Technology

I gave high marks to Sony's new ULT Field 5 Bluetooth speaker. It lists for $330 but is currently on sale for $250. Meanwhile, the step-down ULT Field 3 is $50 off.

• DomainTools found more than 100 domains promoting fake browser extensions
• These extensions impersonated legitimate products and reputable businesses
• They were stealing sensitive data and executing malicious code remotely

Security researchers recently found more than 100 malicious browser extensions posing as legitimate tools. These extensions, distributed through various channels, but also found on the Google Chrome Web Store, were able to steal sensitive user information, as well as receive further commands to execute.

Google was notified of the findings and managed to remove most malware from its repository. Apparently, some still remain and continue to present a risk to the users.

This is all according to DomainTools, who claim to have spotted more than 100 fake domains promoting the tools, most likely through malvertising campaigns. The malware spoofed all sorts of legitimate products, from VPNs, to AI assistants, and cryptocurrency utilities, and impersonated some of the world’s biggest brands, including Fortinet, YouTube, or Calendly.

"The Chrome Web Store has removed multiple of the actor's malicious extensions after malware identification," DomainTools said. "However, the actor's persistence and the time lag in detection and removal pose a threat to users seeking productivity tools and browser enhancements."

The full list of malicious domains can be found on this link.

Abusing extensions

Add-ons and extensions are a great way to expand the browser’s features and thus enhance user productivity in a business environment.

For example, tools like Asana, Trello, or Grammarly can streamline workflows and improve writing accuracy, while password managers like LastPass can improve credential management.

However, they also handle a lot of sensitive information and are granted high-level permissions, which is why they’re often on the threat actors’ radars. That being said, not only are hackers looking for ways to break into legitimate tools, they often build fake ones, too.

With spoofed add-ons, they can gain high-level privileges without raising alarms, and can access sensitive information stored in the browser, such as passwords, or credit card data.

It is important that users only install the add-ons from reputable sources such as the Chrome Web Store, but even there - they should read the reviews and mind the download count because, as seen in this example, crooks can sometimes smuggle malware even past the greatest of gatekeepers.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Solidigm’s 122.88TB SSD is efficient, dense, and now on sale
• First review confirms strong performance in read-heavy enterprise storage use
• CSAL tech removes QLC flash drawbacks for practical, high-capacity deployment

Solidigm’s 122.88TB D5-P5336 enterprise SSD was announced in November 2024 and has just gone on sale, priced at $12,399, less than the $14,000 analysts were predicting.

Now the first full review of Solidigm’s 122.88TB beast has arrived, and according to Jon Coulter, Senior Hardware Editor at TweakTown, the best SSD more than lives up to the hype, not just in scale, but in performance, efficiency, and practical deployment.

As Coulter writes, “In enterprise scenarios where capacity is king, Solidigm's D5-P5336 122.88TB SSD reigns supreme.”

Game-changing advantages

The drive, based on QLC NAND, is described as the most efficient high-capacity SSD currently in circulation. It offers unprecedented storage density, allowing data centers to store up to 4 petabytes per 1U server footprint. That matters more than ever in an era where AI model datasets are doubling every eight months.

TweakTown notes that Solidigm is at the forefront of QLC flash development and points out that many of the usual drawbacks of QLC, such as endurance and write performance, are addressed by both the sheer size of the drive and by Solidigm’s CSAL (caching SSD acceleration layer) technology.

Coulter explains, “As we see it, with CSAL augmentation, all drawbacks inherent to QLC arrays are completely erased and you are left with only game changing advantages. Amazing.”

The D5-P5336 reached 7,481MB/s in sequential reads and 947,000 IOPS in 4K random reads during testing, both exceeding manufacturer specifications. “Factory spec here is up to 900K IOPS at QD256. We are getting 947K IOPS at QD256 with our configuration,” Coulter reports.

In practice, this level of performance is intended for high-volume, read-heavy storage tiers, not fast-paced transactional systems. As Coulter points out, "workloads of this nature will rarely, if ever, be encountered in the role QLC SSDs play in the storage tier. Results here are to be taken with a grain of salt."

Summing up, he concludes: “Because it delivers as advertised and then some, is readily available, supremely efficient, delivers plenty of performance for its intended roles, and is backed by a 134 PBW 5-year warranty. Solidigm's 122.88TB D5-5336 SSD has earned a Must Have Editor's Choice rating.”

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• Strava has been updated with new features for paying subscribers
• That includes AI-powered Routes and tappable locations
• The app’s leaderboards have also been purged of cheats

If you’re a fitness fanatic you’ve probably heard of Strava. The health tracking app is popular among athletes and enthusiasts alike, and it’s just been updated with a range of new features for subscribers.

