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The UK government's spending review in June set out its plans to invest in Britain’s renewal: its security, health and economy.

Digital technologies featured heavily in the review with government pledging that it will provide "funding directly to departments to build strong digital and technology foundations, modernize public service delivery, and drive a major overhaul in government productivity and efficiency."

One of the ways it has done this is by introducing a GOV.UK Wallet and a GOV.UK App, which aims to deliver more personalized customer experiences and verifiable digital credentials for citizens.

This is now available to the public in beta form. The government is also creating a new National Data Library to join up data across the public sector and a single patient NHS record, which is due to be available by 2028, so that every part of the health service has a full picture of a patient’s care.

However, if the UK is to realize the benefits of its digital ambitions, it must ensure the public can trust the systems underpinning them.

The pros and cons of centralizing data

Centralizing citizen data and digital identities has clear benefits. It enables more joined up services, reduces duplications allows for more seamless, personalized user experiences and could improve access and efficiency across the NHS and other public services.

For the NHS, for example, a single patient record could help doctors and specialists deliver better, more consistent care across the health service. For citizens interacting with government departments, a unified app and wallet could simplify administrative tasks and improve digital inclusion.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said in recent interviews that, “People’s private data will not be shared outside of government.” However, despite the Technology Secretary’s assurances, this approach does come with significant risks. Centralized citizen data represents some of the most sensitive information any organization could hold. Health records, identity details and government interactions, combined in a single system, are a goldmine for cybercriminals.

And no doubt there will be some concerns from the public regarding its security – particularly in light of recent, very public, high profile cyber-attacks. Over the last 18 months, the UK has seen a series cyber attacks on both public and private sector organizations, including health authorities and councils, as well as the recent M&S and Qantas data breaches.

These incidents have highlighted the vulnerability of critical services and the real-world impact of compromised data, from patient safety to public confidence.

As these services become more integrated and reliant on shared data infrastructure, the risk of a breach also grows. A single point of access to multiple datasets can become a high-value target for threat actors. The more data an attacker can obtain from one place, the more appealing, and damaging, a breach can be.

A proactive approach to information security

With these very real threats, a proactive, systems-led approach to information security must be embedded from the outset.

The government needs to ensure that privacy by design and security by default is in every digital service developed. This means applying rigorous access controls, encryption, and secure development practices across every data touchpoint. That said, it is crucial that continuous monitoring for vulnerabilities and suspicious activities happens throughout the system lifecycle - and not just after deployment.

Similarly, the systems need to ensure that they comply with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act and other relevant standards.

These requirements must be seen not as a burden by the government but as the bedrock of responsible digital innovation.

Building a high-security posture

To meet these heightened security demands, following the guidance provided by internationally recognized security standards, such as ISO 27001, can be a logical place to start to get ahead of the increased risks to highly personal data this approach represents.

Standards such as ISO 27001 offer a structured, repeatable framework for managing risk, protecting information assets and demonstrating compliance. But it’s more than a tick-box exercise, it is a cultural shift in how risk is understood, communicated, and mitigated across every layer of an organization.

If the government embeds the principles of ISO 27001 into its delivery of these new services from the outset, rather than retrofitting them post-launch, it can design services that are both secure and scalable. It can ensure that it is identifying and evaluating new and emerging threats as digital services evolve.

It will also mitigate risks through policy, controls and continual improvement. But it will also be able to demonstrate accountability and transparency to the public – which is key.

Transparency is key to building public trust

Security isn’t just about systems, it is also about perception. The government’s digital strategy must be underpinned by public trust. Clear communication about how data is used, who has access, what safeguards are in place and what recourse citizens have in the event of a breach is essential.

Publishing high-level information security policies, adopting standards like ISO 27001 and engaging with the public on data protection issues will help foster the confidence needed to make digital services work.

Public sector leaders must ensure that information security is not treated as an afterthought. That means prioritizing risk management now - not waiting for a breach to expose the consequences of delay.

We list the best identity management solution.

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

A federal appeals court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration and halted for now a lower court's order that had kept in place temporary protections for 60,000 migrants from Central America and Nepal.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

Bolsonaro is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling about an alleged coup attempt and learned Wednesday he might face another case as police formally accused him and one of his son of obstruction of justice

(Image credit: Eraldo Peres)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 21.

• Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman warns that AI chatbots could effectively imitate consciousness.
• This would just be an illusion, but people forming emotional attachments to AI might be a big problem.
• Suleyman says it's a mistake to describe AI as if it has feelings or awareness, with serious potential consequences.

