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Essayist Phil Klay says Trump tried to use the military to push his partisan agenda before, and may further erode norms around the military as he looks for those willing to "go with his whims."

Columbia residents have some great fiber internet options across the city.

Jamison was a dance star who led the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to new heights.

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Having reviewed several portable power stations from varying brands across the years, the noted mainstays of the industry was mainly copy and paste with few tweaks and features. Nearly all of them were of a large boxlike design often with a status screen, varying power in and outputs and maybe an app. Portable was only the word used in that you could pick it up and cart it off elsewhere, but some of them were bulky and pushing north of 20kgs in weight.

The Bluetti Handsfree 2 brings a whole new designed approach with portable the forefront of the product aimed at a niche of customers who may find this the very thing they are after. With a power bank shaped differently (narrower, flatter body shape) compared to the standard box. How does it compare to the best portable power stations? I put it to the test.

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Packaging

We received the Bluetti Handsfree 2 which is a Bluetti branded dark blue rucksack like bag, in it containing the power bank with 512Wh of power storage and a maximum combined output of 700W.

The box was a plain cardboard box which we have come to expect from Bluetti with only text on the outside detailing what’s within.

Pulling the bag out we found everything to be contained within the bag including the following:

• The aforementioned bag
• The Bluetti Handsfree 2 700W 512Wh power bank
• AC charging cable
• An XT60 to MC4 cable
• Manual and Warranty Card

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(Image credit: Bluetti ) Bluetti Handsfree 2: Fit and feel

Firstly, we will have a look at the power bank, measuring 382mm high by 300mm deep by 99mm wide you can tell is not box shape, think more like the “under monitor PC case” often seen in business office shape.

When talking of the power bank we will be discussing it in its upright position as the lettering clearly indicates that this is the right way up for the unit. At the base of the unit are two large rubber feet on the bottom to prevent sliding or tipping. The sides of body have the now recognisable Bluetti ridge effect on the sides we have seen I the previously reviewed AC240 and AC200L. One of the sides is clearly considered the down side if the unit was to be laid flat as there are 10 rubber feet.

At the front is the status screen, more on this later, below the screen are the only buttons, they are the on/off buttons for the unit itself, DC and AC. Below that are two USB-C, both capable of 100W outputs, below that are two USB-A with 15W output. Lastly at the front is the XT60 DC input for the unit supporting between 12 to 45Volts with a max 8.2amp or 350W input to charge the power bank.

At the rear is the AC output outputting 230V with a maximum 700W, the inverter capable of Pure Sine Wave output at 50 or 60Hz, in the centre is the AC input, thankfully a standard C13 connector and lastly the earthing screw point for the unit.

It was noted that our review unit was originally built for the EU market as it came with the Schuko Type F AC cable and AC outlet built into the unit meaning that for us to use and review it, we had to use an EU to UK plug travel adapter. Of note, this power bank does have UPS capability.

The status screen is the typical layout expected in Bluetti products, if you have used their other power banks before, you’ll be familiar with this one. In the centre is the total % remaining with a rough running time below depending on in/outputs. On the left is the input wattage for both AC and DC, on the right is the output wattage for AC or DC with indication as to which one is being used.

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Now on to the ruck sack itself. The bag is made from a very high-quality Polyester fabric/material with padding in several places with some useful built in features.

At the front is the Bluetti logo, at the top is a small zip pouch, below that is a pouch with a hook and loop fastened flap with 6 loops of fabric tape that resembles MOLLE loops but isn’t and at the bottom is a large zip up pouch which contains some internal pockets for ID badges, pens etc. Between the flaps are buckles so that items and things can be looped through them.

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Opening the first part of the bag reveals what I like to call “the personal compartment” of the bag, this has a more typical carryon luggage type of compartment, it has mesh compartments both zipped and not as well as the straps often found in such type of luggage. There is a zip the runs all the way around that allows you to expand the entirety of the compartment so that you may fill it with clothes, toiletries and personal effects.

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The next compartment I like to call the “equipment compartment”. This has a pouch for a laptop, I was able to easily fit a 13” and 15” laptop, both at the same time. This compartment has various padding dividers allowing you to customise the inside based on what devices you wish to carry such as cameras, drones etc.