According to a blog post on the Strava website, the new features “blend on-the-go flexibility with community-driven reliability,” meaning the app gives subscribers “smarter, community-powered tools to explore and compete with confidence.”

So, what do you actually get with the update? First, there’s a new Routes experience. Strava says this comprises “updated AI-powered Routes” that can offer suggestions based on the app’s Global Heatmap. That means more flexible and reliable options that are based on user contributions, the company claims.

From June, points of interest will be tappable, and this can allow you to find out more information about the place in question (such as an eatery or beauty spot). It also means you can create a route that either goes directly to the point of interest or incorporates it along the path, and this will show data like elevation and estimate arrival time.

Then from July, subscribers will be able to drop a pin onto a map in Strava and create an “efficient, activity-specific route from A to B.”

Leaderboard fairness

(Image credit: Strava)

Beyond these new features, Strava says it's also taking steps to ensure that leaderboard times have been achieved fairly. To that end, the app’s machine learning model has been updated to reprocess the 10 most popular spots on the ride and run leaderboards. This has resulted in the removal of 4.45 million activities that were either filed with the wrong sport type or were recorded in vehicles. Strava says this means the leaderboards will now “reflect true performances.”

Strava is also adding more live segments, with double the number compared to previously. You'll be able to access these segments whether you’re a subscriber or not, but paid members will get a few added features here, including extra screens with comparison metrics.

If you love Strava and use it every time you head out on a run or a ride, these updates might have piqued your interest. Just make sure you take one of the best fitness trackers with you the next time you hit the road.

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• Researchers found a new non-password-protected database
• The database contained hundreds of millions of records
• Among the records were login credentials for Facebook, Apple, and more

Login credentials for Microsoft, Facebook, Snapchat, and many other services, were recently found in a public, non-password-protected database, available for anyone who knew where to look.

The database was discovered by Jeremiah Fowler, a security researcher known for hunting large, open databases.

According to Fowler, the database contained more than 184 million unique logins and passwords: emails, usernames, passwords, and URL login links, for a wide range of services applications and accounts. That includes email providers, Microsoft products, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, and many more.

Fowler also said he saw credentials for bank and financial accounts, health platforms, and government portals from “numerous countries”. He managed to confirm the authenticity of at least some of the data in the database, by reaching out to email addresses found inside.

Attribution was tricky, though. Fowler says the IP address indicated that the database was connected to two domain names - one parked and unavailable, and the other unregistered and available for purchase.

The Whois registration was set to private, making it impossible to identify the true owner of the database.

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Attribution troubles

But the researcher managed to reach out to the hosting provider, and soon after - public access was restricted. The provider, however, did not disclose the information about the owner.

With that in mind, Fowler says it’s difficult to determine if the database was generated by a malicious actor, or a legitimate one. Still, he leans towards the former, claiming to have seen “multiple signs” the data was harvested with infostealers.

Infostealers are usually distributed via phishing, malicious websites, or tainted updates. They can harvest sensitive information from the compromised device, including passwords stored in browsers, important PDF files, cryptocurrency wallet information, and more.

Once crooks get access to email accounts, they can use them to launch convincing phishing attacks, or steal even more data.

In fact, Fowler argues that many people “treat their email accounts like free storage” and keep years’ worth of sensitive documents inside.

Via Website Planet

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• President Trump has threatened Apple with a 25% tariff as it doesn't make its devices in the US
• This could see a price increase for iPhones, iPads, Macs and more
• Trump proposes a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union, which could have a knock-on effect on product prices too

US President Donald Trump has said he's "recommending" a 50% tariff on the European Union starting June 1. And these tariffs could hit Apple, as it doesn't manufacture its iPhones and other devices in the US.

"I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else," Trump posted on his social media site Truth. "If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank your for your attention to this matter!"

If such a tariff comes to fruition, the cost of iPhones could increase to compensate for the increased tariffs.

Even if Apple were to shift its manufacturing of iPhones wholesale to the US, that would very likely represent a huge initial cost of setup, as well as a long lead time and ongoing labor expenses. So, that could also see Apple need to increase the price of its products, both existing and likely upcoming.

The next big Apple product launches are likely to be the iPhone 17 and the so-called iPhone 17 Air. If the Trump administration pursues these tariffs, then both phones could have a launch price that'll sting even the most dedicated iPhone fans.

We've approached Apple for comment but have yet to hear back from the company.

Turbulent tariffs

While the Trump administration pulled back from some of its most aggressive proposed tariffs, which were paused for 90 from the start of April, given the huge market upheaval they caused; one notable example was US pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 being parsed as the Japanese gaming giant navigated protential prices changes in the face of importing its upcoming console to the States.

