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After Nabarun Dasgupta lost a close friend to an overdose, he dedicated himself to addiction research and trying to empower drug users with lifesaving information.

(Image credit: Pearson Ripley/University of North Carolina)

The store's latest version of its popular skeleton decoration is about half the size, but it has animated features and can talk.

After making it big with one of the best VPNs on the market, Surfshark launched Surfshark One - an entire security bundle for users who seek to go the extra mile for their online safety and privacy. Aside from featuring its own VPN, the company has thrown in antivirus software, a data leak detection system, and a powerful private search engine.

Thus, with Surfshark One, the team has fulfilled its long-held objective of providing more than just a VPN for its users. Today, it offers a powerful and comprehensive package that takes all of its four services and blends them into a single and cost-effective solution.

Surfshark One’s Alternative ID feature (Image credit: Surfshark)Features

If you’re already familiar with Surfshark VPN, you may know all about its qualities. These include a full set of privacy mechanisms, a budget-friendly price that makes it one of the best cheap VPNs, and advanced capabilities in terms of speed, unblocking, and server capacity of over 3,200 servers across 100 countries.

Furthermore, its features like NoBorders and Camouflage Mode help bypass censorship and unlock all the major localized streaming platforms, such as Prime Video, Netflix, Disney +, BBC iPlayer, and others. Add high speeds into the mix, and this makes Surfshark VPN one of the best streaming VPNs.

When you add military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and a kill switch, you get one of the most secure VPNs in the industry as well. As a bonus, Surfshark VPN offers its software-defined networking (SDN) Nexus technology, connecting the user to the network’s entire infrastructure instead of servers physically disconnected from the rest of its peers.

As for Surfshark Antivirus, it provides real-time protection to ensure you’re safe from cyber crooks and malicious software when downloading, installing, or using files and apps. On top of that, it enhances the digital hygiene of your devices through scheduled scans. This can include entire devices or specific files or folders.

And the best part? Surfshark’s AV tool got the ‘Top Product’ award from AV-TEST in its June 2024 test, rating its protection, performance, and usability. In particular, it reported a 100% detection rate against advanced zero-day malware attacks.

With Surfshark Alert, the platform’s data leak detection system, you will easily and immediately know if your sensitive data was included in any of the latest breaches. The service will notify you in real time if anything like this happens.

Whether related to your email accounts, passwords, personal identification number, or credit cards - you can have peace of mind, as it will alert you if any such information was part of breached online databases or is circulating around the darkest corners of the World Wide Web.

Finally, Surfshark Search is an ad-free private search tool that guarantees never to monitor or log your search history. At the same time, it keeps at bay any web trackers that may be snooping on you and making your browsing experience cumbersome.

This handy little tool also allows you to switch between regions and pick the one that delivers better and more relevant results for the location you want - wherever your real location may be. Moreover, it provides organic search results unaffected by previous searches.

Surfshark One’s app will ask you to log in only once (Image credit: Surfshark)Getting started

To start using all the perks included in Surfshark’s comprehensive security package, you’ll need to head over to its website, pick a plan (Surfshark Starter, Surfshark One or Surfshark One+), the subscription length (1-month, 12-month, or 24-month, currently with 3 extra months for free), and that’s it.

There are some differences between the three packages. Surfshark Starter only includes a VPN and Alternative ID tool. Surfshark One adds Antivirus, Alerts, and Search to the list of tools, and Surfshark One+ has all the tools from Surfshark One, but it also comes equipped with data removal from company databases and people search sites.

In terms of pricing, Surfshark Starter's 24-month plan costs $1.99 a month, (billed annually), and the 12-month plan costs $3.19 a month. Surfshark One’s 24-month subscription costs $2.49 a month (billed annually), whereas its 12-month option would require $3.39 per month. This leaves Surfshark One’s 1-month subscription, which would set you back for $17.95 - the least cost-effective option.

Surfshark One+ is $3.99 a month on the 24-month plan, $6.09 a month on the 12-month plan, or can be purchased on a rolling monthly subscription for $20.65.

After you’ve selected your desired plan and its length, just enter your email address, choose a payment method and input the requested information (so you can be automatically billed once the trial ends), create a password, and you’re good to go!

The next step is to download the suite (should start automatically) and install it. This happens pretty quickly, depending on your internet connection and the device’s speed. Now just sign in with your credentials and Surfshark One can begin protecting your device(s), identity, and online presence.

You can give the service a trial run for the first seven days completely free, as long as you pick a 24-month or 12-month subscription, cancel before the trial ends, and pay via a credit card or PayPal (it also accepts Google Pay and major cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP).

The platform also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied with the service - no questions asked.

Surfshark One app interface (Image credit: Surfshark)Interface

Surfshark’s Antivirus is currently available only on Android, macOS, and Windows, whereas its Alert, Search, and VPN services can be used on all of the above, plus on iOS and Linux, as well as on browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. You can also install its VPN manually on devices like routers, gaming consoles, and smart TV systems such as FireTV and Apple TV.

