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• UK NCSC details use of a piece of Authentic Antics malware
• It is attributed to APT28 and allegedly used against Western companies helping Ukraine
• The UK sanctioned 20 individuals suspected of being involved

Russian cybercriminals are targeting Microsoft 365 accounts with specialized malware, the UK government's cybersecurity arm has warned.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published a new technical deep dive, detailing a “sophisticated piece of malware” called Authentic Antics, first spotted in 2023, but only now attributed to APT28 - a known, state-sponsored threat actor from Russia, working for the country’s General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).

APT28 is also known as Fancy Bear or Forest Blizzard and has been attributed to many high-profile cyber-espionage campaigns throughout the West.

Faking Microsoft login

While the NCSC doesn’t detail how the malware gets deployed, it speculates that it’s most likely through phishing emails or malicious Outlook add-ins.

Once running on the target machine, it targets Microsoft Outlook, looking to steal login credentials and OAuth 2.0 tokens for Microsoft services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint, or OneDrive.

It works by sporadically showing fake login prompts that mimic Microsoft’s authentication windows. It uses environmental keying to make sure it only activates on specific machines, and once the victims try to log in - the information is relayed to the attackers.

For exfiltration, Authentic Antics uses the victim’s email inbox, sending the information in an email that later gets deleted from the “Sent” folder.

Authentic Antics is part of a broader cyber-espionage campaign, targeting western organizations - especially those who support Ukraine in their war effort against Russia.

While names weren’t mentioned, the NCSC did say APT28 targeted logistics and transport organizations, tech firms with access to Microsoft’s cloud services, government entities in NATO countries, and broader infrastructure such as internet-connected cameras at border crossings, used to track shipments to Ukraine.

As a result of the findings, the UK has sanctioned GRU operatives, which included three units and 18 officers, Reuters reported.

Via The Register

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• 200 million Amazon Prime subscribers got a warning email about scams
• Most attacks centered around fake price hikes
• Social engineering is an attacker's best friend

With Amazon Prime Day now behind us, Malwarebytes has revealed new research showing old trends repeat themselves – every year, we see a surge in scams and attacks on unsuspecting victims, and 2025 was no different.

This year, around 200 million Prime customers received warnings from the company about ongoing attacks, with some handy pointers on what to look out for.

"Scammers are sending fake emails claiming your Amazon Prime subscription will automatically renew at an unexpected price," the company said.

Amazon Prime Day scams

By making genuine subscribers believe that costs are rising, attackers are able to instil a sense of urgency as many seek to prevent price hikes or cancel altogether. Customized and personal information in emails, such as a user's name, may also aid in mimicking authenticity.

In many cases, attackers include a link to a page for victims to cancel their subscription or change account settings, leading them to a lookalike site where they enter their credentials. Some cases also saw attackers direct victims to sites that deliver malicious payloads, including malware that could put far more than just their Amazon accounts at risk.

"The fake site might also request payment information and other personal details which, when entered, will go straight to the scammer who will be quick to use or sell them on," Malwarebytes continued.

Fake messages about Prime membership renewals, bogus refund offers and calls claiming Amazon accounts have been hacked were among the most popular scenarios Amazon workers were forced to deal with during this month's Prime Day sales.

Thankfully, the same advice still applies when it comes to protecting accounts, because social engineering remains the most effective attack vector.

Some common steps include checking the sender's email address against a verified list, enabling two-step verification on accounts, not repeating passwords on multiple accounts and not following links unless it is absolutely necessary.

Amazon also repeats its messages in the Message Center, so if a message is received by email only, this could be a sign of an attack.

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It’s only Monday and we’ve already started the week with disappointing news – there’s no episode of One Piece coming out this week. Why? To make space for coverage of the Japan elections, which has a knock-on effect for what international fans can see too.

Don’t panic just yet, though. It’s the perfect time to catch up with any previous episodes you’ve not yet seen on Crunchyroll, or switch over to Netflix for the live-action version before further One Piece season 2 announcements start to roll out.

But what if you’re not in the mood for more of the Straw Hats’ shenanigans? Even though One Piece is undoubtedly one of the best anime shows of all time, it isn’t the be all and end all. New anime shows are also paving the way for unmissable TV this year, and I think there’s three you absolutely cannot miss this week.

The Apothecary Diaries

Having just wrapped up its explosive second season, The Apothecary Diaries is a must-see anime you might not have heard of. First airing back in 2023, the show follows Maomao, a young pharmacist kidnapped and forced into servitude in the emperor's palace. That sounds pretty bleak, but even though the story is inspired by ancient China, what we see on screen is all about unravelling conspiracies.

Maomao uses her medical knowledge to solve the mysteries haunting the palace, where a dangerous political landscape begins to be revealed. By the end of season 2, the suspicion turns on Maomao herself, embroiled in a kidnapping case she had nothing to do with. No spoilers here, but there’s also a huge identity reveal you need to keep your eye out for, and it’s directly related to Maomao’s romantic relationship with Jinshi.

The Beginning After the End

If you’re looking to start a series that’s brand-new in the 2025 release slate, look no further than The Beginning After the End. Our leading man King Grey dies and is reincarnated as Arthur Leywin, essentially beginning a second life again as a baby. It’s this kind of off-the-wall narrative thinking that I really love in an anime series, and this one strikes the perfect balance between unique intrigue and taking things too far.

Season 1 is only made up of 12 episodes, so you can easily binge it within a week while One Piece is AWOL. There’s a great balance between plot action and anticipation. It also scratches a little deeper under the surface than other new anime shows have tended to. If you’re looking for endless epic fight sequences, though, you won’t find them here, but that is far from a bad thing.

Dr. Stone Science Future

Dr. Stone Science Future is the ideal choice for anime fans who want to jump into the same level of pre-existing lore that One Piece has built up over the years. Rather than functioning as a spinoff from the main series, Science Future is just another title for the main show’s fourth and final season. We’ve already seen half of it and the second cour premiered on July 10.

