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It's almost time to say goodbye to Andor. The critically-acclaimed and Emmy-nominated TV series will end this week once its final three episodes landing on Disney+. Sad faces all around.

The best Star Wars show ever made promises to go out with a bang, though. Indeed, while Andor season 2's final act will directly lead into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, there are plenty of loose threads to tie up before its final end credits sequence.

So, if you're preparing to bid adieu to Andor and want to known its last few chapters will be released, I've got you covered. Below, I'll tell you when they'll launch in the US, UK, and Australia – that way, you won't miss when they're released.

What time will Andor season 2 episodes 10 to 12 come out in the US?

US audiences can tune into Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, on Tuesday, May 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET to watch Andor's last three episodes.

When can I watch Andor season 2's final three episodes in the UK?

Season 2's last three episodes were thrilling and heart-breaking in equal measure (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

One of Lucasfilm's highest-rated projects will return on Disney+ UK on Wednesday, May 13 at 2am BST.

As I've said in previous articles of this ilk, you'll want to mute certain hashtags or words relating to Andor on social media if you can't watch them until the evening of May 13. That way, you won't have its biggest surprises ruined for you ahead of time.

What is the release date for episodes 10 to 12 of Andor season 2 in Australia?

Syril Karn won't be back in the show's final three episodes (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

One of the best Disney+ shows' final few installments will be available to stream Down Under on Wednesday, May 13 at 11am AEST.

Like your UK counterparts, you might want to stay off social media and/or mute particular hashtags and words. Otherwise, one of 2025's new Star Wars TV shows' best or most shocking moments will be spoiled for you online.

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• A researcher from Rapid7 created a working Proof of Concept for a CPU ransomware
• Such a ransomware would persist on a device even after the hard drive had been replaced
• The PoC will (most likely) never see the light of day

A security researcher wrote ransomware code that infects the computer’s CPU, making it invisible to virtually every antivirus program out there, and making it persistent even when the victim takes out and replaces the computer’s hard drive.

This is according to The Register, who recently spoke with Christiaan Beek, a cybersecurity researcher from Rapid7, who claims to have created a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) for such ransomware.

Malware at the CPU level is not exactly arcane science. We’ve seen it in the past, with the likes of JoLax, CosmicStrand, and other UEFI firmware rootkits. However, this is the first time someone’s successfully played with ransomware this way.

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CPU PoC

Beek said that he got the inspiration from a bug in AMD Zen processors that allowed threat actors to load malicious microcode and break the encryption at the hardware level. This would have allowed them to modify the behavior of the CPU as they saw fit.

Beek says that the leaked Conti chat logs from 2022 suggested that actual cybercriminals were discussing the same idea before, but they haven’t yet gotten to a working solution. At least, not that the cybersecurity community knows of.

"If they worked on it a few years ago, you can bet some of them will get smart enough at some point and start creating this stuff," the researcher told the publication.

He also said that he won’t be releasing the code on the internet: "Of course, we won't release that, but it's fascinating, right?"

Ransomware remains one of the biggest threats out there, with companies of all sizes losing billions of dollars every year. In fact, a recent Veeam study, which gathered insights from 1,300 CISOs, IT leaders, and security professionals across the Americas, Europe, and Australia, found that nearly three-quarters of businesses were impacted by ransomware over the past year.

Via The Register

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• Google will pay its biggest ever state settlement over data privacy issues
• The company had been tracking users' geolocation without consent
• It was also collecting biometrics and incognito searches

Google has agreed to pay $1.375 billion to the state of Texas to settle lawsuits over unauthorized tracking and data collection.

It was deemed that the company had been unlawfully tracking users' geolocation, including while 'Location History' was disabled.

Google had also been collecting biometric data, such as facial geometry and voiceprints, without consent, as well as tracking incognito searches and other private user activity.

Google to pay out $1.4 billion for unauthorized data collection

The colossal sum might not be much to a company that generated $350 billion in revenue in the most recent fiscal year, but it's still a sum that could hit the company hard, marking the largest ever state settlement that Google has had to pay out of data privacy issues.

In September 2023, Google paid out its then-largest-ever state settlement of $93 million over allegations of misleading users about how their location data was collected. Earlier in November 2022, the company settled a similar data collection complaint in a payout worth $391 million, but that was to 40 states – not one.

"For years, Google secretly tracked people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton, who declared that "Big Tech is not above the law."

Google's 10-figure settlement follows a similar payout from Meta in July 2024, when it coughed up $1.4 billion over unlawfully collecting and using facial recognition data.

Paxton added: "This $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans’ privacy and tells companies that they will pay for abusing our trust."

A Google spokesperson told TechRadar Pro: "This settles a raft of old claims, many of which have already been resolved elsewhere, concerning product policies we have long since changed. We are pleased to put them behind us and we will continue to build robust privacy controls into our services."

