News

Many industries continue to navigate the complexities of hybrid work and shifting workforce dynamics driven by necessary digital transformations. However, there is one critical issue quietly challenging and reshaping the field services industry in particular. Field service professionals serve as the unsung heroes of modern IT infrastructure. They keep the lights on, the networks connected and the systems running. But behind the scenes, a demographic shift threatens to disrupt these operations.

Veteran technicians, who have spent their careers mastering the nuances of complex systems, are exiting the workforce in large numbers, and there is no clear plan for passing on their knowledge. To make matters worse, younger generations are not joining the industry at the rate needed to replace retiring workers. What’s left is a widening skills gap that threatens to slow operations, increase costs and compromise service quality.

Baby Boomers make up a significant portion of the field service workforce, and their retirement creates more than a staffing issue — it’s a knowledge crisis. These professionals hold a wealth of practical, hands-on insights, including how to troubleshoot legacy equipment, navigate customer preferences and solve problems that aren’t covered in manuals.

To make matters worse, a recent survey from Service Council found that nearly half of field service engineers do not anticipate having a life-long career in the field. Of those engineers looking to leave, half expect to do so in the next three years, which would mean the loss of invaluable institutional knowledge.

The potential consequences will be far-reaching for organizations across all industries, with longer resolution times, higher error rates and diminished customer experience. And while companies will hire new talent, it won’t be enough to truly fill the knowledge gap.

New technicians, no matter how well-trained, need time to build the kind of intuition that comes with experience. Research shows that 70% of skill development happens through hands-on work, while just 10% is a result of formal training. Without structured systems to capture and transfer knowledge, organizations risk leaving new hires to learn through trial and error — a costly and inefficient approach in today’s fast-paced environment.

However, emergent technologies, such as AI, offer a promising path forward. Rather than replacing human expertise, AI can supplement it and accelerate training by providing real-time support, predictive insights and guided troubleshooting to technicians in the field. These systems can analyze equipment data, flag anomalies and suggest next steps, helping less experienced workers make informed decisions quickly.

Advanced AI tools go even further, integrating telemetry, service logs, vendor documentation and industry best practices into a single, intelligent interface. The result is a personal digital assistant that is always available, up-to-date and ready to help. This type of support is invaluable to a newcomer in a fast-paced industry with high customer expectations.

Across industries, employees report difficulty accessing the information they need to do their jobs effectively, with only 12-16% of employees saying the critical information they receive from leaders is helping them do their jobs well. This is a critical issue, as it shows that traditional knowledge management tools that previously worked are falling short because they’re either fragmented, outdated or otherwise ineffective in breaking down silos.

Digital twins offer a dynamic solution. Serving as virtual replicas of physical assets and systems, these AI-powered models transmit real-time data to virtual environments. This allows new technicians, who may lack critical knowledge, to simulate scenarios, monitor performance and optimize maintenance strategies. In practice, this means that new technicians will have the opportunity to learn and practice their skills in a controlled environment.

But digital twins are not only advantageous for new technicians. All employees in the field service industry, regardless of employee experience, can benefit from digital twins, as they serve as an intuitive, on-demand source of expert guidance. They reduce learning curves and ensure that critical knowledge is preserved and accessible — regardless of who’s on the job.

The field service industry is at a turning point. Organizations that invest in AI and knowledge-preserving technologies today will be better equipped to navigate tomorrow’s challenges. By proactively addressing the knowledge gap, companies can maintain operational excellence, safeguard institutional knowledge and build a more resilient, future-ready workforce.

Now is the time to bridge the gap and lead the next era of field services confidently, properly equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology.

We've listed the best COBOL online courses.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• An update to Fast Pair for Android is on the way
• The new interface has been spotted in hidden code
• It makes it easier to see battery life levels

If you've paired one of the best Android phones with one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds then you've got a helpful software upgrade to look forward to, according to hidden code spotted in the latest Android update.

The team at Android Authority did some digging into the Google Play Services app that's updated alongside Android, noticing some changes to the Fast Pair interface – that's the easy Bluetooth connection service that's built into Android.

When this update actually gets enabled, you'll see color-coded circular battery progress bars, clearer labels so that you know which earbud is which, and battery indicators so you can see at a glance how much juice you've got remaining in your buds.

