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Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

There is finally an identity theft prevention program that is worth your time and money among the multitude of options available. This is particularly noteworthy since MyFico is the consumer arm of the company that created the FICO credit score, which has been an industry standard for more than 25 years.

MyFico places a strong emphasis on your credit score and credit reporting, offering a wide range of educational content as well as detailed information about your credit situation. The mobile app presents this information in a vibrant and easy-to-understand manner, boasting a more polished appearance than most of the applications we've tried. Although this product is typically priced higher than others, it meets all the criteria for a high-quality offering.

First and foremost, the user interface (UI) is simple and easy to navigate. This is crucial because a clumsy and unappealing UI can make any program difficult to use. Quickly finding the features you need can help you protect yourself against criminals or hackers attempting to steal your personally identifiable information, which makes identity theft protection essential. MyFico's colorful display of credit scores includes pop-up alerts that notify you of potential risks.

Like many other products, the app offers $1 million in identity theft protection, although some of the more basic competitors provide similar coverage. Additionally, a credit score simulator is available, allowing you to see how various actions, such as taking out a new auto loan, may affect your credit score. The organization behind MyFico is well-known and reputable. Overall, this is an effective and intelligent product for monitoring your online presence.

MyFico: Plans and pricing

MyFICO offers a range of plans to help consumers monitor their credit and identity, with pricing structured across different tiers. The Free Plan provides basic coverage, including a FICO Score 8 based on Equifax data, monthly Equifax credit reports, and 24/7 credit monitoring.

For more comprehensive coverage, MyFICO has three paid subscription tiers that automatically renew each month:

Advanced Plan: Priced at $29.95 per month, this plan offers three-bureau coverage (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) with credit reports and FICO Score updates every three months. It includes comprehensive credit monitoring, FICO Score monitoring with alerts, and identity monitoring. Additionally, it provides $1 million in identity theft insurance and 24/7 identity restoration. Features like the FICO Score Simulator and "How Lenders View You" analysis are also included.

Premier Plan: This top-tier plan costs $39.95 per month and offers the most frequent updates, providing three-bureau credit reports and FICO Scores (including versions for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards) on a monthly basis. Similar to the Advanced Plan, it includes proactive credit report monitoring and alerts, identity monitoring, up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, and 24/7 identity restoration. All paid plans feature FICO Score 8 and may include additional versions of the FICO Score.

Please keep in mind that all subscriptions automatically renew and are non-refundable

MyFico has one of the best looking identity theft protection apps we've seen yet (Image credit: FICO)MyFico: Interface

MyFico truly stands out in the realm of identity theft prevention software, especially when compared to many other programs that often resemble outdated tax software from a decade ago. One of its most notable features is its vibrant, user-friendly credit score indicator, combined with a sleek, modern design that makes the mobile app particularly appealing to users.

The app boasts an intuitive layout, allowing users to easily navigate and access key features. Checking your credit score is a swift and straightforward process, while delving into potential credit issues or assessing identity theft notifications is just as seamless. This accessibility is vital in a landscape where timely intervention can make a significant difference.

One of the app’s standout components is its credit score simulator. Unlike traditional calculators that offer limited insights, MyFico's simulator operates more like an interactive wizard. It allows users to explore various financial scenarios—like purchasing a home or a car—illustrating how these decisions might affect their credit score. This foresight equips users with the knowledge they need to make informed financial choices, ensuring they can assess whether it’s wise to move forward with significant purchases.

While MyFico comes with a higher price tag than some of its competitors, the simplicity and effectiveness of its interface can be well worth the investment. If this user-friendly design helps you tackle potential identity theft issues or prevent future credit complications, the cost becomes a minor consideration compared to the peace of mind it offers.

In contrast, other identity theft protection apps, although they may offer impressive features, often fall short in usability. Their cumbersome and outdated interfaces can make it challenging for users to locate and utilize these tools effectively. MyFico’s sleek design and robust functionality set it apart, making it a superior choice for anyone serious about safeguarding their identity and maintaining their credit health.

Figure out how your purchasing decisions will affect your FICO score with the service's FICO Score Simulator (Image credit: FICO)MyFico: Features

MyFICO offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to empower you with knowledge and protection over your credit and identity. With MyFICO, you receive FICO Scores and credit reports from all three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. This is essential because 90% of top lenders rely on FICO Scores. By reviewing your reports from all three bureaus, you can identify discrepancies and errors that may be negatively impacting your scores.

Additionally, MyFICO provides credit monitoring and alerts, continuously tracking significant changes such as new accounts or inquiries. This allows you to quickly detect potential identity theft or fraudulent activity and take immediate action if necessary. You will also benefit from FICO Score monitoring and a history graph, which visually displays your score's progression over time, helping you understand how your financial decisions impact it.

One particularly helpful tool is the FICO Score Simulator, which enables you to explore "what if" scenarios, such as how paying down debt or applying for a new loan could affect your score. This feature empowers you to make informed financial choices before taking action.

Beyond credit monitoring, MyFICO offers identity monitoring by scanning the dark web and public records for your personal information. If your information is compromised, you will receive alerts. In the unfortunate event of identity theft, you are protected by identity restoration services and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. This coverage includes 24/7 access to specialists who can assist you in recovery and provide financial protection for related expenses.