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• Rumor story claims May 28 announcement 'confirmed'
• New launch will be an E-mount mirrorless camera, possibly with tilting EVF
• Two camera models recently registered by Sony in China

Is Sony about to announce a new camera? Or maybe even two? The evidence is pointing that way, even if details are extremely thin on the ground.

Sony Alpha Rumors has today updated a short news story, adding ‘confirmation’ that the company will unveil a new E-mount mirrorless camera on May 28, 2025. As to what that camera might be, the story barely speculates – although it does say that it will not be a successor for the Sony A7 IV.

We’ve long suspected that a new Sony A7 model is on its way, however, and the fact that the price of the current Sony A7 IV, released back in 2021, has recently dropped to record lows strongly suggests that something is in the offing. So, we’re still expecting a new baseline full-frame model from Sony to be announced this year – just maybe not as soon as May 28.

The Sony A7 IV is ripe for replacement – but there could be another camera announced first on May 28. (Image credit: Future) A view to a tilt

While the piece is light on detail, Sony Alpha Rumors’ story does mention that the new camera may feature a reworked ‘tilting EVF design’. Tilting viewfinders are a rarity on mirrorless cameras, but we have seen them before – perhaps most notably on the 2018-released Panasonic Lumix GX9.

The GX9 has a compact rangefinder-style design, where allowing the viewfinder to tilt up makes it more comfortable to use, so perhaps Sony’s rumored camera will have a similarly compact body. Sony has released plenty of APS-C E-mount cameras with this sort of design over the years, such as the A6500 and A6100. Could the model supposedly being announced on May 28 be something new in that line?

Will we be getting a new APS-C Sony camera with tilting electronic viewfinder? (Image credit: Future)

But the Sony news doesn’t stop there. A second story on Sony Alpha Rumors seemingly reveals that Sony has recently registered two new cameras in China: one on 21 April and another on 9 May. Both models will feature dual-band Wi-Fi but the first will be manufactured in China while the second will be manufactured in Japan.

If the May 28 launch claims are true, one of these cameras will likely be announced on that day. Could the other also be revealed at the same time, or will it be held back until the autumn, another popular time of the year for new cameras launches?

We’ll be waiting to report on any concrete news or further rumors, but in the meantime let us know what you’d like to see from Sony’s reveals in the comments below.

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• The upcoming Mercedes-AMG EV could boast upward of 1,000bhp
• It will be the first Mercedes-AMG product built from the ground up
• Porsche, Audi and Xiaomi could finally have another fiery rival

Mercedes-AMG has teased its first electric ‘super sedan’ via a series of images released on its social media channels that show the large, imposing four-door fastback wearing a thin camouflage.

Both the front and rear lamps have been inspired by the star design used on the upcoming CLA – causing somewhat of a furore on socials – while the low-slung ride height and enormous aero-enhanced wheels signify its performance intentions.

Above all else, the design already sets apart from the slightly confusing Mercedes-AMG’s EQE and EQS mash-up models that have arrived to date.

But the good news is, this is tipped to be the first dedicated, high-performance electric Mercedes-AMG product, complete with its very own platform (dubbed AMG.EA) and in-house tweaked electric motors.

Where AMG was once the final word in high-performance combustion engines, arguably peaking with its fantastic and ferocious naturally-aspirated 6.3-liter V8 (I’ve personally owned one and it was amazing before the fuel bills financially ruined me), it has yet to be permitted to properly have its wicked way with an electrified powertrain.

(Image credit: Mercedes-AMG Instagram)

Reports suggest that the upcoming electric super sedan will use axial flux motors, which are much lighter and more energy dense than the radial motors used in most of today’s high-performance EVs.

According to Autocar, a total power output of 1,000bhp and 1,000lb-ft of torque are quite feasible from a twin-axial flux motor set-up. But we will have to wait for a full reveal to find out.

However, this would bring it directly in the firing line of the Taycan Turbo GT, which is capable of smashing the 0-62mph sprint in just 2.3 seconds thanks to its 1,020bhp power. It can also return an impressive 347 miles on a single charge.

Analysis: Porsche will be tough to beat

(Image credit: Porsche)

Since the automotive industry made the switch towards an increasingly electric future, Mercedes-AMG has been downsizing and turbocharging its internal combustion engines, as well as adding plug-in hybrid options in order to meet more stringent emissions regulations.

Speak to any AMG fan and they will likely admit that this has had a negative effect on the products leaving the famous Affalterbach factory. Let’s not get started on the expensive, bizarrely-styled and slightly disappointing Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 and EQS models.

But this latest project could be the first time we really see what the famous tuning arm of Mercedes-Benz can do when it gets its hands on the brand’s battery and motor technology, with the results finally able to take on the might of Porsche and Audi.

