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Honor has confirmed that Circle to Search will begin rolling out to two of its most popular smartphones, the Honor Magic V3 and Honor 200 Pro, in the coming months, signaling an end to the feature’s exclusivity for Samsung and Google Pixel phones.

The AI-powered Google tool – which allows users to search the web for anything they see on their phone screen with a simple circle, scribble, or tap – debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January, before trickling down to the Google Pixel 8 line in February. Google then expanded Circle to Search to mid-range Samsung and Galaxy phones in August.

The feature is available now on the Honor Magic V3 foldable, though Honor 200 Pro owners will have to wait until “later in the year” for access. A recent tip hinted that Circle to Search could be coming to the Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 soon, too, so it’s safe to expect that flagship devices from all manner of manufacturers – think OnePlus, Xiaomi, Motorola, and so on – could likewise benefit from Google’s innovative search tool in the near future.

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For Honor, this is a big deal. The best Honor phones are among the best phones money can buy in the UK and Europe, but despite their market-leading hardware, the company’s flagship devices have arguably lagged behind their flagship Android counterparts in the software department.

That’s not to say Honor’s mobile software is downright bad – the company’s AI-powered camera modes are some of the most interesting on the market, and its Magic Portal feature is similarly impressive – but Honor’s Magic OS operating system has certainly proven a quirkier beast than, say, the stock Android interface you’ll find on the best Pixel phones.

Magic Capsule in action on the Honor Magic V3 (Image credit: Future / Luke Baker)

The addition of Circle to Search to Magic OS brings a reassuring dose of familiarity to the best Honor phones, and with Honor’s Magic Capsule tool already mimicking Apple’s Dynamic Island, devices like the Honor Magic V3 now offer a potent mix of Android and iOS-like features; arguably the best of both worlds.

As for Google, this latest expansion of Circle to Search brings the company one step closer to fulfilling its internal goal of adding the feature to 200 million phones by the end of 2024. iPhones next, Google? Pigs might fly.

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This article first appeared in Issue 361 of PC Pro.

British workstation specialist InterPro has quietly been delivering some of the best workstation systems for over two decades now, and the IPW-RL is another case in point. The system combines a sensible selection of components for general content-creation tasks, and backs it up with a huge amount of memory.

The CPU choice is from Intel’s stable, but not the absolute pinnacle of the range. It’s the latest 14th generation, but the Core i9-14900K rather than the slightly faster KS variant. Both CPUs combine eight P performance cores with 16 E efficiency ones, offering base clocks of 3.2GHz and 2.4GHz respectively. However, the K processor has a 5.8GHz P-core maximum Turbo Boost frequency and 6GHz Thermal Velocity Boost, versus 5.9GHz and 6.2GHz respectively for the KS. The E-cores can only hit 4.4GHz with the K versus 4.5GHz for the KS.

What InterPro has saved on the processor has clearly been put towards memory, with 48GB 5,200MHz DDR5 DIMMs filling all four slots on the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero motherboard, for a massive total of 192GB. You’re unlikely to need more RAM for the lifetime of this machine.

Graphics acceleration is sensible for this price point, coming in the form of a PNY Nvidia RTX 4000 Ada Generation card. This sports a whopping 6,144 CUDA cores and 20GB of ECC-protected GDDR6 memory with 360GB/sec bandwidth. The 4000 series is the everyday workhorse of the Nvidia RTX professional range, offering a sensible balance between potency and price.

(Image credit: Future)

InterPro also gives you everything you need when it comes to storage. The main system drive is a 2TB Crucial T705 NVMe M.2 PCI Express 5 unit offering blistering 14,157MB/sec sustained reading and 11,884MB/sec writing, according to CrystalDiskMark 8. The secondary 4TB Crucial P3 Plus drive is also an NVMe M.2 unit, but uses a PCI Express 4 bus so delivers more modest sustained reading of 4,783MB/sec, with writing recorded at 4,365MB/sec. That’s going to be more than capable both in terms of speed and capacity for throughput-sensitive tasks such as editing high-resolution video.

All these components are integrated into a Fractal Design Define 7 chassis, a regular sight in the PC Pro workstation Labs over the years. InterPro has chosen the Compact version, which can accommodate two 3.5in or 2.5in drives and up to four 2.5in drives on top of that. This solid black machine has been equipped with a 1,000W Corsair RM1000e V2 PSU, with a 360mm Corsair iCue H150e RGB Elite liquid-cooling system for the CPU.

