News
- South Korean government discloses ten‑month cyberattack on the National Diplomatic Academy’s online education system
- Data stolen included user IDs, names, emails, and encrypted passwords of at least 6,000 individuals
- MFA shut down IT systems, deployed enhanced security, and delayed disclosure due to diplomatic sensitivity
Current and former employees of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), as well as other government personnel, may have had their data siphoned out by cybercriminals in an attack that lasted for ten months.
The South Korean government has disclosed an attack against the online education system of its National Diplomatic Academy. The system, set up in 2022 by the country’s premier institution for educating and training diplomats, apparently contained a security vulnerability that unnamed threat actors managed to exploit.
In an announcement published on the official website of the South Korean government, both the details about the flaw, as well as about the attackers, were not disclosed.
Thousands are affectedHowever, it did note that the attack took place between April 2025 and February 2026. During these ten months, cybercriminals were able to steal user IDs, names, emails, as well as encrypted passwords of trainees in the National Diplomatic Academy Online Education System.
Unique identification information, sensitive information, mobile phone numbers, home addresses, and photos were not compromised, it said.
In response to the attack, MFA shut down its entire IT infrastructure and deployed “enhanced security measures”, without elaborating what these measures were. It urged all employees to remain vigilant of incoming emails, and to reach out if they receive anything “suspicious”.
While the official announcement lacks details, BleepingComputer reported that the attack impacted “at least 6,000 individuals, 350 of them being current government attachés dispatched abroad.” Citing an MFA spokesperson, the publication said the Ministry decided to disclose the incident with a five-month delay due to the “sensitive nature” of the attack, and the need to thoroughly analyze it before going public.
"We recognized this issue in February, but we announced it five months later because of the sensitivity of the matter regarding our diplomatic and security affairs, and the need for careful review and analysis," said South Korea Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Park Il.
Via BleepingComputer
- ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott calls for move from "AI chaos to AI discipline"
- Comments come after OpenAI model infiltrated Hugging Face
- McDermott says ServiceNow tools come with a "kill switch" to prevent such incidents
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott has laid out why his company's AI offerings have an advantage over the competition, partly because of built-in controls which can cut off access when needed.
Speaking to CNBC, McDermott said ServiceNow's tools are helping businesses move “from AI chaos to AI discipline.”
“We have a kill switch that stops AI agents that go rogue, so those things don’t need to happen, and they wouldn’t happen when companies run ServiceNow,” McDermott said
Not going rogueMcDermott's comments come shortly after the much-publicized incident which saw an OpenAI model breach online repository Hugging Face.
The incident was part of an experiment from OpenAI as part of its testing of GPT‑5.6 Sol and an “even more capable pre-release model” to see how well they would perform on the ExploitGym benchmark.
Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf has called the event "a wake-up call", telling the BBC it, "will be one of the most common types of cyber attacks we see", adding that most firms are not aware that the "game has changed".
Many large software firms have experienced some disquiet over their increasing use of AI, however McDermott dismissed concerns this growing AI competition could affect ServiceNow retaining customers.
“If you look at the terms of our contracts, they’ve actually gotten longer,” McDermott said, noting that greater AI adoption should actually increase demand for tools such as those provided by ServiceNow.
“There’s going to be more AI. There’s going to be more incidents, and all these things drive more and more volume to ServiceNow,” he said.
The news came as ServiceNow reported its latest earnings, with subscription revenues of $3,877 million in Q2 2026, representing 24.5% year-over-year growth and 23% in constant currency
Prime Video just got a massive free upgrade that should be on your radar if you're interested in playing popular video games like Fallout 4, Fortnite, and EA Sports FC 26 on your TV at no extra cost.
From today, Amazon Prime subscribers using Fire TV devices in the US or UK will be able to access Amazon Luna titles from directly within the Prime Video app. Luna is the company's cloud gaming service, and lets you play entire games by streaming them directly to your device like you would a TV show or movie — simply pick what you want to play in the new games tab, connect your phone (or a compatible gamepad) to use as a controller, and you can dive straight in, with no download required.
You don't need to pay extra for this either, as a formidable library of games is already included with your Prime subscription. This includes a wide range of casual GameNight titles designed for playing with a group of family or friends (including an exclusive Angry Birds and digital versions of popular board games like Clue and Exploding Kittens), in addition to some more hardcore titles available on a rotating basis.
If you want even more games, you can upgrade to Luna Premium for an additional $9.99 / £8.99 per month.
Prime placementThe move comes as Amazon tries to get more eyes on its game streaming service, which many Prime subscribers don't even know they have access to.
"You could argue we're the largest paid gaming subscription in the world," Amazon GM of gaming Jeff Gattis laughs in a conversation ahead of today's reveal. "Problem is, not enough people know about it."
Although he argues that the service is "really easy to get to if you know where you're going," he reckons the decision to initially roll it out via a dedicated Luna website and app that you "have to actively seek out and go find" has inadvertently created too many "friction points" for otherwise potentially interested users.
"It's crazy how much value we're putting in to the Prime tier," he added. "The fact that we just had the World Cup, and the you could play FC 26 if you're a Prime member for essentially free is is amazing. But again, it's only as good as people's ability to know about it."
In addition to the prominent positioning of the new games tab, Amazon is currently working on brand awareness campaigns to help get the word out.
According to Gattis, Fire TV is also just the beginning of a wider rollout that might see the update coming to the Prime Video mobile app, and so be in front of even more eyes, in future. "The grander vision is to get it to everywhere Prime Video is, and so we're excited just for more people to discover the benefit," he teased.
Overall, he believes that all of this will help align Luna more closely with the core principles that make other Amazon services like its e-commerce offering so successful. "It's convenience," he adds, "and I think it's value. And when you think about Amazon, what are the things that it does well worldwide?"
- Guardio Labs found CVE‑2026‑48294 in Adobe Acrobat Chrome extension, enabling cross‑site data disclosure
- Attackers could steal WhatsApp Web chats if victims opened malicious landing pages with extension active
- Adobe patched the flaw in version 26.7.2.0; update recommended for 314M extension users
If you have Adobe Acrobat’s extension for Chrome, and you like chatting through WhatsApp Web, there is a potential security vulnerability you might want to address.
Security researchers from Guardio Labs discovered a “universal cross-site scripting (UXSS)-class cross-origin data disclosure vulnerability”, which is another way of saying that a website could use the flaw to read the contents of a different website, loaded in a separate tab.
The vulnerability was found in the Adobe Acrobat Chrome extension and is now tracked as CVE-2026-48294. It was given a severity score of 7.4/10 (high), and affects versions 26.5.2.2 and earlier. Guardio Labs dubbed it “HermeticReader” because of what it exploits.
"Insultingly ordinary" setupThe extension comes with different integrations, such as Google Drive or, in this case - WhatsApp Web. The WhatsApp integration component, internally known as "Hermes" is where the bug was found.
In theory, an attacker could create a new landing page and share it with the victim via email, instant messaging, SEO poisoning, or other methods. If the victim 1) has the vulnerable version of the Adobe Acrobat Chrome extension installed; 2) has WhatsApp loaded in a separate tab; and 3) opens the malicious landing page, it could trigger the extension’s vulnerable code path and allow the attackers to access everything the victim has on their WhatsApp.
Some sources argue that threat actors could use this vulnerability to pull one-time passcodes delivered via WhatsApp.
"The setup is almost insultingly ordinary: an attacker-controlled page, dressed to look like the kind of page you land on via search results, marketing emails, etc.," Guardio Labs wrote in its analysis.
"The visitor, who already has the Adobe Acrobat extension installed, opens that page. The page wakes up a dormant engine inside the extension, reaches directly into WhatsApp Web. Seconds later, the rendered WhatsApp Web view - the chat list, contact names, messages, the profile name, the text of whatever conversation is open - the whole WhatsApp in the attacker's hands."
Adobe has since publicly acknowledged the issue and thanked Guardio Labs’ researchers for their help. It has also fixed the problem in version 26.7.2.0 that’s currently available for download. The extension has more than 314 million users.
Via The Hacker News
When the trio of Samsung Galaxy Z 8 foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 — arrive in consumers' hands in the coming weeks, they will be among the first mainstream handsets, aside from the Motorola Razr Fold, to feature silicon-carbon batteries. That's a big deal for the industry, but perhaps an even bigger deal with Samsung, which, a decade ago, had one of the biggest negative smartphone battery stories in a generation.