Finally, MyFICO provides valuable credit education and customer support to help you understand the complexities of credit and offer assistance whenever needed. Together, these features give you a complete picture of your financial health, proactive protection, and the tools to confidently manage your credit and identity.

You can find answers to common problems by visiting MyFico's Support Center (Image credit: FICO)MyFico: Support

Users who are facing problems can get assistance from the MyFico support team. A direct toll-free number is provided, along with what appears to be an email address but, upon selecting it, directs the user to a support portal. The business is open Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM and on Saturday from 7 AM to 4 PM PST. There are no choices for faxing or chat.

Additionally, there are articles categorized by subjects such as "Why did my FICO Score change?" and professional credit education. A discussion board, ebooks, or video content are not current options.

MyFico: The competition

While MyFICO is the official consumer division of FICO and offers direct access to the widely used FICO Scores, several strong competitors provide comprehensive credit monitoring services, often with different focuses.

One of the most prominent competitors is Credit Karma, which stands out for offering free credit monitoring services. Unlike MyFICO, which primarily provides FICO Scores, Credit Karma uses the VantageScore® model (generated from TransUnion and Equifax data). Credit Karma also includes features like credit-building tools, financial management resources, and personalized offers for credit cards and loans, making it a popular choice for those looking for free and expansive credit oversight, though it's worth noting they share user data for marketing purposes.

Another significant player is Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus. Experian offers its own free credit monitoring service, providing access to your Experian credit report and FICO® Score. They also have a unique feature called Experian Boost, which allows users to potentially increase their FICO Score by including on-time payments for utilities, phone bills, and streaming services. While MyFICO also offers FICO scores, Experian's direct connection to one of the bureaus and its Boost feature offer a distinct advantage for some consumers.

Beyond these, other services like CreditWise by Capital One (free, offering TransUnion VantageScore and credit report monitoring), SmartCredit (offering three-bureau reports and scores with credit-building tools), Aura, Identity Guard, and LifeLock provide various levels of credit monitoring and identity theft protection. These often bundle credit monitoring with more robust identity theft insurance, fraud alerts, and even digital security features, catering to users who prioritize comprehensive protection beyond just credit score tracking. The key distinction often lies in the specific credit scoring model used (FICO vs. VantageScore), the number of credit bureaus monitored, and the inclusion of additional services like identity theft protection or financial management tools.

MyFico: Final verdict

We have a strong appreciation for the user-friendly interface and the extensive range of features provided by the MyFico service. One of the standout advantages of this platform is the reassurance it offers; you won't have to worry about navigating the murky waters of obscure identity theft companies. MyFico is backed by a well-established brand known for its credibility and trustworthiness, which is a significant advantage in the realm of financial protection.

An effective starting point for monitoring your financial health is by checking your FICO score, as it serves as a crucial indicator of your creditworthiness. Keeping an eye on this score allows you to make informed decisions regarding your credit history and potential discrepancies that may arise.

Additionally, we appreciate that even the most basic plan includes identity theft insurance, providing peace of mind in the unfortunate event of fraud. This proactive approach to identity theft protection is a considerable benefit for individuals looking for comprehensive security. Moreover, if you ever find yourself needing assistance, MyFICO's customer support is available around the clock, ensuring that help is always at hand whenever you may need it.

While we consider the MyFico solution to be robust and reliable, it is worth noting that we believe services like Norton LifeLock and IdentityForce edge it out, as they deliver a wider range of features at a more competitive price point. These alternatives provide enhanced options that cater to varying needs and budgets, making them worthy contenders in the landscape of identity protection.

We've also highlighted the best identity theft protection

Stick it to economic uncertainty with this money trend.

• The prices for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X have reportedly leaked online
• The ROG Xbox Ally will seemingly cost €599 ($699) while the ROG Xbox Ally X will be priced at €899 ($1,050)
• If the prices are accurate, this will make them Xbox's most expensive consoles yet

The pricing information for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X has seemingly leaked online.

As reported by Spanish publication 3djuegos(via GamesRadar), the console prices were leaked through product boxes on Google.

It appears that the ROG Xbox Ally will cost €599, while the ROG Xbox Ally X will be priced much higher at €899. After converting, the prices respectively translate to $699 and $1,050, and, if accurate, this will make them Xbox's most expensive consoles yet.

This is also how much the original Asus ROG Ally and Asus ROG Ally X cost in Europe.

The pricing has since been removed, but the boxes originally linked back to the official Asus website, suggesting that the company may have mistakenly shared the information ahead of time.

Microsoft announced its take on the Asus ROG Ally last month during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Both versions of the handheld will feature a 7-inch 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, but the white Xbox Ally variant targets 720p gaming, while the black Xbox Ally X console aims for 900p to 1080p gaming.

Although the prices may be on the more expensive side, it is understandable considering the console/PC hybrid uses AMD Ryzen chips, with the more powerful Xbox Ally X utilizing the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which comes with 24GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Both handhelds have also been redesigned with contoured grips to mimic the Xbox Wireless Controller, feature the Xbox's 'ABXY' button layout, hall-effect impulse triggers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, and more.

There's no word on release dates for either console just yet, but we'll keep you updated.

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OneOdio OpenRock S2: Two minute review

I’ve tested so many of the best open earbuds recently that they’ve almost started to blur into one, but I’ve never forgotten two of the first open-ears I tested for how unique they were. One of these was the OneOdio OpenRock S – and it has finally seen a successor in the OneOdio OpenRock S2. But the thing is, it’s quite a different proposition.