(Image credit: Bluetti )

The last compartment and the one closest to your back is the power bank one, the space is a snug compartment for the power bank with hook and loop straps to hold it in and a top divider allowing you use the last 20% of the rear compartment for personal effects. The sides of this compartment have vented rubber like flaps which can be opened to allow access to the front and back of the power bank without having to remove it from the bag itself, inside this is also a nice little leather detail of Bluetti’s logo and a slogan. An odd note was that the covering flap said “only use with Handsfree 1” though this is the Handsfree 2?

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Finally, some other points of the outside of the bag are, at the top is a security 3-digit combination lock for the equipment section, at the bottom are two carrying straps which can be used to cinch items to the bag, I pictured a camping mat. Some smaller loops on the front of the bag for hooking carabiners or as they show in their publication, portable solar panels to charge the power bank. On either side are two straps which can be used to hold the side flaps up and open for access to the power bank. There are two mesh pockets to stash water bottles or small items and towards the top bungee cords for securing longer items and objects.

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The two shoulder straps are well padded with various adjustment straps above the shoulders and at around the waistline. On the left strap is a non removable GoPro mount just above the chest strap. Then there are the waist straps which have little pouches built into them, I also located the storm cover in the right waist strap pouch. On that note all external zips have a rubber like lining to them to improve water repellency as does the fabric of the bag itself.

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(Image credit: Bluetti ) Bluetti Handsfree 2: In use

Using it is as simple as charging up the power bank in your method of choice, slip it into the bag and fill it up with what you need. The first thing that was noticed was the heft of the bag even when empty weighing in at a little over 10Kgs.

Once filled with equipment and clothes at the maximum expansion, it was noted how chunky the bag was protruding from my back, in the image the manual is A5 in size. It is so big and heavy I don’t think it can be classed as carry on luggage at all, battery capacity notwithstanding as most airlines have a maximum lithium battery capacity size of 160Wh.

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The bag has no internal rigid frame meaning that the body of the bag is made by the battery, not a bad thing as it lightens the weight. One person pointed out that a frame with wheels at the base and a pull handle like those seen on carry-on and larger suitcases would have been a nice touch as carrying it by back or hand would rapidly be tiring.

I handed this to a person who works in emergency services, where remote power was often needed or necessary for on site incidents to have a go at using. Using it for a week, he noted that the external zips on the battery compartment flaps snagged the mesh pockets on the side, which in turn tore the mesh netting leading to a hole (see photo).

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He noted that this was the only design flaw of the bag, he commented on how well built the bag was but that it wasn’t made for emergency services in mind as the compartments shape and size did not suit him. The weight was another factor as he was now carrying around a far bigger battery pack than before, also comments from colleagues about the sheer size of the bag.

So, who is this product made for? My guess, and that of Bluetti’s, is for the drone operator or photographer who needs to carry their equipment, needs an amount of portable power and maybe a change of clothes for an overnight shoot or job at a remote location which requires only walking to for that last mile or two from a larger base camp or vehicle. I cannot see this being used as an every day carry for daily use unless you want a work out.

There is the standard Bluetti App which faultlessly syncs to the battery giving you more control, status and options than the three buttons on the front. The app is well made showing you more detail on charge and discharge stats.

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Price

Currently this product isn’t available in the UK or EU markets, the US shows it retailing with a launch price of $399 but an RRP of $599 (£305 GBP and £460 GBP respectively). No tell of when there will be a UK or EU launch date for this product.

Oddly, you can buy the battery which comes with the bag or the bag itself for $199 USD (£152 GBP) but you can’t buy the battery alone, I would say that there is probably a market for those that want this battery size.

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Final verdict

Overall as a product, it is very well made, the battery power bank is large enough to handle most day to day charging of small electronic devices with ease without seeming to be underpowered when compared to smaller battery banks. If you need more output wattage then the bigger brethren of the Handsfree 2 would be needed such as the AC200L.

The ruck to carry it is very well made for a company who are not specialised in ruck sacks or equipment bags, its quite clear that Bluetti did their research and know that this product is aimed for the tech gear person who travels (but not by air) and needs portable power but not the heavy lifting of larger battery banks.

A great bag for drone operators as it has space for one or two drones, batteries and kit for them. Dare I say a certain country would love this product where they have plenty of field drone operators, the need for portable power in a small, agile product.

