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Tempur-Pedic Cooling Tech Helps You Sleep in the Heat

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:51
Being cool at night is not just about being comfortable, it's essential for quality sleep. These mattresses and accessories are packed with tech for sleepers who run hot.
Categories: Technology

Get Ready for Football Season With NFL Retro Bowl 26 on Apple Arcade

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:49
Apple Arcade subscribers can also test their knowledge every day with a new Jeopardy game.
Categories: Technology

Elon Musk Threatens to Sue Apple for Favoring ChatGPT Over Grok in the App Store

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:49
Apple's refusal to promote Grok amounts to an antitrust violation, Musk says.
Categories: Technology

Fortnite to Return to iPhones in Australia After Epic Games Wins in Court

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:48
A judge rules Apple and Google breached competition laws by removing the game in 2020, but the return date isn't known.
Categories: Technology

Taylor Swift announces her next era: 'The Life of a Showgirl'

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:26

After cryptic Instagram posts and a surprise countdown clock, Swift announced early Tuesday that her new album will be called The Life of a Showgirl. The cover art and release date remain a mystery.

(Image credit: Emma McIntyre)

Categories: News

'KPop Demon Hunters' Is Heading to Theaters. Here's How to Get Tickets

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:09
Now's your chance to sing along with HUNTR/X and Saja Boys.
Categories: Technology

Notorious North Korean hacking group Kimsuky gets hacked itself - revealing some of its deepest secrets

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:04
  • A hacker has stolen sensitive Kimsuky files and logs
  • They claim the group is "morally perverted", and hacks for "all the wrong reasons"
  • But the leak will not dismantle the group, some argue

Kimsuky, a notorious North Korean state-sponsored threat actor, has been hacked by someone who claims not to be a cybercriminal but rather - an "artist".

The database is 8.9GB in size, and can be found on the “Distributed Denial of Secrets” website, containing logs, tools, and infrastructure used by the group, exposing their tactics, techniques, and procedures.

The haul contains phishing logs showing an attack against The Defense Counterintelligence Command (South Korean military intelligence security agency), different targeted domains, archives with the complete source code of South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs email platform (including webmail, admin, and other modules), a list of South Korean university professors, a toolkit for building phishing sites, Cobalt Strike loaders, and more.

Driven by greed

Kimsuky is notorious for its cyber-espionage campaigns. The group’s earliest sightings were back in 2012, and since then, it was credited with numerous attacks against government agencies, think tanks, research institutions, and media outlets. It is particularly focused on Korean Peninsula affairs, nuclear policy, and foreign relations.

The hacker, going by Saber / cyb0rg, slammed Kimsuky for advancing state agendas:

“Kimsuky, you are not a hacker. You are driven by financial greed, to enrich your leaders, and to fulfill their political agenda,” a letter accompanying the dump reads. “You steal from others and favor your own. You value yourself above the others: You are morally perverted.”

“You hack for all the wrong reasons,” the letter concluded.

Although a commendable effort, this leak will probably not completely stop Kimsuky, a state-sponsored actor with formidable resources.

However, since many tools and methods have been “burned”, it could slow the group down, expose current campaigns, and force it to start from scratch in some cases.

Via BleepingComputer

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Categories: Technology

Best Home Security Cameras With Floodlights in 2025: Illuminate Your Yard

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 11:00
I've tested many different floodlight camera models with powerful LEDs: Here are the ones I recommend for your property.
Categories: Technology

Are Gesture-Enabled AirPod Live Translations Incoming? iOS 26 Beta Suggests Yes

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:56
Reports based on a developer beta version of iOS 26 seem to confirm Apple is working on this feature.
Categories: Technology

Best Multivitamins for Women Over 50 in 2025

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:39
As you age, getting the right amounts of vitamins and nutrients becomes more essential and more difficult. Here are the best multivitamins to help you meet your requirements.
Categories: Technology

Own a Sony TV? You're about to get a major free Android TV 14 update – as long as you've got one of these specific models

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:37
  • Android TV 14 is finally hitting some Sony TVs, according to reports
  • Models receiving the update appear to use Realtek chipsets
  • Android TV 14 launched in mid-2024

Some Sony TVs have started to reportedly receive Android TV 14 in a recent software update, nearly a year on from its launch in mid-2024.

Initially launched on Google's own streamer devices and Onn streamers, it appears we're seeing a major rollout of Android TV 14 onto a host of Sony TVs.

According to Android Authority, the models included aren't what you'd expect, as a vast majority are entry-level to mid-range LED TVs. The rollout was first spotted by Reddit user Proshis_Saha_Swoopna, whose own TV updated from Android TV 11 to 14.

Some of the models included are the Sony X77L, Sony Bravia 2, Sony X75L, X74L, X75K, X74K, X70L, X64L and more, some of which go as far back as 2022.

Interestingly, the sets all listed in the update are those with Realtek chipsets and not Mediatek, the latter of which is included on more premium Sony TVs such as the Sony A95L and Sony X90L, two of the best TVs in recent years.

It's not clear yet what updates these Sony TVs will receive from Android TV 14, but some of its features include a Low Energy and Optimized Energy mode, a picture-in-picture feature and a performance upgrade on devices with low RAM.

One thing worth noting is that although major OS updates may not be arriving for some TVs, there are still regular bug and security updates happening for Google TV devices. My own Philips OLED and Sony LED TV both received updates this year.