Reciprocal tariffs from nations affected by Trump's tariffs caused huge disruption in markets, and while things simmered down in the weeks after, there are still tariffs on the table that could make doing business with the US difficult for companies based in other nations.

The likes of Samsung have a big presence in the US, but the South Korean company manufactures its devices outside of America and Trump's traffics could make importing the likes of the Galaxy S25 and the likely upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 more expensive. A likely knock-on effect of that would be for Samsung to increase the prices of its devices, with the cost effectively being passed on to consumers.

With inflation causing the cost of all manner of products to increase, with Trump's tariffs we could see prices on tech rise. So my suggestions is to make use of the Memorial Day deals while you can still get devices for acceptable prices.

Of course, the fallout from this could be too hard to swallow so Trump might end up not seeing such threats through, especially against Apple as it's one of the US' trillion-dollar companies.

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The third installment in Netflix’s landmark documentary series American Manhunt has critics raving and audiences rushing to binge the three-episode series.

Since its release on May 14, American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden has shot to the top of the Netflix charts, holding the top stop not just in the US, but globally, with an estimated 12.6 million views in its first week.

It's hardly surprising, considering critics are hailing it as one of the best Netflix shows around at the moment, earning the doc a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Directed by Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, the series details the hunt for, and eventual raid on the compound of, al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden in the decade that followed the events of September 11, 2001.

Bin Laden was eventually “compromised to a permanent end” on May 2, 2011, but, as per Netflix’s synopsis, “less is known about what happened in between, and what operatives, officials, and counterterrorism experts faced in order to capture and bring down one of the most notorious terrorists in modern history.”

This is what the documentary sets out to explore, focusing on the individuals whose 10-year hunt involved tough decisions and swift actions, and transporting the viewer to the secure spaces in which intelligence operatives and Special Forces undertook a global pursuit of the world’s most wanted man.

Over the three episodes, the audiences hear from some of these men and women, with interviews with former CIA, Department of Defense and FBI officials such as Leon Panetta and Henry A. Crumpton, White House staffers of the era including Ben Rhodes and the journalists, like ABC reporter John Miller, who covered the ever evolving events.

The show tells “the story of the people tasked to find the world’s most wanted terrorist and bring him to justice” say Sivan and Loushy, “it [was] a hunt that changed their lives, America, and the world as we know it.”

What are the critics saying about American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden?

As evidenced by the doc’s perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, critics have nothing but praise for the show, which Ready Steady Cut called “absolutely stellar documentary filmmaking.”

Decider’s review shows that Sivan and Loushy have hit their mark attempting to tell the untold story of the operation, saying American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden “gives insight into operations most people in the US knew nothing about,” while San Francisco Chronicle called it a “a useful, riveting documentary docuseries.”

(Image credit: Netflix)What's the subscriber's verdict?

However, the response from viewers has been a little more muted, with the show currently sitting at just a 56% RT Audience Score.

One reviewer on the site criticized the lack of focus on the troops on the ground, saying “There is very little about the Seals [sic] who risked their lives but a great deal of preening and posturing by the politicians,” while others wished the show covered pre-9/11 US involvement with the al-Qaida leader in more depth: “Bin Laden and the US is part of history before the plane crash too. The documentary doesn’t delve into that subject nearly enough.”

Reddit users had a more positive response to the show, however, with one poster calling it “a solid 10/10 series” and another saying simply “must watch” while a third stated “I got goosebumps. I cried. I clapped [...] very powerful.”

Comment from r/netflix

As with the first two installments of the American Manhunt series – The Boston Marathon Bombing and O.J. Simpson – it seems one of the best streaming services have delivered a gripping documentary detailing the untold aspects of a headline-dominating event in recent U.S. history.

All three episodes, along with previous seasons, can be streamed on Netflix right now.

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Review: I wasn't sure I'd enjoy using Samsung's super-slim phone, but it's a refreshingly light option in a sea of predictability. You'll just have to make some compromises.

• ECCO has released its second report on Broadcom, citing no improvement
• Germany's VOICE has brought VMware pricing to the European Commission's attention
• Perpetual licenses got terminated, with many customers forced to pay upfront for three years

Broadcom has allegedly increased VMware licensing costs by eight to 15 times for many customers after eliminating perpetual and pay-as-you-go licenses, replacing them with bundled subscriptions that require a three-year minimum contract.

The European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) has likened the new pricing to paying for full, continuous usage regardless of actual consumption.

It was revealed that many CISPE members have signed new contracts under pressure to keep services connected while lacking viable alternatives, with some old contracts over 10 years abruptly terminated.

CISPE isn't happy about Broadcom's VMware pricing

"ECCO’s role includes highlighting ongoing or new unfair software licensing practices from any software vendors in the cloud sector. As such, it has already published one report critical of Broadcom’s changes to licensing practices following its acquisition of VMware in November 2023," ECCO wrote.

