News
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong continues to skewer the world of the awfully rich (and richly awful) with his new tech bro satire Mountainhead.
Skipping theaters, the new movie premiered on Max on Saturday, May 31, with a linear broadcast on HBO that evening. Since release, the film has shot up the Max charts and is currently enjoying the global top spot.
And while audiences can’t stream the Succession follow-up quick enough, critics are loving what is fast becoming one of the best Max movies around at the moment, with the film currently sitting at a very respectable 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Armstrong’s latest dark comedy follows a group of Musk/Bezos/Zuckerberg types as they meet at one of their number's secluded mountain retreat while the world faces AI-fueled turmoil that they may have played a not-insignificant part in creating.
Jason Schwartzman pops his head above the Wes Anderson parapet to play Hugo, the owner of the lodge looking to impress his billionaire buddies. Steve Carell, meanwhile, portrays Randall, the elder statesman of the group and an early tech mogul who has been raking it in since before the rest of the group were born.
Cory Michael Smith’s Venis is the wealthiest of the bunch and the owner of the social media platform at the center of the storm of disinformation engulfing the globe, while Ramy Youssef’s Jeff is an AI pioneer on the outs with some of the gang.
After four seasons of the critically acclaimed Succession, expectations were high for Armstrong and HBO’s next collaboration, and Francesca Orsi, EVP of Programming at the network is confident their continued partnership will deliver, saying: “We’re ecstatic to be back in business with the singular talent Jesse Armstrong [...].’ Jesse once again raises the bar with a bold examination of modern greed, power and male ambition. That this feature serves as his directorial debut will only elevate what is already thrilling on the page, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this timely film with the world.”
What are the critics saying about Mountainhead?As you’d expect with a high Rotten Tomatoes score, critics have plenty of praise for the film, with Globe and Mail commenting on the quality of the "inventively profane” dialogue which is “as enjoyable as Succession’s at its most absurd,” while Empire called it a “darkly funny” film with a “chilling final note.”
Some responses weren’t as positive, however, as some critics found the film lacked subtlety. Boston Globe said the movie was “satire as a blunt force object,” and critic Christian Toto criticised the way the film “piles on the hate, not the laughs.”
(Image credit: Max)What's the subscriber's verdict?Viewers have been even harsher on Armstrong’s latest, with the film sitting at just a 27% RT Audience Score. Many viewers compared the film unfavorably to Succession, with one saying it was like the show, but with characters that were "annoyingly fake and worse, unfunny.” Another called it “the most obnoxious movie I’ve ever seen” while a third said simply: “just terrible.”
Viewers over on Reddit were a little kinder though, with one poster calling the film “hilarious,” stating “Steve Carell was incredible in it.” Another praised the “fun dialogue and good laughs,” with other users saying “I really enjoyed this.”
Comment from r/moviesEither way, if you’re a subscriber to one of the best streaming services out there and intrigued by what sounds like Succession meets Glass Onion, the film is available to stream on Max right now.
And if that doesn’t quite hit the mark, you can always check out one of the other movies and shows arriving on Max in June.
You might also likeFor more Max-based coverage, read our guides on The Last of Us season 2, House of the Dragon season 3, Euphoria season 3, and The White Lotus season 3.
- Samsung has teased an 'Ultra' foldable
- It sounds like this could launch soon, so we might see a Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra alongside the company's other 2025 foldables
- Expect bigger screens, better cameras, and lots of AI
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is currently Samsung’s most expensive widely available phone, but this year the company might launch something even pricier than the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. That's right: Samsung has strongly hinted that a Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra is on the way.
In a new post on its newsroom, Samsung talks about introducing an "Ultra-experience" with a foldable form factor, and while the company doesn’t get specific about when such a product might launch, it concludes by saying “the Ultra experience is ready to unfold”, which suggests it’s coming soon.
That could mean we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra launch alongside the standard Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, both of which are expected to land in July.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Bigger and betterBut what would a Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra entail? Samsung doesn’t get super specific here either, but it does mention “bigger screens, better cameras and new ways to connect and create,” as well as “industry-leading hardware, cutting-edge performance and seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format.”
And there’s a GIF included (below) that shows the outline of a foldable phone, though the form factor appears much like that of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
The visible file name in Samsung's official teaser image (Image credit: Digital Trends)However, while this all basically confirms that Samsung is working on an Ultra-level foldable, it’s possible that these features will instead come to the standard Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. After all, that’s rumored to have a new 200MP camera, bigger screens, and more power, so it could potentially be considered an ‘Ultra’ phone in itself.
