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Voice assistants can provide helpful info on local laws, access points in your home and plenty more.

An explosive crash between an oil tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea could have huge consequences for ecologically and commercially crucial marine areas.

There's an app for that! NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the news that the classic board game Monopoly will soon come with a banking app — no more paper money, math, or banking duties required.

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• The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be followed by the iPhone 17 Ultra
• We've also heard the 'Ultra' rumor in previous years
• The iPhone 17 Ultra may feature a bigger battery and more cooling

We're expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone 17 range in September, and a new rumor points to a name change for the most expensive model in the line-up – a rumor that has actually been swirling for a couple of years now.

According to well-known tipster Yeux1122 (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Pro Max is in fact going to be called the iPhone 17 Ultra. That's apparently based on information from investors and sources inside the supply chain.

If the phone previously known as the iPhone 17 Pro Max does indeed get a name change, it would be the first Ultra phone released by Apple – though it has already used the Ultra label for some of its Apple Silicon chips, and of course the Apple Watch Ultra series.

We've heard this rumor before, however, both for the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16 – and in those cases, the names didn't change. Maybe this will be the year when Apple finally decides to shake up its approach to iPhone naming.

Hardware and software

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

In theory then, we could be looking at a line-up that features the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Ultra. There is a certain neatness to having a single extra word after each of the three additional variants.

That said, the same tipster also suggests that the iPhone 17 Air name isn't yet fixed. This super-slim model, replacing the iPhone 16 Plus, has been featured in a lot of leaks – but it sounds as though Apple hasn't decided what to call it yet.

The iPhone 17 Ultra (if indeed that is its name) is also tipped to be coming with a smaller Dynamic Island, a vapor chamber for additional cooling (and improved performance), and an increased battery capacity – which will add to its thickness.

We've already heard that iOS 19 is set for a major revamp too, so it looks as though it's going to be quite the year for Apple in terms of both hardware and software. We should get our first look at iOS 19 sometime in June at Apple WWDC 2025.

You might also like

• iPhone 17 Pro Max leak reveals its upcoming redesign
• The 3 biggest rumors around iOS 19 so far
• Video recording could be a big feature of the iPhone 17

• The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be followed by the iPhone 17 Ultra
• We've also heard the 'Ultra' rumor in previous years
• The iPhone 17 Ultra may feature a bigger battery and more cooling

We're expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone 17 range in September, and a new rumor points to a name change for the most expensive model in the line-up – a rumor that has actually been swirling for a couple of years now.

According to well-known tipster Yeux1122 (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Pro Max is in fact going to be called the iPhone 17 Ultra. That's apparently based on information from investors and sources inside the supply chain.

If the phone previously known as the iPhone 17 Pro Max does indeed get a name change, it would be the first Ultra phone released by Apple – though it has already used the Ultra label for some of its Apple Silicon chips, and of course the Apple Watch Ultra series.

We've heard this rumor before, however, both for the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16 – and in those cases, the names didn't change. Maybe this will be the year when Apple finally decides to shake up its approach to iPhone naming.

Hardware and software

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

In theory then, we could be looking at a line-up that features the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Ultra. There is a certain neatness to having a single extra word after each of the three additional variants.

That said, the same tipster also suggests that the iPhone 17 Air name isn't yet fixed. This super-slim model, replacing the iPhone 16 Plus, has been featured in a lot of leaks – but it sounds as though Apple hasn't decided what to call it yet.

The iPhone 17 Ultra (if indeed that is its name) is also tipped to be coming with a smaller Dynamic Island, a vapor chamber for additional cooling (and improved performance), and an increased battery capacity – which will add to its thickness.

We've already heard that iOS 19 is set for a major revamp too, so it looks as though it's going to be quite the year for Apple in terms of both hardware and software. We should get our first look at iOS 19 sometime in June at Apple WWDC 2025.

You might also like

• iPhone 17 Pro Max leak reveals its upcoming redesign
• The 3 biggest rumors around iOS 19 so far
• Video recording could be a big feature of the iPhone 17

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro: Two-minute review

You may have heard of Chinese tech company Xiaomi from its impressive camera phones like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, its impressive budget mobiles like the Poco X7 Pro or its powerful tablets like the Xiaomi Pad 5. You may not have heard as much about its earbuds.

It's true that the tech giant's in-ear headphones have yet to feature in our best earbuds guide, but perhaps this is that time? The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro are the latest offering from the company, a rare ‘premium’ pair of earbuds alongside the unending line of budget buds it releases under its Redmi line. They’re the specced-up version of the Xiaomi Buds 5 from six months prior, as well as the new iteration of the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro.

Like most earbuds made by smartphone companies, you’re probably checking out this Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review because you’ve found a deal that combines one of the company’s latest smartphones (perhaps the Xiaomi 15 or Xiaomi 14T) with them for a low price. And frankly, that’s probably the only time you should consider them: the buds are acceptable but nothing special, with a price that’s particularly uncompetitive (unless you’ve found them in a bundle).

There’s certainly some impressive acoustic engineering on display here, with each earbud boasting two drivers and a tweeter, but unfortunately the driver array doesn’t deliver equally-impressive audio chops, with music lacking the necessary bass impact and energy to invigorate your tunes.