ECCO said that Broadcom continues to enact a "increasingly litigious approach to its partners and customers," accusing the company of partaking in anticompetitive actions. Europe's Observatory stressed that it has only had one meeting with Broadcom since its VMware acquisition, but no progress was made.

"This second report finds that Broadcom’s wide ranging and brutal imposition of unfair contract terms for cloud infrastructure service provides continue unabated," the body added.

In May 2024, CISPE criticized the company for requiring up-front payment for its three-year contracts, stating that "Broadcom must do more."

Since then, Germany's VOICE, an association of IT users, has sought to file a formal complaint against Broadcom with the European Commission.

CISPE Secretary General Francisco Mignorance commented: "Unlike Microsoft, Broadcom shows no interest in finding solutions, or even of working with European cloud infrastructure providers. Broadcom can report that most have signed new contracts, but we know that these are punitive and threaten the viability of service providers locked-in to the VMware ecosystem. Urgent action is needed.”

TechRadar Pro has asked Broadcom to comment on the ongoing matter, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• Xiaomi’s YU7 is a follow-up to the massively popular SU7 sedan
• Enormous HyperVision Panoramic Display spans the entire windshield
• Huge performance promised by 680bhp electric drivetrain

Hot on the heels of Xiaomi’s SU7, which sold almost 30,000 units in China in a single month when it launched last year, the smartphone and tech giant has announced the eagerly-awaited follow-up.

Sporting sleek crossover looks, not too dissimilar to Porsche’s stunning Taycan Sport Turismo model, the YU7 offers more interior roominess and the added practicality of a larger and more accessible trunk. A generous 1,970 liters of total storage space are on offer.

It is hotly-tipped to be a massive sales success in its domestic market of China, where it is touted to cause headaches for Tesla, further eroding Model Y sales in the country.

This is down to the fact that Xiaomi products have an almost cult-like status in China, but also because its dimensions are larger than the Model Y, it charges faster and boasts a far greater range.

Xiaomi says the YU7 will come in three versions (Standard, Pro and Max), which can offer up to 519 miles of range on a single charge or up to 680bhp in the most potent versions – the 0-62mph sprint takes just 3.2 seconds in Max models.

Plus, charging takes just 12 minutes to achieve a 10-80% state-of-charge thanks to an 800V silicon carbide high-voltage platform architecture.

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

But scratch the surface and Xiaomi has gone guns-blazing with the technology on offer, with the next-generation of Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor computing platform providing some serious digital fire power.

Alongside advanced levels of autonomous driving and active safety systems, the compute power also allows for a plethora of interior screens and displays.

Xiaomi says it is the first to offer a panoramic display that spans the full-width of the windscreen. Dubbed HyperVision Panoramic Display, it “intelligently adapts” to different user scenarios.

The tech company says it can offer speed and navigational directions in the sightline of the driver, but will also offer infotainment details, including real-time lyrics.

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

If that all sounds a bit distracting, just wait until you hear that the HyperVision Panoramic Display can offer up five modular information categories, from instrument readouts and media controls to navigation and weather updates.

Xiaomi intended the interior of the YU7 to mimic the cockpit of a fighter jet, with myriad information at the driver’s fingertips.

Passengers are also treated to displays, with seat-back screens an optional extra and an additional remote control panel embedded into the back of the center console that allows rear passengers to take over navigation or “entertainment management” duties.

There is no current word on pricing, but like the SU7, the latest Xiaomi will only be on sale in China for now. That's probably a good thing for most rival manufacturers.

Analysis: Tesla's Model Y continues to be a target

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Although the price is not official, the Xiaomi YU7 is rumored to arrive with a tag that slightly undercuts the Model Y – Tesla's globally best-selling vehicle and one that once dominated that Chinese sales charts.

According to The Verge, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun responded to the news of a refreshed Model Y coming to China late last year with a size comparison between the YU7 and Musk's popular electric SUV. Heck, the new Xiaomi even has a 'Y' in its name.

It is clear that Chinese EVs continue to target Tesla, attempting to knock the brand off the top spot with more affordable, more technologically advanced and more practical electric vehicles.

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi has an even sharper edge, considering it is one of the most recognizable names in technology and one the biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world. The SU7 was often regarded as the Apple Car that never was and huge numbers bought into it.

Considering the YU7 offers even more, particularly the practicality of improved interior space and comfort, it is highly likely it will prove a huge sales success.

Tesla, on the other hand, is continuing to experience sliding sales figures, both in China and further afield. Last month, BYD sold more electric cars than Tesla in Europe for the first time in its history.