You’ll be happy to learn that Surfshark One covers up to five devices with one account with its antivirus protection - a solid number for a security suite albeit not unlimited as is the case with its standalone VPN solution.

Regardless of the device you’re using to open the Surfshark One app, the interface is sleek and easy to use, even for a beginner. As you open the app and sign in (only the first time), you’re welcomed by the straightforward VPN dashboard, where you can quick-connect to the fastest server based on your physical location or take a pick at any of the others.

The next tool down the left-side menu is Alternative ID, where you can see the details of your alternative persona if you’ve created them, copy all the info, and manage it by clicking on the link that will take you to the online dashboard.

To access Surfshark’s Alert dashboard, you’ll need to click on the link inside the app and it will take you to a web page listing all the detected breaches where your sensitive details have been exposed. There, the breaches are sortable by date of scan or breach, severity, or name, and list what was leaked and when.

Somewhat unintuitively, Surfshark’s Antivirus options are further down the list, just below Alert, but managing them is as easy as they get. In a single click, you can turn on/off the real-time protection, web protection, and webcam protection, start or schedule quick and full scans, and access additional features.

Following Antivirus is Surfshark Search, which you can use right there from the app. The results will open on a web page where you can narrow them down to images or videos, as well as according to a specific region.

Settings are the last option listed in the app’s left-hand menu, and here you can configure specific features related to the VPN tool, the app in general, or your account. You can also check out the referral options to get free months of Surfshark One in return.

Encountered a problem while using Surfshark One? Help is just around the corner, accessible via the app’s settings. From there, you can browse the platform’s helpful guides, access the handy troubleshooting tools, or contact the support team at any time of day or night.

Surfshark One’s antivirus dashboard (Image credit: Surfshark)Protection

Surfshark One’s Antivirus tool constantly watches over your devices through real-time scans, in addition to checking websites and stopping threats before they download. This is in addition to allowing you to conduct on-demand quick or full scans of your entire device or focus on specific files or folders.

Quick and full scans can also be scheduled to run automatically, letting you select specific scan days and scan times - and they won’t consume much of your time or RAM. The virus database updates itself every three hours, but you can also check for updates manually whenever you feel like it.

External storage scans - checking your USBs, hard drives, and network drives for malware, ransomware, and viruses, are also possible. You can choose to include them in the full and quick scans, have the tool ask you to scan them when connecting to your device, or both.

Additionally, the always-on cloud protection feature analyzes suspicious files using the Surfshark cloud, where the platform opens and checks them with no risk to your device. Its other advantages include access to a global virus database and the fact it doesn’t come at the cost of your device’s speed.

As a rare extra perk (though currently in beta phase), you can also turn on the webcam protection to stop untrusted apps on your device from accessing your camera. The trusted app list is easily managed by ticking the boxes next to the apps that should be allowed webcam access and leaving out others.

Already trust certain files, folders, or websites enough to exclude them from the real-time, scheduled, and manual scans? You can add them without hassle through the app’s file or folder picker, or paste the URL of the website (and opt to apply to all its subdomains) you want to exclude from the web protection.

Finally, you can choose to have infected files automatically deleted after 60 days of quarantine.

Surfshark One’s VPN interface (Image credit: Surfshark)VPN

Surfshark’s VPN already has an enviable reputation as one of the top performers in the industry and for many good reasons. Let’s start off with its wide-reaching network of more than 3,200 servers (virtual and physical) spanning over 100 countries across the globe.

Unsure which server is the best for your location? No worries, just run Surfshark’s built-in speed test to see how they perform based on region (Europe, Asia Pacific, The Americas) or type (P2P, virtual, physical, static IP). You can also see how fast the recommended or recently used servers are.

Thanks to such a large and versatile network, you can access just about any type of content you need, be it geo-blocked TV shows and movies on streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, DAZN, Prime Video, Hotstar, Hulu, Crunchyroll, YLE Areena, HBO Max, YouTube, or for some localized regional browsing.

The optional NoBorders mode, supporting internet access and connectivity around the world, is on by default. Additionally, you can download Surfshark’s browser extension for advanced blocking of ads, trackers, and malware when the VPN is connected.

Do note that the kill switch, the mechanism that disables your entire internet access in case the VPN connection fails to prevent any potential IP leaks, is off by default. Hence, you’ll need to turn it on manually as this part of the service is essential for your VPN use and online activities.

That said, Surfshark’s kill switch is customizable as well. Specifically, we’re talking about strict and softer versions of it. The former steps in if the VPN disconnects or is interrupted in any way, whereas the latter acts only if the VPN disconnects by accident or is interrupted.

Other VPN-specific extras include Dynamic MultiHop, Surfshark’s Double VPN feature routing your data through two servers instead of one. This way, it provides additional anonymity that security-conscious users will particularly appreciate. However, it might affect your connection speed as it needs to pass through twice the servers.