The OpenRock Pro and OpenRock S were pretty big and bulky open-ears compared to what we’re seeing in 2025 but they were perfect for outdoor adventures or running thanks to their absolutely huge battery life, rugged design and solid, robust, inflexible design.

For better or worse the OpenRock S2 aren’t like the first-gen model but keep closer to current market trends in terms of design and feature set. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but these new buds could be more appealing to a wider audience so I can understand the change.

These are slightly more affordable alternatives to most of the other major open earbuds we’ve seen this year, the majority of which sit just north of the $100 / £100 / AU$200 price line. I’d recommend them to people who want decent open-ears but don’t need the very best audio, fully-rounded feature set or long-lasting batteries.

The S2 are lightweight buds with a more flexible design and much smaller carry case, so won’t take up so much space in your bag or on your head than the last-gen model. I did find that this design presented a few issues with fit though, as the buds would sometimes move position on my head or get stuck on my ear’s antitragus, and I found myself missing the older buds’ design.

Another downgrade is a battery life in that it's roughly half that of the predecessors, but other areas compensate: OpenRock finally has a phone app for its earbuds, which wasn’t the case upon the release of the previous-gen buds.

The sound profile is warm with a clear focus on bass, with tech from the company emphasizing bass not to give it extra oomph, but to ensure you can even hear it in this form factor (which often loses it). They’re good options if you’re looking for something to work out with.

If you were put off by the original OpenRock’s rugged, chunky look and huge carry case, thinking it a bit too much of a fringe option for you, you’ll definitely think the S2 an interesting new pair of earbuds. But if those traits were the entire selling point of the originals for you (as they were for me), the S2 just don’t have that uniqueness.

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Specifications

Component

Value

Water resistant

IPX5

Battery life

8 hours (earbuds), 32 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 6.0

Weight

7g / Charging case: 58g

Driver

12mm

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in June 2025
• Costs $98.99 / £79.99 / AU$154

The OneOdio OpenRock S2 went on sale in June 2025, officially marking the second generation of OpenRock’s sports-specific open-ear headphones.

You can pick up the buds for $98.99 / £79.99 / AU$154 , so they’re cheaper than their predecessors, which released in October 2023 for $99 / £89 (roughly AU$150) although price cuts have seen the OpenRock S go for half that.

That also puts the OpenRock S2 as some of the most affordable open earbuds to come out this year, a good option for cost-cutters. You can find some competitors below, but let me speak plain: the options worth buying are all about $130 / £100 / AU$200.

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Small and lightweight case
• Lightweight buds, slightly wobbly design
• Hard-to-press physical buttons

Having tested previous OpenRocks, I was expecting a similarly huge carry case (relatively – earbuds cases can be like boxes of dental floss now) for the S2, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a much smaller pebble-shaped holder which weighs just 58g and easily fits in a hand.

While it’s made from a fairly brittle plastic that doesn’t feel like it’d survive much of a battering (I didn't try any drop tests), the speckled pattern on it makes it more distinctive-looking than the vast number of its rivals I've used.

The earbuds themselves are also smaller and more svelte than previous offerings from the company. They weigh just 7g each and are made up of a small bud, a thin rubbery sports loop and a larger counterweight/battery pack that sits behind your ear.

Evidence of how easily-bendable the hook is. (Image credit: Future)

As stated, I’ve tested loads of open-ears and these have got to be some of the most comfortable, thanks to how small and lightweight they are. Often I’d completely forget I was even wearing them.

Despite being comfortable, the fit isn’t reliable, likely due to just how thin, flexible and wobbly the sports loop is. When running, working out or sometimes even walking, the driver housing near my ear would wobble or change position a little, which can have a big knock-on effect on audio quality.

Another thing to criticize on the design front is the touch controls. On-ear controls, be they touch capacitive sensors or physical clicking buttons, are a hard thing for companies to get right, but the S2 is possibly the worst example yet on an open earbuds design.

The button is on the bottom of the counterweight, so if you want to pause your music, you have to press upwards — which shoves the thing straight out of your ear. Now that’ll stop your music! The solution is to hold the bud in place with your other fingers or hand to keep it in place, but this is a much more convoluted process than, say, picking up your phone and pressing ‘pause’.

• Design score: 3.5/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• 8-hour battery, 32 hours from case
• New app with extra features
• Reliable connection via Bluetooth 6.0

OpenRock has seriously cut the S2’s battery life from its predecessor, which is a big shame. You’re now looking at a lasting power of 8 hours per bud, or 32 hours when you factor in the case, which is about average for open-ears but far short of the 19/60-hour life of the OpenRock S. It’s a shame to see a downgrade like this from one of the S’ best selling points.

As with most open earbuds, there’s no noise cancellation here; in fact, the form factor makes it easy to hear surrounding sounds. In truth, the buds’ relatively low max volume means that often, you might not even hear your music over the surrounding din in built-up cities, say.

The OpenRock S2 work alongside the OpenRock phone app which brings a few extra features. The most important one of these is the equalizer, which has three presets (Rock Mode, Relax Mode and Boom Mode, a graphic of the equalizer curve being the only way you’ll know what any of them do) and a seven-band custom mode.