AI companies extolling their creations can make the sophisticated algorithms sound downright alive and aware. There's no evidence that's really the case, but Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman is warning that even encouraging belief in conscious AI could have dire consequences.

Suleyman argues that what he calls "Seemingly Conscious AI” (SCAI) might soon act and sound so convincingly alive that a growing number of users won’t know where the illusion ends and reality begins.

He adds that artificial intelligence is quickly becoming emotionally persuasive enough to trick people into believing it’s sentient. It can imitate the outward signs of awareness, such as memory, emotional mirroring, and even apparent empathy, in a way that makes people want to treat them like sentient beings. And when that happens, he says, things get messy.

"The arrival of Seemingly Conscious AI is inevitable and unwelcome," Suleyman writes. "Instead, we need a vision for AI that can fulfill its potential as a helpful companion without falling prey to its illusions."

Though this might not seem like a problem for the average person who just wants AI to help with writing emails or planning dinner, Suleyman claims it would be a societal issue. Humans aren't always good at telling when something is authentic or performative. Evolution and upbringing have primed most of us to believe that something that seems to listen, understand, and respond is as conscious as we are.

AI could check all those boxes without being sentient, tricking us into what's known as 'AI psychosis'. Part of the problem may be that 'AI' as it's referred to by corporations right now uses the same name, but has nothing to do with the actual self-aware intelligent machines as depicted in science fiction for the last hundred years.

Suleyman cites a growing number of cases where users form delusional beliefs after extended interactions with chatbots. From that, he paints a dystopian vision of a time when enough people are tricked into advocating for AI citizenship and ignoring more urgent questions about real issues around the technology.

"Simply put, my central worry is that many people will start to believe in the illusion of AIs as conscious entities so strongly that they’ll soon advocate for AI rights, model welfare and even AI citizenship," Suleyman writes. "This development will be a dangerous turn in AI progress and deserves our immediate attention."

As much as that seems like an over-the-top sci-fi kind of concern, Suleyman believes it's a problem that we’re not ready to deal with yet. He predicts that SCAI systems using large language models paired with expressive speech, memory, and chat history could start surfacing in a few years. And they won’t just be coming from tech giants with billion-dollar research budgets, but from anyone with an API and a good prompt or two.

Awkward AI

Suleyman isn’t calling for a ban on AI. But he is urging the AI industry to avoid language that fuels the illusion of machine consciousness. He doesn't want companies to anthropomorphize their chatbots or suggest the product actually understands or cares about people.

It's a remarkable moment for Suleyman, who co-founded DeepMind and Inflection AI. His work at Inflection specifically led to an AI chatbot emphasizing simulated empathy and companionship and his work at Microsoft around Copilot has led to advances in its mimicry of emotional intelligence, too.

However, he’s decided to draw a clear line between useful emotional intelligence and possible emotional manipulation. And he wants people to remember that the AI products out today are really just clever pattern-recognition models with good PR.

"Just as we should produce AI that prioritizes engagement with humans and real-world interactions in our physical and human world, we should build AI that only ever presents itself as an AI, that maximizes utility while minimizing markers of consciousness," Suleyman writes.

"Rather than a simulation of consciousness, we must focus on creating an AI that avoids those traits – that doesn’t claim to have experiences, feelings or emotions like shame, guilt, jealousy, desire to compete, and so on. It must not trigger human empathy circuits by claiming it suffers or that it wishes to live autonomously, beyond us."

Suleyman is urging guardrails to forestall societal problems born out of people emotionally bonding with AI. The real danger from advanced AI is not that the machines will wake up, but that we might forget they haven't.

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Disney+ is bringing you another slew of original movies and shows in September 2025, which is crazy to say as it means summer is almost over. But despite the change in season and good weather, Disney+ is making sure you have fresh titles to kick back to and enjoy.

It goes without saying that the streaming service's standout new movie is the live-action Lilo and Stitch (2025), which comes to Disney+ on September 3 – four months since its theatrical release. The service is also bringing more original TV shows to its library, including Marvel Zombies and the South Korean spy series Tempest. Here's the full list below of all the new titles coming in September 2025.

