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The magnetic displays could Frankenstein your laptop setup if you want extra screen space, though at several pounds a pop.

Smarten up your home cleaning solution while you can still save 40% off this Roomba Q0120 robot vac.

Moore, 62, won the Golden Globe for her starring role in The Substance. She said the film is the start of a new chapter in her career: "It's just this wonderful new time of exploration and discovery."

(Image credit: Robyn Beck)

• Tenable urges users to update their Nessus instances to avoid a potential plugin security issue
• A previous plugin update saw agents going offline
• The earliest clean version is 10.8.2, so users should update now

Tenable has urged users to update their Nessus instances to avoid a potential plugin security issue.

Tenable Nessus is a widely used vulnerability scanner that helps identify and assess security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues in networks, applications, and systems.

However, in the final hours of December 2024, the company said it was “aware of and actively investigating” an issue with Nessus agents going offline after plugin updates for certain users on all sites - and as a result, the company temporarily stopped plugin updates.

Resetting plugins

The incident apparently affected Nessus Agent versions 10.8.0 and 10.8.1, for users in North and Latin America, Europe, and Asia. To address the issue, Tenable released Nessus Agent version 10.8.2.

"There is a known issue which can cause Tenable Nessus Agent 10.8.0 and 10.8.1 to go offline when a differential plugin update is triggered. To prevent such an issue, Tenable has disabled plugin feed updates for these two agent versions. Additionally, Tenable has disabled the 10.8.0 and 10.8.1 versions to prevent further issues," the release notes detailed.

Now, users are called to either upgrade to 10.8.2, or downgrade to 10.7.3 to bring their Nessus agents online. However, they also need to reset their plugins.

“If you are using agent profiles for agent upgrades or downgrades, you must perform a separate plugin reset to recover any offline agents," the company concluded.

To adress the bugs, users first need to reset agent plugins via a script or a nessuscli reset command, and then manually upgrade the Tenable Nessus Agent using the 10.8.2 install package.

Tenable claims to have more 44,000 customers worldwide, including 65% of the Fortune 500. While the exact number of Nessus users isn't publicly disclosed, it is safe to assume that Nessus is quite popular in the cybersecurity community.

Via BleepingComputer

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• 4K at up to 100 inches from a shoebox-sized projector
• Its sibling, the N3 Ultra Max, delivers 4K at up to 180 inches
• Not available until late 2025

Fancy a tiny ultra-short-throw projector that can project a 100-inch image while sitting under six inches from the wall? Then you might want to check out the new O2S Ultra from JMGO. It's one of two advanced projectors the firm is unveiling at CES, and it claims to be the world's smallest 'laser TV' (which basically means an ultra-short throw projector that has TV streaming and/or tuning tech built-in, often supplied with a matching screen).

The specs are impressive for such a small device. It delivers an estimated 2,500 ISO Lumens – the brightness figures haven't been certified yet – with 4K resolution from a box just 12.3 x 11.4 x 5.5 inches in size, so it's not going to take up your entire room or dislocate your shoulder if you're moving it around.

It has a throw ratio of 0.18:1, enabling it to deliver 100 diagonal inches from just 5.75 inches away, and it has 110% of the BT.2020 color gamut. The full on/full off contrast ratio is 1,800:1 and there's Google TV built in for streaming smarts.

The bad news? You'll have to wait for it. The O2S Ultra is currently planned for a global launch in the final quarter of 2025. Pricing has yet to be disclosed, but if JMGO can get it right, this definitely has potential to bother some of the options on our list of the best ultra short throw projectors.

The shoebox-sized O2S Ultra can project 4K at up to 100 inches from less than six inches away (Image credit: JMGO) This new projector takes it to the Max

The firm's second new projector, the N3 Ultra Max, uses the same MALC 3.0 technology as the OS2 Ultra. According to JMGO it "achieves the elusive balance of brightness, contrast, and color accuracy – a feat unmatched in the market."

More specifically, the N3 Ultra Max delivers 4,000 ISO Lumens, a 5,000:1 contrast ratio and an AI-powered gimbal. That enables you to point the remote control at any spot on a wall and the projector will automatically align and adjust itself. JMGO calls this "point and play".

The N3 Ultra Max delivers 4K resolution at up to 180 inches, and it too comes with Google TV on board. Like its sibling, it's due to launch in the final quarter of 2025. Are we looking at two of the best projectors of next year? JMGO has been making really good-value products for a while, so if these can nail the price-to-performance balance, it's very possible.