A trip down the specs list will show some head-turning features, like a high audio bandwidth or the ability to play music over Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. The latter is exclusive to a more expensive model of the buds called the Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi, not this model, but both options require very specific Xiaomi phones that’ll rule out many buyers.

That may seem harsh, but the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro do solve many issues of their non-Pro siblings: they’re comfortable to wear, easy to tote around and don’t fall out of the ear at the slightest provocation. The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) has seen a particularly improvement, both in the ability to remove noise, and the customization over its various modes.

Ultimately, because this proposition costs more than some really impressive rivals, it’s hard to recommend picking the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro off the shelves (virtual or physical). But as a bundle bonus alongside another gadget, it could be the music companion you need – and that’s equally true if you can find them reduced in sales.

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced in February 2025
• Costs £159.99 / AU$340 (roughly $210)
• Over twice as expensive as non-Pro

The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro were announced in February 2025, alongside the Xiaomi 15 series of smartphones as well as the Pad 7 and a few other gadgets.

If you recall, the Buds 5 sold for £69.99 (roughly $90, AU$140); the Buds 5 Pro have undergone a serious price hike. They go for £159.99 / AU$340 (roughly $210), so they’re over twice the price of their predecessors.

As Xiaomi only sells its Redmi earbuds in the US, the Buds 5 Pro aren’t on sale there. In Australia, I noticed their prices from Xiaomi’s own outlets ranging from $340 to $380, so the price is a little nebulous.

Later on in this review, I’ll touch more on the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi, a more advanced model that I didn’t test. These cost roughly £20 / AU$40 (roughly $30) more than the standard model, depending on where you find them.

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Specs Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Several ANC modes
• 8-hour battery life (with ANC off)
• Xiaomi app has EQ and more

Xiaomi has bumped up its feature set with the Buds 5 Pro, offering a few improvements over the non-Pro model, and it does make the earbuds much more competitive.

First up is the battery life – the buds themselves will last for 8 hours of listening if ANC is turned off, and while Xiaomi doesn’t provide an ANC-on figure, I’d guess at about 6.5-7 hours based on my testing. The battery life of the case itself has only seen a modest improvement of one hour over the past model, but the resulting figure of 40 hours in total is nothing to sniff at.

Charging is done with USB-C or wirelessly via Qi, and for the former at least, it’s pretty snappy. Xiaomi estimates that you’ll get 4.5 hours of listening time on 10 minutes charge with a fast enough charger, and while mine isn’t up to Xiaomi’s specs, I was still pleasantly surprised with how little you needed to charge these things for them to be on 100%.

Another improvement is ANC, or Active Noise Cancellation – it’s still not industry-leading but these buds offer a marked improvement over the Buds 5 (I’m sure the silicon tips help, more on that later). You get the usual three modes: on, off and transparency, with the latter letting you choose between enhancing ambient sounds, voice or both. It’s a neat way to let you avoid the downsides of passthrough modes while still enjoying the benefits.

There’s an adaptive noise cancellation mode, which can be toggled between ‘light’ and ‘deep’ (I'll be honest, I cannot discern the difference here). This helps retain some juice when you’re listening, as it dials ANC up or down, depending on how noisy your surroundings are.

(Image credit: Future)

This can all be changed in the Xiaomi Earbuds app, which brings a few extra features. This includes turning on adaptive sound and volume, the ability to change what touch controls do, a spatial audio feature called Dimensional Audio, and a voice memo recording feature which you can enable via the app or via gestures.

An eight-band equalizer is hidden deep in the app’s menus, but I found myself using the six presets most of all. These include ‘decrease bass’, ‘enhance voice’ and the enigmatically-named ‘audiophile’, as well as two Harman Kardon-tuned versions called ‘Harman AudioEFX’ and ‘Harman Master’. The app doesn’t reveal what these mean, but Harman’s website reveals that the former is a tool which intelligently balances the dynamics of a song.

The Buds connect to your phone, tablet or laptop via Bluetooth 5.4. There’s also a model which supports Wi-Fi connectivity to your phone, which I didn’t test. This pair, called the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi and one of the big audio breakthroughs we saw at MWC recently, cost a little more and only let you use that titular feature alongside the expensive Xiaomi 15 Ultra, however more phones are apparently going to gain support in the future. The benefit to this pair is that you can listen to 96kHz / 24bit audio using the 4.2Mbps bandwidth, so it’s one for hardcore audiophiles to keep an eye on.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Silver case is lightweight and small
• Silicon eartips make buds stay in ears easily
• Buttons on each bud stem

The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro’s case is near-identical to the non-Pro model’s. It’s a slender silver clamshell with a USB-C port on its underside, that opens up to reveal the buds. It’s made of plastic and weighs 41.8g, so it’s pretty lightweight (though 5g heavier than the Buds 5’s).

A compliment I levelled on the previous buds stands true here: the design of the case makes it really easy to remove the buds quickly, as the stems aren’t buried in the case. I appreciate buds that reduce the time taken faffing with the case.