That was way back in 2016 when the Note 7, an otherwise excellent phablet (yes, that was a thing), occasionally blew up because of battery manufacturing imperfections. Ever since then, Samsung has not only had a perfect record; it's often been at pains to explain the lengths it goes to ensure smartphone battery stability and safety.
Now, as it introduces a relatively new and somewhat untested battery technology — silicon-carbon — Samsung is again making the effort to dive deep into the construction and chemistry of these new-fangled power sources to show just how much care and effort it's putting into the new tech, and into its new foldable phones.
What is silicon-carbon?All three new Galaxy Foldables feature silicon-carbon battery technology (Image credit: Future)Silicon-carbon is not a wholesale refashioning of lithium-ion battery technology. Instead, it replaces a key component of the battery makeup, swapping the negative electrode (graphite) for silicon-carbon. This material allows for higher density (more power in less space) and far faster charging speeds. It's part of the reason why Samsung can, despite not making the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra any thicker than the Z Fold 7 (it's actually 0.1mm thinner when unfolded), make the battery larger — it's now 5,000mAh.
With Samsung now having a solid decade of battery safety under its belt, perhaps no one is questioning the quality, let alone the safety, of this new battery technology. But Samsung clearly wants to shout about it, and has been sharing extensive details.
In a recent briefing ahead of the July 22 Galaxy Unpacked event in London, Samsung executives walked us through a near-atomic-level chemistry class to explain how it's custom-building the silicon-carbon batteries to ensure they work as expected.
"With Samsung's highest standards, we carefully verified the silicon-carbon battery so that our users can trust it and use it with competence," said Samsung EVP Moon Sung-hoon.
As for what that means, Samsung told us it fully redesigned the cathode, separator, and anode, which means that, at an atomic level, Samsung is managing the chemical reaction inside the battery that delivers the power to your next Galaxy Z Fold device.
Samsung wouldn't share the exact amount of silicon-carbon that's in the batteries, but it did confirm that its new Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Fold 8, and Z Flip 8 phones in every region would feature the new battery technology.
On coatings and voltage managementEven though we didn't learn the percentage of each battery element in the Galaxy Z8 phones, Samsung dove deep into the component construction, explaining that, in an effort to manage the reactivity of the silicon-carbon cells, it "innovated every single part of the battery system. This is why we call it the system level of innovation at battery."
A Samsung executive showed off a colorful illustration to detail all the work (sadly, I cannot share it with you here). But here's what I learned.
To the anode layer, Samsung's engineers added a micro-carbon coating, which offers protection to the layer without, thanks to carbon's natural pores, constricting it during charging and discharging,
On the cathode layer, they "injected additional atoms" to manage the naturally higher voltage and stability of the cells. To maintain that higher voltage, they added a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) that adds a "small coating to the anode cells". This also manages the cell reactivity.
Finally, for the chemical reaction that occurs in the battery, Samsung added a "hyperporosity separator," which has larger holes without reducing the stress or durability of the cell's separators, and therefore helps maintain stability.
While most of us non-chemical engineers might feel like we've just about wrapped our minds around this information, this is an unprecedented level of battery construction detail, which I don't think Samsung would have shared if not for its history with batteries.
For consumers, though, this may not matter as much as the fact that these are larger-capacity batteries in smaller frames that charge far faster than their predecessors — and that will feel like a win for most Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Fold 8, and Z Flip 8 owners.
For our early impressions of all three new phones, check out our hands-on Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra preview, hands-on Galaxy Z Fold 8 preview, and hands-on Galaxy Z Flip 8 preview.
Since Dutton Ranch season 2 was renewed a week before the season 1 finale, I assumed it would be a good few months — perhaps even until the end of 2026 — before we'd hear any solid updates from Paramount+ or its cast. But thanks to Variety's explosive interview with star Ed Harris, who plays vet Everett on the Yellowstone spinoff, I was wrong.
“Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do — and that I was one of the four main characters,” Harris said. “And that wasn’t really the case."
He continued: “I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential,’ and they kind of went, ‘Oh'. I’m being told my character will have a little bit more to do [in Season 2]. I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.”
@varietymagazineEd Harris says he felt “misled” about his “inconsequential” role on “Dutton Ranch,” and that halfway through filming Season 1, he was telling his team to “get me the f--- out of here.” “Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do — and that I was one of the four main characters,” Harris said. “And that wasn’t really the case... I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential,’ and they kind of went, ‘Oh.'” Harris explained that when he actually watched “Dutton Ranch,” he thought it was “pretty good,” and he felt his character was “relatively important to the story.” However, during filming, “it didn’t feel that way.” “I’m being told my character will have a little bit more to do [in Season 2],” he says. “I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.”
♬ original sound - VarietyAccording to Variety, Harris explained that when he actually watched Dutton Ranch, he thought it was “pretty good,” and felt his character was “relatively important to the story.” However, during filming, “it didn’t feel that way.”
These potentially controversial comments are the ones making headlines, but for me — a self-proclaimed hardcore fan of the show — they aren't the most interesting takeaway from Harris' interview.
Not only are there heavy hints about when we're likely to see new episodes released, but the certainty of Harris' belief in season 2 indicates that a new showrunner has been found.
Dutton Ranch season 2 episodes will likely arrive in late 2027 as Harris confirms February 2027 filming scheduleDo a little bit of social media digging and you will find that there's more to the interview with Harris than the clip Variety has chosen to run with. Journalist Marc Malkin has posted the full footage to his Instagram, where Harris confirms that Dutton Ranch season 2 is due to begin filming in 2027.
I'll be honest with you: this is a lot later than I was expecting. However, it does confirm that we'll be seeing episodes in late 2027 (or slightly later, depending on if there are any other production hitches).
(Image credit: Paramount+)Now let's examine what Harris allegedly knows about his season 2 character arc. For plans to already be so firmed up, this must mean that a new showrunner has been appointed to take over from Chad Feehan, who exited the show just weeks before the season 1 premiere.
This could easily have been a remark made by producers just to keep Harris happy enough to carry out his two-season contract with Dutton Ranch. But the fact that neither Paramount, nor Taylor Sheridan or 101 Studios chose not to comment on Harris' interview makes me feel hopeful that Sheridan has quietly resumed his position as showrunner.
Call it delusion if nothing else, as this is what I've always wanted to happen with the Yellowstone spinoff. But it's a smart move — with season 1 performing so well for Paramount+, everything needs to be perfect to keep up momentum. Annoyingly, it's likely that the showrunner won't be announced until season 2 begins production.
- Live heart rate data will be free for Garmin Cirqa users
- Early testers noticed it had been put behind the Connect+ subscription
- The new tracker costs $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.99
We've already put the newly unveiled Garmin Cirqa through an extensive hands-on testing session, and came away very impressed. However, there were complaints from those who had early access to the device that live heart rate data was locked behind a paywall.
Now Garmin is taking that negative feedback on board: as reported by seasoned tech reporter Ray Maker (via Android Police), live heart rate data will be available to every Cirqa user "in the coming days", with or without a Garmin Connect+ subscription.
The subscription, which applies across all of Garmin's wearables, has been the subject of much debate since it launched last year. For $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 a year, it gives you access to more metrics and more insights about the fitness data you're amassing.
Live heart rate readings aren't usually locked behind Connect+, so it's strange that Garmin initially made this the case with the Cirqa. Whatever the reasoning or confusion, the anomaly is now being dealt with, which is good news.
The rise of subscriptionsGood news update! Garmin will be making a change to Garmin Connect Mobile in the coming days, so you'll now be able to see Live HR from Cirqa during a workout (previously, you could only see workout Average HR unless you had Garmin Connect+). See...feedback works. Sometimes. :) https://t.co/q5qL8T4YhZJuly 22, 2026
If you're new to the Garmin Cirqa (and it was only announced a few days ago), it takes on the likes of the Whoop wearables and the Fitbit Air by giving you a capable, lightweight wrist tracker without the distraction (and battery drain) of a display.
Both the Cirqa and the Fitbit Air offer basic tracking features and functionality for free, with a pile of extras available if you sign up for a subscription. With Whoop bands, like the Whoop MG, a subscription is compulsory, otherwise it's pretty much useless — plans start at $199 / £169 / AU$299 per year.