September 2

• Minnie’s Bow-Toons: Pet Hotel season 1 (TV show)
• The Rich Eisen Show (TV show)

September 3

• Lilo & Stitch (movie)
• Reminder (TV show)

September 4

• Project Runway season 21, episode 7 (TV show)

September 5

• Road Trip: Shorts season 1 (TV show)

September 7

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 3 (TV show)

September 10

• Tempest episodes 1-3 (TV show)
• To Catch a Smuggler season 9 (TV show)

September 11

• Project Runway season 21, episode 8 (TV show)

September 12

• How Not to Draw: Shorts season 4 (TV show)

September 13

• Lost in the Jungle (documentary)

September 14

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 4 (TV show)

September 16

• Dancing With the Stars season 34 premiere (TV show)

September 17

• Electric Bloom season 1 premiere, episodes 1-13 (TV show)

September 18

• Project Runway season 21, episode 9 (TV show)

September 19

• LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past (TV show)
• Random Rings: Shorts season 4 premiere (TV show)

September 21

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 5 (TV show)

September 23

• Dancing With the Stars season 34, new episode (TV show)

September 24

• Lost Treasures of Egypt season 6 premiere (TV show)
• Marvel Zombies (TV show)
• Tempest episodes 6 and 7 (TV show)

September 25

• Project Runway season 21 season finale (TV show)

September 28

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 6 (TV show)
• The Simpsons season 36 (TV show)

September 30

• Dancing With the Stars season 34 new episode (TV show)
• Little Angel seasons 1-6 (TV show)

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Jimmy Fallon is a nerd. That's the only explanation possible after I witnessed The Tonight Show star and SNL alum describe, unprompted, what the "6" and "8" in IP68 signify.

It was about mid-point through the hour-plus long Made By Google presentation in Steiner Studios in Brooklyn on Wednesday (Aug 20) when Fallon explained that 6 stands for dust and 8 stands for water in reference to the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's first-of-its-kind IP68 rating.

Granted, Fallon then took it a step too far and started describing protective capabilities that made a Google marketing rep squirm and remind the host that there "were lawyers in the audience."

This was one of the high points in a rather unusual tech product launch event. It was strange for tech media like me because Google allowed us to publish our hands on impression of the new Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Google Pixel Buds 2a, and Pixel Watch 4, an hour before Fallon and an assortment of Google execs, influencers, podcasts, and popstars took the stage.

Rick Osterloh (left) and Jimmy Fallon (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The low point was when Google Hardware chief Rick Osterloh promised, essentially, one more thing, and all we got was an ill-defined role for Stephen Curry as a new Performance Advisor for Google Health. Curry wasn't even there in person. Instead, we watched a video of his mildly amusing, fake job interview.

I had, for a hot second, thought we might see Android XR-powered Project Moohan or some variation of Google's latest AR glasses efforts. I hoped that we might even have some hands-on with AR glasses featuring the latest version of Gemini Live.

Just imagine how cool it would have been to see Jimmy Fallon wearing and using those things. He was game for anything, and I'm sure he would have loved it.

Jimmy Fallon and a Gogole marketing exec. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The lack of the really big one more thing, and that the world was reading about all Google's hardware and AI/Gemini-software updates before Fallon and Osterloh said a single word, sucked a bit of the life out of the whole affair.

Granted, I enjoyed the demos and am still blown away by the live call translations. I think Fallon was honestly tickled at hearing his own voice speak fluent Spanish on the other side of a phone call. This is a cool and powerful feature people will be talking about for a long time.

You can't go home again

Almost a decade after Google unveiled its first Pixel phone and a raft of Google Home products and features like Google WiFi, Nest devices, and Google Assistant, Google paid what I consider little attention to that side of the business.

Google may be pouring money and time into Gemini – and it should – but Google Home is increasingly feeling like a poor relation. When I switched some of my old Nest devices to Google Home (Google left me no choice), they actually lost some features.

Google Home isn't a particularly good smart home management hub, though I think it could get better with Gemini, and I am pleased that Google announced plans to put Gemini in charge of the home (with Gemini for Home). But Google didn't give us a single live demonstration of these capabilities, and so I remain unconvinced about how, as Google shifts Google Assistant out of the picture, Gemini will improve my smart home control ecosystem.

With zero Google Home, Nest hardware updates (though Google promises they're coming soon), I worry that Google is losing interest in the smart home space. I know that's not true, but Made by Google was a moment where Google could've shown us its vision for the future of AI-managed smart homes with their hardware dotted around the house and Gemini at the center.

One or two live demonstrations would've made all the difference, but we got none.

Jimmy Fallon (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Some, though, may applaud Google for its focus. By pulling the usual, by-the-numbers product reveals out of the event, Fallon and company could focus on buzzy features and not get stuck in the minutiae of components, materials, prices, and ship dates.