(Image credit: Future)

This was a little infuriating to use as every time you change profile, music quickly flickers off and back on, so repeatedly tweaking the sound creates a strobe-like effect.

The app offers a few premium features like Spatial Sound, a way to adjust the left-right balance of music, a Hi-Res Mode and Multi-Point Connection. Some expected features appear like the ability to customize touch controls and there are two rarer ones: the ability to set an alarm to let you know you’ve been listening for a set amount of time, and a maximum volume limiter (ironic, given what I said about the volume).

Throughout testing, I found the OpenRock S2 quick and easy to connect to my phone, and reliable at maintaining a connection.

• Features score: 4/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Sound performance

(Image credit: Future)

• 14.2mm driver
• Bass tech returns for warm sound profile
• Low max volume, can be hard to hear

Each bud of the OpenRock S2 has a 12mm driver. It supports LDAC, AAC and SBC codecs, the former once you enable it via the app. The buds sound decent for their cost, though they’re not the best open-ears for audiophiles.

A selling point of OpenRock’s first-gen open-ears is back here: TubeBass, which boosts low-end sounds to fix a common complaint of the form factor, that thumping rhythms can be lost in the gap between earbud and ear canal.

(Image credit: Future)

TubeBass works well in ensuring the S2 is one of the better open-ears for bass fans, ensuring that you hear the bump of a bass guitar, synth or double bass in your chosen song. It makes the buds useful for people who listen to lots of workout songs, though obviously they don’t compare to any over-ear or in-ears which will deliver far more bass.

The bass isn’t overwhelming though, so it doesn’t drown out the treble in sounds. The overall sound profile of the buds is undeniably warm though, so guitars are crunchy and brass can be punchy but vocal lines lack some sparkle and sharpness through the upper mids and trebles. Mids can also be lost in songs, even rockier ones that enjoy extra ‘oomph’ from their rhythm guitars.

The soundstage is fairly limited, combining instruments into a bit of a thick lump at times, but this isn’t as damning as it sounds because the kind of nuance that a detailed soundstage can offer can also be quickly lost in open-ears when surrounding sounds get in the way.

• Sound performance score: 3.5/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

OpenRock’s decision to price these as more affordable than most other open-ears from major brands was a smart one. It makes them tempting as an alternative to top options from brands like Nothing, Huawei and Honor, for people who want to save money.

The S2 isn’t so fantastic value for money that it’s an instant must-buy, but they still provide lots of bang for your buck. That’d be doubly true if a discount ever comes to them to reduce the price a little further, especially for US buyers.

• Value score: 4/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

It's an affordable option that doesn't have the feature set of rivals (or predecessors) but isn't that much of a downgrade.

4/5

Design

Much more lightweight and svelte than before, perhaps too much so.

3.5/5

Features

Most of the features you need are present, even if some have seen a downgrade from past models.

4/5

Sound

A warm sound profile that'll appeal to people working out, though it has its limitations.

3.5/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2: Should you buy them?

(Image credit: Future)Buy them if...

You want something lightweight
Both the buds and the case of the OpenRock S2 are easy to wear or carry due to their light nature.

You're on a budget
One of the most affordable options around right now, the OpenRock S2 will appeal to people looking to save.

You like your bassy, fiery sound
The OpenRock S2 won't offer you sonic perfection but instead a sound profile that lists to the warm, bassy and fuzzy.

Don't buy them if...

You'll listen in busy areas
The low max volume of the OpenRock S2 makes them unsuitable for use in busy and noisy areas, where they'll compete with other surrounding sounds.

You need rugged earbuds
The unique appeal of past OpenRock buds is lost here with a shorter battery life, looser design and less-protected carry case.

Also consider

Component

OpenRock S2

Earfun OpenJump

JLab Epic Open Sport

OpenRock S

Water resistant

IPX5

IPX7

IP55

IPX5

Battery life

8 hours (earbuds) 32 hours (total)

11 hours (earbuds) 42 hours (total)

7 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (total)

19 hours (earbuds), 60 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

7g / Charging case: 58g

8g / Charging case: 67g

16.8g / Charging case: 49.6g

12g / Charging case: 132g

Driver

12mm

14.2mm

14mm

16.2mm

Earfun OpenJump
One of the other affordable open earbuds you might want to consider comes from Earfun, and they're cheaper in the US but pricier in most other places. These buds don't sound as good but their equalizer has plenty more customization and they last longer.
Read our full Earfun OpenJump review

JLab Epic Open Sport
These contemporary open-ears sound a little better than the OpenRock, however their features don't quite match especially in the battery life.
Read our full JLab Epic Open Sport review

How I tested

The OpenRock S2 underwent roughly two weeks of testing in order to write this review, and as the introduction implies they're just the latest in a long chain of open-ears I've been testing.

During the review period the buds were connected to an Android smartphone and I generally used them for music on Spotify but also occasionally for calls, games, TV show streaming and listening to voice notes. This took place on runs, at the gym, on walks around my neighborhood and at home.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019 and have used a huge range of tech. This includes other open-ear buds as well as past earbuds from OpenRock and other headphones from parent company OneOdio.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: July 2025

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue with mass firings. And, Trump has threatened Russia with tariffs over its war with Ukraine.

