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• Sam Altman posts on X about new products over the next couple of months
• Warns of “capacity crunches” and that things “may be slightly choppy"
• ChatGPT-5 possibly delayed as it didn't launch at the start of the month

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has posted on X.com that, “we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months – new models, products, features, and more”, but so far there is no sign of the widely expected ChatGPT-5.

Many news outlets have predicted that ChatGPT-5 was going to arrive in August, and it was hotly tipped to be released at the start of the month. However, as the calendar flicked over to August, all we got was the tweet from the OpenAI CEO.

The start of the month would have been the ideal time to launch ChatGPT-5, and the fact that Altman mentions the “next couple of months” means we might have to wait a little while yet for the release of OpenAI’s most impressive model.

we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months--new models, products, features, and more.please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. although it may be slightly choppy, we think you'll really love what we've created for you!August 2, 2025

At the same time, Altman warned that ChatGPT users could be in for some disruptions over the next couple of months: “Please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. Although it may be slightly choppy, we think you'll really love what we've created for you!”, he said.

Capacity cruches

As if on cue, a ChatGPT user has complained that the service has started to cap the number of image uploads that can be done a day to 30, without any notice.

User Rhizopus_Nigrians says, “This cripples the workflow for serious users. And I am one. I’ve paid for Plus since the beginning. I love it. I’ve promoted this tool to friends, peers, even students”, he posted.

Most of the other Reddit users on the thread point out that this is probably just a temporary bug, rather than an actual policy change by OpenAI. To test his theory I uploaded 40 images today, and there was no problem, however that doesn’t rule out that it could also be part of the “capacity crunches” or “hiccups” that Altman warned about in his tweet.

When will ChatGPT-5 arrive?

ChatGPT 5 is expected to be the first OpenAI model that will automatically route your request to its most appropriate model version, or research method, instead of you having to choose which confusingly-named model version to use. It’s also reported to have key improvements in accuracy, speed, and resource efficiency.

While it’s frustrating that OpenAI has missed the start of the month for a release of ChatGPT 5, there’s still plenty of time left in the month for an August release. What will be interesting to see is whether the release is only for Plus users or if free ChatGPT users will also get access to the new model.

When ChatGPT 5 is released, demand to use it will likely be at an all-time high, especially if it contains any improvements to the image generator, which is why I think Altman is keen to warn people that we may be in for some disruption now.

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The price of a Premium Individual subscription goes up to nearly $14 for overseas markets but remains at $12 in the US.

She might be the executive producer of new Hallmark+ miniseries Providence Falls, but when we think of JoAnna Garcia Swisher, we think of Sweet Magnolias. Season 4 dropped on Netflix in February this year, and from the looks of the last episode, everything could be about to change in the fictional town of Serenity. Well, that’s if everyone actually chooses to stay there, with our lead trio’s storylines pulling them in different directions.

For Maddie (Swisher), that means leaving Serenity entirely. She’s been offered a marketing job in New York she just can’t say no to, meaning her weekly margarita nights with Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) and Helen (Heather Hadley) can be no more. Of course, we don’t actually know if Maddie will really follow through with her relocation, but that’s not the narrative most fans currently have on their minds.

Thanks to an interview with US Weekly, Swisher suggested Maddie could be pregnant in future episodes, sending fans spiraling about whether her family with Cal Maddox (Justin Bruening) could be expanding. "I actually just talked about this yesterday with Justin because I’m like, 'we never got a honeymoon,'" she told the outlet. "I don’t know if that will involve a little bun in the oven – or at least an opportunity.” But is there truth to this? I asked Swisher outright, and there definitely won’t be babies in Sweet Magnolias season 5 by her account.

It’s official: Maddie won’t be pregnant in Sweet Magnolias season 5

The cast of Sweet Magnolias, where nobody is pregnant. (Image credit: Netflix)

“I'm not wearing a pregnancy suit this season,” Swisher clarifies when I ask her about the pregnancy chatter online. “But there is so much that happens, and there's a lot of beginnings and new possibilities that are just like I am glowing about.”

But she doesn’t stop there. “There's also endings to things that are maybe unexpected. But they lead to very exciting things.

“I'm directing for Sweet Magnolias and to wear both hats at the same time [as Providence Falls], it takes a lot of brain power. So, I have a lot of support right now at Sweet Magnolias.”

As Swisher is a dual actor and director for Sweet Magnolias, she really could be talking about anyone. “Endings” could refer to Maddie’s time in Serenity (although this seems too obvious), Dana Sue’s potential investor for her cooking kitchen, or Helen accepting Erik’s (Dion Johnstone) proposal.

This could even extend to the possible end of Ty (Carson Rowland) and Annie’s (Anneliese Judge) relationship if Annie accepts an offer from an out-of-state college, which is probably going to see its struggles regardless of what Swisher means with her ominous response.

Sweet Magnolias season 5 doesn’t have a release date yet, meaning the earliest we’ll likely see it on Netflix is February 2026. Maddie and Cal’s future together is likely still unwritten at this stage, but boy is it going to be worth tuning in for.

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• Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 launches on August 13
• Hysilens joins the game to bring the DoT archetype back from the dead
• Cerydra is also coming in 3.5, as well as new story, events, and more

When I started playing Honkai: Star Rail, one of the first teams I put together focused on the DoT (damage over time) archetype. But in the last year or so, that composition dramatically fell out of favor. But now, we’re so back.

The Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 update – ominously-titled ‘Before Their Deaths’ – will launch on August 13, introducing new story content, two new playable characters, a new map, a new boss, and several new events.

The main highlight, at least for me, is the introduction of Hysilens. As a five-star Physical character following the path of Nihility, her kit looks set to revive the struggling DoT archetype.

Her kit includes an ability that generates a zone in combat, which reduces the attack and defense of all enemies – but, more importantly, each instance of DoT on targets in the zone triggers additional DoT from her.

Add on top that all of her abilities have a chance to apply a random DoT effect to targets and you can see why all the signs point towards her being the saviour of my favorite playstyle.

Whether that is how things turn out in practice remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful that her introduction to the game should at least go some way to pick up the fortunes of DoT and its fellow enjoyers like me.

Image 1 of 5

Hysilens has a lot of abilities to improve DoT damage and apply more DoT effects in battle. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 5

Cerydra is a clear hyper-carry support for characters such as Phainon. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 5

The new area of Styxia, the City of Infinite Revelry, is added in version 3.5. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 4 of 5

It's like we're going back to the early flash game era with the latest restaurant management mini-game. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 5 of 5

The drink mixing returns for another round of colorful concoctions. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Anyway, there is more than this happening in the update. The second half will add Cerydra to the game: a five-star Wind element character who follows the path of Harmony.

Developer Hoyoverse has leaned heavily into the chess theming with this strategist and support character. As well as buffing the damage of your team in various ways, her main gimmick is the ability to duplicate the skill of an ally after she builds up enough charges. Naturally, players are keen to pair her with Phainon, but there’s clearly a lot of potential for experimentation in other team compositions that rely on skills.

The re-run banners for 3.5 have also been confirmed: the first half will feature Kafka and Silver Wolf will return in the second half. Both of these make sense considering they have both recently received buffs, while Kafka is the perfect partner to Hysilens in what will likely be the premium DoT team.

