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• The Garmin Fenix 8 has just received a huge free update
• The upgrade includes Running Economy, a triathlon coach, and more
• It also adds a Smart Wake Alarm, which has been missing for a while

If you’ve got your eye on one of the best Garmin Watches, there’s no doubt that the Garmin Fenix 8 is an incredible choice. And despite being one of the best smartwatches around, the Fenix 8 isn’t resting on its laurels, as a new update has brought a significant array of changes and improvements to Garmin’s wearable.

The latest 17.28 software update has arrived, and with it comes a raft of new features. That includes one that arguably should have been present from the time the Fenix 8 was launched in August 2024.

The most notable addition could well be Running Economy. This analyzes your running technique, including stride length, pace and heart rate, plus a new feature called Step Speed Loss, which looks at how much velocity is lost with each footfall. That makes Running Economy a handy metric for understanding your running proficiency, although it does require a compatible heart rate monitor.

Elsewhere, Garmin has added several new features that can help runners and athletes across multiple disciplines. That includes the Garmin Triathlon Coach, Running Tolerance, Projected Race Time, Suggested Finish Line, and a lot more.

Features for free

(Image credit: Garmin)

When it comes to understanding your rest, recovery and sleep, the new Evening Report feature adds a new layer of analysis and insight to the Fenix 8. This report recaps your day and shows you anything that’s on the horizon for the immediate future, from workouts to calendar events.

There’s also a new Smart Wake Alarm, and this aims to rouse you from bed within a specific time window once you’re in a light sleep stage. Many rival smartwatches have this feature, and its long absence from the Fenix 8 has made it feel a touch behind the times. It’s something that this device really should have had from the get-go.

The Fenix 8 update is a massive one, but it’s also worth noting that it includes multisport workouts, custom focus modes, daily summary notifications in the Notification Center, and a whole lot more. The fact that it all arrives in a free software update makes it even more worthwhile.

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• Gemini could come to Android Auto with precise location access
• The update would make Gemini more useful on the road
• Changes to the look of the colors on Android Auto have also been spotted

We know that Gemini is heading to Android Auto in the near future, and when the rollout does finally get underway it would seem that the AI assistant will bring a useful upgrade with it: access to your vehicle's precise location.

This tweak was spotted by the team at 9to5Google, hidden in the code of the latest beta version of the Android Auto app, v15.1. It looks as though users will be able to choose whether or not to share exact location details in the Android Auto settings.

The obvious benefits of giving Gemini full access to your location are of course navigating from A to B, and finding out about nearby places – if you need to stop for gas, for example, or want to find the best coffee shop in an area.

You can use Google Maps on Android Auto for these tasks without Gemini, but if you do need voice control and maybe a bit of extra AI assistance, then Gemini is going to be most helpful if it knows exactly where you are at all times.

The changing of the colors

How the updated colors (right) will look on Android Auto (Image credit: Android Authority)

Gemini is replacing Google Assistant across all of Google's apps and devices, and based on some hints dropped by Google executives at the Pixel 10 launch event, the AI bot should reach Android Auto before the year is out.

We've already seen a preview of how Gemini might look on vehicle dashboards, and to a large extent the Gemini AI is going to work exactly the same as it does on your phone, only on a larger screen.

Meanwhile, the folks at Android Authority have spotted something else in the latest Android Auto code: a less vibrant color palette that's not quite as saturated, with a primary color pulled from the selected wallpaper.

It's possible that we'll get the Gemini update and the revised color theme options at the same time, but we're going to have to wait to see exactly how they fit in with the current interface – and as soon as Google officially starts the rollout, we'll let you know.

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Hurricane Katrina flooded nearly every building in St. Bernard Parish near New Orleans in 2005. Twenty years later, the community is still rebuilding and flood protections encouraged some to return.

