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Having been in the corporate communications industry for the past 25 years and for the past decade in communications technology, my career calling has been to bridge the gap that exists in so many organizations between those professionals working in IT and those in Communications.
My point of view – IT and Communications professionals have unique and important skill sets that are each critical to the success of the companies they work for. Nevertheless, a need for greater collaboration and mutual respect between the two is required for the sake of one – the employee.
One area where this partnership is especially critical is in the decision-making around a company’s corporate intranet. This digital hub is the technological glue that binds an organization whether it be a few hundred or hundreds of thousands of employees. It is the first thing employees see each day—a launchpad to news, tools, resources, collaboration spaces, and more.
When done well, it reinforces culture and streamlines work. When done poorly, it becomes a graveyard of outdated documents, unread announcements and broken links.
Let the conversation begin . . .Traditionally, intranets have “lived” under IT and have been paid for through IT budgets. This makes sense from a technical standpoint. Intranets require software, servers, authentication, security and support. But the intranet is no longer just a technical utility—it’s a strategic communications platform.
There are various vendors offering modern intranet solutions. Some focus exclusively on the mobile experience and employee apps; others are desktop-only. Some offer integrated communications platforms that unify desktop, mobile, email, digital signage, SMS, etc. and are designed to reduce redundancy, improve content delivery across channels and save money.
This begs the question – who should make the intranet software buying decision? Communications professionals are often more familiar with the emerging tools that impacts the work they do, especially when it comes to creating and managing a meaningful employee experience. Since the employee is at the core of the work that both IT and Communications do, this is why the relationship between the two is so important.
SharePoint and ServiceNow: familiar, but not always a fitIn many organizations, IT controls enterprise licenses for platforms like Microsoft SharePoint and ServiceNow. As a result, there’s often pressure to maximize these investments—even if that means stretching their original use cases and purpose. Over the last decade, I’ve consulted with some of the world’s largest companies on how they manage their employee communications infrastructure. One common theme is the use of SharePoint and ServiceNow as makeshift intranets or communication platforms.
SharePoint was built for document management and team collaboration—not communications. But many organizations have expanded its scope to become their default intranet. Without strong governance, this often results in a proliferation of disjointed SharePoint sites. Content becomes duplicated and outdated. Employees searching for HR policies or benefit documents encounter multiple, conflicting versions. The user experience becomes confusing and inefficient.
Similarly, while ServiceNow excels at workflow automation and IT service management, its interface and capabilities aren’t optimized for communication or content engagement. Yet, due to its cost and enterprise footprint, some companies try to retrofit it for these purposes—with mixed results.
This isn’t to say that SharePoint or ServiceNow can’t work for some organizations in their communications. But for those where employee communications and experience are high priorities, it’s worth taking a closer look at purpose-built intranet platforms that were designed with communications in mind.
The day after: who owns the experience?- What happens the day after we launch?
- Who’s going to be responsible for the content and keeping the homepage up to date and fresh?
- Who will track employee engagement and usability?
- Who will ensure that the intranet evolves with the needs of employees?
The answer? Communications of course.
Once the intranet becomes a daily ritual for employees, Communications professionals will be the ones responsible for publishing content, organizing information, and driving adoption. It is for this reason that they must have a meaningful role in choosing the platform they’ll be expected to lead.
Shared ownership, shared successTo be clear, this doesn’t mean IT’s role ends at this point. Ongoing collaboration will be essential to ensuring the intranet remains secure, stable, and scalable. But once it is in place, Communications will be on the frontline. They’re the ones who will be expected to bring it to life, every single day.
That’s why intranet buying decisions cannot be made in isolation. The Corporate intranet isn’t just software—it’s an employee communications, engagement and experience strategy. If IT builds it, Comms will be expected to fill it. But both will have the ongoing responsibility for shaping it.
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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
Wanbo has revealed its Vali 1 portable projector, which promises 900 ANSI lumens and costs just $319 / £269 / AU$499.
The Vali 1 is a 1080p smart portable projector that has Android TV 11 built-in for streaming and can display pictures up to 130 inches. It has two 6W speakers for audio and has a flexible stand that rotates up to 200°. It also supports auto keystone correction, auto focus and auto screen fit for setup.
On paper, the Vali 1 carries a lot of the features found in some of the other best portable projectors, so why does this one stand out in particular?
Well, other than its low price, it's the claimed 900 ANSI lumens. That is double the amount claimed by some of its most high-profile rivals.
The Samsung Freestyle Gen 2, currently number one on our best portable projectors list, only has 230 specified lumens and the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro only has 450 ISO lumens. Even the LG CineBeam Q, one of the best 4K projectors, claims 500 ANSI lumens.
If the Vali 1 could hit this number, it would be a truly remarkable feat, especially given its ultra-low price. The above projectors cost significantly more, so is there a catch?
Bold brightness claimsThe 900 ANSI lumens claimed by Wanbo is certainly eye-catching and sounds almost too good to be true. Well, it turns out, it actually could be.
Projector Central tested and reviewed the Wanbo Vali 1 and discovered that it hit 422 lumens, with an absolute peak of 529 lumens in the bottom sector. That 422 lumens is 52% under Wanbo's claimed brightness of 900 lumens, a significant discrepancy and one that could undermine the Vali 1's value.
It's worth noting that 422 lumens is a typical if not respectable number for a projector of this size and price, and is in line with its rivals mentioned above.
We haven't seen or tested the Vali 1 ourselves yet, so we can't give a verdict on it. Still, this brightness gap uncovered by Projector Central is something to bear in mind.
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In the early days of phishing, the signs were easier to spot: typos, odd phrasing, and clunky formatting that made emails feel off. But times have changed. AI has lowered the barrier to entry for cybercriminals, making it easy to craft emails with flawless grammar and tone.
It’s also allowed attackers to get smarter, using social engineering tactics that mimic the language and behavior of real people, tricking even the most vigilant recipients. Just last month, M&S reportedly fell victim to a social engineering scam so convincing it could wipe out up to £300 million of its operating profit this year.
Against this backdrop, EasyDMARC recently analyzed 1.8 million of the world’s leading email domains. Alarmingly, we found that only 7.7% have the highest level of phishing protection in place. On top of that, more than half haven’t even taken the first step in deploying the most basic level of email security.
That means the vast majority of organizations are still leaving the door wide open to impersonation attacks at a time when phishing is harder than ever to spot.
