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Cybernews researchers have uncovered a colossal data leak believed to be related to People Data Labs (PDL), a San Francisco-based data broker, containing over 170 million records.

Breached data includes sensitive information like full names, phone numbers, emails, location, skills, professional summaries, education history and employment history, putting those affected at risk of identity theft.

An unprotected Elasticsearch server has been identified as being responsible for the leak, discovered by the team on June 25, indicating that a third party may have been responsible for managing PDL’s data.

PDL data leak includes 170 million records

Although an unknown threat actor is likely responsible for leaking the data, Cybernews has highlighted the poorly protected Elasticsearch server as a key vulnerability.

The team summarized: “The existence of data brokers is already a controversial issue, as they often have insufficient checks and controls to ensure that data doesn’t get sold to the wrong parties.”

If the leak does indeed pertain to PDL, it won’t be the first time the company has been associated with a leak. In October 2019, it was revealed that more than a billion records from the company’s databases were exposed online, believed to have affected 622 million individuals. At the time, PDL said that it wasn’t responsible for the leak.

Cybernews continued: “If this is a new leak, and not processed and enriched data from the 2019 leak by a third party, such an incident would show a high level of ignorance from the company regarding personal data security.”

Those who suspect they may have been affected together with anybody who has received any suspicious emails, or simply those wanting to maintain the highest levels of digital hygiene, should change their passwords regularly and use a trusted password manager, enable two-factor authentication and monitor their accounts.

TechRadar Pro has contacted People Data Labs to confirm its association with this leak, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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Tesla is looking to replace the widely-used Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) with its own offering.

The company says Tesla Transport Protocol over Ethernet (TTPoE) is designed to support high-speed, low-latency communication, especially in environments where reliable data transfer is essential. 

TTPoE, integral to Tesla’s DOJO supercomputer, is optimized for the specific demands of Tesla’s systems, but Elon Musk’s firm is promoting it as a potential new standard for broader use beyond its own operations.

UltraEthernet Consortium

TTPoE is executed entirely in hardware and aids efficient data transmission across Ethernet networks without requiring special switches, instead using standard Layer 2 transport. Unlike lossless RDMA networks, TTPoE anticipates packet loss and includes mechanisms to retry transmissions, making it distinct from traditional protocols like TCP or UDP.

TTPoE offers enhanced security features, such as encryption and authentication, to protect data integrity. This makes it particularly useful in automotive and industrial applications where managing large data sets securely and efficiently is essential.

The protocol also supports scalability, allowing it to meet the growing data demands of modern electric vehicles, including those needed for autonomous driving and over-the-air updates.

The latest information about TTPoE comes from ServeTheHome, which reported on Tesla’s presentation at the Hot Chips 2024 symposium in Stanford, California. Tesla shared details about TTPoE’s architecture and suggested that TTPoE could offer lower one-way write latency over switches, including NVLink. It also announced its participation in the UltraEthernet Consortium (UEC).

You can view some of the slides Tesla shared over at ServeTheHome. The site’s Patrick Kennedy noted, “This is one of those interesting talks, but at some point it would be cool if this was used beyond just DOJO. It feels like a lot of lifting to do making custom NICs, custom protocols, and so forth for a system and not trying to benefit from economies of scale. It was cool to see that Tesla is bringing this to the UltraEthernet Consortium.”

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Meta Connect 2024 is fast approaching, and one of the announcements we’ll almost certainly get on September 25 will be for the Meta Quest 3S. We not only saw a batch of details from regular leakers, Meta itself leaked the headset’s existence twice in recent months, and now FCC and Dekra certifications have further cemented the idea that we’ll see a new VR device soon.

Dekra is an independent product certification company, while the FCC is the United States Government's Federal Communications Commission, and it’s normal for both to check out and certify tech before it’s released to the public. 

91Mobiles has shared details of certifications from each awarded to a new Meta device named ‘P97’ – with Dekra’s document adding that it’s a VR headset.

Even if P97 is somehow a previously unheard-of Meta gadget, given the company’s usual announcement cycle – which involves revealing and releasing new hardware at its annual Meta Connect showcase in late September/early October – these details seemingly confirm we’ll see something on September 25. So if you planned to finally buy a VR headset you might want to wait a little longer to see what Meta showcases.

The VR headset you've been waiting for

(Image credit: Meta)

It’s easy to get hyped for high-end hardware – which is why you might be sad to see reports of the Meta Quest Pro 2’s cancellation, and then happy to hear separate leaks that the Quest Pro 2 has maybe instead morphed into a very different kind of headset – but for me the Quest 3S announcement has me super excited.

I love the Meta Quest 3 – if I didn’t think it was fantastic I wouldn’t have awarded it five stars in our Meta Quest 3 review – but while it’s great value for money it is still a lot pricier than its predecessor the Meta Quest 2, costing $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99 instead of the earlier version's $299 / £299 / AU$479 at launch.

Rumors suggest the Meta Quest 3S will more closely match the Quest 2’s price, while still packing essential Quest 3 specs like its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset. If these reports are correct then the next-gen VR and MR experiences the Quest 3 offers – like the exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow game launching later this year – could be a lot more accessible than they have been. 

And more people being able to afford great VR experiences is never a bad thing in my book.

Obviously we’ll have to wait and see what Meta announces – if anything at all. While I’m feeling confident something’s on its way there’s always a chance the leaks have it wrong and the Quest 3S is a myth. I seriously hope it isn’t but we won’t know for sure until September 25. 

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Cybersecurity researchers from Securonix discovered a new threat campaign that included phishing, DLL sideloading, and Cobalt Strike beacons, all using Tencent’s infrastructure, and targeting Chinese entities. Tencent is the largest and most popular cloud service provider in China.

Apparently, the group (which has not been identified and doesn’t seem to resemble any known organization) was sending out phishing emails with attachments discussing “personnel lists” and “people who violated remote control software regulations”.

Given the topics of the phishing files, Securonix speculates that the attackers might have been targeting the government sector, or “specific Chinese related businesses”, since these “would employ individuals who follow ‘remote control software regulations’”.