This time around, our gang of misfits is focused on establishing a new nation with a million inhabitants, called Corn City. The Perseus crew and the Americans, led by Brody, are working together to build it, with Senku and Stanley playing their ideologies off against each other. It’s likely that future episodes will show the pair working harmoniously together, but it’s going to be a messy and chaotic ride in order to get there.

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Released at the tail end of 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows, action-adventure game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle quickly established itself as not only one of the year's best games, but an incredibly immersive, cinema-rivaling romp that perfectly captured the spirit of Spielberg's beloved trilogy. Surpassing expectations, the first-person game didn't deliver the Uncharted or Tomb Raider rip-off many assumed we'd get. Nor did it turn out to be a shooter similar to developer MachineGames' successful Wolfenstein games.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PS5 Pro
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: April 17, 2025

While either of those approaches probably would have worked just fine, the Swedish studio and publisher Bethesda Softworks went off the beaten path – much like Dr. Henry Jones Jr. himself – to produce an ambitious, story-driven, sublimely satisfying experience that's on par with the archeologists' best big screen adventures. As a result, it's now one of the best PS5 games and best PS5 Pro games you can play.

A thrilling ride worthy of the films

(Image credit: Bethesda)

For those yet to don the fedora, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle spins an original canon yarn set in 1937, between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade (remember, Temple of Doom serves as a prequel to Raiders). The globe-trotting tale finds Indy exploring the likes of Vatican City, Thailand, Egypt, and beyond in his quest to uncover the secrets and mysteries behind the titular Great Circle.

For fans, this means participating in plenty of relic-hunting, puzzle-solving, and Nazi-pummeling antics across incredibly detailed, semi-open world maps. But it's the deft pacing and organic implementation of these various elements that make the game shine brighter than the Ark of the Covenant. Puzzles hit the sweet spot between being challenging but never to the point that frustration overshadows the fun, while the combat – which sees you fighting fascists with everything from fly swatters to frying pans – is a visceral blast.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bethesda)

It feels fantastic wielding Indy's signature whip and pistol, but beating up baddies with every random object – from spatulas and brooms to candlesticks and various musical instruments – is a surprisingly satisfying way to thin the Third Reich's ranks, especially with the DualSense's bells and whistles upping the immersion.

On the subject of putting Hitler's heavies in their place, the game, of course, arms you with Indy's trusty pistol and bullwhip. But rather than regularly relying on these items, you use them smartly and sparingly, supplementing them with lots of sneaking around, stealth takedowns, and improvisational melee combat. Seriously, breaking a mandolin over a baddie's head never gets old.

This sort of balanced, organic approach also translates to puzzle-decryption and environmental exploration, as you'll rarely find yourself simply mimicking on-screen prompts, chasing down shiny symbols, or following icons. Instead, you'll rely on Indy's intuitive camera and info-packed journal to naturally progress through objectives.

And while the critical path will keep you busy, the expansive sandboxes are brimming with optional collectibles, secrets, and surprises worth seeking out. On that note, expect to discover plenty of manuals that help you upgrade Indy's abilities, an especially cool feature that forgoes the usual, game-y skill trees in favor of a leveling system that more naturally suits the character.

Whether you're cracking ancient conundrums or Nazi skulls, the game offers an absorbing visual and audio experience that seamlessly blends its first and third-person perspectives. Most of the action unfolds from the former, while the latter perfectly frames some platforming sequences – like climbing and swinging – as well as cutscenes. Toss in some epic set pieces and Troy Baker's spot-on Harrison Ford performance, and the Great Circle puts the whip in your grip like never before.

PS5 fortune and glory

(Image credit: Bethesda)

All that said, the game's original release did suffer from some graphical and performance issues, especially on the Xbox Series S. With this PlayStation 5 version - particularly when played on a PS5 Pro - however, those problems have been squashed like a crypt-inhabiting creepy crawly beneath Indy's boot.

Where many titles on both the standard PS5 and Pro consoles offer a choice between Performance and Fidelity modes, the Great Circle ditches those options for a beefy default that delivers both native 4K resolution at 60fps. Supported by advanced ray tracing tech – putting some of the prettiest lighting and reflection effects I've ever seen on screen – the result is an absolutely stunning, incredibly sharp visual presentation complemented by performance that feels as smooth as a poison-dipped date.

Of course, the PS5 release also cranks the immersion through the DualSense controller's nuanced haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, LED lighting, and touchpad effects. Whether feeling the building rumble of Raiders' iconic boulder trap, splintering a guitar over a goose stepper's head, or pulling your whip as it wraps around a foe's limbs, you'll never experience the same tactile sensation. Smaller touches, like the LED light flashing green when you apply a life-saving bandage, further make you feel like you're actually under the hat.

More than a mere port, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 is easily the definitive version of the game, thanks to the various features, upgrades, and enhancements that this version built for Sony’s consoles brings to the adventure.

Should you play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for PS5?Play it if...

You love the Indy films
Highly evocative of Indy's Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade era, The Great Circle offers an incredibly immersive action-adventure romp that's as close as you'll come to a playable Indiana Jones movie. A must-play for fans of the franchise.

You have a thirst for adventure
While the Great Circle puts you under the hat like never before, you needn't be an Indy nerd to enjoy it. The rewarding mix of deep exploration, puzzle-solving, collectible-gathering, and improvisational combat will satisfy any fan of the genre’s thirst for adventure.

You've been waiting for the best console version of the game
PlayStation owners may not have gotten Indy's latest interactive adventure when it arrived late last year, but the wait was worth it. While the Great Circle impressed on Xbox platforms, its PS5/PS5 Pro release is the prettiest, most immersive console version of the game.

