There's just a week and a bit to go until Apple unveils the iPhone 16 series, and a newly leaked image gives us an idea of the gold titanium color that's rumored to be coming to the Pro and Pro Max models this year.
The image was shared by 9to5Mac and created by an inside source who has been accurate with information in the past. The picture shows the back of an iPhone 16 Pro in a case, and we can also see a cut out for the new Capture button we're expecting to see.
Several previous rumors have hinted at this new color, though there's been some debate about exactly what shade of gold it's going to be, and the official name Apple is going to use for it: gold? Brown? Bronze? Desert?
It will be a single word followed by Titanium to match the other colors, and here 9to5Mac goes with gold. It's set to replace the Blue Titanium option we saw with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which launched in 2023.
Going for gold... again
The September 9 Apple event invitation(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
If this gold shade does show up on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, then it would actually be an old color returning – gold has been available each year on at least some iPhone models since the iPhone XS in 2018, with the exception of the iPhone 15 series.
So the four colors we're expecting for the Pro and Pro Max in 2024 are these: Natural (or Gray) Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium, and Desert Titanium (remember titanium was introduced as a material on the Pro-level iPhones last year).
However, nothing is certain until Apple CEO Tim Cook is telling us what the colors are in another polished video presentation – we've also heard rumors of a rose color, as well as plenty of leaks around the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus shades.
All will be revealed on Monday, September 9, and of course we'll be covering the whole event live – you can also watch along online. As well as the iPhone 16 models, we should also see the Apple Watch 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and the AirPods 4.
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Working from an office can be complicated at the best of things, and things look set to get more so with a new tool aimed at protecting scr...
Your IT department may one day control whether you can view your laptop screen or not — remote display permission features could become reality for business, for better or worse
Working from an office can be complicated at the best of things, and things look set to get more so with a new tool aimed at protecting screens from unwanted eyeballs of all kinds.
Laptop Switchable Privacy from Rain Technology is aimed at so-called Tier 1 manufacturers like Apple, Dell, HP, Huawei and Lenovo, and looks to protect screens against hackers and people snooping, especially in vulnerable settings like cafes, planes, trains, subways and taxis.
Of course, LSP also works within the office and at home - Rain Technology is targeting enterprise IT departments, which would gain the ability to effectively control who can see a laptop's display and who can't, all with the click of a button (or a few buttons).
Beyond software security
The company says its tool is available with a Share Mode and a Privacy Mode to set the angle and degree of privacy, depending on the specific needs of the customer.
“Manufacturers who utilize this technology will be providing the highest level of device data security on the market, building strong brand affinity and fostering trust and loyalty,” explained Rain Technology CEO Robert Ramsey.
“This is a winning proposition for both enterprises and consumers that prioritizes security and privacy and also benefits laptop, tablet and monitor manufacturers by providing differentiated, best-in-class security for their customers.”
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
A lot of the focus of enterprise IT departments goes to software security – and rightly so, especially as phishing emails and other types of hacks become more common. But there is another side to things: the actual physical device.
In recent years, we've seen Google and other companies share physical hardware keys to help with online log-ins and to ensure that people are who they say they are. And in some ways, Laptop Switchable Privacy is an extension of that mindset.
The company says that when a laptop screen is "secured", the only thing a potential hacker or snooper can see is metallic, black, or feature Display Screen Branding, which Rain Technology describes as an etched logo design.
In terms of the tech powering LSP, Rain says it holds the patent for "creating a thin, embedded proprietary layer within the liquid crystal module of a display screen", meaning that it goes beyond simply adding a software layer to laptops. At its peak, there can be as little as 0.3% screen visibility from a 45° viewing angle.
Rain says LSP is compatible with standard LCD displays, and plans to soon support OLED, Micro-LED and Nano-LED displays.
Bluetooth turntables have been getting more and more common over the last few years, so you might be wondering if it's a good idea to buy one. For a very long time, there have been two kinds of turntable. The first kind is the all-in-one, the record player that comes in a single unit that also contains an amplifier and speakers. And the second, much more common kind is the turntable you connect to other hi-fi hardware.
Until very recently that connection was made with a wire, but a growing number of manufacturers now offer wireless turntables that connect over Bluetooth, or adapters that enable you to make a wired turntable into a Bluetooth one – and several of the best turntables offer this option.
That opens up some interesting possibilities. Getting rid of wires is always appealing – I've just moved home and put off setting up my audio gear for ages because I was in no hurry to spend hours running cables over, under and through things – but Bluetooth turntables can also stream directly to the best Bluetooth speakers or the best wireless headphones. But is that a good idea, or is cable still the conqueror of connections? Let's find out.
Bluetooth vs wired turntables: what's the difference?
All turntables work in the same way: the record spins and a stylus follows the patterns in its grooves, turning those patterns into an electrical signal. But what happens to that signal differs between wired and Bluetooth turntables. With a traditional wired turntable, the signal is sent to the audio outputs of the turntable, which are in turn connected to a phono stage to boost the signal, and then to an amplifier. The amplifier then increases the signal strength further and sends it to your speakers or headphones.
With a Bluetooth turntable, the audio signal is passed on to a Bluetooth transmitter, which broadcasts the signal to another Bluetooth device. And doing that means it needs to process the signal, which we'll look at in more detail shortly.
This Bluetooth turntable can pair with these Bluetooth speakers for a setup where no cables need to be hidden.(Image credit: Audio-Technica)
Bluetooth vs wired turntables: convenience
On the face of it, Bluetooth is vastly more convenient: no cables! Smart speakers! But in order for Bluetooth to work, you need to "pair" your devices – which is when the device that's transmitting says hello to the device that's going to be receiving. And while that should work effortlessly and flawlessly, it doesn't always: if you have a particular Bluetooth speaker or headphones in mind, it's wise to Google whether there are any pairing issues with your potential new turntable, because there can be annoying and often mysterious incompatibilities. Pairing can also be annoying if you have multiple Bluetooth devices in the same room, or a regular irritation if you also use your speakers or headphones with other audio sources.