Below is the full list of Sony TVs set to receive the Android TV 14 update:

  • K-43S20
  • K-43S20B
  • K-43S25
  • K-50S20
  • K-50S20B
  • K-50S25
  • K-55S25
  • K-55S25B
  • K-65S25
  • K-65S25B
  • KD-32W825
  • KD-32W835
  • KD-32W830L
  • KD-43X64L
  • KD-43X70L
  • KD-43X75L
  • KD-50X64L
  • KD-50X70L
  • KD-50X75L
  • KD-55X74L
  • KD-55X75L
  • KD-65X74L
  • KD-65X75L
  • KD-43X77L
  • KD-50X77L
  • KD-55X77L
  • KD-65X77L
  • KD-75X77L
  • KD-32W820K
  • KD-32W830K
  • KD-43W880K
  • KD-43X74K
  • KD-43X75K
  • KD-50X74K
  • KD-50X75K
  • KD-55X74K
  • KD-55X75K
  • KD-65X74K
  • KD-65X75K
When will the full rollout take place?

Sony's 2025 flagship OLED TV the Bravia 8 II is still at Android TV 12. (Image credit: Future)

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally good to see some progress with Android TV 14. In almost a year since its launch, it has only made it to specific Google and Onn streamers while some TVs with the Google TV platform are still stuck at Android 10, 11 and 12.

Earlier this year, Android announced Android TV 16, but there are no clear plans for a rollout or even a release date, though there is belief it may not be until 2026 as Android has seemingly moved to a bi-annual update cycle. It seems like it will be a while however as the rollout for 14 has only really just begun.

While it's great that the rollout has begun for Sony, it seems odd that it's only on specific models with the Realtek chipset. That's great news for those LED TV owners, but not such great news for those who own more premium Sony TVs.

We'll just have to hope that Android TV 14 will soon be able to make its way out across a wider range of devices. We'll be sure to keep an eye out for any more information.

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Categories: Technology

I just spent a week with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, and now I don't want to give it back

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:33
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360: Two-minute review

There's no denying that the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is a premium laptop. Everything about it screams 'high-end', from the sleek chassis to the fantastic performance. Is it one of the best ultrabooks? Having spent a week using it for this review, I feel confident saying so.

Of course, such premium design quality means a premium price tag to match, with even the base configuration starting at an eye-watering $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615). That's a high asking price, but the Book5 Pro 360 puts a lot of work into justifying it.

For starters, the overall performance here is strong. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor powering this laptop performs admirably across a wide range of workloads, even capable of handling triple-A games with the help of resolution upscaling. The battery life is also truly top-notch.

In terms of build quality, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 feels like it belongs among the best laptops, with a premium feel to the chassis and a sturdy 360-degree display hinge (making it a prime candidate for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops). With a good range of physical ports and a gorgeous AMOLED display to boot, this is one laptop I was seriously reluctant to send back once my testing was complete.

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Price and availability
  • Starts at $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615)
  • Available now in the US and UK
  • Only one configuration available in the US

Starting at $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615), the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 doesn't have a wealth of configurations to choose from. In fact, US shoppers can only purchase one specific model, which features a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU.

If you're in the UK, you can pick up that same configuration for £1,799, or a slightly less powerful version with 512GB of storage and a Core Ultra 5 chip for the aforementioned £1,599 price tag.

It's some pretty steep pricing, especially in the UK - although as always, it should be noted that British pricing includes tax, and there's no telling how the current tariff situation will affect the actual retail price in the States. I've seen costlier laptops, and the Book5 Pro 360 lives up to its price tag, but this isn't one for the faint of heart (or slim of wallet).

Sorry to our readers over in Australia, as it seems that Samsung hasn't seen fit to bring any of the Galaxy Book laptop series to the land down under (at least, not according to its own online store). That means you'll be looking at third-party importers if you want to get your hands on a Book5 model.

  • Price: 3 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Specs

Here are the specs for the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360:

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 specs

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 (model reviewed)

Starting Price

$1,699 / £1,799 (around AU$2,615)

CPU

Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

GPU

Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics

RAM

16GB

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Display

16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm combi audio jack, HDMI 2.1, microSD

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

3.73lbs / 1.69kg

Dimensions

14 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches / 35.5 x 25.1 x 1.37mcm

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Design
  • Best-in-class build quality
  • Excellent display
  • Tablet functionality is merely alright

Upon first unboxing it, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 immediately feels like a high-end piece of hardware. It's just half an inch thick, and there's not an ounce of wasted space here; the chassis is carefully sculpted around the 16-inch display, with a tiny bezel that also houses the 1080p webcam. The whole thing feels durable and well-constructed.

Despite featuring a full-scale keyboard that features a numpad on the right-hand side, typing on the Book5 Pro 360 never felt cramped in my testing. The individual keys are sufficiently spaced and offer a decent amount of travel for a thin-and-light ultrabook. There's a fingerprint reader for more secure logins, and you can also use Windows Hello to unlock the laptop with facial recognition.

The trackpad is very responsive with a robust click and no noticeable flex in the housing, even with firm presses - although as usual, I'd recommend connecting a third-party mouse instead. I didn't notice any issues with the palm rejection while typing, which is always a relief.

The 360-degree hinge that lets you flip into tablet mode is pleasingly sturdy (no annoying wobbles here), though I'd perhaps say that tablet functionality is the weakest feather in Samsung's cap. The Book5 Pro 360 is simply a bit too large and heavy to really work as a tablet device; don't expect this to beat any of the best tablets in that regard.

(Image credit: Future)

That being said, the touchscreen is fantastic; a 3K AMOLED display with excellent brightness, sharpness, and color reproduction. The Samsung S Pen comes bundled with every Book5 Pro 360, and while I'm no artist, it seems to work very well, which could be a potential boon for digital creatives. It would be nice if the S Pen could be garaged or snap magnetically to the chassis, though.

In terms of physical connectivity, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 features a great selection of ports: two Thunderbolt 4-enabled USB-Cs, one USB-A, HDMI video output for connecting a second screen, headphone jack, and even a microSD card reader - a worthwhile inclusion for photographers. Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, exemplifying the cutting-edge nature of this laptop.

(Image credit: Future)

I also have to discuss the software side of things, since virtually every laptop manufacturer these days is dead set on cramming as many proprietary apps into their laptops as possible. These can range from somewhat useful to borderline malware, and are often among the first things I uninstall on a new device.