Read more from CES 2025

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• The best 4K projectors for home theater heaven
• The best portable projector, according to our experts
• The best projector sales and deals

• Brisk It annouces grilling AI update
• Vera 2.0 can understand images
• And it annoucnes a new more affordable AI grill

Generative AI-enhanced gadgets were all the rage in 2024, but something that stood out from last year’s more run of the mill announcements was Brisk It's Origin grills and its Vera AI which promised to help you grill food perfectly. Now, at CES 2025, Brisk It is back with new hardware and an AI update.

To catch you up on Vera 1.0, Brisk It explained previously its AI is ideal for helping you plan meals – by asking it for meal advice based on what you want to eat, your allergies, and what you have in the fridge – and it can also take control of your compatible grill. You simply tell the AI what you’re cooking and it’ll handle the temperature.

Now Vera 2.0 is set to deliver a serious update, thanks to image recognition. Instead of simply listing ingredients you can snap a picture of them, or snap a picture of a dish or recipe, and Vera can help you plan meals based on the images you submit. It also promises to be a better grilling companion.

(Image credit: Brisk It) AI grilling gets more accessible

The big downside of Vera, however, is it's only compatible with Brisk It’s AI grills which aren’t cheap. The Origin 940 is usually $1,099.99 and the Origin 580 is $849.99 – though we have seen them on sale recently for $200-off and $150-off respectively.

Even then that’s still pretty pricey, but with Brisk It's new Zelos-450 smart grill you should be able to try AI grilling out at “a much more accessible price” – at the time of writing we don’t have a precise price for this grill, but we’ll update this article when we know more.

The Zelos-450 doesn’t just boast AI assistance – which promises to make real time cooking adjustments if you make mistakes, and “reliable, hands-free grilling from start to finish” – but also the same wood-chip grilling experience as other Brisk It grills for a wood-fired flavor finish on your food. In addition it offers 450-square inches of cooking space, and cooking temperatures of 180F to 500F.

We’re hoping to test the new Zelos-450 smart grill out for ourselves soon. We’ve heard good things about Brisk It’s other AI grills so we’re excited to see this one in action, and on that note we’re planning to demo the tech at the company’s CES booth – so look out for our thoughts on that demo when we publish them and be sure to follow our Tiktok which will have the latest tech from CES.

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• The SwitchBot Lock Pro is compatible with 99.9% of front door locks
• It can be opened in 16 different ways, and supports the Matter standard
• SwitchBot has also launched a smart doorbell designed for seniors

SwitchBot has unveiled a new smart lock that can be retrofitted to just about any door without replacing your existing hardware, and can be unlocked in 16 different ways. The SwitchBot Lock Ultra is a successor to the SwitchBot Lock Pro, and is compatible with even more types of locks – great news if you rent and don't want to incur the wrath of your landlord.

In the unlikely event that the SwitchBot Lock Ultra doesn't play nicely with your existing door hardware (SwitchBot claims it should work fine with 99.9% of locks), the company can help you out by 3D-printing a custom solution for you.

Once it's fitted, you can unlock it using your fingerprint, a smartphone app, an NFC card, or a voice command. It's even Matter-compatible if you also pick up one of SwitchBot's Matter hubs, letting it work as part of a mix-and-match smart home ecosystem.

Who's there?

SwitchBot is showing off the new lock at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, alongside a set of new robot vacuums and its first video doorbell. The device, simply named the SwitchBot Video Doorbell, is designed with senior users and children in mind, and includes a portable display with a 4.3in display so you don't need a smartphone to see who's at the door and speak to visitors.

This seems like an excellent idea that solves a problem with most 'accessible' video doorbells. For example, the Doro Hemma is an excellent doorbell that's designed with older homeowners in mind, but requires a mobile app, which excludes anyone who uses a simple feature phone (or doesn't have a smartphone at all).

The SwitchBot Video Doorbell comes with a portable display so you don't need a smartphone to see who's at the door (Image credit: SwitchBot)

The SwitchBot Video Doorbell has an extra loud 100dB chime (second-generation Ring doorbells typically max out at 80dB) to make it easier to hear, and can be mounted with either screws or adhesive. According to SwitchBot, it boasts a very impressive 20-month battery life (most wireless video doorbells need to be charged at least twice a month), and supports up to 512GB local storage (sold separately).