Another issue with Bluetooth, one that you may have encountered with headphones or earbuds, is sometimes the signal stutters or drops altogether. That doesn't happen with wires but it can happen even with quite expensive Bluetooth turntables, since there's the potential for intereference.
Bluetooth vs wired turntables: cost
Although adding Bluetooth to a turntable means more components and complexity that doesn't necessarily translate to a higher-priced turntable: you can get very cheap Bluetooth turntables as well as frighteningly expensive ones.
But with all other components being equal, a Bluetooth turntable will be slightly more expensive – and the better the circuitry, the more expensive it's likely to be.
The Cambridge Audio Alva TT is a high-end piece of gear – so does Bluetooth do it justice?(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)
Bluetooth vs wired turntables: sound
I've left the biggest one till last, because it's the most important one for some listeners. Bluetooth can't deliver music without losing some of the information that's on the original record.
Does that matter? That very much depends on your hardware and your priorities. If you're not listening on high-end hardware, or if you don't mind sacrificing a little sound quality for a lot of convenience, then it doesn't matter at all. And the differences are small unless you've got really good hearing and really good hardware too.
But nevertheless it's true that there is a trade-off between wireless convenience and sound quality. There are two reasons for that. The first is that your turntable's signal is analog, but Bluetooth's is digital. I'm absolutely not going to get dragged down into the analog vs digital argument that's been raging for decades now, but many people believe analog sounds better – or, at least, preferable.
The second reason is more objective: Bluetooth is lossy, which means that some of the original musical information is removed before the audio reaches your ears. That's because there is a limit to how much data Bluetooth can stream, so when the original audio signal is converted, it is also compressed to make it fit the available bandwidth.
The tool that decides what to keep and what to cut is called a codec, which is short for encoder/decoder. And the codec your turntable and speakers or headphones support will have a big influence on what you hear. That's because while all the main codecs convert and compress the audio information, some of them do it more efficiently and more pleasingly than others.
This topic can get very technical and very dull very quickly, so here's the key information: SBC is the most widely supported codec and sounds pretty good (it's the standard for Bluetooth headphones) but isn't as good as more recent codecs; aptX is better, and aptX HD and aptX Adaptive are better still but aren't so widely supported. If you're into Sony kit it's likely to support LDAC, Sony's own codec, which is a good alternative to aptX if your hardware supports it.
The Audio-Technica LP70XBT could be ideal for beginners.(Image credit: Audio-Technica)
Bluetooth vs wired turntables: which should you buy?
If convenience is your priority, or you want to listen on Bluetooth headphones, then Bluetooth is likely to make you happiest. If you're serious about sound quality, wired will usually be better. But why choose at all?
If you're starting from scratch you don't have to pick one or the other: you can get a turntable that offers the best of the wired and wireless worlds, and there are great options at most price points.
For example our current best budget buy, the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT (and there's a new version, called the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT) – has Bluetooth with aptX as well as wired connections for an amp (including its own phono stage, which you can switch off if you don't need it). It's a similar story with many more premium turntables (such as the Cambridge Audio Alva TT v2) where you'll typically pay a little more for wireless connectivity but you benefit from more playback options.
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This week Apple finally set a date for its iPhone launch (September 9 if you wanted to know), and players got their first taste of Call of ...
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from the Barbie flip phone to Black Ops 6 Beta
This week Apple finally set a date for its iPhone launch (September 9 if you wanted to know), and players got their first taste of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – and you could join them.
To help you get caught up to speed on these and the other biggest tech news stories of the week we've got this handy ICYMI roundup with details on them all, plus links to further reading if you want to know more.
Once you're caught up you'll be in a great place for the busy weeks we have ahead of us. Next week is IFA in Berlin (a massive tech show that we're flying out to so you can get the scoop on the best stuff shown off there) and of course the week after we'll be focused on Apple.
7. Apple just sent out invites for the iPhone 16 event
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
“It’s Glowtime”... well, almost.. Apple sent out invites for its upcoming event this week setting September 9 as the day we will almost certainly see the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max (assuming Apple doesn’t throw us an extreme curveball).
We’re also expecting Apple to treat us to new Apple Watches. Three have been rumored with the Apple Watch 10 (or maybe X if it copies iPhone), a new Apple Watch Ultra, and a plastic Apple Watch SE, which could really bring the price down.
The star of the show – which is being hinted at by the Siri-like glow of the invite’s emblem – will be Apple intelligence. Teased back at WWDC 2024, we should finally get a proper look at Apple’s AI solution, an area of tech it currently lags very far behind in compared to its rivals.
Every Call of Duty release is a monumental moment in the gaming calendar, and some players can get ahead of the game by joining the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 betas which are starting this weekend. Starting today, August 30, players can jump into the game ahead of its full release to get a taste of all the new weapons and the much-hyped Omnimovement - Black Ops 6's new revamped player movement feature.
In terms of what players can expect, the Black Ops 6 beta will include multiple maps (such as Skyline, Rewind, and Scud), and game modes including Kill Order, Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint.
Maps and modes will be drip-fed across the first weekend, and players can reach level 20 before the cap is raised to level 30 on the second weekend. Elsewhere custom loadouts will also be on offer, but you’ll have to get to level 4 first - though we recommend giving the preset loadouts a go first to see what the new game’s guns feel like.