Indeed, as spotted by Digital Trends, Samsung has actually named this new image 'Galaxy-Z-Fold7-Z-Flip7-Pre-tease-Bartype_1920x1080.gif', which references both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7.
So, it could be that we’ll still see just one new Z Fold model this year, a product with Ultra-level upgrades that may or may not have 'Ultra' in its name.
Alternatively, we might get both a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra – though in that case, it's odd that Samsung would namecheck the former in a teaser image for the latter. That would also call into question all the previous Galaxy Z Fold 7 leaks we’ve seen – might they actually be about the Ultra-branded model instead?
Either way, it seems likely that at least one of Samsung’s upcoming foldables will be a big upgrade on what we’ve seen before. Roll on Galaxy Unpacked in July!
You might also like- I'm excited about the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra's possible new cameras, but what I want is an integrated S Pen
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 will launch with Android 16
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been benchmarked, and the results are extremely disappointing
- The Samsung Galaxy S26 could get a much-needed new camera
- A new leak points towards a Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 launch date
- We also have details on colors and spec options
- Pricing might be the same as last year in most parts of the world
Update: June 4, 2025
It seems Samsung has now accidentally confirmed the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7's names. As spotted by Digital Trends, Samsung named the gif in its recent Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra teaser as new 'Galaxy-Z-Fold7-Z-Flip7-Pre-tease-Bartype_1920x1080.gif', referencing the two phones for the first time. Accidental clanger or a little, hype-building easter egg? We'll let you decide.
Original story follows:
We've already heard plenty of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 rumors in recent months, but a flurry of new leaks just appeared, covering release dates, colors, storage options, and pricing.
First up, reliable tipster Ice Universe (via Android Authority) says the foldables will launch at the same time as last year – which would be July 10. However, as the Android Authority report points out, there is some debate among leakers about whether that's accurate.
All the signs are certainly pointing towards July, to match the 2024 schedule for Samsung's flagship foldable phones, but we'll have to wait and see whether this July 10 prediction is correct. Time zone calculations need to be considered too, because Samsung's home of South Korea is some 13 hours ahead of the US east coast.
Whenever the foldables show up, in most countries they should match last year's models in terms of pricing, according to tipster PandaFlash (via 9to5Google). Last year's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 started at $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$2,749, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 started at $1,099.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,799.
Colors and specsGalaxy Z Fold7: 12+256GB 12+512GB 16+1TB Silver ShadowBlue ShadowJetblackCoralredJune 3, 2025
Next, there are a bunch of leaks from WinFuture and tipster Arsène Lupin about the colors and spec options on these handsets. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is said to be coming in black, blue, coral red, and silver colors, with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage on board.
As for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the colors here are expected to be black, blue, and coral red. As for specs, we're looking at 8GB or 12GB of RAM, plus 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage. However, there are some discrepancies between the two sources, so as usual we'll have to wait for full confirmation from Samsung.
The more affordable Galaxy Z Flip FE also gets a mention. In this case you get 8GB of RAM plus 128GB or 256GB of storage, and the predicted colors are black or white. This phone may well show up at the same time as the other foldables.
It looks likely to be a busy Samsung Unpacked event in July, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and perhaps a Samsung tri-fold also set to make an appearance. As always, we'll bring you all the official news as it's announced.
You might also like- Fake AI tools climb search rankings to spread ransomware and malware
- Cybercriminals are targeting tech marketing and B2B users with cloned installers
- Talos has uncovered threats that are using branding tricks and search manipulation tactics
Cybercriminals are already using AI to make phishing emails more convincing, and now they’re manipulating search engine results to spread malware disguised as AI tools.
New research from Cisco Talos claims these fake downloads appear to be legitimate software, often promoted through search engines and social platforms, and are predominantly targeting users in the tech, marketing, and B2B sales industries.
Talos recently uncovered several threats distributed this way, including ransomware families CyberLock and Lucky_Gh0$t, as well as a destructive new malware called Numero.
SEO manipulationTalos says these threats use familiar branding, fake websites, and misleading metadata to trick users into downloading and running infected software.
In one case, attackers created a clone of a known AI service, “NovaLeads,” and used SEO manipulation to rank the fake site near the top of search results.