Now onto the earbuds: these show a big improvement over the Buds 5 (and remember, I have thoroughly tested both) in that they have silicon tips that keep the buds securely in your ears. The non-Pro model lacked this, and my biggest issue with them was that they just wouldn’t stick in my ear. The addition of tips removes this issue.

In fact I never had a problem with the Buds 5 Pro’s fit: they never felt wobbly or ill-fitting, and they’re nice and lightweight so it wasn’t a burden wearing them. They weigh 5.6g which is pretty svelte for earbuds.

The stems of each earbud house a button that you can trigger by squeezing the stem. You need to squeeze them quite hard though, and there’s not much in the way of response to show that your squeeze has registered as in the past buds (which gave a light ‘click’ to show the button had been pressed). It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a slight regression.

An improvement here is that the buds have an IP54 rating, offering limited protections against fine particles (like dust) as well as moisture (like sprays of water). IP certification is a nice reassurance that your chosen gadgets can withstand a dose of mother nature.

• Design score: 4/5

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• 11mm driver + planar + tweeter
• High max volume
• Impressive mids and decent trebles, but lacking in bass

Xiaomi has really stuffed the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro with tech: each bud has an 11mm dynamic driver alongside a planar driver and a ceramic tweeter.

While the midrange is much meatier than I’m used to in earbuds and the treble is clear and agile, the Achilles’ heel of the Buds 5 Pro is bass, which can range from ‘a little lacking’ to ‘conspicuously absent’ depending on the song.

Not everyone is a bass-head, and I count myself among that crowd, but even I felt that songs were lacking a little je ne sais quoi as a result. Using the equaliser can help a little bit, but the odd lack of a bass boost mode hurts (there’s treble enhancer, and bass reducer, not no bass enhancer or treble reducer?).

(Image credit: Future)

If you don’t care much for heavy grime or drum-and-bass music (or perhaps you listen to genres with so much intrinsic bass that no earbud can remove it and a tempered performance might actually help things), you’ll likely be fine with the Buds 5 Pro. But I can see this being a deal-breaker for some buyers.

Perhaps compensating for this issue is the Buds 5 Pro's eye-watering max volume. At some point in testing, I crank earbuds up to their max volume to see how high they can go. The Buds 5 Pro made me regret that I didn’t take the buds out of my ears before doing so!

A little feature I need to flag for a very slim market (hello, audiophiles who may still wear wireless earbuds) is that the Buds 5 Pro support a 2.1Mbps transmission rate of lossless audio, which would be great for high-res streaming… if it wasn’t for the fact that it only works if your mobile is one of a select number of recent top-end Xiaomi phones. So it’s not for everyone.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Struggle compared to some rivals
• Pick them up bundled or discounted

The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro would be decent buds, sitting at the high end of the budget market, if that’s what they cost. But they don’t – they’re a little pricier than I would have expected, and they also cost more than some really impressive competitors that I’ll list below.

It’s not a huge margin, but you can save £40 / AU$80 and pick up some great competitors pretty easily.

That’s why, as I said in the introduction, these are great in a deal or bundle. But it’s harder to recommend picking them up on their own.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro?

(Image credit: Future) Buy them if…

You find them bundled
If you can pick these up alongside a flagship Xiaomi phone, you'll be able to use their top-end features and will likely get them at a discount.

You need a reliable ear fit
Unlike the Buds 5, these guys stick in your ear well, and won't fall out unless you take them out.

Don’t buy them if…

You're on a budget
These aren't cheap earbuds, and you should only consider these if you have money to burn.

You're a bass head
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro won't offer you the booming bass of some other earbuds, so they won't impress bass-heads.

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review: Also consider

Xiaomi Buds 5
The natural comparison, these buds are a lot cheaper. However they don't sound as good, have worse ANC and don't fit in the ears well.

See our full Xiaomi Buds 5 review

Nothing Ear
These buds from rival phone maker Nothing sound great, have loads of unique features and look distinctive. Best of all, they undercut the Xiaomis.

See our full Nothing Ear review

How I tested the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro

• Tested for two weeks
• Tested at home, in the office and at the gym

I used the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro for two weeks in order to write this review. They were mostly paired with my Android smartphone although I did use them on a Windows laptop too.

This testing involved trips to the gym, walks around my neighborhood, working at home, streaming TV shows and idling at home. It was mostly done on music but I did listen to some podcast too.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for over six years now, and in that time have tested plenty of wireless earbuds as well as a huge number of Xiaomi devices.

• First reviewed in March 2025

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

• Apple's appeal against the British Government to be heard in secret
• The tech giant is fighting a request to build a back door into its encryption
• We polled TechRadar users for their thoughts - here's what you said

It looks likely Apple’s legal appeal against the UK government will be heard at a secret hearing at the High Court, the BBC reports, following Apple’s promise to ‘never build a back door.’

Apple recently pulled its end-to-end encryption service, Advanced Data Protection (ADP) from UK devices following an alleged request from the British government to build a backdoor into the encryption, which would allow access for law enforcement agencies.

As we await the result of the appeal, we asked our TechRadar readers their thoughts via our WhatsApp channel (if you’re interested, you can join here) - and the results might surprise you...

Results are in

When asked, “Would you want your government to have access” to private encrypted data, our readers voted overwhelmingly in favor of Apple’s decision, with 67% choosing the option “My data is private - I wouldn't want my Government to have access”.