The former would likely be its closest rival, as it has been pushing its EV tech to the limits for years, with the Taycan Turbo GT arguably one of the most mind-bending and impressive high-performance electric vehicles I have ever been lucky enough to drive.

Simply imbuing an EV with enormous amounts of power isn’t good enough, as so much work has to be done in order to translate that into useable, real-world performance.

(Image credit: Porsche)

The Taycan Turbo GT – complete with the Weissach Package that removes the rear seats and adds a fixed carbon rear wing in pursuit of lightness – is arguably too much for the road, but it redefines what it means to go fast.

The handling is exquisite, the feedback through the steering wheel pure Porsche and the acceleration with Overboost activated borderline painful.

Launch Control is so aggressive that the driver can only handle a handful of runs before they throw in the towel… or throw up. However, it can make even ham-fisted drivers look like the GOAT, thanks to its seemingly endless amounts of grip and poise.

But despite this, the market is still relatively slow for high-performance EVs, with sales of Taycan reportedly plummeting by 49% in 2024. The poor residual values are also knocking consumer confidence in new cars.

Mercedes-AMG entering the game should help prove to the market that this really is the future of high-performance motoring, building on the work that Audi, Porsche and Xiaomi (in China at least) have already done.

What’s more, it will hopefully signal a return to AMG doing what it does best when it is left to its own devices… chiefly creating phenomenal driver’s cars.

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• OpenAI is reportedly exploring going public, but the nonprofit will remain in charge
• Microsoft's side of the deal could be affected with a change in structure
• Sam Altman says OpenAI can't handle the world's hunger for AI

OpenAI and Microsoft are believed to be negotiating their partnership terms to enable OpenAI to potentially go public, while ensuring that Microsoft can continue accessing the AI startup's technology.

Reuters explained that the two companies could be in the midst of rewriting their terms, however Redmond's extensive involvement in the ChatGPT-maker's recent history could be adding further complexities to any potential IPO.

Details of the alleged deal could have considerable consequences for Microsoft, which currently has an agreement allowing it to access OpenAI's models until the end of the decade.

Exploring the future of their partnership

Being a private company, we have no real indication of how much OpenAI might be worth and how much it may wish to list for, however Microsoft's estimated $13.75 billion stake in the company is certainly a considerable sum.

It's been reported that OpenAI is reconsidering its transformation from a nonprofit to a fully commercial enterprise after pushback from employees, academics and competitors, including Elon Musk.

"OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, and is today overseen and controlled by that nonprofit. Going forward, it will continue to be overseen and controlled by that nonprofit," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a letter to staff.

"We currently cannot supply nearly as much AI as the world wants and we have to put usage limits on our systems and run them slowly," Altman explained.

The letter details how the for-profit LLC will transition to a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), much like Anthropic and X.ai have done, however the nonprofit division will remain in control of the PBC, maintaining its position as a "big shareholder."

TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft and OpenAI about the implications of a potential deal, but neither company replied to our email.

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Panasonic has announced its 2025 TV lineup, and there’s something for everyone, from flagship OLEDs to entry-level LEDs, gaming TVs and more. I recently got to see the full range at an event, and it featured in-depth demonstrations of particular sets.

Panasonic is known for making some of the best TVs on the market, with its flagship Panasonic Z95A scoring four and a half out of five stars in our review and earning a place on our list for best OLED TVs. 2024 was an exciting year for Panasonic as it not only began to use Fire TV as its new smart TV platform but it re-entered the US market for the first time in almost a decade.

We’d already seen the Panasonic Z95B, the 2025 flagship OLED, in action at CES 2025 and were suitably impressed with its picture quality. Now that I’ve seen the 2025 range in action, I’ve picked three models that I think you should get excited for.

1. Panasonic Z95B

(Image credit: Future)

Panasonic’s OLED TVs rank among the top TVs every year for their picture quality, dynamic sound and full array of features. The Panasonic Z95B, the company's new flagship OLED, looks to take things even further.

Seeing the Z95B in person, it demonstrated the vibrant colors and rich blacks I’ve come to expect from Panasonic’s flagship OLEDs, but it also showcased stunning new brightness levels. The Z95B features a new Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel, the same used in the LG G5, and seeing it next to its predecessor, the Z95A, which uses a micro lens array (MLA) OLED panel, the brightness boost and improved color was obvious.

A clip of dancers in colored outfits showed the Z95B's extra vivid punch compared to the Z95A, and the white droplets of water reflecting light demonstrated its brightness boost in areas around the screen. Even black levels were deeper.

The Panasonic Z95B (right) demonstrates higher brightness and bolder colors than its predecessor, the Panasonic Z95A (left) (Image credit: Future)

The Z95B also features a new ThermalFlow cooling system to regulate airflow, which Panasonic says allows for better brightness retention on screen.