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Wireless innovation has shaped our digital world. From Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to Z-Wave and Thread, we’ve watched protocols emerge to solve distinct connectivity problems. Now, a new technology is stepping in not to connect devices, but to give them spatial intelligence.

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is quietly transforming how devices understand and interact with their environment. It’s not as flashy as 5G or as familiar as Wi-Fi, but its impact on secure access, real-time location tracking, and automation is profound and increasingly relevant for businesses.

What Is Ultra-Wideband?

UWB is a short-range, low-power wireless protocol that transmits data through very short pulses over a wide frequency band, typically 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. Its defining feature is time-of-flight (ToF) measurement, enabling devices to calculate exact distance and direction between each other with centimeter-level accuracy.

Where Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can tell you a device is nearby, UWB can tell you exactly where it is, how far away, and which direction it’s moving in real time.

RTLS 2.0: Why UWB Is a Breakthrough

Having spent years building and enabling Wi-Fi and BLE solutions used in enterprise RTLS deployments, I’ve seen some of their limitations first-hand. These technologies suffer from environmental noise, RF interference, signal distortion from multipath effects, meter-level error margins, and degraded performance in dense or metallic environments.

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) solves these challenges by using precise time-of-flight (ToF) measurements rather than signal strength. This enables centimeter-level positioning accuracy (typically less than 30 cm), low-latency updates suitable for real-time automation, high reliability in cluttered or reflective environments, and energy efficiency suitable for mobile tags and long-duration deployments.

Why UWB Matters: Strategic Pilots Point to Real Business Impact

Across sectors, a growing number of businesses are no longer just testing UWB; they’re piloting solutions that point to long-term competitive advantage. In corporate campuses, UWB is enabling frictionless, intent-based access control that adapts to hybrid work models and improves security posture.

In healthcare, hospitals are trialing UWB for staff duress alerts, equipment tracking, and patient flow management, solving problems that legacy RTLS couldn’t address with precision. In manufacturing and logistics, early adopters like Siemens and Zebra are leveraging UWB not just for asset tracking but as a foundation for digital twins and automation triggers.

With enterprise infrastructure now supporting UWB through access points from Cisco and Juniper, businesses can deploy it as part of existing network upgrades. Emerging standards like Aliro, FiRa, and the Car Connectivity Consortium are reducing fragmentation, ensuring that today’s pilots evolve into interoperable, scalable deployments.

These pilots aren’t just proving technical feasibility; they’re defining how UWB will power the next generation of access, automation, and location-aware business systems. Today, UWB-based RTLS solutions are being actively adopted in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare environments by companies like Siemens and Zebra.

These systems provide real-time visibility into the location and movement of assets, materials, and personnel, enabling use cases such as digital twins, workflow optimization, inventory accuracy, and safety enforcement. In hospitals, UWB helps track medical equipment, monitor patient flow, and ensure staff safety. The shift from pilot programs to operational deployments underscores UWB’s growing maturity and proven value across industries.

Enterprise Access Points Now Shipping with UWB

Enterprise vendors like Cisco and Juniper have already integrated UWB radios into their commercial access points, enabling high-accuracy indoor location services for asset tracking, automation, and spatial intelligence. These platforms combine high-speed connectivity via Wi-Fi, basic proximity awareness via BLE, and precise spatial awareness via UWB.

This marks a significant shift toward unified enterprise infrastructure that supports both connectivity and advanced location-aware services.

UWB in the Smart Home: Invisible but Powerful

UWB brings the same benefits to smart homes that it’s bringing to factories and offices:

Hands-free presence detection: Lights turn on as you walk in. Doors unlock as you approach from the outside only. Devices respond based on where you are in the room.

Intent-based automation: UWB goes beyond occupancy; it understands movement, direction, and identity.

Secure, frictionless access: No need to pull out a phone or tap a card. UWB verifies your presence and position securely and invisibly.