This is the first beta period - with another coming next week - with this Early Access period running from August 30 through September 4. The second Open Beta period runs from September 6 to September 9, and both make the perfect windows of opportunity for fans to dive in ahead of the game’s full release on October 25.
Garmin has released two new, very highly anticipated watches this week. First up, is the Garmin Fenix 8. It comes in three sizes, with two screen options (AMOLED or solar-powered MIP), and boasts an incredible battery life: even the AMOLED version offers a 29-day battery in smartwatch mode.
For context, if you didn’t use either watch’s GPS, you would have to charge an Apple Watch Ultra 2 a whopping 19 times by the time you got done with the Fenix 8. All-new sports functionalities such as a dive mode, revamped maps, and more intelligent “dynamic routing”, generating a route back to the start of your run while you’re still on the outward leg, are the icing on the cake. It starts at $999.99 / £869.99 / AU$1,699 for the 43mm model.
The Garmin Enduro 3 shares much of what makes the Fenix 8 great, including that new dynamic routing feature, topographic maps, and battery life up to 90 days in smartwatch mode. The Enduro line has always been a tool for serious endurance enthusiasts such as triathletes and ultrarunners, and even though it’s slightly cheaper than the Fenix 8 ($899.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,549), it might not have as much wide appeal.
The original Shokz OpenRun Pro are some of the best bone conduction headphones around, so we’re excited to get to grips with the newly-announced OpenRun Pro 2. Right off the bat, the battery life lasts longer than its predecessor, with 12 hours rather than 10. Not a huge increase, but the OpenRun Pro 2 can last for 2.5 hours on a five-minute charge, ideal for plugging in prior to a run.
The OpenRun Pro 2 also boasts a combination of bone conduction drivers and air conduction speakers, designed to provide more powerful bass than the original OpenRun Pro, and multi-point connectivity allows for pairing of two devices at once.
Otherwise, the OpenRun Pro 2 hasn’t changed a great deal from a design or aesthetics point of view. However, the original design was so successful that Shokz is subscribing to that age-old adage: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
3. Watch out ChatGPT, Artifacts made Claude a top AI contender
(Image credit: Anthropic)
If asked to list off AI chatbots you’d probably say ChatGPT, Gemini, Apple Intelligence and a few others, but one you might not know of is Claude – but after this week Claude has shown us that it is definitely not an AI anyone should ignore.
That’s thanks to its new Artifacts tool, a feature that allows Claude to show you a working prototype of the project you’re working on with it – such as a website or app Claude’s helping you to design, or a presentation it’s helping you put together. Best of all, you can choose to share Artifacts with other Claude users or mess around with any of their creations to make something new.
You can achieve a similar effect with other AI on PC, but you’d need to open a separate app that can convert the chatbot's code or design suggestions first, and you’d have to manually make any changes Claude suggests as you iterate on your design. With Artifacts, it all happens automatically.
It’s currently rolling out to all users – even people on Claude’s free plan – and alongside Claude’s focus on privacy, it’s seemingly shaping up as a very strong ChatGPT rival.
Italian YouTuber enontheroad has not only shown us all the hardware we're set to get with the launch of DJI's upcoming drone for beginners, the DJI Neo, we've also learnt that its price will apparently be €199 (or around $220 / £167 / AU$325).
Obviously leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt, but if they prove true the Neo could be an absolute steal when it launches.
It won't be long before we learn more either, with an official reveal coming on September 5 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm UK time.
We’ve been convinced that life in plastic is fantastic since the Barbie movie graced cinema screens last year, and Nokia manufacturer HMD seems to think so too. The Finnish manufacturer released the Barbie Flip Phone this week, a Kenergized reimagining of a Nokia feature phone complete with swappable covers, beaded lanyard, and software easter eggs. Priced at $129 / £99 / AU$199, this Mattel collaboration offers an affordable shot of nostalgia to Barbie fans and Y2K-obsessed fashionistas alike.
It’s not just the aesthetics that call back to a different time. Like most of HMD’s feature phones, the Barbie Flip Phone is light on the mod-cons we take for granted in smartphones. There’s no access to social media, and the camera isn’t even HD. Barbie fans in the US get an upgraded model, though, with a 5MP camera, more storage, and a more capable operating system.
Nintendo has revealed that Pauline will be the second new character joining the roster of the upcoming Super Mario Party Jamboree.
Having first debuted as the kidnapped damsel in distress in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, the character’s most significant recent appearance was as the mayor of New Donk City in 2017's Super Mario Odyssey. Although definitely still one of the lesser-known Nintendo characters, she has managed become a bit of a mainstay of modern Super Mario spin-off titles of late.
She appeared as a playable character in not only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe but also Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Golf: Super Rush, and Mario Strikers: Battle League. Now Nintendo has confirmed that Pauline will also be joining the Mario Party series as a playable character in Super Mario Party Jamboree.
A new trailer for the game that gives us our first real look at Pauline in action has been released. Her appearance seems very similar to that in Super Mario Odyssey, sporting her trademark red dress. The trailer also gives us a brief look at some of the minigames that players will experience, which you can see for yourself below.
Pauline is not the only new character coming to Super Mario Party Jamboree. The game will also feature Ninji, a ninja-like enemy first seen in the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is set to release for Nintendo Switch on October 17. From everything that we've seen so far, it's really shaping up to be a treat for Mario Party fans, boasting more than 110 minigames - the largest number of any Mario Party game so far. It also has seven unique boards, including remakes of the classic Western Land and Mario’s Rainbow Castle.
The Black Ops 6 beta will go live on August 30 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST. You can actually preload the game now, just make sure to download the Call of Duty launcher, and the Season 5 update. This will make the Black Ops 6 download much smaller, and save you some time, meaning you can get in as early as possible on Friday.