As we've written about before, it's a sign of the times that so many tech devices, from smartwatches to security cameras, now come with monthly subscriptions attached — usually stealing away the best features for the device in question.
If you're tempted by a Garmin Cirqa and its display-free design, it's available for $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.99 direct from Garmin, with availability from tomorrow, July 24 — and you will be able to record real time heart rate data, via the accompanying Garmin app.
- Varonis Threat Labs uncovered Dolphin X, a powerful RAT with 329 features across 10 categories
- Its standout “AI Profiler” ranks victims by usage and sends summaries to attackers daily
- Malware is sold on the dark web via subscription tiers, starting at $80 per month
What if malware could talk to its operator and tell it which of the infected victims is worth paying attention to, and which not? A few years ago, this might have been science fiction but today, thanks to breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), not only is it possible, it’s also already available on the black market.
Security researchers Varonis Threat Labs recently disclosed finding a rather revolutionary remote access trojan (RAT) called Dolphin X.
Even without advanced AI capabilities, the RAT is quite potent, acting as an infostealer, a Hidden Virtual Network Computing (HVNC), a DDoS botnet, or a loader. Just its infostealer capabilities are nothing short of impressive - it can target more than 300 applications to steal browser passwords, enterprise credentials, cryptocurrency wallet data, DevOps secrets, and different sensitive files, and it comes with 329 features split into 10 categories.
AI ProfilerHowever, the AI capability is the one that stunned the researchers. Called “AI Profiler”, the feature ranks victims by app usage, browsing history, and more, sending a daily summary to the attackers.
The malware is now being offered on the dark web, where other criminals can subscribe to one of three tiers. The basic tier costs $80 per month, while the top tier is around $230 per month. Lifetime subscription costs $1,140 for basic access, and goes up to $3,420 for the top tier.
"Dolphin X’s collection scope reaches well beyond browser passwords to SSH keys, cloud tokens, and DevOps credentials," Varonis said in its write-up. "On the wrong machine, a single infection could expose access to an entire production environment."
"Its use of AI is also interesting because it shows us how AI is being integrated into more cybercrime tooling."
- Star Wars Zero Company will take 30-40 hours to beat the main campaign
- The game won't feature New Game Plus mode, romance systems, or branching story paths
- Post-launch content is also unconfirmed at this time
Bit Reactor has confirmed that Star Wars Zero Company will take up to 40 hours to finish, and it won't have a New Game Plus mode.
The single-player turn-based tactics game is one of my most anticipated titles of the year, and ahead of its launch next month, the studio has conducted a community Q&A to answer a long series of questions.
One of the first questions asked how long the campaign will be, and lead producer Caydence Funk has confirmed that "Depending on your difficulty level and experience with the strategy genre," it's estimated that it can take between 30 and 40 hours for the average player to beat.
It's also confirmed that the story will be linear with no romance systems or branching paths.
"While we are excited about pushing the genre forward with a more cinematic approach, this is still a turn-based tactics game at its heart where adept skill and strategy are needed to overcome tense combat challenges," Bit Reactor said. "That said, there are story moments that can alter based on who you have in your squad, but the overall story is a linear one from beginning to end."
Personally, 40 hours is the ideal length, and a linear story means I can experience everything the story without having to worry about missing out on additional storylines.
"As far as exploration goes, yes, you’ll have the ability to explore a section of some planets prior to engaging in turn-based combat on them," the studio added.
"This is a minor facet of the game that we feel adds a unique, immersive quality to Star Wars Zero Company. These small segments are a chance for you, as Hawks, to conduct the espionage that Zero Company excels at, and are main-story-only segments that can affect the subsequent combat by granting Intel and Advantage Points."
Unfortunately, the game won't launch with New Game Plus mode, so new playthroughs will have to be completely fresh, "but players will unlock certain customization options on subsequent playthroughs" through progress.
Zero Company is set during one of my favorite Star Wars eras, the Clone Wars, so I'm very excited to experience a new story during this time period.
We can expect battles across the galaxy with the Separatist Alliance, a team consisting of a Clone Trooper, a Mandalorian, a Jedi Padawan, an Umbaran sniper, and more, as well as the appearance of Anakin Skywalker.
Customization will also play a big role in the game, and while players can't have an entire team of Clone Troopers, Bit Reactor confirmed that you'll have access to Clone armor cosmetics with the ability to customize your team's armor from the start. Outfits don't impact gameplay, but Clone Trooper helmets will provide a voice modulation effect, which sounds neat!
Even cooler, The Clone Wars TV series voice actor Dee Bradley Baker will provide his iconic voice to the character Trick and additional Clone Troopers, but the full cast has yet to be announced.
As for additional content, good news, there are no plans for microtransactions to be added to the game; however, the "Arc Trooper" Armor Set is only part of the "Grand Army of the Republic" Cosmetic Pack for the Deluxe Edition, but players will still have access to other cosmetic options in the base game.
The game also won't have mod support, and "right now" post-launch content isn't confirmed because Bit Reactor is "focused on making the best game we can at launch."
Star Wars Zero Company launches on August 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S.
Engineering discipline in software development has been under the spotlight since AI started being used by devs to generate code, with many teams worried it’s causing unnecessary risk. Headlines have been full of cautionary tales about bugs created by hastily shipped code or senior executives taking vibe coding into their own hands.
Nevertheless, teams are finding ways to build trust in AI-generated code. Google’s 2025 DORA survey concluded that AI has an amplifying effect on organizations' processes - quality processes enhanced by AI lead to higher quality outputs, and more of them.
Our own research shows that most teams aren’t being haphazard with safeguards or accepting AI outputs at face value. Most teams are being more rigorous and giving their outputs the same scrutiny as the work of a teammate. That tells us a lot about how the best-performing teams are learning how to work with AI.
Seventy-six percent of enterprise teams are reviewing AI-generated work at least as rigorously as human-written work. Teams using AI to accelerate their work are seeing results from using proven engineering practices to ensure code is reviewed and tested sufficiently.
Rather than being inherently unstable, the rise of AI-generated code has emphasized that guardrails are the bedrock of consistently reliable software.
Treat AI as a virtual teammateTeams treating AI-generated code as if it was produced by a human tells us something about how mature teams are using AI. The engineers using AI most effectively treat it as a virtual teammate. They stay in charge of the decisions and they use AI to accelerate the execution.
To make AI adoption an iterative process that improves over time, starting with low-stakes, repeatable tasks and applying stringent checks to outputs gives the tech a chance to work properly without expecting immediate results.
As MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory reported, AI coding’s widespread adoption doesn’t mean it can handle all aspects of large-scale software engineering by itself. Releasing to production is higher stakes than writing code, for example. Scrutiny from real humans is vital to prevent errors and hallucinations from impacting the business.
At this early stage of AI being used in workflows, it’s positive that 43% of teams are treating AI code like human-written code, with 33% applying even stricter checks. Even the best developers on a team aren’t above the processes and guardrails that guarantee reliable software deployment at speed. AI should be approached in the same way.
Trust in AI follows the risk curveAs with any new technology, introducing AI to the software lifecycle is a learning process. Our data shows trust in AI varies greatly depending on the stage of the software lifecycle, indicating that teams are building confidence with appropriate caution.
A pragmatic approach is being taken at the best-performing enterprises. Thought leaders from Gartner, Forrester and Google’s DORA team all highlight that organizations seeing success from AI-assisted development are strengthening their engineering controls and building up success over time.
This tallies with where AI is trusted to perform. The vast majority (82%) now use AI during the build stage, dropping to 58% at release where production risk is highest. Using AI primarily for earlier stages of software development is a rational step to make sure failures don’t impact the wider business.
This doesn’t betray a lack of confidence in the technology. Almost half (46%) of teams are confident in the performance of AI-generated code, indicating that its more cautious use in production is a measured business decision rather than skepticism.
Outputs are much easier to review and refine before the release stage. With many businesses still lacking full observability, teams often only hear about mistakes in live code once users notify them. Despite claims that software development could eventually be fully automated, teams are showing a clear awareness of where human oversight is essential.
Rather than making blanket judgments about AI’s capabilities, they are taking a more nuanced view, which bodes well for the future of AI-assisted software delivery.
