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I’ve been a loyal Spotify subscriber for the best part of 10 years, and there are many reasons why I’ve stuck with it (my Daylist is the first thing that comes to mind). However, despite this, there are several downsides to one of the best music streaming services - its Smart Shuffle feature being one. But now there’s a new way to disable this annoying feature altogether.

Spotify introduced Smart Shuffle in 2023, a feature that weaves song recommendations in between the ones in your personally curated playlists, and it didn’t sit well with music fans- myself included - to say the very least. Thankfully, you no longer have to put up with its annoyances as users have spotted a new way to disable it.

Eagle-eyed users on Reddit brought attention to the new ‘Enable all play modes’ toggle in the Spotify app settings that was added very quietly. When this setting is enabled, you can sift through the Linear, Shuffle, and Smart Shuffle options when listening to your playlists. Disabling it turns off Smart Shuffle for all of your playlists.

You can now remove Smart Shuffle! from r/truespotify

This new setting appears differently for some users (see below) but has the exact same functionality. So far, it seems as though it’s gradually rolling out globally - I’ve already taken advantage of it - so it may not be visible to all Spotify users just yet.

Comment from r/truespotify Goodbye Smart Shuffle, we never needed you anyway

Though it was designed to ‘breathe new life’ into your listening experience and offer a personal new music discovery alternative, a large portion of Spotify subscribers never warmed up to the feature as a whole, complaining that its rotation of song suggestions lack in variety and don’t live up to its daily renewal promises. On top of that, Smart Shuffle annoyingly interrupts the standard Shuffle function.

When Spotify first brought out Smart Shuffle, I dabbled in it mainly as a means of finding similar songs to fill out my specific playlists, an alternative way of using the ‘Recommended songs’ list at the bottom of each playlist. At first, it was handy, but the novelty wore off rather quickly.

For a feature that uses your music habits as well as the knowledge of Spotify’s music experts to offer new song suggestions, it’s not the most dynamic music discovery feature and lacks scope. There are far better features out there for music discovery - I stand by the trusty New Music Friday playlist that’s generated weekly, and I’ll reiterate my soft spot for Spotify Daylists. So, for now, it’s time to disable Smart Shuffle until Spotify can come up with a better solution.

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• A Windows leaker has found a guided tour for the Copilot app
• This is present in a test build of Windows 11, and offers a six-step introduction to the AI app
• It covers the basics such as how to upload a file to have Copilot examine it, and the major interface elements of the app

Microsoft is apparently planning on introducing a guided tour for the Copilot app, in order to show the uninitiated what the AI assistant can do in Windows 11.

The fresh introduction for Windows 11 preview builds was noticed by PhantomOfEarth on X, as you can see in the below post.

The Copilot app on Windows is getting a guided tour to help new users get started with it. pic.twitter.com/4BRqQiPAWlApril 28, 2025

The leaker provides a quartet of screenshots to show you how the guided tour is currently implemented. (I should note that although it isn’t stated explicitly, the assumption is that this is hidden in Windows 11 test builds, and not yet enabled by Microsoft).

The offer of the guided tour is placed at the top of the screen, above the Copilot text and prompt panel.

If you click to take it, the tour in its current form is something of a whirlwind affair. We’re shown three of the six steps which introduce the prompt box (where you ask Copilot to do things), the button to upload files for Copilot to work with, and the icon to click to transform the app into a mini-window (for multitasking).

(Image credit: MSI) Analysis: An obvious move

A guided tour for newbies to this particular facet of AI in Windows 11 seems like a sound enough move. Not everyone is familiar with Copilot in its new standalone app form, and a gentle introduction to the basic functions isn’t going to hurt. And if you’re not interested, obviously you can just ignore it (dismissing the prompt by turning down the tour).

Indeed, Microsoft might even work to beef up the tour a bit, although that may not be the case given that its purpose is just to deliver a brief introduction to the key elements of the Copilot app.

All of this is assuming that the piece of functionality makes the cut for inclusion in Windows 11, although as noted, I can’t see why it wouldn’t.

As you may recall, Copilot wasn’t always an app. When the AI assistant first arrived in Windows 11, it was integrated directly into the OS as a side panel (that pulled out from the right-hand side of the desktop). Microsoft then changed its mind and split off the AI into a standalone application, so it could be interacted with like a normal app – even though decoupling it from the operating system in this way kind of felt like a step backwards. Particularly when the Copilot app was so basic to begin with, although that has now changed.

Exactly where Copilot is going in Windows 11 remains to be seen, and there’s no shortage of folks who are rather underwhelmed at the progress made with the AI assistant so far. (And some who might’ve been quite glad to encounter a recent bug that accidentally deleted Copilot from Windows 11, rather unbelievably).

A lot of big initial promises about Copilot being able to enact sweeping changes to settings based on broad natural language prompts (such as “make my games faster”) still seem a long, long way off from where we stand right now. Currently, the Copilot app for Windows 11 isn’t that much different to using Copilot on the web.