The Call of Duty Black Ops 6 beta will allow players to jump into the game before launch, giving them a taste of the new weapons and Omnimovement mechanics starting today (Friday, August 30).
There are two distinct beta periods, one week apart, with different ways to access each one. If you're looking to play Black Ops 6 as early as possible, you'll need to know the details on the Early Access weekend, before the game is opened up to more players the following weekend.
From what we've seen of Black Ops 6 so far, it's certainly got a great chance of ending up on our best FPS games list by the end of the year, with a globe-trotting campaign, a new set of movement skills, and new Warzone integration. The upcoming beta is the best way to find out how the game feels, and whether or not you'll be diving in fully when launch comes around.
Here's everything you need to know about the Black Ops 6 beta start date, including how to get Early Access, and when the open beta goes live. As we approach launch day, we'll update the page with the latest comms from developer Treyarch.
Black Ops 6 beta start date
(Image credit: Activision)
The Black Ops 6 beta goes live on August 30 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST. This is the early access period, the first of two weekends that'll allow players to jump into the game early. You'll find the full schedule below:
Early Access (Weekend One): August 30 - September 4
Open Beta (Weekend Two): September 6 - September 9
Black Ops 6 Early Access - how to get in
(Image credit: Activision)
To get into the Black Ops 6 Early Access beta weekend, you'll need to have pre-ordered the game, or be an Xbox Game Pass subscriber (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, or Game Pass Console).
You can often find cheap Game Pass deals, so that's what we'd recommend if you're unsure about pre-ordering Black Ops 6 just yet. Note that the Early Access beta ends on Wednesday, September 4 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST.
Black Ops 6 open beta
(Image credit: Activision)
The Black Ops 6 open beta weekend runs from September 6 - September 9. It'll go live at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST on the Friday, and then end at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST on the Monday. You'll be able to download the beta from the PlayStation, Xbox, and Battle.net storefronts.
Black Ops 6 beta maps
(Image credit: Activision)
There are eight maps available as part of the Black Ops 6 beta. These include the following:
Skyline (Core)
Rewind (Core)
Scud (Core)
Babylon (Core)
Derelict (Core)
Stakeout (Core)
Gala (Strike)
Pit (Strike)
Weekend One will launch with three maps, before an additional three maps are added over the weekend. Then, two more maps will follow as part of Weekend Two.
What to expect from the Black Ops 6 beta
(Image credit: Activision)
The Black Ops 6 beta will include 8 maps to play across. Including Skyline, Rewind, Scud, Babylon, Derelict, Stakeout, Gala and Pit. Confirmed modes include Kill Order, Team Deathmatch, Domination and Hardpoint. Weekend One will begin with three maps and four modes, before more are added throughout the weekend. Players will be able to reach level 20, before the cap is raised for the second weekend.
Weekend Two will then introduce two more maps, plus the Gunfight game mode and Face Off Kill Order. The level cap will be increased to 30 at this point, giving players the chance to earn additional rewards and unlock able items.
Black Ops 6 beta Custom Loadouts
You'll be able to use Custom Loadouts during the Black Ops 6 beta, though you'll need to unlock them first. To do so, you'll need to reach level 4. We recommend jumping in and trying out some of the preset loadouts to get a feel for the new weapons. After that, you can experiment with your own builds, and find what works best for you.
Be aware that if you pre-ordered the Vault Edition, you won't be able to use your exclusive guns until you unlock Custom Loadouts.
Black Ops 6 beta FAQ
Can you preload the Black Ops 6 beta?
You can preload the Black Ops 6 beta now. This works whether you're jumping into the Early Access weekend, or the open beta the week after. Just search for it in your respective store, and free up enough space (for estimated download sizes, head to the Call of Duty website). We managed to find the COD Black Ops beta content in the Xbox Store using the search function. Note that you'll need to download the main COD HQ package as part of this, if you don't already have it.
What is the Black Ops 6 beta Vault Edition bonus?
If you pre-ordered the Black Ops 6 Vault Edition, you'll be able to use some of your bonuses during the beta. Expect to play as any of the four Operators from the Hunter vs Hunted Operator Pack. These include Park, Adler, Brutus, and Klaus. You'll also get to try five weapons from the Mastercraft Weapon Collection.
Is the Black Ops 6 Beta on Game Pass?
The Black Ops 6 beta will be available on Xbox Game Pass starting August 30 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST. Just log into your Xbox or PC subscription and it'll appear in your collection. Game Pass Subscribers can access both beta weekends at no extra cost.
New research has revealed a troubling gap between the AI ambitions of businesses in the UK and Ireland and their actual readiness to implement artificial intelligence strategies.
Almost all (96%) of the companies surveyed by HPE have already set, or are in the process of setting up, AI goals, however only one-third (32%) of IT leaders believe their organization is ready to reap the rewards.
Moreover, the study explores challenges surrounding data readiness, strategy alignment, security and governance, and their impact on the successful rollout of artificial intelligence within organizations.
Companies want to use AI, but leaders are still concerned
HPE’s report of 400 IT leaders from various sectors across the UK and Ireland highlights the difference between AI enthusiasm and preparedness on a practical level. Despite nearly every participating company (94%) planning to increase its AI budget this year, HPE Chief Technologist for AI Matt Armstrong-Barnes noted: “Businesses are investing in AI without first taking a holistic view of the technology and how to implement it.”
Armstrong-Barnes also noted the “misalignment between departments and fragmentation that limits [AI’s] potential.”
Alarmingly, only 6% of businesses can perform real-time data operations essential for innovation, with fewer than one in three (29%) boasting established data governance models. Moreover, two in five (40%) don’t feel ready to handle key data preparation, such as accessing, storing and analyzing data. With a solid data foundation proving vital when it comes to adopting artificial intelligence, the figures paint a poor picture of companies’ readiness.