Combine speed with discipline to winThere is continuity in how mature teams are making sure AI-generated code is fit for purpose, but it’s still having a seismic impact on the role of software engineers. When I speak with developers, their feedback is unanimous: the time AI saves is invaluable for focusing on neglected parts of their process.
AI moves the cognitive load from writing code and building configuration to reviewing and directing it. With time freed up, teams have more scope to prioritize observability, test coverage or disaster recovery scenarios - crucial elements of software hygiene that too often get overlooked.
AI adoption is increasing documentation quality according to the DORA report, suggesting that many teams are taking the opportunity to improve the broader engineering practices that support reliable software delivery.
As it takes on more of the mechanical aspects of software development, engineers become increasingly responsible for the work that matters most: validating outputs, understanding risk, and ensuring outputs align with business objectives. If someone asks “why did we build it this way?” it’s a problem if no one can answer the question without asking AI. Humans must be in the loop.
The organizations that benefit most from AI will not be those with more automation, they will be the ones that combine AI-driven speed with engineering discipline and a strict adherence to repeatable processes.
AI adoption is a DevOps challengeThe debate around AI-generated code often focuses on whether the technology can be trusted in DevOps. In most cases, teams have been building this trust iteratively without throwing away human judgment to get the best results.
As AI capabilities continue to improve, the gap between high-performing teams and everyone else is unlikely to be determined by access to the latest model.
The engineers and teams that will thrive are the ones who pair AI’s capabilities with their own judgement.
We list the 10 best vibe coding tools.
This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to 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/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit
With the new school year approaching, it's the ideal time to check that your tech is up to the task. One area you may be looking at for an upgrade is your laptop, and fortunately, there are dozens of deals available in the back-to-school sales. So, I've taken a look and picked out 10 of the best laptop deals I'd recommend right now.
The biggest battle when it comes to bagging the best bargain is between these two options: the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Neo. With a student discount, both can be yours for $599.99, which is outstanding value for money for a pair of powerful and efficient laptops.
The choice, ultimately, comes down to whether you prefer a Windows or an Apple device, as I really don't think you can go wrong with either if you want a capable laptop for school, college, and general use.
Alternatively, if you have less (or more) to spend, then I've picked out several other options that are on sale and I think are worth buying in the back-to-school sales. There's everything from super-cheap Chromebooks for basic use starting at $159, to performance powerhouses that come with the extra juice you might need for more demanding or creative tasks such as coding, photo editing, or video editing.
Have a browse through all of my recommendations below, which I've chosen based on the opinions of our expert testers, my experience hunting down laptop deals for TechRadar, and exactly what you get for your cash.
Today's best back-to-school laptop sales- Amazon: big savings on laptops
- Apple: up to $150 gift card
- Best Buy: up to $600 off laptops
- Dell: up to $900 off
- Lenovo: up to 33% off laptops & tablets
- Walmart: laptops from $199.99
Display - 13.4 inches
Processor - Intel Core 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB
The Dell XPS 13 has regularly been one of our favorite laptops here at TechRadar, and this brand-new version continues that trend. With an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it has everything you need for solid all-around performance at work or college. Students can also save an extra $100, bringing the price down to a ridiculously low $599.99.View Deal
Display: 13 inches
Processor: A18 Pro
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
The MacBook Neo just got a price bump, but students can get it cheaper again thanks to Apple's education discount. The latest MacBook packs a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and up to 16 hours of battery life, all for under $600, which is fantastic value. Discounts have been better in the past, but I think these will be rarer to see over the coming months and this price likely won't be beaten over Black Friday.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
This is a solid discount on a modern laptop powered by one of the efficient Snapdragon X CPUs. As well as excellent levels of all-around performance, this device boasts a huge all-day battery life, so you won't need to worry about being attached to a charger at all times. There's even 512GB of SSD storage, which you don't often see in combination with those other strong performance components at this price point. This is an all-around excellent laptop for everyday, college and business use.View Deal
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
This version of the Acer Chromebook Plus offers a solid amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel i3 processor, boosting performance, boot times and load times. Storage of 128GB is a bit underwhelming, but you do get a large and bright IPS display, and decent battery life of around 12 hours — that's more than enough to last a full working day. At a little under $350, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
Here's one of the best deals on a modern, all-purpose, and well-rated laptop in Dell's latest sale. You can now get $550 off this machine, which features a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM, and a decent 512GB SSD. With all of those components, you'll have no issues with all of your everyday computing and work needs. And at 14 inches, it's an easily portable device, too. Altogether, it's an excellent value all-around option and a laptop we scored 4.5/5 in our review.View Deal
Display - 16 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen AI 9
RAM - 32GB
Storage - 1TB
There's a massive $500 price cut on this powerful high-end laptop, which boasts an AMD Ryzen AI 9, a performance-boosting 32GB of RAM and a large 1TB SSD. This is a great pick for business and productivity needs, with enough power to multitask with ease and battery life that lasts a full day.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
If you want a flexible device that's just as easy to use for work and admin jobs as well as casual web browsing and streaming media, then this Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 14 is an excellent buy. It mainly features entry-to-mid-level components, but there's enough power to keep up with light daily use. Plus, you get the added benefit of a versatile 14-inch touchscreen, effectively giving you a laptop and tablet in one.View Deal
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 1TB
This powerful and versatile HP OmniBook Flip offers impressive performance for the price, with powerful components such as a modern Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM to boost performance, and a decent 1TB SSD for storage. You can comfortably handle everyday tasks, demanding work, video calls, media streaming and more with this laptop, all with the option to flip it around to a 16-inch touchscreen tablet when needed, too.View Deal
Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
Our reviewer called the newest MacBook Air M5 "the best ultraportable I've ever used" and awarded it 4.5-stars, so it's every bit as good as its already excellent predecessor. As well as the powerful and efficient M5 chip, the latest MacBook Air boasts a slick 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD as standard. Those are solid overall specs for all-around use, productivity, and creative tasks. This is the best offer we've seen since the recent price hike, too.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Celeron N4500
RAM - 4GB
Storage - 64GB
This HP Chromebook 14 is a basic device, but it's cheap, making it a great buy for light use such as general browsing and schoolwork. It also boasts full-day battery life thanks to the lean but perfectly functional Chrome OS from Google, meaning it's best suited for students or those always on the move. If you have around $200 to spend and need a cheap laptop, then it's one of the best options right now.View Deal
Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x is down to $1,411.24 at Best Buy, saving you $423.37 from its usual $1,834.61 price.
This premium 14.5-inch Copilot+ laptop combines Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor with a sharp high-resolution touchscreen, alongside 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 512GB SSD. Its 14.5-inch IPS touchscreen offers a crisp 2944 x 1840 resolution, while Windows 11 Pro provides business-ready features.
Weighing just 2.9 pounds, it's designed to easily slip into a backpack.
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x if...
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is a solid choice if you want a lightweight premium notebook for office work, web browsing, video meetings, coding, and creative tasks. The high-resolution touchscreen, 16GB of memory, and Snapdragon X Elite processor make it well equipped for multitasking, while Windows 11 Pro adds extra flexibility for business tasks.
❌ Skip the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x if...
You may want to look elsewhere if you rely on software that still performs best on traditional x86 processors or need plenty of built-in storage. The integrated graphics are suited to everyday workloads rather than demanding gaming or professional 3D applications, and the 512GB SSD could fill up quickly if you work with large media files.
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite 12-core processor, this laptop pairs 16GB LPDDR5X memory with a 512GB SSD, 14.5-inch 2944x1840 touchscreen, Windows 11 Pro, integrated graphics, backlit keyboard, weighing 2.9 pounds.View Deal
Why we recommend itThe Yoga Slim 7x balances performance, portability, and display quality in a slim premium chassis. The combination of a sharp 14.5-inch touchscreen, modern Snapdragon X Elite platform, 16GB of fast LPDDR5X memory, and a lightweight design makes it an attractive everyday laptop for anyone who spends long hours working away from a desk.
In his four and a half star review, our expert Isaiah said the Yoga Slim 7x was "a spectacular laptop built for AI using Qualcomm's Snapdragon Elite X CPU" and the OLED screen meant it was "one of the best-looking I've ever used". He was also impressed that the Slim 7x "truly can provide all-day battery life depending on your activity and screen brightness levels, keeping your charger stored away for a while."