Supported protocols include OpenVPN (TCP or UDP) and WireGuard. You can choose any of them as your preferred protocol, or allow the app to select the fastest and most stable one automatically.

The Bypasser option defines the specific apps, websites, and IP addresses that can circumvent the VPN and those that should be routed through the VPN at all times. It is important to note that apps take priority over websites and IP addresses, so if you set your browser to route via the VPN, all the websites you visit will do so too, even if you set them to bypass VPN.

Other advanced options include Rotating IP (automatically changes your IP address while your VPN location remains constant) and Invisible on LAN (hides your device from other devices connected to your local network, like phones, printers, and smart TVs). Both are off by default.

In terms of performance, Surfshark VPN connects quickly and at the first attempt regardless of the server location choice. The speeds we tested independently are very good, even when connecting to India and Malaysia, both far, far away from our actual testing location.

The MultiHop to New York via Toronto was also fast. Changing the exit location to India didn’t make a lot of difference in this area, although switching to Indonesia after that delivered significantly lower download speeds, cutting the previous ones in half (but this was to be expected in some cases).

Surfshark One’s breach monitoring dashboard (Image credit: Surfshark)Other features

As mentioned above, Surfshark Search is a separate tool in the suite, delivering truly organic (and private) results, be it in the form of regular URLs, images, or videos. The results delivered by default pertain to all locales, but you can choose a particular country on the list (there are 36 of them) for more localized outcomes.

In terms of Surfshark Alert, the platform’s own data leak monitoring solution, it lists all the breaches in which your personal details, be it usernames, IDs, names, email addresses, physical addresses, IPs, birth dates, passwords, hashed passwords, security questions and answers, account balances, and the like, may have been involved.

The breached data is listed alongside a short description of the breach, the date when it happened, its level of severity, the number of records exposed, and recommendations on what to do next. You can choose to archive this data, and it will remain there under an appropriate category.

This section also allows you to type in the number of your credit card and your personal number (or social security number) to scan the internet and see if any of them appear anywhere unseemly.

Want to receive breach reports to your email? You can - just go to Alert’s settings, turn on this option, and select how often you’d like to get them (monthly, quarterly, or yearly). It is also possible to have the breach alerts sent to your account email address or the email address affected in the relevant breach.

Finally, if you change your mind and want to have all the data, your email addresses, credit cards, and ID numbers removed from Alert, you can do this in just two clicks in the settings, and voilá - all of this information is permanently deleted.

The Alternative ID feature allows you to keep your personal information hidden by creating an alter ego of sorts online. This means you’ll get a fake email address you can use for newsletters (linked to your actual email address that stays concealed) or an alternative persona for social media.

In other words, it’ll create a whole new person, including inventing their full name (yes, a middle name too!), date of birth, gender, and address - all with a city, a postal code, and a country. You can easily manage these details on the website or copy your new fake info directly from the app.

Surfshark One offers a dedicated IP for an additional monthly fee (Image credit: Surfshark)What's not included

Although there is a lot to like about SuperShark One, there are a few reasons why some would want to upgrade. Among them is the third-party Incogni tool otherwise included in the Surfshark One+ package, specifically designed to protect your personal information against identity theft and data brokers profiting off it.

It does this by removing your details, including your name, address, and other personal data off the internet (like people search sites and databases). If you already have an active Supershark One subscription plan, it will cost you an additional $3.99 per month for the remainder of it to add this. After that, it will charge you $47.88 every 12 months.

For an extra fee, you can also get a dedicated IP address for your use only, facilitating a consistent, private, and faster online experience with no risk of IP blacklisting. This costs $3.75 per month on top of your existing Surfshark subscription, after which it is charged $45 once a year.

The platform also lets you generate an alternative phone number with a US country code for deliveries, online accounts, text updates, and listings so you don’t have to share your real number, thus minimizing spam, data sharing, and identity theft risks.

With it, you’ll be able to receive calls and text messages, and even reply with a limited capability in the Surfshark app. However, it doesn’t support verification codes and you’ll need to pay an additional $2.89 per month to add the alternative phone number to your current plan.

On top of that, the bundle itself is missing some of the nice-to-have features like a password manager, parental controls, and a firewall.

Final verdict

Surfshark One delivers a strong security suite that includes antivirus protection, a VPN, safe search, data leak monitoring, and more - for less than what some charge for a single product. Although it doesn’t offer a password vault or support for iOS (for now), its user-friendly interface, customizable antivirus, high VPN speeds (even with a double VPN), and extras like webcam protection and alternative ID will do an admirable job of keeping your online presence safe and your mind sane.

Prices have risen a tad on some items especially affected by tariffs. But for the most part, companies are finding ways to delay price increases — for now.