SLOW#TEMPEST

Among the distributed files were UI.exe, and dui70.dll. The executable file is actually LicensingUI.exe - a legitimate tool that displays information about software licenses and activation. The .DLL file, on the other hand, is an old and vulnerable dynamic link library file that, through sideloading, allows the crook to deploy Cobalt Strike.

"The legitimate file is designed to import several legitimate DLL files, one of which is dui70.dll and should normally reside in C:\Windows\System32. However, thanks to a DLL path traversal vulnerability, any DLL containing the same name can be sideloaded upon the execution of the renamed UI.exe by the LNK file," the researchers said.

Cobalt Strike is a cybersecurity tool used for simulating advanced persistent threats (APTs) in penetration testing, but it is also exploited by malicious actors for command and control operations. In this scenario, it was used to deliver all kinds of malware, including a port forwarding tool, a network reconnaissance tool, a scanner used in red teaming, and many more.

All IP addresses used in the attack were hosted at Tencent, China’s #1 cloud service provider, the researchers added. Furthermore, since the attackers were lurking for more than two weeks before making any moves, the researchers dubbed the attack SLOW#TEMPEST.

Via The Register

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Windows 11 has finally done it and managed to overtake Windows 10 when it comes to market share with PC gamers.

As you might have guessed, this is the Steam Hardware Survey which is conducted every month and is a snapshot of the configurations of the various gaming PCs used on Valve’s platform.

The figures for August 2024 show that Windows 11 has gained 3.36% of Steam users, so now it has a total of 49.17%.

Windows 10 dropped by a proportionate amount, dipping by 3.07% to finish on 47.09% for the month – so there are now over 2% more gamers on Windows 11, than on its predecessor.

Other Windows versions are basically negligible on Steam, with Windows 7 being the only OS worth mentioning, but even that only has 0.37% adoption. Outside of Windows, Linux holds a 1.92% share of gamers, and macOS accounts for 1.3%.

Windows 11 represented 46.63% of gamers on Steam in June, and 47.45% in July, and was increasing in jumps of a percentage point, or half a percent or so, in recent times – so this is a pretty big growth spurt for August.

(Image credit: Microsoft / Valve) Analysis: Sudden surge

We weren’t expecting Windows 11 to outgun Windows 10 quite so quickly, in short. Is there any particular reason for the sudden surge? None that springs to mind, though it could just be that the need to move from Windows 10 is feeling a bit more pressing now there’s not much more than a year left before the older operating system reaches its End of Life (in October 2025).

If you look solely at Windows versions on Steam, Windows 11 now holds just a touch over 50% of that market now.

Sadly for Microsoft, this progress isn’t remotely reflected outside of the world of gaming. For overall users, according to Statcounter, Windows 11 is on 31.6% for August, compared to 64.1% for Windows 10, so the latter still has double the headcount of the former – it’s not even close.

Microsoft will be hoping that overall picture changes radically over the next year, that’s for sure – and AI will be a big part of that drive, wrapped up with Copilot+ PCs which are predicted to do big things in terms of shifting units.

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I don't know about you, dear reader but I can't quite believe the fact that there are (at the time of writing) four months left of 2024. Still, as we wave goodbye to summer – or winter, for those in the southern hemisphere – there's one thing we can all look forward to: plenty of not only potentially great new shows, but also returning favorites.

With that in mind, I've compiled a list of the 14 TV series I can't wait to see between now and December 31 on the world's best streaming services. With multiple genres catered for, I think one or more of the below recommendations will make it onto your 'to watch' list, too. So, let's waste no more time: here are my most anticipated shows (ones that were announced prior to this article's creation, anyway) to stream in late 2024 on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more.

Slow Horses season 4 (Apple TV Plus)

Release date: September 4

I saw a tweet – are we still calling them that? – from someone recently that suggested this Apple TV Plus show would be a colossal hit if it held a primetime slot on, say, UK terrestrial channel BBC One. And, frankly, it's difficult not to agree with that sentiment. Slow Horses is arguably the most underrated Apple TV Original, with the Gary Oldman-led spy thriller series earning praise and award nominations aplenty from critics and its loyal fanbase alike.

With Slow Horses season 4's imminent release galloping over the horizon, then, now's as good a time as any to binge watch one of the best Apple TV Plus shows' first three seasons, each with just six episodes apiece, ahead of its return. Capisce?

Slow Horses season 4 episode 1 debuts on launch day. New episodes air weekly until October 9.

Agatha All Along (Disney Plus)

Release date: September 18 (US); September 19 (UK and Australia)

Debuting just two weeks before the most haunting month of the year arrives, Agatha All Along will be Marvel's final live-action TV series of 2024. But, with the Kathryn Hahn-fronted WandaVision spin-off reuniting us with fan-favorite character Agatha Harkness for what's expected to be one of the MCU's most spooky projects yet, I'm cautiously optimistic about its chances of casting a spell on, well, everyone.

So, what's it about? The Marvel Phase 5 series will see Harkness create her own coven of dark magic misfits to embark on a quest down The Witches' Road, a dangerous and terrifying realm that grants wishes to anyone who successfully navigates it. Here's hoping it's good – oh, and remember, it was Agatha all aloooooong!

Agatha All Along launches with a two-episode premiere. New episodes air weekly until November 6.

The Penguin (Max)

Release date: September 19 (US); September 20 (UK and Australia)

The sequel to the 2022 smash hit The Batman is still a few years away, but this TV spin-off will aim to fill the crime thriller-shaped hole in my life and yours very soon. Colin Farrell reprises his role from the aforementioned Batman flick as Oz Cobb, one of numerous crime bosses who'll vie for a greater slice of the underworld pie following Gotham's criminal kingpin Carmine Falcone's death in The Batman. The biggest obstacle standing in Cobb's way? Carmine's menacing daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti), who's out to prove Gotham's new criminal mastermind doesn't need to be a man.

A darker and more mature offering than its movie forebear, The Penguin looks set to be the next HBO TV Original that'll waddle its way onto our best Max shows list (NB: it'll air on Sky/Now TV in the UK, and Binge in Australia). I, for one, can't wait to see Farrell deliver another commanding acting performance that'll surely earn him more a few award nominations on next year's circuit.