Perhaps time for me to invest in an eidolon, hmm?

As well as the next part of the Trailiblaze story in a new part of Styxia, the big event for Version 3.5 is the Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant. Yep, we’re getting a restaurant management game. Looking like a cross between Farmville and Diner Dash, you grow and serve food while renovating the restaurant to give customers the best experience possible..

On a similar theme, the Old Brews & New Friends event takes us back to the Dreamjolt Hostelry, where we’ll be mixing up and serving fancy drinks to new and familiar faces. Sounds great, gimme them Stellar Jades.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 launches on August 13. The free-to-play RPG is available now on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5.

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In a rural Vermont county, spotty cell phone coverage is the norm. But a local tinkerer is using old technology to help his community stay connected free of charge.

(Image credit: Patrick Schlott)

Spoilers for The Gilded Age season 3 episode 7 ahead.

The Gilded Age is carrying the mantle of televised period drama greatness set up by Downton Abbey over a decade ago, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Instead of soap opera sensationalism, tension and high stakes comes in the form of complicated relationships, intellectual manipulation and ever-changing social dynamics. Nobody’s getting involved in nefarious love triangles that make no sense, or having punch-ups on the street simply because there’s nothing better to do. Each step is a calculated one, and it works.

But has The Gilded Age season 3 changed all that? Across episodes 6 and 7, the action has been teetering towards the over-produced. We’ve seen the fandom come alive over Larian’s engagement, a double-crossing at the Haymarket with Oscar (Blake Ritson) left as the victim, and two death scares that have seemingly come out of nowhere.

It’s the second of these scares that now hangs a huge question mark over The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8, and it’s got the power to change how we see the HBO Max show going forward. It’s clear that each new season is trying to do something different than the last, and now that season 4 has been officially renewed, following through with the threat of death seems like the perfect way to elevate The Gilded Age all over again.

Sorry, but George has got to go for good in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8

Yep, that’s right. For reasons currently unknown to us, George’s (Morgan Spector) life hangs in the balance in the closing scene of season 3 episode 7. He’d previously won out against Clay (Patrick Page) and Mr. Sage (Peter McRobbie), getting the business back on track in spite of their rivalry. However, this comes at a price. A courier soon visited George’s office, pulling a gun on his secretary before aiming it straight at George himself. The gun goes off, the screen goes black and we’ve got no idea whether he’s alive or died.

As far as The Gilded Age goes, this is a much more stereotypical cliffhanger than the show usually opts for. But it’s a signal that once again, it’s looking to change. Just like Carrie Coon told TV Line: “It started with how we kicked things off in the Wild West [in the season premiere]. It was signaling to the audience that this is not Season 2. We’re doing new things.”

So, what if season 3 is signaling not to expect the same again from season 4? The best way to keep things fresh is to do something completely unexpected, even if it goes against the structural fabric of what’s come before. If anything, George dying could serve as a total reset in The Gilded Age’s timeline, and who knows what could come from that. A time jump? Flashbacks? A hidden past?

If we can overlook the fact the HBO Max show has the potential to be sensationalized in season 4 (and fingers crossed it won’t be), such a brutal shift in tone could actually be really exciting. Sure, we lose George as collateral damage and poor John Adams (Claybourne Elder) was taken out in a freak carriage accident the week before. But the training wheels are off for what is and isn’t possible in this version of 1800s New York. Besides, even Spector himself is enthused by it.

“[It] just didn’t feel like the kind of thing that would happen on The Gilded Age,” he explained to TV Line, despite the historical accuracy compared to the real-life 1872 murder of Jim Fisk. “I’m thrilled the more we get to expand the world… [it’s] adding colors to our palette.”

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• Researchers have identified vulnerabilities in China's Great Firewall
• The firewall attempts to block QUIC connections
• Blocking attempts leave the state exposed

Upgrades to China’s Great Firewall (GFW) have not gone as planned, and the resulting ‘critical flaw’ reduces the effectiveness of the firewall in moderating traffic loads, researchers have found. Attempts by China to censor a specific type of internet traffic in the country have left the state at risk and vulnerable to attack;

‘We [..] demonstrate that this censorship mechanism can be weaponized to block UDP traffic between arbitrary hosts in China and the rest of the world. We collaborate with various open-source communities to integrate circumvention strategies into Mozilla Firefox, the quic-go library, and all major QUIC-based circumvention tools.’

The paper was written by researchers from activist group Great Firewall Report, as well as Stanford University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Colorado Boulder - and is titled ‘Exposing and Circumventing SNI-based QUIC Censorship of the Great Firewall of China’.

Internet censorship

The vulnerabilities stem from China’s attempts to block Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) - a transport layer network protocol that is designed to replace Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) because of its built in security, flexibility, and fewer performance issues.

QUIC was invented by workers at Google back in 2012, and at least 10% of sites use the protocol - with many Google and Meta sites included. Both of these organizations are blocked by the GFW, so blocking QUIC connections seems to be an extension of this, although researchers note that not all QUIC traffic is blocked successfully.

The mechanism used to block QUIC connections is vulnerable to attacks that could block all open or root DNS resolvers outside of China from access from within the state, resulting in widespread DNS failures;

“Defending against this attack while still censoring is difficult due to the stateless nature and ease of spoofing UDP packets,” the paper explains. “Careful engineering will be needed to allow censors to apply targeted blocks in QUIC, while simultaneously preventing availability attacks.”

Via; The Register

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Just a few weeks before the rollout of the truly excellent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, I ran into an old friend who inexplicably had a Galaxy Z Fold 4. In all my years covering Samsung's folding phone efforts, I'd rarely seen one in the wild (outside of South Korea, where they are everywhere), let alone someone I knew carrying one.

In the 43 years we've known each other, I'd never known my friend to be an early adopter, but there he was with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, unfolding it, checking work email, looking at stocks, basically using it as his primary device. I looked at it and noted how the protective covering on the flexible screen was bubbled along the crease and in other areas.

This Z Fold 4 has been abused and loved in equal measure. I was just days away from the Samsung Unpacked event, where I expected to see the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Ultra. My friend and I chuckled about the sorry state of his folding phone, and he started asking me about what he should get next. I recommended he at least wait to see what this "Fold Ultra" is all about.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I could not wait to show him the Galaxy Z Fold 7 I'd been carrying. The tech introduction would have to wait, though, because we were all gathering on the beach. As you may recall, the Z Fold 7, like most of the other most recent Folds, is rated IP48 for fresh water resistance but essentially has zero dust and sand capabilities.

Beach fumble

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 compared to Z Fold 4 on the right (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

My friend arrived on the beach, and I watched as he took out his Z Fold 4, and then gasped as it slipped from his hands and dropped onto the sand.

"Buddy, that's not sand-resistant," I told him.

Gingerly picking it up, he started frantically shaking and blowing it, "I know!" He added that he usually brings it in a Ziplock bag (I've done the same with the Z Fold 6), but he also never goes to the beach anyway – except for today, that is.

While he inspected the hinge and ports, I, in an extreme example of 'things you do not need to hear in the moment,' told him how sand could completely destroy the hinge mechanism.

