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Formula 1 racing is the pinnacle of precision and efficiency. As we gear up towards the global finale, this season’s races have shown us that securing pole position is not just about the driver’s skill or the car's performance but also about the efficiency of the pitstop team. This high-stakes, carefully executed process provides invaluable lessons for tech teams operating in today’s rapid and demanding business landscape.

In Formula 1, every second lost in the pitstop is a second lost on the track. Similarly, fast-paced tech teams must prioritise efficiency and quick decision-making. In critical situations where reducing time to market is essential, this can significantly impact a product’s success or failure. By adopting the pit crew's approach—emphasizing precision and coordinated teamwork—tech teams can drive their projects toward success.

Enhancing team coordination and efficiency

Pitstop crews are highly coordinated, with each member having a clearly defined role that contributes to a seamless operation. Similarly, across nuanced and complex tech projects, it’s paramount that team members have clearly defined roles. When each member understands their specific contributions, teams can avoid costly overlaps and gaps.

For example, during a software development project, clear role definition helps in delineating responsibilities for front-end developers, back-end developers, and UI/UX designers. This allows teams to work in parallel without waiting on each other’s tasks, much like a pit crew where tire changers, refuelers, and mechanics work without interference.

Building trust and empowerment within teams

In high-pressure environments like Formula 1 and product development, trust among team members is essential. Teams that trust each other’s expertise and ability to execute can operate more fluidly and make decisions faster. Creating a culture where team members feel empowered to think independently can enhance this trust and improve overall performance.

One way to build this in a tech environment is through regular team-building activities that not only boost morale but also help in forming personal bonds that translate into professional trust. Additionally, encouraging open communication and sharing of ideas without fear of criticism can foster an inclusive and collaborative atmosphere.

Leveraging technology to boost performance

Just as F1 teams use technology and data to cut down pit stop times, tech teams can use modern methodologies to enhance their operational efficiency. For instance, adopting lean principles can help teams identify waste in their processes and eliminate it, thus speeding up the development cycle without sacrificing quality.

Moreover, leveraging robust software and project management tools can streamline coordination and oversight of complex projects. For example, cloud-based project management platforms enable real-time tracking of progress, resource allocation, and deadline management. These help maintain a bird's-eye view of the project landscape, allowing team leaders to keep the project moving swiftly and efficiently.

Leadership that maintains direction

The role of a pit crew chief is crucial as they oversee the entire operation, making sure everyone is synchronized and performing at their best under pressure. Similarly, tech team leaders must maintain composure and provide clear direction during critical phases of product launches or when unexpected challenges arise.

An effective project leader, like an F1 crew chief, must be able to assess situations quickly and guide their team through effective decision-making processes, ensuring every member remains on track. This might involve pivoting project directions in response to test feedback or market changes, ensuring the product remains competitive and meets user needs.

Vision-driven execution and continuous improvement

A clear, compelling vision is crucial for driving teams toward success. In F1, the vision is clear—optimise each stop to win the race. In tech, the vision might be to innovate continually and lead the market in user-centric products. Leaders must keep this vision clear and integrate it into all aspects of project management and team culture.

Continuously improving based on feedback loops—from users, stakeholders, and team members—can help tech teams adapt and excel. This is similar to how pit crews analyze every second of their operations to refine and speed up their processes for future races.

By embracing the efficiency, teamwork, and strategic planning of Formula 1 pit crews, tech teams can achieve greater productivity and push the boundaries of what they can deliver in their competitive fields. This strategic approach not only speeds up development cycles but also builds a strong foundation for sustained success and growth.

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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

It’s been clear, over the past few years, that the UK’s public sector has faced significant financial struggles – grappling with issues ranging from deteriorating infrastructure to the immense operational and financial pressures on the NHS. Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed a £22 billion “black hole” in public finances this year, and this doesn’t necessarily come as a huge surprise.

This challenge is so stark, that the Local Government Association has found that nearly one in five local councils are likely to be facing bankruptcy by March 2025 – with the County Councils Network forecasting a £54 billion funding shortfall facing England’s local councils over the next five years.

The day-to-day running of these buildings is economically demanding, especially in a climate of decreasing funding and inflation of energy costs, which alone are adding over £95 million to the total council spending bills in 2023/24.

Technology, however, can offer hope. New modelling from Vodafone UK and WPI Strategy shows how 5G-powered digital technologies could reduce energy bills and improve energy efficiency, when applied to public buildings like hospitals, schools, and leisure centers.