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Hackman was also in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to the new report. The actor, 95, had been in poor health for some time.

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Earlier this year, the government accepted, almost in its entirety, the proposed AI Opportunities Action Plan. The ambitious plan demonstrates a significant commitment to the development and deployment of Sovereign AI capabilities to deliver an “AI vision for Britain.”

UK government is bullish about AI’s potential for economic growth, and rightly so. It’s estimated that AI will contribute up to $ 15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Today, Britain is the third-largest AI market in the world, behind the US and China. But the race is gaining pace. For the UK to meet its ambition to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7 and remain a world leader, it needs a thriving domestic AI ecosystem.

The AI Action Plan represents a defining moment in advancing the UK’s leadership in AI innovation. It prioritizes secure and sustainable AI infrastructure, high-quality data and a skilled workforce, all wrapped up in safe and trusted AI development and adoption. This is a crucial moment for UK enterprises. Those who seize the opportunities it presents and position the UK as “an AI maker, not an AI taker” will succeed. Those who do not risk obsolescence.

The business imperative for Sovereign AI

Sovereign AI represents a crucial strategy for establishing the UK as a global leader in advanced AI capabilities. But the ramifications are broader than that. Sovereign AI also offers UK businesses a pathway to unlock the full potential of AI while mitigating the risks associated with reliance on foreign technologies. To put that into context; more than £ 14 billion worth of inward investment and thousands of jobs were confirmed immediately after the AI Opportunities Action Plan was published.

With that in mind, we should view the AI Action Plan as a call to action to the private sector. UK businesses should seize this moment to embed themselves within the AI ecosystem by forming alliances with technology partners and government stakeholders already championing sovereign AI. And there are more AI-businesses putting their weight behind the UK’s AI strategy every day. These relationships are critical for scaling operations and driving advancements in priority sectors such as healthcare, sustainable energy and education.

What Sovereign AI in the UK looks like

Worldwide, we see three approaches to implementing Sovereign AI: government for government, government for industry, and government with industry. Any country or nation can adopt one or more of these models.

Sovereign AI compute’ is defined in the AI Action Plan as compute owned or allocated by the public sector (what we would class as ‘government for government’ and ‘government for industry’). The AI Action Plan recommends a 10-year investment commitment of Sovereign AI Compute. That includes expanding the capacity of the AI Research Resource (of which The Dawn supercomputer at the University of Cambridge, is part) twenty-fold by 2030.

This represents a significant expansion of the UK’s AI compute capabilities and will ensure that researchers and startups can access the necessary infrastructure to drive breakthroughs. Clearly the opportunities here are vast. But the UK does not need to own or operate all the compute it will need. In fact, the AI Action Plan determines that Sovereign AI compute will almost certainly be the smallest component of the UK’s overall compute portfolio.

We believe it is the third approach, ‘Government with industry’, that arguably presents a greater opportunity for UK enterprises. This collaborative model emphasizes codesigning national strategies with private industry, fostering an environment where private industries can innovate, modernize and lead in AI ecosystems.

For example, the Action Plan recommends establishing ‘AI Growth Zones’ (AIGZs) to lead the accelerated build out of AI data centers. AI developers who choose to work on shared AI priorities as part of these Growth Zones could benefit from a streamlined planning approvals process. There is even discussion about the possibility of relief schemes that incentivize private sector investment.

The public-private collaboration advocated for in the AI Action Plan will enable business and government to get the most from each other and play to their respective strengths. Government can provide policy frameworks and financial support, while private enterprise can contribute expertise, innovation and speedy execution. Crucially, the model also represents an opportunity for quick wins, with smarter procurement on the table, best practice sharing and even ‘AI Sector Champions’ on hand to drive through adoption barriers.

Targeted innovation for national growth

Sovereign AI provides a framework for developing AI solutions that address critical societal and economic challenges. By aligning their objectives with national priorities, such as those outlined in the AI Action Plan, businesses can create targeted innovations with a meaningful impact. For example, the UK ranks healthcare, sustainable energy and education as priority sectors for AI-driven transformation. By collaborating within these frameworks, businesses can both contribute to national development and position themselves as leaders in emerging AI markets.

The dual benefit of this approach lies in its localized impact. Innovations codeveloped with national-level goals in mind are more likely to find support, funding and widespread adoption, making them less susceptible to external disruptions. This directly supports UK businesses in obtaining a competitive advantage against global counterparts, particularly in industries reliant on cutting-edge technologies.

Paving the future with Sovereign AI

Sovereign AI is a defining element of the UK’s vision to secure its position as a global leader in AI. It empowers secure innovation and competitiveness and enables businesses to adapt to the rapidly changing data landscape. And it provides those who want to start up and scale-up their businesses to play an active role in building a prosperous future for the UK.

UK business leaders must seize the opportunity to embed themselves in this evolving AI ecosystem. By aligning their strategies with national frameworks and taking advantage of government-supported partnerships, they can position themselves at the forefront of this transformational wave.