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• Samsung's database shows 83-inch QD-OLEDs for 2025
• Some models may use W-OLED panels instead
• Official launches are expected in January 2025

Samsung appears to be planning the launch of its largest-ever QD-OLED TV in 2025 – and it's bringing the tech to its S95 series OLED TVs.

That's according to the famous Samsung leaker... Samsung.

The news comes via Samsung's own parts database, which lists QD-OLED panels of up to 83 inches with 2025 model numbers. The details were originally posted to Reddit, and they've since been corroborated by FlatpanelsHD.

What's coming to Samsung TVs in 2025

QD-OLED is a direct competitor to LG's W-OLED panel tech, and it's currently used in the best OLED TVs such as the Samsung S95D as well as other firms' models, such as the Sony A95L. Until now it's maxed out at 77 inches, so the 83-inch panels in Samsung's database represent a welcome size increase.

According to FlatpanelsHD, the information in the database indicates that the 83-inch Samsung S95F will be available with both QD-OLED and W-OLED – part of a "panel lottery" we've seen this year where it's sometimes unclear what panel is inside a specific Samsung TV. For example, the QN90 QNED TV comes with either a VA LCD panel or an IPS LCD, and there are differences in the contrast levels between each panel kind.

For now, the details of the new TVs only live in the parts database. But if Samsung sticks to its usual schedule we should see its new TV range make its debut at CES 2025 in January, with the inevitable flurry of last-minute leaks in the weeks leading up to that event.

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Available parts include cameras, displays, speakers, back glass and batteries.

• US government agencies speak out about memory-unsafe languages
• C/C++ are a “risk to national security,” the economy, public health and safety
• Developers working with critical infrastructure advised to follow further guidance

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI have advised businesses not to use the popular C and C++ programming languages, citing security concerns.

The joint report, titled ‘Product Security Bad Practices,’ forms part of the CISA’s ‘Secure by Design’ initiative, and hopes to guide software manufacturers away from risky practices when creating products for critical infrastructure.

Using memory-unsafe languages, like C and C++, was highlighted as one of the key threats to security in the report.

CISA and FBI warn against use of C/C++

Described as “dangerous” and a “risk to national security, national economic security, and national public health and safety,” the agencies advise against using memory-unsafe languages where memory-safe languages are a viable alternative.

Other recommended action includes publishing a memory safety roadmap by January 1, 2026, detailing steps to address vulnerabilities, particularly for sensitive components, however products with support ending before January 1, 2030 will be exempt from this guidance.

More broadly, a Stack Overflow survey of more than 3,000 UK developers last month revealed that nearly two-thirds (63%) of developers in Britain preferred JavaScript, which is a memory-safe language.

The agencies also highlight some common security oversights, suggesting that companies build products in such a way that they prevent the introduction of SQL injection vulnerabilities and command injection vulnerabilities. The advisory also recommends avoiding using default passwords by requiring the use of secure credentials upon installation.

In terms of ongoing support, the two agencies also call for companies to issue CVEs in a “timely manner,” particularly for critical and high-impact vulnerabilities, whether they are discovered internally or by a third party.

Full details of the advisory can be found on the CISA’s website.

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I heard it before I saw it: a big black van emblazoned with that all-too-familiar Amazon grin. It wasn't the sizeable van's engine. No, I heard some unidentifiable 80s hair band rock blaring from the van's expansive cabin.

My wife and I, who were on one of our daily walks, paused to gawk at the van, one of a handful that had started showing up in my neighborhood over the last month or so. Though as big as a UPS truck, these Rivian-built vans cruise silently through our streets, delivering on a promise Amazon made in June to launch a fleet of 15,000 electric delivery vans across the US (it's also rolling EV delivering trucks out in Europe), with the ultimate goal of seeding at least 100,000 such vans. The company currently has at least 90,000 gas-powered vehicles delivering your precious packages.

Amazon isn't alone in its efforts to remove fossil fuel-guzzling delivery trucks from the road. The United States Postal Service unveiled its fleet of EVs in January and planned to start using them in Georgia. The rollout didn't really get underway, though, until September.

UPS, which claims to have been driving EVs for almost a century, reports over 18,000 "alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles" on the road.

Amazon and UPS have reported building out charging networks to support these growing EV fleets, though.

These efforts matter because some estimates put the number of holiday package deliveries in the billions, and that's just for the USPS.