The research found that technologies like digital twins – virtual models of buildings – enable engineers to remotely monitor and optimize building performance, quickly identifying maintenance needs and opportunities for cost and energy efficiencies. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables communication between devices, whilst smart sensors installed across public buildings can enhance data collection and analysis.

Collectively, these technologies have the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 1.43 million tons of CO2e annually when installed across the public estate. To put this into context, that’s the equivalent annual electricity usage of almost 300,000 homes – more than every house in a city as large as Leeds.

Implementing these technologies could reduce UK energy bills massively, saving £580 million of public money annually.

These technologies already exist, but they will have much greater potential on a 5G Standalone (SA) network. As opposed to the current 5G network, which only uses upgraded technology in its masts and also partly relies on 4G technology, 5G SA is a fully upgraded network in all its components – from radio, to access, transport and core – that solely uses 5G technology.

Driving efficiencies in NHS hospitals

On average, 47,000 people visit hospitals every day – given their size, the volume of technology used and the high demand for their services, they are expensive to run. However, by deploying digital twin technology powered by 5G, they could save a total of £219.7 million every year.

Digital twin technology would enable engineers and hospital management to study the running and energy usage of hospital buildings remotely and in detail to identify where they can drive energy and cost efficiencies.

These digital twins can also help hospital management better understand patient capacity, with sensors on beds powered by IoT allowing staff to work out which beds are free and where, even as they move around the hospital.

Protecting our leisure centers

The cost of keeping leisure center pools heated has meant that more than 1,000 pools have closed since 2010 and a further 1,500 are at risk of shutting soon, which is a concerning trend. These sites not only offer health and wellbeing for many, they act as hubs that are so vital to local communities. Worryingly, people believe these centers are the second public building most at risk of closure due to struggling finances, according to recent polling by Vodafone.

However, seamlessly connected devices through a 5G SA network and IoT could save leisure centers up to £72.1 million per year – allowing managers to monitor temperature, lighting and water quality in real-time, through interconnected sensors and smart meters. This will allow optimal swimming conditions to be maintained whilst not wasting energy on heating and lighting.

Helping leisure centers to not only reduce their carbon footprint but also save much-needed funds means that other resources and facilities could be upgraded.

School’s out, lights out

The size of schools, matched with the fact that not all classrooms are always in use (with long periods of inactivity on weekends and during holidays) means that energy and water efficiency can be a challenge in schools.

With 5G-enabled sensors, they could save up to £94 million per year. These can offer 24/7 monitoring of heating, ventilation, lighting and plumbing systems, which helps facilities managers identify minor issues before they turn into major problems; and allows them to control heating and cooling systems according to class and holiday schedules.

The 5G SA network means that these sensors can process this data at a much faster rate – increasing the efficiency of maintenance operations and saving time, energy and money.

When will we see this in action?

It is clear the Government is acutely aware of the need to drive cost efficiencies wherever possible in the public estate – but not everyone realizes just how helpful technology can be in making this happen. In fact, 66% of people in our survey said they’re not aware of the impact technology can have on buildings seeking to reduce energy use, which inevitably leads to financial savings.

Our research shows that 5G-powered technologies across public buildings could deliver annual savings of £580 million and a carbon saving of 17% in the public estate – going a long way to contribute to our new Government’s goals.

This is why significant digital infrastructure investment is essential to ensure the successful rollout of 5G SA across the UK. Only then will we be able to provide the 5G SA connectivity that critical areas like schools and hospitals need to drive these efficiencies.

As such, we need to continue to think innovatively and collaborate with each other – only then will we be able to fill the “black hole” in our public finances, reinvest in new public sector, and generate economic benefits for the UK as whole.

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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

Get your hands on a Fire TV Stick for as little as $18 in this sale.

• Security researchers find critical flaws in modems reaching End of Life
• D-Link says it won't patch them, and recommends upgrading the hardware
• There are some 60,000 vulnerable devices out there

Older D-Link routers are potentially vulnerable to more than one critical security issue which could allow threat actors to take over the devices. However, since they have reached end-of-life status (EoL), the company says it will not be releasing any patches, and advises users to replace the endpoints with newer models.

The news comes shortly after we reported multiple D-Link NAS endpoints were found vulnerable to CVE-2024-10914, a command injection flaw with a 9.2 severity score - however the company again said it wouldn’t be issuing a fix, since the affected devices have all reached EoL.

