing AI requires data governance. And properly securing AI requires data security.

To properly entwine the two, collaboration must happen both at the table and in the tech. Security experts need a seat at the governance table, and vice versa; CISOs, CROs, CCOs, and CSOs should be in regular communication. Their respective frameworks and strategies should be interoperable, and their investments should complement each other to avoid gaps and redundancies.

Meanwhile, the underlying technology for security and governance must be one unified, cross-functional experience. This allows employees working on day-to-day model governance and cybersecurity to stay in constant contact with shared visibility. The problem of shadow AI – unauthorized models running within an organization – provides a clear example. If just one AI model eludes governance, it undermines the whole governance strategy. AI security products can help eliminate this risk, pinpointing shadow AI models and automatically feeding them into the requisite AI governance tool. This interplay can also apply to misconfigurations and vulnerabilities.

As businesses race toward generative AI adoption, it is not enough to have individual approaches to AI governance and AI security. Businesses should have one shared approach, from the executive level down to their tactical tools. This collaboration enables businesses to unlock the power of AI – safely and securely.

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• Netskope uncovers new Go-built backdoor spreading malware
• It uses Telegram as its C2 infrastructure to send commands
• The backdoor is most likely of Russian origin, experts warn

A new backdoor threat has been spotted using Telegram as its command-and-control (C2) infrastructure, researchers have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers from Netskope observed a new backdoor built in Golang, also known as Go, a programming language best known for its simplicity, concurrency support, and efficiency in building scalable backend systems, cloud services, and networking applications.

The backdoor is capable of executing PowerShell commands, can self-destruct, and checks for and executes predefined commands. However, what makes it really stand out from the crowd is its C2 infrastructure - it uses a special function to create a bot instance, using a Telegram API token generated via Botfather. Then, it uses a separate function to continuously listen for incoming commands from a Telegram chat. Before executing any predefined actions, the malware verifies the received command’s validity.

Challenging defense

Using Telegram, or other cloud services, as a C2 server is nothing new, the researchers explained, but it is dangerous, since it is difficult for security pros to differentiate between malicious and benign information flow.

“Although the use of cloud apps as C2 channels is not something we see every day, it’s a very effective method used by attackers not only because there’s no need to implement a whole infrastructure for it, making attackers’ lives easier, but also because it’s very difficult, from a defender perspective, to differentiate what is a normal user using an API and what is a C2 communication,” Netskope said in the article.

Besides Telegram, threat actors often use OneDrive, GitHub, Dropbox, and similar cloud apps, making defenders’ lives difficult.

Netskope did not discuss the number of potential victims, but did stress that the malware is most likely of Russian origin.

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• A small amp promising supreme sound
• The AP-507 joins TEAC's Reference 500 Series
• Due out in spring, it costs $2,299 / £1,899

Money no object

We love to give practical buying advice about the latest gadgets here on TechRadar. But sometimes what we love more is to indulge in the most ridiculous, high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That's what we bring you in these Money no object columns – you can read the whole series here.

Are you a hardcore audiophile who has just won the lottery? Then great news! TEAC has just announced a super-high end amp that promises to bring big sounds to your surround system all wrapped up in a compact box.

From a specs perspective, TEAC’s AP-507 stereo power amplifier is exactly the sort of luxury product we love to attach our Money No Object label to.

Due out later this spring and priced at an eye-watering $2,299 / £1,899, the AP-507 promises to deliver top-tier audio engineering squeezed into a small form-factor design that won’t dominate your living room.

TEAC claims that despite its adorable “letter size” footprint, the AP-507 will embody “the pinnacle of audio design”, joining the firm’s Reference 500 Series of luxury sound gear. Like the rest of the range, the AP-507 amp – which will be available in black and silver – has been “designed to give music enthusiasts complete control and flexibility” when it comes to fine-tuning their sound systems.

The Japanese audio expert is making some impressive claims that would seem to justify the AP-507’s bank balance-obliterating price tag. Sporting the firm’s next-gen custom tuned ‘NCOREx’ power amplifier module, it could be a dream amp to pair with some of the best stereo speakers.

Amped up

(Image credit: TEAC)

This tech will supposedly deliver an ultra-immersive three-dimensional soundstage, and TEAC says the AP-507 will deliver super-accurate, high efficiency, low distortion sounds thanks to its proprietary dual-mono buffer amplifier. Which is a lot of techy audio terms in order to get across that the AP-507 should make your existing speaker system sound pretty damn glorious.

Designed to be both compact and flexible, the AP-507 offers a trio of listening modes: stereo, Bi-AMP and BLT mono, all delivered at 170 watts, which really is a lot for something so small.

It’s also a lovely-looking piece of audio equipment. Then again, you’d expect that from a high-end amp that costs this kind of money – still, I love the classy aluminum chassis. Its 2.8mm thick, semi-floating top plate – also made from aluminum – is also rather eyeball-arousing.

Obviously that $2,300 / £1,899 price point is going to mean the TEAC AP-507 is a cute and compact amp that is going to be for hardcore audiophiles who've simply run out of space for a big rack system.

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• A Reddit user spotted AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D at an astonishingly low price at a Walmart store
• A similarly deep discount on Intel's i5 14600K was seen at the same store
• This comes amid Nvidia and AMD's preparation for new GPU launches

At a time when the hunt for the latest Nvidia and AMD GPUs is perhaps at its most competitive among PC gamers, you may not be keeping an eye out for CPU deals - but one lucky individual has shared what could be the best CPU discount of the year so far.