(Image credit: Matt Slocum)

The iPhone 17 is right around the corner and I need Apple to focus on what matters.

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Authorities have identified a gunman who opened fire inside a Manhattan office building yesterday, killing four people. And, Gaza is only receiving a fraction of aid needed to help the many starving.

(Image credit: JOHN LAMPARSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

• Windows 11 has a useful change for multiple monitors in a new preview
• You'll be able to access notifications and the calendar flyout on the secondary monitor
• Previously that wasn't possible, even though it is in Windows 10

If you use multiple monitors with Windows 11, there's a change in the pipeline with the taskbar that you're really going to appreciate.

Windows Central noticed that Microsoft has brought in the ability to access the notification center and calendar flyout in the taskbar on a secondary display. This has happened with the latest preview release of Windows 11 in the Dev channel (build 26200.5722).

It's currently the case that if you're running two monitors with Windows 11 you can only access these details on the main display. With the secondary display, the active elements of the system tray – on the far right-hand side of the taskbar – don't work, meaning all you can do is look at the time and date.

If you want to access the calendar panel (by clicking on the date), you need to mouse across to the primary monitor to do so (and the same is true for checking on notifications).

However, with the new preview build, it's possible to click on those parts of the taskbar and access the mentioned panels on the secondary monitor.

(Image credit: Hellooodesign / Unsplash)Analysis: the return of another Windows 10 feature that was ditched

This is another tweak for Windows 11 which sounds like a relatively small move, but it'll actually be a major convenience for those whose PC setup includes two monitors (or perhaps more). That might be a niche set of people, granted, but it'll be quite a boon for them – the move has already been welcomed with open arms by some (Windows Central included).

Indeed, you might be wondering why this wasn't possible in the first place – especially because in Windows 10 you've always been able to access these parts of the taskbar on a secondary monitor.

Well, that's a good question, and it's not the only piece of functionality that fell by the wayside when Windows 11 arrived. There were quite a few key pieces of the interface and options therein that were mysteriously dropped from Windows 10 in the shift to Windows 11.

They included the ability to move the taskbar away from the bottom of the screen to pick an obvious example (or to 'never combine' apps on the taskbar, though that functionality has since been added back).

The reason these decisions were made was apparently down to some of the complexity involved in the changes under the hood with Windows 11 – or at least those were the vague noises Microsoft made some time ago now, by way of a rather unsatisfying explanation.

At any rate, Microsoft acknowledged in the blog post for the new preview build that this change is being made to "address your feedback", so clearly there have been a fair few complaints about the missing functionality in question.

Note though that this change is only rolling out in testing for now, so not all Windows Insiders will see it (though it is possible to force an enablement, as leaker PhantomOfEarth explains on X).

It'll probably be a while before this arrives in the finished version of Windows 11, and the feature seems a likely pick for inclusion in the big Windows 11 25H2 update arriving later this year.

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• Russian airline Aeroflot confirms suffering an IT incident
• More than 40 flights were allegedly grounded following attack
• Silent Crow and Cyberpartisans both claimed responsibility

Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline, has suffered a cyberattack which disrupted its operations and grounded dozens of flights.

The news was confirmed by the airline, as well as by the Kremlin itself - and also by two cybercriminal groups who claimed responsibility for the attack - Silent Crow, and Cyberpartisans.

The former is a Ukrainian group, while the latter - Belarusian.

"War on all fronts"

In a Telegram group, Silent Crow apparently said its “prolonged and large-scale operation” - “completely destroyed” the airline’s IT system. As a result, more than 40 flights were canceled, the BBC reported, mostly domestic flights inside Russia, but also a few routes to Belarus and Armenia.

Cyberpartisans also confirmed taking part in the hack, noting, "We are helping Ukrainians in their fight with the occupier, carrying out a cyber strike on Aeroflot and paralysing the largest airline in Russia."

Reliable information from Russia is hard to come by, but some media are reporting that the airline confirmed having issues with its information system.

"We must not forget that the war against our country is being waged on all fronts, including the digital one,” the BBC cited Anton Gorelkin, a Russian MP.

Since the war between Russia and Ukraine started in 2022, cybercriminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored hacking groups have been active more than usual, trading blows across the internet, disrupting critical infrastructure organizations, spying on military, defense, government, and IT organizations, and stealing sensitive data.

Conti, which was a major ransomware operator at the time, publicly sided with Russia, stating they would retaliate against any attacks on Russia in cyberspace. This angered its affiliates, many of which were Ukrainian. Soon after, an unidentified hacker leaked Conti’s chat logs which, although indirectly, resulted in the group’s disbanding.

In June 2024, one person was arrested in Ukraine, under suspicion that they developed encryptors for Conti.

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Apple TV+ has announced a new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, yet we know almost nothing about it. We first heard about the new series through a social media post of a smiley face in a petri-dish, we then got our (very vague) first look at what was revealed to be called Pluribus after a fake countdown was posted online. While we do know that the show will star Rhea Seehorn, who I can now assume will play a woman called Carol (more on that later), what Pluribus is actually about is open to interpretation.