The Penguin's first episode arrives on release day. New episodes air weekly until the miniseries' finale on November 10 (US) and November 11 (UK and Australia).

The Legend of Vox Machina season 3 (Prime Video)

Release date: October 3

It's been over 18 months since The Legend of Vox Machina last graced out screens, but Prime Video's R-rated animated adaptation of Critical Role's beloved Dungeons and Dragons series is ready to return with its eagerly anticipated third installment. Indeed, we'll be reunited with the titular gang's eccentric ensemble in early October, with Vox Machina still searching for a way to defeat the Chroma Conclave – aka a group of fearsome dragons who threaten Tal'Dorei's entire existence. 

I'm a big fan of Amazon's adult animation line-up, which counts Invincible, Hazbin Hotel, and Undone among its number. So, it'll come as no surprise to learn that one of the best Prime Video shows is among the programs I'm looking forward to seeing before the year ends.

The Legend of Vox Machina arrives with a three-episode premiere. New episodes will be released in three batches of three until October 24.

Heartstopper season 3 (Netflix)

Release date: October 3

Heartstopper, Netflix's hugely popular coming-of-age rom-com drama, returns for its third season in early October, and I suspect there are millions worldwide who are desperate to see what Nick, Charlie, and the rest of the gang get up to this season.

Understandably, Netflix is playing it coy over the plot of its hit show's third entry, but it has teased that Nick and Charlie will navigate even more high-school romance-based challenges. With the pair starting to look to their higher education future, too, Heartstopper season 3 could be the funniest, most dramatic, and tear-jerking installment yet. Have a tissue or 20 handy, folks.

Heartstopper season 3 will release in full on launch day.

Disclaimer (Apple TV Plus)

Release date: October 11

Based on Renee Knight's novel of the same name, this Apple TV Plus project has all the ingredients to be another acclaimed Apple series that bafflingly passes most people by. 

A terrifically talented leading lady in Cate Blanchett? Check? One of the best directors of the modern age in Alfonso Cuaron? Double check. A pulsating psychological thriller plot – one centered around Blanchett's veteran war correspondent who bizarrely finds out she's become the protagonist of a fictional story – that promises to leave audiences guessing week to week? Triple check. I'd love to see Disclaimer break into the mainstream like Presumed Innocent did earlier this year, and it has every chance of doing so with the talent attached to it.

Disclaimer will debut with a two-episode premiere. New episodes air weekly until November 15.

Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 (Netflix)

Release date: November 15

It won't be much longer until Cobra Kai closes the doors of its dojo for the final time, but at least we've got two more batches of episodes to look forward to until it does. The next lot of those will swan kick their way onto Netflix in mid-November, with Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 delivering five more entries for fans (myself included) to be captivated by.

Unsurprisingly, season 6's sophomore volume will pick up directly after its predecessor, with the Miyagi-Do team arriving in Barcelona to compete in the Sekai Taikai. Expect punches to be thrown, tears to be shed, and plenty of comical and dramatic moments to play out as the tension is ratcheted up in season 6 part 2. Make sure you enjoy what's on offer, too, because season 6 part 3 won't arrive until sometime in 2025. It's going to be a long wait, my fellow students.

Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 will launch in full on release day.

Arcane season 2 (Netflix)

Release date: sometime in November

Anyone who's frequented these parts since November 2021 will know how much I love Arcane. I'm not a League of Legends devotee – sorry, LoL fans and Riot Games, it's just a game franchise that passed me by – but I'll watch the game series' animated TV projects for as long as they're pumped out.

In the least surprising news of the year, then, you don't need me to tell you that I'm super excited for Arcane season 2. It's been a long, long, loooong time since one of the best Netflix shows made its debut, but the excruciating three-year wait for its second and final season will be over soon. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that we finally, finally get a confirmed release date at Netflix Geeked Week 2024 in mid-September. I wouldn't turn my nose up at an announcement or two about the follow-up series that'll replace it, too, Riot.

Arcane season 2's release schedule hasn't been revealed yet, but expect it to be released in three parts like season 1.

Dune: Prophecy (Max)

Release date: sometime in November

I'm going to warn you up top: this Dune TV series won't feature Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides. So, if you were going to tune in with the hope of seeing the A-lister, reset your expectations accordingly. That doesn't mean Dune: Prophecy won't be worth tuning into, however. The sci-fi drama, which is set 10,000 years before Atreides' journey begins in Dune, will chart the rise of the Bene Gesserit, the covert, all-female organization that sets events in motion surrounding the successors of the Padishah Emperor. 

Like Arcane, this prequel show doesn't have an official launch date yet, but it's certainly giving me Game of Thrones and Shogun vibes with its inter- and intra-familial melodrama, bloody violence, and other R-rated material. It'll join The Penguin in launching on Sky/Now TV in the UK and Binge in Australia, by the way.

Dune: Prophecy's release schedule hasn't been unveiled, but this HBO TV Original's episodes will likely launch one per week.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney Plus)

Release date: December 3 (US); December 4 (UK and Australia)

Star Wars: The Acolyte disappointed a lot of people earlier this year – and, with Andor season 2, which is my most anticipated Star Wars series, not due out until early 2025, this "Goonies in space" TV show will look to get Lucasfilm's iconic franchise back on track on the small screen. 

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew stars Jude Law as an enigmatic rogue-cum-Force wielder who, after a chance encounter, is charged with helping four kids navigate their way home. Given the vastness of that infamous galaxy far, far away, it'll take the quintet a while to reach their destination, not least because of the threats that lurk in the depths of space.

Skeleton Crew is one of two new Disney Plus shows that'll make their grand entrance this festive season, so Disney will hope its primary streamer will win the holiday streaming wars. Until it's released, though, the jury is out on whether Skeleton Crew will join our best Disney Plus shows list.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will arrive with two episodes on launch day. New entries will debut weekly.

Win or Lose (Disney Plus)

Release date: December 6

The second of Disney Plus' new kid-friendly series in December, Win or Lose, will bring Pixar's signature (and reborn) big-screen magic to TV screens worldwide for the very first time. Set in the hours and/or days before a high-school championship softball game, Win or Lose's joker in the pack lies in its approach to its lead character – or, rather, lead characters. Indeed, each of the eight-part series' installments will focus on a different softball team member, ranging from the Will Forte-voiced coach and a lovesick umpire, to its insecure players and overprotective parents.