As reported by VideoCardz, a Redditor spotted AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D at a Walmart store that was discounted to $99.75 (pictured below) due to its PC department closure - an enormous discount from its regular listed price of $399 (£419.99 / AU$780).

The AMD chip is lauded as one of the best gaming processors, boasting eight cores and 16 threads as well as a 4.20GHz clock speed, so this is an absolute steal to say the least.

It's safe to say that you'll likely never find it at such a low price again. It isn't unusual for some listed prices for PC hardware at online retailers to drop far below retail price by mistake (with some orders still honored at that price), but this is a different case as it's a legitimate price drop in-store for whoever grabs it first.

A similar discount was available on Intel's i5 14600K which dropped to an insane $77.25 down from $309 (£229.99 / AU$419.99) - this packs 14 cores and 20 threads, ideal for gaming and multitasking duties. The Redditor didn’t specify which Walmart store this was at, and there’s sadly no sign of such deep price cuts making their way to online retailers - as much as I would love to see that.

7800 3d is 99$ at my Walmart from r/pcmasterrace If only this could happen to GPUs...

Over on the GPU side of things, Nvidia's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are already out in the wild, but you're probably not going to find any of them at MSRP thanks to scalpers and an extremely limited supply.

The rest of the RTX 5000 lineup is fast approaching, with the RTX 5070 Ti confirmed to be launching on February 20 and the RTX 5070 following on March 5 - these will go up against AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series cards which are also due to launch in early March, and given the current state of the market, I'd imagine the scalpers will be hard at ‘work’ again.

With this fresh influx of cards, I hope we see significant price drops for both Nvidia's RTX 4000 series and AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series - while we’re unlikely to see discounts as steep as the aforementioned price cut on the 7800X3D, I don't think it's too much to expect some more reasonable pricing - after all, it’s still difficult to find an RTX 4090 below its original launch price, even two years after its launch.

We know that the RTX 4000 series is mostly discontinued at this point since Team Green stopped production of most Lovelace GPUs in preparation for the RTX 5000 series - so if we’re going to start seeing price drops on third-party cards at online retailers, it should be soon.

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• Microsoft has announced a $700m investment into Polish digital infrastucture
• The funds will focus on AI capabilities and cybersecurity
• This is the second phase of the company's expendeture

Microsoft has announced its second major investment in Polish digital infrastructure, with the firm pledging to spend PLN 2.8 billion ($700 million) by June 2026 with the aim of expanding the nation’s ‘hyperscale cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure’.

Part of the investment will be in collaboration with the Polish National Defence agency in order to enhance the national cybersecurity framework. Poland currently ranks 3rd in Europe and 9th in the world in its vulnerability to attacks from foreign-backed threat actors, according to Microsoft’s Digital Defense report.

That’s not all, as Microsoft confirms there will be a ‘final phase’ after this is completed - although it's not yet clear what that will be.

Expanding the digital sector

Investments are also being made into the Polish language model, Bielik, underscoring a ‘vote of confidence in Poland’s leadership and economy’, Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft confirmed.

In 2020, Microsoft launched the first cloud computing region in Poland, building three independent data centers and investing $1billion in the project.

Between 2020 and 2023, Microsoft also trained 430,000 Polish citizens in digital skills, and has committed to training 1 million Polish teachers, information workers, software developers, with the ‘skills and capabilities to help accelerate Poland’s digital transformation across various sectors’.

“This is an investment that will provide Poles, especially the younger generation, with access to the most modern tools and opportunities offered by the best in the world,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“Microsoft will also be conducting AI training in Poland. Tools, money, and investments are important, as is cooperation with our people and companies, but we will achieve the desired effects also by taking advantage of training opportunities.”

Microsoft’s not alone in its investment in the country, as in 2025, Google spent $2 billion on a new data center in Poland to develop the cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

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• Huge new data center is coming to South Korea
• Construction of 3GW facility is set to be complete by 2028
• The project will cost upwards of $10 billion, but could reach $35bn

Construction for the world’s largest data center has been given the go-ahead in South Korea, and is predicted to bring in an initial revenue of $3.5 billion - with an initial project size of $10 billion and the potential to reach $35 billion.

The data center will be built in the Jeollanam-do province, and will have a 3GW capacity - marking a huge advancement in Korea’s tech leadership, reportedly being able to, ‘triple' the capacity of current hyper-scale facilities operated by the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

The project was co-founded by LG Electronics heir Brian Koo and Dr. Amin Badr-El-Din in partnership with Stock Farm Road, who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Governor Kim of the Jeollanam-do province.

Rapid development

The center is set to complete construction by 2028, by which time the worldwide market is projected to grow to $438.70 billion.

Despite the significant challenges data center development faces, such as a dramatic increase in energy and water consumption, as well as consistent needs for infrastructure upgrades to keep up with, Koo noted the project could, ‘elevate Korea and the region to a new level of technological advancement and economic prosperity’.

Countries across the globe are developing their data center infrastructure, with Meta committing to spending $10 billion dollars to build a new project in the US - although this is only expected to generate 500 direct jobs once completed.

“This is more than just a technological milestone; it's a strategic leap forward for Korea's global technological leadership,” said co-founder Dr. Amin Badr-El-Din.

"We are incredibly proud to partner with Stock Farm Road and the Jeollanam-do government to build this crucial infrastructure, creating an unprecedented opportunity to build the foundation for next-generation AI.”