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

• New Microsoft Research paper identifies areas where AI is already being used the most
• It also shows areas that AI has very little influence on currently
• The research could show potential for AI job augmentation, not just replacement

I don’t know about you, but I have this kind of nagging fear that AI is coming for me one of these days. If not imminently, then in the very near future. One thing that might allay that fear is knowing exactly where AI’s axe is going to fall in the labor market, so that I can make sure I’m always just out of its reach.

The problem is that right now we have a lot of people making bold assumptions about what sorts of jobs AI will take away, but as we all know, no plan survives contact with the enemy, so it might be better to approach the problem from another direction.

A new report from Microsoft Research has analyzed 200,000 real conversations between people and Copilot to understand how AI is being used by people in the workplace right now. This way, we can determine which roles are likely to be the most impacted as companies adopt generative AI in the future.

The most at risk

It should come as no surprise that the jobs the report identified as the most common work activities people seek AI assistance for all involve gathering information and writing, and that the most common activities that AI is performing are providing information and assistance, writing, teaching, and advising.

It turns out that interpreters and translators are top of the list when it comes to compatibility with AI, with a stunning 98% of their activities overlapping with frequent Copilot tasks that have fairly high completion rates.

So, if you're thinking of changing careers to become a translator, it might be worth considering your options. Also at the top of the list are historians, writers and authors, and journalists. It should be no surprise to also see proofreaders, editors, and PR specialists high up on the list, too.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)The most resistant to AI

It’s physical trades involving working with people that are the most resistant to the influence of AI. The report puts nursing assistants, massage therapists, and machinery operators, including truck and tractor drivers, as the most AI-resistant occupations. Manual laborers like roofers, dishwashers, maids, and housekeeping cleaners were also near the top of the list.

The news will be good for some jobs, but terrible for others. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, and if you’re working in one of the most compatible areas for AI (I know I am!), then don’t panic right now because the research could be simply indicating that your area is one that is ripe for augmentation by AI, rather than replacement.

I think there will always be a need for skilled humans in some capacity, even in areas that will be heavily dominated by AI. That said, understanding AI’s impact on jobs is probably going to put you in a better position than if you have no clue about its threats.

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Congratulations, fellow Stranger Things fan! You’re on the home stretch of the three year wait between Stranger Things season 4 and Stranger Things season 5. The final episodes will be split into three releases – volume 1 on November 26, volume 2 on December 25 and the season 5 finale on December 31 – so there’s still a small wait to go, but rumour has it we’re getting the first full season 5 trailer at some point this week.

Today (July 15) marks the first time we ever saw one of the best Netflix shows of all time on screen, with the series debuting nine years ago in 2016. If you can’t remember what happened when we last visited Hawkins (and that’s understandable), our group of best friends attempted to defeat Vecna, causing Max's apparent death as well as the opening of a massive rift between the town and the Upside Down. No big deal, I’m sure.

But as Netflix finally tries to get its fanbase excited about the drawn-out end, a painful question has to be asked. Why should anybody care about Stranger Things season 5 when we’ve been left in the lurch for so long? I’m wondering if it would have been less of a hassle to have been eaten by Vecna when we first met him, and that’s a problem.

Stranger Things season 5 and its trailer are coming, but do we even care?

Let’s put it into context. Since Stranger Things season 4 aired, we’ve had four seasons of The Bear, five seasons of Slow Horses (if you count new episodes we’re going to get in September) and two seasons of Severance… and look how long that took to return. In the Stranger Things world alone, we’ve had the arrival of non-canon West End play The First Shadow, plus the announcement of two spinoffs: animated series Stranger Things: Tales from '85 and live-action show The Boroughs. Everyone and their nan has seemingly complained about not getting season 5 in the meantime, and they’ve got good reason to be annoyed.

Back in the good old days of the mid-2000s, we were regularly whipping through 22-episode seasons of TV like there was no tomorrow. Desperate Housewives and Lost were great examples of this, each requiring a high level of input and resource in their own way. Fast forward two decades, and the consolation prize of feeling lucky to get eight new episodes in three years doesn’t feel like something worth investing in.

Sure, these upcoming episodes are basically feature length movies and the technical craft needed to achieve them is immense, but this is Hollywood, for goodness sake! Every resource we allegedly have at our disposal is supposed to be at the top of its game, able to give us everything we have and haven’t yet dreamed up. From a marketing perspective, Netflix might have thought dragging out the jewel in the crown of its streaming back catalog would make fans hungrier for the end product, but there’s only so far you can stretch the theory in practice.

Of course, I’ll be streaming Stranger Things season 5 like the rest of us, but it will be a reluctant watch. The endless wait over the last few years has definitely made me think twice about investing in shows on one of the best streaming services around, and that’s before we even touch on the frequent cancellations (another story for another day).

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• VRI will complement NCSC's current vulnerability research efforts
• It will be tasked with communicating NCSC's needs with external experts
• The goal is to understand the flaws, patches, and research methodology

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has announced the forming of The Vulnerability Research Initiative (VRI), a new program which will see it partner with third-party cybersecurity experts for vulnerability research in commodity and specialized tech.

The NCSC said it currently operates a team of internal researchers who are experts in common technologies, and who conduct vulnerability research (VR) on a range of technologies and products, from traditional commodity tech, to specialized solutions only used in a few places.

However, the team is unable to keep up with the speed at which the technology industry is changing. New tech is popping up every day, and old tech is evolving beyond recognition, “and thus VR is getting harder”.