Win or Lose's first trailer makes it look like a cross between Pixar's best high-school-set movies in Inside Out and Turning Red. If it can embody the best parts of that duo, I'm sure Pixar's first TV venture will be an *ahem* home run.

Win or Lose's release schedule is yet to be determined, so it's unclear if it'll debut in full on release day or receive a weekly episodic timetable.

Secret Level (Prime Video)

Release date: December 10

Not content with giving us one terrific anthology TV show in Netflix's Love, Death, and Robots, Tim Miller and his production company Blur Studios will present us with a new series, one inspired by some of the world's best videogame franchises, called Secret Level.

Each episode will tell standalone, non-canon stories in a variety of gaming universes, such as God of War, Pac-Man, and Unreal Tournament, that'll aim to thrill long time fans of these game series, as well as newcomers looking for something fun to stream – and, maybe, get them hooked on said game franchises, too. If Secret Level proves to be a success, I'll be very interested in seeing Blur's take on other iconic gaming franchises (as long as they can get the rights to tell stories in these worlds, that is).

Secret Level's release schedule is currently unknown, but I imagine all 15 episodes will arrive on release day.

Squid Game season 2 (Netflix)

Release date: December 26

Disney may win the fight when its comes to family-friendly content this Christmas but, let's be honest, there's only one show that the world will be tuning into in the final week of the year: Squid Game season 2. Netflix's most successful TV Original is set to dominate online discussions once more when it returns for its sophomore season, and I'm already looking ahead of streaming it with a leftover turkey dinner sandwich in one hand and an ice-cold beer in the other.

Lee Jung-jae reprises his role as Squid Game protagonist Gi-hun, who's gunning for the titular games' creators after his remarkable but traumatizing victory in the hit show's first outing. Between you and me, he might not be successful in putting an end to the life-threatening gameshow, either. Indeed, with Squid Game season 3 already confirmed for a 2025 launch, I imagine Netflix will hold back Gi-hun's real victory until the series' final entry.

Squid Game season 2 is expected to launch in full on December 26.

Creature Commandos (Max)

Release date: sometime in December

2025's Superman movie is being viewed as the "true" beginning of James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC Cinematic Universe (DCU), but it won't mark the franchise's official starting point. That'll come with Creature Commandos, which is technically the DCU's first project as it's set to be released on Max in December.

So, what's the adult-animated DCU Chapter One TV series about? Essentially, Creature Commandos will see a gang of superpowered, monstrous miscreants embark on a secret mission to tackle a villain more powerful than any of them. Gunn has made a habit of turning lesser-known superheroes and villains into household names, so I expect this cross between The Suicide Squad's anti-hero roster and themes, and Guardians of the Galaxy's dysfunctional found family vibes to perform admirably enough.

Creature Commandos' release schedule hasn't been revealed, but I believe all seven episodes will drop on release day. There's no word on whether it'll launch in the UK and Australia in December yet, either.

For more TV-based coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu shows, best Paramount Plus shows, and best Netflix documentaries.

Exclusive Reuters reporting reveals potential upcoming cost-saving measures likely to be put forward by Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to the company’s board of directors later this month.

Citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter, Intel plans to set free unnecessary businesses and revamp capital spending in order to address ongoing finance concerns.

The California chipmaker recently posted quarterly revenue of $12.8 billion, down 1% year-on-year, while simultaneously predicting similar next-quarter income of $12.5 billion to $13.5 billion.

Intel could be doing some more cost-cutting

Gelsinger expressed concern about the company’s Q2 results: “Our Q2 financial performance was disappointing, even as we hit key product and process technology milestones.”

Company CFO David Zinsner blamed gross margin headwinds from Intel’s AI PC efforts as well as “higher than typical” costs relating to non-core businesses for the poor performance.

Reuters reports that the CEO could announce plans to sell its programmable chip unit Altera.

Gelsinger’s plans may also include a pause – or termination – to Intel’s $32 billion Germany factory plans, which have already been delayed.

Once a market leader, Intel has struggled to play catchup against other established rivals in the AI race. It currently has a market cap of $94.04 billion, placing it far behind AMD ($240.44 billion market cap, $5.8 billion in revenue last quarter) and Nvidia ($2.93 trillion market cap, $30.0 billion in revenue last quarter).

The news comes around a month after the company laid off around 15,000 of its workers, accounting for some 15% of its headcount. At the time of the announcement, Gelsinger stated: “We must align our cost structure with our new operating model and fundamentally change the way we operate.”

TechRadar Pro has asked Intel to confirm the report, but the company did not immediately respond.

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Windows 11 won’t offer an option to uninstall the divisive Recall feature after all, it seems, when clues in a preview build appeared to suggest it might – at least in some regions, anyway.

Deskmodder, a German tech site, recently flagged up the option in a new preview for Windows 11 24H2, the big update due to land later this year.

This prompted Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc, who is Windows senior product manager, to contact The Verge with a statement to clarify: “We are aware of an issue where Recall is incorrectly listed as an option under the ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ dialog in Control Panel. This will be fixed in an upcoming update.”

So, presumably the next build of 24H2 will have this option removed from the Control Panel.

Windows 11’s Recall feature is essentially an AI-powered search that takes regular screenshots of the activity on your PC, and uses them to find things, going way beyond the scope of a typical Windows search (and no, that isn’t difficult, we’d agree).

The trouble is Recall has been making serious waves and causing a whole bunch of concerns to be aired since it was first announced, to the point that Microsoft pulled plans to debut it (in preview) with Copilot+ PCs, and then yanked it from test builds of Windows 11. It is now coming back to testing, mind, in October – so ready your surfboards for more waves of controversy (no doubt).

We should also note that Recall is only for Copilot+ PCs, although down the line, it’s likely a lot more computers will have the requisite NPU (and security) in place to be classified as such a device.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: The option to remove has been removed

We found it difficult to believe Microsoft would include a choice to completely strip out Recall from Windows 11, when the software giant can simply offer an option to disable it (the scheme previously in place). Removing the entire workings of Recall from a Windows PC would mean it’s more of a hassle to turn it on, should any given user dump it, and then maybe change their mind at a later date – a niche scenario, perhaps, but still, why would Microsoft facilitate such an uninstall option?