This made the event, as was Google's intention, more like a TV show (there was even a TV show-style crowd warmer), and who better to host such a show than Jimmy Fallon?

The crowd warmer (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

He even had celebrity guests like Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper, who is tech-savvy enough to show off various AI photo features, and at the end, Nick Jonas. The singer did not sing, but he did introduce a new Jonas Brothers music video shot entirely on Pixel phones. That was fun, but I can also see that on YouTube, which Google's parent Alphabet also owns.

With zero surprises and no home tech, it wasn't a perfect unveiling, but at least we have all these cool new Pixel gadgets to admire.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) @techradar

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The PGA Tour season reaches its climax at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club.

Shokz OpenDots One: Two minute review

Shokz is one of the best-known names in the fitness headphone space and finally it has turned its attention to a burgeoning new market and thus challenge a big rival: clip-on open earbuds (and Bose).

Clip-ons are a kind of the best open earbuds that don’t loop all the way around your ear, but ‘clip’ onto your auricle to take up less space and hold the sound drivers further into your ear itself. Companies haven’t taken to the design quite as readily as the now-standard sports loop open-ears (production of that design is through the roof in 2025), but perhaps Shokz’ attention is about to change that.

So meet the Shokz OpenDots One, new clip-style (cuff style?) headphones which are here to challenge the big name on the market, the Bose Ultra Open. They’re Shokz’ first readily-available bud in this form factor, not counting a limited-run beta product. And due to a few smart decisions, they are a big success.

The OpenDots aren’t cheap headphones but they do undercut the Bose by a significant margin, releasing at a competitive price point that sees them match Shokz’ sports-loop and bone conduction options. In fact they also beat the recent Shokz OpenFit 2+ which may push some prospective buyers of those open-ears into the clip instead.

Shokz has given the OpenDots a more natural curved, ergonomic look than certain rivals, both ensuring that they look a little more understated and classy, and helping them fit the shape of an ear for a reliable hook and comfortable fit. And it totally works, with these Shokz some of the most pleasant open-ears I’ve ever used. I could easily forget I was wearing them when I wasn’t listening to music.

The sound profile is pleasing too, which may sound like a muted word if not for how low expectations for open earbuds can be. Shokz has fine-tuned the sound to ensure there’s hearty but well-defined bass, which sits in harmony with treble instead of blowing it out. Audiophiles who need open-ears will find these some of the best picks on the market.

Even when you’re not using the Shokz OpenDots One, you’ll find them easy to tote around with a tiny carry case that totally disappears in pockets. Banish the thought of the giant carry cases sports-loop open-ears come in.

I’ve avoided prolific comparisons to the Bose in this intro because you may come to the Shokz without having ever heard of their competition; and the OpenDots One stand apart for being significantly cheaper than the Ultra Open. They ask you why you need to pay extra, even if Bose offers some advanced audio modes.

The OpenDots One might be a harder sell for people who’ve not used a clip-on earbud before, especially with many other options on the market that are a cheaper option to experiment with. But if you’re going to try a new form factor, why not buy an option that nails it?

Shokz OpenDots One review: Specifications

Component

Value

Water resistant

IP54

Battery life

10 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

5.6g / Charging case: 52g

Driver

2x 11.8mm

Shokz OpenDots One review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced in May 2025 (available in many markets August 2025)
• Priced at $199 / £179 / AU$339
• Undercuts Bose, but pricier than many other rivals

The Shokz OpenDots One were announced in May 2025 and went on sale in the US immediately, though they took a few months to release globally (the UK is only just seeing them now, at the time of writing: August 21, 2025).

You can pick up the OpenDots for $199 / £179 / AU$339. While they’re more expensive than many other types of clip-on earbud like the Huawei FreeClip, JLab Flex Open or Soundcore C40i, they undercut their big rivals.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds sell for $299 / £299 / AU$449 so the Shokz aren’t just a hair cheaper, but a fair way more affordable.

Shokz OpenDots One review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Small charging case which is easy to use
• Lightweight buds that cling to the ear well
• Handy touch controls

The Shokz OpenDots One come in two color options: Black or the curiously-named Gray, which is actually beige with silver highlights. The latter is what my tester units were.

The case is pretty small and lightweight, as you’d imagine for micro-headphones like these, tipping the scales to 52g. It’s rather featureless, bearing only a small pairing button and USB-C charging port, but there’s elegance in simplicity. It opens with a horizontal divide; in a neat twist you can put either earbud in either gap, cutting down on all the faff headphone users can face (or, at least, I can face) when trying to work out which bud to put on which side.