Don't play it if...

The content didn't get you cracking the whip the first time
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle receives notable graphics and performance upgrades on the PS5/PS5 Pro, but its content is identical to that of the Xbox and PC versions released last year. If you're looking for different or new content – like the upcoming Order of Giants DLC – you won't find it here.

Accessibility

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle goes pretty deep in terms of accessibility features, offering a solid suite of options for those looking to tweak and tinker. Both the size and color of the user interface elements can be adjusted, while subtitles and closed captions can also be personalized to your preferences. Camera modes, like motion blur and screen shake, can also be turned on or off.

There are also protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia color filter modes for color blind players, as well as various HUD adjustment settings. The game also offers a number of difficulty settings for both its action elements, which can tweak enemy quantity and behavior, as well as adventure aspects, which can adjust puzzle difficulty and toggle objective markers.

How I reviewed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

I played Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for over 40 hours, with about a third of that time invested in optional activities and additional exploration. I reviewed the game on the PlayStation 5 Pro, but also put several hours into the Xbox Series X version to compare the visuals and performance. I also tested all the new DualSense-specific features. I played on my budget model TCL 4K display with HDR enabled. For audio, I used my television's onboard stereo speakers, but also tested with PlayStation's Pulse Explore earbuds.

First reviewed May-June 2025

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• Chinese engineers have apparently worked on sensitive DoD systems
• Microsoft has since stopped this practice
• Many in the department are unfamiliar with the system

Some of the most sensitive data the United States has to offer is currently being maintained by engineers from China, often considered, especially in the tech field, its biggest adversary.

A report from ProPublica has claimed Microsoft is using these engineers to maintain the Department of Defense’s computer systems, with ‘minimal supervision by US personnel’.

This arrangement has changed as of now, Microsoft says, as the firm has revised its practices to ensure Chinese engineers no longer provide technical support for services in an effort to mitigate the risk to national security.

Digital escorts

“In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” said the Microsoft’s Chief Communications Officer, Frank Shaw, in an X post.

The workers were supervised by ‘digital escorts’, barely-over-minimum wage workers who are often less skilled than the engineers they oversee - many are former military personnel with very little coding experience.

One of these escorts told ProPublica; ‘we’re trusting that what they’re doing isn’t malicious, but we really can’t tell.’

Whilst this system has been in place for almost ten years, many former government officials told the publication that they were unfamiliar with the practice.

'Literally no one seems to know anything about this, so I don’t know where to go from here,” said Deven King, spokesperson for the Defense Information Systems Agency.

The ongoing tech and trade war has seen the two states introduce strict regulations and national security policies, restricting access to markets and opportunities on both sides. Chinese hackers have even targeted local US governments in malware campaigns, highlighting the security risk posed by state-sponsored actors.

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• Two stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps had very little time to build chemistry before filming began
• The actors behind Galactus and The Silver Surfer didn't film scenes together, either
• They only had a 24-hour period to gel as a pair and met just once on the movie's set

The actors behind The Fantastic Four: First Steps' antagonists have revealed they had very little time to build rapport between their characters.

Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner told TechRadar that they only had 24 hours to craft the complex relationship that exists between Galactus and The Silver Surfer, who they respectively portray in the Marvel Phase 6 film.

Considering how important it is for actors to build chemistry before and during filming, I was pretty shocked to learn Ineson and Garner weren't given more opportunities to do that.

My surprise was elevated by the fact that the duo were present on set for large parts of the Marvel movie's shooting schedule, too. Garner, who, unlike Ineson, got to act opposite those playing The Fantastic Four, wore a motion capture (mocap) suit to portray Galactus' Herald in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film.

Marvel is holding back Galactus' full reveal for the film itself (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Meanwhile, Ineson was fully kitted out in a practical suit so he could appear on set – albeit not in the same scene as other actors – as the immortal planet-devouring space entity. That way, the film's crew could capture Ineson's movements in real time and incorporate them into specific scenes in post-production. He could also be scaled up or down in said sequences, depending on how big the size-altering Galactus needed to be.

Given the complicated dynamic at play between Galactus and his surfboard-riding lieutenant in the comics, many fans might have expected Ineson and Garner to spent time discussing how to bring that to life in a live-action capacity. As I said earlier, though, the opportunity to do so hardly presented itself to them.

"Because of the way you shoot a character like Galactus, who can be 50 foot tall or even larger, you have to shoot under bright lights [to fully capture his likeness]," Ineson said. "So, everything you do as an actor is a solo thing. We [Ineson and Garner] did so little work together, we hardly ever crossed paths –"

"So, there was no collaboration at all?", I interjected.

"Not really, no," Ineson replied, before Garner chimed in to say: "We had a tent day! We had one day to check in to see what each other was doing and read some offlines [parts of an actor's script that don't need a live acting partner] together."

Garner spent some time on set starring opposite Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and the rest of Marvel's First Family (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

"From my point of view, there was something quite nice about playing Galactus," Ineson mused. "I'd come in once a month for costume fittings and they [the rest of the cast] would be going to set and having this really incredible bonding session as a family, and I'd have this lonely acting experience that actually helped me to tap into Galactus' mindset as this one-of-a-kind space god."

"I was also coming in and out [of scenes with the Fantastic Four]," Garner added, "So I didn't have much time to bond with them, either. I'd swoop in and be like 'Hey guys, this is what's going on' or 'Hey, my boss said this, okay, bye!'"

First Steps, one of 2025's most anticipated new movies, arrives in theaters on Friday, July 25. Before it does, check out my ultimate guide to The Fantastic Four: First Steps or read the section below for more coverage of the final MCU film of the year.