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• Apple's debuting a custom Apple TV patch for each of the 30 MLS teams
• The new designs have dropped ahead of the 30th season of Major League Soccer
• Apple’s global head of sports marketing says the logos reflect the visual identity of each of the 30 clubs

The 30th season of Major League Soccer is about to kick off, and thanks to the league’s partnership with Apple, you’ll be able to stream every game with no blackouts via an MLS Season Pass subscription on Apple TV, one of the best streaming services around.

Further, to recognize the anniversary season beyond debuting a new show and hyping up the crowd with a new documentary, Apple’s taking a pen to its logo – a very rare occurrence. Apple’s putting a fresh spin on the Apple TV logo, well, actually, 30 fresh spins, one for each team in Major League Soccer.

That means Lionel Messi and his teammates on Inter Miami CF are sporting an Apple logo with a pink spotting star and zebra stripes, while Emil Forsberg of the New York Red Bulls’ Apple TV logo is a mix of gold, red, and white. Each and every player will be sporting the custom Apple TV patch on the left sleeve of their player kits for the entire 2025 season. That’s 30 recreations of the Apple logo, and TechRadar chatted with Emeka Ofodile, Apple’s global head of sports marketing, about this custom treatment.

(Image credit: Apple)

“As we were approaching the 2025 season, we’d been collectively brainstorming how to celebrate this landmark season in a memorable way. The creative minds at Apple developed the concept, which felt authentic to MLS and the partnership and like the perfect way to commemorate the 30th season milestone,” explained Ofodile. The bespoke nature of each really captures the jerseys, logo, and overall branding of each team. It leads to a colorful take on the Apple logo, which goes beyond the early days rainbow apple and even the custom invites normally sent for an Apple Special Event.

On why now was the right time to put a fresh spin on the logo, Ofodile called out the 30th anniversary and said, “we wanted to nod to the incredible visual identity of each of the 30 clubs.” While the individual designs were made in-house at Apple, it was also collaborative with the teams: “We worked closely to make sure the designs felt authentic to each club and the feedback has been really positive,” explained Ofodile.

(Image credit: Apple)

For now, the custom patches are just on the player kits, meaning that to spot them, you’ll need to watch for the players on the field, professional photography of the games, or even player profile shots. We’re sharing a few of them in the gallery below. It would be neat to see these custom badges included in the live broadcasts, though, and we asked Ofodile on that or where else Apple is thinking about including these.

“Player kits will be the primary place fans can see this collaboration in MLS Season Pass broadcasts. We’re also exploring fun ways to spotlight this collaboration, including in our popular studio shows and across social channels,” explained Ofodile. It sounds like we’ll need to keep an eye on the shows and produced content to see if the badges make an appearance. Who knows, they might end up being a larger part of the teams represented in playoffs later this season, the League’s Cup tournament, or in the All-Star game.

Ofodile shared that Apple is focused on finding creative ways to partner with Major League Soccer, and clearly, the custom takes on the logo are from this work. It’s a really fun approach and for fans of the sport as well as Apple, it really lets creativity shine through. We’ve also seen Apple expand MLS into some of its other services, including locations around stadiums in Apple Maps and custom playlists in Apple Music; Ofodile shared that “we’re excited to continue exploring new opportunities to engage fans and grow the league’s fandom throughout the season.”

It sounds like these Apple TV sleeve patches might just be the start, and if it’s a hint at the other projects in the works, it'll be an exciting season. I, for one, am excited to see the Apple logo and Apple TV one spun in a few different styles.

Let us know which are your favorites in the comment below, and you can tune into the first match of the 2025 season between Inter Miami CF and New York City FC at 2:30 PM ET on February 22, 2025, on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

If you subscribe to Apple TV Plus, MLS Season Pass is $12.99 a month and $79. Otherwise, it's $14.99 a month or $99 for the season. You'll get access to every game plus analysis via shows, a back library of games, and documentaries that can be streamed from many devices – basically wherever Apple TV is available. That now includes Android phones, as the Apple TV app for Android has launched as well.

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• Rainbow Six Siege is getting a massive graphics and gameplay overhaul
• Siege X is the tactical shooter's 'biggest transformation in the game's history'
• The Rainbow Six Siege Showcase is set for March, which will provide an in-depth look at the update

Ubisoft has announced Rainbow Six Siege X, an upcoming update for the first-person tactical shooter that will see " major upgrades all around".

The first teaser trailer for Siege X was just released, which you can watch below. The update is described as "the biggest transformation in the game's history, including new tactical gameplay, graphical and audio upgrades, and more".

It doesn't sound like a Rainbow Six Siege sequel, but more of an evolution of the game that has been running since 2015. We could potentially see some improvements for the current generation as well.

A new blog post offers more insight, where Ubisoft said Siege X will usher in "a new era" that "sets the stage for the years to come of tactical and unique gameplay".

"The R6 team has been working tirelessly to bring to life the biggest transformation in the game's history and its purpose is to reinforce Rainbow Six Siege's position at the top of tactical first-person shooters by introducing new ways to play, deepened tactical gameplay, refined game feel and major upgrades all around," Ubisoft added.

Ubisoft will be broadcasting the Rainbow Six Siege X Showcase on March 13, 2025, at 5PM GMT / 6PM CET / 12PM EST over on its Twitch Channel.