Now, security researcher Chaio-Lin Yu (Steven Meow) found three bugs plaguing the D-Link DSL6740C modem. One is tracked as CVE-2024-11068, has a severity score of 9.8, and allows threat actors to change passwords through privileged API access. The other two are CVE-2024-11067, and CVE-2024-11066, and are a path traversal flaw and a remote code execution (RCE) flaw, with 7.5 and 7.2 scores, respectively.

Tens of thousands of vulnerable endpoints

Roughly 60,000 vulnerable devices are currently connected to the internet, the majority being located in Taiwan. The model isn’t even available in the US, BleepingComputer states, since it reached EoL almost a year ago. With that in mind, D-Link said it wouldn’t be addressing the flaw, and suggests "retiring and replacing D-Link devices that have reached EOL/EOS."

The same model is also vulnerable to four additional high-severity command injection flaws, the publication states, citing information from the Taiwanese computer and response center (TWCERTCC). These flaws are tracked as CVE-2024-11062, CVE-2024-11063, CVE-2024-11064, and CVE-2024-11065.

Users who are unable to replace their routers at the moment are advised to at least restrict remote access, and set secure access passwords, to minimize the chance of compromise. This would be a wise move since routers are one of the most targeted endpoints out there.

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The Power Saber manages to do the one thing every Star Wars fan wishes their lightsaber could do, and it's at the perfect price to be a great holiday gift for the younglings in your life.

• Edge now auto-starts in Windows 11, nudging users to set it as their default
• Prompts and persistent notifications make dismissing Edge harder
• Microsoft’s aggressive push for Edge and its other products persists, despite backlash from users

In a disappointing (but not entirely surprising) move, the Edge web browser has started to open automatically in Windows 11, ignoring users’ default choices and urging them to use it as their default browser. Something similar happened at the beginning of the year, with users noticing that Microsoft was seemingly helping itself to their Chrome data to try and steer them in Edge’s direction.

There was a backlash when it happened, and while Microsoft did remedy the issue the first time, it looks a lot like history might be repeating itself.

According to Neowin, Edge is apparently automatically starting for some users, suggesting that they ‘enhance’ their browsing experience with Copilot. Copilot is the AI assistant that Microsoft debuted a short while ago, claiming that it could be an all-purpose digital assistant that will help you do all kinds of tasks and activities on your PC. However, it looks like Microsoft is struggling to get its users to be as enthusiastic about Copilot as it is.

In the notification that takes over the screen, originally spotted by The Verge, the option to import your data from the browser you use regularly is ticked automatically and all you have to do is click ‘Confirm and continue.’ This was shown to users automatically, and it’s also not obvious how you can navigate away from the message without agreeing to change your web browser to Edge. This seems to have been deliberately designed, with the only way to get out of the process being a faint small ‘x’ in the top right corner.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that it was a deliberate strategy, stating:

“This is a notification giving people the choice to import data from other browsers. There is an option to turn it off.”

Neowin points out that if you wanted to stop this from happening repeatedly, you would have to open Edge, close all reminders in there prodding for you to share your data, sign into your Microsoft account, and only then be able to turn off autostart.

(Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft: the great nag of the software world

Unfortunately, this is pretty in line with Microsoft’s previous behavior when it comes to trying to convert users to Edge. It showed pop-up ads on the official Chrome website and created a survey to find out why users are choosing Chrome over Edge, which some people felt was a rather pushy way of getting people to change their minds about Edge.

Microsoft’s rivals in the browser game, as well as consumer rights advocacy groups, have not been happy about Microsoft’s heavy-handed approach to trying to get users to stick with Edge, and have brought their complaints to regulators, but this hasn’t changed Microsoft’s mind.

It doesn’t even seem like this has resulted in Edge gaining many new users, so it doesn’t seem like this approach is paying off. I don’t see Microsoft changing course until regulatory bodies get involved, though I would guess that Microsoft might put an end to this specific Edge push and just try again, perhaps in some other way, in a few months.

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A decade after universally mocking Google Glass wearers, AI smart glasses may finally have their moment. We're starting to see AI-enhanced wearables for the face appear with an ever-growing array of features designed to entice you, with big names like Meta and Baidu, as well as startups like Brilliant Labs and Solos employing AI models and advanced hardware to change how we see the world, literally and metaphorically. Here are the biggest reasons 2025 will be the year for AI smart glasses.

Smart glasses focus AI in useful ways.