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• Last week, Fitbit users experienced an outage that prevented app logins and watch syncing
• The issue was resolved quickly, but problems have persisted for a seemingly small percentage of users
• We've been getting more emails over the weekend, both about this persistent issue and other problems Fitbit users are having

Last week, starting on July 17, Fitbit users reported problems in droves, as the app was preventing users from syncing up their watches and fitness trackers – and when users followed Fitbit's recommended troubleshooting steps and logged out of the app, it wouldn't allow them to log in again.

The issues cropped up regardless of whether users were rocking one of the best Fitbits, an older model, or a Google Pixel Watch, and I covered the outage extensively with a live blog. Google reached out to confirm that the issue was resolved later that same day, and Downdetector reports returned to normal.

However, even after the blog ended, we've been getting emails from readers who say their devices that still won't sync with the Fitbit app.

Wendy emailed on July 19, two days after the outage was reported to have ended, to say "I’ve been trying to sync all day. I have Covid so have been tracking my blood oxygen level... I don’t know what my number was last night as it won’t sync."

Lloyd emailed to let us know his Fitbit wouldn't sync with the app on his iPhone 11, Ann was unable to set the correct time on her watch (also likely the result of a syncing issue, as this is done by pairing with your phone), and other users chimed in to say their best fitness trackers wouldn't sync properly either.

In a thread on Reddit titled Anyone else still having sync issues? another eight people chimed in with their comments, all affirming that they're still having problems after the fix was rolled out. In another thread titled How are Fitbits now? the most-upvoted comment was this one:

"The last few weeks have been horrible. Nonstop sync issues with the app and they had a major outage yesterday which they say is fixed but I'm still having issues... I'd honestly go Garmin at this point."

Unrelated issues

(Image credit: Future)

It's important to put these issues in perspective: while it's very unfortunate that all the users mentioned above have devices they're temporarily unable to use (some of them likely with Fitbit Premium subscriptions they're paying for) it seems they're a relatively small minority of users, with Google appearing to have fixed the broader issue.

However, that doesn't help you if your device can't sync, or is bricked. Quite a lot of people reached out to us in the end, many with ongoing issues that seem to be separate from the outage.

Phil in Hong Kong wrote in to tell us: "My Fitbit has not been working for a week. It does strange things like after I wake up it says I’ve hit 10,000 steps or doesn’t read my sleep.

"It’s actually really annoying and this is the third time I’ve had issues with Fitbit and I keep thinking should I switch to an Apple Watch."

Phil's response is echoed by Linda, stating: "I have tried every troubleshooting method with the same results. About two weeks ago, I ordered an Apple Watch SE 2nd generation."

The reason people are so disappointed when their devices don't work is that people love using their Fitbits. It creates an engaged community of like-minded users looking to keep fit, track their sleep and health, and enjoy exercise.

It's a great tool, and for most people it works very well. There are many reasons why, even in the face of some persistent issues, Fitbit remains synonymous with activity tracking.

For those who are experiencing ongoing difficulties that can't be solved by the usual troubleshooting, the best thing to do is reach out via the Fitbit Help Center.

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• YouTube Music has brought out a new feature that allows you to resume music playback across different devices
• It's similar to Spotify Connect, which gives you more controls in addition to cross-device playback
• The 'Speed dial' carousel in the YouTube Music app also shows playback progress bars, which is another new addition

YouTube Music isn’t just a handy way to go ads-free in its standard video player platform, it’s one of the most popular music streaming services out there – and its new playback feature marks a long-awaited addition to its interface. Unfortunately, it's one that Spotify has had for years.

In the latest version of the YouTube Music app (version 8.26.51), you can now resume music playback on different devices, allowing you to smoothly move between your mobile device, tablet, and computer to pick up where you left off. This means that you can start streaming from YouTube Music on your phone, stop mid-listen, and resume on another device.

As well as YouTube Music’s latest feature, those over at Android Authority spotted another small addition to the YouTube Music interface. In your ‘Speed dial’ carousel, (a section where you can pin songs, albums, and playlists you want to listen to frequently) you’ll see that there are new progress bars that represent your listening activity on other devices.

When you tap on one a new ‘Resume’ option will appear, allowing you to pick up playback where you left off.

(Image credit: Android Authority )A helpful feature, but it’s still early days

While you’ve always been able to keep track of your listening habits as you move between devices, the ability to pick up from where you left off isn't as smooth as the likes of Spotify Connect, which is YouTube Music’s biggest rival. The new feature has definitely been a long time coming for YouTube Music, but it still has a long way to go.

In the case of Spotify, not only can you resume playback between devices, but it gives you even more power by allowing you to control music playback on one device using another. For example, Spotify could be streaming music out of your smartphone, but you can still navigate its desktop version to control what comes out of your phone by tapping the ‘Connect’ icon in the playback bar, which will show all of the available devices.

This feature applies to devices such as the best smart speakers, which you can also control from your smartphone or computer. I find this particularly helpful and use it constantly, and Spotify Connect makes it a lot easier to switch from my smart speaker back to my smartphone when I need to leave the house but still want to listen to music on the way.

There’s no denying that the new Resume feature is a big upgrade to YouTube Music’s ecosystem, which will hopefully evolve over time to allow you to have more power over your playback. Right now, it’s still very fresh, so we’ll have to see what loyal YouTube Music users think of the change.

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Harvard and the Trump administration are facing off in federal court today over the freezing of over $2 billion in grants and contracts. And, Texas lawmakers are seeking a new congressional makeup.

(Image credit: Sophie Park/Getty Images)

TerraMaster F4: 30-second review

Terramaster has effectively carved out a niche in the NAS world with a combination of well-constructed hardware that supports a feature-rich environment and is aggressively priced.

As a result, it has attracted many home and small business customers who wouldn’t pay Synology, Asustor, or QNAP prices, but wanted solid equipment to manage and distribute data.

The F4 SSD isn’t the first SSD-based NAS that TerraMaster has produced, but it immediately stands out as something distinctly mainstream, significantly cheaper than the majority of products in this sector.