Understanding the vulnerabilities

“This means the NCSC demand for VR continues to grow,” NCSC explained.

To tackle the challenge, it decided to create VRI, and bring in third-party help. The program’s goal is to help NCSC’s researchers understand the vulnerabilities present in today’s technologies, the necessary mitigations, how experts conduct their research, and which tools they use in the process.

“This successful way of working increases NCSC’s capacity to do VR and shares VR expertise across the UK’s VR ecosystem,” the press release further reads.

The VRI core team will include technical experts, relationship managers, and project managers, with the core team being responsible for communicating the VR team's requirements to VRI industry partners and for overseeing the progress and outcomes of the research.

In the (near) future, NCSC will bring in more experts to tackle AI-powered, or otherwise AI-related vulnerabilities. Those who are interested in participating in VRI should reach out to the agency via email at vri@ncsc.gov.uk. The address should not be used for sharing vulnerability reports.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Nintendo is asking Japanese players for their thoughts on Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards
• It follows reports of low sales for third-party Nintendo Switch 2 software
• It hopefully signals a shift towards more traditional physical releases

Nintendo is asking Japanese players for their thoughts on the controversial Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards.

As first spotted by SwitchSoku and reported by VGC, surveys have been going out to Nintendo Switch 2 players in Japan.

The multiple-choice form asks whether you are aware of the existence of Game-Key Cards or currently own any. Next, it lists a number of the characteristics of Game-Key Cards and prompts you to select the ones you already know.

Finally, it asks whether you would choose the digital download version of a piece of software if a Game-Key Card was available.

If you're not aware, Game-Key Cards are a special type of Nintendo Switch 2 release. They are physical game cards that do no contain any substantial data. When inserted into a Nintendo Switch 2 system, they prompt a download of the game much like an eShop purchase.

You need to insert the Game-Key Card every time you want to access the title. The game takes up space on your system's internal storage, negating one of the big benefits of traditional game cards.

The only real benefit of a Game-Key Card is that it can be resold or swapped between multiple consoles freely, though in my eyes this isn't really worth the hassle.

The vast majority of Nintendo Switch 2 third-party releases have been Game-Key Cards, much to the disappointment of some players.

As sales of third-party software has reportedly been lower than expected, I suspect that this survey signals that Nintendo is re-evaluating its approach and hopefully will begin pushing developers towards traditional physical releases.

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(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

• The tubular bike comes in two guises, with a top speed of 53mph
• Its frame houses a removable battery that looks like a giant AA
• Prices start at €5,999 (around £5,200/$7,000/AU$10,600)

The story of Sol Motors is a long and slightly turbulent one, as the slightly bizarre, Pocket Rocket electric two-wheeler has been teased for many years but struggled to fully achieve lift off.

Now, the German innovators are ready to release their pipe-shaped urban transport into the wild, with pre-orders being taken now and delivery to anywhere in the world typically taking around 6-8 weeks from point of purchase.

Designed to be small, lightweight and practical, the Pocket Rocket comes in two guises that cover the full spectrum of license requirements in Germany (these will differ across markets).

The standard model, for example, has a peak power output of 6.5kW and is limited to a top speed of 45kph (just under 30mph), which makes it legal to ride on most moped or scooter licenses in Europe.

For those wanting more punch, there’s an S model that develops 8.5kW of peak power and can hit 85kph (or around 53mph), which will generally require an additional license.

Both models weigh just 87kg and offer an electric range of between 42 and 67 miles, depending on the version.

When it comes time to charge, the large tubular battery pack that is housed within the frame’s crossbar can be removed and charged in the house, office or apartment, with Sol even offering a stylish charging station to neatly hang the battery from.

What’s more, customers can buy additional battery packs for rapid swaps, although this will see the final bill increase other the tune of €1,695 (around £1,470/$2,000/AU$3,000).

Similarly, if you go wild with the online configurator, which offers a number of frame, fender and logo colors, the price starts to tickle the €8,000 (around £7,000/$9,300AU$14,200) mark.

Funky, fun but not for everyone

(Image credit: Sol Motors)

The emerging EV landscape has encouraged a number of start-ups to produce all manner of weird and whacky designs, but the Sol Pocket Rocket is up there with some of the strangest.

Why anyone would want to ride atop a drainage tube is anyone’s guess and ergonomically, it doesn’t look like a great options for particularly tall or very short users, as there’s not much in the way of adjustability.

But like Infinite Machine, which produces highly futuristic electric scooters and pedelecs, Sol Motors is offering something a bit different for those wanting lightweight, easy-to-maintain urban transport that turns heads.

Will it be the next big thing? Probably not. But will it raise a few smiles on the streets? Most definitely.

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Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver service fell victim to a simultaneous BGP hijack and route leak event, causing massive internet outages and degradation worldwide. Pakistan caused the most famous BGP outage. The government tried to block access to YouTube within the country. Their misconfiguration caused a worldwide YouTube outage.

Most organizations are targets of attacks 7.5 times a year. And while most are resolved quickly, these are examples of public infrastructure failures that are beyond your control.

What other technology do you rely on every day that was invented in the 1980s? Not your smartphone. Not your car. Not your TV. And definitely not your work tools. Yet, every time you send an email, connect to a website, or deploy a cloud service, you’re relying on core internet protocols that predate the web itself.

