TechRadar News

• A vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook allowed threat actors to distribute malware via email
• The bug abuses the Windows Object Linking and Embedding function
• A patch is already available, and users are advised to apply it ASAP

Microsoft has released a patch for a critical vulnerability that allowed threat actors to distribute malware through its Outlook email client - and given the severity of the flaw, users are advised to install the patch immediately.

In a security advisory, Microsoft detailed CVE-2025-21298, a use-after-free vulnerability with a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical). Use after free is a vulnerability in which threat actors are able to use previously freed memory, which allows them to corrupt valid data, or in this scenario - distributing malware remotely.

Located in the Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) function, the bug means simply viewing a malicious email in the preview pane is enough to have the endpoint infected with malware. Windows OLE is a technology that allows embedding and linking to documents and other objects. For example, users could embed an Excel chart into a Word document, and updates in the Excel file will reflect in the Word document, if linked.

Specially crafted emails

“In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted email to the victim,” Microsoft explained in the advisory.

“Exploitation of the vulnerability might involve either a victim opening a specially crafted email with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software, or a victim's Outlook application displaying a preview of a specially crafted email . This could result in the attacker executing remote code on the victim's machine.”

For those that cannot apply the patch immediately, Microsoft suggests a number of mitigations, including viewing emails as plain text and, in large LAN networks, restricting NTLM traffic, or disabling it altogether. Viewing emails as plain text means other multimedia, such as images, animations, or different fonts, will not be displayed.

It’s worth the trouble, though, since the malware sent this way can cause severe business disruptions, loss of customers, and possibly even regulatory fines.

Via NotebookCheck

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• The Samsung Galaxy S26 series could use silicon-carbon batteries
• That should allow for a 10-15% increase in capacity
• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra then could have a battery of up to around 5,750mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is almost here, but reports suggest their batteries won’t be any bigger than last year’s phones. So, if you’re hoping for improved battery life, you might want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, which could have much bigger batteries.

According to @Jukanlosreve – citing leaker @UniverseIce – the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will use silicon-carbon batteries. This kind of battery has only recently started making its way into phones, with the likes of the OnePlus 13, Honor Magic 7 Pro, and Xiaomi 15 Pro already having silicon-carbon batteries.

Those three phones have much larger batteries than most handsets, at 6,000mAh, 5,850mAh, and 6,100mAh respectively, and that’s no coincidence, as this kind of battery allows for around 10-15% higher energy density, so a higher capacity battery can take up the same amount of space.

Update: The S26 will use a silicon-carbon battery.Source: Ice Universe, Undead Weibo. https://t.co/6KBDQlNvFWJanuary 16, 2025

Up to around 5,750mAh

The source doesn’t say what capacities we can expect from the batteries in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, but for reference, the Samsung Galaxy S24 has a 4,000mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus has a 4,900mAh one, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery. We’re expecting the same from the Samsung Galaxy S25 series.

So, assuming an increase of 10-15%, we might be looking at somewhere between 4,400mAh and 4,600mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S26, between 5,390mAh and 5,635mAh for the Galaxy S26 Plus, and between 5,500mAh and 5,750mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Those are big enough increases that these phones could last substantially longer between charges than current Galaxy S models, so if battery life is a priority for you, they might be worth waiting for.

Of course, this is just a rumor for now, and a very early one at that, so even though the source is reputable we wouldn’t count on it happening.

Plus, while rumors suggest the battery capacities in the Samsung Galaxy S25 line won’t be higher than in the S24 series, we won’t be certain of that until these phones launch on January 22. And even if there’s no change in capacity, they might still offer improved life through software optimizations.

So, you might not actually have to wait until 2026 for a longer-lasting Samsung smartphone, but in any case, we’ll have a clearer idea soon.

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• Motorola has announced refreshes for its Moto G and Moto G Power budget phones
• The new handsets aim to bring an enhanced entertainment experience, with large displays and 5000mAh batteries
• The Moto G launches on January 30, while the Moto G Power launches on February 6

Motorola has released the newly refreshed Moto G and Moto G Power budget smartphones, bringing flagship-level features to highly affordable handsets.

Both phones are refreshes of existing models, but in both cases they bring a number of high-quality features at very low price points – in fact, the new Moto G costs just a few cents more than a quarter of the price of a new iPhone 16.

The new Moto G features a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits of maximum brightness, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The phone sports a water-resistant design (no IP rating given yet) that resembles the previous generation Moto G.

As for internals, the phone comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, a midrange platform that can also be found powering budget phones from Oppo and TCL. The Moto G comes equipped with a 50MP main camera and a 2MP macro camera, too.

The new Moto G (pictured) features a 5000mAh battery (Image credit: Motorola )

The Moto G Power is a slightly upgraded version of the Moto G, with a few choice improvements. The display is bumped up from 6.7 inches to a 6.8-inch panel, and the phone has received dual IP68 and IP69 ratings, offering complete dust and water protection. It packs the same MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor as its smaller sibling.

Furthermore, the Moto G Power is rated at the MIL-STD-810H certification for durability, offering extended protection against extreme temperatures and drops of more than three feet.