A small number of our readers (8%) said they had no issue with their government having a master key to their encryption, choosing the option, “I would not care as I have nothing to hide” - but a quarter of respondents felt law enforcement should have access only in extreme circumstances.

The US Director of National Intelligence called the request a ‘clear and egregious violation of American’s privacy and civil liberties’, since the request would have extraterritorial powers - sparking ‘grave concern’ not just for privacy, but for fears that this would “open up a serious vulnerability for cyber exploitation by adversarial actors”.

The tech giant’s appeal is due to be considered by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which is an independent court with the power to investigate claims against the UK intelligence services.

“There is no easy answer to this conundrum,” said Matt Aldridge, Senior Principal Solutions Consultant at OpenText Cybersecurity.

“Either a system has “trust no one” end-to-end encryption or it doesn’t, there are no halfway houses here, so Apple are taking a pragmatic approach by removing the service for UK users, rather than effectively putting a backdoor into their systems which could impact the privacy of their over 1 billion other users around the world.”

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• Apple to take legal action against British Government over backdoor request

• Apple's appeal against the British Government to be heard in secret
• The tech giant is fighting a request to build a back door into its encryption
• We polled TechRadar users for their thoughts - here's what you said

It looks likely Apple’s legal appeal against the UK government will be heard at a secret hearing at the High Court, the BBC reports, following Apple’s promise to ‘never build a back door.’

Apple recently pulled its end-to-end encryption service, Advanced Data Protection (ADP) from UK devices following an alleged request from the British government to build a backdoor into the encryption, which would allow access for law enforcement agencies.

As we await the result of the appeal, we asked our TechRadar readers their thoughts via our WhatsApp channel (if you’re interested, you can join here) - and the results might surprise you...

Results are in

When asked, “Would you want your government to have access” to private encrypted data, our readers voted overwhelmingly in favor of Apple’s decision, with 67% choosing the option “My data is private - I wouldn't want my Government to have access”.

A small number of our readers (8%) said they had no issue with their government having a master key to their encryption, choosing the option, “I would not care as I have nothing to hide” - but a quarter of respondents felt law enforcement should have access only in extreme circumstances.

The US Director of National Intelligence called the request a ‘clear and egregious violation of American’s privacy and civil liberties’, since the request would have extraterritorial powers - sparking ‘grave concern’ not just for privacy, but for fears that this would “open up a serious vulnerability for cyber exploitation by adversarial actors”.

The tech giant’s appeal is due to be considered by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which is an independent court with the power to investigate claims against the UK intelligence services.

“There is no easy answer to this conundrum,” said Matt Aldridge, Senior Principal Solutions Consultant at OpenText Cybersecurity.

“Either a system has “trust no one” end-to-end encryption or it doesn’t, there are no halfway houses here, so Apple are taking a pragmatic approach by removing the service for UK users, rather than effectively putting a backdoor into their systems which could impact the privacy of their over 1 billion other users around the world.”

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• Take a look at our picks for the best VPN around
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• Apple to take legal action against British Government over backdoor request

A number of fires broke out in the Southeastern US last week. Hurricane-downed trees may have helped fuel the flames, experts say.

Most housing discrimination claims are handled by local nonprofits around the country. They say the Trump administration has hobbled them, and are challenging the cuts as unlawful.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

It doesn't matter how full you are, you can always fit in a bite or two or three of pie and ice cream. Scientists say it has to due with special neurons in our brain that just can't get enough sugar.

(Image credit: Maren Caruso/Digital Vision)

• US smishing scam claims that unpaid toll service fees are due
• SMS messages include a bogus link to make an online payment
• Cybercriminals are using more than 10,000 domains to trick recipients

A widespread SMS scam is targeting thousands of smartphone users in the US. Fraudsters are sending bogus texts demanding payment for unpaid road tolls. Their goal isn’t just to swindle innocent recipients out of their money, but also their personal and financial information.

Reports of the smishing scam first surfaced last year. In April 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued a notice about fake toll service text messages, after receiving more than 2,000 complaints from US citizens.

Since then, the scale of the scheme appears to have grown. Cities in several US states have now issued warnings, including Boston, Denver and San Francisco. McAfee has also highlighted cities most affected by the scheme: the top three are Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

How the smishing scam works

An example of the kind of texts used in this widespread SMS scam (Image credit: Future / Unit 42)

Based on screenshots we’ve seen, text messages in the toll scam all appear to follow a similar structure. Each SMS claims to be from a legitimate toll service and states that there is an unpaid fee. It then instructs the recipient to pay the outstanding toll within a set time period to avoid late fees and a referral to the DMV. A URL is then provided, which directs uses to a bogus payment page.

This page is designed to look convincingly like a legitimate toll service payment website. It will often feature a logo, business name and street address. It will also state the supposed time and date of the unpaid fee.

A threat actor leveraging the same naming pattern has registered 10K+ domains for various #smishing scams. They pose as toll services for US states and package delivery services. Root domain names start with "com-" as a way to trick victims. More info at https://t.co/drBEuvGoJj pic.twitter.com/7CBkvwYWxoMarch 7, 2025

If you click the payment link, the website will then ask for payment information. Sometimes it will also request sensitive personal information, such as your driving license number. If you submit this information, you’re actually giving it to the fraudsters, exposing yourself to identity theft.