This small box can mount four PCIe Gen 3 NVMe drives, providing a total capacity of 32TB, and then distribute them over the network using a 5GbE LAN port.

The core of this solution is an Intel N85 processor, and it comes with 8GB of DDR5 memory, which is easily upgradable to 32GB by the user.

It utilises TerraMaster’s own TOS 6.0 operating system, although you don’t invalidate your hardware warranty if you use a third-party NAS OS, such as TrueNAS SCALE, Proxmox, etc.

With all this flexibility for a modest price, what’s the catch here?

The issue with this system is that the CPU’s power is on the low side, and therefore, it wouldn’t be ideal for running multiple simultaneous applications, Docker containers, or virtual machines.

At best, this hardware is best for primary tasks with perhaps a secondary role, but accept that file serving will take much of the power in this machine.

However, even with those limitations, this is a neat and helpful platform for those who want a tiny, silent and efficient NAS solution.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)TerraMaster F4: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $400/£380
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from the makers or through an online retailer

Unlike some brands, TerraMaster is widely available and also sells its hardware directly from its website.

The asking price for the only available SKU is $399.99 on Amazon in the United States and £379.99 on Amazon in the United Kingdom. That’s $200 less than the larger F8 model, and half the price of the F8 Plus.

That’s dramatically cheaper than the Ugreen NASync DXP480T, which costs about double this and still only takes four NVMe drives. However, that machine has a much more powerful i5 platform, a 10GbE LAN port and Thunderbolt.

The Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706T is slightly more expensive, offering a six-drive option with increased processing power and dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, but it comes with only 4GB of memory.

Closer to the Ugreen option in price is the QNAP TBS-464-8G for $589.99 from Amazon, powered by the Intel Celeron N5105/N5095. The downside of that option is, other than the price, that the 8GB of RAM is not upgradable.

However, not all competitor devices are sold as NAS. One competitive alternative is the Minisforum MS-01-S1260 Mini Workstation, a mini PC that utilises the Core i5-12600H processor, supports three M.2 2280 drives, and features dual 2.5GbE LAN ports and USB4.

In a barebones configuration where the customer must provide an operating system, RAM, and storage, the MS-01-S1260 can be purchased for just $399.99 on Amazon, and there are SKUs that feature more powerful Core i9 CPUs.

Excluding mini-computers overlapping NAS territory, the TerraMaster F4 is the cheapest mainstream branded SSD NAS around, and represents excellent value for money.

But, only if the use case doesn’t require significant amounts of processing power.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)TerraMaster F4: Specs

Item

Spec

CPU:

Intel N95 (4 cores, 4 Threads)

GPU:

Intel Graphics (16EU)

RAM:

8GB DDR5 expandable to 32GB

SATA Storage:

N/A

M.2 Storage:

4x M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0

Ports:

2x USB3.2 Gen2 USB-A (10Gbps)

1x USB3.2 Gen2 USB-C (10Gbps)

1x HDMI 2.0b

Networking:

1x RJ45 5GbE LAN

OS:

TOS 6.0

Maximum Capacity:

4x 8TB M.2 NVMe (32TB)

RAID Modes:

TRAID, TRAID?, Single, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID5, RAID 6, RAID 10

PSU:

12V 4A 48W

Dimensions:

138 x 60 x 140 mm (LxWxH)

Weight:

600g

TerraMaster F4: Design

• Chimney layout
• Easy access
• Simple and silent

The design and layout of this machine seem vaguely familiar, as it employs a concept similar to that of the Beelink Me mini system I recently reviewed.

What they share is a cooling solution where the case acts as a chimney, drawing cool air from below, gathering heat as it rises over the motherboard and M.2 storage before being expelled out of the top.

In the F4, the air is propelled by two almost silent 50mm fans on the bottom, and the book-like form factor is arranged with the M.2 slots on one side and the processor and memory on the other.

What’s slightly different is that the front face of the unit, where it says TerraMaster F4, is clearly not the end that should be facing you. As all the ports and the power button are at the opposite end, which is the rear.

What’s great about this unit over some other NAS is how easy it is to get inside to add drives and upgrade memory. A single thumbscrew on the rear releases the outer skin, allowing it to slide off easily.

With this plastic shell removed, the M.2 slots and the memory are available, and this doesn’t require any tools. However, TerraMaster does include a screwdriver, which is useful for those easy-to-misplace M.2 screws, and thankfully, some spares are included in the box.

I’m surprised that the designers didn’t use a sprung plastic retainer, like those on the Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706T, as it would have made this design entirely tool-free.

According to TerraMaster, the M.2 slots are designed for up to 8TB drives, and there is sufficient room for modules with integrated heatsinks to be used. What I recommend is that if you use any double-sided modules, you should add a heatsink to them, as there’s no thermal pad connecting them to the case, which is mostly made of plastic.

For those wondering what the best drives to use are, TerraMaster has a good selection of approved brands and models in stark contrast to the own-brand path that Synology has recently taken.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Interestingly, I used an idiosyncratic mix of brands in my testing, some of which weren’t on this list, but I didn’t have any issues. The only ones the makers suggest to avoid are S500PRO modules by Fanxiang, and that’s across all their NAS boxes that can accept M.2 modules.

The only limitation on physical size for the F4 is that all drives must be NVMe and 2280, as there are no retainer positions for 2260, 2242, or 2230 drives.

If I were deploying one of these on a budget, I’d be considering using a drive like the Crucial P3, where the 4TB model can be found for under $220. Using these, a system with 16TB of storage can be constructed for close to $ 1,200, and as SSD NAS go, that’s cheap.

The strength of this design lies in its relatively low power consumption and vertical tube topology, which make for a simple-to-deploy and nearly silent NAS.