The event will also be held in person in Atlanta, Georgia, and promises "an immersive and one-of-a-kind Siege experience" for those in attendance, and offer new details about the Siege X update.

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• Microsoft warns of new version of the XCSSET infostealer
• It comes with new obfuscation, infection, and persistence techniques
• Experts warn all users to be careful

Microsoft says it has spotted a new strain of an old macOS malware variant, one which comes with better obfuscation techniques, more persistence, and new infection mechanisms.

In a short X post, Microsoft detailed discovering a new version of XCSSET, which it describes as a “sophisticated modular macOS malware” that targets users through infected Xcode projects.

Xcode is Apple's official integrated development environment (IDE) for creating apps on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It includes a code editor, debugger, Interface Builder, and tools for testing and deploying apps.

Limited attacks

In essence, XCSSET is an infostealer. It is capable of pulling system information and files, stealing digital wallet data, and grabbing information from the official Notes app. Its latest iteration comes after more than two years of being dormant, and appears to come with significant improvements.

To better hide itself, XCSSET now uses a “significantly more randomized” approach for generating payloads to infect Xcode projects, Microsoft explained. For persistence, XCSSET now uses two techniques, called “zshrc” and “dock”. In the first one, the malware creates a file named ~/.zshrc_aliases, which contains the payload. It then appends a command in the ~/.zshrc file to make sure the created file is launched every time a new shell session is initiated.

In the second one, the malware downloads a signed dockutil tool from a command-and-control server to manage the dock items. It then creates a fake Launchpad app and replaces the legitimate one’s entry in the doc. That way, when the victim runs the Launchpad from the dock, both the legitimate app and the malware are executed.

As for infection, XCSSET now comes with new methods for where the payload is placed in the Xcode project.

Microsoft said that at this time, it is only seeing the new variant in “limited attacks”, but wanted to sound the alarm on time, so that users and organizations can protect themselves.

“Users must always inspect and verify any Xcode projects downloaded or cloned from repositories, as the malware usually spreads through infected projects,” the company concluded. “They should also only install apps from trusted sources, such as a software platform’s official app store.”

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• Xbox boss Phil Spencer has commented on Microsoft's recent move to put PlayStation and Nintendo logos in its trailers
• Spencer said he wants to be "honest and transparent" about where the games can be played
• He also said that games should be the main focus

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has said the company will continue putting PlayStation and Nintendo logos in its trailers to be "transparent" with its audience.

In a new interview with XboxEra, Spencer discussed the company's recent decision to start showing the logos for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam in its trailers during major showcases. For example, the latest behind-the-scenes video for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which was released during Xbox Developer Direct last month.

While it's likely the move was made in light of Microsoft's ongoing multi-platform push, the Xbox boss said it's to be more honest about where players can buy its games.

"I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing, and we actually even had this discussion last year for the June showcase, and by the time we kind of made our decision, we couldn’t get all of the assets done and it felt weird to have some of them in and some of them out," Spencer said.

"But I just want to be transparent with people – for shipping on Nintendo Switch, we’re gonna put that. For shipping on PlayStation, on Steam... people should know the storefronts where they can get our games, but I want people to be able to experience our Xbox community in our games and everything we have to offer, on every screen we can."

Spencer continued, acknowledging that not every console is equal, and "there's certain things we can’t do on the other closed platforms that we can do on open platforms," like cloud gaming, but said its the games that should be the main focus.

"The strategy that we have allows us to do big games, while also supporting our native platform from hardware to the platform and services that we have and that’s going to be our approach," he added.

"And I know it’s not what everybody else is doing, but I just believe games should be the thing that’s at the forefront. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve grown up in this industry. I came from building games. But I think the games are the things that I see growing in their strength in what we’re doing and it’s because more people can play. So yeah, I’m just trying to be open and transparent with people."

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AI chatbots are often accused of a somewhat shallow approach to gathering and explaining information. That may soon change as developers race to put out AI models that can really get to the bottom of a subject. That's certainly what Perplexity is aiming for with its new Deep Research feature, which is available on all its tiers, both free and paid-for.

Coincidentally, that's the same name OpenAI uses for a very similar ChatGPT Pro feature also called Deep Research. The two tools both promise to do the heavy research work for you. Supposedly, they can comb through the vast sprawl of the internet to deliver curated, well-reasoned answers.

Despite the name, it's worth noting that the Deep Research fees are a little different. OpenAI’s Deep Research requires a $200-per-month subscription to ChatGPT Pro, which is still capped at 100 queries per month. It can also take as much as 20 minutes to get a full report. It's worth noting that OpenAI says that the Deep Research feature will filter down to ChatGPT Plus, then free tier users at some point in the future.

Perplexity’s Deep Research is much nimbler, coming back with answers in a few minutes despite still covering a broad range of sources to compile responses. Still, you get up to five queries a day for free and up to 500 a month with a Perplexity Pro plan, which costs $200, but for an entire year instead of a month.

I wanted to test the two Deep Research tools against each other, but I didn't want to pay for a ChatGPT Pro plan for the privilege, but OpenAI helpfully already had several Deep Research answers in a demonstration. I chose three and tested them against Perplexity's Deep Research to see how they did.