The Ultra-Wideband (UWB) ecosystem is being shaped by major industry initiatives focused on interoperability, security, and widespread adoption across homes, vehicles, and commercial spaces. Aliro, part of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, is set to launch in 2025, defining secure and interoperable UWB access control for residential, hospitality, and commercial environments, integrating with Matter and other smart home protocols.

The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) has developed a Digital Key specification, adopted by automakers like BMW and Hyundai, enabling UWB-based passive vehicle entry and digital key sharing, which is now influencing smart lock and property access solutions.

Meanwhile, the FiRa Consortium develops technical standards and certification programs to ensure UWB remains reliable, secure, and interoperable across access, automation, and tracking applications. FiRa supports both CCC and Aliro profiles under its testing and certification umbrella. Together, these efforts are transforming UWB into a trusted, scalable platform, moving beyond vendor-specific solutions.

At CES 2025, UWB-powered smart locks from brands like Ultraloq and Schlage showcased hands-free auto-unlocking, demonstrating the practical impact of these standards in real-world applications. By aligning technical specifications and fostering ecosystem-wide compatibility, Aliro, CCC, and FiRa are accelerating UWB’s role in smart environments, from homes and cars to commercial spaces, ensuring seamless and secure user experiences.

How UWB Complements, Not Replaces, Other Wireless Protocols

UWB doesn’t compete with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; it complements them. Each protocol plays a different role in the connected environment:

Wi-Fi provides high-bandwidth data connectivity, and UWB adds precise indoor positioning to the same access point.

Bluetooth (BLE) excels in device pairing and basic proximity with low power and ubiquity, while UWB provides centimeter-level ranging and directionality.

Thread/Z-Wave supports low-power mesh networking, great for automation, and UWB enables intent-based triggers and presence awareness.

NFC provides secure, intentional tap-based access; UWB enables the same level of security passively and hands-free.

The future is multi-protocol. UWB will often be embedded alongside BLE and Wi-Fi, silently enhancing the intelligence of connected experiences.

Why Consumers Won’t Ask for UWB - And That’s OK

UWB isn’t a protocol users will connect to or configure. It’s not trying to be the next Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Instead, it operates invisibly, delivering context, precision, and automation without user intervention.

We already see this with Apple’s AirTag, which uses Bluetooth for wide-area discovery and UWB for pinpoint precision when the user is nearby. That moment when your iPhone tells you to “turn left” or “go five feet forward” to find your keys? That’s UWB at work, providing directional awareness far beyond what Bluetooth can offer on its own.

Similar features are emerging in Samsung’s SmartTag+ and Google’s Find My Device network, leveraging UWB for object finding, room-level location, and even AR guidance. Yet the average user may not have any idea what UWB is, nor do they need to.

In fact, UWB is already embedded in hundreds of millions of smartphones and tracking tags, from iPhones and Pixel devices to select Galaxy models. Consumers benefit from its capabilities every day, without ever needing to know the acronym.

That’s UWB’s strength: It works quietly in the background, making environments more responsive, secure, and aware, without requiring attention, setup, or even awareness. Think:

- Smart locks that unlock as you approach

- Cars that know it’s you before you touch the door

- Lights that follow your movement room to room

- Devices that guide you to lost items with directional arrows

UWB may never become a consumer buzzword, and that’s exactly how it was designed to succeed.

The Bottom Line

UWB is the missing spatial layer in our increasingly intelligent environments. It delivers the precision and context that AI, automation, and access control systems require, but without asking users to do anything differently.

Whether you’re designing smart homes, connected cars, secure campuses, or dynamic retail spaces, UWB won’t be the feature customers ask for. But it will be the reason everything works better.

For forward-looking businesses UWB isn’t optional–It’s foundational.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

As millions of people engage with LLMs, experts are voicing growing concerns that AI tools could provide harmful​ mental health advice.