HPE also explored AI infrastructure, revealing that while 92% believe their network steps can support AI traffic, not even half fully understood the demands of various AI workloads.
“If business continue their current approach to AI, it will adversely impact their long-term success," Armstrong-Barnes summarized, "businesses need to take the necessary steps and lay the groundwork for their deployments so they don’t run before they can walk.”
Google just unveiled the Pixel 9 Pro XL – and our Pixel 9 Pro XL review is now up for your perusal – and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to be one of the Apple handsets unveiled next month. However, it seems the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could beat them both in two key ways.
Specifically, it might be thinner and lighter than the top-end smartphones from Google and Apple. That's according to well-known leaker Ice Universe, who says the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be "the thinnest and lightest of all Ultra flagship phones".
We're assuming "Ultra flagship phones" mean the top spec, most premium, most expensive handsets that manufacturers put out – including the Google phone that's already out and the Apple phone that'll be out soon.
The tipster doesn't say anything else about how thin or light the Galaxy 25 Ultra might be, however. For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra measures 8.6mm front to back, and tips the scales at 233 grams. The Pixel 9 Pro XL from Google, by comparison, is 8.5mm thick, and weighs 221 grams.
The leaks so far
The Galaxy S24 Ultra launched at the start of this year(Image credit: Future)
Samsung is clearly going to have to do some clever component packing and handset design tricks to put together an Ultra phone that's thinner and lighter than ever. We've also heard that the width of the S25 Ultra is going to be reduced to 77.6mm, down from 79mm on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Another previous leak has suggested the upcoming handset – probably arriving sometime in January 2025 – is going to have an asymmetrical frame design for a more comfortable hold, which could be where some of the weight reduction is coming from.
Of course, a thinner and lighter phone might also mean a smaller battery (and reduced battery life). However, the rumors are that a more efficient chipset will ensure the 2025 Galaxy Ultra phone offers better battery life than the 2024 version.
The latest reports on a potential PS5 Pro are stating that the mid-gen refresh console is still on track for a release this year and yes, it'll likely cost you an arm and a leg.
As reported by GameSpot, the reports come from reporter Jeff Grubb, who spoke about the PS5 Pro in a recent episode of the Game Mess Mornings podcast. During the episode, Grubb stated that: "The last I heard, this thing [PS5 Pro] is still coming out this year."
Grubb also remarks that a State of Play presentation could be airing soon: "More recently, what I've heard is there is probably going to be a State of Play, not a Showcase, by the end of September," he says.
To be clear, Grubb does not specify whether or not the PS5 Pro will make its debut at this potential State of Play presentation. But there is certainly a possibility of it if the PS5 Pro is set to launch in the coming months; most likely over the Holiday season. Lastly, Grubb estimates that the PS5 Pro could cost around $600, but isn't ruling out a price as high as $700 for the upgraded hardware.
If Sony is set to launch a PS5 Pro this year, it would have beaten Microsoft to the punch in terms of mid-range refresh releases. Team Green does have new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S hardware on the way, including an all-digital Xbox Series X, a white variant of the 1TB Xbox Series S, and a special edition Series X with 2TB of storage and a unique galaxy pattern. We've even got a new Xbox console pre-order guide for those machines due to launch in October if you're keen to get one of those new models.
Even in this new era of AI, the old computer science adage of “Garbage in, garbage out” remains as relevant today, if not more relevant, than ever before. Using data that is “ML model ready” is the difference between effective and ineffective AI implementation.
When it comes to training effective Machine Learning (ML) models, engineers are increasingly battling against messy data. This creates a challenge for those who are expected to make sense of and order these data sets for AI tools.
So, how can the data scientists and data engineers of the world ensure that all data is truly “ML model ready”?
Unstructured and heterogeneous data: the enemy of AI projects
The main challenge when dealing with unstructured and heterogeneous data sources comes back to the fact that ML models rely heavily on the data that they are trained on, and if this data were to change unexpectedly, it would have a significant impact on the model’s overall performance. With this in mind, it is crucial to understand where your data comes from to prevent exposing your ML model to unsourced information, which may cause it to make incorrect predictions or decisions.
To help combat this issue, engineers should enforce a dedicated data lineage and data change function to help mitigate against “bad data”. A data lineage process involves tracking data through its entire lifecycle. By creating a clear audit trail of this information, businesses can monitor any changes and understand the data source to ensure that ML models run as efficiently as possible.
Alongside data lineage, another data processing technique that should be leveraged is semantic modelling. Semantic modelling allows organizations to improve the quality of their data by representing all data in a way that accurately captures its source, allowing you to understand the significance of the data, along with its intended use. This process allows organizations to make more accurate interpretations of all data and ensure it is processed in the most efficient way possible - leading to enhanced ML model performance.
By taking advantage of data lineage and data change functions, ML models will be built on a more reliable foundation, improving the trustworthiness of its decision making capabilities and overall performance.
How well an ML model performs is directly dependent on the accuracy of the data that it is trained on, so leveraging these techniques will ensure that ML models are effective down to its foundations.
The importance of considering ethics at every turn
Ethics is a critically important, but often overlooked part of the AI implementation process. Building and deploying AI safely and responsibly is a challenge faced by all businesses - but there are a couple of key ways companies can address these challenges. Firstly, organizations should make certain that there is always a human in the loop during the implementation process. This acts as an extra layer of security and allows businesses to identify and address any biases in the training data while also bringing ethical judgement capabilities to the training process - which are both extremely important steps.