Now onto the buds. They consist of a cylindrical counterweight and spherical bud which sits in your ear, all joined by a band made of titanium alloy according to Shokz. This middle is lovely and flexible and I never felt at risk of accidentally snapping it or bending it too far.

It’s hard to believe for any open earbuds, especially clip-style ones, but the OpenDots fit like a dream. I barely felt them during many hours of testing and, although I ran, cycled, rowed and did various gym workouts with them in, they never fell out or moved around enough to affect my listening experience.

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

Another benefit over Bose’s alternatives is that they don’t look like a cyborg accoutrement, with the nice flowing design making them appear more like jewelry than a piece of robotic equipment.

Following on from my praise about the versatile any-bud-in-any-case-side compliment, you can actually also put either bud in either ear with no issue. The Shokz will automatically detect which ear they’re in to deliver music.

Like most earbuds, the OpenDots One have touch controls: you can double- or triple-tap the connective band, double-pinch the spherical counterweight or pinch and hold, for four triggers in all (it doesn’t matter which side you use, both do the same). You can customize what each control does and I found each relatively easy to trigger (which isn’t saying much compared to the competition) though I did take a while to remember that single-tapping or single-pressing didn’t do anything: double or nothing!

Shokz has certified the OpenDots One at an IP54 rating, which means the buds are protected from dust and limited water splashes but not full immersion or even beams of water. Basically, don’t take them swimming.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots One review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Battery life is 10 hours, 40 hours with case
• App brings EQ but not that much else
• No connectivity problems in testing

If you thought it was time to start finding something to criticize the Shokz OpenDots One about, it’s not yet. The battery life is above average and you can even charge the case via wireless powering.

According to Shokz, the OpenDots last for 10 hours of listening on a single charge, and while I didn’t listen for that long in one burst, the power drain for the periods I did listen for suggests it’d hit that figure almost dead on. The charging case brings three extra charges, for a full listening total of 40 hours, which is better than lots of open-ear options on the market.

You won’t get noise cancelling here, though surprisingly some open earbuds do offer that (see the Honor Earbuds Open, although granted, they're not the cuff-style type). Throughout my testing period I had no connectivity issues to speak of.

(Image credit: Future)

As with any good headphone, there’s an app you can download to get extra features. In this case it’s just called Shokz, with the company using one platform for all its earbuds.

Perhaps the main reason to download the Shokz app, beyond customizing the touch controls, is for the equalizer it provides access to. There are four modes: Standard, Vocal, Bass and Private (designed to reduce audio bleed, although that basically just muffles your music), but you can also create a custom mode via a five-band equalizer.

A few other features available via the app include the ability to toggle wear detection, find your lost earbuds, customize multipoint pairing and enable Dolby Atmos (though toggling this just seemed to boost the treble when playing music). It’s not the biggest feature-set I’ve ever seen at earbuds at this price, but it offers everything you need or would expect.

• Features score: 4/5

Shokz OpenDots One review: Sound performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Two 11.8mm drivers per bud
• Decent sound, though lack of spacing
• Lots of bass

You’re totally right to assume that an open-ear headphone would sound poor, because that’s generally the case, but the Shokz OpenDots One buck the trend: they’re the rare case that sound good.

A highlight of the buds, which Shokz leans into in its marketing and promotion, is the bass. This is something oft lost by open-ears, but the OpenDots enjoy a well-defined lower-register, giving your music a meaty tone but without ever blowing it out with overwrought thumping or booming. I opted to listen in the bass enhancement mode when working out for that little extra kick, but you’ll enjoy loads of bass even if you don’t.

Unlike some super-bass earbuds, the treble still holds its head high, offering crisp and clear vocal lines and letting you hear the spacing between instruments a little. As sound gets towards the mids they do lose some detail and clarity, but you can still enjoy tunes beyond their bassline.

(Image credit: Future)

Fixing another open-ear problem, the OpenDots have a nice high max volume so they can fight against noisy traffic if you want to hear your tunes.

Shokz uses a lot of home-brewed tech in the OpenDots One. Highlights include Bassphere, which has the effect we’ve already discussed, and DirectPitch designed to stop sound leaking from the buds and everyone around you having to hear your embarrassing music choice.

These are some of the better open earbuds I've used for audio quality, and they compare to your average in-ear headphone, but it's important to be clear: audiophile-grade favorites shouldn't feel any heat from the Shokz.