Even the Z95B’s audio system has been tweaked. Although still the same 5.1.2 channel speaker array from the Z95A, the rear effects have been more accurately positioned, and an audio demo proved this. During the demo, where the same clips were played through the Z95B and Z95A, it was clear that the Z95B had a wider soundstage and a more dynamic sound. It also felt more powerful, which Panasonic explained was thanks to the new, larger drivers and side-firing and up-firing speakers.

The Z95B has also gone through a design change, taking on a more uniform look across the whole unit. It uses fabric around its frame and across its front external speaker array, and the corners have been rounded to give it a more premium look overall.

Put all this together with a list of gaming features expected from the best gaming TVs (4K 144Hz, VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia GSync, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM) and you have one powerhouse OLED TV. Get the price right, Panasonic, and this could be a TV of the year contender!

2. Panasonic Z90B

(Image credit: Future)

The Z90B, the step-down OLED model from the flagship Z95B, doesn’t have that model's Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel, but it still has the Z95B's HCX AI Processor MK II and the same list of gaming features. It also comes in a wider array of sizes.

In Panasonic's demo, the Z90B sat amongst the Z95B and Z80B OLEDs in different sizes, and still showed exceptional contrast, dynamic colors and solid brightness. A clip of colored glass showed the Z90B's precise detail and accurate color, along with its inky black levels.

Where the Z90B gets interesting, though, is in its smaller 42 and 48-inch sizes. That OLED size range is usually dominated by the LG C-series OLEDs, but the Z90B includes a front speaker array that could give it the edge over its LG rivals. The LG C5 earned five out of five stars in our LG C5 review, but the built-in sound was its biggest disappointment. If Panasonic can get the Z90B's price right, then it could give the C5 a run for its money.

It’s worth noting for our US readers that the Z90B is only available in the UK and Europe, so if you’re looking for a mid-range OLED, the C5 is likely to be your best option. Just add one of the best soundbars to make it a more complete package.

3. Panasonic W95B

The Panasonic W95B (right) demonstrates better backlight control and higher brightness than its predecessor, the Panasonic W95A (left) (Image credit: Future)

The last of the three models is the Panasonic W95B, the brand’s only mini-LED offering for 2025. In an extremely competitive market, the best mini-LED TVs are often made by brands like Samsung, TCL, Hisense and even Sony. Panasonic is not a company that immediately comes to mind, as it's often known for OLED TVs.

The W95B is a feature-stacked mini-LED that again comes with the flagship HCX AI Processor MK II, a comprehensive list of gaming features, and the new Prime Video Calibrated picture mode and Calman Ready AutoCal (both in the Z95B as well).

Seeing the W95B next to its predecessor, the Panasonic W95A, it showed better backlight control with less blooming (an artifact of LED TV tech) and better black levels with more accurate colors. A demo of a fire handler showed brighter oranges and reds on the W95B than on the W95A. Not only were colors and contrast more powerful, but the W95B had brighter highlights, as seen in the ball on the staff at the center of the flame (shown in the picture above).

From the demo I saw, the W95B could be a great entry in the Mini-LED TV market.

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• Pro-Ject Peanuts turntable is based on the T1 BT
• Available from June 2025 for £579 (about $763 / AU$1,190)
• Built-in phono stage and Bluetooth transmission

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the very first Peanuts comic, and to mark it Pro-Ject has created a Peanuts-themed turntable with Charlie Brown on the acrylic record plate and music-inspired Peanuts panels on the turntable plinth. All you need to do is find an appropriate record to play on it, such as – ahem – Snoop-y Doggy Dogg.

Underneath the comic capers you'll find a belt-driven turntable based on Pro-Ject's excellent T1 BT turntables. That's the model with a built-in phono stage as well as Bluetooth transmission for transmitting to wireless speakers or headphones.

(Image credit: Pro-Ject) Pro-Ject Peanuts turntable: key features and price

The Pro-Ject Peanuts turntable is hand-made in Europe and features a precision CNC-machined chassis, and Pro-Ject's signature one-piece aluminum tonearm. It comes pre-fitted with an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge.

The Peanuts turntable is a limited-edition release and while it's based on the T1 BT there are a few changes – that acrylic record plate, for one, but there's also a newly designed sub-platter for the belt system. That's mounted into an ultra-precise 0.001mm main bearing with a hardened steel axle and brass bushing. The glass platter that sits beneath Charlie Brown's face is a heavy, zero-resonance design.

The turntable will be launched at High End Munich this week and will be available in June from Pro-Ject and authorized retailers. The official price is £579 / €599 (about $763 / AU$1,190)

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• A new Nvidia Shield update brings 120fps GeForce Now support
• However, it's only at 1080p – 4K is available only at 60fps
• Your TV will need to support 120Hz to benefit

Nvidia is rolling out a new update for the Shield TV with one big feature upgrade as well as the usual bug fixes. The update is for Shield and Shield Pro units, and the headline feature is the arrival of 120fps gaming on GeForce Now for subscribers to the GeForce Now Ultimate membership.