Additionally, the Moto G Power gets an 8MP ultra-wide camera alongside the 50MP main and 2MP macro cameras found on the standard Moto G.

Both phones have the same 5000mAh battery capacity, with support for 30W wired charging (the Moto G Power gets 15W wireless charging, too). Additionally, both phones have had their speaker systems retooled, with support for Dolby Atmos and hi-res audio, as well as a proprietary bass boost technology, and both offer support for 5G connectivity.

The Moto G will launch on January 30 at a retail price of $199. The Moto G Power will launch on February 6 for $299. We've reached out to Motorola to check on UK and Australia pricing and availability and will update this article in due course.

If you can’t wait until the new Moto G phones release, be sure to check out our lists of the best Motorola phones and the best cheap phones.

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• The Connectivity Standards Alliance teased an update to the Zigbee protocol
• The update will let Zigbee devices like Hue lights work as occupancy sensors
• We don't yet have a timeline for when the feature might be rolled out

Your Philips Hue lights could soon get a lot smarter thanks to a free firmware update that would let them do double-duty as occupancy sensors. It involves an update to the Zigbee wireless protocol, and could allow your bulbs and lamps to detect your presence without the need for any extra hardware.

When you connect your smart lights, switches and other devices to a Philips Hue Bridge, it creates a mesh network using the Zigbee protocol. This allows all the devices to communicate with the Bridge and one another, and receive over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates to fix bugs and add new features.

This week, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the organization behind Zigbee, announced a new feature called Ambient Sensing that will let Zigbee devices like Hue lights sense whether you're home without any extra hardware. It will be available for both new and legacy devices, and will be rolled out via an OTA update.

In a short video, the CSA explained that Ambient Sensing will "unlock new user experiences such as autonomous lighting control and home security, all while enjoying the privacy of running 100% locally without adding occupancy sensors in every room."

When is it coming?

As Mike Robinson of TechCrawlr explains, it's still early days for Ambient Sensing. The CSA hasn't offered a timeline for when it will roll out, and Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) hasn't given any indication of whether it'll be available for Hue bulbs and lamps. Nevertheless, it seems like a natural addition to the Hue system, and could even replace the Philips Hue Intelligent Indoor Motion Sensor.

Fabian of Hueblog.com (a reliable source of early information on Philips Hue) claims to have insider information on the subject, including some details of requirements for Ambient Sensing.

"According to the information available to me, the Philips Hue function requires at least three light sources in a room, which must be placed at a certain distance and in a suitable shape," Fabian says. "A permanent power supply to the light sources is of course essential. It should also be possible to set the intensity of the motion detection."

Signify already has some interesting plans for the coming year, including an AI assistant that will create custom lighting scenes for you using voice commands, but this sounds like a more practical, and potentially more useful feature. I'll keep my ear to the ground for more news and keep you updated as soon as I know more.

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• A blog post hinted that the free Windows 11 upgrade might only be available for a limited time
• Microsoft has taken down that blog post
• The software giant clarified in no uncertain terms that the free upgrade does not have any time limit attached

The free upgrade to Windows 11 won’t be canned when Windows 10 runs out of support, as a recent hint dropped by Microsoft seemed to indicate might be a possibility.

This stemmed from a blog post written about the free upgrade to Windows 11, where in the headline, the author had noted that this offer would run “for a limited time only.”

If you recall, I discussed this at length earlier this week, concluding that it seemed unlikely Microsoft would close the door on those who want to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11. But that at the same time, it certainly represented a hint that this could happen, backed up by the fact Microsoft has always had a caveat in place with the freebie upgrade, that it “reserves the right to eventually end support for the free offer.”

Well, it seems that any worries about this were misplaced, as Microsoft has removed the blog post in question.

Windows Latest picked up the ditching of the article, and also heard directly from Microsoft that it was taken down because it contained incorrect information. Indeed, Microsoft clarified that the free upgrade to Windows 11 is “not a limited-time deal” putting any doubt out of the minds of Windows 10 users who aren’t yet ready to make the leap (but are planning to eventually).

Furthermore, this blog post also told us that Microsoft 365 apps would stop working on Windows 10 when its support expired in October 2025, which isn’t true, the software giant separately confirmed.

(Image credit: Shutterstock - Wachiwit) Analysis: A throwaway line in a now-thrown-away post

It seems we can all rest easy about any vague possibility of Microsoft canning the free upgrade, then. Although never say never, I guess, particularly as there is that caveat mentioned above, but if the offer is ever taken off the table, it probably won’t be for a long time yet.

Naturally, Microsoft still wants to push Windows 11 adoption, as the numbers of Windows 10 users migrating across to the newer operating system have been well below what the software giant doubtless expected.

Compared to the pace of Windows 7 and 8 users transferring over to Windows 10, the move from that OS to Windows 11 has been woefully sluggish. (Although gamers have embraced Windows 11 with more enthusiasm, to be fair, and it is actually more popular than Windows 10 now, at least on Steam).

So, what happened with the now-deleted blog post? It seems like a simple mistake, and a possible theory is that it was a throwaway line added at the last minute (maybe by an editor). I say that because there was no mention of any time limit for the Windows 11 free upgrade anywhere in the body text of the article – it was only referred to in the headline, and that always seemed odd.