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• Mozilla is closing popular read-it-later app Pocket
• There are several alternatives that you can use instead
• The Fakespot online shopping extension is also being shuttered

Mozilla is closing down the popular Pocket app, which lets you save articles from the web so that you can read them later. The company is also shuttering Fakespot, a browser extension used to expose fake product ratings to help you avoid getting misled when shopping online.

Pocket lets you save articles to the app that you can then read at another time. While many of the best browsers like Google Chrome have built-in bookmarking, Pocket is different in that it tweaks the experience to make reading more enjoyable. To that end, it adds its own formatting so that articles appear in a uniform, readable style, and it also allows you to add tags and highlights for better organization.

In a blog post, Mozilla said the move was made to help it focus on its Firefox web browser, adding that “the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved, so we’re channeling our resources into projects that better match browsing habits today.” The company has also posted a more detailed guide to its decision and explained what will come next on its website.

Pocket will shut down on July 8, 2025. As of now, new users can no longer download the app or purchase new Pocket Premium subscriptions, with current subscribers being refunded on a pro rata basis. Existing Pocket users will be able to export their saved articles until October 8, 2025, after which time their data will be permanently deleted. Mozilla has published a guide on exporting your Pocket saves to help with the process.

As for Fakespot, its apps, website and extensions will become unavailable on July 1, 2025. The Review Checker feature that’s built into the Firefox web browser will stop working on June 10, 2025.

Sorely missed

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve used Pocket religiously for many years, and the move to shut it down came as an unwelcome surprise. Since I found out about the move, I’ve been looking for alternative apps that let me save articles and read through them at my leisure.

So far, I’ve seen Instapaper come highly recommended. It’s designed to help you save articles from around the web and display them in a simple, easy-to-read format. It can even speak articles aloud so you can listen on the go.

Another alternative is Readwise Reader. Like Instapaper, it’s great for saving from the web, but it also works with RSS feeds, X threads, PDFs, newsletters, YouTube videos, and more. There’s integration with Readwise’s highlighting capabilities, plus a beautiful design that’s easy on the eye.

There’s also Raindrop, which some of my TechRadar colleagues wholeheartedly recommend. This bills itself as a bookmark manager, so it helps with organizing almost anything you find on the web, not just articles. It’s built for teams and will automatically back up any files and web pages you add, ensuring you can keep reading even if the original source is lost.

Despite coming across these alternatives, I can’t say I’m not disappointed to lose Pocket. One of its best aspects was its suggested articles feature, which has helped me find an incredible array of fascinating stories that I’d otherwise never have discovered. Once it goes, it’ll be sorely missed.

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• Microsoft is bringing new AI features to Notepad, Paint and Snipping Tool
• Many of these are for Copilot+ PCs only, though, as they require an NPU
• Notepad is getting a new AI-powered text creation ability which is coming to all Windows 11 PCs, but it needs a Microsoft 365 subscription

Windows 11’s Notepad app is getting its AI powers expanded to include the ability to generate written content from scratch, and Microsoft is providing new AI-related functionality to two other apps in the OS, although all of this remains in testing for now.

Let’s start with Notepad which, with the release of version 11.2504.46.0 (in preview, for Windows 11 testers) adds a new ‘Write’ option. Just right-click where you want some text to be inserted – or anywhere in an empty document if you’re starting with a blank slate – and tell Notepad the nature of the content you want created, and it’ll write something for you.

Windows Latest has had a play with the feature in testing and observes that the AI tends to keep its generated text on the concise side.

If you’re not happy with the results and feel the AI-created content could be better, you can always elect to use the option to ‘Rewrite’ in Notepad, which allows for instructions to lengthen (or shorten) the text, or change the tone (and more besides).

The catch with Notepad’s new AI-powered writing is that it uses what Microsoft calls AI credits.

If you aren’t a Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscriber, you don’t get those credits, and so won’t be able to use this feature. Those with a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family plan get 60 AI credits per month, to be used across all Microsoft’s apps, so you are limited to the extent that you’ll be able to exercise this new power.

Away from Notepad, Microsoft has also added new features to the Paint app and Snipping Tool, and yes, as noted at the outset, all of this is AI-driven stuff. Further bear in mind that as Microsoft explains in a blog post, the following abilities are mostly for Copilot+ PCs only, too (except where I’ve noted otherwise).

Snipping Tool’s fresh addition is something called ‘perfect screenshot’ which lets you select an area of the screen that you wish to grab, but you only need to highlight it roughly. The AI will then refine the window that you’ve drawn to capture, say, an image on the screen. Essentially, this is doing the heavy lifting in terms of cropping an object exactly, meaning you only have to vaguely outline it, and AI does the rest – pretty nifty.