Attempting a mop-up of my faux pas, I excitedly told him I had something to show him: the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

He looked at me quizzically and chided, "Hey, you told me to wait for the Ultra."

"I know," I shrugged," This is basically that phone, they added 'Ultra' features like the 200MP sensor, but it's not called that."

I could tell that the nomenclature switch or misdirection threw him.

Cozying to the Fold 7

Comparing the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (left) to the old Galaxy Z Fold 4 (right). (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Later, when we were far from the beach, I collected the Z Fold 7 and showed it to him. His eyes widened. Then I handed the phone to him.

"Wow," he said as he turned the two-in-one device over in his hands. He marveled at the thinness (4.2mm) and weight, and then struggled a bit to open it. I think the magnets in this Z Fold 7, which help hold the foldable phone closed, are considerably stronger than on his Z Fold 4.

He pulled out his Z Fold 4 and opened it, looking at its puckered screen. We talked a bit about the protective covering and how the Z Fold 7 has the same thing, though I would hope it does better in the long run.

"Are the screens the same size?" he asked me, and then he placed his Z Fold 4 on top of my Z Fold 7. The size difference was obvious to him, even as I said, "No, the Z Fold 7 is an 8-inch flexible display."

I noticed that his rather thick case has an empty slot for a stylus (not sure if it was an S Pen), but I recalled that he said he initially had a case that didn't even fit his pen. While I wasn't sure of just how much my friend used a stylus (the two times I saw him with the Z Fold 4, he was without it), I shared the bad news that the Z Fold 7 lost the digitizing label and no longer supports the S Pen, though he could use a dumb capacitive stylus. He didn't say anything but nodded knowingly.

We also talked a bit about the cameras as I took a photo with the 200MM camera and then zoomed in on the photo to show him how much information that sensor can collect.

Hefting the phone like his hand was a scale, my friend smiled as I told him the Z Fold 7 is, at 215 grams, lighter than a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Still holding the Z Fold 7, he said, "Yeah, but I have to pay $2,300, right?" I corrected him, "$2,000." He considered this, but I could tell he was already convinced that the Z Fold 7 would be his next phone.

Throughout that evening, I let other old friends hold the phone. Every single one of them was surprised at the size and weight. I don't know if they, like my friend, would give up their iPhones for it, but for a devoted Z Fold owner, there may be no better upgrade, even with the loss of S Pen support and that price.

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• Einhaus Group dwindled from 170 employees and €70 million in revenue to just eight workers
• The German phone company met its fate after months of battle
• The Bitcoin ransom was recovered but never returned

German mobile phone insurance, repair and logistics company Einhaus Group has revealed the financial extent of a 2023 ransomware attack on the company.

At its peak, Einhaus operated in over 5,000 German retail stores, partnering with major telecommunication companies like Deutsche Telekom and 1&1, generating units to €70 million in annual revenue.

Then, in 2023, a ransomware group by the name of 'Royal' infiltrated systems and encrypted critical data including contracts, billing, and communications, leaving the company battling to make up losses thereafter.

Germany's Einhaus effectively taken down by one ransomware attack

The attackers left messages via office printers warning that the company had been hacked (via WA), bringing operations to a halt with systems locked. In the months that followed, the company lost millions in revenue and operational delays, bringing total damages into the mid-seven-figure range.

The company also reportedly paid a large €200,000 ransom in Bitcoin to regain access to critical data.

German cybercrime investigators have since identified three suspects, and while public prosecutors seized the ransom-paid crypto, it never got returned to the Einhaus, which blocked the company from making a fuller recovery.

Since the ransomware attack, Einhaus has been forced to cut headcount down from a peak of around 170 to just eight, selling off property and investments to make up some losses.

Three companies under Einhaus Group, including 24logistics, have now filed for insolvency, and mobile phone repair services have been discontinued.

With cyberattacks not only becoming more common, but often more costly, Einhaus Group forms part of a growing list of companies forced to shut down as a result of ransomware attacks, including the UK's Knights of Old transport company, Stoli USA and Finland's Vastaamo.

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• Ascendo Immersive Audio launches new 64-inch and 100-inch subs
• "The largest subwoofers in the world for home cinema"
• Expect a six-figure price tag

If, like me, you think your hi-fi or home theater system's subwoofer is pretty hot stuff, prepare to feel very small indeed. The new subwoofer from German audio firm Ascendo Immersive Audio is probably 10 times bigger than yours, and 12 times bigger than mine.

My idea of a big subwoofer is 15 inches, like the biggest KEF Kube: my own Cambridge Audio sub is a perfectly decent eight inches, and that delivers more than enough boom to fill my room. But Ascendo's new sub is so big that it'll fill any room before you turn it on. It's a whopping 100 inches in diameter, making it over 7,800 square inches of surface area.

Who's going to buy a 100-inch sub?

The new 100 Sub is designed for a very particular kind of customer: the kind who looked at the prior model, the 80 Sub (yes. that was 80 inches), and thought "oh, that's far too small and quiet". The driver alone weighs over 570lbs (260kg).

The 100 Sub moves as much air as 40 normal 18-inch subwoofers, the firm says, and there's a slightly smaller 64-inch model too. "These two new subwoofers are the largest in the world for home cinema, and are incredibly powerful, efficient and fast," Ascendo's Geoffrey Heinzel says.

Despite the ridiculous power, these aren't designed to be total brutes. There's a shallower curve than the previous 80-inch model for improved performance, optimized quad suspension for greater movement, and "advanced" materials for noise-free operation. The cabinets have been redesigned too, with a reported boost to the low-end frequency response and improved damping to reduce resonance.

The price is firmly in the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" territory and hasn't been officially announced, but the 80 Sub was well into six figures.

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• 14 ex-Huawei workers have been sentenced to jail over secret theft
• Former engineers went on to work at Wi-Fi chip startup Zunpai
• Huawei has been on both sides of the IP legal fence

A Shanghai court has sentenced 14 former Huawei employees to jail for stealing chip-related business secrets, sending ripples across the industry not just in China but also globally.

The employees worked for Zunpai Communication Technology – a startup founded be engineers from HiSilicon, a Huawei unit.

The court issued jail terms of up to six years and imposed further financial penalties in a July 28 ruling which landed in Huawei's favor.

Shanghai court jails former Huawei engineers over secret stealing

After leaving Huawei in 2019, Zhang Kun, a former researcher at HiSilicon, founded Zunpai in 2021 and hired former coworkers. The startup was accused of using proprietary information by Huawei, despite the fact that the company developed Wi-Fi communication chips.

According to court documents from August 2023, the Huawei subsidiary requested that the Shanghai Intellectual Property court freeze assets under Zunpai and its subsidiaries valued at 95 million yuan.

The court's decision has not been made public online, and Huawei has not made any public remarks regarding the case. According to a South China Morning Post report, the engineers may still have grounds to challenge the decision.

More broadly, it reflect a growing commitment in China toward protecting IP, with China's Supreme People's Procuratorate stating that 21,000 people were criminally prosecuted for IP crimes in 2024 alone, including a nine-year sentence for criminal copyright infringement of Lego bricks (via National Law Review).