We're hoping to put both devices to the test soon, so we can see how they compare with the best smart locks and best video doorbells from big brands like Philips and Ring.

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

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LG has revealed its 2025 OLED TV lineup and among the models announced is the LG G5, one of its flagship 4K OLED models. The LG G5 is successor to 2024’s LG G4, one of the best OLED TVs of last year, and looks to provide several upgrades over the G4 – but there’s one upgrade suggested by LG that’s caught my eye in particular, and it’s not one of the biggest and flashiest features.

First, let’s talk about the flashy features. The LG G5 will be the world’s first AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync certified TV at 165Hz, a step up over the G4’s top 144Hz refresh rate, which will put the G5 in new territory compared to the best gaming TVs (although 144Hz and above is only relevant for PC gamers). It’s worth noting though that the G5 won’t support Dolby Vision and 165Hz at the same time.

The G5 will feature LG's new Brightness Booster Ultimate tech, which also appears in the LG M5, the high-end wireless 4K OLED TV in LG’s 2025 TV lineup, and LG says the G5 (and M5) are up to three times brighter than the entry-level B-series of OLED TVs (but didn't offer any more comparisons to more directly comparable sets).

One interesting absence this year though is the use of micro-lens-array (MLA) tech within LG's OLED range (including the G5), which helped provide the brightness upgrade over W-OLED panels in previous models, such as the LG G4 from 2024. Yet LG still claims the G5 will be the brightest the G series has been, suggesting this new Brightness Booster tech and a recently revealed 'four stack' OLED panel will be doing a lot of the leg work.

2024’s LG G4 hit 1,489 nits peak brightness (measured on a 10% HDR window) compared to the LG B4’s 656 nits, so hopefully we’ll see a big brightness boost if it's going to get close to being fully three times brighter.

However, while this all sounds great, it’s actually another area of brightness that makes the G5 an exciting prospect, and the one I’m most looking forward to seeing in action – and that’s its fullscreen brightness. LG claims that the G5 will have up to 40% higher fullscreen brightness than its predecessor, the G4, and that could be a gamechanger.

Fullscreen brightness in a nutshell

While not the flashiest feature to talk about, the LG G5 will hopefully have noticeably higher fullscreen brightness than its predecessor, the LG G4 (pictured). (Image credit: Future)

Brands often quote peak brightness numbers when discussing a TV’s brightness levels, with the likes of Hisense and TCL, which make some of the best mini-LED TVs on the market, quoting numbers up to 10,000 nits. While OLEDs are a ways off this number, there are signs that OLEDs could start to hit 3,000 nits, with Philips among the first to say its sets can hit this figure.

Measuring peak brightness, however, is done by shining a bright light in a very small section of the screen, between 2-10% of the screen’s total area. But when it comes to watching TVs, fullscreen brightness (ie, how bright the whole thing can be, uniformly) is just as important.

Fullscreen brightness is important for many types of movies and TV shows, but the really big one is sport, where you want to see clarity and rich colors across the whole screen at the same time, to get the full viewing experience. Just as importantly, fullscreen brightness is vital in helping combat the reflections you might see in brighter viewing environments – say a room filled with a lot of natural light – because the brighter the image, the more likely it is to overwhelm any reflections, so you can focus just on what you’re supposed to be watching.

Fullscreen brightness has never been OLED’s strong suit, often hitting between 200-300 nits on the most flagship of OLEDs, compared with the 600-800 nits you’ll get on a high-end mini-LED. It takes inventive measures like the Samsung S95D’s, 2024’s TechRadar Choice Awards winnner for TV of the Year, OLED Glare Free anti-reflection tech to effectively beat reflections, and that’s just using a matte screen rather than increasing brightness.

The LG G5 – the ‘brightest’ OLED yet?

While the LG G5 won't hit the brightness levels of a mini-LED like the TCL QM851G (pictured), reports suggest we could be seeing the brightest OLED models yet. (Image credit: Future)

When we measured the LG G4’s fullscreen brightness, it yielded a result of 257 nits in Filmmaker mode, which is impressive for an OLED, but was still far less than the 318 nits achieved by the QD-OLED Samsung S95D. And both models were significantly dimmer than the likes of the Hisense U8N and Samsung QN90D, mini-LED sets that achieved results of 805 and 659 nits in Filmmaker mode respectively.