As people become more comfortable with using advanced AI tools, they want to use them in more settings. That can be annoying if you're driving or don't want to pull out your phone constantly. Unlike Google Glass, modern smart glasses are designed around easy access while not being distracting to people around you. Meta’s partnership with Ray-Ban, for example, offers a device that can take photos and videos, link you to the Meta AI assistant, and still look like stylish frames. Throw in features like real-time translation and health metrics, as showcased in the Solos AirGo 3 Smart Glasses, and the blending of eyewear and AI makes a lot of sense.

Plus, smart glasses may be the best way to get generative AI into hardware. Compare the excitement over smart glasses to t the struggles of devices like the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1, and the Plaud.ai NotePin. Smart glasses feel like a much safer bet than any other devices made explicitly for AI.

Productivity face

Converging with the recognition of smart glasses as the best vehicle for AI is how people use AI in ways that lend themselves to smart glasses. Next year, you might be wearing your personal study buddy or office assistant on your face. Brilliant Labs is envisioning that future with their Frame Smart Glasses. Equipped with the proprietary Noa AI assistant, they're specifically aimed at busy people by linking reminders, contextual information, and task lists to the wearable.

The same goes for Baidu and its new Xiaodu Smart Glasses. Powered by the Ernie large language model, Baidu's glasses include answers about the world around you, like nearby restaurants, and even track calories from your meals. Context-based conversational AI has only become feasible on a wide scale in recent months, but having sensors and communication tools on your face makes it a lot better for task management. The two trends reinforce each other.

Augmenting reality with augmented reality

Smart glasses can include everything from tiny speakers linked to a voice assistant to a small screen inset on one of the lenses. But augmented reality offers to completely overlay what you see with extra information. Improvements in augmented reality alone wouldn't mean AI smart glasses will have a huge 2025, but as Meta has teased with Orion, smart glasses that employ augmented reality along with AI could be a huge new market.

Orion doesn't come out until next year, but it's not alone in leveraging AR with AI. Brilliant Labs’ Frame Smart Glasses are also big on boosting experiences through AR with an open-source platform that encourages developers to create tailored applications, meaning you could soon have custom-built apps suited to your needs.

It may not be exactly around the corner, but a future where we are all wearing AI-fueled smart glasses is coming more into focus every week.

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You might see your coworkers in only two dimensions, but don’t let that stop you from looking your best.

• VMware Fusion and Workstation become free for all users
• Paid Pro versions discontinued along with Pro support
• Broadcom promises to listen to customer feedback

A year after Broadcom acquired VMware and enacted serious changes to the product portfolio, the company is now offering VMware Fusion and Workstation products for free to all users.

The significant change comes as a surprise, given the company’s previous and controversial change to paid subscriptions.

After sharp price rises across the board as a result of the so-called simplification of its lineup, which saw customers forced to buy into bundles that they might not have needed, the announcement of two free products is welcome news.

VMware confirms two free product offerings

Broadcom, which took ownership of VMware in November 2023, is now offering its VMware Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro products to all types of customers, including commercial, educational and personal users.

Head of Product Marketing for VMware Cloud Foundation, Mark Chuang, confirmed in a blog post: “Effective immediately, both VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation will transition away from the paid subscription model, meaning you can now utilize these tools without any cost.”

Existing subscribers with active support contracts will keep their service until their contract ends, however the Pro versions of Fusion and Workstation will be retired, which means support ticketing will no longer be offered. Support will only be available in the form of online resources like “documentation, user guides and community forums,” says Chuang.

Looking ahead, Broadcom is promising to continue investing in new features, usability improvements, and other enhancements. The firm also shared a commitment to “maintaining its high standards for stability” and delivering timely updates. The California-headquartered company also promises to listen to customer feedback for “valuable insights” – something it failed to do for the first twelve months of its VMware ownership, when many customers sought to find alternative solutions amid cost concerns.

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• Connor Moucka and John Binns accused of attacking 10 companies, including AT&T
• The US Government claims they extorted 36 bitcoin from their victims
• Both were known to law enforcement in the past

The US government has accused two individuals of breaching 10 major companies, stealing their sensitive data, and then either extorting the firms for money, or selling the stolen data on the dark web. Among the victims is, most likely, AT&T, the American telecommunications powerhouse.

In the indictment, which TechCrunch published, the two individuals are named as Connor Moucka and John Binns. Both are already known, to both the media and law enforcement, as Alexander ‘Connor’ Moucka (aka Waifu and Judische) was taken into custody on October 30, in Canada, following a request by US law enforcement.