On an absolute scale, the InterPro’s components are potent, but in this month’s Labs company it falls behind in most areas. The overall PC Pro media benchmark score of 716 would have been a Labs-winning total a few years ago – as would the individual results of 297 for image editing, 649 for video encoding and 901 for multitasking – but it was the slowest overall this month. The Cinebench 2024 multi-CPU rendering score of 1,968 only beats the 12-core Scan system. The Blender render test took 350 seconds on CPU, which was beaten by the 12-core Scan machine.

The SPECviewperf 2020 results are similarly adequate for most tasks, but every other system here includes more powerful GPU acceleration. The scores of 161 in 3dsmax-07 and 576 in maya-06 demonstrate excellent 3D modelling animation abilities, while 132 in catia-06, 218 in creo-03, 530 in snx-04 and 360 in solidworks-07 will be great for engineering, CAD or product design. But there are even better scores in this test.

If you use this Nvidia GPU for rendering or AI inference, it also falls behind other systems, taking 124 seconds for the Blender render using CUDA, delivering just 11,853 in LuxMark 3.1 and producing 17,727 in the Geekbench ML 0.6 AI benchmark.

Overall, while this is a very capable workstation that would make light work of most real-time content creation or output rendering tasks, there are alternatives that provide more in either department.

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(Image credit: MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO)

In June, Microsoft postponed the introduction of its controversial Recall feature following a series of serious security concerns. The AI-powered tool, designed to capture all user activity over the previous six months, was positioned as a solution that helps users track their activities and efficiently find previously visited websites, documents and applications. Microsoft developed Recall to allow users to 'retrace their steps' by capturing screen snapshots every five seconds. The tool saves these images, cataloguing the viewed content using AI, and then offering it back to the user through a search functionality.

For cyber investigators, Recall could be a transformative force in gathering and analyzing evidence, improving both the investigative process and its outcomes. However, noise around cybersecurity concerns is loud – and for good reason. The tool’s ability to capture and duplicate data means that sensitive information could be exposed and leveraged by threat actors.

Transforming forensics, though gaps remain

Setting security concerns aside, Recall has the potential to revolutionize forensic investigations in the event of cyber incidents. First, its searchable format can dramatically speed up investigations by removing the arduous and time-consuming task of processing large quantities of evidence.

When digital evidence is lost – be it through browser history clearing or file deletion – Recall’s screen capturing ability would step in to ensure that it remains accessible. Equipped with Recall, investigators would also be able to visually verify their results, empowering greater confidence in the veracity of forensics findings.

Despite its advantages, Recall has critical blind spots. Most significantly, the absence of an audit log renders the access of Recall data by threat actors and users untraceable. Threat actors can also evade detection by using applications like Edge’s InPrivate mode, which Recall can’t track, and by engaging in activities hidden from the screen or by user settings. Looking at Recall as a whole, the advantages speak for themselves, but there’s no suggestion that it is the complete solution for investigators aiming to stop threat actors in their tracks.

Unintentionally handing threat actors the upper hand

Recall inherently risks exposing sensitive information that threat actors could exploit, which in the end was the driving force behind Microsoft’s decision to delay its rollout.

Following news of the release of Microsoft Recall, security researchers developed and released a tool named TotalRecall, which can locate, duplicate, and translate the data gathered by the Recall feature in a plaintext database, which is instantly searchable. Since attackers routinely exploit existing tools and systems to achieve their objectives, it is likely they would add TotalRecall to their arsenal, exploiting its insights where possible.

Lastly, Recall would likely elevate the risk of extortion. With access to snapshots of user activity and computer usage data, attackers will possess enough sensitive data to create a powerful incentive to pay a ransom. The likelihood that this data could contain personal information that poses a threat to an employee’s personal life, and even their safety, significantly increases the risks of exposure.

Meeting regulatory requirements

If Recall functions as designed, we must operate under the assumption that all data accessed by the user over the past six months could potentially be exfiltrated if compromised. The wide range of data collected by the technology makes it difficult to accurately categorize sensitive or regulated information. Aside from the risk of threat actors exploiting this data, Microsoft faces the difficult task of ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and preventing serious breaches.