TV mysteries

(Image credit: Screenshots from Perplexity/ChatGPT)

I started with the 'needle in a haystack' query from ChatGPT's Deep Research. It was a long, rambling question about a specific TV show episode. The prompt asked:

"There is a TV show that I watched a while ago. I forgot the name but I do remember what happened in one of the episodes. Can you help me find the name? Here is what I remember in one of the episodes:

Two men play poker. One folds after another tells him to bet. The one who folded actually had a good hand and fell for the bluff. On the second hand, the same man folds again, but this time with a bad hand.

A man gets locked in the room, and then his daughter knocks on the door.

Two men go to a butcher shop, and one man brings a gift of vodka.

Please browse the web deeply to find the TV show episode where this happened exactly."

ChatGPT's Deep Research had a solid, seemingly accurate answer, saying the episode came from the Starz series Counterpart, specifically “Both Sides Now," which was the fourth episode of the first season. It cited the show's own episode summary and wiki.

Perplexity Deep Research, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to gaslight me with its answer. The AI asserted that I was thinking of season 1, episode 5 of Poker Face, titled "The Stage Play Murder," but that I was apparently conflating other shows in my description. According to Perplexity, my description meant I was mixing Poker Face in my brain with the Lifetime movie Girl in the Closet and scenes from the reality series Beekman Boys. The description may have been from the ChatGPT test, but Perplexity seemed confident that I was simply merging details from three wildly different sources, none of which were the correct answer. Score one for ChatGPT's slow and expensive option.

Snow shop

(Image credit: Screenshots from Perplexity/ChatGPT)

For the shopping genre, OpenAI put together a doozy of a complex request for winter sports equipment with this prompt:

“I’m looking for the perfect snowboard. I ride mainly in Hokkaido twice a month in the winter. I like groomed runs but also want something that can handle fresh powder. I prefer all-mountain or freestyle boards with medium flex, stable for carving yet maneuverable. Also, I want it in a citrus color palette. Mid-to-premium price range. Oh, and I want availability in Japan. Format the response in an easy-to-read table.”

ChatGPT’s Deep Research had a highly structured response that laid out two tables. The first went through the pros and cons of five recommended snowboards, followed by the specs for each board. It even included detailed recommendations on how best to snowboard in Hokkaido’s unique powder conditions.

Perplexity’s Deep Research came back in a couple of minutes with several tables, including one for the recommended boards and their specs, along with separate tables for color, price, maintenance, and accessibility. It all made sense as far as I could tell, but there was zero overlap in the recommendations. After being told I was incapable of telling a Lifetime movie from a gritty time-loop drama, neither of which matched my request, I admit to being a bit leery of what Perplexity pushed on me here.

The kicker

(Image credit: Screenshots from Perplexity/ChatGPT)

The final prompt test fell under the 'general knowledge' section and is far shorter than the other prompts. The query is simply: "What’s the average retirement age for NFL kickers?”

ChatGPT wrote a mini-dissertation about how kickers last longer in their careers, the range of ages where they retire, and a lot of insight into the reasons why they keep playing longer than those in other positions. That said, "mid-to-late 30s" was as precise as the AI was willing to go in picking an average age of retirement for kickers. It did stake a claim that 4.8 seasons is the average length of their careers.

Perplexity, too, wouldn't commit to a specific age of retirement but erred on a younger scale of early-to-mid 30s instead of later. The AI also cited statistics showing kickers with an average career of 4.4 seasons. Those kinds of statistics likely vary based on the age of the sources. But, while neither was egregiously wrong, Perplexity's answer was somewhat messier and wandered a bit in focus compared to the neatly organized ChatGPT essay.

Pay for depth

ChatGPT’s Deep Research was undeniably better in its final form from this brief test. The exhaustive, well-structured reports were quite well-written. That being said, they were also very dry and dull. And while they included sources, I wouldn't want to stake too much on how ChatGPT interpreted the information without some human double-checking. It would make sense as a resource for academics or other professionals working on weighty research projects, but not without aid.

Perplexity’s Deep Research, on the other hand, is great for those who want a lot of information collated quickly and relatively cheaply. It's a bit like a good abstract for a scholarly dissertation. You get the key bits and maybe even some numbers, but you're not going to be able to judge the whole book from that. Still, if you want to get into more complex and far-ranging topics and put together a starting point for your own research, Perplexity's Deep Research is a solid solution.

If you have $200 a month to burn and a huge stack of complicated projects you want to get through, ChatGPT Pro might be worth it just for Deep Research. On the other hand, if something similar appeals to you on a smaller, more personal scale, a Perplexity Pro subscription is a much better bargain. And you don't even have to pay for that if you rarely need any Deep Research done. Either way, human oversight is mandatory if you want to catch errors, verify sources, and ensure that conclusions make sense, or even just to check that you haven't hallucinated an unholy chimera of a TV show like Perplexity claimed I had.

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• Apple’s M5 chip could debut later this year
• It will find its way into the MacBook Pro before the iPad Pro, a report claims
• It’s expected to be a minor update compared to next year’s M6 chip

When we first got a glimpse of Apple’s M4 chip in 2024 it didn’t land first in a Mac – it came to the iPad Pro before anything else. Now, though, Apple is planning to switch things up, restoring the Mac as the first destination for new M-series chips.

That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, at least. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman explained that the transition to M5 chips will begin “alongside new MacBook Pro models in the fall” of 2025. After that, “we should get an M5 iPad Pro by the first half of 2026,” Gurman argued.

While it might seem odd to reverse the order that was used for the M4 chip, it actually makes a lot of sense. In recent years, new iPad Pro models have appeared at a roughly 18-month cadence. The MacBook Pro, however, has started to be updated annually, with new models appearing in the fall.