When victims downloaded what appeared to be the legitimate installer, it executed CyberLock ransomware, written in PowerShell, which encrypted targeted files and demanded a $50,000 ransom in Monero. The ransom note falsely claimed the payment would fund humanitarian aid.
Lucky_Gh0$t ransomware, another discovery, was bundled with real Microsoft AI tools inside a self-extracting archive named “ChatGPT 4.0 full version - Premium.exe.” Once executed, it encrypted files smaller than 1.2GB and deleted or corrupted larger ones.
The newly identified malware, Numero, is especially destructive. Disguised as an installer for a video AI tool, it repeatedly runs a loop that corrupts the Windows interface by overwriting GUI elements with numeric strings, rendering systems unusable.
These campaigns exploit rising demand for AI software and target sectors most likely to adopt these tools quickly. With data centers, businesses, and individuals increasingly reliant on AI platforms, the potential harm from such threats is growing.
Talos warns users to be cautious when searching for AI tools online and to only download software from trusted vendors.
You might also like- Stay protected with the best endpoint protection tools around
- We've also rounded up the best malware removal tools
- AI is making phishing emails far more convincing with fewer typos and better formatting
- Snow White has a confirmed Disney+ streaming date of June 11
- The movie arrives on streaming following its unsuccessful theatrical run
- It only scored 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning it's not considered to be one of the best Disney+ movies
Disney+ has set a streaming date for the studio's latest Snow White movie, and fans will be able to watch it at home from June 11, 2025.
Unfortunately, Snow White performed poorly amongst audiences and critics, scoring 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and only making back $205.5 million back from its reported $240–270 million budget.
Snow White doesn't rank highly enough to be given a spot on our best Disney+ movies round-up, unlike the original Oscar-winning animated movie.
Take a look at the movie's trailer below for what to expect.
Is Snow White (2025) different from the original movie?Experience the magical, musical movie event on #DisneyPlus ✨Stream Disney’s #SnowWhite on June 11. pic.twitter.com/29h8rqNSSYJune 4, 2025
Yes, the newest Snow White adaptation does differ a lot from the original 1937 animated movie. So if you're expecting to see the same story, be aware it doesn't follow the original.
Snow White has a revised backstory, a new love interest, and a different ending. Instead of a prince, Snow White falls in love with a bandit named Jonathan, and her backstory sees her named after she was born on the night of a relentless blizzard.
If you're interested in some of the key differences, Variety has reported eleven of these that you can read about in more detail.
Fans and critics alike weren't too enamored with the many changes, or by the performances, and a harsh critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes complains about "dopey stylistic choices".
But you can make your own mind up soon, as it will be streaming on one of the best streaming services. Snow White's release follows in the footsteps of new Disney+ movies, including Moana 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King.
You might also likeSamsung may have quietly handed the smackdown to Apple and whatever super-slim phone the Cupertino crew might be cooking up.
That's because in a recent video interview with our sibling publication Tom’s Guide, Blake Gaiser, director of smartphone product management at Samsung Electronics America, touted the efforts and innovations the South Korean company made to bring the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge to fruition.
Describing it as a “Goldilocks” of smartphones to Global Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer, Gaiser championed how the Galaxy S25 Edge is a true high-end phone that could create a whole new category of smartphone.
“We do consider it to be a flagship. It is a new innovation piece that we're bringing forth where we're taking out so much weight, so much thickness of this device, while not compromising on the things that are really important to our customers, such as durability, the performance of the chipset, having that flagship 200MP camera,” explained Gaiser.
“And so we do believe that this is that kind of Goldilocks for so many of our customers that is going to give them everything they want and not give them the things that they're not looking for.”
Gaiser went on to discuss more aspects of the Galaxy S25 Edge, from its design to its cameras and AI.
But what resonated with me, as a tech journalist with copious amounts of experience writing about and handling some of the best phones, is that Samsung may have seriously thrown down the gauntlet at Apple and what it might do with the rumored iPhone 17 Air.
I feel Apple will need to bring something special to the table in order to somewhat clap back at Samsung, while also being seen as forging its own path.
As it stands, the iPhone 17 Air exists in the realms of rumor and speculation, but I’d place a favourable bet that Apple will look to slim down its next-generation iPhones; as much as I love the design of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I’m not against it getting a nip and a tuck.
Check out the full interview in the video above and then let me know in the comments whether you think Samsung has created something special here or if it's more of a gimmick.