If you’re running Windows 10, and have been putting off upgrading – as opposed to being ruled out of Windows 11 by the steeper hardware requirements – I’d suggest you start getting your house in order regarding the move now. Before you know it, January will be over, and then February, and then… let’s put it this way, you’ll be facing down October 2025 (when Windows 10 support ends) before you know it.

Start the planning now, in terms of finding out what you might have to do (such as enabling TPM 2.0 in the BIOS of your motherboard, which is one of the common hurdles preventing upgrades – but it’s easily overcome with the flick of a switch in the firmware).

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• Garmin has released its Q1 public beta
• It includes software upgrades for the Forerunner, Venu, and other popular Garmins
• Strength training workouts are now included in existing coaching plans, and there's a Body Battery upgrade too

Garmin has just rolled out its Q1 public software beta for the best Garmin watches on the market, bringing enrolled users a slew of new software upgrades to start the year.

Garmin's public beta program gives enrolled users automatic software updates containing features not yet available to the public, for the purposes of testing and feedback.

The Q1 release is no different, and is an exciting look at the free software upgrades other Garmin users can expect later this year. While not every upgrade is available for every model, there's at least one upgrade for every major device, including the premium Fenix and Epix models, the Forerunner range, and everyday models like the Garmin Venu 3 and Garmin Lily 2.

The Q1 headline is an upgrade to strength workouts, which are now included in existing running and cycling programs, rather than just as standalone plans. It means runners and cyclists training for a specific goal can incorporate strength and conditioning into their workout, with options for full gym access or bodyweight-only workouts. Here's the full breakdown.

Garmin's Q1 beta upgrade

(Image credit: Garmin)

There are five main upgrades in the Q1 Garmin beta cycle. As mentioned, the strength workouts incorporated into Garmin Coach running and cycling plans is the main upgrade for Coach. These will be available on the Garmin Fenix 8, Garmin Enduro 3, Forerunners 255/265/955/965, and the Edge 540/840/1040/1050/Explore 2 ranges of cycling computers.

The Q1 beta also adds workout execution score improvements to the Garmin Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Fenix 7, Pro, Epix, Enduro 3, Tactix 7, and Quatix 7.

Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 users also benefit from a new update keyboard that promises simpler and more efficient typing, including QWERTY alphabet and symbols layout, autocorrect, predictive takes, and switching between different keyboard layouts.

Finally, Garmin's Body Battery now supports TrueUp, which means your Garmin Body Battery score will draw on data gathered from multiple activity trackers. Metrics taken into account now include Calories, Floors, Intensity Minutes, Steps, and Step distance traveled.

This is great news for dedicated Garmin owners with more than one watch, perhaps a dedicated running watch as well as an all-rounder. This feature is available on every Garmin smartwatch available to enrol in the beta: all of the aforementioned models, plus the Venu 3, Garmin Vivoactive 5, and the Garmin Forerunner 165. You can see the breakdown below.

(Image credit: Garmin)

You can sign up for the Garmin public beta on the company's website, enrolled devices should get the Q1 public beta automatically as a software update.

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• A new rumor suggests the OLED MacBook Air has been delayed until 2029
• OLED tech could push the price up, so a delay isn’t the worst news
• By 2029, OLED could be much more affordable

Apple’s MacBook Air packs in a surprising amount of quality considering it’s the company’s most affordable laptop, with a blazing-fast chip and superb build quality making it feel far more premium than it should. Yet it’s always lacked a truly flagship feature – an OLED display – and a new rumor suggests that we’ll now be waiting until 2029 to see that tech make its debut in Apple’s laptop.

That’s according to leaker Jukanlosreve on X, who cites Korean outlet The Elec to claim that the apparently poor sales performance of the OLED iPad Pro has led Apple to push back the OLED MacBook Air’s release date. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of a delay to the OLED MacBook Air, and it might sound strange to hear it, but I’m actually glad that there’s more evidence it’s been postponed.

That’s not because I’m some partisan OLED hater – no, I would love to see an OLED panel one day grace the MacBook Air. But I’m concerned that adding OLED would compromise the MacBook Air’s best feature: its price.

OLED is a costly addition to any computer, and there’s no doubt that bringing it to the MacBook Air would push up its price. Right now, you can buy an M2 MacBook Air for under $1,000 / £1,000, with the speedy M3 model costing just $100 / £100 more. How long would we be able to continue saying that if OLED was part of the equation?

Still the best Apple laptop for most people

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

After all, the MacBook Air is not a laptop designed for Apple’s most demanding users – that’s a role fulfilled by the MacBook Pro. Instead, the MacBook Air is for everyone else, and its combination of fair price and a sprinkling of quality features means that in most cases, it’s the best Apple laptop for most people.

I’d be willing to bet that the majority of Apple’s MacBook Air customers care a lot more about the price than they do about their laptop’s display tech. After all, they’re not demanding pros who need the best of the best – they just want a solid laptop that performs well enough for their needs and lasts them years. The MacBook Air fulfils that role superbly right now. Would it be able to if it got a high-end upgrade that its users don’t need and a price rise that they definitely don’t want?