A shift to electric is unlikely to impact the speed of your Black Friday and holiday gift deliveries, but the long-term impact on the environment might be measurable. A 2015 study reported that medium- and heavy-duty delivery trucks account for 30% of all pollution produced by vehicles.

A sound decision

I thought about some of this as I reflected on the still-shiny delivery van before us, admiring the tall, narrow build, low-slung chassis and surprisingly small wheels. We were about to move on when a voice from behind us called out, "Pretty cool, huh?"

We spun around to find a young, bearded Amazon delivery guy who seemed as excited about his truck as we were interested (and maybe a bit confused by his music choice).

He told us it was electric and like driving the future. "It has cameras all around."

In addition to electric motors, these Rivian vans are packed with cutting-edge features like automatic braking, collision warnings, automatic doors that open as the driver approaches, and a nice large display next to the steering wheel as a viewport for all those cameras.

I smiled and wondered how soon he might hop back in and drive his music out of my neighborhood, but it turned out there was a method to his madness.

I remarked at how quiet these vehicles were, perhaps in part to obliquely tell him that his music was breaking that silence. The delivery guy smiled back at me and said, "Yeah, that's why I blast my music." No one hears me coming. I've been right behind people, and they have no idea."

With that, the driver waved goodbye, hopped back into his future-leaning delivery truck, and silently sped away (with his music still playing, of course).

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With the frequency of identity theft incidents rising worldwide, NordVPN has decided to expand its cybersecurity empire with a new ID theft protection tool. This tool will help you protect your identity online and recover from any losses or damages.

NordProtect is currently available for all NordVPN Prime users in the US only. The provider expects to unveil further support and a standalone product in the first half of 2025.

NordProtect: what is it and why you should use it?

As Tomas Sinicki, managing director of NordProtect, explains, you can have all of the necessary cybersecurity tools installed, but just one careless click can give cyber criminals your identity.

He said: "Here’s when NordProtect comes to the rescue by recovering and restoring lost identity assets.”

NordProtect is an all-round ID theft protection service that includes:

• Identity recovery and restoration. You can receive up to $1M to cover identity theft recovery costs, including legal costs or lost wages. To do so, NordProtect connects you with an identity restoration case manager who will assist you with everything you need to recover from identity theft.
• Secure credit monitoring. NordProtect also makes sure you are notified about any suspicious credit activity while sharing an individual credit score report each month.
• 24/7 dark web monitoring. This feature ensures you are receiving alerts if your credentials, phone numbers, social security numbers (SSNs), or other identity assets have been leaked.
• Cyber extortion protection. You have up to $100,000 to use for covering expert assistance and payments in response to cyber threats. These include deleting or releasing your stolen information as well as restricting access to your data or smart devices.

"Identity theft is a global problem, and its frequency is on the rise, which is why enhancing current features and adding new tools to NordProtect is a continuous effort,” said Sinicki.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Future)

NordVPN was recently confirmed, yet again, as TechRadar's top VPN choice following a new successful round of testing. Reviewers were especially impressed by its impeccable speeds and unblocking results, coupled with numerous improvements across different platforms.

In 2024, data breaches have grown in size and frequency, with many incidents targeting consumers' data. In May, over 500 million users' data was put up for sale online when Ticketmaster was breached in one of the biggest incidents of the year.

Other statistics also show the rise in identity theft, with over 550 million reported cases in the US through the first half of the year alone.

Hence, the need for diversified cybersecurity protection has become increasingly relevant. NordProtect is just the last tool developed by the provider to give you more control over your most sensitive information.

Today's release expands on the work started in December last year with the launch of cyber insurance plans for the UK and US markets. In 2024, the security company also released a global eSIM card, Saily, and NordStellar, a threat exposure management solution for businesses.

NordProtect is currently available only for people in the US subscribing to NordVPN's Prime subscription, which starts from $7.89 per month. The team is expected to launch NordProtect for other markets and as a standalone product in the first half of 2025. So, if you're not based in the US, stay tuned as more support should come soon.

Incogni, a personal data removal service, is already available alongside the virtual private network and other products with some NordVPN bundles for users worldwide.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls is Murakami's first novel since Killing Commandatore.'/>

In the first interview about his new book The City and its Uncertain Walls, the celebrated author also talks with NPR about his age and finding beauty in isolation.