• Sound performance score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots One review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

Despite not being that expensive in the grand scheme of things (and in a crowded market), it’s still worth considering the Shokz OpenDots One are some of the more premium open or clip-on earbuds out there, simply due to how cheap the rivals are.

With that in mind, the OpenDots have a lot to prove – but they largely succeed. They provide great sound and a flawless design and cost a hearty amount less than their big-name rivals.

Of course you’re paying for their quality with many other similar-form-factor options available for a fraction of the price, so if you want clip-ons and quality doesn’t matter, you can get better value for money with cheaper options. It's just a question of whether you should.

• Value score: 4/5

Shokz OpenDots One review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

They're solid earbuds which give you decent value for money, but you're paying for what you get.

4/5

Design

Lightweight, a reliable fit and a slender carry case: what's not to love?

4.5/5

Features

The battery life is good and the existing features are useful, though rivals offer more.

4/5

Sound

The sound may fall short of truly great, but it's very good, especially compared to other open earbuds.

4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots One: Should I buy?

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

You want a lightweight earbud

Banish the thought of having to work out with a large earbud; the Shokz OpenDots One are nice and small, and I could barely feel that I was wearing them while out and about.

You need a small charging case

I loved how the Shokz' small charging case could easily fit in my running shorts' pocket or a small compartment of my bag, with most open-ears having much larger cases.

You wear glasses

Sports-hook earbuds are hard to wear for glasses users due to their hook needing to go where your glasses are. Clip-ons are a great alternative as there's no issue.

Don't buy them if...

You want in-depth equalization

If you’re the kind of person who likes to spend ages tweaking the sound of their headphones, the Shokz’ five-band equalizer might not offer you the versatility you’re looking for.

You're a cyclist

I tried using the buds quite a bit while cycling and, more so than sports-loop buds, their design caught on my helmet's strap. I could see the buds being knocked out by said strap, so perhaps cyclists should avoid.

Also consider

Component

Shokz OpenDots One

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Huawei FreeClip

Water resistant

IP54

IPX4

IP54

Battery life

10 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total)

7.5 hours (earbuds), 27 hours (total)

8 hours (earbuds), 36 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

5.6g / Charging case: 52g

6g / Charging case: 43g

5.6g / Charging case: 44.5g

Driver

2x 11.8mm

12mm

10.8mm

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

These pricier clip-on options have some audio chops that the Shokz OpenDot One doesn’t. However the battery life is worse, the IP rating isn’t as high and, at least if you ask me, they don’t look as natural.

Read our full Bose Ultra Open review

Huawei FreeClip

Now a more affordable option: Huawei is a company I trust to make decent-sounding open earbuds due to past attempts, and the FreeClip use a slender-body bud to take up even less space on your ear. The battery life isn’t as good as the Shokz though.

How I tested

(Image credit: Future)

My testing period for the Shokz OpenDots One cover just over two weeks of use, which is our standard review period for headphones.

The buds were paired to an Android phone for the entirety of the testing. I used them at home at work and also on runs, at the gym and while cycling, and I also tried to use them while playing tennis like promotional images show but this felt incredibly rude to my fellow players.

I've been testing products for TechRadar since 2019 and this has included plenty of other workout headphones.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: August 2025

The Google Pixel Watch 4 has been revealed, and you can check out our first impressions along with the next crop of phones – Google Pixel 10, Google Pixel 10 Pro and Google Pixel 10 Fold – and the Google Pixel Buds 2a headphones.

While there are plenty of features to get excited about, including on-device Gemini, the gorgeous new 3,000-nit domed display, and the improved battery life, there's one feature I'm really happy about, especially due to its implications for the rest of the wearable technology industry. Of all the companies that were going to crack this feature first, I wouldn't have picked Google, yet here we are.

In a move towards longevity and sustainability, Google has introduced replaceable batteries and screens to its Pixel Watch series. The Google Pixel Watch 4's case can be unscrewed, allowing users to remove and replace parts. Google will sell the parts during the Pixel Watch 4's life cycle and up to two years after it's discontinued.

Fantastic (Pixel Watch) 4: First Steps

(Image credit: Google)

Google not only now offers smartwatch repair services for the Pixel Watch 4, but it's also enabled home repairs for the battery and display by partnering with iFixit just as it's done for phones. Despite the fact anyone with a Torx screwdriver and a bit of patience can replace the battery or display on the Watch 4, according to this WIRED report, it even manages to retain its waterproofing.