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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

• The Wheel of Time fans have launched a campaign to ensure the show isn't cancelled
• Amazon hasn't confirmed if the high fantasy series will return for a fourth season
• The Prime Video TV Original's latest season was the best-rated one yet

The Wheel of Time (TWoT) fans have rallied together to call on Amazon to renew the high fantasy show for more seasons.

With the Prime Video TV Original's fate hanging in the balance, fans are urging Amazon MGM Studios and fellow production company Sony Pictures Television not to cancel it after three seasons.

With general audiences and critics alike (per Rotten Tomatoes, anyway) labeling it the show's highest-rated entry so far – I even waxed lyrical about it in my review of The Wheel of Time season 3 – many assumed that a season 4 renewal was a case of when, not if.

However, that's not been the case. At the time of publication, The Wheel of Time season 3 only ended 12 days ago, but viewers have grown increasingly concerned by Amazon and Sony's radio silence on the matter. So, they've taken matters into their own hands.

TWoT's fanbase are worried that Amazon and Sony are choking the life out of the Prime Video TV Original (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video)

The global fan campaign, dubbed 'Renew WoT', is a concerted and concentrated fan effort to prove how eager they are to see TWoT's story told in full.

Indeed, TWoT devotees are petitioning their fellow viewers, as well as Amazon and Sony, to ensure that the program returns for a fourth season and beyond.

In a bid to prove how much they care about one of the best Prime Video shows' future, organizers have set up a website – RenewWot.com – as a hub where worried audience members can throw their weight behind the campaign. There, fans can sign a petition asking the show's production studios to greenlight more seasons, read testimonials from their fellow fanatics, and more.

That's not all. TWoT fans are also being called on to send an email to Amazon and Sony executives via an Action Email webpage to politely show why they want to see the series continue. To date, almost 7,000 emails have been sent to those in the corridors of power.

Will we see Mat, Nynaeve, and Min in season 4 and beyond? (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

Lastly, every Friday at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm BST, fans are being asked to take to social media, use the hashtag #RenewWoT, and state why they'd like to see more seasons of Amazon's live-action adaptation of Robert Jordan's book series namesake.

In a press release, the campaign's organizers called the series "a rare example of a major fantasy adaptation with deep character arcs, inclusive casting, and intricate world-building. Consistently improving each season, fans believe its potential is far from finished". The group also believes the campaign "stands out for its tone – focusing on appreciation, not outrage – and amplifying the voices of diverse fans across cultures and backgrounds."

So, will it work or is this another fan petition set to fall on deaf ears? For what it's worth, Josha Stradowski, who plays Rand, exclusively told me that the cast and crew were "confident" that The Wheel of Time season 4 would be greenlit eventually.

A post shared by Wheel of Time Series News (@wot.series)

A photo posted by on

Per audience measurement specialists Nielsen, The Wheel of Time accrued 505 million minutes streamed for the week running March 24 to 30. However, that data only takes US audience figures into consideration and is spread across the series' 21 episodes that were released up to and including March 30. Without more public data to pore over, then, it's still difficult to determine how well the Rafe Judkins-created program has performed worldwide and if it'll return at some point.

Still, fans aren't giving up hope that TWoT will be back.

"We know renewals depend on a lot of factors and maybe it [season 4] just hasn’t been announced yet," one unnamed organizer said. "By showing the studios how much we appreciate the show and want more, we are either validating a decision already made, or giving them a helpful nudge."

Time will tell if all of this hard work has paid off or not. For now, I've reached out to Amazon for an official comment on the fan campaign and I'll report back if I receive a response.

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• Nvidia has released another GeForce hotfix driver to address several issues
• The new hotfix driver 576.26 comes right after hotfix driver 576.15
• Issues of black screens and BSODs remain

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series GPU launch has seemingly set off a barrage of driver issues, with reports of black screens and cases of the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) ever since the first Game Ready Driver 572.16 for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 was released. Unfortunately, six drivers later, similar problems remain.

Nvidia now has released a new GeForce Hotfix driver 576.26, available on its support page, which includes fixes for several games and crash-related issues. Its arrival comes almost immediately after a previous hotfix (576.15) for the mainline Game Ready Driver 576.02, which was released to address a major temperature sensor bug and other display hiccups.

However, users are still voicing complaints about issues such as black screens when installing new drivers. In some cases, this prevents users from accessing the Windows login screen; instead, they're met with a loading cursor and a black screen. Many beleagued PC gamers took to Reddit to voice their concerns, as you can see:

Comment from r/nvidia Comment from r/nvidia Comment from r/nvidia Comment from r/nvidia

It's clear that Team Green is working hard to address these issues, and consecutive hotfix releases are one indication of that. However, it's not exactly a good look as far as consumers are concerned - especially those looking to obtain a new RTX 5000-series GPU (like the RTX 5060 Ti or the upcoming RTX 5060), as new Game Ready Drivers are often released specifically to support newer GPUs.