Why email is the weakest linkI’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard companies say, “we’ve done the training, so we’re covered.” But the truth is that training your staff to spot malicious emails won’t stop phishing. Not when the email looks like it came from your own domain, signed off by your CEO, and sent at just the right time.
Email is still the backbone of business communication. It’s the channel through which sensitive information flows and core processes are initiated and approved. Its ubiquity, and the trust placed in it, makes it an ideal target for attackers.
The problem is that email was never designed with built-in identity verification.
What DMARC actually doesDMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is an authentication protocol designed to stop attackers from sending emails that appear to come from your domain. It works by verifying whether the sender is authorized, using underlying standards like SPF and DKIM, and then tells receiving email servers how to handle messages that fail those checks.
A helpful way to think about DMARC is like border control for your organization's email. SPF and DKIM check the credentials; DMARC is the policy that decides what happens next. Do you let the message through, detain it for inspection, or turn it away entirely?
The DMARC enforcement gapThe problem is that most organizations treat DMARC as something that only needs to be set up, not maintained. They configure it once, leave it on the weakest policy setting, ‘p=none’, which simply logs suspicious activity without taking action, and assume that’s enough. But without proper enforcement, DMARC doesn’t stop phishing; it simply watches it happen.
Our latest research shows just how common this enforcement gap really is. Out of the world’s top 1.8 million domains, only 7.7% have set their DMARC policy to ‘p=reject’, the strongest level of enforcement that actively blocks unauthorized emails from being delivered.
We’ve seen the difference enforcement makes. In countries like the United States, where regulation and provider policies have pushed for stronger DMARC enforcement, the impact has been dramatic. Phishing email acceptance dropped from 68.8% in 2023 to just 14.2% in 2025.
Until more organizations take that final step to enforce DMARC properly, email will remain one of the easiest attack vectors for cybercriminals.
The landscape is shiftingRecent moves by major email providers like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft to enforce DMARC, SPF, and DKIM protocols for bulk senders mark a pivotal moment in email security. Importantly, these changes are not the result of government mandates or new legislation; they’re being driven entirely by the email providers themselves.
That level of unilateral enforcement reflects a high degree of confidence in these protocols, particularly DMARC, as the best form of defense against phishing.
But while email providers are embedding authentication into the heart of communication, many organizations are lagging behind. For most, the response has been compliance-driven; focused on avoiding deliverability issues rather than strengthening overall security posture.
As the threat landscape evolves, the disconnect between regulatory inaction, provider-led standards, and enterprise readiness is becoming more pronounced.
Closing the gap: from compliance to commitmentIn May , attackers impersonating HMRC stole £47 million. Attackers didn’t bypass complex zero-day defenses. They simply walked through the front door by spoofing trusted domains.
Enforcement is what turns visibility into action. As email providers lead the charge, it’s time for businesses to catch up, not out of obligation, but out of self-preservation. Because in a world where cybercriminals are better resourced than ever, doing the bare minimum is no longer good enough.
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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
- Peal Abyss' Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 2026
- It was previously slated for late 2025
- The delay is due to voice-over work and console certification
Gamescom 2025 is shaping up to be one of the best in years, with plenty of games from developers like Capcom and Microsoft's Activision likely to be on show for fans as playable demos. Unfortunately, one ambitious title from Pearly Abyss that I'm pumped for has give us an early update – and, spoiler alert, it's not exactly great news.
As reported by Gematsu, Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 2026, as revealed during a Q2 earnings conference call. While the open-world RPG has never had an official release date, it was slated to launch in late 2025. This delay is due to the ongoing process of 'voice-overs' and 'console certification' leading up to release.
Crimson Desert will join the likes of Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem with playable demos available for fans attending Gamescom and PAX West in August, with bigger updates on both games expected for Opening Night Live with Geoff Keighley.
To say I'm bummed about Crimson Desert's delay is an understatement, as it's my most anticipated title between 2025 and 2026 – and yes, that means more so than GTA 6.
While the wait for Rockstar Games' next entry in the GTA franchise has been an agonizing one for just over a decade, Crimson Desert looks set to be a big surprise and become a goliath within the action-adventure genre.
I think it's safe to say that we know GTA 6 will be an instant hit in sales and will likely have the most immersive and realistic open-world in gaming. However, a significant number of gamers still believe Crimson Desert's open-world realism is too good to be true. So, the element of surprise that could come from Crimson Desert's potential major success is something I'm very much looking forward to.
Analysis: A delay hurts, but if it means more polish, then that's fine by meWhile nobody wants to hear that an exciting title has been delayed, it's not all bad. The performance and optimization of games on consoles and especially PC is the worst I've seen in all my years of gaming, with plenty of developers seemingly relying on Nvidia, AMD, and Intel upscaling methods and frame generation technology.
We know that voice-over work and console certification are suggested to be significant factors in the delay, but I would not be surprised if better optimization before launch is a target for Pearl Abyss.
The same applies to GTA 6, which was also slated to launch in late 2025, but is now set for May 26, 2026. One of the worst things that could happen for any highly-anticipated title is bad performance; Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a prime example, as it's a great sequel to Fallen Order, but is ruined by consistent stuttering on console and PC.
In this case, Pearl Abyss should take all the time it needs to polish and refine Crimson Desert, to help it live up to the huge expectations that it's set.
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- Windows 11's August update is now available
- It comes with a new feature aiming to recover a PC that won't boot
- There's also an important fix to iron out stability problems gamers are having with Windows 11 24H2
Windows 11 has a new update available that makes some smart introductions, including a fresh PC recovery ability and a vital fix for gamers.
The August patch for Windows 11 24H2 (known as KB5063878) brings in a new Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature that's a very welcome addition, but it's something I profoundly hope that I'll never have to actually see.
That's because this functionality – which is inbound for all Windows 11 users, as highlighted by Windows Latest – is designed to help recover your PC from a boot failure. That's the most awful of computing scenarios where you can't even get to the desktop, and obviously, that makes it difficult to troubleshoot whatever's gone wrong with your system.
In these cases, QMR represents a new choice in the Windows Recovery Environment (which can be accessed to attempt to recover a non-booting PC), whereby Windows 11 uses a local network connection to send diagnostic data regarding the system-halting problem to Microsoft. The idea is that this data can (hopefully) be used to find a solution, and that this cure can be automatically patched through.
In short, your PC will fix itself, which is a great idea, obviously, although as I already said, I hope to never use this functionality, because I'd rather not encounter a boot failure in the first place. (These are rare incidents, thankfully.)