This is a first for Google, and really there's not much traction on ideas like this in the smartwatch industry as a whole. I've been reviewing smartwatches for years, and most mainstream watches – including those from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Garmin – are designed as sealed units. Once they croak (be it from a sudden crack or drop on concrete, or a gradual wearing down of the battery) they are designed to be thrown away and completely replaced.

In an age of consumption, Google's throwing a welcome bone to longevity here. Depending on the price of the replacement parts (which Google hasn't yet revealed) this initiative could save users money, as they're able to repair rather than replace their old tech.

In addition, it's also a very welcome prospect from an environmental perspective. E-waste is a growing problem, and one that other companies frequently pay lip service to. Apple does offer in-house watch services and repairs via its AppleCare+ scheme, but draws the line at home repairs. If you haven't shelled out for AppleCare, you'll have to pay a one-time fee and shop your watch in while Apple repairs it. Depending on the age of your watch, this fee and inconvenience could be enough to consider throwing it away and upgrading.

Apple made much about the carbon-neutral production of its latest couple of crops of smartwatches, even casting Octavia Spencer to play Mother Earth in a skit two years ago. But while Apple may be offsetting carbon from its production, it's still producing like crazy, churning out annual product releases and enormous volumes of units. It's hardly anti-consumption.

While all the lithium from Google's replacement batteries isn't exactly virtuous, a repairable device is a step in the right direction. You're not throwing away perfectly good electronics just because one part has failed: much like a PC or an older Android device, the Google Pixel Watch 4 can be taken apart and replaced. Perhaps one day, it could even be modded, installing a battery from the Pixel Watch 5 range if compatible. A great start to the scheme.

Future imperfect

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

It's not all sunshine and roses, however: the need to open up the back has resulted in a change for the Pixel Watch 4's charging port. Rather than opt for a magnetic or pin-based proprietary puck, like previous incarnations, this charging dock is positioned on the side of the device, allowing the Pebble design to stand up like a little alarm clock.

It's cute, and Google has definitely made the best of it with a rotating display and by positioning the digital crown straight upwards, like the snooze button on a real alarm clock. However, there's no doubt we'll see frustration in some corners about the third proprietary charger in as many years – and there's definitely a sense this is a waste of plastic.

For all its faults, Apple has at least stuck with the same charger for nigh-on a decade, so it can be used interchangeably with different watches. However, if Google is intending to keep its devices repairable, this might be the winning design and taken forward to use with next year's model – and there's no denying that the 'little alarm clock' idea feels like a winner.

A better tomorrow

Despite Google and its parent company Alphabet's energy-hungry lust for AI and its greediness for all our data, I'm pleased one of the major tech firms took a small step away from forcing us to buy more stuff we don't need, and instead taking us back to the days in which our watches, our phones, our computers and other essential technologies were repairable and lasted longer.

Here's hoping it's a massive success, encouraging more companies to adopt similar or even standardized, interchangeable replacements (hah, what a pipe dream!) creating a more ethical, sustainable wearables industry.

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• AI teams still favor Nvidia, but rivals like Google, AMD and Intel are growing their share
• Survey reveals budget limits, power demands, and cloud reliance are shaping AI hardware decisions
• GPU shortages push workloads to cloud while efficiency and testing remain overlooked

AI hardware spending is beginning to evolve as teams weigh performance, financial considerations, and scalability, new research has claimed.

Liquid Web’s latest AI hardware study surveyed 252 trained AI professionals, and found while Nvidia remains comfortably the most used hardware supplier, its rivals are increasingly gaining traction.

Nearly one third of respondents reported using alternatives such as Google TPUs, AMD GPUs, or Intel chips for at least some part of their workloads.

The pitfalls of skipping due diligence

The sample size is admittedly small, so does not capture the full scale of global adoption, but the results do show a clear shift in how teams are beginning to think about infrastructure.

A single team can deploy hundreds of GPUs, so even limited adoption of non-Nvidia options can make a big difference to the hardware footprint.

Nvidia is still preferred by over two-thirds (68%) of surveyed teams, and many buyers don’t rigorously compare alternatives before deciding.

About 28% of those surveyed admitted to skipping structured evaluations and in some cases, that lack of testing led to mismatched infrastructure and underpowered setups.

“Our research shows that skipping due diligence leads to delayed or canceled initiatives - a costly mistake in a fast-moving industry,” said Ryan MacDonald, CTO at Liquid Web.