While drivers released since 572.16 have been stable for some users, it isn't the case for everyone. RTX 5000-series owners are currently advised by Nvidia to install 572.xx drivers that add official support for their functionality, so rolling back to older drivers isn't really possible for users with these GPUs. I’m currently reviewing an RTX 5000-series laptop, and I’ve been lucky enough to not experience any issues, but judging from the Reddit comments above, many have not been so lucky.

(Image credit: Nvidia) I've stuck with Game Ready Driver 572.47 for months, and I don't regret it

To put it simply, this is the worst series of GPU driver release issues I've seen, as users have been reporting troubles for months. I understand that Team Green is working hard to address these issues, and I applaud that, but gamers spending their hard-earned money on GPUs won't be pleased at all.

I was lucky enough to dodge the bullet of recent driver-related complications. As I highlighted previously, attempting to install a new driver left me with a black screen, forcing a restart, which then left me stuck at another black screen with a loading cursor.

I initially thought this was caused by the problematic Windows 11 24H2 update, so my solution was booting Windows into Recovery Mode and uninstalling the latest quality update, which finally let me back into my system. It was only later, when I realized that other Nvidia GPU users were reporting the same issues, that I rolled back to driver 572.47 - and I’ve been free of major problems since.

There's nothing more that I can suggest other than finding a driver that is stable for your system and avoiding any new version until there's absolute certainty that these hiccups have been resolved. Let's hope that time comes soon...

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HMRC’s recent consultation on e-invoicing marks a significant step in the UK’s efforts to modernize tax compliance. This initiative aims to put the UK in line with EU’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) framework, both sharing a common goal: to drive efficiency in digital tax reporting and real-time compliance.

While e-invoicing is nothing new (in fact, the technology has been in use for over two decades), a growing number of countries are mandating its adoption for certain transactions. Currently, approximately 130 countries have either implemented or are in the process of establishing e-invoicing frameworks, defining both required data and format specifications.

Globally, there is widespread recognition on the importance of standards in facilitating e-invoicing, especially in international trade, with industry estimates suggesting that adopting e-invoicing can reduce invoicing costs by 60-80%. The UK must keep pace to remain a competitive force in the global business landscape.

Where e-invoicing stands in the UK

E-invoicing is legally permitted in the UK; however, it is not mandatory. The UK has made efforts towards digitalization of compliance with the introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) which requires VAT-registered businesses surpassing the required threshold to maintain digital records, and submit VAT returns electronically using compatible software. The only exception is for suppliers to NHS England, who must issue e-invoices via the Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line (PEPPOL) network.

While several accountancy software providers in the UK offer e-invoicing capabilities, adoption remains low. But evidence suggests that wider uptake could offer both business efficiency and tax reporting benefits. E-invoicing can:

• Enhance productivity by reducing administrative burdens and costs
• Improve cash flow through faster payments and better data management
• Streamline tax reporting, reduce errors, and support businesses in meeting their tax obligations

Centralizing the compliance side

As real-time e-invoicing becomes the standard, indirect tax compliance must fundamentally shift alongside this change. Traditionally managed as a separate function, compliance is now integrated directly into transaction systems. Businesses must ensure that tax reporting is seamlessly embedded in their order-to-cash and procure-to-pay workflows to meet real-time reporting requirements.

The operational impact of this shift is substantial. Companies should invest in robust system integrations to avoid inefficiencies, delays, and potential penalties. Research from Vertex highlights the challenge, revealing that 62% of companies publicly report non-compliance issues, while 75% struggle internally to keep up with evolving tax mandates.

To remain compliant and competitive, businesses need an approach that combines technology investment, process re-engineering, and resource allocation.

Compliance as a business imperative

Delaying compliance efforts can lead to costly, reactive solutions. Instead, organizations should take a proactive stance to ensure seamless adherence to evolving regulations.

Staying informed about regulatory changes is essential, and businesses should actively engage with tax authorities, industry bodies, and compliance experts. Networking provides valuable insights and enables organizations to anticipate and prepare for regulatory shifts.

Automation also plays a crucial role in modern tax compliance. Implementing automated tax reporting reduces human error and enables real-time tax filing, ensuring accurate and timely payments. Intelligent invoicing systems that support dynamic tax calculations and real-time validation can significantly enhance compliance efforts.

Choosing scalable solutions that adapt to new regulatory frameworks is equally important. Businesses should implement flexible enhancements to accommodate compliance-specific data requirements, particularly if they operate across multiple jurisdictions. A compliance-first approach ensures smooth transitions without disrupting operations.

Finally, organizations should identify high-risk areas within their tax processes and allocate resources accordingly. Prioritizing compliance efforts in regions with stringent tax mandates can help mitigate potential risks effectively.