For Huawai, though, it represents a reversal of roles. In 2019, the Shenzhen tech giant was indicted on ten counts of stealing Western technology, attempting to steal secrets, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice.

TechRadar Pro has contacted Huawei for a comment, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• From mid-July 2025, there's been an uptick in malicious logins
• Researchers speculate criminals found a zero-day
• Users are advised to strengthen their cybersecurity posture

There is a chance SonicWall SSL VPN devices are carrying a zero-day vulnerability that Akira’s cybercriminals discovered, and are now using in the wild.

As of mid-July this year, cybersecurity researchers Arctic Wolf Labs observed an uptick in malicious logins, all coming through SonicWall SSL VPN instances. Since some of the endpoints were fully patched at the time of the intrusion, the researchers speculate that they might contain a zero-day flaw.

However, they haven’t ruled out the possibility that the attackers just obtained a set of active login credentials from somewhere and used them to gain access.

On the FBI's radar

In any case, organizations that suffered these malicious logins also got infected with the Akira ransomware soon after.

"A short interval was observed between initial SSL VPN account access and ransomware encryption," the researchers explained. "In contrast with legitimate VPN logins which typically originate from networks operated by broadband internet service providers, ransomware groups often use Virtual Private Server hosting for VPN authentication in compromised environments."

Until SonicWall comes forward with a patch, or at least an explanation, businesses using these VPNs are advised to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), delete inactive and unused firewall accounts, and make sure their passwords are fresh, strong, and unique.

Akira is a ransomware strain that first appeared in March 2023, targeting businesses across various sectors. It is known for gaining the initial foothold through compromised VPN credentials and exposed services.

The group targets both Windows and Linux systems, and is known for dismantling backups to hinder recovery. As of mid-2025, Akira has been responsible for attacks on hundreds of organizations globally, including Stanford University, Nissan Australia, and Tietoevry. The group usually directs its victims to contact them via a Tor-based website.

The FBI and CISA have issued warnings about its activity, urging organizations to implement stronger network defenses and multifactor authentication.

Via The Hacker News

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Bluehost WonderSuite is an AI platform that makes it easier to build websites on WordPress.org's open-source CMS. It offers a compelling alternative for those who find traditional WordPress sites too complex to manage, but still want to benefit from its flexbility.

We have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ of the best website builders. While it's true that Wix remains our top pick for 2025, Bluehost's revamped website builder deserves serious consideration among WordPress users.

In this guide, we run through everything you need to know about Bluehost's dedicated AI website builder.

Bluehost WonderSuite: 2-minute review

Bluehost WonderSuite is an AI-powered tool that simplifies creating WordPress websites. It combines several smart tools to guide users from setup to design and content creation. We found the onboarding experience very helpful. It collects your information upfront and uses it throughout your site.

Since 2003, Bluehost has been a trusted web hosting provider powering over 2 million websites. As one of the few hosting companies recommended by WordPress.org, the company used its expertise to create this solution. WonderSuite comes with all Bluehost WordPress hosting plans, making it accessible for beginners and small businesses.

During testing, we liked how WonderSuite’s AI guidance reduced common frustrations in WordPress site building. The drag-and-drop interface and pre-designed templates let you create a professional website in minutes, with no coding skills needed. The AI assistant offers help right when you need it, so you don’t have to search for answers.

However, we noticed some limitations. While WonderSuite makes WordPress easier to use, it offers fewer template options than some dedicated builders. Also, some users report inconsistent customer support, which can be frustrating when you need assistance. Overall, WonderSuite is a big step in making WordPress more accessible for beginners while keeping its powerful features.

What is Bluehost WonderSuite?

Bluehost WonderSuite is like a friendly helper for creating a WordPress website. It’s perfect for beginners who have never built one before. This toolset uses AI to make WordPress, a sometimes tricky platform, much easier to use.

Think of WonderSuite as your personal website assistant. It asks questions about your site and uses your answers to build it for you. For instance, when you enter your social media links during setup, WonderSuite adds them to your website and optimizes them for search engines. It takes care of almost every technical task, so you don’t have to worry.

The suite is a combination of different tools: WonderStart guides you through setup, WonderTheme offers customizable designs, WonderBlocks provides ready-made content sections for your pages, and WonderHelp gives AI-powered support when you need it. Together, these tools simplify the complex process of building and maintaining a WordPress site from scratch.

Features

Bluehost WonderSuite offers many features that simplify WordPress for beginners while keeping its powerful capabilities. (Image credit: Bluehost)

Bluehost WonderSuite offers many features that simplify WordPress for beginners while keeping its powerful capabilities. The suite combines AI guidance with easy design tools, making WordPress more approachable. It smartly uses information gathered during onboarding for various site tasks, like search engine optimization and social media integration.

This feature set is aimed at small to medium businesses, bloggers, and entrepreneurs who want WordPress's flexibility without a steep learning curve. We were impressed by how WonderSuite connects complex WordPress functions with user-friendly website builders, making it accessible for beginners. AI assistance gives help right when you need it, so you don’t have to search for answers.

While the platform performs its main features well, we noticed some limits in template options compared to website builders like Wix. The customer support experience can be inconsistent, which may frustrate users needing help. We also wished for more advanced AI content generation tools, although Bluehost is reportedly developing WonderAssist for this purpose.

With pricing starting at just $1.99 per month for the Basic plan, the value is strong. WonderSuite comes with all Bluehost WordPress hosting plans at no extra cost, making it a great choice for beginners and small businesses. The ecommerce features in the premium plans ($7.45/month) offer good value for online stores, with WonderCart providing extensive sales and promotional tools.

Tools

WonderTheme is a flexible, block-based WordPress theme created by YITH. It serves as the base for your website design. (Image credit: Bluehost)

Bluehost WonderSuite offers powerful tools for building WordPress websites. Each tool focuses on a part of the website creation process, from setup to management and optimization. Here are the key tools in this suite:

WonderStart

WonderStart offers a personalized onboarding experience that speeds up website creation through smart data collection. It asks specific questions about your website goals and preferences. This information is then used during other stages of building your site. For example, if you enter social media handles during setup, WonderStart optimizes them for SEO and adds them to your site's social buttons. This saves you from entering the same information multiple times across different sections.

WonderTheme

WonderTheme is a flexible, block-based WordPress theme created by YITH. It serves as the base for your website design. The drag-and-drop builder lets you create beautiful, customized websites without needing coding skills. It provides pre-set theme styles, color palettes, font options, and various header and menu layouts to build your brand identity. The theme works well with WordPress’s full-site editing, giving you a true WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) experience to design your site in real-time.

WonderBlocks

WonderBlocks features a rich library of block patterns and page templates filled with images and suggested text based on your inputs from WonderStart. These pre-designed sections can be easily dragged and dropped onto your pages. This makes it easy to create visually appealing layouts without design skills. The patterns and templates fit your website’s purpose and can be customized to match your style. This tool speeds up page creation while ensuring a professional look.

WonderHelp

WonderHelp is an AI-driven guide that supports users throughout their WordPress site-building journey. Instead of searching external sites for WordPress questions, WonderHelp offers step-by-step guides within the site builder. This helps users tackle common challenges and learn WordPress features without leaving their dashboard. The AI assistant guides users on tasks from creating blog posts to optimizing pages, making it a great resource for beginners facing WordPress's complexities.