A further move with Snipping Tool (coming to all Windows 11 users in this case) is a color picker ability. This is for the likes of designers who want to know precisely what any given color is on-screen (so they can match it elsewhere, and it’s possible to use HEX, RGB or HSL color codes).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

As for Paint, Microsoft is providing a new ‘welcome experience’ (introductory panel explaining its latest features) that’s coming to everyone, too, and there are a couple of new AI tricks here (for Copilot+ PCs only).

First off, Paint is getting an object select tool which uses AI to, well, select objects on the canvas. This is (kind of) the equivalent of the Snipping Tool’s crop selection ability, meaning you can just point to an element of the image and AI will select the object precisely, allowing you to then apply edits.

Secondly, there’s a new sticker generator which again does what it says on the (Paint) tin. You tell the AI that you want a sticker of a tortoise in a leather jacket playing a ‘Flying V’ guitar and it’ll produce a selection of such stickers that you can choose from.

Analysis: Creative sparks and timesaving touches

(Image credit: Microsoft)

These are typical uses of AI, of course, encompassing content creation – from paragraphs in Notepad to stickers in Paint – to timesaving little touches in the form of easy selection of objects in Paint, or the swift cropping of an item in a screenshot with Snipping Tool.

All of this should make your life a bit easier, but there are reasons to have a bit of a grumble here. You’ll need a Copilot+ PC in many cases – and okay, that’s because it has the local hardware (an NPU) required to accelerate the task so it works quickly enough – but the subscription requirement for Notepad feels less reasonable.

More broadly, some folks are going to be irked by the changes to Notepad full-stop. Mainly because Notepad is supposed to be a minimalist, streamlined app to fire up to jot quick notes and the like, and it’s slowly becoming a mini version of Word. (Or indeed a new WordPad, which used to be the middle-ground between the two apps, until Microsoft killed it off).

Also, if you were thinking that Notepad already had AI text creation abilities, well, no, it didn’t. While the app has already witnessed the introduction of a Rewrite facility, creating paragraphs from scratch is a new thing (for this app, anyway).

Does Notepad really need it, though? On the face of it, the move can’t hurt – if you don’t want it, don’t use it. But the argument against slowly drafting in more and more features for Notepad is that this bloat will slow it down, making it less responsive (and even more sluggish to load, perhaps).

All of which very much pulls in the wrong direction for those who want a tiny, quickfire jotting pad of an app, which, to be fair, was always the original intent with Notepad. Not so much, these days, that’s for certain.

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• Java is 30 today, but remains one of the most widely used programming languages globally
• Java’s design philosophy prioritizes stability and backwards compatibility over flashy language trends
• The JVM remains Java’s secret weapon, enabling true cross-platform execution for decades

On May 23, 1995, a seemingly modest programming language called Java was released by Sun Microsystems.

At the time, it introduced the catchy promise of "write once, run anywhere" - a proposition that, despite sounding ambitious, resonated deeply with a generation of developers navigating a fragmented and rapidly evolving computing landscape.

Thirty years later, Java remains one of the most widely used programming languages in the world, embedded in everything from enterprise servers to cloud-native applications. But how did a language from the mid-'90s maintain its relevance amid relentless technological shifts?

A runtime built for endurance, not fashion

As Java turns 30, it’s worth re-examining its trajectory not just through celebratory anecdotes but also through the lens of its actual utility, structural longevity, and measured adaptability.

The occasion may call for cake and nostalgia, but the real story lies in the language’s persistent grip on serious computing tasks, and the skepticism it continues to attract from those who see it as either too slow to evolve or overly burdened by its own legacy.

Java's defining characteristic has always been platform independence. It achieved this through the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which runs compiled bytecode on any operating system equipped with a compatible JVM.

This design helped Java flourish in the heterogeneous IT environments of the late '90s and early 2000s. Unlike many languages that depend on direct compilation for each target system, Java's intermediary form allowed for smoother portability.

Over the decades, Java's APIs and class libraries expanded, but with an unusual level of care: backward compatibility was always a priority. Developers weren’t required to rewrite code with every version upgrade.

This is a crucial advantage in enterprise systems, where uptime and reliability often outweigh syntactic novelty. Today, applications written decades ago can still run with minimal modification on modern JVMs, a level of continuity that few languages offer.

A cautious evolution of language features

Java has seen gradual enhancements, often arriving later than similar features in more agile languages. Lambda expressions, for example, only became part of Java with version 8 in 2014, long after functional programming had become mainstream elsewhere.

In its early years (1995–2000s), Java established itself in enterprise and mobile development with the introduction of Java 2, which included J2SE, J2EE, and J2ME. J2EE became the standard for web and enterprise applications, while J2ME gained popularity on mobile devices.