Here’s a rundown of what we see in the seconds-long Pluribus teaser. It opens with a wide shot of what appears to be a prison with a guard standing in the frame, then zooms in for an up-close look at the guard licking doughnuts and then placing them in a box. Linking back to the original teaser image shared on social beforehand, which featured the tagline 'Happiness is contagious' accompanied by a Petri dish containing a smiley face, we see a sign that reads 'Help Yourself' with the same smiley face.

And that’s literally all we know… until now. Apple TV+ has released a phone number without explanation, showing Carol being asked to call it under “no pressure”. It’s not even a message meant for me, but I couldn’t help calling it to find out more. What I found, amazingly, was even more shocking and baffling than what I’d already seen.

I still don’t understand what Apple TV+’s new show from Breaking Bad is about after calling its ominous phone number

I’ve taken on the burden so you don’t have to. If you were to call the phone number from the above advert, here’s exactly what you’d hear:

It begins: "Hi Carol. We're so glad you called. We can't wait for you to join us. Dial 0 and we'll get back to you via text message." Obviously, I’m not Carol, but I did dial “0” to get the next part of the message.

"Please know your life is your own, Carol. You have agency!" (Again, my name is not Carol.) "That being said, Reply YES to sign up for updates from AppleTV+ and agree to our terms of use and Privacy Policy. Freq varies, consent not a condition of purchase, msg & data rates apply. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help."

Slightly more boring, but even for a fictitious marketing stunt, Apple has to get its boilerplate T&Cs for SMS marketing in there somehow. I replied “Yes” and got this response:

"You must have so many questions for us! Understand, we only want to make you happy. We'll be in touch soon. Text STOP to stop, HELP for help.”

So logic tells me I’m going to be hearing from the mysterious Pluribus voice at some point in the future. What it will say, I do not know. When it will arrive, I cannot say. Who is Carol? Maybe I’ll never find out. Maybe she never called the number back. Maybe I’m Carol and my parents read my birth certificate wrong.

Currently, the only clue for what on earth is going on is the title itself. ‘Pluribus’ is a Latin word meaning ‘many’ or ‘more’. It's most famously used in the phrase ‘E pluribus unum’, which translates to ‘Out of many, one’. If we apply this to what we’ve seen, Carol is our one… but one of what, we’ve got no idea.

I’d bet any money that Apple TV+ and Gilligan are going to eke this marketing campaign out as much as they can. Clearly, I’ll be getting part of it sent directly to me, and I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry in anticipation.

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• Tencent is being sued by Sony for its Horizon Zero Dawn-like survival game Light of Motiram
• Sony alleges that the game is a "slavish clone" of the Horizon IP
• It's also claimed that Tencent reached out to Sony to collaborate on a new Horizon game, which Sony declined

Sony is suing Tencent over Light of Motiram, the publisher's open-world survival game that looks an awful lot like Horizon Zero Dawn.

Initially reported by Reuters, Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent for copyright and trademark infringement, claiming the Chinese tech company has created a knock-off game of its Horizon intellectual property.

Sony alleges that the company's upcoming game Light of Motiram, developed by Polaris Quest, is a "slavish clone" of Guerrilla Games' 2017 title and copies several Horizon elements, like gameplay, art style, post-apocalyptic themes, the game's playable protagonist Aloy, and other details.

The suit also cites the public's comparisons, including headlines from Kotaku, GameRant, and comments made on IMDB.

"Tencent’s copying of Horizon is so blatant that the public has described it as 'crazy,' 'insane,' and 'shameless,'" the lawsuit reads.

(Image credit: Tencent / Polaris Quest)

"Tencent also used its rip-off of the iconic Horizon main character 'Aloy' as the centerpiece of its pre-release marketing and promotional strategy, deliberately causing numerous game lovers to confuse Light of Motiram as the next game in the Horizon series when encountering Tencent’s promotional game play videos and social media accounts."

Sony also alleges that the game's promotional art and screenshots have "misappropriated protectable elements of SIE’s copyrights in the Horizon Franchise to a significant degree", including music and vocals, which are similar thematically.

The PlayStation company says this was deliberate, as Tencent hired a composer from the Horizon Forbidden West soundtrack "to replicate the unique sound for Light of Motiram."

(Image credit: Guerrilla Games)

The suit also alleges that Tencent asked Sony to collaborate on a new Horizon game, which Sony declined. Sony claims that the company began development on Light of Motiram afterward, despite the rejected offer.

"Upon information and belief, sometime in 2023 (and unbeknownst to Sony) Tencent started developing a video game called Light of Motiram which – just like Horizon – features a young, red-headed female protagonist and tribal groups fighting for survival among large robotic animals in a post-apocalyptic world," the suit reads.