WonderCart

WonderCart is a unique ecommerce tool designed for online store owners who want to boost sales with advanced marketing features. It's part of Bluehost's Online Store packages and combines cross-selling and upselling in one solution. The sales and promotions section stands out, letting users create campaigns like product discounts and free shipping easily. WonderCart also simplifies payment processing, supporting multiple providers like PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. It removes the need for separate plugins to handle different parts of your online store.

Ease of use

WonderSuite's clean interface doesn’t overwhelm new users with choices. (Image credit: Bluehost)

Bluehost WonderSuite makes WordPress easy for beginners. The modern, clean interface doesn’t overwhelm new users with choices. During testing, we noticed the onboarding process was smooth. WonderStart asks questions about your website goals and tailors the experience based on your answers. This cuts out many technical decisions that can confuse beginners.

The learning curve is much easier than traditional WordPress. Instead of the usual dashboard filled with menus, users go through a step-by-step visual guide. The AI-powered help offers support right when you need it. For example, if you want to create a blog, WonderHelp gives specific instructions in the builder instead of sending you to outside documents. This keeps users focused on building their site rather than tackling complex systems.

The drag-and-drop feature works well across the platform. Users can easily customize layouts without needing to code. WonderBlocks makes adding elements like hero sections and testimonials as easy as clicking and dragging, speeding up the design process. Even those with no website experience can create professional-looking pages in minutes, thanks to the intuitive WYSIWYG editor that shows real-time changes.

Accessibility is a key focus in the design. The interface has clear visual hierarchies and simple navigation paths. It balances simplicity and functionality well, removing unnecessary complexity while still providing access to WordPress's powerful features.

However, WonderSuite uses Yoast's open-source React component library for its interface. This creates a consistent design that differs from the standard WordPress admin. While some users might find the switch between WonderSuite’s interface and other WordPress parts jarring, this visual style helps new users see which parts belong to the new platform versus standard WordPress.

Pricing

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Renewal rate (paid annually)

Basic

$2.95/mo

$11.99/mo

Choice Plus

$3.95/mo

$15.99/mo

Pro

$13.95/mo

$28.99/mo

You can save on your Bluehost subscription by checking out our list of the best Bluehost promo codes.

Bluehost WonderSuite is part of all Bluehost WordPress hosting plans. (Image credit: Bluehost)

Pricing and plans explained

Bluehost WonderSuite is part of all Bluehost WordPress hosting plans, so it doesn't add any extra costs to your existing subscription. The Basic plan starts at $2.95 per month (renewing at $11.99/month). It includes WonderSuite, a free domain for one year, a free SSL certificate, and 10GB of storage. This plan is great for personal blogs or simple business sites.

For more resources, the Choice Plus plan costs $3.95/month (renewing at $15.99/month). It offers 20GB of storage and allows unlimited websites. Next is the Pro plan at $13.95/month (renewing at $28.99/month).

All plans have promotional pricing for the first term, with rates increasing upon renewal. This practice is common in web hosting but can lead to high renewal rates, sometimes more than five times the introductory price. If you’re sure about staying with the platform, consider a longer initial term of 12 to 36 months to save more.

Overall, Bluehost WonderSuite's pricing is competitive in the WordPress hosting market. The AI-powered tools it offers simplify the website-building process. Including WonderSuite at no extra cost across all plans makes it appealing for beginners. It provides WordPress’s flexibility without the usual learning curve or the need for multiple premium plugins.

Security

While Bluehost has solid basic security, advanced features like daily backups cost extra. (Image credit: Bluehost)

Bluehost's products all benefit from strong security measures. It offers free SSL certificates on all plans. This ensures encrypted connections between visitors and your website. During testing, we liked the automatic WordPress core updates. These updates help keep sites secure without needing manual work. They protect against known vulnerabilities. Higher-tier plans also include SiteLock Lite, which offers basic malware scanning and removal.

While Bluehost has solid basic security, advanced features like daily backups cost extra. Users must upgrade to higher-tier plans for these options. The company has SOC 2 Type II certification for its data centers. This shows compliance with strict security standards to protect customer data. For added protection, Bluehost offers CodeGuard as an add-on service for $2.99/month. It provides daily automated backups and one-click restoration, making it a smart choice for business websites where data loss can be costly.

Customer support

Bluehost also has a large knowledge base with tutorials, guides, and FAQs on WonderSuite. (Image credit: Bluehost)

Bluehost provides 24/7 customer support on all plans through live chat, phone, and email. In our tests, the support team showed good knowledge of WonderSuite's features. However, response times varied based on the time of day and the complexity of our questions. Live chat was the fastest for quick issues, connecting us with an agent in 5-10 minutes. Phone support sometimes had longer wait times during busy hours.

The WonderHelp tool acts as a first line of support, offering guidance that often removes the need for customer service. We found this AI assistant very useful for common WordPress and WonderSuite questions. Bluehost also has a large knowledge base with tutorials, guides, and FAQs on WonderSuite, which helped with self-guided troubleshooting.

One downside is that some users have reported mixed experiences with Bluehost's support, especially during busy times. While our interactions were mostly positive, we noted that some technical issues needed escalation to specialized teams, which could delay resolutions. Users that may need extensive support might find better value in higher-tier plans, as they receive priority assistance compared to Basic plan subscribers.

Alternatives

In the website builder market, Bluehost WonderSuite sits somewhere between WordPress hosting solutions like DreamHost and all-in-one website builders like Wix. It's great for small to medium businesses, bloggers, and entrepreneurs seeking WordPress's flexibility without the usual learning curve. If you want to build a WordPress site with little technical hassle, WonderSuite offers a strong package that few competitors match.

The main competitors to Bluehost WonderSuite are WordPress-focused hosts like SiteGround, DreamHost, and Hostinger. Hostinger even offers a competing website building solution. However, Bluehost's AI-powered approach with WonderSuite gives a more guided experience, especially helpful for beginners. If you're considering WP Engine, Bluehost offers a more budget-friendly option with similar WordPress features.

Bluehost and Hostinger are also fairly comparable in price. Both with introductory rates starting around $3/mo with a jump to around $12 a month after that. We would recommend checking out both options before making a decision.

If you're open to options beyond WordPress, Wix is our top pick for 2025. It’s a comprehensive website builder with its own AI tools. Wix has more design flexibility and a larger template library, but you lose some ownership and portability benefits that come with an open-source platform. Squarespace is another worthy alternative, especially if you want a website builder that is going to help your site really stand out from the screen. We have created a full Bluehost website builder vs Squarespace comparison so you can learn more.

For those starting their online journey and prioritizing simplicity, WonderSuite offers a good mix of ease and the long-term benefits of WordPress. Its AI-guided approach lowers many barriers while providing a website that can grow with your needs. This is unlike some limited website builders that may force you to start over as your requirements change.

Bluehost website builder: Summary

Bluehost WonderSuite makes WordPress easy and accessible with its AI tools and guided help. Our tests showed it connects WordPress's power with the ease of dedicated website builders. There are some limits in template choices and customer support, but the overall value is strong. This is especially true for beginners and small businesses that want WordPress's flexibility without a steep learning curve.