Addressing concerns, but the door remains open

In response to concerns about TotalRecall and its duplication feature, Microsoft announced the implementation of two new security features. First, the company implemented just-in-time encryption on the database. While this encryption could potentially prevent the exfiltration of databases containing sensitive information, cybersecurity experts have not yet confirmed its effectiveness.

Additionally, Microsoft introduced a requirement for users to re-authenticate through Microsoft Hello before accessing the Recall feature. However, if attackers manage to bypass additional layers of security, unauthorized access remains a real concern, and sensitive data could still be compromised.

Microsoft has also emphasized that the Azure AI tool, which analyses the snapshots captured by Recall, processes data locally on the device’s AppData folder, ensuring sensitive information won’t be sent to the cloud. While this might allay the concerns of some, there is concrete evidence of AI prompts being manipulated to bypass security measures in other AI systems. Developers must remain vigilant about the possibility that threat actors could exploit these very prompts to gain unrestricted access to a device and the information within.

Microsoft’s acknowledgement of these concerns is promising, however additional preventive security measures are required to safeguard users from attackers who are on the sidelines looking for ways to exploit new technologies for their malicious activities.

Suggestions for future use

Looking ahead, there are a number of preventive security measures to bear in mind for the yet-to-be released tool for future users. Following these guidelines should increase security safeguards.

After enabling Recall, users should be meticulous in configuring its settings, strategically deciding which apps and websites shouldn’t fall under its remit. However, it is crucial for users to understand that not all applications and browsers are compatible with Recall’s privacy settings.

Users are also advised to deploy robust anti-malware tools or endpoint detection solutions that can alert you if there are suspicious attempts to access Recall data.

Finally, although it is still unclear whether Recall offers the option of shortening the retention period of its database, the implementation of such an option would limit the amount of data and reduce the potential for attackers to exploit it.

Recall promises a transformative shift in digital forensics, offering a powerful tool for evidence gathering and analysis thanks to its ability to retrieve data that would otherwise be out of reach. However, before it is implemented, Microsoft must address pressing security concerns and make user safety the overarching priority. We’ll need conclusive evidence that data exposure and the threat of extortion are eliminated before we can be confident in its functionality.

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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

In today's evolving digital landscape, businesses must face two new paradigm shifts: remote work and its link to escalating data breaches. For organizations navigating this, IT Asset Management (ITAM) has quickly become important in bridging the gap between remote work and cybersecurity.

The New Reality: Remote Work and Cybersecurity Risks

The global shift to remote work changed how businesses function. Even if the model has offered flexibility and cut costs, it has also increased security vulnerabilities. Every remote device now represents a potential entry point for cyber threats, creating new obstacles for IT teams:

More Devices: Employees use a mix of company-issued and personal devices, making it difficult to maintain consistent security standards.

Network Vulnerabilities: Home and public Wi-Fi networks create security risks.

Shadow IT: Remote workers sometimes use unauthorized software solutions.

Data Protection: Sensitive information is now spread across multiple locations.

At the same time, the financial impact of data breaches increases substantially every year. IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 reports that the average breach now costs $4.88 million—a 10% increase from the previous year. Alarmingly, 40% of these costly breaches involved data distributed across multiple environments.

Here's what this means: the era of remote work has increased cybersecurity threats, costing companies more money each year.

Understanding ITAM: More Than Just Inventory Management

IT Asset Management is more than just tracking laptops. It's a strategy to manage an organization's entire tech ecosystem. This includes:

Asset Inventory: Identifying and cataloging all IT assets, including hardware, software, and cloud resources.

Lifecycle Management: Tracking assets and software through the entire lifecycle, including setup, maintenance, and eventual disposal.

License Compliance: Ensuring software licensing compliance to avoid legal risks.

Cuts Expenses: Reducing costs by identifying idle assets and negotiating better vendor contracts.

Security Standards: Allows IT teams to ensure all assets meet cybersecurity standards.

Here's what this means: In the context of remote work and escalating breach costs, ITAM serves as a critical link for both operational efficiency and resilient security measures.

The Evolution of ITAM in the New Normal

As organizations begin utilizing ITAM, it is important to note that the industry is making some key changes as well:

Cloud Integration: Modern ITAM solutions now monitor physical and cloud-based assets. This is essential as businesses adopt to cloud computing environments.