Ultimately, the report from The Elec doesn’t say that Apple will never bring OLED to the MacBook Air, just that it’s been delayed until 2029. By that point, OLED costs might have fallen enough that the price impact will be minimal, in which case we could have our cake and eat it, too.

That would be a great time to introduce OLED to the MacBook Air. Right now, though, keeping the price low is probably what most MacBook Air fans care more about.

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• A new scam is circulating on Steam that could risk your account
• It takes the form of a phony play test invite
• Protect yourself by not clicking any suspicious links

PC gamers beware, a new scam is circulating on the highly popular Steam platform that could very well compromise your account and risk your entire game library.

As spotted by some eagle eyed Reddit users, it takes the form of a phishing link sent via direct message. It purports to be an official playtest invitation, in this example allegedly for the upcoming game Mafia: The Old Country. The text accompanying the link states that “You have been invited to join a Steam Playtest!” and need to “Visit the invite link below to add it to your Steam Library!”

The link preview shows the logo of the game and reaffirms that “You have been invited to join the open playtest for Mafia: The Old Country.” At first glance, the link looks pretty legitimate, with the first half of the official Steam store URL, but if you’re paying close attention you can spot some extra text added on that reveals it is not the genuine domain.

Thankfully, it looks like the page from this specific scam has already been taken down, but it’s not difficult to imagine what it could be. You should, of course, never click any dodgy links, but if you did it would likely lead to a fake login page that would then harvest your Steam account details or potentially even initiate a download for some malicious software to hijack your PC.

The repercussions of falling for this kind of phishing attack could be severe, locking you out of your account or risking exposing your personal details to cyber criminals. Always treat any message that contains a link with suspicion, even if it comes from someone you trust - their account could have been hacked. Steam will thankfully also warn you if you try to open an external page, which should prompt you to think twice.

The platform does have its own play test invite system, but it is rarely used and any such invitations will appear in your Steam notifications tab rather than in the form of a message.

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• The iPhone 17 series could add vapor chamber cooling
• It would reduce overheating and improve performance
• The iPhone 16 has had fewer heat issues than the iPhone 15

While the launch of the iPhone 17 is still some way out, there's already plenty in the way of leaks and rumors to get stuck into – such as a report that the new smartphone series will get a vapor chamber cooling system to head off any overheating issues.

This comes from supply chain sources speaking to MyDrivers (via Wccftech), and their prediction is that all four models will get vapor chamber heatsinks. It's something we've seen in numerous Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S24.

We have seen a few complaints about overheating with the iPhone 16, though the issue doesn't seem to be anywhere near as widespread as it was with the iPhone 15, with some users seeing the problem persist for several months.

This is reflected in the report from MyDrivers, which says heat management has been improved on the iPhone 16 but adds that there are still lingering issues, particularly with the A18 Pro chipset fitted inside the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

What's a vapor chamber anyway?

Phones like the Galaxy S24 already have a vapor chamber (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

You can think of vapor chambers as next-level cooling for smartphones (and other gadgets). They contain small amounts of liquid that evaporates when it heats up, before cooling and condensing to release the heat.

The addition of liquid means heat can be carried away from overloaded components – chiefly the phone processor – more efficiently. These chambers do take up more room than conventional cooling systems, though, which may be why Apple hasn't used one before.

If chipsets can stay cooler they're less likely to crash, and they can hit higher performance levels more often; the principle is the same in a phone as it is in a desktop computer. It should mean the iPhone 17 handsets can offer big improvements in speed.

We can expect lots more in terms of upgrades when the iPhone 17 series arrives later this year, including upgrades to the cameras, a subtle redesign, and perhaps a brand-new model called the iPhone 17 Air.

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• OneStream report finds CEOs and CFOs recognize data is overwhelming workers
• Despite this, leaders also know data-based decision-making is crucial
• AI-enhanced unified data systems can help unlock new insights

Britain’s push to “mainline AI in [its] veins” could be overloading businesses with data, effectively hampering businesses’ abilities to leverage AI effectively, new research has claimed.

More than two-thirds (69%) of CFOs now state that overwhelming data volumes are preventing them from being able to prioritize growth, findings from OneStream have claimed.

Three-quarters (74%) of CEOs and CFOs (and 72% in the UK) acknowledge data-based decision-making is among the key determinants of organizational success, with the same percentage of CFOs believing that AI and automation will “completely” reshape organizations’ finance functions in the next decade.

We’re overloaded with AI data

However, several challenges lay ahead. Seven in 10 CFOs say that silos restrict the flow of information between departments, and even more say that legacy systems (72%) and skills gaps (78%) are preventing them from being able to grow.

"In today’s evolving environment, UK CFOs are facing a double-edged sword when it comes to data," commented OneStream CFO Bill Koefoed. "While the vast amounts of information at their disposal hold tremendous potential, the overwhelming volume makes it difficult to gain critical insights and drive timely decision-making.”

Furthermore three-quarters (76%) of CEOs believe their CFOs are struggling to prioritize business growth due to an overwhelming volume of data and information.