Binns, on the other hand, was already mentioned in relation to the AT&T hack, as one of the hackers with access to the stolen database, who tried to sell it back to the company. He was arrested in Turkey, for alleged crimes he committed in 2021 and, apparently, was to blame for the data breach that happened at T-Mobile, as well.

Hints of AT&T

The US government claim Moucka and Binns “devised and executed international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes to hack into at least 10 victim organizations’ protected computer networks, steal sensitive information, threaten to leak the stolen data unless the victims paid ransoms, and offer to sell online, and sell, the stolen data.”

“Through this scheme, the co-conspirators gained unlawful access to billions of sensitive customer records, including individuals’ non-content call and text history records, banking and other financial information, payroll records, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, Social Security Numbers, and other personally identifiable information,” it says in the indictment.

The result of the attacks, the Government concludes, is profit of “at least 36 bitcoin ($2.5m at time of payment)” extorted from at least three victims.

While the document does not mention the names of victim companies, it does list Victim-2 as a major telecommunications company located in the United States, whose Cloud Computing Instance was hosted at computer servers located in Virginia. It was also said that this victim was breached in mid-April. All these things align it with AT&T.

Both the company, and the Department of Justice (DoJ), are currently silent on the matter.

Via TechCrunch

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• Adobe Stock gains new Generative Edits and Generate Variations tools
• Powered by in-house Firefly AI models, but each edit costs a ‘credit’
• Contributors will still get compensation when their image is used

Adobe has rolled out two new features designed to make it easier for users to find and customize stock images, which it says comes in response to the growing need for businesses to find suitable images that match their brand identity.

The software giant has launched a pair of generative AI tools to help businesses modify and personalize existing stock content in order to make it more tailored to their needs.

Using Adobe’s Firefly AI technology, the updates include two new tools – Generative Edits and Generate Variations – which can both be accessed from within Adobe Stock.

Adobe Stock gets AI-powered editing tools

“With demand for content increasing, we wanted to provide opportunities for creators to develop content at scale with confidence and continue to support our Contributor community," commented VP for Adobe Strategy, Design, & Emerging Products, Matthew Smith.

Besides offering more options for the users of stock images, Adobe also hopes that images will become more versatile, therefore contributors are more likely to license their images and generate an income, making the update a win-win for both sides of the transaction.

“Contributors are compensated when their Stock asset is used as a reference and the resulting generated output is downloaded," Smith added.

With Generative Edits, users will be able to replace and remove backgrounds as well as expand images using generative AI to fill different aspect ratios.

The Generate Variations tool lets users pick between different image styles to match existing content and ensure consistency, and composition such as image outline and depth.

Even with the generative AI tweaks, Adobe claims that outputs are commercially viable and backed by IP indemnification for eligible customers.

Generative Edits and Generate Variations are now generally available for Adobe Stock customers. Using the generative AI features will use a generative credit, and an additional Adobe Stock credit may be used depending on the plan type.

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• Strava is expanding its new Heatmaps feature
• There are new Night and Weekly Heatmaps
• They're designed to help users find active trails and roads, as well as populated routes, during winter

Strava has today rolled out an expansion of its helpful Heatmaps feature, bringing two new options to improve your winter workouts.

The new Night and Weekly Heatmaps are designed to help users make better decisions about the routes they take during the winter, especially in the evening after dark, or early in the morning. The Night Heatmap will show activities recorded between sunset and sunrise, so you can find popular areas for working out where there are plenty of people around.

The Weekly Heatmap is a broader look at activity from the last seven days, which should help inform users about which trails and roads are currently active, and which might be getting less use because of inclement weather and the changing seasonal conditions.

Strava expands Heatmaps

(Image credit: Strava)

Strava's Heatmaps are available to its premium subscribers only, and this week's additions bring the total number of Heatmaps up to four. Alongside the new Night and Weekly options, Global shows users the most popular areas all around the world, and the Personal option shows a one-of-a-kind record of all your recorded exploits, only visible to you. Only the Global Heatmap is available to all users, the rest are for subscribers.

To access the new Night or Weekly Heatmaps following the rollout, simply head to the Maps tab and select your desired Heatmap. You'll be able to filter by activity, and you can even view multiple Heatmaps at once.

Strava is definitely one of the best fitness apps out there, especially for adventurers. Its outdoor tracking and social networking features make it one of the most popular fitness communities on the planet, boasting 135 million users in more than 190 countries.

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