While OLED is unlikely to hit fullscreen brightness at mini-LED level anytime soon, a 40% fullscreen brightness increase in the G5 is nonetheless intriguing. If correct, we should expect the LG G5 to hit over 350 nits in Filmmaker Mode, and while that’s still not mini-LED levels, it’s a significant increase from mid-range OLEDs and flagship OLEDs from previous years, and should be very visible to the naked eye.

It’s worth noting that this is also estimated based on figures for Filmmaker Mode, one of the dimmer preset picture modes available, but one we like here at TechRadar because of its accuracy. Brighter picture modes such as Standard and Cinema are likely to be even brighter still, and I find that during my own testing, these can be essential under our bright testing room lights.

We were highly impressed with the LG G4’s overall picture quality, awarding it five out of five in our LG G4 review and while there were reflections present, overhead lighting wasn’t much of an issue. So if the LG G5 can improve on this even further with higher overall brightness, it could add itself to the rare group of OLEDs that can handle any brighter rooms, making it a more versatile set overall.

Final thoughts

In the past couple of years, LG hasn’t been the top dog in the OLED world in our testing; Samsung has. While LG provides more OLED options, Samsung’s models were so good, we chose the Samsung S90C and Samsung S95D as our TV of the Year in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Brightness was a key factor in both these cases, as both models pushed OLED brightness levels to new heights that we couldn’t ignore. Crucially, however, this didn’t mean we didn’t like LG’s OLEDs any less – they just got pipped to the post.

If LG really can push the G5 to a brightness we’ve not seen before, especially fullscreen, could we see LG regain its OLED crown in 2025. I for one am looking forward to getting my hands on the G5 to see if it can innovate OLED even further, and the first thing I’ll be doing is putting on some lights to see if its newfound brightness is the real deal.

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Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: One-minute review

Writing this Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active review, I wasn’t exactly expecting it to hit our list of the best fitness trackers on the market — it’s startlingly cheap, designed for people who just need the fundamentals of health tracking. However I wasn’t expecting it to miss the mark so much.

Released as an even-more-affordable alternative to the already-affordable Xiaomi Smart Band 9, the Active model cuts the cost, as well as some corners, from that predecessor. However, it cuts so many corners that, like a really bad lapidarist, it leaves nothing left to appreciate.

Testing a cheap fitness tracker like this, you have to expect some compromises, but the Band 9 Active takes it too far. Many different health tracking metrics were easily proven wrong, with GPS reading poorly compared to data from our smartphone and heart rate information being laughably inaccurate. Calorie burn predictions were also dubious, unless I truly did only burn double-figure calories in an hour-long weights session.

One surprise exception was sleep tracking, which to me seemed vaguely reliable — at least, compared to distance or heart rate. If you just want a cheap and feature-sparse sleep tracker, this could be a valuable option.

Still, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active really struggles to prove itself as a useful health tracker given how ropey the testing results were. It fares a little better with its ‘smartwatch’ lifestyle functions as it was quick to send through notifications and let you control music.

It’s par for the course for fitness trackers to opt for offering a range of features, with the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active trying to track loads of metrics and health considerations. However, it seems that Xiaomi’s focus on breadth over depth has resulted in a wearable that’s hard to recommend. If you want a fitness tracker that has all the good bits of the Band 9 Active and few of the issues, opt for the standard model or the bigger and pricier Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro.

(Image credit: Future) Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Specifications Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Costs $44.99 / £19.99 / AU$42.99
• Cheaper alternative to Band 9
• Released in October 2024

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active was unveiled in China in October 2024, alongside the Band 9 Pro, and was slowly rolled out globally over the subsequent months. It’s now available to buy in most countries globally including the US, UK and Australia.

You can buy the Band 9 Active for $44.99 / £19.99 / AU$42.99, so it’s an incredibly cheap fitness tracker — though you don’t need to know currency conversions to know that some folks get it cheaper than others. I found some significant price fluctuations on Amazon, with Australian shoppers on the retailer getting a variation of a few dollars depending on the color option, and UK buyers being shown prices literally twice as high as on Xiaomi’s own website! So shop around to find the best price.

That’s a roughly $15 / £15 / AU$20 drop in price compared to the Xiaomi Band 9, a healthy discount that means that the budget band will likely undercut the original one even when the middle child is on sale. The cost also roughly matches the Xiaomi Band 8 Active from last year.