For those who would like a small NAS to sit on their desk, perhaps to keep a live backup of a running system, the F4 is ideal in many respects.

• Design: 4 / 5

TerraMaster F4: Features

• Intel N95 CPU
• No ECC memory
• Only 9 PCIe Lanes

When Intel first introduced the Atom series of processors, many wondered why customers would purchase such low-power systems. These days, platforms that are scaled back to run 24/7 or deliver just enough performance for the primary task are common.

The Intel N95 is where low-power computing took Intel, and it’s not anything you would ideally wish to use on a desktop computer.

While it does have an integrated GPU with sixteen execution units, this processor is more limited by its four-core CPU, which doesn’t support hyperthreading. Four cores on Windows 11 would be a nightmare, but for the custom Linux platform of TOS 6.0, it is sufficient. Additionally, with 8GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB, it is also more than enough for file-serving duties.

However, the wall and running into that barrier are never too far away with the N95, and this isn’t a system that would enjoy being pre-loaded with demanding applications. Those who put Plex on it don’t expect it to do that and also run a torrent client, a mail server and three Docker containers, because it won’t be smooth sailing.

Precisely where the N95 runs out of road entirely depends on how demanding the apps are, but if you want to run many applications, then there are alternatives that use more powerful Intel and AMD processors that will be better choices.

The other limitations of the N95 are that it can only address a single memory module and has limited PCIe Express lanes. There is only one memory channel, and thankfully, TerraMaster engineers used a DDR5 module on it to maximise bandwidth.

Intel claims it can address up to 16GB, while TerraMaster says 32GB, but whichever is correct, they both agree it doesn’t support ECC memory, unfortunately.

I believe, and this may be misinformation, that the standard memory model of the N95 allows only 16 GB. The additional 16GB of memory can be used for things like virtual machines.

If you don’t intend to use VMs, then putting more than 16GB in the F4 is probably pointless.

Even 16GB is a good amount of memory for a small server, especially when you consider that the drives in this unit don’t require much caching to perform well.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

A bigger issue is the PCIe lanes, since these dictate exactly how much data can flow through the system and to externally connected devices.

With only nine PCIe 3.0 lanes, there isn’t enough bandwidth for the SSDs to have the full X4 lanes that modern NVMe drives are designed for. Two of the slots have been downgraded to X2, while the other two remain at X1. Therefore, it’s a futile exercise to populate these slots with modules meant for PCIe 4.0, since they will be downgraded to PCIe 3.0 by the system.

Being pragmatic, achieving 1GB/s from two drives and possibly 2GB/s from two others is still well beyond the performance required to saturate the 5GB/s of the single LAN port fully.

As there were no PCIe lanes left to add a card slot, the only way to get more network bandwidth is by using USB adapters. There are relatively inexpensive 5GbE adapters that can utilise USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, but I cannot personally confirm whether they would work on this platform.

Again, if you want better than a single 5GbE LAN connection and more PCIe lanes for faster drives, then this probably isn’t the NAS for you.

Overall, the F4 makes the most of its hardware, but this machine won’t break any records for having excess performance on tap or for its responsiveness.

• Features: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)TerraMaster F4: Software

• TOS 6.0
• Applications
• Yes to TrueNAS and UnRaid

For those who started with TerraMaster early on, and I’m happy to say that includes me, the evolution of the TerraMaster OS, or TOS, has been impressive.

Now in its sixth incarnation, this is a pretty mature platform that offers a wide range of functionality and applications.

While it doesn’t quite reach the levels of polish that Synology prides itself on, the feature set of TOS 6.0 ticks plenty of boxes.

One interesting change of direction that TerraMaster isn’t unique in taking is a shift away from first-party applications to those that are installed either as Docker-packaged containers or as virtual machines. Some compiled TOS apps, such as Qtorrent and Plex, are available on the TerraMaster application store. However, you can install later versions of these tools by finding the Docker container and using it instead.

While TerraMaster isn’t competing with the likes of QNAP and Synology for the number of available apps on its platform, there is more than enough for the majority of customers, and it isn’t a closed environment that requires approved tools.

TOS 6.0 isn’t for everyone, but TerraMaster is one of those NAS makers that is entirely customer-focused and is happy for their hardware to be used with TrueNAS Scale, UnRaid, Proxmox, or any other NAS OS the owner wishes. You won’t receive software support from TerraMaster if you opt for this approach, but hardware issues are still covered during the warranty period.

It’s interesting to see that TerraMaster and Ugreen are both pitching the ‘NAS-your-way’ approach, whereas other brands seem less confident about allowing alternatives into their playgrounds. This direction appears opposed to where Synology is heading, where the turnkey solution comes with much stricter limits on what you can and can’t do.

This is certainly more customer-friendly, but will it lead to a future where NAS makers no longer bother with a branded OS and instead offer a pre-loading service of a popular third-party OS? Only time will tell.

In short, TOS 6.0 offers a plethora of features that cover the majority of tasks that NAS commonly use, and if these don’t quite match your needs, the ability to run Docker containers and VMs is a viable answer.

• Software: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)TerraMaster F4: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There are good things about the F4, and some other things that aren’t wonderful.

Unless you kludge a NUC into a mini server, this is undoubtedly one of the most affordable SSD NAS options available. However, being realistic, the cost of the F4 is likely to be dwarfed by that of the M.2 modules unless you only install 1TB or smaller drives in it.

If you can afford to populate this with 8TB modules, or even 4TB, then you might get more performance in return by investing in an Asustor or Ugreen SSD NAS.

The other issue here is that the Intel N95 limits the system’s capabilities somewhat, as it lacks the performance to handle multiple apps or Docker containers. It also dictates that there is no USB4/Thunderbolt, which on other systems can be used to locally network to a host PC while the LAN ports support other users.