Finally, by leveraging data lineage and semantic descriptions, businesses will be able to fully understand the lifecycle of all data and have the additional context behind it, including its structure and relationships with other data sets, thanks to semantic descriptions. Therefore, monitoring data lineage and leveraging semantic descriptions can support compliance with data protection and management policies from the offset by assigning permissions for data usage - further helping to mitigate ethical issues.
With AI implementation becoming a key priority for businesses as they look to streamline processes and enhance overall products and services, it is vital that their ML models are being trained effectively and that ethics are considered at every turn. Without ethical consideration and thoughtful data processing practices, businesses risk creating ineffective and unethical ML models that lead to inadequate AI implementation.
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
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Millions of computer systems going down at the same time; emergency services, travel, and financial systems disrupted; and global shipping ...
4 essential cyber hygiene practices to boost your organization’s digital defenses
Millions of computer systems going down at the same time; emergency services, travel, and financial systems disrupted; and global shipping halted. It’s the type of technology catastrophe many envisioned would happen during Y2K, or some far-off dystopian future, yet the CrowdStrike outage happened in 2024 and the world was woefully unprepared. While the exact cause is still being investigated, the culprit seems to have been a bug in their software.
It’s hard to comprehend living in a world where flawed or buggy code can take down so many critical systems and drain $5 billion in direct losses from Fortune 500 companies. And, it's true that there’s no easy fix to this kind of problem. But whether it’s preventing bad software updates or maintaining compliance among constant requirements and changes, organizations can implement several practical measures to improve their cybersecurity hygiene and reduce their risk exposure.
Here are four key areas to focus on:
1. Strengthen Employee Awareness and Access Controls
Social engineering attacks have nearly doubled since last year, accounting for 17% of all data breaches. In the past, email phishing attempts were fairly easy to spot because they were often filled with spelling and grammatical errors, and the email address they came from usually looked suspicious. Now, generative AI tools like ChatGPT allow attackers to create phishing emails that look very credible and might not be caught by spam filters.
New employees in particular are prime targets for cybercriminals. There’s a common phishing scheme where bad actors will use LinkedIn to find employees that have recently joined a company, then send them a text message pretending to be the company’s CEO. They’ll ask the employee to purchase gift cards and then send them the card numbers, scamming them out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. In 2020, hackers gained access to Twitter’s systems through an employee phishing attack by calling customer service and tech support employees and instructing them to reset their passwords. That’s why it’s more important than ever to implement comprehensive security awareness training for all employees, especially new hires.
Another way companies can protect their systems from phishing attempts and other types of scams is by implementing role-based access controls (RBAC). Each employee should only have access to the systems and data they need to do their job, reserving the most privileged permissions for IT roles and higher positions of authority. RBAC allows IT teams to easily add, modify, or remove permissions for a single user, or all users in a group at once, helping to prevent cyber attacks that take advantage of employee vulnerabilities.
2. Manage Third-Party Risk
Many organizations don’t give enough consideration to security compliance for the services they use and the technology partners they work with. In fact, fifty-four percent of organizations reported experiencing a data breach caused by one of their third-party vendors within the span of a year. That’s why it’s incredibly important to assess and manage the risk for every vendor you work with and ensure they’re adhering to strict cybersecurity standards.
You should conduct regular due diligence assessments where you ask potential vendors about their encryption practices or use of an intrusion detection system (IDS) to better understand their network security practices. You should also question them about their client offboarding processes so you know how your data will be disposed of once the vendor relationship ends.
After the assessment, you should rank vendors based on how critical their services are and the sensitivity of the data they handle so you can use more control with high-risk vendors. All vendor contracts should include specific evaluation criteria, security requirements, incident reporting protocols, and compliance obligations to ensure they are aligned with your organization’s security requirements and risk tolerance.
3. Streamline Compliance Processes
While regular audits are a necessary part of good security hygiene, when companies face numerous and repetitive compliance audits it can be a serious distraction to business-critical priorities. Not to mention, a morale killer. I call this “audit fatigue” — the constant cycle of compliance checks and documentation overload becomes too much of a burden, leading employees to disengage and sometimes resign. And unfortunately, this decreased efficiency and increased turnover can result in significant financial losses for the company.
That’s why it’s important to limit as much of the tedious work as possible — like the evidence collection process, for example — and avoid duplicative work when you’re in the midst of an audit. Compliance automation can help with this by speeding up evidence collection, centralizing compliance data, and continuously monitoring security controls, which lessens the workload on employees so they can focus on core tasks.
4. Embrace Continuous Vigilance
Maintaining strong cyber hygiene requires ongoing effort and attention to evolving threats.
The first step is to develop a clear understanding of your organization's risk profile and security posture. From there, it’ll be important to implement a system for quick remediation of identified issues before they can be exploited.
Compliance automation tools can help here by flagging vulnerabilities and failing controls, which enables security and IT teams to remediate issues proactively before an attack can occur. These tools can also provide a complete picture of your risk profile and security posture, allowing for more efficient and effective risk management. By leveraging this technology, companies can streamline their compliance efforts, reduce human error, and stay ahead of evolving threats.
This is particularly critical for financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and transportation systems, like those affected in the CrowdStrike outage, because catching and fixing vulnerabilities quickly means saving highly sensitive data from being exposed and critical services from being interrupted.
By focusing on these four areas – employee awareness, third-party risk management, streamlined compliance, and continuous vigilance – organizations can significantly improve their cyber hygiene. This holistic approach not only protects sensitive data but also fosters a culture of security awareness throughout the organization.
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
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Losing track of your video calls when switching between browser tabs could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new Google Meet update....
Google Meet is fixing one of the most annoying parts of video conferencing in your browser
Losing track of your video calls when switching between browser tabs could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new Google Meet update.
The video conferencing service has launched a new tweak that will ensure users can always keep track of their meeting or call, with a picture-in-picture feed automatically opening when navigating into a different tab.