WonderSuite is included at no extra cost in all Bluehost WordPress hosting plans. This makes it a great choice for anyone wanting to create a professional website without coding skills. For those who want WordPress without its usual complexities, WonderSuite offers a smooth path to getting online.

Looking for an alternative AI powered website builder? Check out our best AI website builders.

Bluehost WonderSuite: FAQsHow is Bluehost different from WordPress?

When it comes to the difference between WordPress and Bluehost, the answer is pretty simple. Bluehost is a web hosting provider that offers website builder capabilities, while WordPress is a fully hosted content management system (CMS).

Do I get an SSL with my Bluehost website?

Yes, Bluehost offers a free SSL certificate on all of its hosting/website builder plans. This will help boost site security and increase overall trust in your website from users.

Is Bluehost website builder any good?

We found Bluehost to be a very useful website builder for those looking to create a WordPress website and have no clue where to begin or how to do it. You can create any type of website with Bluehost, from a portfolio site to an ecommerce store.

Is Bluehost's website builder good for beginners?

The short answer is yes. Bluehost is a popular choice for beginnings starting out their online journey. The tool includes 24/7 customer support, promises 99.9% uptime and has 1-click WordPress install, which will enable beginners to build their website with ease.

Is Bluehost billed monthly or annually?

Unfortunately, Bluehost doesn't offer monthly payment options for its cheap shared hosting or managed WordPress hosting. However, you can choose month-to-month billing with Bluehost's VPS or dedicated hosting plans.

For Bluehost's website builder plans, you have the option to commit to 12 months or 36 months.

Do I get a free domain with Bluehost?

Yes, you get a free domain for the first year with Bluehost. However, after that year it will renew at an additional cost. The renewal cost can sometimes come at a premium, making it more expensive over the long term than opting for an independent domain registrar.

It is important to monitor potential renewal costs when picking your domain to ensure it remains affordable over time.

What email does Bluehost use?

Bluehost offers the same three individual webmail clients you will see on most mainstream web hosting providers: Roundcube, Horde, and SquirrelMail.

Is Bluehost’s website builder secure?

Yes, Bluehost offers a good level of security as a hosting and website builder provider. When you pick Bluehost you get a free SSL certificate, malware scanning, and automatic backups, giving you peace of mind that your website is secure.

Bluehost also offers SiteLock for additional protection. This platform will scan your website every day to identify potential vulnerabilities and protect against threats.

Is Bluehost good for blogging?

Bluehost is great for bloggers because of its simplicity, great support and excellent interface. You can quite literally have your blog up and running in minutes. Bluehost is also the recommended web hosting provider by WordPress, a top quality blogging platform.

Does Bluehost offer refunds?

You can cancel your hosting plan within the first 30 days for a full refund, and if you cancel within 30 days, you receive a full refund on your hosting service only. The money-back guarantee does not apply to most add-on products, such as domains, given the unique nature of their costs.

Do I own my domain name with Bluehost?

You can register new domain names and transfer domains you already own right inside your Bluehost account. Please note that once you have registered a domain name with Bluehost, it cannot be cancelled for a refund.

We live in a time of great flux, and, true to form, the cybersecurity industry keeps growing in complexity and scope. The AI revolution of the past 2 years has seen many enterprises scrambling to equip security leaders with the tools required to combat an increasingly borderless attack surface, not to mention growing governance and regulatory requirements demanding significant attention.

Few would envy CISOs faced with these circumstances. Still, while change can be challenging to navigate, the current security climate feels like the perfect time to embrace measures that will improve software quality and reduce risk for years to come.

I work with some of the most talented, resilient security professionals on the planet, and many of them are reinforcing their security programs to flex with the contemporary threat landscape, with their development cohorts positioned as the heart of risk reduction and vulnerability elimination.

Here is what they do differently, time and time again.

Developers have precision guidance and the right tools to prioritize security

One aspect of cybersecurity rarely discussed in depth, is the notion that code-level vulnerabilities are, at their core, a human-driven issue. They are so often perpetuated by poor coding patterns and bad habits that developers have picked up throughout their careers, and these shortcuts can have devastating consequences

Make no mistake: The blame does not lie with the development teams in any organization; it is indeed the fault of the industry as a whole, and our lack of suitable response to their upskilling need.

Bug bounties and security champion programs do go some way in creating security culture pillars within an enterprise, but this is rarely enough on its own. Every day I work with CISOs who are rising above the status quo, and they prioritize an approach that takes developers on the security journey, typically with executive buy-in for these internal programs.

Their developers thrive in an environment where Just-in-Time, relevant learning pathways are emphasized, as are tools complementary to their tech stacks. This helps to break down the significant barriers developers face in contributing meaningfully to organizational security goals, and paves the way for fair security-related KPI outcomes, as well.

They are assessed on security readiness and incentivized to improve

It is rather alarming that today, we live in a world that is essentially powered by software. The recent CrowdStrike outage proved just how easily a bug can bring critical infrastructure to its knees. Despite this, developers do not have a formal security certification or verification process that clears them to work on these vital and often precarious systems the same way an architect or mechanical engineer might.

Security leaders within organizations that are committing to a higher standard of software security resilience are taking steps not just to upskill the development cohort but routinely assess their security readiness. Perhaps a Java developer has proven themselves security-confident, but they want to be deployed on a Ruby-on-Rails project, where the skills may not necessarily translate.

A modernized security program can assess the individual, identify knowledge gaps, and pair that developer with the upskilling required to be successful, ultimately allowing them to expand their career horizons on the job, leading to higher job satisfaction and better security outcomes.

We must get to a place where data-driven insights inform rapid, high-impact company decisions; after all, the cybersecurity industry doesn’t sleep, and threat actors already have an unfair advantage over security leaders struggling with everything from the skills shortage to code monoliths that are an increasing burden within the codebase.

There is an organization-wide focus on software security and quality

One of the biggest pushes towards higher software security standards has come from CISA’s Secure-by-Design guidelines. This global movement was formed across multiple world governments, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany.

These guidelines promote the importance of shipping secure software from the start, and seek to establish ultimate ownership of security with software vendors, as opposed to their end-users. This is a significant break from the status quo, but, if executed well, it will assist in reducing cyber risk across the board.

The best security leaders are heeding this call, and pledging their commitment to higher software standards. For most enterprises, success will require a cultural shift that prioritizes role-based security awareness, and ongoing, hands-on support for the development cohort. However, there is no better time to get serious about uplifting internal security programs, and the sooner we do, the sooner we can point to meaningful improvements.

We've featured the best encryption software.

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

• Attackers can build bigger campaigns faster with generative AI
• They're also attacking enterprise agentic AI tools
• Humans are still a major weak point

New research from CrowdStrike confirms that hackers are exploiting AI to help them deliver more aggressive attacks in less time, with the tech also democratizing lesser-skilled hackers to more advanced code.

However, besides this, they're also exploiting the same AI systems that are being used by enterprises – according to CrowdStrike, hackers are targeting the tools used to build AI agents, allowing them to gain access, steal credentials, and deploy malware.

CrowdStrike is most worried about agentic AI systems, suggesting that they've now become a "core part of the enterprise attack surface."