(Image credit: Alvaro Barrientos)

Grab a whole new look for the holidays with these stylish, mix and match frames.

• Legendary British TV talk show host Michael Parkinson to return in AI form
• Polish radio station Off Radio Krakow sacks its hosts and uses AI instead
• New Tom Hanks movie Here uses AI to de-age its stars

AI is being used to launch a new podcast from the late, great British TV talk show host Michael Parkinson, who died in 2023 aged 88. While that might sound creepy to some, the project called Virtually Parkinson is being fully backed by Mike Parkinson, the son of the legendary talk show host, and his estate.

Virtually Parkinson has been produced by Deep Fusion Films and will be an 8-part series launching later this year. Each episode will be unscripted, with the guests talking to the AI-generated Parkinson on headphones, as if he was a real person.

Michael Parkinson, known as “Parky”, was a legend of the British talk show scene, most notable for his TV show called simply Parkinson, which launched in 1971 and was a mainstay of British television until 1982. The show was brought back in 1998 and ran until 2004.

You can hear the AI-generated Michael Parkinson talk on a recent episode of ‘The rest is entertainment’ podcast. The fact that this isn’t Michael Parkinson talking is particularly creepy because it sounds just like him. His son however appears to be totally on board with the project. Each episode of the show is signposted to indicate that this is an AI-generated Michael Parkinson talking, so there is no attempt to deceive the listener. Talking to Podnews, Mike Parkinson commented “The podcast is really a tribute to my Dad. I want audiences to marvel at the technology, the cleverness and the cheekiness of the concept, but mostly I want them to remember just how good he was at interviewing and enjoy the nostalgia and happy memories. Through this platform, his legacy can continue, entertaining a new generation of fans.”

The future of podcasts

Earlier this year I wrote about NotebookLM, Google’s podcast generator that produces a complete AI-generated podcast in minutes from analyzing an article or YouTube video. What astounded, and unnerved me, most about Notebook LM was not how it managed to talk knowledgeably about any subject, but how difficult it was to tell that the podcast was completely AI-generated. The presenters sounded completely human. I knew at that point that this was only the beginning of AI podcasting.

While each podcast NotebookLM creates currently has the same two presenters, it’s still early days for its development and surely it won’t be long before a variety of presenters will be available. At that point, you have to start wondering if there’s even a future for humans presenting podcasts, talk shows, and radio shows.

Recently in Poland, the entire presenting team of radio station, Off Radio Krakow, was replaced with AI bots, and the resulting furore actually helped revive the station’s flagging fortunes. The three Gen Z presenters, Emilia, 20, Jakub, 22, and Alex 23 who come complete with pictures on the station’s website are completely AI-generated. The station isn’t limiting AI to the hosts either, it even bagged an interview with Wislawa Szymborska, a Polish cultural icon, recently, even though she died in 2012. Despite the revived fortunes of the station, which previously had hardly any listeners, the backlash to the sacking of human presenters for AI hosts caused the station to abandon its AI experiment in the end.

Character AI can be used to recreate and interact with famous people from any time in history. (Image credit: Character AI) AI killed the video star

AI mimics of human presenters won’t stop with podcasts and talk shows. Chatbot website Character AI has already hit the headlines and drawn some controversy, for its unrestricted ability to let you talk to long-dead historical figures like Socrates and Cleopatra, but also to more modern celebrities, both real and fictional like Steve Jobs and Harry Potter.

As the capabilities of AI video generation continue to improve there has been a lot of speculation about AI replicating actors in movies after their death. One Hollywood star who is not keen to be represented by AI in the afterlife is Robert Downy Jr. The star of the Marvel Avengers and Iron Man franchises recently declared that "I will sue all future executives who make AI replicas of me," during an episode of the On With Kara Swisher podcast.

Currently, it seems that AI is being more commonly used to unsettlingly enhance or manipulate living actors. The $50 million movie Here recently used AI to de-age Tom Hanks and Robin Wright over a 60-year time period, using AI models that require no additional hardware and show the results during filming. It’s a technology that wouldn’t have been possible three years ago, and that is much more efficient than using costly CGI to de-age actors on a frame-by-frame basis.