"In March 2024, at a gaming conference in San Francisco, California, Tencent executives approached Sony with a pitch: to develop its own Horizon game in collaboration with SIE. Sony rejected the idea and considered the matter closed.

"Apparently, Tencent was undeterred by SIE’s refusal to license its Horizon intellectual property. Tencent continued secretly developing Light of Motiram, eventually announcing a forthcoming game. Tencent’s promotional material bore a strong similarity to SIE’s own Horizon promotional material."

Sony is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an order blocking Tencent from violating its IP rights.

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• Twitter founder Jack Dorsey has launched Bitchat Mesh
• The private messaging app uses Bluetooth to send texts
• It comes with plenty of privacy features

Tired of Messages and WhatsApp and ready to try something new? Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s new Bitchat Mesh app has landed on the iOS App Store, while an Android version is available on GitHub.

Download the app and you’ll find that it offers a novel way to contact friends and loved ones.

Dorsey announced Bitchat Mesh in early July. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Bitchat Mesh doesn’t rely on the internet to link up users and devices. Instead, it uses Bluetooth to relay messages from one person to another, so it should theoretically work in places where you lack internet connectivity – provided there are enough nearby Bluetooth devices to pass on your texts.

As well as this unusual distinction, Bitchat Mesh puts an emphasis on user privacy. You don’t need to register your phone number or email address with the app, nor even create an account to get started. That allows you to keep your identifying information private without being hindered.

Bitchat Mesh is also end-to-end encrypted, meaning all of your messages remain private and no one – not even Bitchat’s developer – can intercept or read them. There’s even a 'panic mode' that lets you erase all your data by triple-tapping the app’s logo.

A different way to text

(Image credit: Pixabay)

Bitchat Mesh is a specialized app for people who care deeply about their privacy, and its unusual nature might prevent it from achieving the kind of mass-market saturation that rivals like WhatsApp have managed. But it could still have plenty of appeal for people who need its distinct features.

By not relying on the internet, for example, the app is more resistant to both network outages and censorship attempts than rival products might be. That could come in handy in nations run by oppressive governments or locations where you might not trust the security of more popular alternatives.

In our brief testing, Bitchat Mesh told us that there were zero other users in our vicinity, presumably because the app has only just launched. But that's likely to be an issue for many potential uses – if there’s no one around you, you might struggle to send your messages, given that the app relies on Bluetooth connections to relay texts.

Still, Bitchat Mesh can be used entirely for free, with no paywalls, subscriptions or in-app purchases yet in place, so you might want to try it out to see if it suits your needs.

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Fortnite is running the Super Showdown event later this week (August 2), and so far we know that it'll involve Superman in a big way. This is the latest in a string of live events that've been airing in Fortnite this year, and I'm expecting it to lead nicely into Season 4.

What's new in Fortnite?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic Games just launched the collab for The Fantastic Four: The First Steps, with movie-inspired skins available as rewards as part of a new Tournament. Soon, we'll see a brand new Season of Fortnite, launching Chapter 6 Season 4 for players to dive into. At present, we don't have much info on what to expect, though we'll get news as launch day approaches.

We're currently in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, a superhero-themed affair that adds super-powered items and a completely new ranking system. The next season of Fortnite is just around the corner, however, so the game will be getting a big refresh very soon indeed. It's regular updates like these that have kept Fortnite firmly ranked in our best free games to play in 2025 list.

Here's what you need to know about Fortnite Super Showdown, including the start time and how to watch it on the day. It's a live Story Event, and it's set to be a Superman-led battle against a gigantic foe. Let's dive in.

Fortnite Super Showdown - cut to the chase

• Start time: August 2 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT (August 1) / 7:30pm BST
• Doors open: August 2 at 2pm ET / 11:00am PT (August 1) / 7pm BST
• Summary: Superman Story Event in Battle Royale

Fortnite Super Showdown event start time

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Super Showdown will start on August 2 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT (August 1) / 7:30m BST. Doors will open half an hour prior, and it's recommended that you jump in at the following times to secure your place:

• East Coast US: 2pm ET (August 2)
• West Coast US: 11am PT (August 1)
• UK time: 7pm BST (August 2)

Fortnite Super Showdown - how to watch it live

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Super Showdown is a live event that'll begin at the times specified earlier in this article. If you want to watch it live, you can jump in yourself, and there will likely be a safe zone around Demon's Domain where players won't be able to eliminate each other.

If you can't log in yourself, TechRadar Gaming will be covering the event as part of a live blog (as we did recently with the Fortnite OG rocket launch). I'll be giving my impressions as they happen, and providing up-to-date info on how the event is unfolding. You can also join your Twitch or YouTube streamer of choice, as there'll no doubt be many streaming the event. Note that Epic Games doesn't broadcast these events live on its official channels.