The slightly less good news is that it's limited to 1080p, meaning it's not quite a true competitor to 4K 120Hz gaming on the PS5 Pro – although there's a good reason for this restriction.

(Image credit: Nvidia) Why is 120fps gaming limited to 1080p?

The short answer: HDMI 2.0.

The Shield has an HDMI 2.0 output, and that means it has the bandwidth for full quality 4K at 60fps but not 120fps: for that you need the higher bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, which has 48Gbps compared to HDMI 2.0's 18Gbps.

You can adjust many PC video cards to force 120fps over HDMI 2.0, but doing so is really a hack: it involves reducing the amount of color information and adding subsampling, so the signal being sent at 120fps isn't as high quality as the un-tweaked 60fps version. Clearly Nvidia has chosen not to do that here.

Although the update is welcome, it does demonstrate that the Shield is getting on a bit: it has similar hardware to the original Nintendo Switch and is still running Android 11, and while it's great that Nvidia keeps updating it it does feel that it's time for a new one – not least because it's facing ever more rivals.

Here's Nvidia's release notes detailing what's been fixed in this latest update.

• Fixes night mode being skipped when DAP is ON.
• Fixes Dolby Vision content stutters when frame match feature is enabled.
• Fixes match content audio resolution while using an USB DAC.
• Adds back HQS / Maxrate option for USB audio.
• USB TV Tuner fix with Live Channel app.
• Fixes playback issues in PLEX when using AAC 5.1 audio.
• Fixes connection issues with third-party remotes after sleep or reboot.

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The AI gold rush is pushing data centers to their limits. While power constraints have long been a challenge, the next major bottleneck is water. Well, the supply of it. As AI workloads skyrocket, traditional air-based cooling systems struggle to keep up. Liquid cooling - particularly seawater-based solutions - is emerging as a sustainable alternative. But can this sustainable approach scale with AI workloads?

AI models are becoming increasingly more complex. Training a model like GPT-4 requires thousands of GPUs running for weeks, consuming vast amounts of energy and generating significant heat. This has led to a sharp increase in data centre power consumption. According to the International Energy Agency, global data center energy demand is expected to reach 1,000 TWh annually, up from 460 TWh in 2022, by 2026. To put that number into perspective, the UK consumed 266 TWh in 2023. Data centers in prime real estate areas are putting considerable strain on local power grids. But for data center structures near the coast, this is where water plays a critical role in efficient cooling.

The data center drought

Traditional cooling methods, such as air-cooled systems and evaporative cooling, are heavily reliant on water. A typical hyperscale data center can consume millions of liters of water daily. This is unsustainable in regions where the availability of groundwater is already stressed. There are already concerns about tech companies drawing significant amounts of water from local supplies, prompting increasing regulatory scrutiny.

Liquid cooling, particularly direct-to-chip and immersion cooling, is gaining traction as a more efficient alternative. The market is expected to reach $48.42 billion by 2034. However, these solutions still rely on vast amounts of fresh water, leading operators to explore seawater-based cooling as a long-term strategy.

Seawater cooling isn’t new, but its application in hyperscale data centers is relatively recent. The principle is straightforward: instead of drawing on freshwater, facilities near coastlines can use seawater as a heat sink. This method significantly reduces reliance on limited freshwater resources while maintaining efficient cooling.

A 1.2GW AI data center campus could employ existing infrastructure from a decommissioned coal plant to implement a closed-loop seawater cooling system. Seawater is drawn through pipes, circulated through heat exchangers, and returned to the ocean under strict environmental controls.

Sink or swim

Seawater cooling significantly reduces reliance on groundwater and municipal supplies, conserving vital freshwater resources. Coastal locations provide unlimited cooling capacity, making this approach highly scalable for tech companies. However, these same coastal locations may present logistical difficulties related to connectivity, power availability, and security concerns.

Liquid cooling is inherently more efficient than air cooling, helping to reduce overall power consumption and improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) scores. Seawater cooling is environmentally compliant and ensures that marine ecosystems remain unharmed as the treated water returns to the sea. However, regulatory hurdles pose significant barriers, as governments enforce stringent rules on the temperature and chemical composition of water returned to the ocean, requiring continuous monitoring and compliance from colocation providers.

Despite its potential, retrofitting existing data centers for seawater cooling is complex and costly, making new-build campuses the most practical candidates for this technology. While the advantages of this approach are clear, addressing these infrastructure and compliance challenges will be critical to its widespread adoption in the run-up to 2034.

Don’t break any dams

We are entering the "Intelligent Age," with AI-driven transformation across a plethora of industries. The demand for AI is not slowing down. As more organizations deploy AI-driven workloads, data center operators must balance performance with sustainability. The push for renewable energy sources, coupled with advances in cooling technology, will define the next decade of data centre infrastructure innovation.