There aren’t many cheap fitness trackers at this price bracket that bear mentioning, so the Active’s competitors are all (relatively) pricey alternatives like the other Smart Band 9 models and options from Samsung and Fitbit if you can find them reduced. More on competition later.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Display doesn't look great
• Rectangular body plus strap
• Fairly well protected against bumps and water

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active has a pretty utilitarian design. Its body measures 4.6 x 2.7 x 1cm and weighs 16.5g, so it’s pretty small, and it totes a 1.47-inch display with a 172 x 320 resolution.

The band is made of TPU, which feels like a rubbery plastic, and can be adjusted for a wide range of wrist sizes. You can pick up the Active in black, beige or light pink, and your choice is reflected in the band’s body and strap.

With a 5ATM water resistance, the watch can withstand submersion in water at up to 50 meters — however, there are no swim tracking modes on the band, making this a feature you won’t need to test.

(Image credit: Future)

I bumped and bashed the Band 9 Active a fair few times during testing and it didn’t show a mark — it’s a good pick for clumsy wearers. It’s also small enough that you can wear it to bed without it being too noticeable and annoying.

The display, frankly, doesn’t look great, but that’s what you’re getting for your low entry fee. You can put your own photos as your watchface too which is a nice touch, even if faces end up looking a little like old-school RuneScape characters.

• Design score: 3/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Many metrics seem inaccurate
• Poor at pulling data from smartphone for GPS
• 50 sports tracking modes in all

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers about 50 different fitness tracking modes, roughly a third as many as its two siblings though all the basics are covered (and then a few). Before you remark about how many that is, bear in mind that not all fitness tracking modes are equal.

Basically all of the fitness modes track time and heart rate, and some throw GPS in on top — the reason you’d pick between different tracking modes is so it’ll show up as a different entry in your fitness log, and because you can set different workout goals for different activities.

For testing purposes I used outdoor running, outdoor cycling and strength, but the fill list includes everything from badminton and baseball to billiards and ‘back’ (back workouts, that is).

Unfortunately, they’re not great: most of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active’s fitness tracking features don’t work as they’re supposed to.

Here’s an example: one testing day I ran to my gym, which is usually 1.6km but the ‘outdoor running’ mode only recorded it as 1.4km. Then at the gym, I turned on ‘strength’ mode for my workout, and it told me I was at a low heart rate — despite the fact I hadn’t caught my breath after the run, and could feel my heart rate to be elevated.

(Image credit: Future)

The GPS issue is the most pronounced; multiple times during testing the watch wouldn’t report the full distance of a run or cycle (or, on one occasion, any distance at all, instead of the 4km I had cycled). From my testing, I seemed to lose on average 20% of the distance I actually traveled. It seems to be an issue with how the watch connects to your phone, as the Active only has Connected GPS (which utilizes your phone’s GPS, instead of having it built-in). I would have considered it being an issue with my phone, had I not tested the Band 9 Pro immediately before the Active.

The heart rate issue is also a shame — it’s one of the most important metrics that people use fitness trackers for, so the fact that it’s so obviously inaccurate is a real shame.

Now for a surprise: sleep tracking worked pretty well, surprisingly so given the rest of the performance. It was acccurate in terms of timing, even if I lay in bed reading before sleeping or remained prone for a while after waking up. It also offered basic-but-useful breakdowns of types of sleep (REM, deep, etc) as well as wake-up times and your resting heart rate (for however accurate that is…). If all you want out of a fitness tracker for is sleep tracking, this budget option might be alright.

• Performance score: 2/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Mi Fitness app used on phone
• Music playback, notification handling and more
• 14-day battery life

Beyond the iffy fitness tracking options, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active more or less ticks all the feature boxes you’d expect for a cheap fitness tracker.

Through Bluetooth with your phone it can tell you the weather, control your music (well, skip, back a track and play/pause) and ping you with notifications. I recommend customizing which notifications get sent to your tracker, lest you want to be pinged every few minutes with the latest weather report.

The Band 9 Active connects to your phone via Bluetooth 5.3 and the connection was faultless during my testing — except, of course, for the weird GPS issue. You connect to the Mi Fitness app, which can bring you a few extra ways to use your band.

The main one (for me) is that it gives you more depth to examine your past workouts, with a rough GPS map and other metrics. You can also see the results of various metrics tracked via the watch like training load, stress, energy and your vitality score.