You might also like- Meta signs 20-year deal to prop up Illinois nuclear energy facility
- Clinton Clean Energy Center was set to close in 2027
- Facility will provide 1,121 megawatts of "emissions-free nuclear energy"
Meta has revealed a deal to prop up a nuclear power plant over the next 20 years in what it says is a bid to power the continued demand for AI.
The Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, owned by Constellation Energy, was due to be mothballed in 2027, but will now stay open thanks to Meta's support.
The 20-year deal will see the facility provide 1,121 megawatts of "emissions-free nuclear energy", with additional incremental capacity of 30MW if needed.
Nuclear power for Meta AIThe deal will mark only the second US site to host a nuclear reactor built entirely this century, following Plant Vogtle, built in 2023 near Waynesboro, Georgia.
"As we have embarked on understanding and helping to grow nuclear energy in the U.S., we have heard from across the ecosystem that existing nuclear power plants will not be able to stay online indefinitely without partners and investments that help extend existing operating licenses and increase generation capacity," Meta said in a statement.
"It’s clear that there are many nuclear power plants serving the U.S. that need long-term support to help our electricity grids remain reliable as energy needs grow."
"Keeping an existing plant operating will have the same positive effect as adding new clean energy to the grid, and avoid the disruption that has occurred when other nuclear units have retired prematurely."
(Image credit: Constellation Energy)Built in 1987, Meta says the Clinton Clean Energy Center support will also preserve over 1,100 local jobs and contributes $13.5 million annually in tax revenue.
The plant had been facing closure as long ago as 2017 due to financial pressure, but Illinois passed its Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which extended its operations via a zero-emission credit (ZEC) program. This was due to expire in 2027, but Meta's support should now see it operate long past this.
“We are proud to partner with Meta because they asked that important question, and even better, they figured out that supporting the relicensing and expansion of existing plants is just as impactful as finding new sources of energy," noted said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO, Constellation.
"Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards.”
A March 2025 report commissioned by the firm and carried out by The Brattle Group claimed shuttering the Clinton plant would have led to 34 million metric tons of additional carbon pollution over 20 years - the equivalent of an additional 7.4 million gas-powered cars coming onto the road for one year - as well causing as Illinois’ GDP to drop by $765 million annually.
You might also likeWe love to give practical buying advice on the latest gadgets here at TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That's what we bring you in these Money no Object columns – you can read the whole series here.
Struggling to sleep? Perhaps you need to invest in a new bed, friend. And if you've never thought of adding some sleep-specific (or at the very least, Sunday chill-specific) stereo speakers to set you up for the best shut-eye session of your life, well… maybe you should.
Look, it's not every day you see a very high-end bed with some very high-end speakers built in. But that's what you're looking at here.
I only need to glance at The Seventy Five, a collaboration between audio specialist KEF and Savoir, a British bedmaker since 1905, to feel a little more relaxed about life. That is, until I see the price…
Rest is the sweet sauce of labor(Image credit: KEF)Just imagine those 10 hand-upholstered panels, gently curving around your crown and discreetly housing two glorious Ci3160REFM, THX Ultra-certified KEF speakers. Don't worry, they're towed in just right, because they're nestled into the penultimate panels around the bed aren't they?
Why call this creation The Seventy Five? Because that has long been considered the ideal number of beats per minute a musical track should have, to help you relax.
Music is the answerKEF's magnetic removable grilles will allow you to conceal or reveal the speakers within your aspirational bed, but I'm sure you want to know what you're getting in the first instance – because KEF makes some of the best stereo speakers we've had the pleasure of testing.
At the core of each speaker within The Seventy Five lies KEF’s 12th generation signature driver array, Uni-Q (proprietary tech found in all KEF stereo speakers, which you can read more on in our KEF LSX II LT review).
However, the sound system here is completed with six (yes, six) KEF Kube 8b subwoofers, discreetly installed in the base of the bed. These subwoofers feature KEF's iBX technology to extend the bass depth, but make no mistake, in-bed amplifiers, drivers and sealed cabinets are all on board here – a sound system selected and tuned by KEF’s team in Maidstone, UK.
(Image credit: KEF / Savoir)And so to bedWhat about the bit you sleep on? Well, if you reckon you've read about Savoir within TechRadar's digital pages before today, you're not wrong; the brand featured in our 7 most expensive mattresses in the world article not too long ago.