Seawater cooling is not a white whale, but it’s a crucial step in reducing the environmental footprint of AI data centers. As more operators experiment with large-scale liquid cooling solutions, the industry must work collaboratively to refine best practices and ensure these systems are both sustainable and commercially viable.

For businesses relying on AI-driven insights, the future of data centers matters. Whether through energy efficiency, innovative cooling, or better resource management, sustainable AI infrastructure will shape the digital economy for years and the planet. The question is how quickly the industry can scale these solutions to meet the demands of this AI-powered world.

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

Sir Keir Starmer has outlined what he considers ambitious plans for AI growth, positioning the UK as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The AI Opportunities Action Plan, published in January, promises to significantly expand AI research resources by 2030, alongside the rapid development of AI Growth Zones to support data center expansion.

However, there’s a critical challenge: Can the UK’s energy infrastructure keep pace with this exponential AI demand? AI infrastructure requires unprecedented power density — as much as 120 kW per rack with Nvidia’s technology today and plans for 600kW in 2027 — far exceeding traditional computing needs. The UK is already facing power shortages in major data center hubs, forcing a tough question:

Does the UK’s AI strategy align with today's realities?

To deliver, the government must balance innovation with sustainability, ensuring long-term success rather than short-term policy wins. There needs to be a clear overarching strategy on what success looks like: an AI driven economy at all costs, or a focus on UK net zero efforts which could mean a compromise on AI growth plans. Here are five key considerations that will determine whether the UK’s AI ambitions become a global success story or an infrastructure crisis.

1. Balancing AI growth with energy infrastructure

AI is an energy-intensive technology, and power constraints are already delaying new data center developments in key UK hubs. London remains the epicenter for datacenter deployments; a recent report from Cushman & Wakefield highlighted over 1GW of datacenter capacity in production today with a pipeline of over 1.5GW.

Given the UK’s computing demands are increasing, concerns about grid stability and potential power shortages remain. The government must collaborate with energy providers to ensure that satisfying the demand data centers is balanced with increasing energy demands to support societal shifts. This may include dedicated, scalable and sustainable power sources for datacenters, as well as encouraging data center operators build facilities that include the necessary power generation.

Investments in smart grid technology and demand-side response programs will be critical to managing energy loads efficiently. Without a long-term energy plan, AI’s expansion could put pressure on the broader grid, affecting homes, businesses, and essential public services.

2. Sustainable energy solutions for AI

Datacenters including those supporting AI workloads require a consistent energy supply that is at odds with the variable supply from renewable sources that vary by the amount of wind or sunshine. The UK must continue to develop a cohesive diversified energy strategy that integrates nuclear, wind, and solar power alongside advanced energy storage solutions. Clearly efforts to diversify energy production are advancing, but the combination of sources is key.

Nuclear energy can provide a consistent baseload, but comes with large drawbacks in the form of the overall carbon footprint required to build, maintain and dispose of nuclear energy; the introduction of small modular reactors could be an important development here. Renewable sources are intermittent therefore grid-scale battery storage will be essential to stabilise the supply. Additionally, investments in AI-powered energy forecasting models could help optimize grid efficiency and balance energy supply and demand in real time.

Another important sustainability angle that is being increasingly adopted is using heat from datacentres for district heating, thus reducing the overall energy demand for the area. An 80MW datacentre has the potential to provide heating for as many as 13,000 homes.

Without a strategic approach to aligning AI expansion with sustainable energy generation, the UK risks jeopardizing its progress on the renewable make-up of the grid.

3. Optimizing data center efficiency

Unlike traditional enterprise data centers, AI data centers require higher-density compute, advanced cooling, and fast access to data. If UK data centers are not upgraded to meet these demands, issues with power, cooling, and efficiency will limit AI progress.

Emerging cooling technologies such as liquid cooling and direct-to-chip cooling are fundamental to being able to use the most demanding GPUs. Without modern cooling methods, data centers will struggle to handle the thermal load of AI training and inference workloads.

Storage will also play a key role. High-density flash storage is significantly more energy-efficient than legacy spinning disk drives and can provide the data throughput required to feed GPUs and keep them operating efficiently.

Given that energy is the most important commodity when thinking about datacenters it’s essential that the equipment within the datacenter is as efficient as possible getting the most value out of every kW.

4. Policy and regulatory support

While the UK government is investing in AI infrastructure, policy gaps could slow progress. AI-friendly regulations should enable innovation rather than create additional bottlenecks.

While AI Growth Zones (AIGZ) consider both datacenter growth from a land, planning and power perspective incentivizing energy-efficient AI data centers, through tax breaks and grants, could accelerate sustainable development based not only on the efficiency of the datacenter itself but also the technology deployed within it. The AI Opportunities Action Plan, while ambitious, lacks a clear roadmap for aligning AI’s energy consumption with net-zero commitments.