Fortnite Super Showdown teaser trailer

Superman returns to help save the island August 2 in this season’s Super Showdown Story Event! pic.twitter.com/Vcr2QmSBQoJuly 27, 2025

The Fortnite X channel tweeted out a teaser trailer for the upcoming Super Showdown event (embedded above). In it, we see the eye of a giant creature, which many believe to be a kraken. Then, the current map is shown with Demon's Domain highlighted as the main location for the event.

Fortnite Super Showdown Story Event - what to expect

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Super Showdown will feature a giant battle between Superman and an as-yet unrevealed foe. We know that it's a huge enemy with a big white eye, and many fans are predicting it to be a kraken. Other than that, we know that it'll all take place in Demon's Domain and will likely give some teases as to what's coming next in Chapter 6.

Epic Games will probably reveal more closer to launch, and once it does, I'll be sure to update this page.

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• Rumors suggest Nvidia's RTX 5000 series Super GPU models are on track for launch later in 2025
• The RTX 5080 Super is speculated to have 24GB of VRAM, matching the RTX 4090's
• It appears to be the ideal opportunity for Nvidia to improve upon its Blackwell launch mishaps

It's been a long time since Nvidia launched its RTX 5000 series GPUs in late January, followed by other configurations in later months, after a CES 2025 keynote that showcased the Blackwell GPUs. However, it seems Nvidia might not be done with new GPU launches in 2025 just yet.

According to TweakTown, Nvidia is set to launch RTX 5000 series Super models later this holiday season, which typically means November or December. The RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 are the GPUs reported to receive Super upgrades, with the new 5080 and 5070 Ti reportedly set to use 24GB of VRAM.

Pricing isn't finalized, and there aren't any figures to work from at this point. But considering Team Green's previous move was reducing the RTX 4080 Super price (as a slightly more powerful GPU) compared to the standard model, we could see a similar pattern again.

There's no sugarcoating the level of controversy that shrouded the Blackwell GPUs, with missing specs (ROPs), a lack of availability, and most importantly, inflated prices across multiple online retailers. With the RTX 5000 series Super models, Nvidia and, notably, its board partners, have a chance to right those wrongs.

A combination of improved performance across the board and adjusted price points may work wonders – and that mostly applies to the RTX 5080 potentially closing the gap on the RTX 4090 (supposedly using 24GB of VRAM). It may be even more interesting to see an RTX 5060 Super using more VRAM, but we'll have to wait and see.

Analysis: If prices for these Super GPUs are out of whack, then forget I even mentioned this...

(Image credit: Future)

Above all, if these Super GPU model rumors are legitimate, prices will once again determine their success. While I'm aware that Nvidia may have good intentions with more reasonable pricing, all of that work could be undone by board partners and retailers marking up prices significantly.

It's the same issue that botched AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series launch for many; the Radeon RX 9070 XT was seen as the inexpensive and powerful alternative to Blackwell mid to high-tier GPUs, at $599 / £569 (around AU$944), but the market told a different story with prices soaring far above that.

Fortunately, prices have recently fallen back down to original retail pricing, which I'm seeing with more stock and availability for both Team Green and Team Red GPUs than ever before.

I'm hoping that prices can stabilize and stay within reasonable ranges leading up to the eventual launch of Nvidia's new Super GPU models, as it could decrease the chances of ludicrous pricing. Let's just watch this space...

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Today, our world relies on maps – think about how many apps and services you use daily, both personally and professionally, that use a location-based component.

Given how much of the world relies on maps, you’d think there are lots of maps designed to allow businesses and their developers to solve specific problems. Surprisingly, there are few maps for businesses to build with and integrate into their own applications and use cases.

While proprietary maps do come with much-needed quality and reliability, they also come with the huge sacrifice of not being able to combine useful data from other map ecosystems, providers and open sources. They’re not interoperable. As a result, most maps will never be as rich as they could be for their specific use case.

So, what challenges does this pose for organizations and developers innovating with digital maps and location data? And how can they find the right commercial mapping solution to enable new services and products to flourish?

Today’s map data integration challenge

In most cases, the digital maps we have today resulted from a single use case. However, when digital maps are built with a single end use, they lose their dynamism, they become static and rigid — more akin to paper maps of old than the powerful, data-rich tools they can be.

This has meant that all kinds of organizations across the private and public sector have had to make do with limitations imposed upon them. Companies that build with map data have had to develop and maintain their own map stacks, balancing data from disparate sources that all reference different base maps and somehow, make it all work.

They’ve had to invest significant time, money and resources into adapting their maps, fitting their data to its structure and making it work for their use case. Over the years, these maps have been modified and adapted to work for other use cases and have become large and unwieldy.

Ultimately, something that’s adapted to solve a single problem is never going to be as good as something bespoke and purpose built to solve many problems – but what is the solution?

Striving for a standardized, interoperable, open future

Now, organizations and their developers must select from the available mapping providers to determine which solution will meet their unique requirements. What has been missing from the market, however, is a solution in which all companies and devices can collaborate and communicate through a single digital representation of the physical world.