Ironically, the report reveals how AI- and ML-enhanced unified data systems can help businesses consolidate their data in order to further benefit from artificial intelligence in daily operations and decision-making.

“To turn this challenge into an opportunity, CFOs must leverage technology to create a single source of truth within the organisation to make the process of using data easier and drive sustainable growth," Koefoed concluded.

The news comes amid a troubling outlook for the UK in the year ahead – a turbulent economy is threatening the nation with slower GDP growth, inflation and jobs market challenges.

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• The Nintendo Switch 2 could avoid its predecessor's stock shortage issues
• The company is expected to supply around 20 million units in year one
• That's likely enough to cover first year demand worldwide

The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to be readily available when it launches later in 2025, with analysts predicting a huge improvement to supply over the original Switch console.

As reported by Bloomberg, analysts are expecting Nintendo's suppliers to ship around 20 million units to retailers in the console's first year on the market. This appears to be a big jump from the original Nintendo Switch console, which was infamously difficult to find stock of worldwide in its first year.

20 million is a pretty impressive amount considering the original Switch managed worldwide sales of 13.12 million in its first year, according to Statista. Of course, there may still be shortages in some regions based on how this initial batch of stock is distributed across the globe, but it does point to the console being much easier to get your hands on overall.

Even though Nintendo has now officially revealed the Switch 2, there are still plenty of unknowns with the upcoming hardware. We don't know how much it will cost (though we are expecting it to be pricier than the 2017 console and possibly even the Nintendo Switch OLED), and we don't have a more concrete release window than a vague '2025.'

Still, with the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct airing on April 2 and with in-person Switch 2 Experience events happening between April and June, we're not convinced it'll make the first half of 2025. That could give Nintendo more time to manufacture stock that's more in line with demand. And now, following the massive success of the Switch, the company will no doubt have a better idea when it comes to overall demand.

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• Allianz survey finds cybersecurity is the most common business concern
• Businesses are also worried about interruptions and new technologies
• AI could help give us better data analytics and insights

Insurance giant Allianz has revealed cyberattacks such as data breaches, ransomware and other IT disruptions, are now considered to be many businesses’ primary concern.

The news comes as the number of cyberattacks continue to rise globally amid ongoing geopolitical fallout and advancements in artificial intelligence, which has increased the accessibility of malware to more attackers.

Other noteworthy factors seen to be putting companies at risk include business interruption (31%), changes in legislation and regulation (25%) and new technologies (10%).

Businesses are worried about cybersecurity

Cited as a primary concern for 38% of global survey participants, cyber incidents are a bigger cause for concern in the UK, where 41% of companies expressed anxiety. A further 19 countries cited cybersecurity as their main concern, including France, Germany, India and the US.

Moreover, the second-most popular concern, business interruption, could also include the consequences of cyber incidents, which makes the risk even larger than the figures suggest.

“For many companies, cyber risk, exacerbated by rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), is the big risk overriding everything else. It is likely to remain a top risk for organizations going forward, given the growing reliance on technology," noted Allianz Commercial Global Head of Cyber Risk Consulting Rishi Baviskar.

Around halfway through 2024 we saw how our reliance on technology can cause major disruptions – a faulty Crowdstrike update caused an outage which took millions of Windows Server devices offline.

Looking around, conflict in the Middle East, Ukraine and Southeast Asia is continuing to affect larger organizations; the category also made its first appearance in the top 10 list of threats faced by small and medium-sized businesses.

Allianz says that, although rapid technological developments can be frightening, they can help deliver “better data analytics, predictive insights and more agile response capabilities.”

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• More than half of UK job seekers have now used AI on their CVs
• 90% of hiring managers have also used AI to screen you
• Recruiters are looking for strong personal branding

More than half (52%) of UK job seekers have used artificial intelligence to enhance and refine their CVs – a number that climbs to around two-thirds (65%) among Gen Z job seekers, new research has claimed.

Findings from Canva saw most (91%) hiring managers agree a strong digital professional brand gives candidates a better edge.

Recruiters are also noticeably more accepting of AI-supported CVs than before, with 97% of UK candidates using the tech landing interviews.

AI has a growing role in recruitment

On the other side of the process, nine in 10 hiring managers claim to have used AI to help them hire new workers, including sumarizing CVs (38%) and screening applications (36%).

Despite the acceptance, three in five (63%) hiring managers still believe that candidates should disclose their use of AI. Applicants’ transparency at interview stage can give recruiters a taste of their ethics and soft skills.

Even though AI can help workers produce more effective CVs quickly, HR teams are expecting more from applicants, including portfolios showcasing their work (80%) and interactive resumes (71%).

More broadly, hiring managers are expecting candidates to have an online presence – 93% value job seekers who have an established online presence relating to their career.

With the global skills shortage still ongoing, it’s clear that candidates must add additional layers to their applications and personal brands in order to be considered for new roles.

"However, by leveraging social media, design tools and embracing AI, job seekers are unlocking new opportunities to get noticed. Curating a professional brand and designing a visual resume have become essential steps to securing your dream job," Canva Regional People Lead Faye Longhurst commented.