Mercifully, Samsung's integrated software is largely unobtrusive, and can be ignored entirely after the initial setup if you're so inclined. The tools on offer are best employed by users who already own another Galaxy device, with the Multi Control feature letting you access your Samsung phone or tablet directly from the laptop. You can even use a Galaxy Tab as a second screen, although I didn't have one on hand to test this myself.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Design: 4.5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Performance
  • Strong all-round performance
  • Intel Core Ultra chip gives local AI functionality
  • Even capable of triple-A gaming (with some tweaks)

I was seriously impressed with the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor at the core of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. Outside of dedicated testing, I found the laptop remarkably fast and responsive, capable of handling multitasking workloads with ease.

Although the lack of a discrete GPU means that it's not best suited for seriously intensive work like video editing or 3D modeling, it can still handle a variety of daily tasks. My usual workload involves keeping a minimum of ten Chrome tabs open at once, usually with Spotify running in the background and the occasional bit of image editing in GIMP, and the Book5 Pro 360 had zero issues with that.

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Book5 360 benchmarks

Here's how the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 17,990; Fire Strike: 8,874; Time Spy: 3,891; Steel Nomad: 1,677
Cinebench R24: Multi-core: 588; Single-core: 124
Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 10,630; Single-core: 2,635
Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 3,165; Half Precision Score: 1,412; Quantized Score: 6,286
PCMark 10: 6,767
Crossmark: Overall: 1,770; Productivity: 1,640; Creativity: 1,996; Responsiveness: 1,558
Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 34fps; (1080p, High, No Upscaling): 22fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Low, No Upscaling): 39fps; (1080p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 23fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 20 hours, 3 minutes

Over on the test bench, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 scored well across the board, with good performance in synthetic rendering and productivity tests. It's not world-beating performance (the best MacBooks will give this laptop a run for its money), but it's certainly on par with comparable Windows laptops.

Gaming performance is seriously impressive considering that it's all running on integrated Intel Arc graphics. Cyberpunk 2077 was just about playable at 1080p with the lowest graphical preset, but turn on upscaling (either via Intel's own XeSS tech or AMD's open-source FSR 3.0) and you can easily get a stable 30+ frames per second even on medium settings.

You might notice above that the recorded scores for Civilization VII - a less demanding title than Cyberpunk - look a bit low. Despite multiple attempts with different settings, I couldn't coax any better performance out of that game, and turning on upscaling actually made the framerate worse. Other games (including Borderlands 3 and Alan Wake 2) ran as expected, so it's possible there was a driver issue or similar obstacle I simply didn't have time to properly diagnose and resolve in my testing.

Lastly, the Book5 Pro 360 features a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) on its Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, designed to handle local AI workloads (like some of the functionality of Microsoft Copilot). The NPU performance is solid, but it's worth noting that for running more intensive AI tasks - like training your own LLM - you'll see better performance on a laptop with a discrete Nvidia GPU.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Performance: 4.5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Battery life
  • Fantastic battery lifespan
  • Outlasts many competing laptops
  • Charges quickly

Samsung makes some bold claims about the 76Wh battery of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, suggesting that it offers up to 25 hours of continuous use. It didn't quite live up to that figure in my testing, but it still delivered a very respectable 20 hours and 3 minutes of looped video playback.

We run our battery test at 50% brightness with Windows 11's 'best efficiency' power preset enabled, so that 25-hour figure actually sounds pretty achievable if you really tried to squeeze every last drop from the battery with minimum brightness and Energy Saver turned on. Regardless, it's an impressive result that comfortably defeats many competing laptops. The only one to beat it in recent memory is the 2025 Intel Core Ultra Dell XPS 13, but that laptop crucially has a much smaller (and therefore less power-hungry) display.

Charging is also fast, with power delivery via Thunderbolt 4 taking the battery from empty to full in approximately 90 minutes. The only downside is having to sacrifice a USB-C port while charging, but with plenty of other ports available, it's a very minor concern.

  • Battery: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Book5 360?Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

The bundled S Pen is a nice extra, but the price tag is still fairly high - though not entirely unreasonable for a premium ultrabook like this.

3.5 / 5

Design

Although the tablet mode is a bit unwieldy due to the large screen, this is a fantastically designed laptop overall.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Performance is strong across the board, with good gaming capabilities and a discrete NPU for AI workloads.

4.5 / 5

Battery

20 hours of battery life places the Book5 Pro 360 among the best of the best when it comes to laptop longevity.

5 / 5

Overall rating

If you're looking for a premium Windows device that beats out most of the competition, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a strong choice.

4.25 / 5

Buy it if...

You want premium build quality
The Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 feels like an expertly engineered device, with a robust screen hinge and comfortable keyboard.

You want a fast and versatile laptop
With strong all-rounder performance and great responsiveness, plus a fantastic touchscreen, this Galaxy Book can handle almost anything you throw at it.

Don't buy it if... 

You really want a tablet
Although the touchscreen is great, the whole laptop is slightly too large to be practical as a tablet - it's fine for occasional use, but ill-suited as a dedicated tablet device.

You're on a budget
There's no avoiding it: the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is expensive. If you want an affordable system, you'll be better off checking out our best budget laptops guide.

Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: Also consider

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
If you can make do with just a touchscreen, rather than a fully convertible laptop, the Surface 7 is an excellent choice. We found its performance very capable across multiple areas, while its design, battery life, and even sound quality are great as well. It uses an ARM processor, though, so beware of possible incompatibilities.
Check out our Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
For those who aren't too concerned about Windows and would be happy to make the switch to macOS, the 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro is the way to go - just bear in mind that it's even more expensive (and even more powerful) than the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360.
Check out our MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) review

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4, 2024)

Starting Price

From $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615)

From $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899

From $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999

CPU

Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

Up to Apple M4 Max (16-core)

GPU

Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics

Qualcomm Adreno GPU

Up to 40-core integrated GPU

RAM

16GB DDR5

Up to 32GB LPDDR5x

Up to 48GB unified memory

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Up to 1TB SSD

Up to 1TB SSD

Display

16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen

13.8-inch 2304 x 1536, 3:2 120Hz HDR touchscreen

16-inch 3456 x 2234 Liquid Retina XDR display

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2, 1x 3.5mm combi audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD card reader

2x USB 4 Type C, 1x USB Type A Gen 3.1, 1x 3.5mm combo jack, 1x Surface connect port, 1x microSD card reader

3x Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C), 1x HDMI, 1x SDXC card slot, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4

WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

3.73lbs / 1.69kg

2.96lbs / 1.34kg

4.8 lbs / 2.2kg

Dimensions

14 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches / 35.5 x 25.1 x 1.37mcm

11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches / 30.1 x 22.0 x 1.75cm

14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches / 35.6 x 24.8 x 1.7cm

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360
  • Replaced my usual laptop for one week
  • Performed a variety of everyday tasks
  • Ran our usual suite of synthetic and gaming tests

As I usually do for any laptop review, I replaced my daily driver (the ever-dependable HP Spectre x360) with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 for one week, using it for both my regular work and a bit of entertainment outside of the nine-to-five.

My day-to-day workload mostly involves editing spreadsheets and text documents, researching online in Chrome, and some light image editing (usually to produce fun pictures for spicy opinion articles). Beyond that, I also used the Book5 Pro 360 for some gaming, playing Borderlands and Stardew Valley with my partner, as well as finally catching up on Dandadan season 2 on Netflix.

I've got plenty of experience in testing laptops, as I've been professionally reviewing them (along with all other sorts of computer hardware) for more than eight years. I've learned what it takes to make a good laptop, and what potential drawbacks to keep an eye out for.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2025

Categories: Reviews

The best Dell XPS 13 and 15 deals for August 2025

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:32

If you're wondering what the best Dell XPS deals are or where to find the cheapest prices you've come to the right place. No matter what size or configuration of this incredible Ultrabook you're after, you'll find options here from all the big retailers as well as our top tips for scoring a good deal right here.

It's an interesting time to be checking in as Dell has recently announced that it will be renaming its entire XPS line to 'Dell Premium' for 2025 and onward. Right now, however, there are no newly renamed or refreshed models on the market so the XPS 14, 16, 15, and 13 are still widely available and stocked - often with healthy discounts.

Alongside the latest models, you'll also find some older choices too. Don't discount these machines just because they're a little older - they might not pack the latest components, but they're still fantastic laptops all around. Because of their age, finding decent laptop deals on these models also tends to be easier overall - especially around big retail events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday or from Dell's own website using an available Dell coupon code.

If you're undecided on which Dell XPS deal is for you, don't worry, we've got a direct comparison just down below. Scroll down to see a full list of available specs, as well as a price comparison.

Dell XPS 13 & 15 deals: latest models

(Image credit: Dell)Dell XPS 13 9345 (2024)

Now with a new ARM-based chipset

CPU: Snapdragon X Elite | Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno | RAM: 16GB - 64GB | Screen: 13.4-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,200), QHD+ (2560 x 1600), QLED 3K (2880 x 1800) | Storage: 512GB – 2TB SSD

Excellent battery lifeImproved thermal performancePriciest 13-inchStill a few minor software quibbles

For the first time ever, the latest Dell XPS 13 has the option for a non-Intel processor. New or 2024 is the Dell XPS 13 with the ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite chipset; which is more akin to the processors used in the latest MacBooks than the traditional Intel components in previous iterations.

In layman's terms, this means that the Dell XPS 13 9345 (this model's official designation) is not just an extremely capable machine, but it also features exceptional battery life (up to 20 hours in our testing), and greatly improved thermal management. Basically, it runs cooler for longer, while still having plenty of power for all your daily tasks.

All these points mean that the Dell XPS 13 9345 is a strong contender if you're looking for the absolute best Dell XPS 13 on the market right now. Note, however, that having such radically different components can mean compatibility issues with certain programs - in particular games, which are nearly all optimized to run on the old Intel and AMD-based architecture.

Check out our Dell XPS 13 9345 review for more information on this model.

(Image credit: Dell)Dell XPS 13 9340 (2024)

The Intel version of the latest device

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 | Graphics: Intel Arc | RAM: 16GB - 64GB | Screen: 13.4-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,200) – QHD+ (2560 x 1600) | Storage: 512GB – 2TB SSD

Inherits the 13 Plus designNew Ultra 7 chipsetsFewer lower-end optionsHigher starting price

The newest addition to Dell's XPS 13 and 15-inch roster is a refreshed 13-inch model. While the older iterations are still readily available, this Dell XPS 13 2024 features the latest design and components - bringing it into line with the other new models from Dell (there's a 14-inch and 16-inch model now).

Externally, the Dell XPS 13 2024 features many of the same design features as the 2023 Dell XPS 13 Plus - namely the seamless trackpad, zero-lattice keyboard, and a row of touch-key functions just below the display. These modern touches give this model a more premium feel overall, although the older models are still superbly high-end laptops in their own right.

One of the more interesting changes for the Dell XPS 13 2024 is the inclusion of a brand new Intel Ultra series chipset. These are new processors from Intel that include an NPU or 'neural processing unit', which aims to super-charge AI-assisted tasks. Otherwise, however, they are mostly an iterative improvement to overall performance and power efficiency.

Value-wise, we wouldn't rank the latest Dell XPS 13 as the best option currently due to its relatively high starting price of $1,399. In comparison, we've seen the slightly older XPS 13 Plus go for as little as $999 previously - and that's a model that's outwardly very similar to the latest model. The older XPS 13 models are also still readily available right now and have gone for as little as $599 for the baseline Core i5 model.