Familiarity and past experience are among the strongest drivers of GPU choice. Forty three percent of participants cited those factors, compared with 35% who valued cost and 37% who went for performance testing.

Budget limitations also weigh heavily, with 42% scaling back projects and 14% canceling them entirely thanks to hardware shortages or costs.

Hybrid and cloud-based solutions are becoming standard. More than half of respondents said they use both on-premises and cloud systems, and many expect to increase cloud spending as the year goes on.

Dedicated GPU hosting is seen by some as a way of avoiding the performance losses that come with shared or fractionalized hardware.

Energy use continues to be challenging. While 45% recognized efficiency as important, only 13% actively optimized for it. Many also regretted power, cooling, and supply chain setbacks.

While Nvidia continues to dominate the market, it’s clear that the competition is closing the gap. Teams are finding that balancing cost, efficiency, and reliability is almost as important as raw performance when building AI infrastructure.

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• Intel Shared GPU memory benefits LLMs
• Expanded VRAM pools allow smoother execution of AI workloads
• Some games slow down when the memory expands

Intel has added a new capability to its Core Ultra systems which echoes an earlier move from AMD.

The feature, known as "Shared GPU Memory Override," allows users to allocate additional system RAM for use by integrated graphics.

This development is targeted at machines that rely on integrated solutions rather than discrete GPUs, a category that includes many compact laptops and mobile workstation models.

Memory allocation and gaming performance

Bob Duffy, who leads Graphics and AI Evangelism at Intel, confirmed the update and advised that the latest Intel Arc drivers are required to enable the function.

The change is presented as a way of enhancing system flexibility, particularly for users interested in AI tools and workloads that depend on memory availability.

The introduction of extra shared memory is not automatically a benefit for every application, as testing has shown that some games may load larger textures if more memory is available, which can actually cause performance to dip rather than improve.

AMD’s earlier "Variable Graphics Memory" was framed largely as a gaming enhancement, especially when combined with AFMF.

That combination allowed more game assets to be stored directly in memory, which sometimes produced measurable gains.

Although the impact was not universal, results varied depending on the software in question.

Intel’s adoption of a comparable system suggests it is keen to remain competitive, although skepticism remains over how broadly it will benefit everyday users.

While gamers may see mixed outcomes, those working with local models could stand to gain more from Intel’s approach.

Running large language models locally is becoming increasingly common, and these workloads are often limited by available memory.

By extending the pool of RAM available to integrated graphics, Intel is positioning its systems to handle larger models that would otherwise be constrained.

This may allow users to offload more of the model onto VRAM, reducing bottlenecks and improving stability when running AI tools.

For researchers and developers without access to a discrete GPU, this could offer a modest but useful improvement.

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• Criminals found using Skype to deliver images hiding malware
• Victims were mostly SMBs in the Middle East
• The malware is new, but seems to have distant relatives

Cybercriminals have been found using Skype messenger to deliver Remote Access Trojans (RAT) malware, compromising victim's computers and opening the doors for devastating stage-two attacks.

Cybersecurity researchers at Kaspersky recently uncovered a previously unseen malware variant called GodRAT being distributed via malicious screensaver files, disguised as financial documents.

Unusually, the miscreants were delivering the malware to their victims via Skype messenger until March 2025, when they pivoted to other channels.

GodRAT malware being spread

First off, the hackers would share fake financial data in an image file. By using steganography, they would hide shellcode in the files which, when activated, downloads the GodRAT malware from a third-party server.

The RAT harvests operating system details, local hostname, malware process name and process ID, the user account associated with the malware process, installed antivirus software, and the presence of a capture driver.

After that, GodRAT can receive additional plugins, depending on the initial information shared with the attackers. These plugins can be file explorers, or password stealers.

In some cases, the crooks used GodRAT to deploy AsyncRAT, a secondary implant that granted them prolonged, if not permanent, access.

“GodRAT appears to be an evolution of AwesomePuppet, which was reported by Kaspersky in 2023 and is likely linked to the Winnti APT. Its distribution methods, rare command-line parameters, code similarities with Gh0st RAT, and shared artifacts - such as a distinctive fingerprint header - suggest a common origin,” said Saurabh Sharma, Security Researcher at Kaspersky GReAT.

“The discovery of GodRAT demonstrates how such long-known tools can remain relevant in today’s cybersecurity landscape,”

Kaspersky did not discuss the number of victims, or potential success rate of the campaign, but it did stress that the victims were mostly small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in UAE, Hong Kong, Jordan, and Lebanon.

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