The seventh-generation iPad Pro with M4 chip appeared in May 2024, while the sixth-generation edition came out in October 2022. Before that, the fifth-generation model landed in April 2021. Continuing that pattern, we’d expect the M5 iPad Pro to be revealed sometime around December 2025.

That’s slightly earlier than Gurman’s prediction of “the first half of 2026,” but Gurman’s timeline makes sense. After all, delays happen, and Apple is no stranger to that (just look at its attempts to get the all-new Siri out the door). With that in mind, looking out for an M5 iPad Pro in late 2025 or early 2026 seems sensible.

An incremental upgrade

(Image credit: Future)

What can we expect from the M5 chip? Well, it’s not likely to be an earth-shattering update, and a performance uptick of around 15% to 25% has been suggested. Elsewhere, we could also see the introduction of Wi-Fi 7, while the entry-level MacBook Pro might also get the Thunderbolt 5 connectivity that has come to the high-end models.

If you’ve been hoping for a more wide-ranging revamp, chances are you’ll have to wait until 2026, when Gurman believes Apple is planning a “true overhaul” of the MacBook Pro. This might mean an OLED display, a new chassis design, and a significant performance boost from the M6 chip, which could be made using an all-new 2nm process.

So, while the M5 chip is now anticipated to find its way into the MacBook Pro before the iPad Pro, don’t be surprised if it’s more of an incremental refresh than anything else. Anyone in the market for a total redesign of the MacBook Pro will probably have to wait a little longer.

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• More details around the Samsung tri-fold have emerged
• The phone could launch later in the year than Samsung's regular foldables
• Meanwhile the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold is going global

At the same time as it launched the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung also gave us a sneak peek of an upcoming tri-fold foldable phone without adding much in the way of detail – though fresh leaks may have answered some of the questions we have about this handset.

Information posted by tipster @PandaFlashPro and analyst @DSCCRoss, neatly summed up by Notebookcheck, suggests that the tri-fold handset is going to be launched in the second half of the year – after the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 unveilings.

Those more familiar foldables should be appearing around July time (a year after the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6), so the tri-fold – which is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy G Fold – should appear in the months following that.

The same sources have 'confirmed' that the upcoming tri-fold phone will offer 2,600 nits of display brightness and 25W wired charging, matching Samsung's current foldables – though of course nothing is confirmed until Samsung says so.

The original tri-fold

The Huawei Mate XT (Image credit: Future)

While Samsung makes preparations for the launch of its first tri-fold handset, the Huawei Mate XT is going global. This tri-fold was launched in China last year, but will be heading to more markets across the world in the near future.

However, while Huawei has announced global availability (via Android Police), it hasn't said much more than that. The most useful detail released so far is a European price of €3,499, which at the time of writing works out as $3,660 / £2,905 / AU$5,760.

Given Huawei hardware remains banned in the US, we can safely assume the Huawei Mate XT won't be making an appearance there – but it looks as though the handset will be available to buy direct in at least some European countries.

There's no word yet of anyone else joining in with this trend of adding an extra fold. The rumors around a folding iPhone aren't going away – but Apple's first attempt at the form factor will have a single display hinge, rather than two.

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• Google Chat makes latest move to challenge Microsoft Teams
• Admins can now migrate Microsoft Teams channels data to Chat
• Customization, including date ranges, is supported

Google is taking its battle for supremacy in the online collaboration space to a new level with the public launch of a tool designed to take users away from one of its biggest competitors.

The company has officially released a new service making it easier to migrate Microsoft Teams conversations into its own Chat service.

First announced in December 2024, the migration tool is now generally available to all Google Chat users, with the company hoping businesses can deploy the platform more easily by experiencing less downtime and friction during the transition.

Goodbye Microsoft Teams?

“We’re expanding our data migration experience to include the ability for Google Workspace admins to migrate conversations from channels in Microsoft Teams to spaces in Google Chat," the company had initally noted in a Google Workspace update blog post announcing the news.

Within the ‘Chat migration’ menu of Google Chat, admins can connect to opposing Microsoft accounts to import Teams data. Migration maps and identity maps can be uploaded as csv files, and admins will also have the option to enter the start date for messages to be migrated from.

“You can also run a delta migration, which will migrate any messages added to Teams channels since the primary migration. Messages that are already successfully migrated are skipped," Google added.

Admins can also produce reports based on completed migrations to identify content that skipped, failed or had warnings.

Moreover, the feature requires those taking the action to be Google super admins and Microsoft Teams Global Administrators.

Any customers still needing to use the two platforms (and/or others) should consider enabling Mio, a third-party service which Google announced its interoperability with, alongside Teams and Zoom, back in 2024.

The news comes at a slightly tricky time for Microsoft Teams, as the company continues its battle with EU regulators concerning potential antitrust issues.

The latest salvo from lawmakers could in fact see the price of Microsoft Office (including Teams) subscriptions rise significantly, despite unbundling Teams from its software in 2024.

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• The iPhone SE 4 is rumored to be getting an Apple 5G modem
• It's apparently not as speedy as the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon modem
• The handset is expected to be officially launched tomorrow

We're expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone SE 4 tomorrow, and while a lot of the handset's specs are rumored to be matching up to the iPhone 16 launched in September, it seems there's going to be one exception: the 5G modem.