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As digital innovation accelerates, so does the scale and sophistication of cyber threats, particularly Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks, which overwhelm systems with floods of traffic, are growing in both frequency and complexity. According to our research, more than a third (37%) of European businesses have experienced such an attack within the last year.

While disruptive in their own right, these attacks can also serve as a smokescreen for more targeted incidents, such as SQL injection attacks. While security teams tackle the immediate chaos of the DDoS attack, malicious actors can exploit unnoticed vulnerabilities.

Recently, Cloudflare mitigated a record-breaking DDoS attack peaking at 5.6 Tbps – the largest publicly disclosed attack ever. This came after a 3.6 Tbps attack earlier in the same campaign, which targeted industries such as finance, telecoms, and internet service providers. Spanning an entire month, the campaign consisted of over 100 individual incidents, many exceeding 3 Tbps in volume.

For industries that depend on real-time operations, even brief downtime can cause significant financial and reputational damage. The stakes are high, and organizations that aren’t prepared face catastrophic consequences.

A global challenge in the age of IoT

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has introduced new vulnerabilities into enterprise environments. These devices often comprise of security measures, including factory default usernames and passwords, while remaining constantly connected online. This creates the perfect environment for attackers to assemble botnets capable of launching large-scale, anonymous cyberattacks. Exacerbating the issue is the global distribution of these devices, making it harder to predict when or where the next attack will occur.

Recent attacks, such as the Mozi and HTTP/2 vulnerabilities originated from compromised devices in nations including the US, Russia, Brazil, and Vietnam. In these attacks, botnets composed of hijacked routers, webcams, and servers enabled attackers to strike from virtually anywhere. This global, decentralized nature of modern threats demands that organizations rethink and evolve their cybersecurity strategies.

Today’s attackers increasingly blend volumetric attacks with application-layer exploits, targeting specific system vulnerabilities. These multi-pronged tactics make detection and mitigation more complex, as various layers of an organization's IT infrastructure can be attacked simultaneously. To counter these challenges, businesses must adopt a comprehensive approach to security. Monitoring both network infrastructure and application layers is critical to identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.

Defending against the evolving threat

Speed and precision are essential when identifying and mitigating today’s DDoS attacks. Automated systems powered by real-time machine learning and artificial intelligence have become indispensable. These technologies enable organizations to detect and neutralize threats, analyze traffic patterns, and respond instantly without human intervention. This approach means that organizations are able to prevent attacks before they have even begun – bolstering their preventative security measures further than just fighting them in real time.

Automation is a vital tool, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A truly effective defense requires a multi-layered security strategy that combines advanced traffic filtering, real-time analytics, and actionable threat intelligence. These systems work together to differentiate legitimate traffic from malicious activity, allowing businesses to maintain continuity without compromising performance, reliability or security. It is also important for organisations to regularly review and test their incident response plans, ensuring teams are well-prepared for real-world scenarios.

A global, high capacity, anycast network is another powerful tool in the fight against high-volume attacks. By dispersing traffic across multiple data centers worldwide, this approach ensures no single location bears the brunt of an attack, minimizing downtime and maintaining service continuity. For example, a connectivity cloud can absorb and reroute massive traffic surges through its distributed infrastructure, providing seamless, scalable protection against even the largest DDoS campaigns.

Cloud computing services also play a critical role, acting as a buffer to absorb the impact of large-scale attacks that traditional on-premises systems cannot handle. However, organizations must carefully evaluate their providers’ DDoS protection capabilities to ensure they can withstand the escalating scale of threats.

Building a resilient future

The threat of hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks is not going away. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of European business and technology leaders believe a cybersecurity incident is likely within the next year, reflecting growing concern over the evolving threat landscape.

By leveraging global infrastructure, automating defenses, and layering security strategies, organizations can build the resilience needed to face these challenges. Equally important is fostering a culture of security awareness and staying informed about emerging threats.

Cyber Resilience in the face of DDoS attacks will be a defining trait of successful organizations in the coming years. By adopting advanced tools, embracing Zero-Trust strategies, and continuously refining their cybersecurity posture, businesses can protect their systems and adapt to an ever-changing threat landscape.

We've compiled a list of the best network monitoring tools.

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

• A more expensive Raspberry Pi may not please everyone, so I looked for an alternative x86 model
• The Pi is still great for tinkerers and for enthusiasts
• But I feel that RPi did "An Apple" - 50% more expensive for 2x RAM is quite unexpected

The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently introduced the Raspberry Pi 5 with 16GB of RAM, with the increased memory set to benefit heavyweight distributions such as Ubuntu for desktop use cases. But the new model is priced at $120 - nearly twice as expensive as the 8GB one, and very pricey for a single-board computer, which raises the question: could a better device be found for the same price? The answer is a resounding yes.

The Dreamfyre Mini PC (DR02) offers a competitive x86 option with superior specifications and an actual case for $120 on Amazon. Designed for home, educational, and professional use, it is powered by a 12th Gen Intel Celeron N95 processor, capable of reaching speeds of up to 3.4GHz.