Price Context & Historical ValueA saving of more than $420 makes this one of the more substantial discounts seen on a premium Copilot+ laptop with these specifications. Considering its premium display, Windows 11 Pro, and Snapdragon X Elite processor, the current price represents much better value than paying full retail.
The Catch: What to know before you buyThis upgraded model is sold with a one-year warranty from Velztorm rather than Lenovo, and it doesn't include dedicated graphics or external display connectors. Those limitations are worth keeping in mind if your workload depends on high-end graphics performance or extensive wired connectivity.
It's also worth noting that there's a newer Gen 11 version of the Yoga Slim 7x with a Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. This model received a four star review from our expert Lewis.
If you're looking for fast, dependable storage for a NAS or desktop computer, Seagate has you covered with a number of great brands. IronWolf is built for always-on network storage, while the BarraCuda is a terrific budget choice for everyday PCs.
The Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS hard drive is currently available for $235.99 at Newegg. Designed specifically for NAS systems, it combines 4TB of CMR storage with a 5400 RPM spindle speed, a generous 256MB cache, and SATA 6Gb/s connectivity.
AgileArray technology, rotational vibration sensors, and support for workloads of up to 180TB per year make it well suited to multi-bay NAS enclosures that stay powered on around the clock.
The 2TB Seagate BarraCuda hard drive costs $139.99, but you can get $10 off by applying coupon code EPF5424. The HDD spins at 7200 RPM, includes a 256MB cache, and offers SATA 6Gb/s connectivity.
Which HDD should you buy?✅ Buy the 4TB IronWolf if...
If you run a NAS for backups, media streaming, or shared files, the IronWolf is the better investment. Features such as CMR recording, RAID-focused firmware, vibration protection, and three years of Rescue Data Recovery Services are all designed for continuous operation inside multi-drive systems.
See what our expert Mark thought about the larger 8TB model in his recent review.
✅ Buy the 2TB BarraCuda if...
The BarraCuda is aimed more at traditional desktop use rather than network storage, although it can be used in a NAS. Its faster 7200 RPM speed makes it a good choice for storing photos, videos, and large files, while keeping costs lower than high-capacity SSDs.
The IronWolf drive offers 4TB CMR storage, 5400 RPM performance, a 256MB cache, SATA 6Gb/s connectivity, rotational vibration sensors, and support for 24/7 operation.View Deal
The BarraCuda HDD delivers 2TB of storage, a 7200 RPM spindle speed, 256MB cache, SATA 6Gb/s connectivity, and energy-saving power modes for dependable everyday performance.View Deal
Why we recommend themThe IronWolf HDD is engineered specifically for NAS environments. It supports continuous 24/7 operation, includes health management features on compatible NAS platforms, and is designed to maintain reliable performance when several drives are working together.
The BarraCuda HDD focuses on versatility and offers plenty of capacity for everyday computing, a healthy 256MB cache, and dependable performance for general-purpose desktops, making it an easy recommendation if you simply need more space.
Take a look at our round up of the best NAS drives.
Price Context & Historical ValueThe IronWolf's dedicated NAS features help justify its premium over standard desktop drives, especially if your data is stored in a RAID array or accessed throughout the day. The current price isn't the cheapest however. It was $169.99 at Newegg at the start of July and briefly dipped down to $154.99.
Meanwhile, the BarraCuda delivers excellent value for anyone looking to add affordable high-capacity storage without moving to a more expensive SSD. $129.99 is a good price, although in May it was available for $110, and in April it was just $89.
The Catch: What to know before you buyThese are mechanical hard drives, which makes them great for NAS purposes. Neither can match the speed of an NVMe SSD for booting Windows or launching demanding applications.
The IronWolf is intended for NAS systems, so many of its specialist features provide little benefit in a standard desktop PC. The BarraCuda is more versatile, but it lacks the workload rating and RAID optimizations, which is where the IronWolf shines.
The Geekom IT13 provides solid desktop performance in a compact chassis. Usually priced at $599, it's currently down to $539.10 at Amazon. The mini PC is powered by a capable 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13600H processor with 12 cores, 16 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.8GHz.
It comes with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD, Windows 11 Pro, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, making it well equipped for productivity, creative work, and everyday computing.
Dual USB4 ports deliver transfer speeds up to 40Gbps and support external GPUs, while WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.2, an SD card slot, and support for up to four displays provide plenty of flexibility for home and office setups.
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the Geekom IT13 Mini PC if...
The Geekom IT13's processor, RAM, and generous 1TB SSD provide more than enough power for productivity, multitasking, photo editing, coding, and light video editing, while the generous selection of ports and support for four displays make it a flexible choice for home or office use.
❌ Skip the Geekom IT13 Mini PC if...
You may want to look elsewhere if your main priority is GPU-intensive creative work or a spot of AAA gaming. The Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics are perfectly capable for everyday computing and lighter workloads, but a mini PC with dedicated graphics will be a better fit for more demanding tasks.
Powered by an Intel Core i5-13600H processor, the Geekom IT13 includes 16GB RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, dual USB4 ports, WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb Ethernet, Windows 11 Pro, and quad-display support.View Deal
Why we recommend itThe Geekom IT13 strikes an excellent balance between performance, connectivity, and upgradeability. Support for four displays, dual USB4 ports, fast networking, and expandable memory make it suitable for everything from home offices to content creation.
Durable construction, a compact footprint and a three-year warranty also helps it stand out from many rival mini PCs.
In his review of an earlier model, our mini PC expert Mark said, "This machine is excellent in providing an exceptionally flexible tool that can serve files from external storage, be a hardware firewall or do any job that involves external devices connected by USB or Thunderbolt."
Price Context & Historical ValueThe 10% ($59.90) saving is modest rather than dramatic, but it's still a welcome reduction on a well-equipped mini PC with a strong feature set. It was $509 for a short period earlier this year, but it has been priced much, much higher in the past.
The Catch: What to know before you buyThe Geekom IT13 relies on Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, so it isn't intended for demanding GPU-heavy workloads or AAA gaming. While it can comfortably handle everyday productivity and lighter creative applications, anyone needing high-end graphics performance should look at a system with a dedicated graphics card.
- SpaceXAI just launched a Grok add-in for Excel
- However OpenAI, Anthropic and others have already beaten Grok to it
- The latest Grok 4.5 model is said to be an Excel genius
SpaceXAI (formerly xAI) has launched Grok for Excel as an add-in which looks to put Grok's conversational AI abilities within a side panel to help with formulas, charts, analysis and more.
Although the add-in is technically free, it requires a paid account to use the features, with only SuperGrok, SuperGrok Heavy and Business/Enterprise plans capable of handling tasks within the add-in.
SpaceXAI also refers to the add-in as a 'free' Microsoft Marketplace tool, loosely implying its use is free despite current account limitations.
Grok now gets an Excel add-in, too"Describe the outcome and Grok handles the syntax – averages, sorts, and fills land as normal edits in the formula bar," the company wrote in a post announcing the new tool.
Grok for Excel supports Excel 2019 or later on Mac as well as M365 versions and web versions, and joins similar Word, PowerPoint and Outlook add-ins. All the Office add-ins promise to interact with documents, understand data and draft new content, but there are no autonomous agentic features such as sending an email in Outlook.
Realistically, SpaceXAI is just the latest company to be acknowledging that individual sectors need role-specific support, with finance emerging as one of the priorities. OpenAI already has ChatGPT for Excel, Anthropic has Claude for Excel, and of course Microsoft has its own Copilot add-in for paid plans.
The news comes days after the company launched its latest Grok 4.5 model. "Grok Build is capable of building complex Excel models that involve research from the web, multi-sheet formula use, and even leaves stickies or notes behind for future reference," the company wrote.
SpaceXAI also praised the model's capabilities across Word and PowerPoint.
Built for professional makers, workshops, and small businesses, the xTool F2 Ultra industrial-grade desktop laser engraver is currently selling for $3,998.99 at Amazon, down from its $4,999 list price.
It features a powerful 60W MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) fiber laser capable of deep engraving, 3D embossing, color engraving, and cutting metal up to 2mm thick. It also supports black marking on aluminum, laser cleaning, thin metal welding, and works with stainless steel, titanium, brass, gold, silver, and more.