The scam uses the same tactics as most phishing scams, creating a sense of urgency by demanding payment within a short time period. The threat of legal action increases the likelihood of an emotional reaction, which could cause users to overlook inconsistencies in the original SMS or linked payment page.

The scam uses the same tactics as most phishing scams, creating a sense of urgency by demanding payment within a short time period.

Reports also suggest that there are variations of the scam. In some instances, it appears that cybercriminals have varied the contents of the SMS and payment page to target users in specific states. One screenshot we’ve seen claims to be from the City of New York. For some recipients, this could make the message more believable than a generic alert.

Recent intelligence from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 reports that scammers have registered more than 10,000 domain names. Each of these is designed to be ambiguous enough that a casual glance might not reveal the deceit. Not only do the new domains suggest that the scam is still ongoing, but certain URLs indicate that it could be expanding to include fake messages from delivery companies – an increasingly common tactic.

Here are a few of the domains listed in the notice:

• dhl.com-new[.]xin
• driveks.com-jds[.]xin
• ezdrive.com-2h98[.]xin
• ezdrivema.com-citations-etc[.]xin
• ezdrivema.com-securetta[.]xin
• e-zpassiag.com-courtfees[.]xin
• e-zpassny.com-ticketd[.]xin
• fedex.com-fedexl[.]xin
• getipass.com-tickeuz[.]xin
• sunpass.com-ticketap[.]xin
• thetollroads.com-fastrakeu[.]xin
• usps.com-tracking-helpsomg[.]xin

How to stay safe

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

As with any smishing or phishing scam, the best way to stay safe is to practice caution. If you receive an unexpected SMS about unpaid toll fees, there’s a good chance it’s a scam. Pause before you act on any information in the message and don’t click on any links.

Pay attention to details in the message. Scam texts will often feature grammatical errors or formatting inconsistencies, such as the placement of punctation. A closer look at the URL will often reveal that it’s illegitimate, too.

If in doubt, contact the genuine toll service in question. Never click the link in the SMS. Instead, find the service’s real website or contact number using a trusted search engine and reach out for clarification.

The scam is now so extensive that the US Federal Trade Commission has issued advice to the same effect, as has the FBI. If you do discover a bogus or suspicious SMS, the instructions of both agencies are the same: report and delete the messages. You can do this on the IC3 website.

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• US smishing scam claims that unpaid toll service fees are due
• SMS messages include a bogus link to make an online payment
• Cybercriminals are using more than 10,000 domains to trick recipients

A widespread SMS scam is targeting thousands of smartphone users in the US. Fraudsters are sending bogus texts demanding payment for unpaid road tolls. Their goal isn’t just to swindle innocent recipients out of their money, but also their personal and financial information.

Reports of the smishing scam first surfaced last year. In April 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued a notice about fake toll service text messages, after receiving more than 2,000 complaints from US citizens.

Since then, the scale of the scheme appears to have grown. Cities in several US states have now issued warnings, including Boston, Denver and San Francisco. McAfee has also highlighted cities most affected by the scheme: the top three are Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

How the smishing scam works

An example of the kind of texts used in this widespread SMS scam (Image credit: Future / Unit 42)

Based on screenshots we’ve seen, text messages in the toll scam all appear to follow a similar structure. Each SMS claims to be from a legitimate toll service and states that there is an unpaid fee. It then instructs the recipient to pay the outstanding toll within a set time period to avoid late fees and a referral to the DMV. A URL is then provided, which directs uses to a bogus payment page.

This page is designed to look convincingly like a legitimate toll service payment website. It will often feature a logo, business name and street address. It will also state the supposed time and date of the unpaid fee.

A threat actor leveraging the same naming pattern has registered 10K+ domains for various #smishing scams. They pose as toll services for US states and package delivery services. Root domain names start with "com-" as a way to trick victims. More info at https://t.co/drBEuvGoJj pic.twitter.com/7CBkvwYWxoMarch 7, 2025

If you click the payment link, the website will then ask for payment information. Sometimes it will also request sensitive personal information, such as your driving license number. If you submit this information, you’re actually giving it to the fraudsters, exposing yourself to identity theft.

The scam uses the same tactics as most phishing scams, creating a sense of urgency by demanding payment within a short time period. The threat of legal action increases the likelihood of an emotional reaction, which could cause users to overlook inconsistencies in the original SMS or linked payment page.

The scam uses the same tactics as most phishing scams, creating a sense of urgency by demanding payment within a short time period.

Reports also suggest that there are variations of the scam. In some instances, it appears that cybercriminals have varied the contents of the SMS and payment page to target users in specific states. One screenshot we’ve seen claims to be from the City of New York. For some recipients, this could make the message more believable than a generic alert.

Recent intelligence from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 reports that scammers have registered more than 10,000 domain names. Each of these is designed to be ambiguous enough that a casual glance might not reveal the deceit. Not only do the new domains suggest that the scam is still ongoing, but certain URLs indicate that it could be expanding to include fake messages from delivery companies – an increasingly common tactic.