The mini PC, which comes with Windows 11, measures 116 x 116 x 46mm, weighs only 0.5kg, and is equipped with 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 512GB M.2 SSD. You can expand the storage to up to 2TB if you need extra capacity. The inclusion of a silent fan cooling system ensures solid performance with minimal noise when under load, making it ideal for quiet environments like offices or study spaces.

No flashing lights

The device can drive three 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) screens via its triple HDMI 2.1 ports. There are three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a single USB-C port, a 1000MB/s LAN port and a headphone jack. The fuss-free design of the mini PC omits distracting LED lights, making it suitable for professional settings. Wireless connectivity is provided via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

While the Dreamfyre Mini PC is clearly not a direct alternative to the Raspberry Pi 5 - lacking the Pi's GPIO pins and extensive community support essential for hardware projects, prototyping, and educational use - it is a versatile and powerful alternative for those seeking an affordable mini PC for general computing tasks, and it looks good.

There are only two reviews for the Dreamfyre Mini PC on Amazon at the moment, but both are five-star.

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• Turntable with Bluetooth streaming output
• Dual 50W wireless speakers with multiple inputs
• £299 (about £366 / AU$588) – US and Aus pricing not confirmed

If you're looking for an affordable all-in-one turntable system, MIXX may have just the thing. Its new Analog System 5 is a Bluetooth turntable with powerful wireless speakers included, and a decently low price.

The system is built around a turntable with an aluminum tonearm and an Audio-Technica AT3600L moving magnet cartridge, and it's bundled with a pair of 50W speakers.

Because it's Bluetooth, you can also stream to other speakers or to a set of Bluetooth headphones. And the speakers are also designed to be used with other inputs for maximum musical mileage.

(Image credit: MIXX) MIXX Analog System 5: key features and pricing

The belt-driven turntable plays both 33 and 45rpm records, and it also has a pitch control for extra speed adjustment – something you don't usually see in affordable all-in-ones. If the quality holds up, this really could rival the best turntables for those getting into the hobby, because it's such a simple and tempting package.

The speakers are Bluetooth and also have line-in, optical, coaxial and USB inputs. That's handy if you're short of space: the same speakers can stream from your smartphone or get audio from other sources as well as playing your vinyl records.

There are two color options here, white or black, and the UK and Ireland prices are £299 and €299 respectively. You can buy now from Amazon in the UK and Harvey Norman in Ireland, or directly from MIXX.

This record player set will also come to the US and Australia, but pricing and exact availability hasn't yet been confirmed – but we'll update you when we've got it.

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• Security researcher finds large unsecured online database belonging to Willow Pays
• The database contained plenty of sensitive customer information
• It is now locked down, but users should still be cautious

Bill payment platform Willow Pays kept a huge database full of sensitive customer information unprotected online available to anyone who knew where to look, an expert has claimed.

Researcher Jeremiah Fowler, known for hunting down misconfigured and non-password-protected databases on the internet, revealed he recently discovered a database containing more than 240,000 records.

“There were folders inside the database indicating bills, mailing lists, account inconsistencies, repayment schedules, screenshots, settings, and snapshots,” he said. “In a limited sampling of the exposed documents, I saw records that included names, email addresses, credit limits, and other internal information. One single spreadsheet document contained the details of 56,864 individuals, indicating if they were prospects, active customers, or blocked accounts.”

Missing details

Soon after, Fowler was able to attribute the database to Willow Pays, a financial service which helps users manage their bills by paying them upfront. The service allows users to repay the amount in four interest-free installments, making it easier to handle expenses. This service also supports building credit by ensuring timely repayments.

Fowler reached out to Willow Pays, which locked down the database soon after. However, the company did not reply to his emails, and did not say if it manages the database in-house, or if the job was outsourced to a third-party. Furthermore, we don’t know for how long the database remained unlocked, or if any malicious actors accessed it before Fowler did.

Misconfigured databases remain one of the most common causes of data leaks and spills on the internet. Many security researchers are warning that companies do not properly understand the shared security model of most cloud service providers these days, and that they mistakenly place too much trust on them, instead of protecting their assets themselves.

Via Website Planet

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• EA Sports FC 25's latest gameplay refresh update has been released
• Title Update 8 is "the most significant mid-season gameplay overhaul" yet
• "Major updates" to core gameplay systems have been added based on player feedback

EA has released the patch notes for EA Sports FC 25's latest gameplay refresh update.

The mid-season update, or Title Update 8, is now live across PC and console and is "the most significant mid-season gameplay overhaul we've ever made", based on player feedback, according to EA.

With this update, EA has implemented "major updates" to core gameplay systems that affect matches, like passing, shooting, goalkeeping, and defending.

It's also made gameplay "more offensively fluid" to enable more control over the ball, reduced the frequency of tacklebacks, and AI interceptions, as well as addressed issues like defenders catching up to dribblers too often.

As detailed in the lengthy patch notes, Title Update 8 has now made balance adjustments to attacking and defending, and now made them more "effective and fun".

Some of the ways this was achieved were by improving AI teammates' attacking run quality when trying to beat the offside line, increasing intelligence of attacking and supporting runs made by AI teammates, and improving the effectiveness of Inside and Advanced Forwards.