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the xTool F2 Ultra if...
This machine is designed for anyone producing custom products, industrial parts, jewelry, signage, or personalized gifts. It engraves at speeds up to 15,000mm/s, offers an 8.7 x 8.7-inch working area that can be expanded with an optional conveyor, and uses dual 48MP AI cameras to improve positioning accuracy to 0.2mm while automatically detecting materials and suggesting settings.
❌ Skip the xTool F2 Ultra if...
The F2 Ultra is far more machine than most hobbyists need. Its nearly $4,000 sale price remains a major investment, it requires space to operate safely, and as a Class 4 laser engraver it demands appropriate eye protection and safe working practices. If you only engrave occasionally or mainly work with wood and acrylic, a less powerful system may offer better value.
60W MOPA fiber laser engraver with speeds up to 15,000mm/s, dual 48MP AI cameras, 0.2mm positioning accuracy, 100-plus metal colors, 2mm metal cutting, 8.7 x 8.7-inch work area, expandable conveyor support.View Deal
Why we recommend itFew desktop fiber laser engravers combine this level of power, speed, and automation. The ability to produce more than 100 consistent colors on metal, perform deep engraving and embossing, and streamline setup with AI-assisted cameras makes it a capable tool for businesses looking to increase productivity while keeping high-quality results.
In his review, our expert Alastair said: "The xTool F2 Ultra is far removed from many consumer-grade machines, with a high-end product-designed enclosure and streamlined user interface that make this one of the most powerful and easy-to-use machines of its type on the market."
Price Context & Historical ValueA $1,000 discount represents a solid saving on professional equipment, and the cheapest we've seen the xTool F2 Ultra selling for to date. It remains a premium purchase, but this price cut will make it considerably more accessible for professionals who were already planning to invest in a high-end fiber laser engraver.
The Catch: What to know before you buyThis deal covers the single 60W MOPA fiber laser model only. Accessories including the automatic conveyor are sold separately, and you'll need suitable ventilation, a dedicated workspace, and proper laser safety precautions before putting this Class 4 engraver into regular use.
- We just got a fresh info dump on Apple's incoming Macs from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman
- It includes the claim that the MacBook OLED may be on track for a debut later this year, and that it's now being tested with macOS 27.1
- The laptop would have the M5 Pro and Max chips, with a follow-up potentially arriving as early as the end of 2027 with the M7 Pro and Max
Apple will likely launch a whole load of new Macs over the next couple of years, and if you were wondering about the MacBook OLED, seemingly this laptop remains on target for a possible launch later this year.
Mark Gurman spilled a whole lot of info and updates in a Bloomberg report that details Apple's upcoming Mac overhauls, and how things stand right now (as ever, sprinkle seasoning on this liberally).
The model that many people are interested in is that MacBook OLED which will be a high-end effort in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, sporting a touchscreen for the first time (not everyone's so keen on the latter, mind). They will pack the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, not the M6.
Gurman says that this MacBook is currently being tested with macOS 27.1 by Apple, and that the device "remains on track for release between the end of this year and early next year". The leaker had previously asserted that we're looking at a late 2026 or early 2027 release (although there's a nuance here that I'll come back to shortly).
What about M6 MacBooks? We'll seemingly get a refresh of the low-end MacBook Pro 14-inch this year that packs the M6, and this will be the first launch to use the next-gen silicon. There will be new iMacs with the M6, too, all of which are supposedly arriving this fall (likely around October 2026, in other words, give or take a month).
The MacBook Air isn't being ignored, of course, and Gurman informs us that a refresh of this consumer lineup is coming in early 2027, with 13-inch and 15-inch models that "closely resemble the current version" — so don't expect much in the way of change.
Another MacBook Pro launch is, he says, planned for 2027 in the form of an entry-level 14-inch laptop with a new design that will be similar to the high-end OLED models, but this will have a major upgrade with the M7 (vanilla) chip.
Unsurprisingly, he adds that a refresh of the popular MacBook Neo is underway, which upgrades to an A19 Pro chip and offers more memory (new colors will be added, too).
Further down the line for MacBooks, there might be a more radical change coming for the MacBook Air, with an OLED take on the notebook that Gurman says could arrive in 2028, while a follow-up to the high-end MacBook OLED should debut between the end of 2027 and early 2028, with an upgrade from the M5 Pro and Max to the M7 Pro and Max.
Apple is also working on an iMac with OLED, Gurman believes, and we've heard about that before. (Much of this rumor dump is confirmation of previous speculation, it should be noted, with updates on timelines).
Gurman also tells us to expect refreshes in the realm of the Mac mini and Mac Studio. He claims the Mac mini is in testing with M5 Pro and M6 processors, while Apple looks to be going with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra for the Mac Studio. These would be trickier launches for Apple given the RAM crisis, and the need for beefier memory configurations causing additional headwinds for these particular Macs. Due to this, the launch timeframes for these purported products are, Gurman says, still up in the air.
Analysis: on track – but out of touch?(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)There's a lot in the pipeline, clearly, but the most interesting update here is that the high-end MacBook OLED is apparently still on target, and we could see it later this year – potentially in just a few months. Remember that not so long ago, Gurman appeared to waver on the idea of this touchscreen MacBook arriving in 2026 at all, but it seems that this is still very much in the cards (although not guaranteed, by any means).
This device is notably still missing a name, and the leaker isn't referring to it as the MacBook Ultra, as the broader rumor mill has been doing. That it packs the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips makes sense, because there will only be a vanilla version of the M6, according to what Gurman's heard on the grapevine before – Apple is apparently skipping swiftly over that generation to get to the M7 and more powerful AI capabilities therein. The follow-up to the high-end MacBook OLED will carry the Pro and Max chips from the M7 family, as noted.
In this report Gurman frames all these revamped Macs as Apple looking to "capitalize on demand for powerful laptops and desktops fueled by the artificial intelligence boom", underlining the recent emphasis the leaker has placed on how important AI is for Tim Cook's company now.
Predictably, this notion hasn't gone down well with some Mac fans, and the idea of a touchscreen on a MacBook (with that incoming OLED model) remains contentious, too, based on feedback from social media.
One Redditor puts it in particularly strong terms: "Touchscreen laptops are disgusting. I cannot fathom anyone actually using them. The ergonomics make no sense, the fingerprint factor is horrible, the OS is not built around touch the way tablets or phones are. Why are companies actively pursuing this technology in 2026?"
Another says: "Apple is entering 'the touchbar phase' again. Dark days lay ahead. I'll wait until they inevitably walk back whatever changes they make."
So, while people love the idea of an OLED, the fact that it's touch-capable is certainly dampening enthusiasm in some quarters, not forgetting that it'll add to the price tag, which is one of the other big fears about this laptop.
Recruitment has always reflected the realities of the labor market it serves. For decades, those realities were relatively stable.
Roles were well defined, career paths followed familiar patterns, and organizations could afford to move at a measured pace when bringing in new talent. That context has changed, but many hiring practices have not.
Today, skills evolve quickly, business priorities shift frequently, and candidates expect a level of speed and transparency that traditional processes struggle to provide.
The result is a growing mismatch between what organizations need and how they go about finding it.
Hiring cycles stretch out, decisions are made with incomplete information, and opportunities to secure the right talent are often missed.
It is within this context that artificial intelligence has entered the conversation, often accompanied by a degree of unease. Questions about automation, control, and fairness are not only understandable but necessary. However, focusing too narrowly on whether AI might replace elements of HR risks overlooking the more important development taking place.
There has been a rapid rise in the technology, with 87% of companies now adopting AI to support recruitment . AI is reshaping how decisions are made, and in doing so, it is redefining the contribution HR can make to an organization.
Establishing talent architectsFor many HR teams, a significant proportion of time is still absorbed by coordination and administration. Screening applications, arranging interviews, and managing workflows are essential tasks, but they rarely represent the highest-value use of expertise.
A recent study three quarters of recruiters are using AI to save time and improve sourcing candidates . AI has the potential to absorb much of this operational load, processing large volumes of information quickly and consistently, while identifying patterns that would be difficult to detect through manual methods alone.
The benefit generates efficiency, while also creating the opportunity for HR leaders to operate with greater strategic intent. As organizations adopt AI-enabled approaches, the role of HR begins to move away from managing transactions and towards shaping the workforce more deliberately.