Public-private collaboration will be essential to ensuring AI infrastructure aligns with national sustainability goals. At the same time, policymakers must address AI’s ethical and security challenges, ensuring that regulations protect data integrity, privacy, and public trust without stifling innovation.

5. Lessons from global AI leaders

The UK is competing with the US, China, and the EU, all of whom have massive AI infrastructure investments. To stay competitive, the UK must learn from other countries' strategies and adapt accordingly.

France has committed €109 billion in AI investment, significantly outpacing the UK’s financial backing and positioning itself as a European AI hub. Meanwhile, the US and China continue to dominate AI innovation, leveraging government-backed infrastructure expansion and large-scale energy investments.

If the UK cannot match these AI superpowers in raw infrastructure scale, it must instead focus on agility, efficiency, innovation, and regulatory leadership to carve out a competitive advantage. The UK’s AI success will depend not just on investment, but on smarter, more efficient execution.

Final thought: what could derail the UK’s AI vision?

The UK’s AI ambitions are bold, but without the right energy, storage, and compute infrastructure, these plans may struggle to materialize.

AI will not just push the limits of existing energy grids and data centers; it will demand an entirely new approach to sustainability, efficiency, and scalability.

If the UK is to lead in AI, it must move beyond policy ambitions and deliver real infrastructure advancements, before global AI leaders continue to look elsewhere.

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

• An incoming version of Spotify's iOS app contains changes to audiobooks
• If approved by Apple, it'll let you buy audiobooks via links from the app
• Premium subscribers will also be able to buy 'Top Up' hours for audiobooks

Spotify is looking to improve its iOS experience for audiobook fans in the US by enabling them to purchase audiobooks (via links) and 'Top Up' hours from within the Spotify app.

The streaming giant has submitted an update to its App Store listing to Apple that would allow it to add links and pricing information for audiobooks to the Spotify app, allowing users in the US to use external links to purchase audiobooks.

If Spotify’s iPhone app update gets approved by Apple, non-Premium users will be able to purchase individual audiobooks and Premium subscribers can purchase additional ‘Top Up’ hours for audiobook listening.

Spotify already offers 15 free monthly hours of audiobook streaming for Premium users, and this update would allow them to access even more of Spotify’s library of audiobooks, if they’re willing to pay.

This news follows Spotify’s recent iOS update, which it issued in response to the Epic Games vs Apple legal battle, which resulted in Apple having to ease its control over the App Store.

Why is this happening?

(Image credit: Spotify)

Apple had previously limited the extent to which developers could advertise and use link-to-payment options outside the App Store – where Apple could take a 30% cut from in-app purchases.

Since this ruling, Apple has been ordered to stop taking commission from purchases made via external links, creating the opportunity for Spotify to seek to earn more revenue from App Store purchases.

In a blog post Spotify said: “It helps level the playing field by allowing developers to offer basic pricing information and easy-to-access links to purchase digital goods through iPhones with no unnecessary steps or additional taxes levied by Apple.

This change also unlocks new revenue opportunities for audiobook publishers and authors, allowing them to reach fans and access new audiences seamlessly.”

Previously, Spotify tried to get around Apple’s App Store restrictions by not showing audiobook prices in the app, instead emailing links to users where they could purchase audiobooks on the web.

This change would make a huge difference for Spotify’s audiobook library, and would mean that the streaming service wouldn’t have to take alternative measures to improve audiobook access and revenue opportunities. Now we’re just waiting for Spotify to display a similar sense of urgency in bringing us Spotify HiFi.

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• Florida has rejected a bill to require mandatory encryption backdoors for social media
• The Social Media Use By Minors bill was "indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration" on May 3, 2025
• Privacy experts have strongly criticized the proposal, warning that it would have made young people less safe instead

Florida has finally rejected a bill that would have required, among other things, mandatory encryption backdoors for all social media platforms that allow minors to open an account.

The "Social Media Use By Minors" bill came as a way to improve children's safety online and also included obligations to prevent minors from using ephemeral messaging features, while providing full access to their activities to parents and legal guardians. Yet, privacy experts have strongly criticized the proposal, warning that it would have made young people less safe instead.

On May 3, 2025, the bill was "indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration," as indicated on the official Florida Senate's website.

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"A win for privacy"

Encryption is the technology used by secure messaging apps and the best VPN services to keep users' online activities private.

Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Instagram use end-to-end encryption to scramble all messages leaving a device in an unreadable form to prevent unauthorized access.

Florida lawmakers, however, wanted to force social media platforms "to provide a mechanism to decrypt end-to-end encryption when law enforcement obtains a warrant or subpoena."

Yet, experts have long warned that it's impossible to create an encryption backdoor that only law enforcement can exploit, de facto undermining a crucial security feature for everyone.