The feature should be incredibly useful for those who may have to search for relevant information or data in another tab, especially those users who juggle multiple tabs and windows at the same time.
Google Meet picture-in-picture
(Image credit: Google Workspace)
In a Google Workspace update blog post announcing the "simple, yet impactful update", the company noted the feature was already present in Meet, but is now easier to use and much more reactive.
Previously, users would have needed to manually turn on the feature during a meeting, but picture-in-picture will now launch automatically when the user switches tabs. The feature can be switched off if needed via Google Chrome Settings, where it sits alongside the triggers for turning off camera and microphone feeds.
There are some restrictions - obviously you'll need to be using Google Chrome as your browser, and the feature will only work on desktop and laptop devices for the time being.
The feature is rolling out now, and will be available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.
The news is the latest upgrade for Google Meet in recent weeks, following the announcement that the company's Gemini AI platform will now automatically take notes during a meeting, letting users "drop the pen" and focus more clearly on the meeting instead of splitting focus between listening and taking notes on video conferencing calls.
Usually a new flagship Pixel phone would launch with a new version of Android, but this year Google did things differently, launching the Pixel 9 series earlier in the year than is typical for its new flagship phones.
And as for Android 15? Well, we’re still waiting for that. But the company has now at least revealed the month during which this software update will roll out.
As spotted by Android Authority, Google has now updated the release notes for the Android Beta Exit update, which is what users who choose to exit the Android 15 beta will see, and at the top of those release notes is a line stating that that Android 15 will be available in October.
Since these are official Google release notes we can take this as confirmation that this is when Android 15 will land, even though it’s an oddly low-key way for Google to make such a major announcement.
(Image credit: Google / Android Authority)
A one-month window
The notes don’t get more specific, so we don’t know exactly when in October the finished version of Android 15 will roll out, but Android Authority has heard from a source that Android 15 may roll out around the middle of the month.
So we could still be looking at quite a long wait, and even when it does roll out it will initially only land on Pixel phones, with other manufacturers having to prepare their own versions of Android 15 for their devices.
So if you own a Samsung, OnePlus, or other brand of Android phone, then you could be waiting weeks beyond that, or even longer in some cases.
Still, hopefully the Android 15 update will be worth the wait. Based on betas and leaks, it could include things like a battery health percentage, lock-screen widgets, a Private Space to hide sensitive apps, support for Bluetooth Auracast, and a whole lot more.
So it could breathe new life into aging Android phones, and should even be a desirable update for brand-new handsets like the Google Pixel 9 Pro.
Our unabating demand for generative AI is fueling the rise of a new type of network model: ‘edge networking’. We are now witnessing the global development of edge data centers positioned closer to the end-user to meet the real-time responsiveness and low latency performance demands of GenAI. To put this into figures: analyst firm, IDC, predicted that spending on edge computing is expected to reach $232 billion in 2024, up 15.4% from 2023.
Edge data centers are small data centers and compute locations that form part of a distributed network of data centers. They are based close to the areas they serve – significantly reducing latency and enhancing the performance of applications that require real-time data processing. This decentralized approach also helps to balance loads, ensures flows of data in the event of an outage and improves the overall resilience of a network.
Supporting GenAI
The case for edge networking is clear. AI applications are both data-heavy and compute-intensive. However, edge computing promises to overcome these technical challenges by enabling real-time decision-making with reduced latency, local data storage and processing and reduced data transfer to the cloud. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to the need for inferencing and localized processing of data.
With GenAI requiring even faster processing, there will be many existing and new applications where networks will need to deliver ultra-low-latency. The more time-critical the application is, the more that data should be stored and processed at the edge. Take AI inferencing (using an AI model to conclude from new information or data) for example.
Processing data at the edge can reduce the time for a result from a few seconds to a fraction of a second. In addition, several other emerging industry use cases highlight why compute must be placed close to the end-user – whether that be content generation applications like ChatGPT, interactive customer service agents, immersive AR experiences, smart healthcare and smart retail and predictive maintenance. In these scenarios where every millisecond counts, the user will enjoy a higher quality experience if the compute is hosted as close as possible to them.
The sustainability argument
A recent TechRadarPro article argued that we do not have the power to handle the current data center demand boom, due to AI. This is why we must build out data centers outside central locations at the edge. According to Goldman Sachs, a ChatGPT enquiry requires almost 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search. Despite the inevitable spike in electricity expenditure from GenAI, edge data centers offer the advantage of reducing grid power consumption in central locations. By distributing the computing burden across the network, power demand is spread, not concentrated. By running applications at the edge, data can be processed and stored nearer to the end user’s devices, rather than relying on data centers that are hundreds of miles away.
Investing in an AI-ready network
Investment in high-speed connectivity will connect edge sites in the network more practically and sustainably. Fiber-optic cables provide significantly lower latency and higher bandwidth than traditional copper cables. This allows for faster data transfer rates. High-speed fiber networks are easily scalable so as demand for data grows, additional bandwidth can be provisioned without significant infrastructure changes. Fiber networks also consume less power than traditional infrastructure, contributing to lower operational costs and a smaller carbon footprint. With advancements in pluggable optical technology, the same economic, sustainability and technology benefits derived from fiber are now being delivered inside the data center.
However, while projects such as the UK’s Project Gigabit and the US’ Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program are a necessary step in the right direction, governments must prioritize building out the network edge and better connecting data centers – not just expanding fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).
The key to unlocking AI success
As countries race to become leaders in AI, bolstering start-ups and defining regulation parameters are top of the agenda. However, AI success will depend on the country’s fixed network infrastructure and its ability to carry significant amounts of data with little to no latency. If networks cannot cope with the influx of traffic generated by ‘always on’ Large Language Models (LLMs), AI ambitions may falter.