Approaches to real-time e-invoicing

As businesses worldwide transition to real-time e-invoicing, three core models have emerged that UK businesses can adopt:

• Post-Audit Model: Invoices are exchanged directly between trading partners without real-time government oversight. Tax authorities retain the right to audit invoices retrospectively.
• Clearance Model: Invoices must be submitted to and approved by the tax authority (or a government certified platform) before they are legally valid and can be exchanged between trading partners. Tax authorities may also require detailed reporting and validation of invoices in real-time or near real-time.
• Hybrid Model: This model often involves continuous transaction controls (CTC), where transaction details are reported continuously to the tax authority, but the invoice itself can still be exchanged directly between trading partners. It combines elements of real-time reporting and post-audit mechanisms.

Looking ahead: Adapting to ViDA and future regulations

With HMRC’s consultation underway, businesses must not only prepare for upcoming changes but also anticipate future regulatory shifts. To stay ahead, organizations should monitor regulatory developments, participate in industry discussions, and invest in adaptable e-invoicing solutions that support real-time tax compliance.

The digitalization of tax compliance is ongoing, and businesses that continuously evolve and adapt will be best positioned to thrive in an era of regulatory transformation.

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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 coalition of unions, nonprofits and local governments has sued President Trump, Elon Musk and the heads of nearly two dozen agencies in an effort to block mass layoffs in the federal government.

(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt)

• Hitachi Vantara, a subsidiary of Hitachi, confirmed suffering a ransomware attack
• Working to restore its services, it had to shut down parts of its infrastructure, affecting many clients and services
• The media say this is the work of the Akira ransomware operation

Hitachi Vantara was forced to pull parts of its IT infrastructure offline to counter a ransomware infection. The company confirmed the news in a written statement shared with the media.

Hitachi Vantara is a data infrastructure and analytics company. It is a subsidiary of the Japanese giant Hitachi, and provides storage systems, cloud solutions, and data management software.

Many of its customers are large enterprises from different industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government sectors. Lufthansa, Disney, national banks, and government organizations, all use Hitachi Vantara’s services.

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It uses zero-knowledge encryption and offers features like two-factor authentication, dark web monitoring, secure file storage, and breach alerts to protect against cyber threats.

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Akira ransomware

In a written statement shared with BleepingComputer, the company said it suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted its network:

"On April 26, 2025, Hitachi Vantara experienced a ransomware incident that has resulted in a disruption to some of our systems," Hitachi Vantara told the publication, stressing that it took down servers to contain the incident, brought in third-party experts to help, and that it’s working “as quickly as possible” to restore its operations.

While it didn’t say who the threat actors were, BleepingComputer claims this is the work of the Akira ransomware operation, citing a source familiar with the matter. The same source also claims the group stole sensitive files from Hitachi Vantara’s network and is requesting a ransom payment.

Hitachi Vantara’s cloud services have dodged a bullet, the publication further said, but added that in order to contain the incident, the company had to disrupt both Hitachi Vantara systems and Hitachi Vantara Manufacturing. On the flipside, customers with self-hosted environments can still access their data.

Akira first emerged in 2023, targeting businesses in different industries with the usual double-extortion tactics. It focuses on medium and large organizations in manufacturing, education, finance, and healthcare, and breaks in through VPN vulnerabilities and stolen credentials. Some of its more notable victims include Nissan Oceania, Stanley Steemer, and Bluefield University.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Samsung Galaxy S22 devices have received One UI 7 ahead of schedule
• This suggests Samsung's software rollout is going more smoothly
• We're starting to learn what features these older devices will receive

Samsung’s rollout of One UI 7 has been less than ideal, to put it mildly, but things finally look to be back on track as Samsung smartphones seem to be receiving their features ahead of schedule.

Its April rollout to older Samsung devices (outside of betas) already felt late – especially considering Google I/O’s Android 16 showcase (One UI 7 is based on Android 15) is expected in just a few weeks on May 20 and 21 – and that was only compounded by the discovering of a serious bug which caused further delays to Samsung software release.

Since then, a fix has been found and the software update continued, and better yet, it’s being reported (via SammyGuru) that devices as old as the Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are starting to receive One UI 7 in South Korea.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 (Image credit: Future / Alex Walker-Todd)

This is notable because Samsung said these older Korean phones wouldn’t see the update until some time in May, meaning we’re not only back on track but ahead of schedule.

We may still need to wait a little longer for the same phones to get One UI 7 in other markets, but this is a clear sign that we (thankfully) shouldn’t be waiting too much longer to get the Android 15-based update.

But what will One UI 7 bring to these older, non-S25 devices?

What will One UI 7 look like on older phones?

With One UI 7 now appearing on more non-Samsung Galaxy S25 devices, it’s a lot clearer what features those devices will get – and what features they’re missing out on.

Newre devices should alreday have One UI 7 (Image credit: Samsung / Future)

Galaxy AI features like Now Brief are and Audio Eraser, expectedly, are absent, but older phones do look to be getting a toned down version of Now Bar (Samsung’s version of the iPhone Dynamic Island), though from what’s been shown off so far it looks like mostly a glorified media control bar on older phones.