The natural space this device occupies is either as a network location for live synchronisation or as a directly connected external storage system. In both these scenarios, the 5GbE LAN port can deliver and retrieve data at over 500MB/s, making it as fast as a USB 3.2 Gen 1 attached SSD. The lure is that it can offer capacities much larger than even the biggest USB-connected SSDs, which typically only offer 8TB as their largest option.

Outside of this use, justifying the investment becomes tougher, since this doesn’t have the power to be an all-purpose NAS or the LAN connections to handle a 10GbE network.

Should I buy a TerraMaster F4?

Value

Inexpensive, if you ignore the M.2 modules

4 / 5

Design

Elegant chiney cooling and easy access

4 / 5

Features

5GbE LAN, 8GB of RAM, but only a four-core CPU

3 / 5

Software

TOS 6 has plenty to like

4 / 5

Overall

Some improvements, removed features at twice the price

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You need a live local backup
With a 5GbE LAN port and up to 32TB of local storage, this could be the perfect device for live synchronising files from a desktop or workstation PC. The only caveat is that the unit must be either directly connected or used with a 5GbE network infrastructure.

You need a flexible solution
The app selection on ADM 5.0 is extensive and covers all the possible requirements, and for specialist user there are always Docker containers or VMs.

Don't Buy it if...

You need massive capacity
Even using 8TB SSDs, the four slots limit the practical space this NAS can have. If you use redundancy, that could be 24TB or less. Since a single conventional hard drive can have that much, this isn’t ideal for those with large datasets.

You need a flexible solution
The app selection on ADM 6.0 is extensive and covers all the possible requirements, but with only four cores running, more than a couple of demanding tasks isn’t a realistic option. If you want a more flexible NAS, then there are more powerful systems.

Also Consider

Asustor Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712X
An older Asustor machine that can take twelve M.2 drives, giving a maximum potential of 96TB, should you have the funds for that many 8TB drives.

What this unit lacks is processing power, as it's powered by an Intel Celeron N5105. That chip also means it only offers USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports for connecting external storage.

Read our full Asustor Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712X review

Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus
A beautifully engineered NVMe NAS that takes 2280 drives of all sizes in its four slots.
Twice the cost of the F4, it features an integrated heatsink design, a single 10GbE LAN and Thunderbolt 4.0 ports.
Given its feature set, this is a viable alternative, admittedly with the same potential capacity.

Read our full Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus review

For more storage solutions, we've reviewed the best NAS hard drives and the best NAS devices.

• Microsoft is collecting more data on performance issues with Windows 11
• This is happening via feedback from testers using preview builds
• Hoovering up a whole lot more logs relating to performance hitches will hopefully help Microsoft stamp out sluggishness on the desktop

Microsoft has promised to improve Windows 11's overall performance levels, ensuring the operating system runs more nippily all round, and it'll use data from the PCs of testers to do this.

Windows Latest spotted that in a new preview build in the Dev channel, Microsoft announced the scheme, which urges testers to report incidents of system sluggishness.

Microsoft informs us: "As part of our commitment to improving Windows performance, logs are now collected when your PC has experienced any slow or sluggish performance. Windows Insiders are encouraged to provide feedback when experiencing PC issues related to slow or sluggish performance, allowing Feedback Hub to automatically collect these logs, which will help us root cause issues faster."

Essentially, Microsoft is attempting to expand the quantity and scope of logs relating to performance issues that it's receiving, in order to better deal with speed-related niggles in Windows 11.

The logs pertaining to performance issues are stored in a temporary folder on the system drive, and Microsoft says they're only sent across to the company when the user submits feedback (via the Feedback Hub, where there's a new section for reports of 'system sluggishness').

Analysis: exploring new avenues of improvement

(Image credit: Future)

There have been a good few complaints about performance hiccups – or indeed more serious failings – with Windows 11, so it's good to see Microsoft launch a fresh initiative to help combat these issues (with any luck – the results, of course, remain to be seen).

Sluggish search functionality and wonkiness with File Explorer performing sub-optimally have been a couple of obvious problems that Windows 11 has caused for some users. Granted, not everyone has suffered from these kinds of woes, although I've certainly experienced File Explorer sluggishness on my Windows 11 laptop (but not on my desktop PC).

These are frustrating issues to be faced with, given that they're key pieces of the interface which really shouldn't be going awry, and hopefully testers will get behind this effort, as it would be good for all concerned if Microsoft can get a better handle on improving the performance of Windows 11 for those who find it lacking (especially on older PCs – like my notebook, which is a venerable Surface model – where any shortcomings are more likely to be noticeable).

Finally, it's worth making clear that data on incidents of sluggish performance is only being collected through preview builds of Windows 11, so those logs are just kept on the PCs of testers, not normal users of the release version of the OS.

And, as noted, logs from testers are only sent to Microsoft voluntarily, so even if the data itself is collected automatically, it doesn't leave your drive until and unless you submit a feedback post.

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We've had confirmation on when you can watch the first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash – and you'll be able to get your next glimpse of Pandora this week.

The trailer will run in front of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which not only means that you'll be able to watch it from Thursday (July 24), but also means you can potentially watch the trailer in 3D, as it's obviously meant to be seen.

It's availability in 3D might depend on your location – we know for a fact that the trailer is available in 3D, which shouldn't surprise anyway, but whether it's actually shown in 3D even in a 3D screening of First Steps obviously isn't something I can promise you.

And even then, my local movie theater is only doing one 3D showing of Fantastic Four per day, so I guess I know which one I'm going to…

I've long since given up on 3D movies in general – barely any are shown in 3D where I live anyway, and they never feel like they're making good use of it (though I did like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' 3D effects).

But obviously an Avatar movie is a special case – and the trailer is genuinely enough to make me fit my schedule around that one 3D showing of Fantastic Four: First Steps. What can I say; I love James Cameron.