Artificial intelligence has become a back-office powerhouse and essential resource for sifting through data, optimizing processes, and automating the repetitive. But as AI tools become more accessible, they are no longer just crunching numbers behind the scenes. Executives are increasingly turning to these platforms as a trusted advisor for providing strategic insight and informing business decisions.

Our recent survey found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of executives trust AI’s input over that of friends or colleagues. Even more striking, 44% said they would allow generative AI to override a decision they had already planned to make. These findings mark a profound shift in how leadership decisions are made.

Traditionally, executives have relied on a blend of data, gut instinct, and conversations with trusted advisors. Now, AI is earning a spot in the inner circle, signaling a fundamental redefinition of how leaders pair human insight with machine intelligence to drive better outcomes.

AI as Strategic Co-Pilot

As companies prepare for an AI-focused future, business operations are being rewritten. Companies in every industry are looking for ways to incorporate AI that can help them build even the smallest competitive advantage. As a result, AI is taking on a new role as the C-suite’s strategic copilot, handling tasks like data analysis and recommendations (52%), uncovering hidden risks (48%) and presenting alternate strategic paths (47%).

AI is helping leaders go deeper—to challenge assumptions, test new scenarios, and make more informed decisions about how their business operates. But even in everyday life, AI is finding valuable and exciting uses, with some guardrails.

I’ve used it to help plan family vacations and generate personalized bedtime stories for my children. While it struggles to manage complex scheduling (and the nuances of how I manage my calendar), AI has transformed how I approach and solve many problems, offering a helpful sounding board for tasks in both my personal and professional life.

SAP CEO Christian Klein recently shared that he uses generative AI to preview quarterly earnings results and better understand company performance.

AI’s influence extends to other roles in the C-suite as well, from automated anomaly detection in financial transactions for CFOs, to streamlining contract reviews and generation of new contracts for CPOs, to COOs needing to evaluate capacity planning and manage variability in market demand.

And, of course, there is always the most common use case of all – summarizing complex documents and topics, and generating subsequent action items.

We’re far from alone. More leaders are beginning to incorporate AI into the highest levels of planning and forecasting.

Critical Thinking and the Human Touch

As AI’s influence in the boardroom grows, so does the trust leaders place in it. Part of this stems from AI’s growing ability to analyze massive volumes of data and provide contextually rich insights. In some situations, AI is usurping the guidance of near and dear advisors as previously mentioned. A trusted colleague might offer valuable perspective, but they haven’t parsed two billion data points before weighing in.

Still, there are limits. While executives should continue to use AI to help with business matters, there’s a risk that critical thinking will be lost rather than enhanced as a result. True strategic decision-making will always require a human touch—which AI can't replicate.

Going forward, executives must strike a careful balance, keeping people involved to help make complicated and high-value strategic decisions, while using AI to enhance their thinking, not replace it.

Building a Foundation for Strategic AI Use

Such heightened reliance on AI will also force organizations to grapple with foundational challenges. The reality is that many companies still lack the reliable data infrastructure needed to support high-trust AI use. Lack of alignment between IT and business teams, patchy system integration and concerns about data quality all threaten to undermine the effectiveness of AI as a strategic advisor.

Companies must establish clear guardrails, like those below, to ensure these tools are used reliably and responsibly, balancing speed and scale with transparency and human input.

• Develop AI literacy across leadership through dedicated training and upskilling programs.
• Prioritize transparency by using platforms that can explain their reasoning in clear, understandable terms.
• Define boundaries for where and how AI should influence decision-making, particularly in ethically sensitive or high-risk areas.

Co-Creation: The Future of Leadership

As AI becomes a true collaborator in the boardroom, the goal isn’t to hand over control. It’s to elevate leadership. In this new era, great leaders won’t always have the right answer, but they will know when and how to ask the right questions—and where to turn for the best insights.

Going forward, we see leadership evolving from command-and-control to co-creation. Those who thrive will be the ones who understand how to blend human experience, emotional intelligence, and machine-derived insight into a cohesive and future-first strategy.