The concept of the HR leader as a “talent architect” is increasingly relevant in this environment. It reflects a responsibility not just to fill roles, but to design teams around capability, potential, and long-term direction. This requires a different balance of skills, combining an understanding of data and technology with a strong grounding in judgement, experience, and organizational culture.
Improving fairness through greater visibilityConcerns around bias often sit at the center of discussions about AI in hiring. There is a legitimate fear that automated systems could reinforce existing inequalities if left unchecked. Yet it is also important to recognize that bias is not introduced by technology alone. It is already present in many traditional hiring processes, often in ways that are subtle and difficult to measure.
What AI offers, when implemented with care, is greater visibility. Patterns in decision-making can be analyzed, inconsistencies can be identified, and outcomes can be assessed against clear criteria. This does not remove the responsibility from organizations to act, but it does provide a stronger foundation for doing so. Effective governance, transparency in how systems are trained, and ongoing review are essential if these benefits are to be realized.
Alongside considerations of fairness, there is a broader question of how AI influences the human aspects of hiring. The risk is not that technology replaces judgement, but that it is relied upon too heavily without sufficient oversight. The most effective organizations will be those that treat AI as a source of insight rather than a substitute for decision-making.
When this balance is achieved, the impact is tangible. Hiring processes become more responsive, with fewer delays between stages. Decisions are supported by a richer evidence base, allowing for greater confidence in outcomes . Candidates experience a process that is more consistent and easier to understand, which in turn strengthens the organization's reputation as an employer.
A better outcome for businesses and candidatesThere are also clear links to business performance. When hiring decisions are better aligned with the capabilities required, organizations are more likely to see improvements in productivity and retention. Teams are built with an eye on future needs as well as immediate demands, which is particularly important in sectors where change is constant.
At the same time, candidates benefit from a process that is more transparent and consistent. Decisions are grounded in evidence, and opportunities are matched more closely to individual strengths. The experience becomes more predictable and, ultimately, more credible.
For HR leaders, the priority now is to approach AI with both ambition and discipline. Introducing new tools without a clear understanding of the problem they are intended to solve will deliver limited value. Equally, adopting a cautious stance that delays progress may leave organizations at a disadvantage in a competitive talent market.
Clarity of purpose is therefore essential. Whether the objective is to reduce time-to-hire, improve the quality of matches, or strengthen diversity, the role of AI should be defined in relation to those outcomes. This should be supported by investment in capability, ensuring that HR teams are equipped to interpret and apply the insights generated.
Perhaps most importantly, there needs to be a shift in how the role of HR is perceived within the organization. The introduction of AI does not diminish the importance of human expertise; it places a greater emphasis on it. As routine tasks are streamlined, the expectation is that HR will contribute more directly to strategic decision-making, bringing a deeper understanding of talent, culture, and organizational dynamics.
A new chapter for hiringCompanies integrating technology into their recruitment operations have seen their hiring processes become faster, data-informed, and more closely aligned to business priorities. AI is a significant factor in that transition, but it is not the defining feature. Rather, HR existing with AI support depends on how organisations choose to integrate technology with human judgement.
For those that do this well, the outcome is greater than a more efficient hiring process. It is a more thoughtful and effective approach to building teams, one that recognises both the value of data and the importance of human insight.
That balance will shape the next phase of hiring, and it will determine the extent to which organizations are able to adapt to the demands of an increasingly dynamic labor market.
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This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.
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Imagine an automated torture chamber where one calamity after another is inflicted upon you. Worse yet, it’s all robots doing the pushing, pulling, pressing, switching, and lighting. A robot even delivers you to this house of horrors.
Of course, you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone, and you were actually built to take this kind of punishment, or at least expected to survive it. Housed in a basketball court-sized room, this is one of Samsung’s endlessly running test suites for its growing line of Samsung Galaxy S series and Galaxy Z folding phones.
A few weeks ago, Samsung flew me out to South Korea to visit its Gumi factory where, among other things, they build and stress test their newest phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z 8 Flip, all of which were introduced this week at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked in the UK.
(Image credit: Samsung)As a lab engineer guided us through the space, a robot waited impatiently behind him while trying to deliver more phones to its Guantanamo of tech indignities. The engineer seemed unconcerned as the robot edged closer to us, but it always remained a safe distance away, finally delivering a phone to the first chamber when we’d cleared a path.
Of course, before Samsung checks the viability of these handsets, it builds them.
Make 'em and (try to) break 'emThe start of our tour. Note the roving robot on the far right.SamsungTesting touch on the new Z Fold UltraSamsungA wearables test suiteSamsungWhen I visited the factory — one of nine dotted around the globe and where millions of units are assembled — for the first time a few years ago, I noticed a mix of robots (not humanoid, just automated platforms and a wide variety of robot arms) and humans. This time, however, there were just a handful of humans, who were often checking the robots’ work for imperfections.
As we walked the pristine aisles while wearing thin, blue protective covers on our shoes, I caught the eye of one factory worker and gave her a thumbs up. To my surprise, she smiled and nodded back at me before quickly returning to product inspections.
Across a series of metal and plexiglass boxes, I saw all manner of robots and mobile device manufacturing activity. There was never a pause or moment of indecision. In one enclosure, I watched as camera boards were robotically placed in a Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra board and then expertly screwed into place.
The Camera component makes its way to a new phone chassis.SamsungBuilding an S26 Ultra. Watch those cables.SamsungBuilding the S26 UltraSamsungVirtually every robot in every enclosure has a specific job, like the one that does nothing but remove thin-blue packing material from a phone circuit board. Its tiny fingers delicately grab a pair of thin blue tabs and strip away the filament. We found ourselves cheering on the little bot.
Robots are checking the build at every stepSamsungTesting out the Galaxy Z Fold 8SamsungTesting a Galaxy Z Fold 8 UltraSamsungA robot arm with a Galaxy S26 UltraSamsungMore Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra testsSamsungIn another spot, a colleague noticed that a copper line wasn’t properly affixed to a phone’s main circuit board. I could see it bouncing freely and wondered if the error would be caught or end up in someone’s wonky Galaxy device. I needn’t have worried. Samsung’s automated systems are fully capable of both the build and error-catching. As we watched, the offending board shifted off course and was held at bay while other properly built boards moved along.
I saw many different enclosures with so many automated manufacturing capabilities that it was mind-boggling.
Box 'em up but test them firstPreparing to package Galaxy S26 UltrasSamsungBoxing the S26 UltraSamsungBoxing more of the S26 UltraSamsungA robot fills the palette with boxesSamsungIn another space, I saw sensors identifying phone IMEI numbers, while another robot printed out corresponding labels, and then a third affixed them to boxes that matched the packages to each phone.
Most of the robots I saw were small, but at the end of the line was an almost car-sized palletizer that takes the 10-per-box cardboard crates and stacks them on a pallet, placing the boxes first around the perimeter and then filling in the middle. The motorcycle-sized arm was remarkably fast and accurate.
Some of the phones never make it to the pallet. Instead, a select few are destined for a special test room where a large horseshoe of enclosures determines if the models in the current batch are fit for purpose.
There are two types of test systems in Gumi: the boxes that run the same test over and over again in a single device, and the U-shaped automated test bay where one phone is run in serial through the entire array of tests. These tests will often replicate what is done repeatedly in other enclosures.
The number of test systems and kinds of tests Samsung runs on its products is impressively comprehensive, though some of the boxes look downright bizarre.
Weird tests, reliable productsGetting a close look at one of the enclosuresSamsungWe examined everythingSamsungGalaxy Z 8 Flip folding testsSamsungSome more Z Fold 8 motion sensor testsSamsungGalaxy Z Fol 8 Ultra fold testsSamsungGalaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra touch testsSamsungMore S26 Ultra testsSamsungRobot arms test multiple devices at onceSamsungLet's test the fingerprint readersSamsungFolding and unfolding the devices thousands of times is to be expected, as is pressure testing, but I also saw extreme heat and cold tests. There were also enclosures that do nothing but check AI vision systems, millimeter wave, waterproofing, and a facial recognition chamber with life-like mannequin heads that I can still see when I close my eyes.
There’s even a room where partners like Google can remotely access and run tests on Samsung phones.
More astonishing is that this is a living, ever-changing facility. Just imagine what happens every time, like now, Samsung unveils new phones and watches; they must retool. Walking the floor, I noticed how the brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 8 was already undergoing rigorous tests. The lab engineer told us, “For every new form factor, we develop new technology for it,” and they develop new automation to test it.
Look, I’m not saying other companies don’t put their mobile hardware through similar wringers, but I’m not sure any other tech giant has been so transparent about their process. It’s wild, bracing, and I must admit, gives me more than a bit of confidence about each new Galaxy device Samsung delivers.
Do you own a lot of Samsung devices? If so, why not test yourself to see how well you know the brand's products and services by taking the quiz below?
A circuit breaker, bring back hope, do better – that’s what Andy Burnham promised Britain on Monday when he was sworn in as the new UK Prime Minister. And the digital rights community was watching closely as the seventh to stand in front of Downing Street in 10 years made his big, first-day promises. What will Burnham have planned for his predecessor’s divisive digital privacy policing?
It turned out that the tech world didn't have to wait long for the answer. In fact, on the previous Saturday, Burnham had already made almost three million Britons happy with the news that he would scrap the controversial national digital ID plan.
The new PM then sent shockwaves across the political benches on his first day in charge, when he dismantled the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) after only three years of service and merged it with the Business Department.
The question now is whether Burnham’s impetus for change will address the issues at the heart of the digital privacy debate.
According to the Policy and Campaigns Officer at Liberty, Anna Cardoso, the newly-formed cabinet now has the opportunity to set out a positive vision for tech.
"We hope to see a human-centred approach to digital policy that puts people, privacy and fundamental rights at its core," Cardoso told TechRadar.
But what changes do digital privacy experts exactly hope for? What might a "human-centred approach" really look like? And how likely is the new government to live up to the expectation?
Does Andy Burnham mean an end to Digital ID cards?(Image credit: Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)Keir Starmer’s BritCard was an unpopular policy among privacy-conscious citizens. Opponents to the programme then welcomed with excitement Burnham's decision to finally send the UK digital ID to the grave.
"We’ve done it," wrote Big Brother Watch's Director, Silkie Carlo, in a celebratory post on X, while Akiko Hart, Director at Liberty, called the move "a victory for civil liberties in the UK."
But Burnham's motivations to kill the proposal don't exactly come from privacy concerns. His decision was one of economics. Axing the BritCard means freeing up an estimated £600 million a year — from a policy no one wants — and using it for something citizens desperately desire, such as more support with the cost-of-living crisis.
In fact, Burnham told the Financial Times that he's not "arguing against the principle”. After all, he was a supporter of Tony Blair’s Identity Cards Act back in 2006.
"I think there’s a risk of an opportunity-cost situation here where something can consume a huge amount of time and actually doesn’t come through," he told the newspaper.
Does this mean that another form of BritCard be brought back when the time is right? Possibly.
Some commentators are already speculating that online ID checks may find a way to stick around.
Speaking with Al Jazeera, Alan Miller, co-founder of the campaign group Together, argues that other online government systems could evolve into a "de facto digital ID through creeping expansion".
Cardoso from Liberty agrees that killing one proposal isn't enough to sweep away all the concerns about digital forms of identification. Yet, she still considers it a huge step in the right direction. She told TechRadar:
"Whether or not digital ID returns in another form, any future proposal would need to demonstrate a clear public benefit, strong privacy protections, meaningful safeguards and robust democratic scrutiny. Those principles should apply regardless of who is in government."
Will Burnham really scrap Palantir's NHS deal?The government's £330 million contract with Palantir to build the NHS's new Federated Data Platform (FDP) has also been a concern for Britain’s privacy-conscious citizens. Whether the wave of division on the subject has been one of geopolitics, morality or technical usability, data protection is at its core.
Some reports suggest that Burnham is already considering scrapping Palantir’s NHS contract. Something that, according to Palantir UK CEO Louis Mosley, "would be a terrible mistake".
While nothing is as yet confirmed, the Head of Tech and Data at Good Law Project, Duncan McCann, sees the political reshuffle as the best chance for the group’s campaign to remove Palantir from the UK's healthcare system to succeed, commenting to TechRadar that Burnham now represents "a beacon of at least an opportunity".
(Image credit: Photo by Guy Smallman/Getty Images)Burnham's track record in this area looks hopeful, too. During his almost decade as Mayor of Greater Manchester, municipal or public health departments did not award any contracts to the US surveillance tech giant.
And while McCann explains that Burnham may not necessarily be the one to credit for the decisions the city's public sector took on Palantir, it is an opportunity for hope of change at a national level.
As reported by Al Jazeera, Manchester’s NHS leaders spent six years building their own analytics infrastructure instead of adopting Palantir's FDP system, something that for Palantir critics became proof that effective NHS data management can be achieved without the help of the American company.
"It offers some real opportunity to show Manchester as an innovation hub," explained McCann, saying that the Good Law Project remains hopeful that this could fit well on Burnham's political agenda.
"It proves that we can do it ourselves and save money by doing that, while creating new jobs."
The Prime Minister's press office has already confirmed to reporters the guiding principle remains "getting value for money for the taxpayer" alongside the "need to be safeguarding people’s data and British interests", both of which fit neatly into McCann’s hopes.
As with the BritCard, then, it could be the financial angle that leads the digital rights community to have their concerns on Palantir and patients' privacy finally addressed.
Don’t expect much change to the UK’s approach to children's online safetyKeir Starmer dropped a digital rights bombshell in his last days of governance — an upcoming under-16s social media ban that privacy experts have already dubbed "a cybersecurity disaster waiting to happen".
But don’t expect Andy Burnham’s rise to power to change much here.
In an interview with The Times in April 2025, Burnham talked about the urgency to regulate social media platforms for teens. A concept he reiterated more recently, when he backed the Tories' call for a ban on under-16s from social media last January — as reported by The Guardian.
According to Policy Manager at the Open Rights Group, James Baker, that’s a clear sign that policies on social media will most likely remain unchanged.
"However, I'm not convinced it's going to work because it doesn't tackle the underlying root cause of what makes these platforms harmful," Baker told TechRadar, adding that evidence coming from Australia shows that young people can easily circumvent restrictions.
Baker argues that to really reassure British parents over their children’s online safety, we need a complete shift in policy.
"We need to tackle structural causes for harm instead, like the advertising business model causing platforms to come up with harmful loops that keep people online as long as possible," Baker told TechRadar.
That said, it also looks unlikely that Burnham will address privacy advocates’ concerns on mandatory age verification.
Back in 2016 — during the discussions around the controversial Investigatory Powers Act — Burnham took a strong stance against what he defined as "simplistic loyalties to the security or privacy lobbies", arguing that "such debates are pitched as a clash between two absolutes of privacy and security, where there can be no compromise and only one winner".
Baker agrees that the new Prime Minister probably isn't going to be a huge supporter of privacy causes. But he remains hopeful.
"So much time and energy has been spent trying to solve online safety with policies that haven't actually worked. Perhaps he will take a more pragmatic look and consider other, more cost-effective measures."
Again, economics may prove to be the deciding factor, shifting the conversation away from policies that experts fear will threaten digital freedoms.
So, what can we expect for Burnham on digital privacy?By binning the digital ID proposal and the entire tech ministry within his first 36 hours of leadership, Andy Burnham proved he isn't afraid to move fast and break things. But as digital rights experts have made clear, a true 'circuit breaker' requires more than just stopping bad policy.
"Liberty wants policymakers to move away from a ‘technology first, questions later’ approach and instead place human rights at the heart of decision-making," Policy and Campaigns Officer Anna Cardoso told TechRadar.
She said that the real tests are yet to come on whether the government will be "willing to grapple seriously with the risks posed by surveillance technologies, AI and large-scale data collection."
Whether it comes from genuine concerns for digital privacy or a pragmatic way for closing the gap between politics and the public, it doesn’t much matter at this stage. If Burnham’s administration can weave privacy protections into his broader economic agenda, he might just deliver the positive vision for tech that advocates are desperate to see.
Until then, the digital rights community remains cautiously optimistic — holding its breath for the next move. As Baker from Open Rights Group puts it:
"We’ll try to give him a chance. Maybe he can do things a bit better."