There’s a lot of concern from the creative industries, particularly among artists and illustrators, that AI is going to steal or devalue their jobs, as AI image creation becomes better and more realistic, but as Virtually Parkinson and the movie Here has shown, AI can actually be used to create experiences that wouldn’t have been possible before. It remains to be seen if, ethically at least, audiences will be comfortable with them.

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Don't expect these 12-inch screens from LG Display to appear in your living room any time soon.

• Genmoji is now available in iOS 18.2 public beta
• Users have been sharing custom AI emojis on social media
• One TikTok post has gone viral with over 2.7 million likes

iOS 18.2 public beta is now out in the wild and one of the biggest new Apple intelligence features, Genmoji, is already proving to be a massive hit.

Apple's generative AI emojis aren't set to officially launch until next month, but users are already taking to social media platforms like TikTok to share custom-designed emoji packs based on different themes.

One TikTok user, secretlygabi's video has been viewed 23.7 million times and has 2.7 million likes, pretty incredible considering the feature isn't even officially released yet.

The video shows themed Genmoji with different sets of emojis such as a holiday-themed set including a Christmas tree, pinecones, and Rudolph the Reindeer as well as a pink-themed set including AirPods Max with pink bows and a pink picnic blanket.

While Genmoji is limited to the best iPhones running iOS 18.2, iPhone 15 owners and below with iOS 18.1 are able to take advantage of the custom-themed icons. By simply selecting the images and turning them into stickers, even iPhones that aren't compatible with Apple Intelligence can get in on the action.

Custom Genmoji packs

(Image credit: Future / secretlygabi / Apple)

Genmoji has only been available to the public for a week, and it's still in development, yet we're already seeing the viral potential of Apple's AI emojis. I had previously written about Genmoji convincing me that Apple Intelligence would be a huge success and viral social media posts like the one above only make me believe that even more.

Apple Intelligence's next wave of features including Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration in Siri is set to arrive in December for all compatible devices including the iPhone 16 as well as the best iPads and best Macs.

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When it comes to maximizing the potential of the cloud, every IT department needs to make critical decisions regarding the appropriate cloud infrastructure for their organization's data and application workloads. With countless different providers, solutions and models on offer, many IT teams find it hard to make informed decisions and identify the one solution that works best for their organization. Factors such as cost, capacity, scalability and security all come into play, and even deciding between public and private cloud can be a challenging first hurdle to cross.

Spot the difference

When it comes to public cloud, there are several key advantages, not least scalability. You can grow and shrink your resources according to demand and whenever you need additional compute power, storage or networking, it is there on tap. In comparison, private cloud platforms are limited to the available hardware within the environment.

Public clouds also offer increased reliability with consistent, dependable services and minimal downtime (SLAs guaranteeing 99.99% uptime are not unusual). At the same time, they typically enhance compliance with various regulatory requirements demands regarding data.

Cost is another factor that plays a part in decision-making. From a public cloud perspective, they usually offer a flexible subscription model with hourly or monthly billing, meaning no need for a costly upfront investment in software licenses or hardware. Some studies have indicated that the public cloud provides a 30% cost reduction compared to hyperscalers based on standardized workload benchmarks. Depending on your particular use case, that could vary.

On the other side of the question is the private cloud and it too offers a number of benefits. When it comes to security, hosting privately obviously means you are the sole tenant with exclusive access to the resources with no other users on the server. All data and applications reside within your company’s boundaries, minimizing the risk of malicious access and data breaches.

Although public cloud can help with some data compliance regulations, the private cloud approach actually provides better regulatory adherence. That’s because it offers enhanced control over compliance requirements meaning organizations subject to healthcare, government or financial regulations can enforce compliance more effectively.

Private clouds also provide an increased level of customization, so you can tailor hardware, software, and configurations to meet your specific needs. This control allows for fine-tuning to create optimal performance, resource utilization, and bandwidth capabilities. And, when considering cost, private clouds offer long-term predictability. Rather than usage-based pricing, which can rise at the whim of the cloud provider, private clouds have all the costs baked in on a fixed infrastructure. This means you know precisely what resources are in operation and how much they will cost over the years. This helps with budgeting and financial forecasting, making it simple to predict lifetime costs of infrastructure.