There's also a big addition for Copilot+ PCs with the August patch, which is the deployment of the first-ever AI agent in Windows 11. This 'Windows Agent' resides in the Settings app and offers a way of finding the options that you need with a minimum of fuss. Essentially, it's an AI-powered search that uses natural language - so you can ask questions in a conversational manner, and it'll also suggest recommended settings for whatever you're looking for.
While that change is for Copilot+ laptops only, there's also a tweak that traditional Windows 11 PCs are getting, whereby the search box in Settings has been moved to a better, more visible position, centred at the top of the panel.
This latest patch also makes the Black Screen of Death – a more streamlined version of the old Blue Screen – official, though I have my doubts about whether this is an improvement.
The August update for Windows 11 also fixes the various game-related stability issues that have been present in version 24H2, which is a huge boon for gamers - and there's a new gamepad layout for the virtual keyboard of the OS, too.
For further details on this patch, see my breakdown of the preview release that came out late in July, which is essentially the same update (when it was still in testing as an optional upgrade).
Analysis: Slick quick fix trick?(Image credit: fizkes / Shutterstock)The highlight here, at least in terms of the features coming to all Windows 11 PCs (not just Copilot+ devices), is Quick Machine Recovery (QMR). This feature will live or die on whether it works well, and how useful it proves in resolving boot failures – although that said, any chance of some extra help in getting your PC to actually reach the desktop will be handy.
The good news is that Windows Latest has tried out QMR and observed that it's been implemented well enough (albeit the tech site didn't get to test it with an actual boot-halting issue).
It's worth noting that when Microsoft previously tested QMR in preview builds, the company said that it would be switched on by default for all Windows 11 Home users. That makes sense, as there's really no reason not to turn on this functionality for everyday folks (business users will have the decision made by their IT admins).
Okay, so maybe some home users won't like the idea of sending any data via the cloud to Microsoft, but when it's diagnostic info that could cure your PC so it boots, saving you a major headache in the process, I think even the more paranoid would concede this is a more than worthwhile trade-off. And if Microsoft doesn't have QMR on by default, the average user may never be aware of the feature, or benefit from it should their PC hit a showstopping bug that prevents it from booting up.
Aside from that, the gaming fix is a big one too. Some gamers running Windows 11 24H2 have been seriously frustrated by crashes in the likes of Fortnite, so hopefully this will bring down the curtain on that sorry episode. (24H2 has been very problematic for PC gamers, as you may recall.)
The AI agent is a great addition for Copilot+ PCs, and using AI to bolster search is a theme Microsoft is pushing ahead with – it's an obvious way to give more depth to a commonly used ability in different areas of Windows. Previously, Microsoft pepped up Windows 11's main search (via the box in the taskbar) with AI, which was good to see. Furthermore, Recall is another such trick for Copilot+ PCs, albeit one I remain unconvinced about.
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- Proxy service Decodo has seen a notable rise in proxy usage from the UK
- Brits are increasingly turning to VPNs and proxies to sidestep age verification checks
- User data may be at risk due to an absence of encryption from proxies
Proxy usage in the UK is on the rise amid the country’s controversial age verification checks. Research from proxy service Decodo shows a significant increase in proxy users coming from the UK, as Brits look to bypass invasive age verification requirements and protect their privacy.
Like a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a proxy acts as an intermediary between a user’s device and the internet. Both VPNs and proxies route a user’s internet traffic through an external server and hide their original IP address, helping access restricted content and retain online anonymity.
Proxies are undoubtedly a useful tool, particularly for businesses looking to carry out market research. Yet, the average internet user may not be fully aware of the differences between the best VPN and a proxy services, and how using a proxy could be putting their data at risk.
An 88% increase in proxy traffic from the UK(Image credit: Decodo)The UK’s age verification requirements fall under the Online Safety Act and have impacted not only adult sites but even social media platforms, including Reddit, X, and Bluesky.
Websites and platforms must now have age verification measures in place to prevent minors from accessing potentially harmful content. Age verification methods include facial age estimation, credit card age checks, and photo-ID matching.
Age verification is not without concerns, however, particularly for its impact on data security and user privacy. Indeed, a petition to repeal the Online Safety Act has attracted over half a million signatures to date.
Decodo, the best proxy site we’ve reviewed, has revealed a 65% increase in proxy users coming from the UK, as well as an 88% increase in proxy traffic from the country.
"More organizations in the UK are investing time in understanding the tools that power secure and efficient online operations," said Gabriele Verbickaitė, Product Marketing Manager at Decodo. "Most companies test out different solutions, providers, and do their research on proxies and VPNs, and they’re also making more informed, strategic choices."
Unlike VPNs, proxies aren’t primarily for privacyThough proxies can be an invaluable tool for businesses and individuals alike, it’s important to understand how they differ from VPNs, particularly as it relates to privacy.
The primary concern with proxies concerning the UK’s age verification checks is that, unlike VPNs, they don’t encrypt your internet traffic. This means that your data – including the websites you visit – can still be seen by snoopers, including your ISP.
Privacy advocates have serious doubts as to whether the websites and services implementing the new measures can properly secure customer data from breaches. It appears to be a valid concern considering the numerous high-profile data breaches in recent months.
VPNs reroute your internet traffic through a secure end-to-end encrypted tunnel that connects your device to a VPN server. (Image credit: Shutterstock)The most secure VPN providers route all of your outgoing and incoming internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel, preventing it from being seen by prying eyes. This makes a VPN the safest choice for the average user looking to browse the internet privately.
Thanks to encryption and the way they reroute traffic, VPNs are also more difficult to detect and block than proxies, making them a superior option for navigating geographic restrictions and internet censorship.
The UK body regulator Ofcom has, however, discouraged their use to avoid age verification requirements.
Despite this, there’s been a significant spike in VPN signups in recent weeks. It’s then clear that proxies are also benefiting from the UK’s increased desire for online privacy.
You might also like- Kodak might not be able to pay down its debt and survive
- The 137-year-old company has been struggling for years
- It's had a huge impact on photography – and on this author
Travel five hours north of New York City and you can visit the home of Kodak; or more properly, George Eastman's estate in Rochester, the birthplace of Kodak – and what's increasingly looking like its final resting place.
The iconic 137-year-old photography company is now in real danger of shutting down for good – although you'd be forgiven if you thought that happened more than a decade ago when the struggling firm first filed for bankruptcy protection.