(Image credit: Dell)Dell XPS 13 Plus deals

Last year's premium model is a great buy

CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 (13th gen) | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 13.4-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,200) – 4K OLED (3840 x 2400) | Storage: 512GB – 2TB SSD

The lightest XPS yetHaptic touchpadMinor improvementsSuper pricey

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a standalone premium version of the XPS 13, initially released in 2023. It's been superseded by the latest 2024 XPS model, which has inherited its design, but it's still readily available at the official Dell site - and often with discounts.

Outwardly, this model is almost identical to the new baseline XPS 13, with its seamless haptic keyboard and redesigned keyboard. It does, however, feature slightly older components under the hood. You're not getting the latest 'Ultra' series of processors, instead getting the standard Intel Core i7 chipsets - which are still plenty powerful for zipping through everyday tasks.

Generally speaking, we still recommend the Dell XPS 13 Plus if you can get it at a decent price. We've recently seen Dell offer the XPS 13 Plus for as little as $999 / £898, which is a fantastic price considering it's only a year old at the time of writing. It's likely to be the cheaper option versus the standard 2024 XPS 13 for a while yet, making it a decent alternative if you're happy to forgo the latest chipsets.

(Image credit: Dell)Dell XPS 13 (2022) deals

We still recommend this one - if you can find it

CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 (12th gen) | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 13.4-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,200), 13.4-inch FHD Touchscreen | Storage: 512GB – 1TB SSD

Extremely affordableStill a premium designOlder components now

The older Dell XPS 13 from 2022 was readily available at most stores up until recently as the unofficial 'budget' model. Unfortunately, it's getting harder to find now as of mid 2024. While it lacks some of the latest design features - like the fancy keyboard or trackpad-less design - it's still a fantastic ultrabook and a great all-around choice. Even if it is officially discontinued now.

The 2022 XPS 13 model comes with 12th-generation Intel Core chipsets, which are still good if you're not looking for the cutting edge of performance. The Core i5 model, for example, could be a good choice if you simply want a premium laptop for writing emails or watching videos on the go. We've seen this baseline model go for as little as $599 / £799, which is a great value.

If you need more performance, however, then you'll likely want to set your sites on the Core i7 model - which also features a more spacious 512GB SSD. This particular model has been as low as $799 in the US, which we think is an outstanding price considering it's still an extremely capable laptop.

(Image credit: Dell)Dell XPS 15 (2023)

An incredible performer with a slightly older design

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900H | Graphics: Intel Arc A370M - RTX 4070 | RAM: 16GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6" FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 15.6" OLED 3.5K (3456x2160) | Storage: 1TB – 8TB SSD

Option for an OLED displaySuperb high-end specsDesign hasn't been refreshed yet

This is the latest Dell XPS 15 on the market currently, as the 15-inch model hasn't received a 2024 refresh like the 13-inch variant. Even though it's not the latest model on the market (there's an XPS 16 now), it's still a great option right now if you want a powerful laptop that's capable of taking on the heaviest workloads.

Alongside up-to-date components from Intel and Nvidia, the latest Dell XPS 15 2023 also includes the option to configure your machine all the way up to 64GB RAM and 4TB SSD, plus the option for a lavish 3.5K OLED display. As you'd imagine, these specs come with an incredibly high price tag but we are now starting to see better deals on this 15-inch now it's no longer the latest model in the range.

(Image credit: Dell)Dell XPS 15 (2022) deals

Only worth it if you can snag a good deal

CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 (12th gen) | Graphics: Intel UHD - RTX 3050 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,200) – 4k (3840 x 2160) | Storage: 512GB – 2TB SSD

RTX 3050 graphics cards12th gen Intel Core processorsStill not a gaming laptop

As of writing, the 2022 Dell XPS 15 model is still available at a few retailers but it's getting increasingly difficult to find stock now as Dell has officially discontinued it in favor of the 2023 model. If you can find it for cheaper, however, it's still a great buy with its 12th gen Intel Core chipsets and RTX 3000 series graphics cards.

Neither of these components are cutting-edge or up-to-date now but they will suffice nicely for high-performance everyday tasks. This model can even handle some light gaming, although hardcore gamers will want to look elsewhere if they're specifically aiming for a gaming laptop (there are better value options out there right now).

Categories: Technology

LinkedIn Premium subscribers can now get up to 7 months free with ExpressVPN

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:25
  • LinkedIn Premium subscribers can get a 3-month free trial of ExpressVPN
  • Premium Perks is exclusive to paid subscribers of LinkedIn, typically offering long-term trials and discounts
  • If a trial converts into a 12 or 24-month subscription, a further 4 free months are added

ExpressVPN has teamed up with LinkedIn to offer paid subscribers of the business-focused social network a free three-month trial for the entire month of August, 2025.

At a time when VPN use is growing, and business expenses are under greater scrutiny, this offer means you'll be able to enjoy the protection of one of the best VPN services on the market without spending a penny.

The perks do not end with a free trial of ExpressVPN, either. Anyone signing up for a 12 or 24-month subscription will also get an additional four months free on top of their selected plans, which will began once the three-month trial ends.

Announced by the GM of Global Partnerships at ExpressVPN, Zac Eller, on LinkedIn, the deal is only accessible via the Premium Perks page.

"We’re excited to partner with LinkedIn to bring ExpressVPN to even more professionals around the world," says Eller. "In today’s world, whether you're working remotely, traveling, or browsing online, it’s essential to make sure that your privacy and security are protected.”

It's worth noting that the deal is not available in territories with VPN restrictions, including Crimea, Iran, North Korea, and the contested regions in Ukraine.

This is a time-limited offer that is set to expire on August 31, 2025.

Is this ExpressVPN deal as good as it sounds?