Attackers are honing in on enterprise AI

The security company says it observed "multiple" hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the tools used to build AI agents, which marks a major shift from patterns of old. Until now, humans have almost always been the primary entry point into a company, but now, CrowdStrike is worried that "autonomous workflows and non-human identities [are] the next frontier of adversary exploitation."

"We’re seeing threat actors use GenAI to scale social engineering, accelerate operations, and lower the barrier to entry for hands-on-keyboard intrusions," Head of Counter Adversary Operations Adam Meyers explained.

Funklocker and SparkCat are two examples of GenAI-built malware in the real world, while DPRK-nexus Famous Chollima has also been observed using generative AI to automate its insider attack program across all phases. Scattered Spider, a group believed to consist of UK and US nationals, even managed to deploy ransomware within 24 hours of accessing systems.

"Adversaries are treating these agents like infrastructure, attacking them the same way they target SaaS platforms, cloud consoles, and privileged accounts," Meyers added.

Still, even though technologies like AI are playing an increasing role in speeding up attacks, CrowdStrike found that four in five (81%) interactive intrusions were malware-free – relying on human hands on keyboards to stay undetected.

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There’s growing interest in making AI more practical, especially through techniques like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). And it’s not just AI developers or enterprise tech teams who see the value. Anyone working with large volumes of information benefits from systems that quickly surface the right reference points.

By retrieving real, relevant information, RAG helps AI stay accurate, current, and context-aware. AWS, for example, highlights RAG as a key way to enrich GenAI with the latest research, data, and updates.

There’s a lot of potential here. But from a mainstream business perspective, even the most advanced RAG-powered systems are often disconnected from the true core of enterprise knowledge: internal documents, workflows, and operational content.

To be truly enterprise-grade, AI must connect directly to the materials that power day-to-day work—contracts, invoices, business reports, onboarding docs, customer records. In other words: your document management (DM) platform.

Analyst momentum

Industry leaders agree that robust document management is foundational for successful enterprise GenAI. Gartner recently noted that GenAI outcomes rely on “relevant, high-quality, and secure information for grounding,” all of which hinge on strong enterprise content foundations.

Bain & Company echoed the point at Nvidia’s 2025 AI Developer Conference, declaring that in every successful AI deployment, “data remains the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity.” The message is clear: without enterprise-grade content, there is no enterprise-grade AI.

Anyone familiar with enterprise content management (ECM) won’t be surprised. While much of the GenAI conversation focuses on model selection, the real game-changer lies in the data layer—and increasingly, document management is the backbone of that layer.

Modern document management isn’t just about storing or indexing files. It’s about maintaining a live, contextualized, and navigable knowledge graph of an organization’s operational memory. Enterprises have long archived, tagged, and secured content—but today, the documents themselves are more dynamic, and the tools interpreting them are more intelligent and deeply integrated.

Modern DM lets the AI query your data

That’s because modern business documents can be structured or semi-structured or unstructured, come in multiple formats, and are scattered across diverse systems like ERP, CRM, legal systems, HR systems and email platforms. This complexity demands smarter, more connected approaches to unlock their true value.

This is exactly where AI shines, but only if your documents are accessible, integrated, and well-managed. Strong document management isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation for successful and responsible GenAI deployment.

Techniques like RAG deliver the most value when paired with a robust document management system. In fact, RAG is at its most powerful when layered with metadata search, giving users a precise way to drill into their organization’s information space.

No large language model (LLM) is trained on your company’s unique documents, so it can’t deliver truly domain-specific answers on its own. But when you pair RAG with a modern document management platform, AI can query your internal data directly, cite the exact sources, and explain how it arrived at its conclusions. That’s something generic ChatGPT-style systems simply can’t do.

Better context through DM

That’s because RAG combines the generative power of an LLM with real, enterprise-specific data; in this case, your documents, to create a “superhuman search.” Instead of relying solely on pre-trained knowledge, RAG retrieves relevant content from your own knowledge base and injects it into the AI’s response in real time.

The result? Sharper accuracy, fewer hallucinations, and, most importantly, answers grounded in your business reality, not internet generalities. The more organized, contextualized, and accessible your enterprise content is, the more effective your RAG implementation will be. But that value only materializes if your documents are in good shape to begin with.

That’s why mature document management is essential. Rather than chasing monolithic AI platforms, leading enterprises are building modular AI pipelines—combining various AI algorithms for intelligent document understanding with document intelligence, document automation, document collaboration and of course, RAG—anchored by a strong document management foundation.

In this model, document management isn’t a back-office utility. It’s what enables the shift to this superhuman search, where any business user can ask, What are the payment terms on our top five vendor contracts from last year? and get a precise, contextualized answer in seconds.

But none of this works without good data. And in today’s enterprise, that starts with good document management.

AI isn’t wizardry—it depends on strong content foundations. It can’t fix what’s disorganized or hidden. But with the right structure in place, techniques like RAG unlock real value, turning static files into dynamic, intelligent conversations.

In today’s information-saturated world, the ability to transform enterprise content into intelligent conversation is what enables AI to deliver real strategic advantage.

We've featured the best document scanning app.

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

Lyft recently entered the European market with its acquisition of Freenow.

An AI Accelerator is a deep learning or neural processor created specifically for inference and to improve the performance of an AI task. While Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are the most common type, other specialized accelerators include Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Data Processing Units (DPUs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs).

With so many acronyms to remember (and even more accelerator types left unnamed), we will focus on GPUs because their highly parallel architecture makes them incredibly versatile for a wide range of AI workloads.

GPU acceleration

GPUs are an in-demand commodity throughout the IT industry. Manufacturers like NVIDIA and AMD are powering the world's insatiable appetite for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.

An AI GPU accelerator is responsible for making hundreds of thousands of calculations in parallel, and it's used in every facet of AI, large language models (LLMs), data analytics, and high-performance computing.

Such widespread adoption not only highlights their critical role in advancing modern technology but also explains why GPU demand continues to outpace supply. This leads us to a crucial question: Can your cloud hosting provider truly deliver the AI GPU hosting you need? Let's dive into what that really means with 5 things you need to know.

1: Pick the GPU your workload requires

This might sound like common sense, but it’s important to understand the GPU accelerator hardware available from your hosting provider. GPUs are not created equal; they vary massively in specification and capability.

It's important to know what VRAM does, what tensor cores are, and what an NVLink interconnect does; otherwise, it's very easy to overspec and overpay for GPU resources if you don't understand exactly what's needed.

Understand your workload: Do you want to train your own AI model, use private LLMs, or perhaps need a chatbot application? Different AI tasks require different GPU specifications.

Understand data size and IO: AI models are typically trained on huge datasets, so you need a GPU that can process data at a good rate, and you need underlying storage, ideally NVMe SSDs that can keep up to prevent bottlenecks.

Consider future scalability: Ask yourself: Will your AI project grow? You need a hosting provider that can grow with you because you may need a bigger server (more memory, faster CPU) in the near future.

Get developer feedback when choosing a framework: Does the hosting environment support your preferred framework tools out of the box? Ask your devs what they want to use; popular AI frameworks include TensorFlow, PyTorch, and JAX.