Here are a few of the domains listed in the notice:

• dhl.com-new[.]xin
• driveks.com-jds[.]xin
• ezdrive.com-2h98[.]xin
• ezdrivema.com-citations-etc[.]xin
• ezdrivema.com-securetta[.]xin
• e-zpassiag.com-courtfees[.]xin
• e-zpassny.com-ticketd[.]xin
• fedex.com-fedexl[.]xin
• getipass.com-tickeuz[.]xin
• sunpass.com-ticketap[.]xin
• thetollroads.com-fastrakeu[.]xin
• usps.com-tracking-helpsomg[.]xin

How to stay safe

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

As with any smishing or phishing scam, the best way to stay safe is to practice caution. If you receive an unexpected SMS about unpaid toll fees, there’s a good chance it’s a scam. Pause before you act on any information in the message and don’t click on any links.

Pay attention to details in the message. Scam texts will often feature grammatical errors or formatting inconsistencies, such as the placement of punctation. A closer look at the URL will often reveal that it’s illegitimate, too.

If in doubt, contact the genuine toll service in question. Never click the link in the SMS. Instead, find the service’s real website or contact number using a trusted search engine and reach out for clarification.

The scam is now so extensive that the US Federal Trade Commission has issued advice to the same effect, as has the FBI. If you do discover a bogus or suspicious SMS, the instructions of both agencies are the same: report and delete the messages. You can do this on the IC3 website.

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Dreame D9 Max Gen 2: two-minute review

The Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 is an entry-level robot vacuum designed for those seeking cleaning convenience on a budget. While it doesn't offer the same advanced features as the best robot vacuums on the market, it's a very capable cleaner that delivers good value for money. I'd definitely count it among the best budget robovacs I've tested.

This hybrid robot vacuum and mop is well built, if a little on the large side, with a compact charge-only dock. Set-up is straightforward, and I was impressed by its mapping and navigation, which was quick and painless (which isn't always the case with budget bots).

In terms of cleaning power, the D9 Max Gen 2 performed well in suction tests, tackling fine debris or chunkier spillages without issue. I was less enamored with its mopping skills, however. The design of the mop pad isn't the best and I'm not sure it's worth the effort, delivering only the lightest wipe-down of my lino floors. Another potential downside is the unreliable object avoidance; if you often have clutter on your floors and don't want to have to tidy before every vacuuming run, this isn't the robovac for you.

The app is well designed and intuitive. While you won't get the kind of granular control or automation offered by pricier bots, it covers the main bases. The only exception is that I couldn't see a way to set up a cleaning schedule or time a cleaning run.

For the price, then – which is solidly in the budget bracket – I think the D9 Max Gen 2 is a good buy. Dreame makes some of our favorite premium robot vacuums (including the excellent Dreame L40 Ultra), so I'm not surprised to find that its budget offering is of a high quality. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a wallet-friendly, fuss-free robovac that navigates reliably well and helps you stay on top of your vacuuming. That's the short version; read on for my full Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 robot vacuum review.

Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 review: price & availability

• List price: $299.99 / £219 / AU$699
• Launched: Confirming
• Available: US, UK, Australia

In the US, at time of writing, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 is available direct from Dreame US or via Amazon, and has a list price of $299.99. In the UK, it has a list price of £219, and is available to buy direct from Dreame UK, as well as a range of third-party retailers such as Amazon, B&Q and Currys. In Australia, the robovac costs AU$699 at full price, but can be found discounted to AU$399 on the Dreame AU site at the time of writing. Note that I spotted the vacuum being offered at big discounts in all territories while writing this review.

Even at list price, this bot is firmly in the budget price bracket – we count any robot vacuum under $500 / £400 as budget at TechRadar. For that price, it feels very well-built, and the features are in line with what I'd expect.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 specs Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 review: design

• Hybrid robovac and mop with compact, charge-only dock
• Single rubber roller and one side brush
• Fixed, D-shaped mop pad with small integrated water tank

The Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 is a hybrid robotic vacuum and mop. It's sports the standard, round design with a raised navigation puck, and is available in black or white. Size-wise, it's at the larger end of the spectrum, measuring 13.8in / 35cm in diameter, and it features two physical buttons: Power and Home. However, for most controls you'll want to use the companion app.

(Image credit: Future)

This model uses LiDAR for navigation, hence the raised puck. This is the fastest and most accurate robot vacuum navigation technology, and widely used – but not always a given in budget-friendly models (some use the more basic vSLAM; see how the two compare in our LiDAR vs vSLAM explainer). There's also a camera at the front of the bot.

This bot has a single rubber roller and one side brush (Image credit: Future)

Flip it over and you'll find a single rotating side brush, a rubbery roller, two chunky wheels, and a smaller, third mini-wheel for balance. In general, I prefer rubbery rollers such as the one here over bristled brushrolls, since the latter tend to become tangled with hair. Some bots will have dual rollers (the main examples being Roborock and iRobot Roomba models); but in general, this looks like a pretty standard setup.