Java 5, released in 2004, marked a turning point with the addition of generics, enhanced for-loops, and annotations, moving Java closer to modern programming practices.

From Java 9 onward, the language has evolved steadily. The module system (Java 9), local variable type inference with var (Java 10), pattern matching (Java 16), and improvements in memory management reinforced Java’s adaptability.

Java 17, a long-term support release, reaffirmed the platform’s role as a robust and modern choice for software development.

Java in the cloud and beyond

Despite its age, Java has found a second wind in cloud computing. It is particularly well-suited for cloud-native applications, thanks in part to the emergence of GraalVM, a runtime that compiles Java into native machine code.

GraalVM’s native images can dramatically reduce startup times and memory usage, a key consideration for containerized environments and serverless platforms like AWS Lambda.

Java has also extended its reach into machine learning and high-performance computing through projects like Panama, which improves interoperability with native C/C++ libraries.

With tools like Jextract, Java developers can generate bindings to foreign code easily, sidestepping the clunky and error-prone Java Native Interface (JNI).

This technical depth is part of the reason Java continues to power complex systems. It's not flashy, but it's functional, and in enterprise environments, functionality beats fashion every time.

Projects shaping Java’s future and the evolution of syntax

The OpenJDK community has multiple projects aiming to refine Java’s performance and usability.

Project Leyden focuses on optimizing startup times and reducing memory footprints. Project Lilliput is exploring ways to shrink the object header to as little as 32 bits. Several other projects are underway, though not all have yielded immediate results.

Some, like Project Amber, show incremental but slow progress, while others, like Babylon, seem to outpace current implementations.

Nevertheless, one of the more welcome modernizations has been the addition of record types, which reduce boilerplate in data-holding classes. This improvement, introduced via JEP 359, aligns with the goals of the Valhalla project.

Pattern matching and enhanced switch statements are also nudging Java closer to functional programming languages in expressiveness.

However, these changes are often incremental and restricted to preview status for multiple releases before becoming permanent.

James Gosling, the creator of Java

Java’s 30th anniversary also brings renewed attention to 70-year-old James Gosling, the language’s creator.

His reflections are both proud and critical. Gosling has expressed satisfaction in hearing from developers whose careers were built on Java.

Looking back on Java’s evolution, he noted that features like lambdas, introduced in JDK 8, were ones he wished had been part of the language from the start.

Still, he emphasized the importance of thoughtful language design, explaining, “I never wanted to put in something that was not right.”

On AI, he’s blunt: “It’s mostly a scam,” he said, adding, “The number of grifters and hypesters in the tech industry is mind-rotting.”

His views on AI-assisted coding tools are similarly sharp. While he finds them amusing for basic tasks, he notes that “as soon as your project gets even slightly complicated, they pretty much always blow their brains out.”

Conclusion: Longevity through caution and clarity

Java’s 30th birthday is more than a symbolic milestone, it highlights a rare achievement in software engineering: staying relevant without constant reinvention.

While newer languages come with sleek syntax and flashy tooling, Java remains a trusted workhorse in sectors where stability, security, and predictability matter most.

Whether it's running a logistics backend, a financial system, or a cloud-native microservice, Java’s design ethos - pragmatism over novelty - continues to prove itself.

Its legacy isn’t built on hype, but on solving real problems at scale. And in that regard, it may very well be just getting started.

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• Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat will require a phone number to use
• This will presumably help prevent children from accessing the service without permission
• It offers voice calls out of the box or video calls with the optional Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory

The Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat feature will require a mobile phone number to use.

As spotted by Notebookcheck, this was disclosed on the 'Ask the Developer Vol. 17, GameChat – Chapter 1' interview on the Nintendo website.

"Mobile phone number registration required to use GameChat. Children must get approval from a parent or guardian via the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app to use GameChat," a small notice towards the top of the page reads.

The US GameChat section of the site expands on this a little further, explaining that "as an additional security measure, text message verification is required to set up GameChat."

This is the same phone number registered to your Nintendo account. Presumably, those who are banned from using GameChat for poor behavior would be unable to use the same phone number to access it on another account.

The requirement is also likely intended to help prevent children from accessing the service without parental permission, which is required for those under the age of 16. Children that young are unlikely to have access to a mobile phone, potentially easing some parental concerns that GameChat could be used to communicate with strangers online.

Although it can be used via the console's in-built microphone, GameChat is also compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory. Sold separately, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera allows for video chat functionality.