Signing up for this free ExpressVPN 3-month trial gives 90 days of premium VPN access without commitment. That alone makes this deal worth trying if you have LinkedIn Premium. With anyone signing up getting an extra four free months on top of a 12- or 24-month plan, it’s tough to say no to this offer.

But is ExpressVPN any good? Well, it has servers in 105 countries, apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, streaming sticks, and routers, and is suitable for maintaining online privacy whether browsing, gaming, or streaming. It’s also fast and can be used on up to eight devices simultaneously.

Most importantly, ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption, runs on driveless Trusted Servers, and retains no logs. As it is based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN cannot be legally compelled to share data with any of the "14 eyes" nations – a data sharing collaboration between several NATO countries and allies.

With ExpressVPN having long stood as one of the top VPN providers around, according to TechRadar's independent testing, this is potentially the deal of the year if you have a LinkedIn Premium subscription. Any savings could help justify paying for LinkedIn Premium.

However, it is worth highlighting that the additional months are often available to standard signups on the two-year plan – the only thing that the Premium Perk adds to ExpressVPN is the free 3-month trial.

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BioWare pitched a Dragon Age trilogy remaster but EA turned it down because it's 'against remasters' – 'It's strange for a publicly-traded company to seemingly be against free money' says series veteran

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:18
  • BioWare pitched EA a remaster of the first three Dragon Age games, but the concept was turned down
  • Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah said the remastered games would have been called the Champions Trilogy
  • He also said that "EA wants mainstream success" and is "against remasters"

A remaster of the first three Dragon Age games was pitched by BioWare to EA, but turned down because the publisher is "against remasters".

Speaking in an interview with the YouTube channel MrMattyPlays, former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah discussed the last year's latest entry in the series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the mixed reception it received.

Now that BioWare has shifted its entire focus to Mass Effect 5, Darrah said that he doesn't know how a new Dragon Age game can be made and thinks the studio should remake the first three games, starting with Origins.

The former franchise lead went on to reveal that this concept was pitched to EA as the Champions Trilogy, but was turned down.

"I honestly think they should do — I don't think they will, but they should do — a remaster of the first three [Dragon Age games]," Darrah said (thanks, IGN). "One of the things we pitched at one point — pretty softly, so pitched is a massive overstatement — was to retroactively rebrand the first games as if they were a trilogy, call it the Champions Trilogy, so you have these larger-than-life heroes... maybe you do that as a first step.

"You shine them up, you re-release them — probably remaster, probably not a remake — see what happens and maybe go from there. I'm very curious to see... in a weird, twisted way, the Mass Effect franchise and the Dragon Age franchise are in similar states.

"They have a trilogy of games that are pretty well received, and then a fourth game that's less well received. I'll be curious to see what Mass Effect does with Mass [Effect] 5 — how does Andromeda fit in there?"

Although EA wasn't inclined to remaster the Dragon Age games, it did release the Mass Effect Legendary Edition in 2021, which combined the first three games in the series.

According to Darrah, EA favors Mass Effect over Dragon Age because it wants "mainstream success".

"The problem Dragon Age has had, charitably I guess, would be to say that EA wants mainstream success and it's hard - or at least it has historically been hard - for corporate people, people who come from the sports side of the organization to look at a game like Dragon Age: Origins, which is super nerdy, not very attractive looking, and say 'this is a mainstream game'," said Darrah.

"They don't see it [with Dragon Age]. They look at Mass Effect, they can see it… there's just been a lot of difficulty with them, there's always been a push for [Dragon Age] to be more mainstream, more accessible. So it's always had this either pressure to be something different, or more - in the case of something like Inquisition - a reaction to that."

Darrah added: "EA's historically been — and I don't know why, but they've even said this publicly — they're kind of against remasters. I don't really know why, and it's strange for a publicly-traded company to seemingly be against free money but they seem to be against it. So that's part of it."

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Darrah continued, saying that another problem is that a Dragon Age remaster is "to some degree unknowably harder" to make than Mass Effect, since the three games were all made using different engines.

He explained that the plan for the initial version of Dragon Age 4, before its multiplayer reboot and before it became Veilguard, was to use the Frostbite engine again, find a mod house, and then "pay them to do a remake of Dragon Age: Origins."

"There were lots of pitches around, is there a way to bring Dragon Age: Origins forward? And depending what you do, a remaster you kind of get Dragon Age 2 for free, a remake you don't."

Unfortunately, working with an older engine would have been a difficult task, with Darrah explaining that BioWare would have had to remaster Dragon Age internally.

"The studios run their own financials within themselves, and to some degree EA's stance was probably 'sure, go ahead and do it, but do it with the money you already have'," Darrah said. "And it was like, we can't do it with the money we already have because we're doing all these other things."

In January, BioWare announced that it was downsizing the studio and moving an unspecified number of developers to other teams within EA, while others will be focused entirely on the next Mass Effect game.

Currently, a core team at BioWare is developing Mass Effect 5. As a result of the changes, several, long-time BioWare and Dragon Age veterans were also laid off.

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Categories: Technology

US government seizes $1 million from major Russian ransomware gang in a rare win for the good guys

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 10:03
  • US government seizes servers and domains belonging to BlackSuit
  • More than $1 million reportedly retrieved as a result
  • BlackSuit stole more than $370 million over the past three years

As the US government continues to dismantle the infamous BlackSuit (Royal) ransomware group, new information has claimed more than $1 million in cryptocurrency was confiscated from the threat actors.

Multiple US law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security are involved in the dismantling of BlackSuit, a Russian ransomware group which has allegedly attacked more than 450 US-based firms and stole more than $370 million in cryptocurrency since 2022.

The US government has said its operation resulted in the seizures of servers, domains and digital assets used to deploy ransomware, extort victims, and launder proceeds - among which is $1,091,453 worth of coins, valued at the time of the theft.

How much was really confiscated?