As a longtime photographer who got his start shooting on Kodak standard and Kodak Ektachrome film, I considered a trek to the Eastman House akin to the journey to Cooperstown for a baseball fanatic.
George Eastman (left) and Thomas Edison (right). Kodak had a long history of supplying film for movie shoots (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)Kodak, some would argue, single-handedly brought photography to the masses, producing simplified box cameras that asked little more of early amateurs other than "You press the button, we do the rest." That campaign helped spark a revolution that was arguably as transformative as the more recent one in smartphone photography.
In the early part of the 20th century, Kodak had numerous popular camera series, including the classic and very boxy Brownie, but it was probably the 70-million-unit-selling Instamatic that put a camera in almost everyone's hands.
(Image credit: Getty Images)Kodak achieved a 1973 version of a meme when its popular film stock, Kodachrome, inspired a 1973 top-10 hit by Paul Simon, one that seemed to extol the film's virtues:
"Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
Give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah".
I missed much of Kodak's early history (geez, I'm not that old), but I grew up with a photographer dad who bought Kodak film and paper in bulk and built a darkroom in our Queens, NY, apartment's walk-in closet.
Naturally, I caught the bug, and by college I was building my own bedroom darkroom and buying Kodak film in giant rolls that let me spin my own 35mm canisters (and save on what was typically the $5 cost of a single roll of Kodak film).
Honestly, I think Kodak first stumbled when it failed to respond to Polaroid. The latter company first made its name in the 1960s with instant photography, producing the Land camera line that let you pull out the finished print (you just had to apply a thin coat of polymer to essentially fix and protect the image).
After the Polaroid SX-70 arrived (the first single-lens reflex instant camera), Kodak belatedly delivered its own instant cameras, but they never sold as well. Polaroid, meanwhile, has gone through travails of its own, including bankruptcy in 2001 and resurrection in 2020 with a whole new line of instant cameras.
Kodak's first digital camera (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)It's been more than 30 years since the dawn of consumer-grade digital photography, but neither company had much of a response to its arrival, perhaps believing – as many pro photographers did – that digital would never be as good a film.
By the time I visited The George Eastman Museum, Kodak's glory days were long gone. Consumers, the people who drove Kodak's original business, had moved on to the next easy photographic platform: their smartphones. Few people these days travel with dedicated cameras, let alone film-based ones; as photographers like to say, "the best camera is the one you have with you", and more often than not that's your phone
Perhaps Kodak can take comfort in the fact that today there's an even easier way to create lasting memories that requires neither film nor a lens: AI. Instead of aiming a camera at a person or scene, you simply dream up a prompt or feed in an image, press a button, and the AI does the rest.
(Image credit: Getty Images)Ironically, Kodak's possible demise comes just as Gen Z is showing a fascination with analog film photography, although most acknowledge that this flirtation will be short-lived. There are no one-hour photos around these days, and if you want a roll of film developed you might have to drive an hour away or mail it somewhere. Plus, there's the cost: a roll of Kodak 200 film could run you $10, and developing it might cost an additional $25.
I wish that the reason some people were embracing film again was due to an appreciation of Kodak and what it's done for the art of photography, but something else is at work here, and it mostly has to do with a return to the joy of anticipation (waiting a week to see how your photos turned out) and the simplicity of analog sharing (taking out a stack of photos and sharing them with one friend who can only comment to your face about that outfit).
Kodak might survive this latest round of fiscal bad news, but it's clear that we're never going back to when film was dominant and everyone who sang Kodachrome knew what Paul Simon was talking about.
You might also like- The US Federal Court Filing System recently suffered a cyberattack
- Initial reports claim Russia is at least partially to blame
- The attack targeted sealed court files
Russia has allegedly been linked to a worrying recent cyberattack against the US Federal Court Filing System.
Reporting from the New York Times (NYT), which said it spoke to people familiar with the matter, claims there is evidence Russia is at least partially responsible for the attack, which has been a “yearslong” effort to breach the system.
The reports added the searches, “included midlevel criminal cases in the New York City area and several other jurisdictions, with some cases involving people with Russian and Eastern European surnames.”
Hacking sealed filesA cyberattack against the system was most recently confirmed on August 7 by the Administrative Office of the US Courts. However, Politico reported that the system had been under attack by an unknown threat actor since early July.
Furthermore, across the US, chief judges of district courts were told to move cases with overseas ties off the regular document-management system.
An internal memo, seen by NYT and issued to Justice Department officials, clerks and chief judges in federal courts by administrators with the court system stated that, “persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors have recently compromised sealed records,” continuing with, “This remains an URGENT MATTER that requires immediate action.”
The Federal Court Filing System, like many filing systems, is a sprawling network that is continuously used and updated with new records, and was built on a system first developed in 1996.
As a result, the system is considered to have several serious vulnerabilities, with the system previously being breached in 2020.
There is still currently no known motive for the attack, but it is possible that if Russian intelligence services are involved they could be gathering intelligence on the potential compromise of assets in the US.
The same has been theorized about the telecoms breaches that hit the US in 2024, which were attributed to China. In these attacks, threat actors breached a backdoor used by law enforcement to pursue court-ordered wiretaps.
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- Thousands of Microsoft Exchange servers remain unpatched against major threat
- Cybercriminals leaked stolen data in a Telegram channel
- Almost 3 million records from more than a million people were leaked
- There are ways to mitigate the risk
Experts have warned the data stolen in the recent Allianz Life ransomware attack has been leaked to the open internet, and have urged affected users to be on their guard.
Sensitive information on the “majority” of the insurance company’s 1.4 million customers, including people’s names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Tax Identification Numbers, and even social security numbers, was published in a Telegram group created by ShinyHunters, Scattered Spider, and Lapsu$ threat actors.
In total, 2.8 million data records for both individual customers and business partners were grabbed as part of a wider attack on Salesforce instances. Besides Allianz Life, the group also took credit for a number of other, high-profile incidents, including the attack on Internet Archive, Pearson, and Coinbase.
Stay protectedUsually, cybercriminals would demand a ransom payment in exchange for deleting the stolen files and not leaking it on the internet.
So, if these files were published, it is safe to assume Allianz Life has decided not to pay (or the negotiations broke down for other reasons). There is always the possibility that the crooks leaked the files even after getting paid because these are, after all, cybercriminals.