They are receiving One UI 7’s various cosmetic changes, such as improved app screen customization, upgraded icons, such as the phone's battery, and new Game Booster controls so you can customize your experience for different titles.

We also expect to see a few helpful productivity, security, and camera tools on the older phones, based on this full run-down of every One UI 7 feature from Samsung itself.

As more devices receive the update, we should get a clearer picture of what One UI 7 features will be available universally, and with Samsung seemingly getting ahead of its rollout schedule, it shouldn't take much longer to get access to whatever upgraded tools we get.

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• 23% HTML attachments are malicious, research from Barracuda finds
• These are often used for phishing or credential stealing
• PDFs are much less likely to be harmful

New research from Barracuda has revealed that a staggering 23% of HTML attachments are marked as malicious, making HTML the most weaponized file type - making up over three quarters of malicious files detected, despite a low total volume.

Attackers are increasingly using HTML files for phishing by embedding malicious scripts to redirect victims to fake login pages that are created in order to steal credentials or trick users into downloading malware.

The research also shows that PDFs are less likely to be malicious, despite being the most frequently shared file type via email attachments. Only 0.13% of PDFs were found to be harmful, but they are starting to more often contain deceptive links to trick readers onto credential harvesting sites.

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Takeover threats

Worryingly, 87% of binaries that were detected were malicious, which outlines the need for strict policies against executable files being sent through email. The researchers warn that “since executables can directly install malware, security teams should consider blocking binaries (unless they are absolutely necessary) and ensure all downloads are scanned before execution.”

A fifth of companies experience at least one account takeover incident per month, with criminals gaining access by exploiting weak or reused passwords, phishing, or credential stuffing - all very common tactics that are on the rise, and hackers are getting better at smuggling phishing emails past cybersecurity defenses, so be wary.

Of these account takeover attacks, 27% involved a ‘suspicious rule change’, such as auto-deleting incoming security alerts, or setting up email forwarding to an external address - helping attackers ‘maintain persistence and avoid detection’.

“As threats evolve, so should your organization’s protection,” Barracuda advises.

“Scammers are adapting their tactics to bypass gateways and spam filters, so it’s critical to have a solution in place that detects and protects against targeted phishing attacks. Supplement your gateways with AI-powered cloud email security technology that doesn’t solely rely on looking for malicious links or attachments.”

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Many people reckon that Michael Clayton is George Clooney's best performance. The legal thriller racked up an impressive selection of Oscar nominations, including a nomination for Clooney and a best supporting actress award for co-star Tilda Swinton.

In the US, it's currently streaming on Prime Video and Paramount+, while those in Australia can catch it on SBS Demand. And if you're in the UK, it'll become available on one of the best free streaming services, Samsung TV Plus, from May 2. If you haven't already seen it, you're in for a real treat.

Why is Michael Clayton one of Clooney's best movies?

The combination of movie star charisma, which of course Clooney has in spades, and a morally complex character often makes movie magic. That's definitely the case here, with Clooney playing the titular fixer who takes care of his law firm's dirty work and then gets drawn into a cover-up. And Tilda Swindon's Oscar was well deserved.

"Michael Clayton definitely has its heart in the '70s," MSNBC said. That's a compliment, as some of the best movies of that decade had flawed protagonists who weren't stereotypical good guys. The Sydney Morning Herald agreed, saying that "It's an enveloping thriller with a cool intelligence, the kind of film Redford or Newman would have jumped at 15 or 20 years ago."

Movie Mom (no link available, sorry) was impressed by Clooney's acting – "His performance here is rich and deep and layered, and seeing him work through his range of reactions is enormously moving. It provides a strong center for the legal thriller swirling around him" – while the New York Daily News said that "Every performance in this film is spot-on."

"George Clooney wastes nothing in his best performance, and the film is as breathtakingly efficient," said the Midwest Film Journal. "Specifics and surprises unfold with methodical care, and attentive adult audiences can savor one of the smartest, classiest legal thrillers ever made."

Michael Clayton is streaming now on Prime Video and on Paramount+ in the US, and SBS Demand in Ausutralia. It'll debut on Samsung TV Plus UK on May the 2nd.

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Spoak is an online interior design service made to be ‘easy, fun, and accessible to all’. Well, at least that’s what their website says. We headed over to spoak.com to find out how well this browser-based tool compares to the best interior home design software out there.

Spoak: Pricing & plans

The homepage offers a lot of options (Image credit: Spoak)

• Three tiers, one for individuals, one for teams, and one for businesses. No free plan, and some puzzling in-app purchases which should really be free. Plus you have to give your card details if you want the 7- or 14-day trial. Not a good look.