Image 1 of 2

A wide, flat water tank is attached on the underside of the mop pad (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

... and the whole thing snaps onto the underside of the bot (Image credit: Future)

Slightly more unusual is the approach to the mop pad. Dreame has integrated a wide, very shallow water tank onto the underside of the D-shaped mop pad. Other robovacs will have a separate tank inside the bot itself, but that uses up valuable dust-storing space. Here, you're getting a slightly higher onboard dust cup capacity, but the bot won't hold much water.

The mop pad/water tank comes on and off using a combination of clips and magnets (not as complicated as it sounds!), so it doesn't need to be attached when you're just vacuuming.

This kind of fixed, D-shaped mop pad tends not to be as effective at scrubbing compared to the spinning, dual discs found on more advanced models. However, it's as I'd expect for a robot vacuum in this price bracket.

The mop pad also can't lift and lower to allow the bot to traverse over carpet without leaving damp patches, which is a feature also seen on pricier robot vacuums. In fact, more advanced Dreame bots can dock themselves and drop off their mop pads when they're not required – but again, you'd need to pay a fair bit more for that kind of functionality.

Image 1 of 2

A hinged lid opens to reveal the onboard dust bin and filter (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 robot vacuum with top lid open to show where the dustbin fits inside (Image credit: Future)

A hinged lid on top of the bot can be opened to reveal the onboard dust cup with integrated filter. This is very slightly fiddly to remove from the inside of the bot. There's also a brush and hair-cutter tool, for easier maintenance.

(Image credit: Future)

The dock is of the basic, charge-only type, rather than the kind that houses a larger dustbin into which the bot's smaller bin will automatically empty. That has the benefit of being far more compact – good news, if you have a small home. However, it also means you'll need to take care of emptying the bin manually, which will be annoying if you're regularly dealing with large volumes of dust or pet hair, for instance.

You'll also need to manually refill the bot's water tank, as well as clean and dry the mop pads. For a dock that can do this for you, you'd be looking in a significantly higher price bracket.

• Design score: 3.5 out of 5

Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 review: performance

• Good navigation, but unreliable object avoidance
• Vacuuming generally good, can struggle with larger debris
• Mopping okay, but just for very light cleans

The app walked me through the initial setup, which included linking the bot to my home Wi-Fi and connecting it to the app – all nice and straightforward.

On setup, it prompted me to do a fast mapping run, where the bot just creates a map of your space but doesn't clean. This took under five mins, and involved the bot meandering into each room and vaguely looking around. After that was complete, it created a very rough map of the space, without trying to separate rooms.

The bot got a little stuck making its way around my fireplace (Image credit: Future)

I then set it off on its first cleaning run. I was pretty impressed. The bot covered everything with minimal fuss, only getting slightly muddled when trying to traverse the slanting edges of some rooms. It also became stuck when it was making its way around the border of my low hearth – although did manage to escape on its own eventually.

With the first cleaning run complete, the app split the map into what it thought were rooms (mostly correct), and I tweaked and named each room. It is possible to create multiple maps, but I didn't do this as I live on a single floor.

Navigation & obstacle avoidance

In general, the Dreame Max Gen 2 navigates very well. I could see it adjusting its path when it was about to reach an obstruction, although at times it did also seem to find its way by bumping into things.

However, it isn't as reliable when it comes to obstacle avoidance. I ran TechRadar's standard tests using a shoe, sock and cable on my floor, and the Dreame failed to spot any of them, eating the cable, doing its best to eat the sock, and pushing the shoe around until I picked it up and took it away to safety. This bot probably isn't the best choice if you have a lot of clutter on your floors.

The D9 Max Gen 2 sadly failed to avoid any of these obstacles (Image credit: Future) Suction performance

The Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 has four suction modes: Quiet, Standard, Strong and Turbo; and can be set to vacuum, mop, or both.

To assess cleaning power, I ran TechRadar's standard tests. I started by sprinkling tea and oats on separate patches of carpet. I bumped up the suction setting to Strong (it's Standard by default) and set the bot to vacuum that area.

Image 1 of 3

Tea on carpet before test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

Remaining tea on carpet after a single pass (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

Remaining tea on carpet after a second pass (Image credit: Future)

It cleared most of the tea in one pass, and almost all of it in two. I then boosted suction up to Max, and remote-controlled the bot over the area to clear the final remnants.

Image 1 of 2

Oats on carpet before test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

Remaining oats on carpet after a single pass (Image credit: Future)

I was impressed with how it handled the oat spillage, too. It cleared almost all of it first time and the rest on second pass, and it didn't ping them around, either.

However, in my general use of the vacuum on carpet, I had a few minor complaints. Occasionally, the bot would deposit larger debris – a tiny bit of leaf, for example – in another area of the room after initially seeming to have picked it up.

I also found it wasn't amazing at dealing with hair. I have long hair, and the bot would occasionally to roll it into clumps and leave it on the carpet rather than pick it up. However, there was hair in the bin when I came to empty it, and none wrapped around the brushroll, so it isn't a total fail on that front. (If you're looking for the best vacuum for pet hair, we have a separate guide that's worth consulting.)

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Tea on lino floor before suction test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

During the suction test (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

After one pass (Image credit: Future)

I repeated my tea suction test on hard floor. On the first pass, the D9 Max Gen 2 seemed to just push the tea leaves around everywhere. On the second and third passes, though, it had gathered pretty much everything.