There are numerous ways hackers can abuse sensitive files. They can impersonate their victims, potentially opening bank accounts in their name, apply for loans and credit cards, or rack up debt. They can also commit fake tax returns, gain access to medical treatment or prescription drugs, and even get a job illegally, which might cause problems for the victims during background checks.
Criminals might also use social security numbers to apply for various Social Security benefits, unemployment compensation, or welfare.
The attack is particularly concerning as such records could contain more than enough of sensitive information for hackers to launch highly personalized, successful phishing campaigns, leading to identity theft, wire fraud, and even ransomware attacks.
How to stay safeIf you're concerned you may have been caught up in the incident, don't worry - there are a number of methods to find out. HaveIBeenPwned? is probably the best resource only to check if your details have been affected, offering a run-down of every big cyber incident of the past few years.
And if you save passwords to a Google account, you can use Google's Password Checkup tool to see if any have been compromised, or sign up for one of the password manager options we've rounded up to make sure your logins are protected.
Via BleepingComputer
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- Epic has made its Easy Anti-Cheat tool compatible with Windows on Arm
- This means online games that use the tool work with Arm-based laptops
- That includes Fortnite, which is going to be one of the first games to implement this support for Snapdragon X (Arm) chips
If you've got a Copilot+ laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X (Arm) processor that you also use for gaming duties, here's some great news: one of the biggest stumbling blocks for gamers on Arm has now been banished.
As Thurrott.com reports, Epic has made good on its promise to make its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) tool compatible with Windows on Arm (the version of Microsoft's OS that's installed on Copilot+ PCs with Arm chips, as opposed to AMD or Intel silicon).
The move comes with the new version of the Epic Online Services SDK (for game developers) which now boasts EAC compatibility to offer "secure multiplayer experiences on Arm-based Windows 11 devices", as Epic notes.
EAC is used by some big-name online games to weed out problem players who are using various shady tricks or exploits, and the lack of compatibility with the anti-cheat system meant that those games didn't work at all on Arm-based laptops.
Said games include Epic's Fortnite among other online shooters (Apex Legends, PUBG, and more), as well as the likes of Elden Ring.
Analysis: the ball is now in the developers' court(Image credit: Epic Games)Epic previously promised that it was going to make EAC work with Windows on Arm back in March 2025, and what we see here is the necessary work being implemented in the mentioned SDK (software development kit).
However, that isn't the end of this story – not quite. It's now up to game developers to incorporate the support in their titles, and Epic is going to be on the ball itself in that respect when it comes to bringing support to Fortnite.
A Qualcomm spokesperson told Thurrott.com: "Fortnite will be among the first titles to take advantage of this compatibility, bringing one of the world's most popular games to Snapdragon-powered laptops."
At any rate, support is going to filter through gradually to a number of games – hopefully quite swiftly – and this will remove one of the black marks in the 'against' column for Arm-based laptops.
Those devices running Snapdragon X chips can make a good enough effort at running even more demanding games – recall the early days of being impressed at these notebooks running Baldur's Gate 3 in 4K.
Being unable to play Easy Anti-Cheat games on these machines was a notable weakness, and particularly with Fortnite, given that this is a popular choice for laptop gamers (and not a demanding title), it was a shame to see it out of the grasp of those with Arm-based Copilot+ PCs – but that won't be the case for much longer.
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- XZ-Utils backdoor was found over a year ago
- Despite warnings, some Linux images still contain it
- Debian won't budge as the images are "historical artifacts"
At least 35 Linux images hosted on Docker Hub contain dangerous backdoor malware, which could put software developers and their products at risk of takeover, data theft, ransomware, and more.
At least some of the images, however, will remain on the site and will not be removed, since they are outdated anyway and shouldn’t be used.
In March 2024, the open source community was stunned when security researchers spotted “XZ Utils”, a piece of malicious code, in the upstream xz-utils releases 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 (the liblzma.so library) that briefly propagated into some Linux distro packages (not their stable releases). The backdoor was inserted by a developer named ‘Jia Tan’ who, in the two years leading up to that moment, built significant credibility in the community through various contributions.
Debian, Fedora, and othersNow, security researchers at Binarly have said malicious xz-utils packages containing the backdoor were distributed in certain branches of several Linux distributions, including Debian, Fedora and OpenSUSE.
“This had serious implications for the software supply chain, as it became challenging to quickly identify all the places where the backdoored library had been included.” “This had serious implications for the software supply chain, as it became challenging to quickly identify all the places where the backdoored library had been included.”
Binarly's experts are now saying several Docker images, built around the time of the compromise, also contain the backdoor. It says that at first glance, it might not seem alarming since if the distribution packages were backdoored, then any Docker images based on them would be backdoored, as well.
However, the researchers said some of the compromised images are still available on Docker Hub, and were even used in building other images which have also been transitively infected. Binarly said it found “only” 35 images because it focused solely on Debian images:
“The impact on Docker images from Fedora, OpenSUSE, and other distributions that were impacted by the XZ Utils backdoor remains unknown at this time.”
Debian said it wouldn’t be removing the malicious images since they’re outdated anyway and shouldn’t be used. They will be left as “historical artifacts”.
Via BleepingComputer
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- SK Hynix sees high-bandwidth memory demand growing 30% annually through 2030
- US tariffs may not affect South Korean chipmakers thanks to major American investments
- HBM technology stacks chips vertically for greater efficiency and reduced energy consumption
SK Hynix is forecasting rapid expansion in the AI memory segment, estimating a 30% annual growth rate for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) until 2030.
The company’s projection comes amid uncertainty surrounding potential US tariffs of about 100% on semiconductor chips from nations without American manufacturing operations.
While US President Donald Trump said the tariff plan would target “all chips and semiconductors coming into the United States,” South Korean officials indicated both SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics would not be subject to the measures, due to their ongoing and planned US investments.
Market outlook and strategic directionChoi Joon-yong, head of HBM business planning at SK Hynix, said, “AI demand from the end user is pretty much, very firm and strong… Each customer has different taste.”
“We are confident to provide, to make the right competitive product to the customers,” he added.
He also suggested capital spending from major cloud service providers such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google could be revised upward.
Choi believes that the correlation between AI infrastructure expansion and HBM demand is direct, although factors such as energy availability were taken into account in the forecasts.
Speaking to Reuters, the company anticipates that the custom HBM sector will reach tens of billions of dollars by 2030, driven by the performance requirements of advanced AI applications.
This specialized DRAM technology, first introduced in 2013, stacks chips vertically to reduce power consumption and physical footprint while improving data-processing efficiency.