Although Spoak offers a free demo near the bottom of the homepage, this is not a free service, nor does it offer a free plan. It comes in three flavours. ‘Play’ is focused on the solo designer. It allows you to work on up to 10 public designs, comes with various features, and have a 7-day free trial, for $15 a month (choosing to pay yearly would save you 20%)

‘Power’ is more aimed at businesses and teams, where you can add up to ten seats to your account (at the cost of $40 per seat per year), and gain the ability to make your projects private, among other additional features. That account would cost $50 per month and has a 14-day free trial.

Finally, there’s ‘Enterprise’, which is more of a bespoke tier for high-end businesses, and as such the cost itself is also bespoke.

On top of that, there are purchasable add-ons. For instance, both ‘Play’ and ‘Pro’ allow you to have 3 and 10 active designs respectively. Need more? You can, for a price. We were disappointed to see that the Spoak watermark can only be removed through one of these purchases. This feels a little like the company is milking their customers.

The free trial is not without its risks either as you need to hand over your card details in order to access it. In an age where so many services let you try them out without having to do that, this does leave a bad taste in the mouth, as you then have to remember to cancel your subscription before it’s even started.

Considering their site states that “‍You are solely responsible for properly canceling your account” and that “Spoak does not offer refunds”, you have to wonder how many people lost money forgetting to cancel a trial in time, and how much of that contributes to their business model. It’s not a good start. Let’s hope the service wins us over…

You can check out Spoak by clicking here.

Spoak: Getting Started

You can have a lot of fun adding objects and furniture to your mood board (Image credit: Spoak)

• Spoak offers a lot, from mood boards to 2D floor plans, and more. The interface could be better when it comes to choosing your project, but once in, it’s very easy to get down to business.

Your home page offers a sidebar on the left, where you’ll access your designs, projects, community forums, job fairs, and clients. The main section features a selection of items for you to choose from based on what the algorithm thinks you’ll like, and above that, different types of projects, such as ‘Mood Board’, where you put objects together and see if their various styles work with each other, or ‘Vizi’ which is a mockup of the room you’re trying to recreate in real life. ‘Floor Plan’ would be a top down 2D mockup of a room, while ‘Elevation’ is a front facing 2D view of a room.

Weirdly, whichever one of these four types you choose, you’ll be brought to the exact same page, where further templates are presented to you. Why ask you to choose initially if the result doesn’t alter where you go next?

Anyway, your options are broader there, with empty rooms, pre-set backgrounds, product comparisons, and more - there’s even a section for outfits, making design concepts… more wearable. Each category has a good number of templates to choose from, and you also have the choice of starting from scratch if you prefer.

Spoak: Designing

It’s like any home design software - easy to use and customise - all minus the usual 3D aspect (Image credit: Spoak)

• Adding objects is easy. So is creating a room from scratch. Some concepts work better than others, but the whole thing feels marred by too small an inventory: some, like ‘Outfit’, barely have any.

We found designing to be a relatively simple affair. Working on a floor plan for instance was very easy, with a strong intuitive feel. It’s all done through clicking and dragging. Take walls, for instance: you can add them, reposition them, and resize them, simply by clicking on specific parts of that element. Then, you add windows and doors which automatically reorient themselves as you drag them, to match the wall’s orientation. As we said, easy. Next comes the decorations. For those, you click on the ‘Assets’ category and scroll through until you find what you want, or better yet, use the search field. Add, reposition, resize, done. Full marks for ease of use.

There’s even an ‘Inspiration’ button, which loads up similar designs in a sidebar to the right, to offer you ideas of what to do next.

The 2D elevation had very few objects to add to (Image credit: Spoak)

So far so good. ‘Head-on Elevation’ is more simplistic, but still lets you create front-facing 2D designs with a simple drag and drop. The ‘Mood Board’ is designed to throw ideas around, and mix and match furniture and decor. It’s all good.

What doesn’t work so well are the ‘Pre-set backgrounds’. These should help you immerse your design in a more realistic environment, but the customizability felt very poor. For instance, you’re able to paint the walls, which sounds great. Unfortunately, doing this washes out any decoration or detail that was present on said wall, leaving you with a rectangle of colour. Sure you can change the opacity, but then you end up with a blend of the previous colour with the new one.

Worse still is the poor choice of elements to add. Depending on the type of project you’re working on, there isn’t actually that much to choose from.

What we didn’t appreciate was the fact some items were shot in front of a background. Add them to a project, and that background is still there. There’s a background remover tool, but it doesn’t come free. You can manually remove the background yourself for free - a tedious and thankless task - or use the ‘magic’ button which costs one credit a pop (we had 40 to play with in our 7-day trial). But our main question was… why? This feels like penny pinching: imagine the number of people who would choose to pay to remove the background of the exact same object.

An Outfit mood board sounds like a fun idea, except there aren’t many outfits in Spoak’s inventory to play around with. (Image credit: Spoak)

Finally, the Outfit section sounds like a fun idea - on paper - mix and match different outfits, that kind of thing… except we couldn’t find outfits to add to our ‘Mood board’. Yes, there’s the odd cap, but another evening dress, a dinner jacket, a pair of jeans? The search field comes back empty. Maybe more will be added in time, but for now, that section is barely a curiosity.