Private clouds can also include integrated managed services and self-service tools, enabling authorized users to provision resources as and when required. This versatility enhances operational efficiency and reduces the administrative overhead, while managed services can address maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Public cloud use cases

Given scalability is the key advantage of the public approach, it is best suited to deploying web applications, APIs and content delivery networks; spinning up temporary environments for development, testing and prototyping; processing large datasets; and hosting collaboration tools, email exchanges and productivity suites.

Private cloud use cases

When considering the private cloud, having exclusive network and hardware and customization is key. This makes it ideal for storing sensitive data, confidential information and intellectual property; running legacy applications that won’t work in a public environment; meeting industry-specific regulations; and undertaking HPC simulations and modelling.

Best of both worlds

The hybrid cloud approach is an alternative for businesses, combining the flexibility and scalability of the public cloud with the control and security of private infrastructure. This blend allows organizations to balance their need for agility with their requirements for data protection, and regulatory compliance.

With the hybrid model, organisations can also optimise costs by keeping routine workloads and sensitive data in the private cloud while using the public cloud for less sensitive operations that demand more computational power. When it comes to innovation, hybrid provides access to cutting edge technologies such as AI, machine learning and big data analytics via the public cloud without the need for a massive upfront investment, while maintaining sensitive legacy applications on-site.

Whichever model suits you best, there is no doubt that some flavor of cloud will help boost your business. Now is the time to explore how cloud technologies can work best for you.

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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

Homan was the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from January 2017 to June 2018, where he was a key architect of the Trump administration's controversial family separation policy.

(Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)

Ongoing discussions on the economic prospects for the UK have left Labour leaders with an unenviable task. They are under immense pressure to propel growth, secure the UK as a tech leader, and steady the country amidst ever changing economic tides. As part of that conversation, many have noted the promising uplift that AI adoption could deliver, following a landmark few years of rapid technological progress.

The International Investment Summit in October 2024 set out these intentions, with the government announcing major investment plans in emerging growth areas, including AI and infrastructure. But is AI as bankable as some economic commentators believe?

AI fatigue

I recently attended a Californian tech tradeshow. Amongst the excitement and future-gazing that one expects, there was also a sense of AI fatigue. Seasoned tech watchers are already forecasting an emerging story they know all too well: the pioneering breakthrough technology, the fervent early adoption, the mass market hype cycle – and then, the growing gap between expectations and reality, the over-investments weighing heavily on balance sheets, the skeptical backlash, the burst bubble.

Is today’s AI market in danger of repeating such a cycle? To answer that question, we need to take a step back.

The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 almost single-handedly changed the AI landscape. Generative AI is now a technology that everybody is aware of, and the scale of that cultural moment has had two key consequences. Firstly, it has meant many people now hear ‘AI’ and think ‘chatbot’ – overlooking the fact that generative AI is just one subset within a field that has a broader, deeply-researched meaning and impact. Secondly, that speculation and confusion about what ‘AI’ now means has left people susceptible to hype and misinformation about the technology.

A business today surveying their options for AI faces significant hurdles. Spurred by a wave of AI hype, there are now a plethora of allegedly AI-powered solutions, too often with underexplained, overstated, or fundamentally misleading claims about AI components capabilities. You don’t have to work in tech to spot this happening. Adverts for AI-powered toothbrushes are rampant on social media, for example.

This phenomenon - one which is rapidly on the rise - is known as AI washing.

AI washing

AI washing can come in different forms. Sometimes it means significantly exaggerating how advanced or capable the AI technology in a product really is. Other time taking conventional or legacy technology and re-labelling it as AI. And sometimes it simply means obscuring the human labor that actually powers a product.

The government’s plan to realize significant growth via AI risk falling short if we do not limit AI washing in all its insidious iterations. Earlier this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission levied $400,000 in response to civil penalties for misleading statements about AI. The UK, a leader in the tech space and a formidable player in the AI race, has an opportunity to go further, putting purpose-built frameworks in place to mitigate against this growing phenomenon.

AI-washed products and services threaten real failures for businesses, consumers, and the many public services that will seek to rely on AI in coming years. Left unchecked, misrepresentation of AI capabilities in critical areas such as healthcare, finance, and security could have disastrous consequences. If AI is to be the shot in the arm that the economy needs, it’s crucial that we don’t allow falsely labelled products to damage user trust and purchasing confidence.