What to expect from Avatar: Fire and Ash

Much as Avatar: The Way of Water introduced us to water-loving Na'vi, the third movie will introduce us to fire-friendly Na'vi.

According to director James Cameron, this movie "goes to darker places than the previous ones did", and the fire Na'vi will be an aggressive clan – it sounds like the story may focus more on conflict between the Na'vi than with the human RDA.

We've been promised hard turns and plot twists, and more character development – and that in particular Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) will find herself questioning her beliefs as a result of whatever's coming in what I assume will be another three-hour epic.

I expect the trailer will appear online at some point, but for now, it looks like seeing Marvel's latest will be your only option. That's recently been the case with other new movies like the trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey playing in front of Jurassic World: Rebirth – and heaven help me, I dragged myself to that. At least I was already enthused about seeing Fantastic Four!

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Don't sweat roaming charges on your next trip abroad. GigSky and Visa are offering a 15-day free eSim trial so you can access the internet on your phone worry-free.

• A major IT outage has affected Alaska Airlines
• Its full fleet was grounded, and 11 flights were in the sky at the time
• It's not the company's first IT-related fleet grounding

Alaska Airlines flights are back up and running after a mysterious IT outage grounded flights for several hours.

The outage resulted in all of the company's flights being grounded as well as affecting Horizon Air flights – a subsidiary of the Alaskan company.

Besides the flight disruptions, residual delays are expected as the airline repositions aircraft and crews to resume at normal capacity.

Alaska Airlines IT outage

"It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal," the company explained in an X post.

It's believed that around 11 flights were in the air during the outage, which was resolved several hours after first being detected.

No official explanation of the root cause has been provided, but some signs point toward the Scattered Spider ransomware group, which has recently targeted other victims in the aviation sector including Qantas, Air Serbia and WestJet.

Hawaiian Airlines, which has also been under Alaskan ownership since late 2024, also experienced a cyber incident earlier this year.

In June 2025, Hawaiian Airlines shared in an X post: "Hawaiian Airlines is addressing a cybersecurity event that has affected some of our IT systems."

For Alaska Airlines specifically, this marks the second IT-related fleet grounding in a little over a year. In April 2024, an issue with the system that calculates aircraft weight and balance also caused a full grounding.

Interestingly, Microsoft also declared it was experiencing "active attacks" on server software on July 20 (via Reuters), but few details have been shared regarding that incident either. It's unclear whether the two incidents are related.

TechRadar Pro has asked Alaska Airlines for more information on yesterday's incident, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• Popular search engine DuckDuckGo has added a new AI image-filtering tool
• Users can now remove AI-generated images from their search results
• It's available for free at duckduckgo.com

Popular privacy-first search engine DuckDuckGo is rolling out a new feature that lets users remove AI-generated images from their search results.

On X, the company tweeted, "Our philosophy about AI features is "private, useful, and optional.” Our goal is to help you find what you’re looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all.

To that end, we’ve added a new setting to hide AI-generated images in your results when you’re searching for images on DuckDuckGo."

The new AI filter feature has already started rolling out, and you can access it simply by searching on DuckDuckGo and selecting "hide AI images" from a new drop-down.

Considering the rapid rise of image- and video-generation tools on the internet, this new feature could be a compelling reason to finally switch from Google to DuckDuckGo.

If you're sick of all the AI content hogging your image searches, DuckDuckGo might be the way to go. That said, the company says, "The filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the ‘nuclear’ list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist."

This means it won't catch 100% of all AI-generated content, but DuckDuckGo says, "it will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see.”

New setting: hide AI-generated images in DuckDuckGoOur philosophy about AI features is “private, useful, and optional.” Our goal is to help you find what you’re looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/pTolmsEQlQJuly 14, 2025

Taking back control

DuckDuckGo is planning to add more filters in the future, which should improve the rate at which the company's algorithm is able to weed out AI-generated content.

I've started to notice more and more AI-generated images in Google search over the last few months, and with tools like ChatGPT's image generation and Google's Veo 3 video generation easily accessible, online platforms are becoming more and more littered with AI slop.

While DuckDuckGo won't solve all your issues with AI images overnight, this new feature is the first step in giving users the choice on how they want to experience AI. If you can't stand AI images, DuckDuckGo might be the solution you've been waiting for.

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• An update to Fast Pair for Android is on the way
• The new interface has been spotted in hidden code
• It makes it easier to see battery life levels

If you've paired one of the best Android phones with one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds then you've got a helpful software upgrade to look forward to, according to hidden code spotted in the latest Android update.

The team at Android Authority did some digging into the Google Play Services app that's updated alongside Android, noticing some changes to the Fast Pair interface – that's the easy Bluetooth connection service that's built into Android.

When this update actually gets enabled, you'll see color-coded circular battery progress bars, clearer labels so that you know which earbud is which, and battery indicators so you can see at a glance how much juice you've got remaining in your buds.

You'll still see the left earbud, the charging case, and the right earbud as before – but these tweaks mean the necessary information is presented in a more visually engaging way, and in a way that's easier to quickly assess.

Android vs iOS

The new-look battery indicators (Image credit: Google / Android Authority)

Hidden code like this is typically used for features that are about to be rolled out, or are in testing on a limited number of devices – most Android users aren't going to see these updates yet, but the altered functionality is there deeper down.

Google hasn't said anything about this update, so we don't know exactly when the new-look interface is going to show up – and it may even be tweaked further before Google decides it's ready to be pushed out to the masses.

Of course, Fast Pair is up against the very slick and speedy connection process you get with AirPods and iPhones. There too, all users have to do is open up the earbuds charging case and a connection prompt appears on the iPhone screen.

Apple has also implemented a neat iOS battery status screen for AirPods, with neat and tidy graphics and battery-charge indicators – but the updated interface coming to Android might be the best yet at presenting this information in an intuitive way.

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