You can also use the app to customize your watch to a limited degree — like I said you can set a background photo or pick from a wide range of other displays. You can also tweak some settings of the fitness tracking metrics and set a password for the tracker.

Xiaomi cites the battery life for the Band 9 Active at being 18 days, or about two-and-a-half weeks. From my testing, I’d say you can reliably get two weeks of use out of the band before needing to charge it, but that extra four days may be a stretch if you’re not sparing with your use.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Scorecard Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Should I buy?

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

You're only in it for sleep tracking
If you only want a sleep tracker, and don't care about other health features, then you'll find the Band 9 Active fit for purpose.

You don't care about health at all
Just want a way to control your music, see notifications and check on the weather from your wrist? Then the Band 9 Active is fine for you and you won't need to spend any more.

You want a simple user interface
The Band 9 Active strips some features from its siblings, but this makes it very simple to use for technophobes or seniors..View Deal

Don't buy it if...

Your budget goes any higher
For only a small price increase, you can buy the Smart Band 9 which is a lot better in every way.

You care about tracking heart rate, calories or location
I've already mentioned in detail how iffy the fitness tracking modes of the Band 9 Active are. Don't use it if you actually care about tracking your health.

Also consider

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

For only a small price increase, you can buy this fitness tracker which fixes all of the Active's problems, plus looks nicer and lasts for longer.

Read our full review

Fitbit Inspire 3

A few years of price cuts means that the Fitbit Inspire 3 is fairly affordable, though it'll still set you back the equivalent of several Band 9 Actives.

Read our full review

First reviewed: January 2025

• Google announced the next-generation of Google TV at CES 2025.
• It's getting a hefty infusion of Gemini to up its smarts and make it better at conversational quieres.
• Plus with proximity sensors it has a unique take on 'Ambient Mode.'

The Google TV platform powers not only the Google TV Streamer box, but also countless TVs that opt for it to be the native operating system of choice. As the successor to Android TV, it ushered in a cleaner interface with better recommendations for major streaming services – as well as support for more of them – and a hefty dose of voice control courtesy of ‘Hey Google.’

Now, though, much like many of the other announcements at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, Google’s giving us a peak at the next generation of Google TV and it, of course, has an AI tie-in. Just like the latest Pixel phones, next-gen Google TV will feature Gemini, and quite critically here, enables much more natural conversation requests.

Further, when next-generation Google TV devices are expected to arrive by the end of 2025, it will be a mix of software and some hardware to enable an ambient experience that almost feels self-aware. Thanks to proximity sensors in forthcoming TVs, it can automatically turn the TV on a photo gallery slideshow as you enter the room, but then switch to a dashboard of sorts as you get closer. Pretty cool, right?

This is Google TV’s take on the ambient experience for sure, one that mimics the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max or even the latest Nest Thermostat as it adjusts the content being shown based on where you will be in the space. The photo gallery aspect, including an opt-in for images created through Generative AI, is reminiscent of both the Chromecast static pages and art TVs like Samsung’s Frame or Hisense’s Canvas TV.

So the requirement for this ambient will be a proximity sensor seemingly on the TVs, but I imagine as we get closer to seeing these, there might be away to trigger this dashboard via remote – that ultimately remains to be seen. But much like a smart speaker or smart display, these next-generation Google TVs will have far-field microphones built-in to let you ask Gemini or ‘Hey Google’ for really limitless queries.

Since it’s a big screen, though, Google’s optimizing and tweaking the Gemini LLM a bit in that along with answering a question like how big our galaxy is or asking to plan a trip, it can suggest YouTube videos to jump into to learn more about the answers (or answers). As we’ve seen with other AI-powered assistants, it’s sort of customizing that power to the device you’re receiving it on.

(Image credit: Future)

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Of course, since it’s Google TV and works with plenty of Google services, you’ll also be able to control smart home devices with it and even run automation. Unlike the Google Assistant, you’ll be able to speak more like a human and with more conversational terms rather than the more rigid voice requests of the past.

This also applies when you’re asking for help finding something to watch; you can be as specific as an animated movie appropriate for all ages from Disney or something much more wide-reaching to get suggestions. As we saw with the Google TV Streamer, Gemini will summarize key reviews and sentiments about the selected title when you open up a film.