Effective implementation

The UK has successfully played the role of catalyst in important international conversations around AI and its effective implementation. Now, equally concerted investments should be made into AI as part of the national industrial strategy: nurturing the businesses building it, protecting the consumers affected by it, and guiding, supporting, and empowering the businesses adopting it.

Thoughtfully-implemented and well-governed AI will revolutionize industries and drive unprecedented efficiencies globally. However, the realization of this potential hinges on one crucial factor: trust. If consumers, businesses, and policymakers cannot trust how AI is marketed, sold, and deployed, the foundation of this technological revolution will be compromised.

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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

Stefanik, who is the House Republican Conference Chair, has been a key ally of Trump’s over the years and was reported to have been a contender as his running mate during the presidential election.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

• Intel workers will now get free tea and coffee in the office
• Other reinstated employee benefits are unconfirmed
• Company revenue dropped 1% YoY last quarter, it could drop again next quarter

In an effort to boost workers' morale and encourage them to be more productive in the office by giving them more creature comforts, Intel has restored its free tea and coffee provisions.

The gesture comes after a tumultuous few months for the company, which was forced to lay off around 15,000 workers just a couple of months ago.

Intel had previously put an end to employee perks, like free beverages, fruit, fitness trainers and other in-house amenities as a cost-cutting measure, but it has now reinstated what seems to be its lowest-cost offering.

Intel will give workers free hot drinks again

Speaking about the internal changes, Intel CPO Christy Pambianchi said: “We really aren’t in a situation where we could continue to afford benefits and programs that are above market practice.” Free food and drinks at the company reportedly cost it $100 million annually.

Reducing its headcount by 15% and implementing other cost-cutting measures are hoped to save the company around $10 billion in annual expenses.

In its most recent earnings release, the company revealed revenue dropped 1% year-over-year to $12.8 billion, and also predicted poor performance for the next quarter. At its low point of $12.5 billion, revenue could drop even further, but at its high point of $13.5 billion, Intel could see a small uptick.

Intel CFO David Zinsner commented: “Second-quarter results were impacted by gross margin headwinds from the accelerated ramp of our AI PC product, higher than typical charges related to non-core businesses and the impact from unused capacity.”

Previously synonymous with data center chips, Intel has recently been facing stiff competition from AMD, and losing out on business and subsequently subsidizing chip costs has put the company in a troubling situation.

Furthermore, Nvidia’s early entry to the AI chips market has catapulted it to huge successes – earlier this summer it became the third company to hit a market cap of $3 trillion, marking a mammoth increase over where it was two years ago.

TechRadar Pro has asked Intel whether it will be reinstating any further benefits given the sizable reduction in headcount. We are awaiting a response.

Via Tom’s Hardware

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• A new Indiana Jones and the Great Circle trailer has arrived
• It offers a deep dive into the game's mechanics
• The game launches on December 9

A new trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has arrived, giving us an extended look at the upcoming action-adventure game.

The video lasts just over 14 minutes and provides a couple of new details about some of Indy’s abilities. We see his trademark whip being used for everything from impromptu ziplining to swinging over large gaps and even disarming enemies.

We also learn that he is equipped with a camera, which can be used to take collectible photos or to trigger hints in puzzle segments. Maps, letters, and other pieces of important information are stored in Indy’s journal which can then be viewed at any time.

You can see everything for yourself in the trailer below.

Stealth is a key part of the trailer, with Indy donning disguises to sneak around guarded areas. When that doesn’t work out, there is a rich melee combat system with a variety of possible combo attacks to master. You can make use of guns too, either with Indy’s trademark revolver or those recovered from enemies and the environment.

The trailer also outlines the basic details of the story, which is set after the events of the 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark film. It begins when a mysterious relic is stolen from Marshall College, the Connecticut university where Indy serves as a professor when he’s not out adventuring.

His attempts to discover the meaning behind the theft lead him to the mystery of the great circle, which he will try to solve with the support of allies around the world. The main antagonist is the rival archeologist Voss, who is trying to exploit the power of the Great Circle.

Plenty of interesting locations are shown, including some forbidden tombs, crumbling ruins, the Pyramids of Giza, and a couple more urban environments. A few set-piece moments stand out too, particularly the handful of moments where Indy has to think quickly to escape ancient traps.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to launch on December 9 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. This will be followed by a PlayStation 5 version in 2025.

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