Offensive players will also find that they can now operate in attacking spaces near others better, instead of stopping their runs, and players are now able to provide quicker support when they are familiar with their roles.

The patch notes also go further into detail about the aforementioned gameplay system tweaks, which EA said were added because it wanted to "reward intelligent and quick thinking passing plays".

For example, the speed and accuracy of normal Ground Passes have now been slightly increased, along with the effectiveness of Semi Assisted Through Passes.

"While some of these changes might sound small in a vacuum, when combined with other passing changes they are designed to enable players to move the ball easier across the pitch," EA explained.

Among many other adjustments and bug fixes, players can also find that the accuracy and shot speed from inside the box have been increased, while goalkeepers' handling of near-post shots has been changed after discovering they could sometimes incorrectly step away from the near post in tight angle shooting situations.

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• Asus will launch the ROG NUC 2025 this year, using Nvidia's RTX 5080 laptop GPU
• Its laptop GPU will utilize 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM
• It’s expected to have a high cost compared to the current ROG NUC 970

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series of graphics cards were officially unveiled at CES 2025 earlier this month, and while we don’t yet know when the RTX 5080 laptop GPU will start appearing in gaming laptops, Asus has confirmed one of its next-gen mini-gaming PC will be powered by Team Green's new hardware.

As reported by Edge Up Asus, the Asus ROG NUC 2025 mini gaming PC will utilize Nvidia's RTX 5080 laptop GPU alongside the Intel Core Ultra 9 (Series 2) ARL-HX processor boasting 24 cores and 24 threads. This is a build for a top-tier mini-gaming PC, which should outdo the likes of Apple's M4 Mac mini when it comes to gaming, but likely at a high cost.

The current ROG NUC comes packed with RTX 4000 series GPUs, and this year's model will step performance up to a new level - we'll be seeing benchmarks of the desktop RTX 5080 and 5090 series GPUs at the end of this month, with the laptop GPUs likely coming a short time after.

(Image credit: Edge Up/Asus) What can we expect in terms of its pricing?

I've never been a betting man, but I'm almost certain that the new Asus ROG NUC will be an expensive offering with configurations now offering up to the RTX 5080 and 64GB of DDR5 RAM - 2023's NUC 970 utilizes the RTX 4070 with a $1,399 / £1,629 starting price, so expect this year's model to be around the same figure… or even much higher.

Compared to the M4 Mac mini, the ROG NUC 2025 will excel in terms of performance, but this doesn’t mean it’s a straight knock out for the NUC. The M4 Mac mini will undoubtedly be much cheaper as it starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999, and the performance it offers at that price is hard to beat.

A more realistic comparison between Apple's Mac devices compared to the upcoming ROG NUC is the M4 MacBook Pro, especially the model that comes with the M4 Pro chip with a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, along with 24GB of unified memory, but of course, it isn't a mini-PC. Even with this, it would still lose out as Asus' system runs Windows 11, while the MacBook uses macOS, and Apple still has a long way to go with games on its operating system in terms of optimizations (especially at higher resolutions).

The ROG NUC will also benefit from Nvidia's new DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation, which will drastically improve performance across multiple games, besides the GPU's raw performance alone - so while it will be an expensive mini-PC, it will still likely be a better choice for gaming over the M4 Mac mini and the MacBook Pro.

Should you buy it though? I would say no, as it will likely be far too expensive compared to much cheaper standard-size gaming PCs that are powerful enough for smooth performance.

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• Researchers spotted hackers creating phishing pages on Google Sites
• The pages are then advertised on Google Ads
• Victims are locked out of their accounts, which are either used or sold

Cybercriminals have found a way to abuse and impersonate Google, run malicious ads on the search engine’s ad network, and steal login credentials from people looking to promote their businesses.

The warning comes from cybersecurity researchers at Malwarebytes, which warned users to be careful even when clicking on ads coming from the Google itself.

The threat actors start by creating a fake Google Ads homepage on Google Sites, the company’s website builder that also provides users with a Google URL (something like https://sites.google.com/view/sitename) - then, they create a fake ad, communicating a promotion or a new deal, and place it on the Google Ads network.

Three threat actors

"Indeed, you cannot show a URL in an ad unless your landing page (final URL) matches the same domain name. While that is a rule meant to protect abuse and impersonation, it is one that is very easy to get around," explained Jérôme Segura, Senior Director of Research at Malwarebytes.

"Looking back at the ad and the Google Sites page, we see that this malicious ad does not strictly violate the rule since sites.google.com uses the same root domains ads ads.google.com. In other words, it is allowed to show this URL in the ad, therefore making it indistinguishable from the same ad put out by Google LLC."

Victims who fall for the trick and click on the ad are redirected to a web page asking them to log in. Once they do, the phishing page collects their login credentials, unique identifiers, and cookies, and relays the data to the attackers, who then log in from a separate Google account.

The final step is to lock the victim out of their account and use it to fund additional campaigns, purchase other services, and more.

Malwarebytes believes at least three threat actors are currently deploying this tactic: a Brazilian group, an Asian-based attacker, and a group from somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Via BleepingComputer

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