Despite the Senate voting for the "Social Media Use By Minors" bill (SB 868/HB 743) to pass, Florida's House of Representatives blocked it on May 3.

Failing to attract the support of both legislative chambers means the proposal did not pass and was prevented from becoming law.

Update May 5, 2025: In a win for privacy and encryption, the Florida Legislature ended its regular 2025 session on May 2 without passing SB 868 / HB 743. https://t.co/jxAwOexDUGMay 5, 2025

"In a win for privacy and encryption, the Florida Legislature ended its regular 2025 session on May 2 without passing SB 868 / HB 743," digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) commented the decsion in a tweet on May 5.

Experts at EFF have previously deemed the proposal "dangerous and dumb," arguing how lawmakers were "asking for the impossible" – an encryption backdoor only for minors that only good guys would have been able to use.

This is not the first time a similar bill failed to receive the needed majority to become law across the world.

In Europe, for example, France rejected the controversial encryption backdoor provision included in the Drug Trafficking Act in March on similar grounds.

The EU Commission also consistently fails to agree on what's been nicknamed Chat Control, a bill that would use mandatory scans of all citizens' chats in a bid to halt the spread of sexual abuse material.

Nonetheless, encryption remains at the crossroads globally – on one side, law enforcement sees it as an obstacle to criminal investigation, on the other, cybersecurity experts reiterate its importance for everyone's privacy and security online.

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• A researcher claims a DOGE employee's data was found in four infostealer logs
• A security expert claims the employee wasn't actually hacked
• Since Waltz's Signal fiasco, US gov employees' security hygiene is being scrutinized

A DOGE worker has had his personal computer infected by infostealer malware on multiple occasions, a researcher claims, hinting that the US government’s security lapses go way past Mike Waltz’s Signal fiasco. Not everyone agrees with this assessment, however.

As picked up by The Register, recently a security researcher named Micah Lee took a closer look at the security posture of one Kyle Schutt, allegedly a 37-year-old "DOGE software engineer". Wired also reported that Schutt was “on the CISA staff”.

Lee claims that Schutt’s personal computer was compromised by infostealer malware at least four times so far, saying that they found his data in four different infostealer logs.

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Infostealing malware

“Stealer logs are collections of URLs paired with usernames and passwords, compiled with the help of malware. If malware infects your device, it can do things like log your keystrokes or record everything entered into forms in your web browser – building a list of your usernames and passwords for various websites – and then send this data back to the person who controls the malware. This is where stealer log data comes from,” Lee explained.

Lee also said that he doesn’t know enough about these incidents - when they happened, and if they occurred on Schutt’s personal, or work devices (or a single device that does both).

The media were quick to pick up on this information, but not everyone agrees with Lee’s assessment. For example, Alon Gal, CTO and co-founder of Hudson Rock, an Israeli cybersecurity company specializing in cybercrime intelligence, thinks Schutt was not infected by malware and believes that Lee’s research means nothing:

“I checked the data myself, and this is not true,” Gal said in a LinkedIn post. “Since the article has been picked up and is currently going viral, I figured I'll make it clear that Kyle Schutt was in fact not infected by malware,” he added.

Via The Register

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, May 12 (game #1204).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• A

• P

• Y

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1205) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1205, are…

• SCENT
• AGAPE
• POLAR
• YEARN

I’m reeling from not seeing POLAR despite knowing all five letters it contained – somehow I found an alternative word by misspelling what I thought was the answer.

Thankfully, I didn't make any more errors, although this was a far from easy Quordle round.

Even though I knew it was incorrect I wanted to enter the word GRAPE, as it was taking me so long to think of anything else. Tapping in X-G-A-P-E finally unlocked my blocked thinking.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1205) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1205, are…

• EMAIL
• WOMEN
• GLEAN
• ABLED

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH
• Quordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN
• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, May 12 (game #435).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Keep on keeping on

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• BEGS
• PEST
• SALT
• DUNE
• PATE
• SNORE

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #436) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #436, are…

• LAST
• ENDURE
• SURVIVE
• ABIDE
• PERSIST
• PERSEVERE
• SPANGRAM: STAY STRONG

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today’s Strands theme immediately made me think about running the London Marathon a few years ago and all of the emotions you need to muster in order to get to the finish line.

In fact, you need them to get to the starting line too – as that is half the battle with endurance events, especially running ones. 

Everyone I know will be yawning at the mention of the London Marathon. I do tend to go on about it a bit, but I see it as a metaphor for life’s eternal struggle. Plus, I like seeing the shock on people's faces that someone as unfit as me could run 26 miles.

Of course, today’s search words are relevant to plenty of other situations. The human ability to SURVIVE and find a way forward is always something worth celebrating – even if it comes in the form of a word search.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, May 12, game #435)

• STANDING
• CHARACTER
• REPUTATION
• STATURE
• NAME
• SPANGRAM: STREET CRED

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.