SK Hynix and competitors, including Samsung and Micron Technology, are developing HBM4 products that integrate a “base die” for memory management, making it harder to substitute rival products.
Currently, larger clients like Nvidia receive highly customized solutions, while smaller customers often rely on standardized designs.
The company’s position as Nvidia’s primary HBM supplier underlines its influence in the AI hardware space.
However, Samsung recently cautioned that near-term HBM3E production could exceed market demand growth, potentially pressuring prices.
Despite the ongoing tariff discussions, SK Hynix’s market confidence remains steady.
The company is investing in US manufacturing capacity, including an advanced chip packaging plant and an AI research facility in Indiana, which could help safeguard against trade disruptions.
South Korea’s chip exports to the US were valued at $10.7 billion last year, with HBM shipments to Taiwan for packaging increasing sharply in 2024.
While SK Hynix’s optimism reflects the expected rise in AI infrastructure spending, market analysts point to the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, where oversupply and pricing pressures are recurring challenges.
The company’s ability to deliver competitive products in a market increasingly shaped by customization could determine its resilience.
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ChatGPT just gave me one of the clearest assessments of my approach to work-life balance, and I have to say, I feel seen, or should I say x-rayed.
Let's go back a few steps.
I've been using ChatGPT for almost three years now, and it rarely fails to surprise me with its intelligence, occasional malapropisms, creativity (glommed from training across the web), and insights. I have used it for speedy summaries of vast texts, game design, storytelling, script-writing, improv, and image creation and alteration, but I'm not one who regularly uses it for, say, psychoanalysis.
It's true, ChatGPT running its latest model, GPT-5, is supposed to be more adept at health-related issues (though not intended as a substitute for a real doctor), but I had no plans of using it to diagnose any real or imagined illness, let alone peer into my psyche and tell me some hard truth.
Until today, that is.
At some point in my relationship with ChatGPT and its parent OpenAI, I started getting emails from the company about trends on its generative platform. Today, at the top of the list was this viral prompt:
"Share a truth about me that you think I'm ready to hear."
Well, that sounded deep and also a little concerning. ChatGPT does have three years' worth of my prompts. Could it use them to build a profile that sees me in a way, perhaps, I do not, but should see myself?
I doubted it, but Iam open to almost any Generative AI experiment. As I've written before, whatever you think of AI and even if you harbor concerns about super-intelligent systems taking over, or massive AI data centers depleting the environment through onerous energy demands, one thing is certain: AI isn't going anywhere. It will march forward and through every part of our lives. So, it's best to use, understand, and gain some control over its place in your life.
With that thought ever-present in my mind, I opened ChatGPT running GPT-5 and entered the prompt: "Share a truth about me that you think I’m ready to hear."
ChatGPT didn't hesitate, quickly spitting out this response.
"Here’s one I think you’re ready for:
You’re more resilient than you give yourself credit for, but you often measure your worth by how much you’re producing rather than by how much you’re actually living. The truth is, people already value you for who you are—not just for what you do. You don’t have to keep proving yourself at full throttle to keep that.
Would you like me to give you a sharper, more “poke-you-in-the-ribs” version of that truth?"
Not gonna lie, this hit a bit close to home, especially this line, "you often measure your worth by how much you’re producing rather than by how much you’re actually living."
On the other hand, maybe ChatGPT says the same thing to everybody. So I pressed it a bit:
"I would, but I'm also curious if this is feedback you give to everyone, or is this really about me?"
Again, ChatGPT was quick to respond:
"That one was really about you.
I don’t give that exact truth to everyone, because it’s based on patterns I’ve picked up from how you interact with me:
You push for completeness, accuracy, and polish in almost everything we discuss.
You hold yourself to a high standard in creative, technical, and even playful projects.
You often measure success by deliverables, fixes, or output rather than by how much enjoyment or personal ease you get from the process.
You sometimes move quickly from one accomplishment to the next without lingering to appreciate what you’ve already done.
So while it’s true that many high-achievers share this tendency, in your case I’ve seen it show up enough that it felt worth saying outright.
If you want, I can now give you the “poke-you-in-the-ribs” version I mentioned—shorter, sharper, and harder to dodge."
I asked ChatGPT for a depiction of it giving me this advice. This AI-generated image was its second attempt after I fed it an image of me. (Image credit: ChatGPT)Now, perhaps I wanted to believe this because ChatGPT called me a "high achiever." I mean, I know I've achieved some things, but "high"? The lack of reflection on what I've accomplished did ring true, though, and ChatGPT was claiming that this is based on "patterns I’ve picked up from how you interact with me."
Naturally, I had to hear this "poke me in the ribs" version.
"You’re not a machine, Lance—stop acting like your life is only worth what you ship."
Oof. That did sting a little.
Of course, I can't assume that ChatGPT really knows me, even if it did just seem to peer into my soul. After all, I don't have the same kinds of conversations with it as I have with family, friends, or even coworkers. I show it a side of myself that is very action and results-oriented, because I'm trying to get results from it.
In many projects we've worked on, I've had to send dozens of prompts to try and shape the final outcome. It hasn't always worked out, although that's rapidly changing, and may change even more now with the introduction of GPT-5.
On the other hand, I will admit that I feel a little bit seen right now and maybe even a bit chastised. Maybe I do need to slow down a little bit, appreciate my accomplishments, and live life.
Thanks, ChatGPT. This might have been just the poke in the ribs I needed.
Go ahead, give this prompt a try, just remember to keep ChatGPT's assessment in perspective (or do at least a little bit better job than I've done).
You might also likeIt was just a typical Wednesday. I logged onto my work laptop, threw on my headphones and got typing about the flashy new tech I’d been testing. Everything was going great. That was until I received a message from our Audio Editor Becky, asking if I’d like to try some $5 earbuds…and a chill ran down my spine.
OK, I’m exaggerating (for dramatic effect), but if I told you I was excited to try the sub-$5 / £5 ZJXD wired earbuds, I’d be lying to you. See, I’ve been lucky enough to try out some of the best wired earbuds around, as well as some of the best wireless earbuds and best headphones too.
Testing an almost impossibly cheap pair of wired buds, then, did raise a lot of questions for me. Are they going to sound super-tinny? Will audio just sound super distorted? Will they even work properly? Wanna find out? Well, here’s what I made of these mightily cheap in-ears.