But this is expensive with added expensive KEF speakers. Savoir tells me its London Bedworks invests over 150 hours of handcraft into The Seventy Five, to deliver "a masterpiece of sleeping comfort". And while you're getting music, there's no need for headphones or wires – Savoir's team has also put wireless charging ports into the bed's side tables, so your devices can power up as you drift off.
Ready for some pricing? OK. But maybe sit down. Remember, this is a piece of furniture designed for how people actually use their bedrooms today: reading, listening, watching, winding down… and it's an investment.
In the US, The Seventy Five will cost you from $68,605 for a King; in the UK, it's £51,385 for a Super King (because bed sizes are actually different across the pond). Perhaps one for the apartment in St. Barts…
You may also like- Want speakers not baked into your bed? See our pick of the best Bluetooth speakers
- Need them to work over wi-fi? Check out the best wireless speakers
- Consider listening in bed with headphones with our best earbuds guide
- Report finds users aren’t loyal to apps - they abandon brands fast when the user experience breaks down
- Bad popups aren’t harmless annoyances, they’re silent customer killers your analytics might be missing
- Half of users ignore popups completely, and older users are tuning them out the most
In the fast-paced world of digital products, expectations are high, patience is limited, and brands invest heavily in aesthetics, sleek interfaces, and gamified user journeys. Yet, what actually drives users away is often much simpler, and far more damaging.
Research from Amplitude has claimed intrusive popups, frequent crashes, tiny unreadable text, and unclear privacy settings are now major tipping points that prompt users to delete apps altogether.
Some developers argue that popups are a necessary evil for monetization, but as the report found, customer behavior tells a different story.
Popups are intrusive and mostly poorly executedOver half of app users (54%) ignore popups entirely, and only 46% have ever responded to one. Engagement varies dramatically across generations, with 53% of Gen Z users saying they’ve acted on a popup, compared to just 17% of Boomers.
“This is a clear signal that people want popups that are better timed, less intrusive, and more relevant to their unique needs - and this is especially important for older generations,” said Lee Edwards, Vice President, EMEA at Amplitude.
The data suggests that popups are not inherently ineffective; rather, they’re often mistimed, disruptive, or irrelevant, as poorly placed promotions erode trust instead of driving conversions.
But it’s not just about popups. When apps glitch or freeze, the consequences are immediate. Over a third (35%) of users will abandon an app within minutes of it malfunctioning, while 10% won’t even give it that long.
User loyalty is rare: only 16% of users bother to report problems or contact support, while 58% simply leave, never to return.
Beyond bugs, poor design choices add to user frustration. Nearly half (45%) of users who’ve encountered flawed design say it made them feel “enraged,” with the number rising to 59% among Millennials and Gen Z.
Small text, forced account creation, and confusing navigation all contribute to the problem - notably, older users are especially frustrated by illegible text, an issue made worse when designers optimize exclusively for modern devices, without considering accessibility on older or smaller screens.
What users overwhelmingly want is reliability. An eye-catching app is meaningless if it can’t deliver a stable experience - and in fact, 85% of users prefer a plain-looking app which works consistently over a beautiful one that breaks.
To stay relevant, apps must earn their place on a user’s device, there is no room for mediocrity. Even promising concepts like “super apps,” which combine messaging, shopping, banking, and more, appeal to just 41% of users.
Ultimately, brands hoping to build loyalty must go beyond analytics dashboards and deeply examine how real users interact, where they struggle, and why they leave.
You might also like- These are the best VPN with antivirus solutions available now
- Take a look at our pick of the best password managers
- ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ gets surprise guest appearance: a revolutionary 360TB silica storage media
- Sony has entered a multi-year global technology partnership with the NHL
- This could mean more real-time, animated simulcasts of the game are on the horizon
- Sony's Beyond Sports, Hawk-Eye setups, and cameras will still be used at the arenas
If you've ever dreamed of seeing your hockey heroes playing alongside the biggest animated stars then Sony's new deal with the NHL might get you excited.
Sony has already expanded into the professional sports world via its Beyond Sports brand, which is key to real-time data processing and the ability to take all that action and translate it into something else.
Its partnership with the NFL (National Football League) led to the airing of the The Simpsons Funday Football on Disney+ and ESPN last year, and now the NHL could be next for that kind of treatment.
The NHL already uses Sony's Hawk-Eye Technology system – a combination of cameras above the ice and wearable sensors on players – but this new deal will expand on that, while continuing the use of Sony cameras for both still photography and video.