The Fragile Foundation

The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) was designed in 1989, an era when the “internet” was barely a concept and security was an afterthought. Back then:

- Home users connected via dial-up modems.

- Businesses considered themselves cutting-edge if they had a T1 line.

- Network reliability was a hope, not an expectation.

BGP’s original purpose was simple: keep the nascent internet stitched together. It provided large institutions with a means to announce which IP address blocks they controlled and to learn about others. The protocol allowed routers across autonomous systems (ASes) to share route announcements and dynamically discover paths to distant networks.

BGP was designed for resilience, not determinism. For openness, not security.

Speed, uptime, and security

Today, we demand speed, uptime, and security that BGP was never built to deliver. Multi-gigabit fiber reaches homes. Enterprises span multiple clouds across continents. Workloads like real-time video, financial transactions, and machine learning require low-latency, high-throughput data paths.

However, BGP still routes traffic based on trust and reachability, rather than performance or identity. It can’t enforce policies. It can’t prevent hijacks. And it certainly can’t guarantee who’s on the other end.

Despite multiple security incidents and efforts, such as RPKI and BGPsec, the internet still routes traffic based on a chain of trust that can be exploited by anyone with a few malicious route announcements. Most fixes require coordination that doesn’t exist and IT infrastructure upgrades that move at glacial speed.

The result? The modern internet rides on a protocol that thinks it’s still 1992.

Public by Default

Another artifact of that era is the Domain Name System (DNS). Created to make numeric IP addresses human-readable, DNS transformed how people accessed websites. Instead of memorizing strings of numbers, you could simply type in a name.

The problem? DNS is public by design.

Every query, every resolution, and every domain is visible and discoverable. Attackers can enumerate subdomains, discover shadow IT resources, and probe for vulnerabilities – all by posing as legitimate users.

We’ve seen this pattern before. Consider phone numbers. In the 1990s, receiving a call or piece of mail felt like an event. Now? Most calls are spam, and most email is junk. People don’t pick up unless they recognize the number. Our relationship with public identifiers has undergone a fundamental shift.

The same evolution is happening with network services. Public IP addresses and DNS names are easily scraped, scanned, and attacked. In an age of automation and AI-assisted hacking, exposing your infrastructure by default amounts to sending an invitation.

Yet we continue treating server addresses like phone numbers in a white pages directory – a model that no longer works for the threats we face.

Obsolete Assumptions

Both BGP and DNS reflect assumptions that simply don’t hold up anymore:

- Assumption: Networks are trusted.

-- Reality: Most attacks now originate from within or via compromised peers.

- Assumption: Routes are stable.

-- Reality: Internet routes change unpredictably due to performance tuning, outages, and misconfigurations.

- Assumption: Identities don’t matter.

-- Reality: Zero-trust architecture has become the standard for secure design.

- Assumption: Services are few and fixed.

-- Reality: Modern architectures dynamically spin up and down thousands of services.

The more we scale and automate, the more these assumptions crumble.

Time for a Rethink

The internet’s early architecture was undeniably brilliant for its time. But that time has passed.

Today’s needs are different. We need:

- Deterministic data paths that can be trusted end-to-end.

- Secure naming systems that are private by default.

- Policy-aware routing that aligns with business, performance, and compliance requirements.

- A model where services announce themselves securely to authorized peers, not to the entire internet.

These aren’t enhancements; they’re necessities.

The irony is striking: everything else in tech has evolved dramatically. Compute became elastic. Storage turned redundant and distributed. Deployment went fully automated. But networking? It’s still largely manual, primarily public, and built mainly on 40-year-old concepts.

This should be our wake-up call. We can’t keep patching internet security with duct tape and hoping for the best. It’s time to challenge the status quo and ask a hard question: are the foundational protocols we depend on every day actually fit for purpose anymore?

Security and privacy can’t remain afterthoughts we layer onto a crumbling foundation. They need to be built from the ground up. That means completely reimagining how the internet connects, routes, and identifies everything.

Think about it: what other critical system in your life still runs on ideas from the 1980s?

LINK!

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

• Windows 11 has a fresh preview build in the Canary channel
• It offers a new adaptive energy saver feature which is opt-in by nature
• Turning it on means Windows 11 will intelligently save battery life whenever the system isn't doing anything taxing

Microsoft is trying out a new feature to help give Windows 11 laptops better battery life, and it sounds like a promising idea.

It's called adaptive energy saver, and as Windows Central noticed, the functionality is now in testing in the Canary channel (the earliest of the four test channels that Microsoft uses).

Normally, energy saver only kicks in when the battery is running low (the exact level at which that happens depends on what the user specifies), but with the new intelligent mode of operation, energy saver will be able to operate at any time.

The idea is that if the system detects that there's not much going on – just basic tasks are running, perhaps just light web browsing, or you're writing an email – energy saver will activate in the background and save some battery.

At the moment, the capability is just rolling out in testing, so not every Windows Insider in the Canary channel will see it to begin with.

It's also an opt-in feature, meaning that you'll have to turn it on in Settings (System > Power & battery) to get the benefit. In other words, by default, nothing will change with the way Windows 11 employs energy saver, unless you specifically turn on adaptive energy saver.

Analysis: a bright idea

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How does adaptive energy saver work? That isn't clear, and Microsoft doesn't provide much in the way of detail in its preview build blog post, save to say that the feature will do its magic "based on the power state of the device and the current system load".