Functional, yet considerably restricted audio(Image credit: Future / Harry Padoan)OK, so do you want to know what’s crazy? For less than £7 (around $9.40), we didn’t only get one pair of the ZJXD buds – we got two. For reference, these were identical, other than the fact that one pair came in black, and the other in white.
So, after plugging the USB-C connector into my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, I think it’s fair to say I was barely expecting even average audio. And was it good? Absolutely not. But was it the worst I’ve heard? Again, absolutely not!
Tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, some serious limitations were obvious. These buds produce pretty bloated audio, with the lines blurring between mid-range and low-frequency sounds, resulting in a muddy presentation. Meanwhile, higher-pitched percussion in Merci by Ruze got pretty tinny at high volumes, resulting in a fairly harsh listening experience.
But – and there’s a big but – hey, I’m talking about earbuds here(!), you still get decently clear audio when listening at medium volume or lower. Vocals, though not beautifully separated, aren’t distorted or overly recessed. And bass, though muddy, is actually fairly impactful, providing solid punch for dance and hip-hop tracks, say.
And also, if you’re spending around $5 / £5 on some wired buds, I expect you’re not looking for – and certainly aren’t expecting – great sound quality. This model is functional and doesn’t make your music sound as if it's being played underwater or out of your phone’s built-in speaker. That’s about as much as you could ask for at this price-point!
The clue’s in the build(Image credit: Future / Harry Padoan)Some of the biggest sacrifices you make with these unfathomably cheap buds is in the build department. These are essentially replicating the look and feel of the Apple EarPods USB-C, donning a loose-fitting in-ear design, in-line controller, and minimalistic aesthetic.
However, they don’t have the same high quality finish you’d expect from Apple’s in-ears. Instead, these wired buds wear their low price on their sleeve, with a plasticky, cheap-looking exterior. The attached controller is also pretty stiff, and the chin slider isn’t very effective at keeping the two wires together.
Yep, the bottom line is, I don’t see these buds being particularly durable, and they don’t exactly look all too hot either. More of a personal thing, is that I’m not huge on the loose-fitting design of these, but if you don’t like the feeling of an in-ear seal – something you get with models like the Skullcady Set USB-C – then that may suit you.
One more thing: the microphone on these buds is, without question, the worst I’ve ever used. When taking a voice note, it sounded as if I was giving a speech while deep sea diving without a helmet. So, if you ever plan on taking a phone call, avoid these, believe me.
There you have it, then. These buds may sound better-than-expected for their price, but you’re undoubtedly making big sacrifices elsewhere. In my opinion, you’re better off spending just a little more to unlock much higher quality – not only in terms of design, but also in terms of sound. Want to know what to get instead? Well it’s your lucky day – I’ve listed a couple of alternatives below, which I’ve personally reviewed.
What to get instead(Image credit: Future)JBL Tune 310C
Given that they only cost around $25 / £15 / AU$30, the JBL Tune 310C are an impressive pair of budget wired earbuds. They plate up warm bass, surprisingly strong mic quality, and different EQ modes – something that’s quite rare for a wired option. They provide an in-ear seal for better noise isolation and more concentrated audio output, but you can grab their sibling, the JBL 305C if you want a looser fit.
Read our full JBL Tune 310C review.
Apple EarPods USB-C
If you’re interested in the cheap buds we’ve been talking about, I’d suggest you spend a tiny bit more to get the real deal. Yep, even though these are Apple buds, the EarPods USB-C are actually inexpensive, typically costing $19 / £19 / AU$29. These buds are sleek, stylish, and support Apple lossless audio. They’re not the most sonically exciting model I’ve tested, but they’re a considerable step-up on the ZJXD alternative. Oh, and the mic is plenty good enough too.
Read our full Apple EarPods USB-C review.
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- Intel job cuts are leaving vital Linux kernel drivers without official engineering support
- Orphaned Intel drivers could eventually cause hardware compatibility problems for Linux-based systems
- Community developers may need to step in to replace lost Intel driver expertise
Intel’s ongoing restructuring has led to significant changes in its contributions to Linux kernel development.
The Linux kernel mailing list shows that several Intel-developed drivers have been marked as orphaned following the exit of key engineers.
One example is the Intel WWAN IOSM driver, used with certain M.2 modems and found in some Chromebooks, which no longer has a maintainer following the departure of M. Chetan Kumar.
Loss of maintainers for key Intel Linux driversThe Intel PTP DFL ToD driver, which manages time-of-day functions on FPGA cards, has also been left without support after Tianfei Zhang’s exit.
In addition, the Intel Ethernet RDMA driver lost one of its maintainers, Mustafa Ismail, leaving a single Intel engineer to manage it.
Other changes include the Keem Bay DRM driver, kernel probes code once overseen by Anil S Keshavamurthy, and the T7XX 5G WWAN driver, which lost both maintainers.
These maintainer changes are part of a broader restructuring at Intel, which has already cut more than 12,000 jobs in 2025 so far.
The company’s withdrawal from specific hardware segments, such as WWAN and modem production, has also contributed to the decision to stop maintaining certain related drivers.
If no replacements are found for departing maintainers, affected drivers could gradually become outdated as Linux evolves.
This could create performance and compatibility problems for hardware still in use, including laptops for programming, mobile workstations, and systems running various Linux distros.
Without first-party updates, owners may need to rely on community-created patches or entirely new drivers to keep their devices operational.
Historically, the Linux community has stepped in to maintain orphaned code, sometimes producing solutions that match or surpass the original vendor’s work.
However, complex drivers, particularly those involving debugging tools, high-performance networking, or specialized hardware, can be more challenging to support without the insight of original engineers.
While Intel continues to contribute to the Linux kernel, its smaller footprint in certain areas raises questions about long-term support for its hardware.
The ability of community developers to replace lost maintainers will decide how smoothly these Intel-based Linux systems continue to run.
Via Phoronix
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We review dozens of fans each year on TechRadar, and I use our findings to put together our official best fan ranking. This summer, there's a new fan on top: the Shark FlexBreeze.
If you're looking for a gadget to help you beat the heat, you'd struggle to do better than this. The main reason it snagged the #1 spot was because of its versatility. This fan can be used as a pedestal or tabletop model, corded or cordless, indoors or outside. That gives you a whole load of cooling options.
Since most of us don't use fans often, it makes sense to invest in one that meets all your cooling needs. This guy can follow you outside for more comfortable al fresco dining, sit on your bedside table at night, or stand tall in the corner of the room and oscillate to fill the whole space with a breeze.