IoT Management: ITAM is expanding to manage all Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Automation: Standard ITAM processes can now be automated. This allows IT teams to focus on more strategic tasks.

Here's what this means: Organizations now have the opportunity to track and optimize a broader range of assets, from traditional hardware to cloud services and IoT devices, which ultimately leads to more flexible and secure operations.

Implementing Effective ITAM: Best Practices

For organizations looking to leverage ITAM in their overall cybersecurity strategy, consider the following best practices:

Establish Clear Policies: Develop clear ITAM policies that address remote work environments, including BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) guidelines.

Invest in Efficient ITAM Tools: Invest in ITAM solutions that track IT equipment and software in real-time, automate compliance checks, and integrate with existing security tools.

Prioritize and Classify Assets: Use ITAM to rank company data and equipment based on how sensitive they are.

Conduct Regular Audits: Perform frequent audits of IT assets to maintain inventory accuracy and compliance with security policies.

Work Across Teams: Promote collaboration between IT, security, finance, and other departments.

Provide Ongoing Training: Inform all employees about the importance of proper IT asset management and how it contributes to the organization’s safety.

Here's what this means: Organizations can foster safety and security by leveraging ITAM effectively. This can be done by performing regular IT asset audits, having clear device policies, encouraging cross-team collaboration, and investing in modern ITAM solutions.

A Call to Action

In an era where remote work is the norm and data breaches are rising, ITAM is no longer a nice-to-have—it's a must-have. It's the strategic bridge that connects security measures with cost-saving initiatives, making it necessary for modern organizations.

Organizations that invest in advanced ITAM practices will thrive. They can navigate the complexities of distributed work environments, protect their digital assets, and build a more secure and efficient future.

The question is now whether organizations can afford to invest in robust ITAM practices but whether they can afford not to. ITAM is a cornerstone of effective business strategy, enabling companies to survive and excel in the digital age.

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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

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Meta AI is traveling internationally, starting with Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Philippines, and the UK this week. Over the next few weeks, the tech giant’s AI assistant will eventually debut in 21 countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Notable in its absence is any continental European country as Meta wrangles with the European Union (EU) over regulatory demands.

Meta hasn’t set a date for releasing Meta AI in the countries beyond the initial list. Still, fairly soon, people in Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Yemen will also be able to ask Meta AI their questions. They'll also be able to create images and even put their face in the results using the “Imagine Me” feature for creating a digital avatar based on uploaded photos that can then be incorporated into an image created from a text prompt. Those images can then be edited by follow-up prompts.

The wider geographic access to Meta AI will include linguistic expansion. That means the new international users won’t be limited to communicating with the AI assistant in English. The first new language on the list is Tagalog, which is spoken by many in the Philippines. Arabic, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese are next on Meta AI’s roadmap, appropriate for the countries gaining access to the AI assistant, which are also places with many people who regularly use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other Meta platforms. Those same people will presumably form a core of Meta AI early adopters.

“Following this gradual rollout, Meta AI will be available in 43 countries and a dozen languages. That means more people than ever will be able to use Meta AI to dive deep on topics that spark their interest, get helpful how-tos and find inspiration for art projects, home decor, OOTDs and more,” Meta boasted in a blog post. “In fact, Meta AI is already on track to become the most used AI assistant in the world by the end of the year with almost 500 million active users monthly.”

Meta AI on your (non-European) face

Meta’s products are also popular in the EU, but the lack of EU expansion plans isn’t surprising. Meta has already said it won’t bring new AI tools, especially image- and video-related ones because it is leery of violating new regulations and compliance demands that it feels are unfair.

The biggest issue raised by European lawmakers surrounds ethical data use and privacy. The recently adopted rules are designed to slow the launch of AI technology that doesn’t address those potential problems. Meta AI’s current form might transgress some of the new rules. In response, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has suggested that these regulations limit innovation and hurt citizens. For now, Meta has chosen to skip the EU in favor of other markets for its AI products.

Meta AI is also expanding in another direction this week, debuting on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in more regions, which are now available in the UK and Australia. Though Australians will have the full range of features, the UK is only getting voice support for now. The wearable tech integration with Meta AI is part of the company's push to embed its AI in everything it produces. Meta didn't say why the UK isn't getting the augmented reality overlay or image recognition features immediately. Presumably, there are technical issues, regulatory hurdles, or both that need to be overcome.

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