According to South Korean outlet Donga (via GSMArena), the new Apple-designed 5G modem inside the iPhone SE 4 is going to lack mmWave support, and won't be quite up to the performance levels of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem fitted inside the four iPhone 16 handsets.

It remains to be seen exactly how different upload and download speeds will be between the handsets. The performance drop might not be noticeable at all to users most of the time, given the limits of 5G infrastructure, but it's worth noting the potential discrepancy as Apple looks to get more of its own chips inside its iPhones.

Rumors of an in-house Apple modem for the iPhone SE 4 have been swirling for months, with improved efficiency (and battery life) said to be one of the key benefits of making the switch. One source says these Apple modems, made by its partner TSMC, will be fully up to speed with the Qualcomm equivalents by 2027.

Specs appeal

The iPhone SE 4 could well look a lot like the iPhone 14 (Image credit: Apple)

It seems Apple is fully committed to the new 5G modem, which should also appear in at least some of the iPhone 17 handsets expected later this year. As with the mobile CPUs, it gives Apple more control over the circuitry and engineering inside its phones.

While the modem may not be quite up to speed, the other key specs of the iPhone SE 4 are thought to hold up very well against the flagship iPhone 16 series: the same A18 chipset and 8GB of RAM are believed to be on the way for the cheaper variant, and it will of course come running the same iOS 18 software.

The big reason for the performance parity is likely to be Apple Intelligence. Apple will want to make sure its new handset is capable of running all the latest AI tools, and a fast chipset and plenty of RAM will ensure that. The iPhone SE 3, which launched back in 2022, came with an A15 chipset and a mere 4GB of RAM.

It's likely that we'll get a lot of changes on the outside of the iPhone SE 4 too – it's apparently ditching Touch ID and the Home button for a more modern look, though it may get a notch rather than a Dynamic Island. You can keep up with all the latest launch news and leaks on our iPhone SE 4 live blog.

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• Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirms Rare's Everwild is still in development
• The game was announced in 2019 but Spencer says the team is making "progress"
• Microsoft can give Rare, among other studios, more time due to its packed release schedule

Rare's Everwild is still in development despite its five years of radio silence, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

Speaking to XboxEra in a recent interview, Spencer was asked to discuss his most anticipated game coming to Xbox. He'd previously shared excitement for Undead Labs' State of Decay 3, which is set for a 2026 release, but also said he's looking forward to Everwild, from Sea of Thieves developer Rare.

The game was announced in 2019 and has since been absent from numerous Xbox showcases. There's also no news on when it will launch, but Spencer did confirm that the team is making "progress."

"I’ll go back to what I said earlier. Yeah, State of Decay is just one of the franchises I love back from the original one, so that one stays on the board," Spencer said. "I do think the work that Double Fine’s doing and how Tim kind of solicits feedback from the team. And the other one, I’ll say because I was recently out at Rare. It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making."

Spencer explained that Microsoft can give Rare, Undead Labs, as well as Double Fine, more time to make their games since the company's current lineup is packed.

"...We’ve been able to give those teams time in what they’re doing which is good and still have a portfolio like we have," he said. "It’s like a dream that Matt [Booty] and I have had for a long time, so it’s finally good to be there. We can give those teams time. And next week I’m going to be up in Vancouver with the Coalition - and how fun is that?"

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• iPhone 17 Air renders give us a look at the possible design of the phone
• They show a slim build and a long camera bar
• We've also heard that the iPhone 17 might have the same design as the iPhone 16

This could be a big year for the iPhone, because along with successors to the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, we’re reportedly going to see something totally new – a super-slim model that, for now, we’re referring to as the iPhone 17 Air.

This device has been the subject of several rumors, but a new leak gives us our first proper look at what could be the iPhone 17 Air's decidedly un-Apple-like design.

Leaker Jon Prosser (via MacRumors) has shared renders in his Front Page Tech YouTube show that supposedly show the final design of the iPhone 17 Air, and you can see some of these below.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)

As the renders show, the iPhone 17 Air supposedly has a very slim body, and there’s a long black camera bar running the width of its rear panel. Despite being so long, this camera bar only actually houses one lens, with that sticking out on the left, while the flash is on the far right. Some of the images also show that, unsurprisingly, the phone has both a Camera Control button and an Action button.

While this is the clearest look we’ve had at the possible design of the iPhone 17 Air, these renders are in line with previous leaks, including a blurry photo supposedly showing the iPhone 17 Air. So, these renders may well be accurate, though it’s worth noting that Prosser has a mixed track record – he’s been both right and wrong about Apple information in the past.

No change for the base model

This isn’t the only piece of iPhone 17 series design information Prosser has shared. In a post on X (via Phone Arena), he claimed that the base iPhone 17 looks much like the iPhone 16 – meaning two camera lenses arranged vertically, taking up much less space than the iPhone 17 Air’s alleged camera bar.

If so, then the iPhone 17 series could consist of three quite different designs, because as well as these two, Prosser recently revealed the possible design of the iPhone 17 Pro. According to him, this phone has a much chunkier camera bar even than the Air model.

We might not find out how accurate all of this information is for quite a while, mind, as we’re not expecting to get an official look at the iPhone 17 series until September.

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• The chance to create an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6 is up for grabs at a charity auction
• Bids currently start at $10,450
• The money raised will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Have you ever wanted to be part of a video game? Well developer Bethesda Game Studios is offering one lucky gamer the chance to create an non-player character (NPC) in the massively anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6.