It probably wouldn’t, but the company might have to do so in the EU, where data and privacy regulations may push back against Recall harder than in other regions. If this option is a bug, though, does that mean a choice will be present for European users somewhere else – or just that they won’t get Recall? Or might there be no difference for EU users at all? Possibly.

It has to be said that this is a bit of a strange bug, too (not that odd bugs being visited upon Windows is anything hugely new, of course). Whatever’s going on here, some folks were pleased to see the ability to strip out Recall, and now that Microsoft has clarified that this isn’t happening, they’ll probably be less than happy about the functionality even sitting in the background of their PC.

The worry for some is that the feature will eventually end up being turned on in the future – or rather that the concrete presence of Recall, embedded in Windows 11, is an indication of this being the direction Microsoft is heading in at some point, anyway.

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Stock of Apple’s faux-leather FineWoven iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands is at an “all-time low”, suggesting that the controversial product line might be discontinued just a year after launching.

That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who says low stock of FineWoven iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands means that Apple is either planning to discontinue the accessories or refresh the lineup with new colors and support for new devices. 

The next major Apple event, titled ‘It’s Glowtime’, is scheduled to take place on September 9, and we expect to hear news of the iPhone 16 family, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Intelligence at the Cupertino-set showcase. If Apple is keeping FineWoven around, the company is likely preparing for a case refresh alongside these new hardware products.

Apple launched its line of FineWoven iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, and AirTag holders alongside the iPhone 15 series in September 2023.

The Pacific Blue FineWoven case on an iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future)

FineWoven was introduced to replace leather in Apple’s accessories as part of the company’s mission to make every product carbon-neutral by 2030. The material is made up of 68% “post-consumer recycled content” according to Apple, but the company has not released details on what, exactly, the stuff is made of.

However, customer reaction to FineWoven has been generally poor since Apple began using the fabric for accessories just one year ago.

In our review of the FineWoven iPhone 15 Pro case, we called the product “a disaster”, while The Verge called FineWoven “categorically terrible” and CNET said it “can’t applaud” the cases while respecting Apple’s move away from leather.

Apple closing the upcycled curtains on FineWoven would be an unprecedented move, given that the company typically maintains features and product lines for several years, even in the face of bad reviews.

The unreliable Butterfly Keyboard introduced to MacBooks in 2015 remains one of the most notorious examples, with Apple even launching a repair scheme before finally ditching the keyboard with the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Regarding FineWoven, we’ve only heard rumors at this point, and it’ll be up to Apple to decide whether FineWoven will be a rare exception to the rule. 

Gurman adds that stock shortages are also being noted for the third-generation iPhone SE, the iPad mini, AirPods, and multiple Apple Watch models, suggesting updates for these products could be on the way, too. 

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Major League Soccer finishes up next month and to tempt you into the action Apple has dropped the cost of its season pass to the lowest price ever. It's even better if you're an Apple TV Plus subscriber, as you can get it for free. 

If you're not a subscriber, the Season Pass is down to $9.99 for the rest of the season. That's a really good deal, because the season pass is usually $14.99 per month. 

As we reported last month, Apple's 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Major League Soccer appears to be paying off and Lionel Messi is a big part of that: when Messi joined Inter Miami, subscriber numbers doubled in the first month.

Whether you're an Apple TV Plus subscriber or not, it's worth noting that this is a strictly limited deal: when the current season ends, MLS Season Pass reverts to its usual price. Apple's good at letting you know when subscriptions are about to renew but you might want to keep an eye on that one just in case.

How to watch MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

You can access MLS Season Pass via the Apple TV app, which is available for a wide range of platforms now and not just Apple ones. It's available on PlayStation, on Xbox, on Amazon Fire Stick, on Roku and on the web at tv.apple.com too. 

Sports are becoming an increasingly important part of the best streaming services, because of course sports are big business and can attract huge audiences. Max is adding streaming from MLB, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and the National Collegiate Athletics Association, and Prime Video's NFL coverage is a key differentiator between it and its rivals. 

Research by industry watchers Ampere Analysis says that streamers spent a whopping $8.5 billion on the rights to stream sports in 2023, and according to the New York Times sports accounted for 95 of the 100 most viewed programs on TV. That's a lot of eyeballs, and with this Season Pass promo Apple clearly hopes to persuade many of those eyeballs to become subscribers who'll keep on streaming MLS for years to come.

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has submitted an order to fine security camera company Verkada $2.9 million after the FTC found to have failed to protect customer information or implement proper security measures. Verkada was targeted by at least two security breaches between 2020 and 2022 which allowed threat actors to access sensitive data.

The company claimed to use ‘best-in-class data security tools’ and practices to keep customer data safe from unauthorized access. However, customers were apparently left vulnerable after hackers gained access to 150,000 live feeds from internet connected cameras, including in schools, prisons, and psychiatric hospitals.

The company was also found to be in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act, after sending customers marketing emails without offering the option to unsubscribe. The company reportedly sent 30 million emails over the span of three years.

Poor Practice

The FTC determined that Verkada did not adequately encrypt customer data, implement secure network controls, or require complex passwords - which meant customer information like emails, passwords, and full names were exposed. The company’s security practices allegedly fell short of HIPAA and Privacy Shield framework.

“When customers invite companies into private spaces to monitor consumers by using their security cameras and other products, they expect those companies to provide basic levels of security, which Verkada failed to do,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Companies that fail to secure and protect consumer data can expect to be held responsible.”

The complaint also alleges that Verkada misled customers by failing to disclose that some positive online reviews were written by employees and investors. Alongside the fine, Verkada will be required to implement a ‘comprehensive’ information security program with external assessment and audits. The security program must include multi-factor authentication and encryption for sensitive information.

Via Cybernews

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There is a new ransomware group out there, and it seems to be specifically targeting VMware’s ESXi hypervisors.

Cybersecurity researchers from Truesec have recently issued a warning about a threat actor called Cicada3301, which seems to be operating a ransomware encryptor of the same name.