2: Choose a provider with the necessary hardware platform

GPUs are very important for AI workloads, but it's also important to consider the underlying hardware and ensure that it's fit for purpose. Network architecture and interconnects are critical for maximizing the performance of AI accelerators when hosted in the cloud.

Don't forget the importance of CPUs: CPUs are still critical for AI as they control the throughput of data to all aspects of the cloud platform. You need a provider that uses the latest CPU architectures, such as Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC, and examines the number and the speed of the CPU cores.

Go beyond high-speed networking: Fiber-optic connected networking is essential for AI platforms to function with low latency. There are 3 types of networking commonly deployed:

InfiniBand provides very low-latency and high-bandwidth communication between nodes (servers) containing GPUs. This is ideal for large-scale distributed AI clusters.

NVLink is NVIDIA's high-speed interconnect for direct GPU-to-GPU communication within a single server. It's needed for multi-GPU setups and is great for preventing bottlenecks.

High-Bandwidth Ethernet (e.g., 100GbE+) offers affordable performance for distributed AI and high-performance storage.

Latency: The ultimate goal is to choose the best hardware that will achieve the lowest latency. This is crucial because rapid GPU IO prevents bottlenecks and improves efficiency.

3: Embedded cloud AI ecosystem

One major benefit of GPU hosting is the fact that it's easy to integrate with existing services from a provider. Pick managed services that work for you. Popular integrations include hooking into cloud storage layers, picking managed security services, and backups.

If you are a business, server management options are a great way to ensure optimal performance and uptime, letting you focus on developing your AI application whilst the provider manages the underlying infrastructure, load balancing, MFA, Antivirus, Intrusion Prevention, and DDoS Protection behind the scenes.

4: Cost optimization

It's essential to keep on top of your operational expenditure, especially when using GPU accelerators. Costs can spiral if you make inefficient deployment decisions, overspecify your server requirements, or leave resources running idle around the clock. Costs vary significantly, so shop around and pick a provider that offers the hardware you need for a cost that is sustainable.

Cloud GPU hosting is the way forward (unless you can afford about $40,000 for a decent-spec GPU), do not forget about all the cooling and power requirements too. Remember to optimize your instance sizing, monitor and turn off idle resources, and take advantage of multi-instance GPU capabilities, where providers essentially slice up a GPU into smaller and very affordable partitions.

5: Support, reliability, and compliance

These factors underline a provider's ability to deliver GPU hosting that meets the needs of modern business. You may run into blockers or issues that could prevent you from releasing on schedule. Having 24x7x365 support skilled in AI/ML available for when things go wrong is vital to business continuity.

Look for strong uptime guarantees and providers that back up their claims with service credits if the unexpected happens. They should also demonstrate proven redundancy capabilities, disaster recovery, and a proactive approach to monitoring to safeguard your expensive GPU operations.

Beyond that, ensure your chosen provider meets all necessary compliance standards for your industry, whether it's GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2. Understand where your data will reside and confirm the provider has strong security controls like encryption and proper access management in place. Finally, always clarify the shared responsibility model so you know exactly what security aspects the provider handles versus what falls to you.

Key takeaways

Choosing the right cloud GPU hosting means looking beyond just raw power. It's about picking a provider that meets your specific requirements, delivers strong, flexible server infrastructure, and offers comprehensive tools for integration.

By optimizing costs and prioritizing critical areas like expert support, reliability, and adherence to compliance standards, you ensure your operations run efficiently and without unexpected hitches.

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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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, August 4 (game #1288).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1289) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1289) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1289) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1289) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1289) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• S

• A

• B

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1289) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1289, are…

• ROAST
• SLICK
• AUDIT
• BILLY

I made a right mess of things today, only just escaping with a last gasp guess of BILLY – not that I had any other possibilities left.

I’d not heard of it before, but a billy is a kind of can or pot.

Daily Sequence today (game #1289) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1289, are…

• TAROT
• STEEP
• SLEEP
• SHORN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY
• Quordle #1283, Wednesday, 30 July: DEBAR, ADMIN, FOLIO, USAGE
• Quordle #1282, Tuesday, 29 July: BATCH, TOPIC, MURKY, BUNCH
• Quordle #1281, Monday, 28 July: CANDY, TRYST, SHIRT, FORGO
• Quordle #1280, Sunday, 27 July: TRAWL, BALER, PIANO, MINCE
• Quordle #1279, Saturday, 26 July: MUDDY, SAINT, KINKY, POLAR
• Quordle #1278, Friday, 25 July: BONUS, RESIN, CEDAR, MADAM
• Quordle #1277, Thursday, 24 July: AGONY, VERVE, GLEAN, MINUS
• Quordle #1276, Wednesday, 23 July: OZONE, PENCE, ROOMY, WIDER
• Quordle #1275, Tuesday, 22 July: OPTIC, GIDDY, VOCAL, ADULT
• Quordle #1274, Monday, 21 July: KNEED, SNAIL, PINTO, FEAST
• Quordle #1273, Sunday, 20 July: GRACE, COUNT, EGRET, GIANT
• Quordle #1272, Saturday, 19 July: EARLY, CLICK, TRITE, SPREE
• Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
• Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, August 4 (game #785).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #786) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DRESS
• SCARF
• SUBWAY
• GRATE
• PIPE
• TUBE
• CUBE
• ZIP
• HEALTH
• CARROT
• UNDERGROUND
• SECRET
• METRO
• MINCE
• COAL
• SLICE

NYT Connections today (game #786) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Urban trains
• GREEN: Veg reduction 
• BLUE: The weather outside is frightful 
• PURPLE: Password 

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #786) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: SUBTERRANEAN TRANSIT 
• GREEN: MAKE INTO SMALLER PIECES WHILE COOKING 
• BLUE: USED TO DECORATE A SNOWMAN 
• PURPLE: CODE 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #786) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #786, are…

• YELLOW: SUBTERRANEAN TRANSIT METRO, SUBWAY, TUBE, UNDERGROUND
• GREEN: MAKE INTO SMALLER PIECES WHILE COOKING CUBE, GRATE, MINCE, SLICE
• BLUE: USED TO DECORATE A SNOWMAN CARROT, COAL, PIPE, SCARF
• PURPLE: CODE DRESS, HEALTH, SECRET, ZIP

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Did you know that if you were to lay all the track of the New York SUBWAY from end to end it would reach all the way to Chicago?

I know this because today’s Connections sent me down a Wikipedia rabbit hole looking at the world’s SUBTERRANEAN TRANSIT systems.

Anyway, I digress. This was a great game for me, as I completed it in color order and it made me feel smarter than I am.

This was mainly down to getting USED TO DECORATE A SNOWMAN – giving us this group in the middle of the summer is a bit sneaky, but seeing COAL and CARROT beside each other I knew what we were looking for.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, August 4, game #785)

• YELLOW: ARTHROPODS APHID, BEETLE, MITE, TICK
• GREEN: TREES BEECH, CEDAR, PINE, YEW
• BLUE: [LETTER] (IS) FOR __ APPLE, COOKIE, EFFORT, VENDETTA
• PURPLE: WORDS THAT SOUNDS LIKE TWO LETTERS DECAY, EASY, GEO, ZITI

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.