Should I buy Spoak?

Why do you have to remove the background of an object from Spoak’s own inventory - and worse still, why do you have to pay for the privilege? (Image credit: Spoak)

Buy it if...

You like the fun versatility of exploring design, creating a room, or just throwing stuff around to see how well they go together.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You question the value of such a service, especially when it feels more barebones than its cost would make you think.View Deal

For more creative design tools, we've tested out the best landscape design software and the best architecture software

• IBM is the latest to announce major US investments, totaling $150 billion
• $30 billion will be earmarked for quantum computing
• IBM has lost 15 US government contracts

IBM has confirmed plans to invest $150 billion into the US over the next five years (via Reuters), including over $30 billion dedicated to quantum computer and mainframe manufacturing expansion.

The news comes just days after the company announced its first-quarter financial results, posting a 1% year-over-year increase in revenue to $14.5 billion.

More broadly, it's a trend we're seeing across the tech industry, with US-imposed tariffs drawing more companies to invest in the US – Apple and Nvidia have both already promised to invest $500 billion each into the US.

IBM is the latest to announce US investments

The multibillion-dollar investments are all seen as efforts to align with President Trump's push for local manufacturing amid rising tariffs. Relocating to, or expanding within America is also a direct result of the hefty tariffs imposed on certain other nations – Lenovo has already confirmed plans to build a PC and server plant in Saudi Arabia, with its 10% tariff acting as an attraction over the US's 245% rate on China.

IBM's $30 billion fund for quantum computing is noteworthy, with the technology gaining attention after recent breakthroughs like Google's new chip, leading the company to target commercialization in the next five years – much more optimistic than Nvidia's 20-year expectation for quantum's practical applications.

Last week in its earnings report, IBM noted a 2% drop in consulting revenue. The company confirmed that it had lost 15 government contracts as part of the Trump administration's cost-cutting efforts, driven by Elon Musk's DOGE.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna commented: "We have been focused on American jobs and manufacturing since our founding 114 years ago, and with this investment and manufacturing commitment we are ensuring that IBM remains the epicenter of the world's most advanced computing and AI capabilities."

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From the Dust concert performed at First Congregational Church in Portland in November, 2023.'/>

To foster equity and community, people gather several times a year to sing together in Portland, Oregon. The woman behind this effort has twice been nominated for a Grammy in music education.

Here's how to protect yourself from anonymous calls.

• OpenAI is introducing shopping features to all tiers of ChatGPT
• You can integrate shopping into your chatbot conversations
• The shopping features arrive on Monday

ChatGPT is getting new shopping features that enable you to shop and buy products directly inside ChatGPT conversations.

The usual online shopping experience leaves a lot to be desired. You’ve normally got several tabs open as you search for and then compare different products based on a selection of reviews.

Maybe that’s the way you like it, but now you can get ChatGPT to do all the work for you and help you find the perfect product.

So, instead of scrolling through endless pages of specs and reviews, now you can simply have a conversation with ChatGPT, where you let it know what you’re looking to buy.

The AI will think about your preferences and return several shopping suggestions for you to choose from.

You don’t have to take the first thing ChatGPT finds for you, either, since it produces a gallery of suggestions. You can also ask follow-up questions, of course, and compare products while you have a conversation with AI.

You can see a demo of ChatGPT shopping in action below:

ShoppingWe’re experimenting with making shopping simpler and faster to find, compare, and buy products in ChatGPT.✅ Improved product results✅ Visual product details, pricing, and reviews✅ Direct links to buyProduct results are chosen independently and are not ads.… pic.twitter.com/PkZwsTxJUjApril 28, 2025

Shop till you drop

So, what sort of products will you be able to shop for on ChatGPT?

“We’re starting to experiment with categories including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics”, says OpenAI, indicating that it’s very much focused on consumer goods right now.

The other big question to ask is, can you trust ChatGPT recommendations?

Well, OpenAI says that ChatGPT recommendations are chosen independently and are not ads. In fact, there’s no mention of ads inside the service at all.

OpenAI is making the tacit admission that there won’t be as wide a selection of products to shop for as it would like at launch, but also that this is still early days for AI and eCommerce and that, “we’ll continue to bring merchants along our journeys as we quickly learn and iterate.”

How does it work?

Using the new shopping features is simplicity itself. There are no extra screens or buttons to press inside ChatGPT, you simply enter a shopping-related query like, “Find me the best espresso machine for under $400 that makes coffee like they have in Italy,” and see what suggestions it brings up.

Product suggestions appear as a gallery, which can be scrolled sideways. Tapping on a product takes you to a more detailed pop-up window about it, which also contains a 'buy' button.

The only question left is, when do we get it? Plus, Pro and Free users are going to get it on Monday (May 5), and, unusually, even logged-out users will be able to access it.

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