The group looks to have picked up the name from the online cryptographic puzzle game that was popular roughly a decade ago, but other than that, there seems to be no connection between the two.

SLOW#TEMPEST

Truesec says that Cicada3301 has two encryptors, one for Windows devices, and another one for VMware ESXi. So far, the hackers successfully compromised 19 victims, as per the information on its data leak site, BleepingComputer reports.

The same source also states that Cicada3301 most likely kicked off its operations in the first week of June this year, and started recruiting affiliates of its own, at the end of the same month. It also argues that the decision to target ESXi environments means the group is out to “maximize damage in enterprise environments,” since enterprises usually pay better.

Further analyzing the encryptor, the researchers found plenty of overlap between Cicada3301 and ALPHV/BlackCat, suggesting that it’s either the same entity, just rebranded, or a fork built by affiliates. Those with longer memory will remember BlackCat, an infamous Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) which allegedly “took the money and ran” after a successful attack on Change Healthcare.

In late February and early March this year, healthcare giant Change Healthcare was targeted by an ALPHV affiliate. The company allegedly paid $22 million in cryptocurrency, in exchange for the decryptor and its data. However, the money never made it to the affiliates who did the work. Instead, the RaaS operators took all of it and simply disappeared. They shut down the entire infrastructure, pulled everything and vanished into thin air.

The affiliate that breached Change Healthcare and was left holding a sizeable company archive, later rebranded as RansomHub and has since made a number of successful breaches.

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Zeekr has unveiled its latest all-electric SUV, which is touted to travel further than most of today's EVs, charge faster and offer class-leading acceleration figures.

Destined for several global markets (including Europe), the 7X is the marque's first mid-size SUV that is aimed at the widest possible audience, moving away from its previous premium saloons and ultra-luxurious MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) towards arguably the most popular body style in the western world.

The five-seater maximizes on interior roominess and comfort with a bespoke electric platform that prioritizes head and legroom for all occupants, as well as offering 32 individual storage compartments that are said to conveniently store everything from "sunglasses to lipsticks". Big bottles of water are probably covered, too.

In terms of stats, the 7X isn't pulling any punches, with silicon carbide-powered e-motors able to propel the SUV from 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds. That’s faster than most modern sports cars.

In addition to this, the entry-level model will feature a 75kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is good for a claimed 605km on a single charge – or around 376 miles.

More impressive still is the longer-range variant, which will undoubtedly be a lot more expensive, but it uses a 100kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery pack that is capable of a staggering 780km (around 484 miles) on a single charge. 

That's up there with the likes of the Lucid Air Grand Touring model, which boasts an official EPA-estimated range of 516 miles, and far eclipses the current longest range Tesla Model S, which manages around 394-miles.

Leading the charge

(Image credit: Zeekr/Geely)

There is currently no word on pricing or exactly where we can expect to see the Zeekr 7X on sale, although we do know that Chinese customers will start receiving their cars as early as next month.

Regardless, the Chinese way is to undercut rivals, so you can expect a cutthroat pricing strategy if and when it does arrive in Europe and beyond. Currently, Zeekr isn't sold in the USA, but despite fierce trade tariffs recently imposed by the Biden administration, it hasn't ruled it out.

What’s more, Zeekr says that the 7X will offer a suite of advanced onboard tech, including the use of dual Nvidia Orin System-on-a-Chip (SoC) computers that will gather reams of data from lidar, high-definition cameras and millimeter-wave radars.

This will not only offer high levels of autonomous driving where the local laws permit, but will also support a number of advanced safety assistance systems.

With next generation LFP battery packs that are said to charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 10.5 minutes (ultra-fast chargers permitting) and the high likelihood of cutting-edge infotainment, Geely-owned Zeekr is once again proving that Chinese manufacturers are at the bleeding edge of EV technology.

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The question of where we work has become a pervasive debate. How often do people need to share space to do their job well? How do we make a world of hybrid work productive?

It’s an important topic, which needs to be considered alongside the equally significant issue of how we work.

How can we make the most of the time we spend together, wherever it may be? How can we maximize people’s time and optimize the collective capacity to drive progress on a given project or problem?

This came to mind during a recent mentoring session. My mentee was a project manager overseeing a complex IT program, bringing together multiple teams from across the business, including a number of people senior to them. A workshop was in the diary, and they were worried about getting everyone on the same page.

“Have you considered pre-calls?”

It was a simple suggestion, but in the circumstances a relevant one. I suggested that they approach the various team leaders and ask for 15 minutes discuss the project, their perspective, and what they hoped to get out of the workshop.

Next time we spoke, they had done this and were delighted with the results. Senior people had been much more approachable than they had feared. The differences had been smaller than expected. With the right groundwork in place, the workshop had been a success.

This was not only a good example of proactive project management – and indeed ‘managing up’ – but a lesson in how small interventions can make all the difference, and of the importance of closing the gaps that can open up in complex projects.

Over my career, I have been involved in enough of these to know that even minor misalignments can lead to considerable friction. When someone comes in from the outside to review progress and make recommendations, they will often conclude that the two camps are not so far apart. Yet within those camps, a siege mentality has set in and they believe that the differences are huge. They think that they disagree much more than they do.

Building bridges in three steps

This kind of issue is particularly relevant today, when physical distance often serves to entrench people in their silos, and makes it harder to achieve the kind of consensus you need. People start to work in a bubble comprising themselves and their immediate team. Tunnel vision sets in, and it becomes harder to see a shared problem from other perspectives.

That’s why I believe it’s more important than ever that teams work to break down these silos, and take a deliberate approach to pursuing consensus. The steps to achieve this are simple, but in my experience across multiple organizations, they are often not taken.

The first thing needed is a clear problem statement. Something that sets out what a team or group of teams is trying to achieve. The language really matters, because small differences in terminology can hide major variances in perspective. Until you can agree on the words, you won’t be able to set a direction for the project. This is worth investing time in as early as possible. Whatever you agree then becomes a North Star for the project.