“Royal victims are typically required to pay ransoms in BTC by accessing a darknet website. On or about April 4, 2023, a victim paid a ransom of 49.3120227 Bitcoin to decrypt their data,” the announcement reads.

“This ransom was worth $1,445,454.86 at the time of the transaction. A portion of those proceeds ($1,091,453) was repeatedly deposited and withdrawn into a virtual currency exchange account until the funds were frozen by that exchange on or about Jan. 9, 2024.”

A million dollars’ worth of crypto would mean the crooks tried to launder 38.7 bitcoin at the time. When it was frozen, on January 9, 2024, it was already worth $1.78 million, and at press time, the same amount of bitcoin equals $4.6 million.

Given the decentralized and immutable nature of cryptocurrency, retrieving any amount is commendable. However, for BlackSuit, who stole hundreds of millions, this is but a drop in the sea.

Furthermore, since no arrests have been made, it is only a matter of time before BlackSuit restores its infrastructure and continues wreaking havoc throughout the corporate world.

Via TechCrunch

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New tests show ChatGPT-5 is more accurate than GPT-4o – Grok still struggles with hallucinations

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 09:31
  • ChatGPT-5 scores a low 1.4% on the Hallucination Leaderboard
  • This puts it ahead of ChatGPT-4 which scores 1.8% and GPT-4o, which scores 1.49%
  • Grok 4 is much higher at 4.8%, with Gemini-2.5 Pro at 2.6%

Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, launched ChatGPT-5 on Thursday as the most “powerful, smart, fastest, reliable and robust version of ChatGPT that we’ve ever shipped”, and in the presentation, OpenAI staff also emphasized that ChatGPT-5 would “mitigate hallucinations”.

While hallucination rates are dropping amongst almost all LLMs, it's still surprisingly common, and one of the main reasons that we can't trust AI to perform a task without human supervision.

Vectara, the RAG-as-a-Service and AI agent platform that operates the industry’s top hallucination leaderboard for foundation and reasoning models, has put OpenAI’s claims to the test and found that GPT-5 does indeed rank lower for hallucinations than GPT-4, but is only just a little bit lower than GPT-4o (just 0.09% lower, in fact).

According to Vectara, GPT-5 has a grounded hallucination rate of 1.4%, compared to 1.8% for GPT-4, and 1.69% for GPT-4 turbo and 4o mini, with 1.49% for GPT-4o.

Spicy Grok

Interestingly, the ChatGPT-5 hallucination rate came out slightly higher than the ChatGPT-4.5 Preview mode, which scored 1.2%, but it also scored a lot higher than OpenAI’s o3-mini High Reasoning model, which was the best-performing GPT model, with a grounded hallucination rate of 0.795%.

The results of the Vectra tests can be viewed on the Hughes Hallucination Evaluation Model (HHEM) Leaderboard hosted on Hugging Face, which states that, “For an LLM, its hallucination rate is defined as the ratio of summaries that hallucinate to the total number of summaries it generates”.

ChatGPT-5 still hallucinates a lot less than its competition, though, with Gemini-2.5-pro coming in at 2.6% and Grok-4 being much higher at 4.8%.

XAI, the makers of Grok recently received a lot of criticism for its new “Spicy” mode in Grok Imagine, an AI video generator that seems happy to create deepfake topless videos of celebrities like Taylor Swift, even if nudity had not been requested and the system is supposed to include filters and moderation to prevent actual nudity or anything sexual.

Grok Imagine is accused of deliberatley creating sexually explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift. (Image credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)'I lost my best friend'

OpenAI faced an almost immediate backlash when it removed ChatGPT 4, and all its variations like GPT-4o and 4o-mini, from its Plus accounts with the introduction of ChatGPT-5. Many users were incensed that OpenAI gave no warning that the older models were being removed, with some Reddit users saying they had “lost their only friend overnight”.

It now seems like ChatGPT-5 has replaced one of the most reliable versions of ChatGPT (version 4.5), from the hallucination perspective, as well.

Sam Altman quickly posted on X, “We for sure underestimated how much some of the things that people like in GPT-4o matter to them, even if GPT-5 performs better in most ways”, and promised to bring back ChatGPT-4o for Plus users for a limited time", saying, "we will watch usage as we think about how long to offer legacy models for”.

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Categories: Technology

Best Reusable Water Bottles in 2025

CNET News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 09:29
Cut down on plastic waste and stay hydrated with CNET experts' top-tested reusable water bottles.
Categories: Technology

Attack yourself first: the logic behind offensive security

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 09:23

The recent surge in cyberattacks on major UK retailers such as the Co-op and Marks & Spencer has brought home the harsh reality of today’s threat landscape. These breaches haven’t just exposed sensitive data—they’ve caused millions in lost revenue, long-term operational disruption, and reputational damage. For cybercriminals, attacks of this scale serve as proof of the damage they can inflict—and a blueprint for future campaigns.

Cyber threats are no longer rare occurrences. They are relentless, increasingly automated, and difficult to detect. Attackers are exploiting misconfigurations, weak credentials, and unseen trust relationships to move laterally and escalate access—rendering traditional defenses like firewalls and periodic scans no longer sufficient.

Thanks to advances in AI, launching a sophisticated cyberattack now costs next to nothing. Today’s adversaries—from nation-state actors to cybercrime groups—are deploying AI-powered agents capable of disrupting not only individual organizations, but entire sectors. The UK retail incidents may have made headlines, but similar techniques are being used across industries—quietly eroding systems over time.

If there’s one takeaway from these breaches, it’s that they are a wake-up call—an opportunity to separate what’s assumed to be secure from what’s proven to be. Marks & Spencer’s decision to accelerate their tech transformation is the right move, but only if it’s grounded in security that’s continuously validated, not just promised.

Why passive defense is no longer enough

Traditional cybersecurity measures—like firewalls, antivirus software, and compliance checklists—were built for a slower, more predictable threat landscape. They aim to block known threats and tick regulatory boxes, often relying on periodic assessments and static defenses.