In a fast-paced and competitive landscape, companies shouldn’t be restricted on how to build for their customers, rather they should be empowered to utilize maps in the best way possible. They need a geospatial standardized map; one they can add their own data to and innovate on top of.

Think of it like the Internet – if every tech company created its own Internet and data couldn’t be moved between these systems; there would be a huge cost in moving that data around and the Internet wouldn’t have developed into what it is today.

This layered approach, built on an open standard, will ensure that all parts of the digital stack work together, without the need to resolve or conflate data from one platform to another. This level of interoperability saves time, effort and a lot of headaches later down the line when the businesses try to meld data from another source or add additional functionalities.

Most importantly, this will free up resources so developers can focus on creating new services and products that are specific to customers’ needs and wants. With everyone working from the same standard, data becomes much easier to share and work with, acting as a catalyst for innovation.

Putting this into practice – and elevating it with AI

AI and machine learning is turning that traditional approach to maps on its head – allowing businesses to create new services faster, more accurately and with fewer developer and operator hours. With AI and machine learning, developers are better equipped to process data and turn observations into edits, updates and features as quickly and accurately as possible.

Humans are still required to check for errors, continually improve algorithms and ensure the AI is doing what it’s supposed to do. However, machines can now do the heavy, laborious lifting. It’s increasing the accuracy and freshness of maps and making developers far more effective and productive.

What does this look like in practice? For the automotive industry, a standardized AI-enabled base map will allow carmakers to integrate real-time traffic data, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and even electric vehicle charging stations into a cohesive system that supports the future of mobility.

In the public sector, those developing smart cities will benefit from the privacy, precision and flexibility offered by a standardized, AI-driven base map. With real-time data at their disposal, city planners can create more efficient transport networks, improve infrastructure, and develop smart systems that respond to the changing needs of their citizens. Furthermore, with the ability to add their own data into a private layer, it’s incredibly valuable to applications where data protection is paramount.

Meanwhile, in logistics, the ability to quickly adapt to changes in road conditions, optimize delivery routes, and integrate external data – from fuel consumption to environmental impact – into a map is a game-changer for companies seeking to streamline operations and reduce costs.

In the future, maps will continue to be a core tool in the functioning of global business, navigation and our daily lives. However, maps – specifically, the way they are made – need to adapt to give organizations the flexibility and scalability needed to make everything work well together.

When an orchestra is all playing from the same sheet music, guided by an expert conductor, symphonies are created. In the context of maps, standardization brings enhanced accuracy, freshness and interoperability. Only through this unified, collaborative approach will innovation and end user satisfaction skyrocket.

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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

A UN-backed food security body says famine is unfolding in Gaza, with thousands of children malnourished and hunger-related deaths rising. The group warns that airdrops alone won't prevent a "humanitarian catastrophe"—only immediate, unrestricted aid access can.

(Image credit: Ali Jadallah)

• Report finds 73% are aware of Copilot+ PCs, but only 33% see AI as important purchasing factors
• Many business buyers are more interested in Windows 11 support
• Price, lack of use cases and interoperability are also concerns

Although AI PCs are becoming increasingly available to both consumers and businesses, it seems firms are still not rushing to buy them.

New data from Canalys found around three-quarters (73%) of B2B partners are aware of Copilot+ PCs between March and April 2025, yet only one in three considered AI capabilities important in purchasing decisions.

Despite the huge performance updates, businesses still look to be prioritizing Windows 11 refreshes and battery life over Copilot+ exclusive features, particularly with the Windows 10 end of life on the horizon.

Copilot+ PCs don't seem to be taking off

Initially launched with Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips and later available with Intel Core Ultra 200V and AMD Risen AI 300 series chips, Copilot+ PCs are seen as high-end devices with 40+ TOPS NPUs for local AI processing.

Canalys' data shows nearly one in four (23%) PCs sold globally in the final three months of 2024 was an AI PC, however this is a generalized term that means different things across the industry. For Canalys, it means that the devices include a "chipset or block for dedicated AI workloads such as an NPU."

However, Context Senior Analyst Marie-Christine Pygott explained (via The Register) only 9% of the 1.2 million AI-capable PCs shipped by European distributors in Q2 2025 classified as Copilot+ PCs, meeting the 40 TOPS requirement.

Pygott blamed the slow uptake on high pricing, a lack of use cases and low perception of what a Copilot+ PC is and what it can do. Some enterprise customers have also been reluctant to moving to Arm-based Snapdragon chips due to software compatibility issues.

However, things could be on the verge of changing, with a recent Dell survey revealing that around three in five (62%) IT decision-makers would prefer a Copilot+ PC over a regular PC.

Looking ahead, Canalys expects 60% of the PCs shipped in 2027 to be AI-capable, with 2025 potentially seeing them hold a 40% market share.

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