You'll still see the left earbud, the charging case, and the right earbud as before – but these tweaks mean the necessary information is presented in a more visually engaging way, and in a way that's easier to quickly assess.

Hidden code like this is typically used for features that are about to be rolled out, or are in testing on a limited number of devices – most Android users aren't going to see these updates yet, but the altered functionality is there deeper down.

Google hasn't said anything about this update, so we don't know exactly when the new-look interface is going to show up – and it may even be tweaked further before Google decides it's ready to be pushed out to the masses.

Of course, Fast Pair is up against the very slick and speedy connection process you get with AirPods and iPhones. There too, all users have to do is open up the earbuds charging case and a connection prompt appears on the iPhone screen.

Apple has also implemented a neat iOS battery status screen for AirPods, with neat and tidy graphics and battery-charge indicators – but the updated interface coming to Android might be the best yet at presenting this information in an intuitive way.

• Android 16 is out now but is missing its big upgrade
• These are the best phones you can buy right now
• We're impressed by Audio-Technica's new wireless earbuds

• A major IT outage has affected Alaska Airlines
• Its full fleet was grounded, and 11 flights were in the sky at the time
• It's not the company's first IT-related fleet grounding

Alaska Airlines flights are back up and running after a mysterious IT outage grounded flights for several hours.

The outage resulted in all of the company's flights being grounded as well as affecting Horizon Air flights – a subsidiary of the Alaskan company.

Besides the flight disruptions, residual delays are expected as the airline repositions aircraft and crews to resume at normal capacity.

"It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal," the company explained in an X post.

It's believed that around 11 flights were in the air during the outage, which was resolved several hours after first being detected.

No official explanation of the root cause has been provided, but some signs point toward the Scattered Spider ransomware group, which has recently targeted other victims in the aviation sector including Qantas, Air Serbia and WestJet.

Hawaiian Airlines, which has also been under Alaskan ownership since late 2024, also experienced a cyber incident earlier this year.

In June 2025, Hawaiian Airlines shared in an X post: "Hawaiian Airlines is addressing a cybersecurity event that has affected some of our IT systems."

For Alaska Airlines specifically, this marks the second IT-related fleet grounding in a little over a year. In April 2024, an issue with the system that calculates aircraft weight and balance also caused a full grounding.

Interestingly, Microsoft also declared it was experiencing "active attacks" on server software on July 20 (via Reuters), but few details have been shared regarding that incident either. It's unclear whether the two incidents are related.

TechRadar Pro has asked Alaska Airlines for more information on yesterday's incident, but we did not receive an immediate response.

• Downloaded something dodgy? Here's the best malware removal
• The best endpoint protection helps ensure your systems are safer
• Qantas reveals massive data breach - 6 million customers possibly affected, here's what we know

• Microsoft is collecting more data on performance issues with Windows 11
• This is happening via feedback from testers using preview builds
• Hoovering up a whole lot more logs relating to performance hitches will hopefully help Microsoft stamp out sluggishness on the desktop

Microsoft has promised to improve Windows 11's overall performance levels, ensuring the operating system runs more nippily all round, and it'll use data from the PCs of testers to do this.

Windows Latest spotted that in a new preview build in the Dev channel, Microsoft announced the scheme, which urges testers to report incidents of system sluggishness.

Microsoft informs us: "As part of our commitment to improving Windows performance, logs are now collected when your PC has experienced any slow or sluggish performance. Windows Insiders are encouraged to provide feedback when experiencing PC issues related to slow or sluggish performance, allowing Feedback Hub to automatically collect these logs, which will help us root cause issues faster."

Essentially, Microsoft is attempting to expand the quantity and scope of logs relating to performance issues that it's receiving, in order to better deal with speed-related niggles in Windows 11.

The logs pertaining to performance issues are stored in a temporary folder on the system drive, and Microsoft says they're only sent across to the company when the user submits feedback (via the Feedback Hub, where there's a new section for reports of 'system sluggishness').

There have been a good few complaints about performance hiccups – or indeed more serious failings – with Windows 11, so it's good to see Microsoft launch a fresh initiative to help combat these issues (with any luck – the results, of course, remain to be seen).

Sluggish search functionality and wonkiness with File Explorer performing sub-optimally have been a couple of obvious problems that Windows 11 has caused for some users. Granted, not everyone has suffered from these kinds of woes, although I've certainly experienced File Explorer sluggishness on my Windows 11 laptop (but not on my desktop PC).