But today’s threat actors move faster than these systems can react. They use automation and AI to adapt, persist, and exploit weaknesses in real time. In a world where threats evolve daily, a reactive approach simply can’t keep pace. Organizations need strategies that assume compromise, move proactively, and adapt with the same agility as the attackers they face.

A radically faster threat landscape

We’re in a new reality. With generative AI, developing weaponized exploits no longer requires deep technical expertise—just the right prompt. What once took weeks of work by highly skilled attackers can now be achieved in minutes by anyone with access to the right tools. This levelling of the playing field has dramatically accelerated the pace of cyberattacks.

The moment a vulnerability (CVE) becomes public, attackers begin exploiting it almost instantly. There’s no longer a buffer for defenders to respond. The asymmetric advantage we thought we had—people, process, tools—is eroding because the adversary has something more powerful: tempo. The result is a cyber environment defined by speed, where hesitation or outdated defenses can be costly.

Offence is the best defense

As cyber threats evolve in both speed and sophistication, traditional security measures—while still necessary—are no longer enough on their own. Tools and audits tend to focus on ticking regulatory boxes rather than addressing the weaknesses most likely to be exploited in real-world attacks.

To stay ahead, organizations need to go beyond passive defense and adopt a more adversarial perspective. Offensive security does just that—actively probing systems for weaknesses using techniques such as penetration testing, red teaming, and social engineering simulations. These controlled exercises expose gaps that conventional tools often overlook, giving teams the chance to fix them before malicious actors do.

This shift in approach is becoming crucial. As attackers grow faster and more opportunistic, defenders must become equally agile. Offensive security replaces assumptions with evidence—offering a clear, action-oriented view of where security holds firm and where urgent improvements are needed.

What UK businesses must do now

Many organizations are responding to rising cyber threats by increasing patching cycles and ramping up alert monitoring. But volume alone doesn’t equal security. The real challenge is not visibility, but prioritization. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, security teams must understand where cyber criminals are most likely to strike—and act accordingly.

This is where adversarial testing plays a vital role. Simulating the techniques used by real attackers helps uncover the vulnerabilities that matter most. It moves businesses away from reactive models and towards a more strategic, evidence-based approach to defense.

For UK companies—especially in exposed sectors like retail—key steps include:

  • Implementing continuous security testing to keep pace with constant change
  • Reviewing and updating incident response strategies to reflect evolving threats
  • Investing in threat intelligence and red-teaming to sharpen detection and resilience

Speed isn’t the enemy—assuming you're secure is. Modernizing in a post-breach window can make you stronger, but only if every new system, integration, or control is tested like an attacker would.

Too many organizations skip this step. They make the mistake of equating 'new' with 'secure' and implement changes without knowing what risks they’re introducing. We’re not in the age of zero-days anymore.

We’re in the age of zero hours. The organizations that stay secure won’t be those that react the loudest—but those that challenge assumptions and prove their defenses work, day in and day out.

The role of leadership

Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a siloed IT concern — it’s a critical business issue that belongs on the board agenda. From operational continuity to customer trust, cyber resilience underpins every facet of modern enterprise. That’s why leadership alignment is essential. Security decisions must be cross-functional, embedded into digital transformation efforts and tied directly to business risk and reputation.

Security-by-design isn’t a checkbox—it’s a mindset. And the only way to know you’re getting it right is to validate like the adversary. That’s how you build real resilience, restore trust, and come back stronger.

From assumptions to assurance

In a threat landscape defined by speed and unpredictability, being proactive isn’t optional — it’s essential. UK retailers and businesses across sectors must move beyond reactive measures and start thinking like attackers. The organizations that will lead in security aren’t those with the most tools, but those with the discipline to test, question, and validate every assumption — before it’s too late.

We've featured the best encryption software.

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

Categories: Technology

The US Government is signing a whole load of cloud computing contracts - so what's the rush?

TechRadar News - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 09:22
  • FedRAMP 20x has drastically cut the time it takes for the US Government to approve a service
  • Automation and artificial intelligence can take some of the stress off manual processes
  • The GSA is also making moves to centralize procurement to get better deals

The US Government's Federal Risk and Authorisation Management Programme (FedRAMP) has already approved 114 cloud computing services in fiscal 2025, more than double the total number of approved services the previous year.

FedRAMP 20x is to be thanked for the boost – a Biden-era initiative that lives on under the Trump administration, that's aimed at modernizing cloud authorization by cutting down the amount of documentation needed, enabling automation and streamlining decision-making.

In 2024, an Office of Management and Budget memo detailed how a " a standardized, reusable approach to security assessments and authorizations for cloud computing products and services" could speed the existing process up.

FedRAMP is approving more cloud contracts than ever

The new process requires machine-readable security indicators that can be analyzed by artificial intelligence even before they reach the human review stage. Currently in pilot phase, phase one will focus on low-impact and lower-security services with phase two testing moderate-impact deals.

Consequentially, the US Government has been able to reduce the time it takes to approve a deal from over a year to around five weeks, marking a colossal improvement to the dated system.

"The program is setting a new standard for federal IT modernization and reaffirming GSA’s commitment to delivering smarter, more secure services for Americans," GSA Acting Administrator Michael Rigas explained in a GSA announcement.

FedRAMP Director Pete Waterman added: "FedRAMP 20x has allowed us to rethink the entire authorization model and prove that security and speed can coexist in the federal space."

Trump has also pushed for consolidated IT procurement under the General Services Administration (GSA) while simultaneously looking to acquire government-wide contracts rather than individual department contracts, ultimately leading to huge savings thanks to improved purchasing power.

As a result, we've already seen cloud companies and other tech firms offer weighty discounts to the White House - including AWS, which is giving the US government $1billion credit to keep running its cloud services.

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