The second necessity is preparation, especially for time spent together. As I advised my mentee, if you are hosting a workshop or group meeting of any significance, then don’t leave things to chance. Talk to the attendees, get their perspective and anticipate issues. Build relationships so you are not starting from scratch in an important meeting. Make sure people feel heard and understood, and no-one is sitting on a problem they will only reveal later.

Finally, if you do encounter a genuine stumbling block, don’t assume you have to tackle it there and then. Be prepared to shelve a difficult issue if it will allow you to make progress on other fronts. Once you have advanced a project past a certain point, your problem may solve itself, or it may help to bring in an independent third-party to act as arbitrator. The one thing you shouldn’t do is get stuck on a single issue and allow it to undermine the project as a whole. (I wish I had known this earlier in my career: as I often tell my mentees, the learnings I share are often based on what I should have done rather than what I actually did).

High value on time

These straightforward techniques are more important than ever when we work in a way that promotes distance, and which can inadvertently embed divisions. If you want consensus, then you may need to work harder than before to plan for it, encourage it, and carry it through to the finish line. If we diverted just a little of the energy committed to thinking about where people should work, and invested in it facilitating how they work with one another, I believe everyone would benefit – whether at home, in the office, or somewhere in between. But this doesn’t happen by accident. You have to plan for it, invest time in it, and make it a priority. If you are managing the project, coordinating the people and putting a high value on people’s time, you will be amazed how many problems start to look after themselves.

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The new Atlantic Technology Nexa 1 is a Bluetooth speaker with a useful difference: it has a microSD card slot to expand your audio options and enable you to listen to music without having to stream it to the speaker. Although, naturally, you can stream to it too.

As you can see above, it's a good-looking thing, and it's sitting by a pool because it has the confidence that comes from IPX5 water resistance. We wouldn't recommend chucking it in for a swim, but it's more than capable of resisting splashes and the odd bit of rain.

Atlantic Technology Nexa 1 Bluetooth speaker: key features and pricing

The Nexa 1 has twin 2.5-inch aluminum full range drivers and a rear passive oval radiator for bass. The amplifier can put out 60W of power, which is a lot for a mid-size speaker – the JBL Charge 5 is 40W, and that's no slouch. In addition to the microSD port, there's also a 3.5mm aux connector and the obligatory USB-C charging port. If you have a second Nexa, you can use that USB-C port to charge one speaker from the other.

The Bluetooth version here is 5.3, and battery life is a claimed 15 hours between charging. There's support for one-touch stereo pairing with a second speaker, and there's a built-in mic for hands-free calling. Frequency response is 20Hz to 20kHz.

The Nexa 1 has an RRP of $199 but there's currently an introductory offer that brings the price down to $149 on the Atlantic Technology website, although right now there appears to be a glitch that means the product page disappears after a few seconds. Hopefully that'll get fixed quickly. 

The discounted rate is significant because the market for the best Bluetooth speakers is incredibly crowded and incredibly competitive: when you're buying in the  $150 to $250 price bracket you're also looking at some of the heaviest hitters including our current favorite, the Sonos Roam 2. At the time of writing, that's currently also on promotion, taking it down from the usual $179 to $143.

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Developer Arc System Works has announced that the critically acclaimed fighting game Guilty Gear Strive is finally coming to Nintendo Switch and the package might just be enough to make me pick up the game for the second time.

Guilty Gear Strive Nintendo Switch Edition will include the game’s current roster of 28 characters, even those that were previously included in the last three season passes. That’s a huge amount of content right out of the box and means that you can play as the likes of Bridget, Elphelt, A.B.A and more at not additional cost. You can browse the full roster of this edition below:

Base game:

• Sol
• Ky
• May
• Axl
• Chipp
• Potemkin
• Faust
• Millia
• Zato
• Ramlethal
• Leo
• Nagoriyuki
• Giovanna
• Anji
• I-No

Season Pass 1:

• Goldlewis
• Jack-O’
• Happy Chaos
• Baiken
• Testament

Season Pass 2:

• Bridget
• Sin
• Bedman?
• Asuka R#

Season Pass 3:

• Johnny
• Elphelt
• A.B.A
• Slayer

The Nintendo Switch port will also feature rollback netcode for smoother online play. Considering the game’s striking anime 3D visuals, I was quite concerned that this edition might be compromised given the lower power of the Nintendo Switch. Thankfully, a recently released trailer (which you can see for yourself below) suggests that the experience will be pretty close to the PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 version. There are some obvious visual cuts, especially with regards to background model quality and overall resolution, but it all looks very playable.

In addition to a digital release, the game will be receiving a physical edition which can be pre-ordered now via the Guilty Gear official website. It will launch on January 25, 2024 and costs $59.99 which might seem steep for a title that originally launched back in 2021, but is actually quite a good deal when you factor in the addition of three season’s worth of characters.

If you’re a Nintendo Switch owner who has been waiting for a chance to try out one of the best fighting games right now, then this is your chance. It would also be a great fit for those who own any of the best fight sticks for Nintendo Switch, like the brilliant 8BitDo Arcade Stick.

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Capcom veteran Hideaki Itsuno is leaving the company after three decades to develop a new game.

The Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma series director took to X / Twitter to share a statement regarding his leaving the company. Itsuno thanks fans for their long-term support and confirms that he'll be getting to work on a brand new game outside of Capcom.

"From September, I will start developing a new game in a new environment," wrote Itsuno. "I hope to create fun, beautiful games that are as memorable as, or even more memorable than, the ones I have created so far. Please stay tuned for my next creation!"

Itsuno's most recent role in a directorial role was for this year's Dragon's Dogma 2. Despite the game's poor optimization and performance at launch, it would go on to ship over 2.5 million units within its first two weeks on sale. The game also set a record concurrent player count for a Capcom game on Steam on its launch day.

While Itsuno will be known mostly for his work on the Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma series, he also acted as director for some of Capcom's best fighting games including Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, Star Gladiator, Project Justice and the Power Stone series. Some of these names may sound familiar to you, as they'll be appearing on the recently-announced Capcom Fighting Collection 2 which is currently slated to launch sometime in 2025.

You can of course tide yourself over until then with the soon-to-launch Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, which is due to release on September 12 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Steam.