From an early look, it’s a pretty AI glow-up for Google TV as a platform, but of course, it all comes down to hardware partners. While we already have an idea of what TV makers have already opted for Google, it remains to be seen where this next-generation experience will be found, but it is announced that we’ll see these arrive on future hardware by the end of 2025.

It’s also worth noting that since there is an additional requirement for far-field microphones and proximity sensors, this likely won’t be arriving on the current Google TV Streamer. Who knows, Google might be cooking up a hardware pack.

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• Microsoft aims to spend $80 billion on AI data centers in first half of 2025
• Half of the amount will be destined for the United States
• Upskilling citizens is recognized as crucial

Microsoft has revealed plans to invest $80 billion in AI data centers throughout the first half of 2025.

Vice Chair and President Brad Smith took to a New Year blog post to boldly state the US’s opportunity to “​​harness new technology to invigorate the nation’s economy” is the greatest it has been since the advent of electricity.

Speaking about AI’s power to “drive innovation and boost productivity” across all sectors, Smith confirmed Microsoft is on track to invest $80 billion throughout its fiscal year 2025, which ends on June 30, 2025.

Microsoft AI data center investment

The company’s data center investments include cash to help train AI models and deploy AI and cloud-based applications.

Smith confirmed over half of the total investments will be destined for the US, adding Microsoft’s plans are also helping to grow the country’s economy by supporting the likes of competitors, chip suppliers, applications companies, systems integrators, service providers, software developers, construction firms, material manufacturers and more, who all play an important role in the successful deployment of AI data centers.

It was also noted the 2019 AI Executive Order prioritized the integration of AI upskilling within educational curricula and educational grant applications – a perfect opportunity for Microsoft to boast it is committed to training 2.5 million American students, workers and community members with AI skills in 2025.

AI upskilling programs are usually a highlight of investments. For example, when Microsoft decides to open a new data center, it typically aims to give back to the community in the form of training.

Apart from investing in AI and upskilling the country’s citizens, Microsoft’s plans for America’s economic success also include a third element: exporting. Smith noted China’s efforts to become a leader in AI has put the US under pressure, and it must cooperate with “allies and friends” to maintain its position at the top.

In 2024, Microsoft announced more than $35 billion in investments across 14 countries to build AI and cloud data center infrastructure.

It’s clear that Microsoft sees itself as having a vital role in helping the US maintain its AI momentum. Smith concluded: “The key to the future is to bring together the best of what we can offer across American society, from across our private sector, educational and non-profit institutions, and government.”

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Over the last decade and a half, the internet has evolved from a search-based model into a robust, interconnected ecosystem of content producers and aggregators. Early knowledge navigation was driven largely by search engines, with Google’s Knowledge Graph being a notable game-changer. The tool highlighted how audiences were increasingly satisfied with direct answers rather than detailed content, even though most answers were rooted in content produced by knowledge platforms.

Over time, content providers adapted to this system, leveraging search engine optimization (SEO) and structured data to keep their visibility and user traffic strong. This symbiotic relationship created an entire industry anchored on search-based marketing, which thrived on the interdependence of content producers and search engines.

The landscape changed again with cloud computing. Companies quickly embraced Infrastructure-as-a-Service to streamline processes and reduce costs, leading to the rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models. These cloud-based business models generated a wave of innovative companies that redefined how software was created, distributed, and accessed, giving rise to an era of cost-effective and scalable technology solutions.

Fast forward to another major technological shift: conversational interfaces. While early virtual assistants like Siri and chatbots were innovative, they still relied heavily on traditional knowledge resources. These systems fundamentally operated within established business models, simply presenting new ways for users to interact with content, rather than transforming how knowledge was structured and consumed.

Which brings us to the meteoric rise of large language models (LLMs) and AI agents. While the underlying AI technology has been around for years, the explosion of AI tech in the last two years has been a game-changer for businesses across sectors. These major shifts have also disrupted the knowledge creator and user dynamic in a way that threatens content ownership, attribution, and monetization for knowledge platforms.