You are only able to start GameChat sessions with people on your Nintendo friends list, who must be invited to the session.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches globally on June 5. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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• The Earfun Tune Pro cost $69.99 / £59.99 (about AU$108) at launch
• Hi-Res Audio, dual drivers and Bluetooth 5.4
• Hybrid ANC to block 45dB of unwanted audio

EarFun is carving out an enviable reputation for its high-quality and low-priced headphones such as the 4.5-star EarFun Wave Pro. And now there's an even higher spec pair of over-ears with a refreshingly low price.

The new EarFun Tune Pro have an impressive specification and cost just $69.99 /£59.99 at launch thanks to a coupon that knocks $20 / £20 off their official $89.99 / £79.99 price – and that means this lower price is effectively the 'real' price, and whenever they're the higher price, that just means a deal is coming soon and retailers want to show a nice discount amount.

• Earfun Tune Pro for $69.99 at Amazon US
• Earfun Tune Pro for £59.99 at Amazon UK

That lower price for these kind of features, and a dual-driver speaker setup, is extremely tempting.

We wouldn't expect these headphones to go head to head with something like a pair of Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. But we've been consistently impressed by EarFun's value for money, and if these new 'phones surpass the "admirable" sound quality of the Wave Pro (as described by our review) they could be a great budget buy.

If they're really good, they might even restore EarFun's crown as maker of the best noise cancelling headphones for budget buyers, an honor that was recently passed to EarFun's arch-rival 1More.

EarFun Tune Pro: key features

The Tune Pro are dual-driver headphones with a large 40mm PET composite film driver and an additional 10mm LCP polymer driver for the higher-frequency sounds.

The idea of a driver pair like this is the that the large driver can focus more on low-end sounds, and the smaller driver can focus on the upper end, and the overall depth of sound should be improved compared to a single driver. But as with all audio engineering, it depends on execution.

Also included is a new Theater Mode sound profile for "enhanced 2-channel stereo and 360-degree spatial sound formats".

There's hybrid ANC promising noise reduction of up to 45dB, and a five-microphone setup with AI for clear voice calls. Battery life is up to 120 hours (presumably with ANC off, but that's a very impressive number in any case), and you can listen in cabled mode as well as wireless.

Bluetooth is 5.4 with multi-point and a low-latency mode for gaming, and the headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified, although EarFun hasn't published details of supported audio quality or wireless codecs; if you squint at the promotional images you'll see the small print that Hi-Res certification only applies to listening in wired mode.

The new EarFun Tune Pro headphones are available now from EarFun and from Amazon.

• Earfun Tune Pro for $69.99 at Amazon US
• Earfun Tune Pro for £59.99 at Amazon UK

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• Ive and Altman announced their company, io, was purchased by OpenAI yesterday
• The two entrepreneurs are working on creating the next generation of AI hardware
• A new report claims the device will look like an iPod Shuffle and can be worn around your neck, like a necklace

Jony Ive and Sam Altman just announced an AI device made by their company, io, is in the works. Now we've got even more info about the mysterious product, and it's rumored to look like an iPod Shuffle.

According to industry insider and renowned leaker Ming-Chi-Kuo, the current OpenAI ChatGPT hardware prototype "is slightly larger than the AI Pin, with a form factor as compact and elegant as an iPod Shuffle."

Kuo revealed multiple new insights into the product on X, detailing that io's product is expected to enter mass production at the start of 2027.

Kuo says while the design and specifications may change before the device enters mass production, it's expected to "have cameras and microphones for environmental detection, with no display functionality."

Not only is the device expected to look like an iPod Shuffle that can be worn around your neck, but it is also "expected to connect to smartphones and PCs, utilizing their computing and display capabilities."

This information gives us a much deeper insight into what the io product actually is, following OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of the company.

In the announcement video, Ive, famous for designing the first iPhone, and Altman, OpenAI's CEO, talked for nine-minutes in a café without really giving information on what the product is, other than it's "an extraordinary moment", and that whatever the pair are working on is going to completely revolutionize the way we interact with artificial intelligence.

My industry research indicates the following regarding the new AI hardware device from Jony Ive's collaboration with OpenAI:1. Mass production is expected to start in 2027.2. Assembly and shipping will occur outside China to reduce geopolitical risks, with Vietnam currently the… pic.twitter.com/5IELYEjNyVMay 22, 2025

So... It's basically an AI Pin

After reading Kuo's report, it's now clearer than ever that this upcoming product is essentially going to be a better version of the Humane AI Pin. Essentially, it's ChatGPT in a small product you can throw in your pocket or wear around your neck.

While this gives us further indication into what to expect, there's still a long time before io's first product enters mass production and that could mean major changes over the next year.

Kuo says, "AI integrated into real-world applications, often termed "physical AI," is widely recognized as the next critical trend", and while we may not understand the necessity for these products yet, in two years time everyone might be interacting with ChatGPT and other AI models in a whole new way.

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