Most excitingly, it promises to broaden the role that Beyond Sports could play in changing how fans of any age can experience a hockey game.
(Image credit: Sony)If real-time animated simulcasts are on the horizon as part of this deal, it won't be the first time the NHL and Sony have collaborated on such a venture.
In 2023, the NHL Big City Greens Classic was produced using Beyond Sports technology and that system, along with the Hawk-Eye setup, is now installed in all 32 arenas.
As with other animated broadcasts, the goal is to expand the appeal and attract a wider audience – one that might be different from or adjacent to those attending the game in person.
Speaking to TechRadar, David Lehanski, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Innovation at the NHL, said that the talks began with a question about how the league can reach more fans.
Now, though, “We're going to eventually get to a point where we allow the fan to customize so they can have some role in determining what the environment looks like. And then another step after that might be to even give the fans an ability to interact with the content,” Lehanski continued.
A preview of the Simpsons Monday Night Football game (Image credit: Sony's Beyond Sports)Those comments echo back to TechRadar’s conversation with Sander Schouten, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Beyond Sports last year.
Schouten then hinted that more environments could come depending on the partner, and that we could see more interactive streams. He also highlighted the sheer volume of data being generated and its rapid pace, suggesting that the runway is wide open for various implementations.
That could mean multiple streams or different ways of accessing the action – be it on a traditional TV, through streaming, or even in a virtual reality environment. The latter is something the NHL has already explored, both for analysts and for players.
For both Sony and the NHL, this is an exciting endeavor – a formalized partnership built on technology already being used in games. It should open the door to more robust interactions and increased investment, enhancing the game experience whether you’re in the stands or watching from home.
While neither Sony nor the NHL would comment on future partners for real-time animated moments, I am hopeful we might see a return of The Simpsons – not for football, but for hockey.
You Might Also Like- Browser extensions can be silent threats, silently harvesting your data without obvious signs
- ExtensionPedia could become the go-to source for vetting browser add-ons before installation
- LayerX exposes a serious security gap that even major app stores consistently overlook
Browser extensions often make browsing easier by blocking ads, autofilling passwords, or providing productivity tools, but they also pose one of the most overlooked security risks in today’s digital ecosystem.
To address this, cybersecurity company LayerX has launched ExtensionPedia, a kind of “Wikipedia for extensions,” aimed at providing in-depth risk assessments for over 200,000 browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
Internet users typically rely on app stores to vet these extensions and ensure they are safe. However, LayerX claims that these stores “only do a superficial job of vetting extensions.” While they scan for malware and obvious red flags, they do not investigate behavioral patterns or the ownership lineage of extension code.
Extra scrutiny for browser extensions“When someone installs a browser extension - either for personal or work use - users and their organizations have no idea what permissions the extension has, how reputable the author is, or the extension’s overall risk profile,” said Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO of LayerX.
This has created a loophole through which malicious actors have repeatedly introduced spyware, adware, and data-harvesting tools.
In recent months, browser-based identity theft and data exfiltration via extensions have become so prevalent that they’ve prompted official warnings from agencies like the FBI.
“While browser extensions are often considered harmless, in practice they are frequently granted extensive access permissions to users’ identity information and data,” LayerX notes, “leading hackers to use them as an attack channel for credential theft, account takeover, and data theft.”
LayerX says its service pulls anonymous data from millions of browser sessions via its database, which includes unified risk scores, granular permission breakdowns, and detailed reputation analyses, all in one searchable, public-facing tool.
While antivirus and endpoint protection platforms can help guard against malicious extensions, the availability of a dedicated risk score could empower users to make more informed decisions.
However, users must actively search the ExtensionPedia database and understand the significance of permission scopes or publisher risk scores.
The concept is promising, but skepticism remains over whether users will truly comprehend the scores or simply dismiss them as technical jargon. Additionally, the effectiveness of such a database in addressing the broader cybersecurity threat landscape remains to be seen.
The concept also assumes users will research extensions before installing them, something that rarely happens in practice.
By making extension risk scores public, LayerX is undeniably increasing transparency, but visibility alone does not equate to protection.
ExtensionPedia is currently available for free, but its real impact will depend on how widely, and thoughtfully, it’s used.
You might also like- These are the best VPNs with antivirus available now
- Here's a list of the best firewalls around today
- Criminals hijacking subdomains of popular websites such as Bose or Panasonic to infect victims with malware