These are frustrating issues to be faced with, given that they're key pieces of the interface which really shouldn't be going awry, and hopefully testers will get behind this effort, as it would be good for all concerned if Microsoft can get a better handle on improving the performance of Windows 11 for those who find it lacking (especially on older PCs – like my notebook, which is a venerable Surface model – where any shortcomings are more likely to be noticeable).

Finally, it's worth making clear that data on incidents of sluggish performance is only being collected through preview builds of Windows 11, so those logs are just kept on the PCs of testers, not normal users of the release version of the OS.

And, as noted, logs from testers are only sent to Microsoft voluntarily, so even if the data itself is collected automatically, it doesn't leave your drive until and unless you submit a feedback post.

• Windows 11's handheld mode spotted in testing, and I'm seriously excited for Microsoft's big bet on small-screen gaming
• No, Windows 11 PCs aren't 'up to 2.3x faster' than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here's why that's an outlandish claim
• macOS Tahoe 26: here's everything you need to know about all the new features

• Last week, Fitbit users experienced an outage that prevented app logins and watch syncing
• The issue was resolved quickly, but problems have persisted for a seemingly small percentage of users
• We've been getting more emails over the weekend, both about this persistent issue and other problems Fitbit users are having

Last week, starting on July 17, Fitbit users reported problems in droves, as the app was preventing users from syncing up their watches and fitness trackers – and when users followed Fitbit's recommended troubleshooting steps and logged out of the app, it wouldn't allow them to log in again.

The issues cropped up regardless of whether users were rocking one of the best Fitbits, an older model, or a Google Pixel Watch, and I covered the outage extensively with a live blog. Google reached out to confirm that the issue was resolved later that same day, and Downdetector reports returned to normal.

However, even after the blog ended, we've been getting emails from readers who say their devices that still won't sync with the Fitbit app.

Wendy emailed on July 19, two days after the outage was reported to have ended, to say "I’ve been trying to sync all day. I have Covid so have been tracking my blood oxygen level... I don’t know what my number was last night as it won’t sync."

Lloyd emailed to let us know his Fitbit wouldn't sync with the app on his iPhone 11, Ann was unable to set the correct time on her watch (also likely the result of a syncing issue, as this is done by pairing with your phone), and other users chimed in to say their best fitness trackers wouldn't sync properly either.

In a thread on Reddit titled Anyone else still having sync issues? another eight people chimed in with their comments, all affirming that they're still having problems after the fix was rolled out. In another thread titled How are Fitbits now? the most-upvoted comment was this one:

"The last few weeks have been horrible. Nonstop sync issues with the app and they had a major outage yesterday which they say is fixed but I'm still having issues... I'd honestly go Garmin at this point."

It's important to put these issues in perspective: while it's very unfortunate that all the users mentioned above have devices they're temporarily unable to use (some of them likely with Fitbit Premium subscriptions they're paying for) it seems they're a relatively small minority of users, with Google appearing to have fixed the broader issue.

However, that doesn't help you if your device can't sync, or is bricked. Quite a lot of people reached out to us in the end, many with ongoing issues that seem to be separate from the outage.

Phil in Hong Kong wrote in to tell us: "My Fitbit has not been working for a week. It does strange things like after I wake up it says I’ve hit 10,000 steps or doesn’t read my sleep.

"It’s actually really annoying and this is the third time I’ve had issues with Fitbit and I keep thinking should I switch to an Apple Watch."

Phil's response is echoed by Linda, stating: "I have tried every troubleshooting method with the same results. About two weeks ago, I ordered an Apple Watch SE 2nd generation."

The reason people are so disappointed when their devices don't work is that people love using their Fitbits. It creates an engaged community of like-minded users looking to keep fit, track their sleep and health, and enjoy exercise.

It's a great tool, and for most people it works very well. There are many reasons why, even in the face of some persistent issues, Fitbit remains synonymous with activity tracking.

For those who are experiencing ongoing difficulties that can't be solved by the usual troubleshooting, the best thing to do is reach out via the Fitbit Help Center.

• The latest Google Pixel Watch 4 leaks point to a price freeze
• The Google Pixel Watch 4 is rumored to sport a bigger battery – but I'm hoping it's not just for a brighter screen
• How to use heart rate zones on your smartwatch to smash your fitness goals, according to research