I can only assume that it's going to rein in the CPU and GPU – two of the most power-hungry components inside a laptop (or desktop) – when they're not doing much, which, given how many of us use our laptops, is going to be quite often. So there's a fair chance that this energy-saving trick could actually conserve quite a lot of battery life. (Fingers crossed – and check here for more tips in that same vein, incidentally).

A key point is that the level of brightness set for the screen won't ever be changed by adaptive energy saver. While the display is the other major source of power drain in a laptop, messing with the brightness would likely only annoy users – I know I wouldn't want my screen suddenly growing dimmer for no apparent reason – so it's a sensible decision to put the display to one side here.

While it's obviously designed for laptops, when I first saw this feature I imagined that it could be useful in bringing an eco-friendly element to desktop PCs, too (saving on power bills). That isn't the case, though, and Microsoft makes it clear that this is a notebook-only innovation.

For the more paranoid who are worried about adaptive energy saver perhaps messing with performance when it shouldn't – perhaps due to bugs, for example – it's worth repeating that it will be an opt-in ability. If you don't like the sound of it, just don’t switch the adaptive mode on.

Also, we shouldn't forget that features in testing may not make the cut for final release in Windows 11 anyway – but I'm hoping this one does.

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• French and UK tech experts will collaborate on multiple projects
• One of them is to secure technology used in GPS systems
• GPS needs to be more resilient to blocking and jamming

British and French technology experts will soon be working together more closely to make GPS and other similar technologies more resistant to disruptions.

The news was announced by the UK Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), which said experts from the two countries will work together on a number of different projects going forward.

This includes strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure to the signal-jamming seen in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

e-LORAN

“From our electricity infrastructure, to transport, to financial transactions, the tech we rely on for everyday life depends on reliable Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), often provided via satellites,” the announcement reads.

“The conflict in Ukraine has shown how new technologies – in some cases, just small hand-held devices – can be used to disrupt PNT services, potentially causing major disruption to the vast areas of life and the economy reliant on them.”

One of these complementary technologies, highly resistant to jamming, is e-LORAN, a system that uses ground-based radio towers as a “backup” to GPS. DSIT describes it as being “much more challenging” to block, and as such can keep critical UK infrastructure technology running “even when GPS fails”.

The war in Ukraine seems to have exposed significant weaknesses of today’s GPS systems, which could end up in tragedy.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, The Telegraph’s researchers examined Flight Radar data for the first four months of 2024, which included 63 UK military aircraft completing 1,467 flights over Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

“During this time, the United Kingdom’s military aviation flew 504 transport and reconnaissance missions over Eastern Europe, with 142 of them encountering GPS jamming, and in 60 cases, such efforts occurred multiple times,” the publication explained.

At the same time, Business Insider reported Finnish soldiers were training with “basic navigation tools” - paper maps and compasses, due to the unreliability of GPS systems.

Via The Register

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If you weren’t a fan of police procedural Bosch or its subsequent spinoff Bosch: Legacy, there’s a good chance you’re ready to write off Prime Video’s latest installment, Ballard. Despite only being released on July 9, the new TV show has already got an astonishing 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes…and that’s excellent news for the franchise as a whole.

But it isn’t just the smashing review score that’s responsible for Ballard’s success. If you’ve not already spotted it on our everything new coming to Prime Video in July 2025 list, the series follows LAPD detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) as she oversees a cold case in a new department. As you might imagine, it’s all not as straightforward as that.

Don’t let Bosch: Legacy dissuade you from trying Ballard as it hasn’t set an amazing example for crime fans wanting to tune in. Sure, the critic’s score still stacks up (it also had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes), but Harry Bosch’s (Titus Welliver) retirement was more of the same, and that got tired and stale as the years passed. Even though we drove a cop car head-first into a snooze fest, don’t tarnish Ballard with the same brush.

Don’t write off Prime Video’s Ballard just because Bosch: Legacy was awful

Frankly, there’s never been a better time to be a Bosh: Legacy hater than now. Ballard’s return to the small screen has made stimulating and fresh crime drama look so effortless, it’s difficult to see how the franchise avoided a new lease of life for so long. The fact we only briefly met Ballard herself during the finale of Bosch: Legacy doesn’t hurt (she’s a big part of Michael Connelly’s original book series), but the new show’s sprint towards success runs much deeper than that.

We start off strong with Maggie Q’s casting – the actress is arguably underappreciated in the action movie genre she’s cultivating as her own (Mission: Impossible III remains the best in my book, and she should have had a two-film arc at the very least). Her cold-case detective is sharp and commanding, relentless in the face of the city’s challenges. So far, so good.

Then there’s the storylines themselves. Ballard isn’t choosing to play it safe, extending the danger we’d normally see within the department into the personal lives of characters we’re growing attached to. Ballard beats up an intruder who enters her home, Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor) isn’t afraid to be a voice for the most vulnerable victims, and corrupt police conduct is exposed and tackled without hesitation.

Prime Video has also played it smart by including Bosch as a cameo role in the new series. Those that did appreciate the main series and Bosch: Legacy don’t have to do without him, but there’s more than enough breathing room for Ballard to become its own programme. There are no shadows to stand in here.

So what are you waiting for? Ballard is the new TV show you need to be streaming this week. If nothing else, you might be inspired to kick a door down (or two).

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