Image 1 of 3

Oats on lino before the suction test... (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

... during the test... (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

... and the ones that got away (Image credit: Future)

The oats were pinged around even more enthusiastically, however; but, again, almost all were sucked up eventually. Only a few escaped and that was because they'd bounced their way out of my set cleaning zone.

It's worth stating that robot vacuums are great for everyday maintenance cleans, but even the priciest models fall short of the results achieved with a decent manual vacuum. When I went to empty the Dreame's bin after use, it was packed full of dust and hair, so it certainly picked up plenty from my apartment; but following up with my Dyson Gen5detect saw even more dust collection.

Mopping performance

To mop, you need to clip on the full water tank with pre-dampened mop pad attached. I found filling the tank a little fiddly since it's so thin and the opening is small, and getting the wet mop pad back on proved a bit tricky, too. To Dreame's credit, the unit didn't leak at all while I was attaching it back onto the bot, as I had feared it might. There's no option to use this bot with a floor cleaner.

There are three water levels to choose from, and I selected the middle one for my mop tests. You can also choose from a couple of intensity settings: Daily mopping and Deep mopping (where the robot moves in "a dense Z-shaped pattern"). I opted for the latter, because the app warned there was a "risk of skidding" in this mode, which sounded exciting.

In fact, there was no skidding and I couldn't really see a difference in how it was moving compared to how it had previously navigated the rest of my apartment. However, it did an okay job of mopping, leaving a light, even sheen of water across the floor and clearing a wet spillage I'd introduced.

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Ketchup smear on floor before mopping (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

... and what was left after a couple of passes (Image credit: Future)

To see how it fared with trickier spillages, I smeared a tiny bit of ketchup on the floor. Unfortunately, it barely touched this at all, even after traversing the area three times. It seems that the vacuum isn't exerting enough pressure with its mop pad to clear anything other than surface dirt. That's not too surprising for a bot at this price point, but it's worth bearing in mind if mopping is a priority.

There's also some maintenance to be aware of. You'll need to remove and rinse the pad shortly after a mopping session (the app prompts you, which is helpful), as well as running it through the wash fairly regularly so it doesn't end up smelling. After my mopping session, there were bits of tea and oats on the pad along with the ketchup, even though I'd run the vacuuming tests separately, first. Next I drained the tank, although the placement of the inlet meant I couldn't empty it completely.

Since the D9 Max Gen 2 can't lift its mop pads, you'll ideally want to avoid situations where the wet mop is being dragged over a carpeted area. As such, this bot isn't ideal for apartments such as mine, where there's a big carpeted room meeting three rooms with lino.

In short, I'm not wholly convinced this machine is better off for having mopping capabilities, or that I'd end up using them often. If you really want hands-free mopping, I'd recommend investing more in a machine with spinning circular mop pads that are able to lift over carpet, and a dock that can clean them.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 review: app

• Nicely designed and easy to use
• Main functions covered, except you can't set a cleaning schedule
• Pricier options offer more granular control

The Dreame app is well-designed and intuitive. It doesn't offer tons of settings compared to more premium options, but most of the key ones are covered.

The map is clear, and you can follow the bot in real-time as it makes its way around the home. You can split and merge rooms, add "zones", and create no-go zones if there's something you know is going to cause problems.

(Image credit: Dreame / Future)

There's also an area where you can adjust your suction and water settings. If you switch on "customized cleaning", you can set personalized suction power and water for each area. It's also possible to adjust the order in which the bot cleans you rooms. While you can launch the bot remotely, you can't set a regular cleaning schedule for it to follow.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2? Buy it if...

You're on a budget
While not the fanciest robovac around, you're getting a very decent bot for your money here. It's well-built, straightforward to use, and navigates reliably.

Your priority is vacuuming
The vacuuming here is decent – the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 performed well in my suction tests, and I could see it was cleaning my floors well from the amount of dust that was collected in the bin.

You have a smaller home
This model doesn't self-empty, which won't be an issue if you have a smaller home. It also means you won't have to make room for a massive dock.

Don't buy it if...

Your priority is mopping
The mopping here is perfunctory, and you'll need to take care of all mop maintenance yourself.

You often have cluttered floors
While navigation is reliable, this Dreame bot doesn't do a good job of spotting, or avoiding, clutter on the floor.

You have a larger home or pets
You don't want to be emptying the small onboard bin every 30 minutes, so opt for a bot with a self-empty base – our favorite budget option in this category is the Roborock Q5 Pro+.

How I tested the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2

I used the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 as my main vacuum for a couple of weeks to get a feel for its general usability and performance. I also ran a series of suction tests to assess its cleaning power, asking it to pick up fine (tea) and chunky (oats) debris on hard floor as well as carpet. To test obstacle avoidance, I scattered common items you'd find around any home over my living room floor to see if it would bump into them or navigate around them. I also noted how effective it was at mopping, and whether it could cope with wet (water) and sticky (smeared ketchup) spillages.

During my review period, I assessed how easy it was to set up the D9 Max Gen 2, the accuracy of its navigation, and if it generally performed as I'd want it to. I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I've tested, both budget and premium models.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners.

• First reviewed March 2025

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