This is why respective AI strategies must focus on the size, location and quality of the underlying network infrastructure. Despite widespread investment in ‘traditional’ data centers snowballing across the world, such as Google’s new $1 billion data center in the UK announced earlier in the year and Microsoft’s AUD$5 billion investment in building data centers in Australia, there has been less of a focus on edge data centers. To meet AI demands, data center buildout needs to be supplemented by edge buildout.
A hybrid model?
A hybrid approach of strategically placed data centers at the edge of the network, in combination with central data centers, will be essential to manage the rapid information flow cost-effectively and sustainably. This is particularly crucial for AI inferencing, where data flows go to the edge for processing and then back to core data centers for distribution. Time-critical applications will be served better closer to the edge of the network, but data-heavy and less time-critical applications will be better served in central data centers.
With major companies like Microsoft having ambitious targets to triple its data center capacity within the next year to deliver AI, we must also see edge data centers being a considered part of the strategy – not only to meet the low latency requirements of GenAI applications but to take the power pressure off the central grid.
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
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Business leaders in 2024 are all excited by the opportunities from artificial intelligence (AI), whether they intend to use it or not. The ...
Barriers to Success: Why are Businesses Struggling to Innovate with AI?
Business leaders in 2024 are all excited by the opportunities from artificial intelligence (AI), whether they intend to use it or not. The direct benefits are clear and, particularly in the recent economic climate where business resilience and the bottom line are top of mind.
As it stands, most organizations do appear to have big plans for AI. 86% of senior business leaders globally have already deployed AI tools to enhance existing revenue streams or create new ones, according to our recent AI survey of over 1,272 businesses. And in the UK, 92% have AI implementations planned, in process or already completed. But the level of innovation seems to be a sticking point for businesses when incorporating AI into their business plans.
69% of business leaders stated that they are more focused on using AI to spur innovation and increase revenue than on productivity improvement and cost optimization. However in practice this is simply not the case. Just 4% of businesses are currently leveraging AI as a differentiating element that is transforming their business. Meaning, there is a big gap between intention and implementation when it comes to innovating with AI. So, why are businesses facing challenges?
Aversion To Risks
Many businesses struggle with innovation because of a shortage of robust financial models for digital transformation a lack of leadership support, a culture that encourages innovation and structures being in place, missing workforce skills, and concern from business leaders about regulatory issues. However, beyond these hurdles, when it comes to innovating with AI, risk aversion is often the major roadblock for business leaders. Only 23% of businesses in the UK have reported wanting to experiment and take risks with AI to maximize its benefits.
Any innovation involves trying new things, but with AI, there are multiple types of risks. Firstly, the technology is evolving extremely rapidly – which means the risk of obsolescence is high, and skills can be hard to acquire. The proliferation of platforms and tools can also create a risk of suboptimal choice making. Because there are so many options for business leaders to choose from, it can be hard to know which is right for your organization.
The cost behavior of AI applications at scale is not well understood, which creates commercial risks for businesses to grapple with too. And with governments still struggling to create and rewrite regulation for emerging AI technologies, there is the specter of regulatory and compliance risks. Companies might be on the hook for a lack of explainability or transparency while using AI, which in turn creates possible brand impact.
These risks are intimidating because AI technology is new, and the learning curve can be steep for many leaders. Nevertheless, issues can be mitigated. With a mature innovation approach, experimentation, test-and-learn methods, and governance models, organizations can build safe environments to use and innovate with AI. If it is complex or tough to implement these measures alone, turning to the right partners is also a popular option to build confidence with using AI to generate improve processes and create new streams of income.
The Complexity of AI
AI requires more data than traditional business software to be effective, as it needs to be trained on large quantities of high-quality data which can be challenging to obtain. Additionally, algorithms are often quite complex and require specialists to maintain and develop, and legacy technology may need to be updated to support software. This is large-scale change for leaders to manage, if they want to actually be innovation-first and AI-enabled. It can also be costly.
Some leaders might baulk at the cost without being able to visualize data, results, and potential reward or may simply not feel comfortable selling the costs to internal stakeholders. An additional worry for businesses is the changing capabilities of the tools themselves. AI is evolving quickly, and the best model for the task at hand one week may not be the best the following week. Having an orchestration layer that can move applications between providers without impacting the business, is therefore critical for building agility into AI business offerings and processes. However, with AI being a newly prevalent technology with an abundance of information about it published daily, not all businesses will be aware that offerings for this exist yet.
Innovating in a safe environment
Many of these challenges will be addressed by enterprises with time, however, for those visualizing getting ahead of their competition now and struggling to do so in practice, it’s essential to have a safe environment to ‘test’ in. Whether this be having the right employees in place with the skills to bounce ideas from, or with the experience to advise on these new technologies already, or even to bring in an expert IT services partner who can offer stakeholders a safe environment to innovate and to implement effective change.
AI might be a widespread phenomenon, and small-scale implementations are certainly happening amongst UK businesses. However, it is clear that without further support and expertise, many enterprises will not be making the leap from implementation to innovation.
The Biggest Challenge:
There is a big divide between transformation and the tactical use of AI. Everybody understands that AI can be transformational, but almost every deployment of AI today is tactical – in specific targeted projects that will typically drive cost reduction or marginal gains within 12-18 months. This, however, may end up being the greatest risk for organizations in my experience – the inability to take bold and transformative decisions.
AI may feel like a known entity for IT professionals, and innovation a tangibly beneficial frontier, but AI transformation can often be an investment into an unknown for business heads. Securing buy-in from leadership requires a wider outlook from IT leaders looking to convince stakeholders to invest in real innovation and transformation.
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
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