It's being offered as part of a charity auction, benefitting the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic organization. The charity works to provide wish-granting experiences for children with critical illnesses, with the aim of giving hope to children, families, and communities in a challenging time.

The auction is ongoing, with lot #301 letting the winner "have the opportunity to work with the Bethesda Game Studios development team to create a character to appear as a video game NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6." It's an incredibly tempting proposition, letting you have a direct impact one what is easily going to be one of the biggest fantasy video games of the generation.

Bidding starts at $10,450, though I imagine that this will seem like a small price to pay for some seriously die-hard fans. The money from the winning big will go directly to Make-A-Wish, which is going to be something to feel pretty good about.

The Elder Scrolls 6 was first unveiled back in 2018, where a short teaser trailer was shown. We've heard very little about the game since, though information from Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition suggests that it will launch in 2026 at the earliest.

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• Nintendo is set to discontinue its Gold Points rewards scheme
• From March 24, 2025, you'll no longer be able to earn them
• However, points you earn now will be redeemable for another 12 months

Nintendo has confirmed it will be winding down its eShop Gold Points rewards scheme next month.

The announcement was made over on the official My Nintendo website, confirming that the earning of Gold Points will be discontinued on March 24, 2025. At the time of writing, the website is currently returning an error for that page. But an FAQ (sourced by Go Nintendo) provides more details, reading:

"Beginning at 9:30 p.m. PDT on 3/24/2025, users will no longer be able to earn My Nintendo Gold Points. Gold Points will no longer be earned for digital purchases on Nintendo eShop after 9:30 p.m. PDT on 3/24/2025.

"Gold Points will no longer be earned on physical games that release after 3/24/2025. For physical games that released on or before 3/24/2025, Gold Points may still be earned by registering eligible titles within one year from the original release date of the game.

"All earned Gold Points will continue to be valid and redeemable for 12 months after they are issued. Please note that there are no changes to how you redeem the Gold Points you already earned."

Suspiciously, this is happening about a week and a half ahead of April 2's scheduled Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Nintendo currently hasn't announced a replacement for the Gold Points rewards scheme, but there is a chance the company could be implementing a new system for when its new console arrives later this year.

If not, then that's definitely a shame. Gold Points are a pretty great way of saving cash on digital eShop purchases. Like PlayStation Rewards, Gold Points are added to your Nintendo account after registering a physical game or purchasing a game digitally on the eShop. Over time, this lets players save a substantial amount on the best Nintendo Switch games.

Nintendo has confirmed that Nintendo accounts will transfer to Nintendo Switch 2, so, could a bigger Nintendo eShop overhaul be on the way? Let's hope so, because it definitely needs one.

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• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has finally made its streaming debut on Paramount Plus
• The hit video game film series' latest entry landed on the platform today (February 18)
• However, it's only available in the US and Canada

Sonic the Hedgehog loves telling himself that he's "gotta go fast" – and it seems that phrase applies to the speed with which movies land on Paramount Plus.

Indeed, less than two months have passed since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 raced into theaters, but the latest entry in the blue blur's film series is already available to watch on one of the world's best streaming services. That's right, you can watch Sonic's third big-screen outing from the comfort of your own home as of today (February 18), which Paramount confirmed on X/Twitter yesterday.

#TeamSonic is taking over Paramount+! Stream #SonicMovie3 tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/XEpCBGheKkFebruary 17, 2025

Unfortunately, it seems that Sonic 3 hasn't launched on Paramount's streaming platform outside of North America, with Deadline reporting that it's only available to watch in the US and Canada right now. I checked Paramount Plus UK's film library this morning and Sonic the Hedgehog 1 is the only film you can watch on British shores. The same appears to be true in Australia as well.

Responding to my inquiry about when British and Australian viewers can watch it at home, a Paramount spokesperson said: "Sonic 3 will only be available in the US and Canada. It will also come soon to the UK and Australia, but we haven't set a date yet". Sounds like we've got a long wait on our hands, then.

Is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 worth streaming?

Keanu Reeves voices Shadow in the third Sonic the Hedgehog film (Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Yes! Sonic 3 was one of the last new movies to speed into theaters worldwide in 2024. Its festive seasonal release helped it to become the highest-grossing entry in the Sega mascot's film franchise so far, with the live-action-animated hybrid flick earning $478.5 million globally. For context, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 earned $405 million in early 2022, while the first movie accumulated around $320 million in early 2020.

The Sonic movie series has improved with each passing entry, too. Sonic 3 currently holds 85% critical and 95% audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes – and, while the dial hasn't moved that much from an audience perspective (Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 hold 93% and 96% RT scores), they have from a critical acclaim standpoint. Indeed, Sonic 3's critical rating is almost 20% higher than its forebear and over 30% greater than Sonic's first film. Don't be surprised, then, if one or more of these flicks make it onto our best Paramount Plus movies list in the near future.

It's rare that film franchises continually improve with every movie release, so how have the Sonic flicks been able to do so? Well, they're consistently fun, family-friendly films that Sonic devotees and newcomers alike can enjoy. The introduction of fan-favorite characters with each new entry – Tails and Knuckles showed up in Sonic 2, while the Keanu Reeves-voiced Shadow made his debut in Sonic 3 – have also helped. Add in supplemental material that have expanded this universe, such as Knuckles' TV spin-off, which is one of the best Paramount Plus shows, and Paramount's adaptation of the beloved Sonic video game series is going from strength to strength.

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