The fragmentation of the knowledge ecosystem

AI-driven agents are not merely interfaces; they synthesize and present information in a way that can obscure or bypass original content creators entirely. In many cases, these agents surface knowledge without attributing the source, effectively severing the feedback loop that used to send traffic back to content producers. As AI systems increasingly become the interface through which users consume information, the gap between knowledge sources and user interaction has widened. This change creates a “knowledge fragmentation” effect, separating the platforms that produce knowledge from the platforms that distribute it. This fragmentation raises three critical issues for the larger knowledge ecosystem:

• Answers are not knowledge: While LLMs can retrieve data and generate responses, they often lack the nuanced understanding needed to address complex questions. These systems can provide an answer, but not always the specific context required to apply those answers in real-world scenarios. As a result, they risk oversimplifying knowledge into basic answers that lack depth or relevance.
• The LLM brain drain: The current reliance on AI-driven knowledge diminishes the feedback loop that has historically fueled content creation. As users grow accustomed to instant answers without needing to consult detailed sources, the incentive to create and share nuanced and new information decreases. This brain drain effect threatens the richness and breadth of knowledge in our ecosystem, leaving us with static, outdated data in place of evolving insights and new content.
• Erosion of Trust: Many users of AI tools are questioning the trustworthiness of responses. Without transparency around the source and credibility of information, AI tools risk losing user confidence, especially in technical fields or for corporate customers where accuracy is critical.

Knowledge-as-a-Service – a new business model

In response to these challenges, community platforms are championing a new business model: Knowledge-as-a-Service. This model emphasizes the creation, curation, and validation of knowledge within a sustainable ecosystem where content creators, platforms, and AI providers coexist and support each other. At its core, Knowledge-as-a-Service means establishing a high-quality, domain-specific knowledge base that powers technology advancements while ensuring fair and transparent use of data.

For many, this means providing access to the highly trusted, validated, and up-to-date technical content on a platform. The platform supports both existing and emerging knowledge, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem where new information is validated, indexed, and made accessible for developers and LLM providers. By fostering this continuous loop of knowledge creation and validation, businesses can begin to address “LLM brain drain” and the lack of trust that plagues the current knowledge economy.

Powering the future

The shift towards Knowledge-as-a-Service underscores the need for ethical data use and reinvestment in knowledge-producing communities. For the model to work, content providers and platforms must ensure fair attribution and recognition for their contributors. Transparent partnerships with LLM providers are key, as they create a pathway for AI tools to responsibly leverage community-generated knowledge without depleting the source.

The future of the knowledge economy rests on a collaborative approach that respects content creation and values transparency. Knowledge-as-a-Service offers a promising blueprint for platforms to remain relevant while supporting a new generation of digital tools and applications.

This strategy isn’t just a response to current challenges, but also a vision for a sustainable future where the exchange of knowledge remains open, accessible, and beneficial to all stakeholders. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, companies must rise to the challenge of preserving the integrity and richness of community-driven knowledge - or risk losing the foundation upon which the internet has been built.

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• Popular open source vulnerability scanner Nuclei was found to be vulnerable itself
• A bug allowed crooks to smuggle malicious code past the scanner
• The vulnerability was fixed in September 2024, but many users still haven't updated

A vulnerability scanning tool was found to have been vulnerable itself, allowing crooks to smuggle malicious code past the gatekeeper.

Cybersecurity researchers from Wiz found a bug in ProjectDiscovery’s Nuclei in August 2024, after investigating the open source vulnerability scanner, which is designed to automate the detection of security issues across various protocols, systems, and applications using customizable YAML-based templates.

The bug is tracked as CVE-2024-43405, and was given a severity score of 7.8 (high). In versions 3.0.0 - 3.3.2, a vulnerability in Nuclei's template signature verification system allowed malicious actors to bypass signature checks and possibly run malicious code via custom code template, it was said.

Upgrades and workarounds

A fix was released in early September 2024, making version 3.3.2 the first clean one. Users are urged to apply the fix immediately, since cybercriminals are expected to now start scanning for vulnerable endpoints. Those that cannot apply the patch in a timely manner should stop using custom templates, and instead only use trusted, verified ones.

“Those who are unable to upgrade Nuclei should disable running custom code templates as a workaround,” it was explained on the NVD webpage.

Wiz also stated that Nuclei should be used in a virtual machine, or isolated environment.

While open source software is generally considered safe (if nothing else, then due to countless eyes looking at the code all the time), its popularity and ease of access also make it a popular target for criminals interested in software supply chain attacks. While the exact number of Nuclei users is impossible to determine, we can say it is a popular solution, since it has 21,000 stars on GitHub, paired with roughly 2,600 forks.

Additionally, the Nuclei project boasts more than 700 contributors and has facilitated over 50 million monthly scans, indicating widespread adoption within the cybersecurity community.

Via BleepingComputer

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