With AI as a loyal advisor, the possibilities for transformative leadership are just beginning.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Australian leader Anthony Albanese accused Iran of organizing two antisemitic attacks in Australia, saying the country would cut off diplomatic relations with Tehran. Iran had no immediate reaction.

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When Target decided to enter the Canadian market in 2013, it envisioned a rapid rollout of over 100 stores within two years, supported by a highly automated and sophisticated supply chain system. The strategy looked promising on paper, but the execution was rushed, and the technology behind inventory management and distribution was not properly tested or adapted to the new market.

Stores opened with empty shelves despite warehouses being full of stock, due to systemic data and process errors. The technology-driven supply chain was too rigid and failed to handle the operational realities of a new market and diverse product ranges. Within two years, Target Canada posted losses of over $2 billion and eventually shut down all its stores—a cautionary tale of prioritizing aggressive technology-led execution over a solid, adaptable strategy.

It often seems that organizations are too interested in the new high-tech gear, rather than the root of operations, asking themselves: cloud first? Cyber first? It can be easy to get carried away with the new features and functionalities of a shiny new AI or automation tool.

Without a clear understanding of the underlying problem, even advanced tools become ineffective, leading to wasted investments, poor adoption, and unmet expectations. Businesses need to step back, rethink purchasing decisions, define their wants and, understand the benefits of implementing such tools before making any hefty decisions that will end in a costly write off.

Think value, not hype

Out of all the heralded technology innovations in the last few years, AI has taken the spotlight. Generative tools, such as ChatGPT, have offered instant access to useful information, provided time-saving efficiencies for employees, and allowed tasks to be streamlined. However, this is only the case for companies that use generative AI tools regularly and in the right places.

A survey in 2024 found that only 2% of British respondents actually used generative AI tools on a daily basis - a contrast to the vast number of businesses that are signing up to use this technology. Organizations need to remember that technology without a purpose is a wasted cost that adds to the increasing financial pressures that many businesses are already feeling.

AI hasn’t been the only trend embraced in the last few years. The cloud is a further case in point where the problem-solving capability of the solution often hasn’t been considered. Initially, it is seen as a way to reduce costs though many organizations have been surprised by spiraling costs and integration headaches.

So, rather than following the mindset of ‘cloud-first’, the question should be: “Does cloud benefit my strategy?” Maybe only certain workflows benefit from moving to the cloud or, potentially, the service needs to be used just on certain days. Using the technology selectively and scaling down when it is not required, is part of the strategy that needs to be established to ensure that an organization stays cost-efficient, ensuring real value is gained.

Stakeholders are your best friends

How do businesses pivot to an outcomes-focused strategy? Too often, isolated departments and IT teams deploy technologies based on tech-first mandates with little input from those who will actually use them day-to-day. A shift in perspective is critically important. Organizations should engage key stakeholders closest to the pain points early in the process, allowing their insights to shape the strategy and identify effective, problem-solving tools.

There is a common misconception that successfully transforming an organization's IT infrastructure means rushing into expensive deployments and buying the latest technology or chasing the newest trend cycle. However, just a more selective approach to automation and AI can extend the value of existing infrastructure to suit organizational goals.

From shiny tech to strategic outcomes

It’s easy to be mesmerized by digital transformations or to believe that what your organization is missing is AI automation. But success will rarely start with the tool.

A great deal can be learnt from Target: involve end users in planning stages and don’t be fooled by the hype. Remember, problem first, product second.

Outcomes need to be placed at the heart of every business strategy that way organizations can unlock far more value from the tools they already have, while making smarter, more deliberate decisions about what to adopt next. This might mean refining the use of cloud services or using automation to achieve efficiencies in areas where it makes a measurable difference

Starting with the obstacle and not the tech ensures that the outcome is a more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable approach to digital transformation.

Tech is just the tool. Strategy is the solution.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro