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If you watched the launch of OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Agent, or you’re a Plus, Pro or Teams user who has had a chance to try out the new ‘agent mode’ in the tools drop-down list, it’s hard not to be impressed with the latest AI innovation.
ChatGPT Agent is designed to do complex real-world tasks for you. Think about things like planning a wedding, booking your car in for a service, making an app to solve a problem, or planning and booking a holiday.
Just like OpenAI’s previous agent called Operator, ChatGPT Agent acts like a real person who works for you, performing tasks as if they had their own computer. In fact, you can watch what’s happening on its ‘desktop’ as it performs these tasks - you can see it dragging windows around, and entering data into forms on websites, for example.
The entire concept is a unified agent that can handle the legwork, make informed decisions about which websites to use, and navigate the web independently. ChatGPT Agent can do it all, and you can even watch it work if you want to, but there is a catch...
A new world of threatsIts the powerful abilities of ChatGPT Agent that open you up to a whole new world of security threats:
“As we know, the Internet can be a scary place” said Casey Chu in the ChatGPT Agent launch presentation, “there are all sorts of hackers trying to steal your information, scams, phishing attempts, and Agent isn’t immune to all these things.”
Well, that’s worrying. He went on:
“One particular thing we’re worried about is a new attack called ‘prompt injections’. Agent might stumble upon a malicious website that asks it to enter your credit card information here because it will help you with your task, and Agent, which is trained to be helpful, might decide that’s a good idea. “
It sounds like we’re all going to have to worry not only about ourselves getting phished in the Future, but we’re also going to have to worry about our AIs also getting phished as well!
“We’ve done a lot of work to try to ensure that this doesn’t happen”, continued Chu, “we train our model to ignore suspicious instructions on suspicious websites. We also have layers of monitors that peer over the agent’s shoulder and watch it as it's going and stop the trajectory of anything that looks suspicious.”
My first thought upon hearing this was that I would never give ChatGPT Agent my credit card information anyway, but I definitely would not do it now. I mean, the only reason that my credit card resides with Amazon and Apple is that they seem like secure places to me, so the convenience is worth it, but all it would take would be a hint that they weren’t safe and I, probably along with millions of other people, wouldn’t be storing my credit card information with them.
The OpenAI team launching ChatGPT Agent. (Image credit: OpenAI)Trust is everythingWith online security, trust is everything. The idea that an AI agent, no matter how many background checks it is doing, is autonomously deciding what I spend my money on already fills me with dread. And when you add in the factor that there could be malicious sites out there doing ‘prompt injections’ to try and trick my AI into giving away information, it scares me enough not to want to trust it.
It should be noted that there is a ‘takeover mode’ with ChatGPT Agent where you input the sensitive information directly into the browser yourself, instead of handing it over to ChatGPT Agent to control. That would seem like a better way to use an agent to me. I don’t think I’m quite at the stage yet where I’m ready to give my AI the power to spend my money as it sees fit, and I bet I’m not the only one.
OpenAI seems quite upfront about the risks involved in using ChatGPT Agent with sensitive information, and as CEO Sam Altman said in the presentation, this is emerging technology, and we don’t even know what all the threats will be yet. We’ll just have to see what happens as people start to use it.
But that’s what’s got me the most worried - what happens when people start using AI to beat AI? I’m sure the hackers won’t be shying away from using AI to circumvent our security protocols, and AI will probably come up with a number of attacks we haven't even thought of yet.
You might also like- New proposals look to secure subsea cables against foreign adversaries
- This includes a default denial of contracts to Chinese firms
- Subsea cables carry 99% of internet traffic
A recent proposal by the FCC outlines plans to ‘unleash submarine cable investment’ in order to ‘accelerate the buildout of AI infrastructure’ across the US, whilst also making efforts to, ‘secure cables against foreign adversaries, like China’.
If adopted, this could mean a range of measures would be implemented to protect submarine cables, applying a ‘presumption of denial’ for adversarial state applicants for controlled licenses, and establishing physical and cybersecurity requirements, as well as restricting leasing agreements to these organizations.
Alongside this, the report proposes a ban on the use of ‘covered equipment’ in undersea cable infrastructure - although the report doesn’t give a definition of the term.
Unsung heroesSabotage to submarine cables would be undoubtedly catastrophic, not just to the US, but to pretty much every part of the world.
The cables carry 99% of all internet traffic, handling roughly $10 trillion of daily financial transactions.
Satellite technology, though active, is not yet capable of handling the same volume of traffic. As FCC Chairman Brendan Carr described, undersea cables are the ‘unsung heroes of global communications’.
There is precedent for this type of order, with Huawei and ZTE facing ‘rip and replace’ campaigns back in 2020 in a bid to remove Chinese tech from the infrastructure of rural operators, as part of a larger effort to exclude Chinese vendors from the US market.
“As the U.S. builds out the data centers and other infrastructure necessary to lead the world in AI and next-gen technologies, these cables are more important than ever. At the same time, as President Trump has long recognized: ‘economic security is national security,’ says Chairman Carr.
“We have seen submarine cable infrastructure threatened in recent years by foreign adversaries, like China. We are therefore taking action here to guard our submarine cables against foreign adversary ownership, and access as well as cyber and physical threats.”
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Dune Awakening is a survival MMO from the creators of Conan: Exiles. It aims to adapt the iconic series of sci-fi books, giving players the challenge of surviving on Arrakis, the most dangerous planet in the Universe. Currently, it's out on PC, with a console release planned in the future.
In Dune Awakening, you'll awaken as The Sleeper, before you are cast out into the desert with little more than a knife to your name. From there you can gather, craft, and build up your own Guild, fending off giant sandworms and other players as you try to control the flow of Spice on the planet's surface.
It's certainly shaping up to be one of the most exciting upcoming games on console, now that the PC version is out and well-reviewed. We've even played Dune Awakening, and you can read our full verdict in our Dune Awakening review for PC.
Here's what we know about Dune Awakening on console so far, including a look at the story and setting, gameplay, latest trailers, news, and everything else we know right now. As more details are revealed, this page will be updated.
Dune Awakening - cut to the chase- What is it? An MMO set in the world of Dune
- When can I play it? Out now (Steam), TBC 2026 (PS5, Xbox)
- What can I play it on? PC (out now), PS5, Xbox Series X|S (TBC)
- Who makes it? Funcom
Dune Awakening launched June 10, 2025 for PC (Steam). It's also planned to come to PlayStation 5 as well as Xbox Series X|S, currently scheduled for sometime in 2026.
Recently, developer Funcom released a short video over on Steam, detailing how it intends to handle the launch of the game, and its monetization moving forward.
Joel Bylos, Dune: Awakening Creative Director, outlined the plans, stating: "The key things that you need to know about Dune: Awakening's launch are that it will not launch in early access and it will not have a monthly subscription. It will receive regular free updates, including new content, new features, and quality-of-life improvements."
Here are the highlights from the rest of the video:
- It will not be in Early Access, this is the full launch
- It will not have a subscription
- The game will continue to be expanded through free updates, bringing new content, features, and enhancements
- There will be optional paid DLCs
The latest trailer for Dune Awakening provides a deeper look at open-world exploration on the planet Arrakis. You can view it below:
A trailer for Dune Awakening was released on February 20, 2025. It revealed the game's PC release date, and showed off gameplay. Check it out below:
Another trailer Dune Awakening was aired during Gamescom 2024. It was a massive gameplay deep dive, check it out below:
Another trailer for Dune Awakening was revealed on June 8, 2024, alongside a new developer direct presentation. Check out the story trailer below:
We've included some more Dune Awakening trailers throughout this article, but if you're hungry for more you should visit Funcom's official YouTube channel. The most interesting to look out for are the Shigawire Reels, a series of short videos explaining different aspects of the lore.
Dune Awakening story and settingDune Awakening is an MMO set in the world of Frank Herbert's Dune series. It takes place on the desert planet of Arrakis, where a royal family called House Atreides has settled to take control. After a swift betrayal, the political landscape of Arrakis is sent into chaos, with multiple factions warring over the control of the planet's primary resource, the Spice. Spice grants extrasensory abilities in the world of Dune, allowing pilots to navigate long-term space expeditions and more. It's only found on Arrakis, so has been the source of conflict for millennia.
You play as The Sleeper awakened and forced out into the brutal desert environment. As you progress, you'll set up your own House Minor, and can then align with one of the major powers fighting for control of the region. It's been revealed that you'll meet characters from the books and films during Dune Awakening's story, though for now, we don't know the specifics.
Dune Awakening gameplay(Image credit: Funcom)When you start Dune Awakening, you are cast into the desert, with nothing but a scrap knife at your disposal. Enemy camps can be looted to slowly gather materials to help you survive, as you build up an assortment of tech, weaponry, and survival gear. Arrakis is described as 'the most dangerous planet in the Universe', and it's clear that Dune Awakening aims to focus on survival mechanics to emphasize this.
Water is more valuable than gold on Arrakis, and you'll constantly need to make sure you have enough not only to survive but to thrive as well. Once you start building up your Guild, you will need water for industrial purposes, all with the ultimate goal of capturing and controlling pockets of Spice.
Environmental hazards are plentiful in Dune Awakening, with huge sandstorms constantly raging on the surface of the planet. These are best avoided at first, but once you have a fleet of vehicles and more resources, you can use the storms to your advantage. Ground vehicles include sandbikes and tanks, and then there are aerial vehicles as well. Ornithopters can be used to traverse great distances and to avoid the giant sandworms that can ambush you on the ground.
Combat is referred to as 'Combined Arms', and consists of melee (swords and knives), ranged (guns), vehicular (ground and air vehicles), and abilities (sorcery). These are all used in tandem, and the player can decide what to focus on. Dune Awakening is primarily a PvE game, with multiple players on the same server co-existing and looting separately. There's also a PvP aspect, in that players can attack each other and fight over resources like Spice.
Dune Awakening latest newsConsole release planned for 2026
In a press release celebrating the PC launch of Dune Awakening on PC, developer Funcom revealed that the console versions are expected sometime in 2026 (via IGN).
Dune Awakening delayed to June 10
After feedback from recent beta testers, Funcom has made the decision to delay Dune Awakening to June 10. You can read the full details in this Tweet.
Here's Dune Awakening running with NVIDIA DLSS 4
A new trailer for Dune Awakening was revealed at CES 2024. It shows the game running in 4K on an RTX 5090, and compares versions with and without NVIDIA DLSS 4.
New Dune Awakening Direct details PvP and more
The latest Dune Awakening Direct aired on June 20, 2024. It detailed PvP, safe zones and the game's alternate history timeline. You can watch it here.
The first Dune Awakening: Direct shows off the game's approach to worldbuilding
Funcom has released the very first Dune Awakening: Direct, which shows off new gameplay, and a look at how the games have adapted stories from Frank Herbert's novels. Check out the worldbuilding showcase here (links to YouTube).
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- NextLadder Ventures is a 15-year, $1 billion initiative to help 90 million low-income Americans
- Grants, equity and revenue-based financing will be on offer to eligible participants
- Anthropic will offer Claude credits and support worth $1.5 million annually
NextLadder Ventures has launched a $1 billion initiative to help support low-income Americans, arming them with AI skills for future employment opportunities.
The initiative was founded by a coalition of major philanthropies, including Ballmer Group, Gates Foundation, Stand Together, Valhalla Foundation and John Overdeck.
It's set to run for 15 years, providing grants, equity and revenue-based financing to nonprofits and for-profits to help support at-risk Americans, with Anthropic joining as its inaugural AI partner offering Claude credits and expert support.
Gates Foundation backs $1 billion AI initiativeThe Gates Foundation described NextLadder Ventures as an "initiative grounded in the belief that every American has the potential to achieve economic prosperity."
"While innovative ideas exist to help low-income Americans overcome obstacles and pursue prosperity, there is insufficient capital available to those serving these populations," its press release says.
The initiative aims to expand economic opportunities for over 90 million low-income Americans, supporting entrepreneurs who want to address job loss, housing instability and health crises. As part of the deal, Anthropic will contribute about $1.5 million annually.
"The Gates Foundation is focused on lifting millions of people out of poverty and onto a path to prosperity," Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman commented.
The coalition announced Ryan Rippel as the CEO of NextLadder Ventures. Rippel, who already has a history working with the Gates Foundation, challenged the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach, pledging new and practical pathways. His "design with, not for" stance comes from growing up in a single-parent household in Missouri, where he was able to experience some of the struggles NextLadder Ventures aims to solve.
In a LinkedIn post, Rippel wrote: "Closing this divide means helping the helpers and the people they serve access new, practical pathways to opportunity."
Further details on NextLadder Ventures are limited, but we expect to hear more in the coming weeks.
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- Apple TV+ has just released the first trailer for Platonic season 2
- It stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, with Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Milo Manheim joining as newcomers
- The first two episodes are released on August 6, 2025
Buckle up, comedy fans! The hit Apple TV+ show Platonic season 2 is almost here, dropping its first two episodes on August 6. Starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as best friends Will and Sylvia, we can expect a 10-episode run to take us all the way to the beginning of October. That’s a lot of laughs waiting for us over the next few months, and the new trailer is no exception.
The show follows the pair as they contend with midlife hurdles, whether that be at work or at weddings – they’re partners in crises. As Apple TV+ puts it: “The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock – but sometimes rocks break things.” We’ve got some new stars joining the roster this time too, with Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Milo Manheim all adding their weight in gold to new episodes.
We all know Apple TV+ is one of the best streaming services around for original content, and the Platonic season 2 trailer proves that the studio can up the stakes of what we saw the first time around in 2023. All I need is a pair of novelty sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt, and I’m ready to watch new episodes of the hit comedy when they drop.
Don’t get it twisted – Will and Sylvia are still very much besties as far as the Platonic season 2 trailer is concerned. However, it also hints that their friendship could be hitting the rocks sooner than we might like. "Will and I always get screwy when he's in a couple," Sylvia tells husband Charlie (Luke Macfarlane) in the clip. "I don't wanna lose him again. If I were to replace him now, it would take 25 years for me and this new friend to catch up to where Will and I are and by then I'm practically dead and who cares?"
But before we can even worry about getting that far, there’s a whole host of chaos coming our way. A greased up McFarlane is seen flexing his muscles in a white tank top while trying to get Will in shape (frankly, this is enough of a reason to tune in by itself), Sylvia throwing some shapes on a party dancefloor in a way reminiscent of Byrne’s Bridesmaids days, and an epic golfing accident turned into a buggy getaway mission, sporting a bleeding eye. The just over two minute trailer has enough twists that it will give you whiplash.
With such an enjoyable balance between flat-out comedy and relatability, everyone should be excited about having new episodes to binge. Rogan and Byrne’s chemistry is second to none, the writing is well-rounded and self-assured (though we were reminded of this recently by Rogen’s other TV show, The Studio) and as an ensemble, the performances are off the hook. We more than deserve a laugh this summer (for those of us in the northern hemisphere at least), so thank you, Will and Sylvia, for coming to our rescue.
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- A Firefox engineer has flagged up an apparent issue with Intel Raptor Lake
- These CPUs are reportedly crashing more in the summer heat in Europe
- There's a greater prevalence of crashes in places where temperatures have spiked due to heatwaves, and the 14700K CPU is suffering in particular
Intel's Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh) 13th and 14th-gen processors are struggling with the heatwave in Europe, which is seemingly causing these CPUs to crash more frequently with a popular web browser.
Tom's Hardware reports that Gabriele Svelto, a senior staff engineer on Mozilla's Firefox browser, flagged up the issue on Mastodon, observing that: "If you have an Intel Raptor Lake system and you're in the northern hemisphere, chances are that your machine is crashing more often because of the summer heat."
To clarify, these are browser crashes - as opposed to full system lock-ups - and Svelto adds that he's obtained this info thanks to Firefox crash reports coming from Raptor Lake PCs, which are tied to specific countries in the EU. There's a greater prevalence of crashes in places where temperatures have markedly spiked during the summer.
The issue is so bad that we're told that the level of crashes has become overwhelming, meaning Mozilla had to take action to disable the bot filing these reports.
Svelto notes: "Raptor Lake systems have known timing/voltage issues that get worse with temperature. Things are so bad at this time that we had to disable a bot that was filing crash reports automatically because it was almost only finding crashes from people with affected systems."
Another Mastodon user makes the assumption that this is related to the known degradation issues that hit 13th and 14th-gen Intel CPUs, with the heat exacerbating the problem. Svelto replies to agree that yes, this is true, while adding a caveat, saying: "Yes, though some of these bugs are very repeatable and predictable which is puzzling. They might be timing-related or even genuine consistent CPU bugs (we've seen a fair bit of those too)."
As the Mastodon thread progresses, the engineer suggests that Intel's most recent microcode update, codenamed '0x12F' for Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh), actually made things worse, at least in terms of what Firefox is seeing here.
Svelto notes: "In particular microcode 0x12C had reduced the incidence of a number of bugs, but they've come back in full force when Intel released version 0x12F."
The 0x12F patch was pushed out in May 2025, a good while after the previous updates, as a fix for a more niche scenario where issues occurred with PCs that were left on continuously (for days at a time, running light workloads). Svelto is therefore suggesting that while this patch improved matters for those outlying scenarios, it made things worse for other folks.
According to the engineer, these crashing issues with Raptor Lake chips are happening the most with Intel Core i7-14700K models.
Analysis: Hot hot heat(Image credit: Phuwadach Pattanatmon / Shutterstock)Clearly, we need to be careful around pinning the blame here, though. Seemingly, something has gone substantially awry if Mozilla needed to disable a system because it was becoming overloaded with crash reports.
This certainly suggests Firefox is pointing to a chip-related problem - even if the cause could be (theoretically) partly down to buggy behavior with the browser, it's still only manifesting with certain Intel silicon (to an apparently profound level, correlating with hotter locations in Europe).
Cooling may play a role here, too, of course, in terms of the CPU coolers being used. The reason the 14700K may be showing up a lot more in these crashes could be because it's a more mainstream speedy chip, possibly coupled with a less effective cooling solution as a result. Whereas those running the even faster top dog 14900K (or indeed 13900K) have probably invested in an expensive cooler to go with the processor, and thus it may be less prone to overheating issues as temperatures climb, so there aren't as many crashes recorded. There won't be nearly as many 14900K chips out there, either, due to their more pricey nature.
What will be interesting to see is if other software developers are noticing a similar kind of pattern with their products crashing (browsers, or otherwise) - and now this report has been aired, others may have cause to investigate crash logs further, perhaps.
Of course, another factor to watch will be the performance of Raptor Lake CPUs if temperatures continue to rise (over the summer in Europe, or elsewhere - or indeed more broadly as the next couple of years roll on).
Even before this, my worry has always been what underlying degradation the instability issues may have caused with 13th and 14th-gen processors. As we know, these chips were running in PCs for some time in a problematic state, with the microcode fixes applied being preventative in nature - not a cure, meaning they don't reverse any damage that was already done. So, there could be undetectable deterioration under the hood of the chip that only manifests much later in its lifespan - a process possibly sped up by the processor running too hot, perhaps?
Now, the good news - as those affected no doubt recall - is that Intel did up the warranty coverage for these CPUs to five years. However, as I've pointed out in the past, what if in the sixth year, your Raptor Lake CPU starts going down the plughole in terms of recurring instability issues? You're out of luck in that case, which doesn't seem very fair - it's not unreasonable to expect a processor, the engine of a PC, to last longer than half a decade.
Of course, we can't go jumping to any negative conclusions yet, but this situation is certainly worth monitoring.
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- The Department of Homeland Security says Salt Typhoon accessed National Guard systems
- Hackers were present between March and December 2024
- The group stole vital intelligence and personally identifiable information
A Chinese state-sponsored threat actor known as Salt Typhoon was lurking in the network of the US Army National Guard for nine months, the US Government has confirmed.
TheDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) said the attackers were present in the networks between March and December 2024.
During this time, the group stole sensitive data from its victims, including administrator credentials, network traffic diagrams, geographical maps, and personally identifiable information (PII) of service members. Furthermore, the attackers accessed data traffic between the state’s network and every other US state, and at least four additional territories. This means that they could have pivoted to other networks as well, compromising even more government and military targets.
Typhoon over AmericaIt was not discussed how the breach happened, but DHS did say the group was known for exploiting existing vulnerabilities (CVEs) in Cisco’s routers and similar hardware.
Salt Typhoon is a known Chinese state-sponsored threat actor, part of the wider “typhoon” organization that includes groups such as Brass Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, and others.
These organizations were tasked with infiltrating different core organizations within the US, such as critical infrastructure organizations, communications firms, government, military, and defense organizations, and similar.
The goal of the campaign was to be present inside the networks should tensions between the US and China over Taiwan escalate into a full-blown war, giving it the ability to disrupt networks, and steal key intelligence.
Salt Typhoon is often in the media - with recent attacks against the likes of AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Charter, Windstream, and Viasat, to name a few, often abusing unpatched Cisco routers to gain access, before deploying custom malware such as JumblePath and GhostSpider.
Via BleepingComputer
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Attention Hulu subscribers, for the time is almost here when the platform will remove the next group of movies from its library to free up some space for its next wave of new titles. All of the best streaming services do it, but Hulu seems to only target its lesser-known titles, which is a relief.
Over the next few weeks, a total of 16 movies will leave the service one by one and though this isn't a huge number, there's a handful of movies that we think you should catch. The main title we have our eyes on is Skinamarink (2022), a horror movie that shocked audiences despite its low budget, which leaves on August 1.
Additionally, the Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin comedy/ drama Moving On (2022) is set to be removed on August 13, shortly followed by the Bruce Willis action-thriller flick Vendetta (2022), and the French-language romance movie Anaïs in Love (2021), which has a 91% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Everything leaving Hulu in August 2025Leaving on August 1
Skinamarink (movie)
Leaving on August 7
Just Super (movie)
Leaving on August 9
The Friendship Game (movie)
Leaving on August 13
Moving On (movie)
One True Loves (movie)
Leaving on August 16
Four Samosas (movie)
Leaving on August 18
The Last Son (movie)
Leaving on August 21
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (movie)
Leaving on August 23
Hostile Territory (movie)
Nocebo (movie)
Leaving on August 24
7 Days (movie)
Leaving on August 25
Assailant (movie)
Vendetta (movie)
Leaving on August 31
American Rapstar (movie)
Anais in Love (movie)
Tell It to the Bees (movie)
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- Experts warn of malware running real apps in fake virtual environments
- GodFather bypasses security checks and overlays fake screens to steal credentials
- Targets banking and crypto apps globally with nearly invisible techniques
Zimperium zLabs has uncovered a new version of the GodFather malware that uses on-device virtualization to hijack real banking and cryptocurrency apps.
Unlike older attacks that showed fake login screens, this malware launches the actual apps in a virtual space where attackers can see everything the user does.
The attack begins with a host app that includes a virtualization tool - this host app downloads the targeted banking or crypto app and runs it in a private environment.
Moving beyond simple overlaysWhen users open their app, they are unknowingly redirected into the virtual version. From there, every tap, login, and PIN entry is tracked in real time.
Because the user is interacting with a real app, it is almost impossible to spot the attack by looking at the screen.
GodFather also uses ZIP tricks and hides much of its code in a way that defeats static analysis. It requests accessibility permissions and then silently grants itself more access, making the attack smooth and hard to detect.
“Mobile attackers are moving beyond simple overlays; virtualization gives them unrestricted, live access inside trusted apps,” said Fernando Ortega, Senior Security Researcher, Zimperium zLabs.
“Enterprises need on-device, behavior-based detection and runtime app protection to stay ahead of this shift toward a mobile-first attack strategy.”
Zimperium’s analysis shows that this version of GodFather is focused on Turkish banks, but the campaign targets almost 500 apps globally. These include financial services, cryptocurrency platforms, e-commerce, and messaging apps.
The malware checks for specific apps on the device, clones them into the virtual space, and uses the cloned version to collect data and track user behavior.
It can also steal device lock screen credentials using fake overlays that look like system prompts.
Attackers can control the infected phone remotely using a set of commands. These can perform swipes, open apps, change brightness, and simulate user actions.
How to stay safe- Avoid installing apps from unknown sources - always use official stores like Google Play.
- Check app permissions carefully. If an app asks for accessibility access or screen overlay permissions without a clear reason, uninstall it immediately.
- Keep your phone’s operating system updated.
- Use mobile security tools from trusted developers.
- Avoid sideloading APK files, even if shared by someone you know.
- Rebooting your phone regularly can help thwart any persistent malware.
- Pay attention to unusual behavior, such as faster than usual battery drain and weird, unexpected overlays.
- If your banking app ever looks different or asks for login more often than usual, stop using it and contact your bank.
- Stay protected with the best antivirus tools around
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- Japanese businesses are being bombarded with millions of phishing messages
- FiiO wants you to know that hi-res audio's about to go 'truly mainstream'
- …and the QX13 is priced to reflect that
- Made from 21 layers of carbon fiber for a lightweight yet durable build
You know what my favorite kind of audio gadget is? One that makes people go 'What is that?' ideally with the follow-up question, 'And also, what do the numbers mean?'
This is one such piece of kit. It's almost like the handheld super-computer Ziggy in Quantum Leap – because while nobody really understands everything about it, everyone agrees it's a Good Thing. And with Spotify HiFi launch rumors gathering momentum (recent reports suggest it might land in late 2025, and be called 'Spotify Music Pro'), when hi-res goes mainstream, you don't want to be left unable to take advantage…
What you're looking at is the FiiO QX13, a pocket DAC and headphone amp for your phone, laptop, or games console – a gateway to the world of hi-res audio on the go. And although it is a flagship product and one that marks 18 years of FiiO’s audio expertise, it isn't particularly pricey either.
New to the world of headphone DACs? That's fine: every product you own that accepts and plays a digital music signal (your phone, wireless earbuds, laptop, Bluetooth speakers, and so on) has its own built-in DAC.
The thing is, many of them are inexpensive, and adding a standalone dedicated (read: better) option to the audio path can level up what you hear a lot. Additionally, the added amplification can help give oomph and volume to hard-to-drive headphones wired up to your phone or a portable player.
How does this particular DAC work? Add any audio source with USB-C, and you've got it. You just breathed new life into your wired headphones.
The QX13 can fully decode MQA music and is compatible with file formats such as DSD512 and 768Hz / 32-bit tracks. A 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm headphone socket ensures wide compatibility with all headphones, too.
(Image credit: FiiO )DAC's rightAnd it's quite a looker, no? The QX13 is made with 21 layers of carbon fiber for a lightweight yet durable build to show off its "extra large" 1.99-inch hardened IPS color display.
The QX13 also introduces the flagship Ess Sabre Pro ES9027PRO chip, recommended for use in full-size hi-fi systems. However, FiiO has achieved a "micro DAC/AMP design" created to make the most of your headphones and IEMs. The chip features 8 channels set up in parallel, and is paired with two ultra-low-noise ES9312 regulators for precise output matching on each audio channel.
Of course, FiiO would point you towards its own IEMs to pair them with – possibly the FiiO FH19 (which are very good indeed) and FiiO notes that the QX13 arrives with an (optional) magnetic leather case, compatible with the custom FiiO power 'estick' pack for lightweight portability with powerhouse performance in Desktop Mode. Choose the magnetic leather case to combine both devices in one unit.
The QX13 is now available, priced $219 / £219 (around AU$450), and if that sounds a little rich for your blood, note that rival iFi's flagship DAC, the iFi iDSD Valkyrie, comes in at a cool $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$2,999 (approx). So, there's that option also…
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- Netflix bosses have said they "expect advertising revenue to roughly double in 2025"
- This is due to the introduction of personalized ads in the second half of the year
- However, this decision could put subscribers off Netflix's ad-supported tier
The best streaming services are always adding new features and trialing new things, but Netflix's decision to focus on interactive ads might frustrate subscribers.
Speaking in a conference call, Netflix co-CEO Gregory K. Peters said: "The most immediate benefit from this rollout is just making it easier for advertisers to buy on Netflix. We hear that benefit, that ease from direct feedback talking to advertisers. They tell us that it's easier. We see it in our overall sales performance."
He added: "There's also leveraging advertiser and third-party data sources, which we definitely hear demand for as well. And it will ultimately allow us to improve the ad experience for our members, which is critically important. So that means better ads personalization."
This isn't the only change Netflix has teased, as they also discussed making their adverts more interactive for viewers.
Peters concluded: "We're also going to be introducing interactivity in the second half of the year. So that's exciting. So that's all to say this is a pretty significant milestone for us, one we're super excited to get behind us because now we can shift into the steady release cycle where we're dropping new features all the time, both for advertisers and for members."
Focus on ads might provide frustration for Netflix subscribersSquid Game, Netflix's biggest non-English language series, recently came to an end in 2025. (Image credit: Netflix)If you're currently on Netflix's "with ads" plan, you should expect to see these changes coming soon. However, while it's an exciting time for the streamer, viewers may not be as enthusiastic.
Subscribers are currently paying $7.99 per month for Netflix Standard with Ads. And when you look at ad-free streaming services like Apple TV+, which charges slightly more at $9.99 per month, it might make people wonder if they're getting the best value for money.
Ad-supported tiers are common now, of course, with rival streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu also offering this option. But constant ad-breaks are a pain, and one of the reasons many of us move away from linear TV.
Everyone will have their own opinion on this decision, as some people don't mind the ad breaks and use them as an opportunity to have a break themselves. We'll just have to wait and see how these personalized ads do once the rollout is complete.
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- ThinkPad X9 “White Moonlight” Edition’s Lunar Lake chips bring raw power, yet discrete GPU lovers are left in the cold
- Lenovo also removes red TrackPoint and physical buttons, erasing decades of ThinkPad identity
- Four ports on a premium laptop also feels like a design choice made without real users in mind
Lenovo has unveiled a new variant of its flagship ThinkPad business laptop range but has deviated from the black, boxy, and functional design principles which have sustained it for over three decades.
The new Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura “White Moonlight” Edition eliminates the iconic red TrackPoint and the physical touchpad buttons - in their place, this device offers a sleek white slab with only four ports.
The lack of a discrete GPU and premium price tag, starting around $1810, also make it a niche option rather than a broadly recommended pick.
Design and portability trade-offsAt just 1.4 kg and a svelte 6.8mm thick, the 14-inch model targets users who value extreme portability, and is one of the lightest laptop options Lenovo has ever produced.
It comes with Intel’s new Core Ultra chips based on the Lunar Lake platform (Core Ultra 7258V and Core Ultra 9 288V processors) and integrated Arc Xe2 graphics.
Combined with 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe-NVMe SSD storage, it can easily handle demanding business or creative tasks.
On paper, it checks off many of the features expected of a top business-focused device, as its 2.8K OLED display with HDR, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time should appeal to professionals who need clarity and speed.
Its on-device AI acceleration, up to 48 TOPS, is another nod toward the engineering and creative crowd, making it a contender for the best laptop for engineering students' needs as well.
Yet, practicality suffers because the drastic slimming down comes at a cost. With only two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, users who rely on multiple external devices like USB-A devices, SD cards, and Ethernet may find the connectivity underwhelming.
At least it supports the latest wireless connectivity options, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
The biggest sticking point, however, remains the design’s ideological shift - this machine feels less like a continuation of the ThinkPad ethos and more like a clean break.
The white finish and minimalist profile may attract new users, but long-time fans will wonder whether the brand has abandoned the very features that once made it iconic.
Via Videocardz
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