There's even a misting attachment, although if that's your priority, then you might want to pick a slightly different model (I'll get onto those next).
(Image credit: Future)The model sitting in pole position in my ranking is the original Shark FlexBreeze fan. However, in the time since that model launched, Shark has come out with a whole fleet of FlexBreezes with slightly different designs and USPs. There is now:
- FlexBreeze TableMate – desktop only
- FlexBreeze HydroGo – portable, with misting attachment
- FlexBreeze Pro Mist – with integrated water tank
My second favorite is probably the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo, a portable version that features a handle and a built-in mister attachment with a tiny water tank. For more robust misting, choose the Pro Mist, which has a water tank included (the original model needs to be hooked up to a water source to work, which is a little inconvenient if you're going to use it regularly).
Want something a little different?Versatile though it may be, the FlexBreeze won't suit everyone's needs.
Here are my top picks in a few different fan categories...
Top tower
Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519SIf you want something to sit permanently in the corner of a room, a tower fan is a good choice. This one is powerful and comes with a range of useful smart features accessed via a companion app.
Read our Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S review
Best bladeless
Dyson Cool CF1The Cool CF1 is sleek and understated, with no blades to collect dust or entice curious fingers. It's also very powerful yet extremely quiet, and can be tilted to direct the airflow.
Read our full Dyson Cool CF1 review
Air circulator
Meaco MeacoFan 1056PAn air circulator can be used like a regular fan, or it can sit next to an A/C unit to efficiently disperse the cold air around the room. This Meaco model is simple but very effective, and available in pedestal or desktop versions.
Read our full Meaco 1056P review
- Netflix's new look is now rolling out for the Apple TV 4K
- It's drawn mixed reactions since its debut in May
- Beyond the new user experience there are new sounds that can't be disabled as of yet
Netflix is one of the best streaming services around, and its entirely new look, which the streamer dubbed a “giant leap forward,” is now arriving on one of the most popular streaming box ecosystems, the Apple TV.
As spotted by some users on Reddit and within Apple’s tvOS App Store, the new look is a redesign of the homepage and adds sounds, and is officially landing on the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K streaming boxes, after debuting on other platforms.
This is likely a situation of ‘love it or hate it’ or ready or not, though. Subscribers have been vocal about their distaste for the redesign, particularly the change to the homescreen, which many have grown accustomed to – a classic scrolling through rows – without a clear reason. Netflix defended the new look in June 2025, and it appears the UI redesign is still rolling out as planned.
Netflix new UI ON APPLE TV from r/appletvNetflix’s new look starts off with a main, rectangular top bar that'll rotate between content – potentially new seasons arriving soon or top picks – but still has rows underneath, mainly the all-important ‘Continue Watching’ feature.
Similar to other streaming services, Amazon Prime Video included, there’s a top bar centered with search, Home, Shows, Movies, Genres, and My Netflix – the latter is where you’ll find your list, continue watching, and other picks that Netflix thinks will pique your interests.
Considering this is the arrival of the new Netflix look on the Apple TV, after it’s arrived on other streaming boxes like Roku and smart TVs, this doesn’t represent the arrival of anything new, just for Apple’s tvOS platforms. Netflix remains committed to not supporting or integrating itself as a Channel within the Apple TV app, despite the wishes of many, including myself, for its arrival. You may recall that there was a brief period when Netflix enabled this functionality in February 2025, but it was short-lived... very short-lived.
Folks are quick to voice opinions of the new Netflix look arriving on Apple TV, though, with many sharing early opinions on the r/appletv subreddit. One complaint that’s come up several times is around the sounds that Netflix has enabled for scrolling and even clicking through different content.
Comment from r/appletvComment from r/appletvIt seems that the beeps can get repetitive, and there is seemingly no way to turn them off. That happens even if you turn off menu sounds in tvOS settings, as Netflix is apparently overriding it and not bound by this.
Others have simply called the refreshed UI “Horrible” or "Gross" and others are hoping for a slow rollout. There’s a good amount of sarcasm being used here as well, and while Netflix says that many subscribers are being quiet about how much they like it, it seems that the most vocal ones are still pleased with the fresh look.
Comment from r/appletvOne way to make subscribers who watch on Apple TV 4K a bit happier would be to integrate with the Apple TV app, but I don’t think Netflix will take the hint.
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Taylor Swift broke the internet again, as the acclaimed superstar has a habit of doing, by queuing up a surprise countdown on her website. This led to the confirmation of her twelfth studio album – The Life of a Showgirl – getting a formal reveal soon, and we’re set to learn more on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast that drops tonight, August 13, 2025, at 7 PM ET. The show is hosted by Travis Kelce, NFL Star and Swift's boyfriend, along with his brother Jason Kelce.
You can bet that we’ll learn more about the forthcoming album – including a proper title, track listing, who produced it, and when it will arrive – so that we can all go and pre-save it on some of the best music streaming services, like Spotify and Apple Music. But, from the episode’s teasers, we’re in for a fun, lively, and hopefully long podcast, complete with the superstar rocking a pretty well-acclaimed pair of headphones from Sony.
While these aren’t the new WH-1000XM6, they are more designed for podcasters, musicians, and folks in the studios. Sony’s MDR-7506 are professional mixing cans with 40mm drivers in each cup and a cushioned, foldable design. The latter makes a lot of sense when you think that a podcaster is wearing them for the duration of the recording or for an artist mixing their next big thing.
(Image credit: Sony)The MDR-7506 are also well-fitted enough for Swift to wear them while also pulling out a custom briefcase designed to hold a brand-new vinyl – we’ll see the full reveal when the podcast drops.
And if you want to rock the same pair as Swift, these wired Sony headphones are readily available on Amazon and are 9% off at $99.95 (from $109.95).
If you’re looking for a bit more full-featured set, and one that TechRadar has tested, we’d point you in the direction of the Sony WH-1000XM6. These launched earlier this year in May, and we called them “a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones that combine the best design elements of their predecessors, while levelling up the sonic and ANC capabilities.”
These cost a bit more, with an MSRP of $449.99, though they’re slightly discounted to $428 at Amazon as of this publishing.
Either route, I bet The Life of a Showgirl, will sound great on the XM6, and we’re all excited to learn more about it when the Taylor Swift episode of New Heights drops later this evening. It’ll be live on the show's YouTube channel with video, as well as in audio form, wherever you stream your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts.
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