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Cleer Audio's engineers have been busy: the firm has revealed not one, not two but six new Arc 3 open-ear wireless headphones. They come with touchless, head-tilt controls; waterproof ear clip designs; hi-res and Dolby Atmos audio; and in some of the more premium models, AI-powered active noise cancellation, too.

All of the models in the range are built around 16.2mm drivers and driven by the Qualcomm QCC5181 chipset. That supports aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio, LDAC and Snapdragon Sound over multi-point Bluetooth 5.4. The aptX adaptive delivers up to 24-bit 96 kHz streaming and the LDAC offers up to 16-bit, 44.1kHz lossless streaming.

Cleer Audio Arc 3: key features and prices

There are some interesting features in these new headphones, such as dynamic bass enhancement to compensate for the comparatively bass-light sound you get from the best open-ear headphones. There are also noise and wind-cancelling mics for clearer calls.

For active users, the Arc 3 offers head-tilting controls: instead of fiddling with your earphones you can skip tracks or answer calls with a dip of the head, although they work with touch operation too. The charging case includes UV sterilization (like the LG Tone Free T90S), has an LCD touchscreen with a clock (kind of like the JBL Live Beam 3), and recharges the headphones up to four times.

The standard models are the Arc 3 Music and Arc 3 Sport. The Arc 3 Gaming and Max models come with a USB dongle for lower latency in gaming, and the gaming models are also tuned for gaming audio. Sport models have additional EQs while the Sports Pro model also has motion analysis to help you analyze your performance. The Music Pro and Max models have supposedly AI-powered noise cancelling.

Battery life depends on the model you go for: the gaming, music and sport versions have ten hours, the Pro has eight and the Max has four. 

The Arc 3 range will be released in three stages. The Music Black, Sport Black & Red and Gaming White & Red models will go on sale on 13 September for roughly $248 to $274; the Music Pro and Sport Pro will be available from September 28 for around $303; and the Arc 3 Max will go on sale from 31 October for around $379. All of the models will be available via Cleer's Amazon store.

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Cybercriminals were, once again, spotted impersonating legitimate businesses, as they try to steal valuables from software developers. This time around, researchers from Checkmarx saw fake Roblox npm packages, whose true purpose is to deploy a remote access trojan (RAT) called Quasar.

Roblox is an online platform where users can create and play games made by other users, using a game creation system called Roblox Studio. It features a virtual currency called Robux for in-game purchases and has over 214 million monthly active users.

In this campaign, crooks were using typosquatting (giving malware a name similar to a legitimate file that developers could download and run by mistake), and deployed multiple packages to the npm repository, in hopes that someone will pick it up.

Quasar Remote Access Trojan

It’s an old strategy that worked well in the past, and seems to have worked well in this instance, too. According to the researchers, the four malicious packages that were identified, have had almost 200 downloads, combined, before being spotted and removed.

The noblox.js-async package had 74 downloads, noblox.js-thread 117 downloads, noblox.js-threads 64 downloads, and noblox.js-api 64 downloads.

“By mimicking the popular 'noblox.js' library, attackers have published dozens of packages designed to steal sensitive data and compromise systems," Checkmarx researchers said in a report.

"The attackers of this campaign have employed techniques including brandjacking, combosquatting, and starjacking to create a convincing illusion of legitimacy for their malicious packages."

To further improve the perceived legitimacy of these packages, the crooks also listed the source repository as noblox.js.

Developers that don’t spot the ruse and download these packs will receive the Quasar Remote Access Trojan, which is hosted on a GitHub repository. At the same time, they will lose their Discord tokens, and have their Microsoft Defender Antivirus updated to not spot the malware.

"Central to the malware's effectiveness is its approach to persistence, leveraging the Windows Settings app to ensure sustained access," the researchers added. "As a result, whenever a user attempts to open the Windows Settings app, the system inadvertently executes the malware instead."

Via The Hacker News

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Nebula is Anker's smart entertainment brand, and it's just unveiled two brand-new and very different projectors: one portable that's barely bigger than a soda can, and a 4K laser model capable of 200-inch displays. Both projectors run Google TV with built-in Netflix and the usual range of apps.

The bigger of the two is the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE. It's 4K with Dolby Vision and Nebula's own NebulaMaster image processing engine, which the brand says delivers improved contrast and color accuracy. It delivers 1,800 ANSI Lumens and can create an image of up to 120 inches in normal lighting conditions and a huge 200 inches in darker conditions. The brightness and color reproduction is achieved via a hybrid lighting system that combines LED and laser light, which Anker says delivers higher brightness and better color.

The audio system here is 2x 15W full-range drivers with Dolby Audio, and the projector has auto setup and a bunch of automatic corrections for screen fitting, obstacle avoidance and wall color adaptation. It looks like an interesting addition to the best 4K projectors, since it's large and quite serious, but still designed to be somewhat portable, with a carry handle on top.

It costs $1,299 and is available to buy now – we're waiting on information about a release in other countries, and will update this article when we can.

Pocket-sized projection power

The Nebula Capsule Air is soda-can shaped and only slightly taller than one. Despite its tiny size it can deliver up to 150 ANSI Lumens for up to two hours from its built-in battery. Resolution is 720p and it's capable of delivering a 60-inch image in normal lighting and 100 inches in the dark. Its USB-C port supports PD (power delivery) so it can be used with a power bank or wall charger as well as on battery.

For the $399 asking price, that seems like a very tempting option among the best portable speakers – it's less than half the price of the Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 projector, for example, which doesn't have a battery built-in.

There are three new accessories to go with the Capsule Air. The snap-on base is included with the projector and enables you to tilt the projector up to 30 degrees or 90 degrees when wall mounted. One use case is for parents to use it to project cooking videos while they and their kids cook.

That one's exclusive to the Air, but Nebula has also created a gimbal stand ($49.99) for 360-degree angle adjustment, and a tripod with a power bank inside to double the playback time as well as deliver more viewing angles. That one's $129.99. Both accessories are compatible with the whole Capsule range, not just the Capsule Air.

Like the Cosmos 4K SE, the Capsule Air is available to buy now – and Anker is offering a $200 early discount on the Cosmos if you order early. Obviously, we can't tell you how good they are just yet, but we plan to review both as soon as we're able.

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