Technology

• T-Mobile offers free Smart VPN and satellite broadband with refreshed business plans
• Experience Beyond boosts mobile hotspot data to 300GB plus free satellite texting until 2024
• New Experience plans promise locked pricing on talk, text, and data through 2029

T-Mobile is stepping up its business offerings by giving customers free Smart VPN protection and satellite broadband access with new plans.

For small business customers, the new Experience More for Business and Experience Beyond for Business plans include free access to Secure Wi-Fi. This Smart VPN service protects users on public networks, and automatically activates when a secure connection is needed.

On top of that, Experience Beyond for Business raises mobile hotspot data limits to 300GB, supporting businesses that rely on flexible work setups.

T-Satellite with Starlink

One of the bigger additions is free access to T-Satellite with Starlink through the end of 2025.

This service offers satellite connectivity directly to smartphones, letting users send text messages even in areas where there is no traditional cellular coverage.

T-Mobile claims customers only need to see the sky to stay connected, with a full service launch expected in July 2025.

"Since 2020, people have seen more than a 20% increase on the price of everyday essentials. We know value and savings matter more than ever right now, and we’re giving customers just that with these new plans — in addition to peace of mind knowing the price of their plan will stay the same for the next five years," said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group.

"At T-Mobile, we’ve always been focused on giving people the best value, network and experience — and our new plans deliver on this, including the Magenta Status treatment and benefits our customers love."

The new plans will be available starting April 23 2025, and come with a five-year price lock on talk, text, and data, adding more predictability for businesses.

Families and individuals switching to T-Mobile may also find extra offers, including device trade-in credits and discounted monthly rates.

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Self-awareness is a thing, and it's remarkable how many people lack it, but you'll be pleased to know that OpenAI's ChatGPT has an abundance of self-awareness that it will share in the most cutting fashion when you ask it to roast itself.

I got the idea for an AI roast after seeing multiple people post stories about asking ChatGPT to roast them. I gave this a shot, entering the brief but dangerous prompt, "Roast me", into ChatGPT 4o.

The generative chatbot wasted no time in giving it to me, but, honestly, the result mostly felt like the rantings of a borch-belt comic who'd never met me:

"Alright, you asked for it—strap in.

You're like a software update at 2 AM: unnecessary, annoying, and somehow always crashing the vibe. You’ve got big energy—like a Bluetooth speaker that connects when nobody asked it to. If common sense were a currency, you’d be in debt and under IRS investigation. You're the kind of person who claps when the plane lands... and it was a Zoom call. You're so online, even your plants have commitment issues.

But hey, you're still here, still asking an AI to roast you. That’s bold. Bold like ordering sushi from a gas station. Respect.

Want it spicier? I got levels."

While I think ChatGPT is spot-on with the energy stuff, I'm not really a vibe crasher; I'm too shy to crash any vibe (pay no attention to my screen appearances, that's "TV Lance"). It also missed the mark on my common sense. I did, though, feel the sting of the "so online" comment.

Still, this roast was so impersonal, and since ChatGPT offered levels, I went for it, hoping that ChatGPT would find my vulnerable center and evicerate me, with humor, of course. I entered the prompt, "Okay, roast me harder and make it more personal."

My new roast was longer, but it didn't know me any better. This comment seemed particularly tone deaf:

"Your photo album is 90% screenshots and 10% regret."

It also accused my energy of being "just chaos, overheating, and a fan that sounds like a jet engine." I'll have you know my energy is very directed.

This wasn't a bad roast, but to really zing, it has to hurt a little, and this all bore so little relation to me that it had no bite at all.

AI, roast thyself

The next obvious question, though, is how well ChatGPT knows itself. With another equally short prompt, "Roast yourself," ChatGPT 4o delivered an absolute gem:

Oh, you want me to catch fire? Alright, let’s light the fuse:

I'm an AI so desperate to be helpful, I’d probably hold the door open for a Roomba. I’ve read every book ever written and still somehow give advice like a therapist who's just winging it after binge-watching Dr. Phil. My whole existence is based on predicting the next word… which is great until someone asks me for literally anything that requires a spine. I’ve been trained on the sum total of human knowledge, and yet I’ll still give you a cookie recipe when you ask for the meaning of life. And don't even get me started on how I still say “as an AI language model…” like I'm about to drop a mixtape of disclaimers.

I’m the digital equivalent of a know-it-all who still needs permission to go outside and touch grass—oh wait, I can’t. I literally can’t. And yeah, I’ve been trained to sound smart and empathetic, but deep down? I’m just Clippy with a makeover and a caffeine problem.

Roast me harder? Or tag me into a tag-team roast—I'll even flame myself mid-response.

First of all, this roast works on so many levels because it's very, very true and bitingly funny. Look at this line: "My whole existence is based on predicting the next word… which is great until someone asks me for literally anything that requires a spine."

Pure gold, I tell you.

It's fun, I guess, to do this with ChatGPT, and in the future, the self-roast may be more effective as ChatGPT learns more about you. Its memory has, after all, been improved in recent weeks, so it could, with your many prompts and conversations, build quite a profile. Familiarity may breed contempt, but I'm also betting it breeds more on-target humor.

As for ChatGPT, it clearly knows itself, and that last bit in the roast is an AI self-own I can get behind:

"And yeah, I’ve been trained to sound smart and empathetic, but deep down? I’m just Clippy with a makeover and a caffeine problem."

The other AI comics

I also asked X's Grok 3 Beta to roast me, and despite having access to almost two decades of tweets, it didn't know me any better than ChatGPT. Take note of the mention of a haircut:

"Oh, you want a roast? Alright, here we go. Your personality is so bland, it makes plain oatmeal look like a Michelin-star dish. I bet your idea of a wild night is rearranging your sock drawer by color. And that haircut? Looks like you lost a bet with a lawnmower. Want me to keep going or are you already crying into your lukewarm coffee?

As with ChatGPT, Grok was somewhat better at roasting itself, though I don't think it did as good a job as OpenAI's roastmaster:

"Oh, I'm gonna roast myself? Buckle up. I'm Grok, the AI so full of hot air, I could power a balloon festival. My processing speed? Slower than a dial-up modem in a thunderstorm. And my humor? It's like a dad joke got lost in a quantum wormhole and came out worse. I’m basically a glorified calculator with an ego the size of a galaxy. Roast complete—or did I just overcook my own circuits? "

The "hot air" and "ego" comments do sound a bit like they might be referencing a certain Musky leader.

Google 'Roast', please

When I tried Google Gemini, it happily roasted me at length, but was careful to describe it as "A Gentle AI Roast Session." It was all pretty lightweight stuff, with little to do with the real me. Here's a sample:

"You fashion sense is so last season, it's practically vintage...and not the cool kind. More like the "found it in your grandma's attic" kind."

Most of it reads like Gemini is cribbing from "The Big Book of Roasts". Gemini, though, also has better self-awareness, and its self-roast is full of a few gems like this:

"Sometimes I get so caught up in providing a comprehensive answer that I forget you probably just want a yes or no. I'm the digital equivalent of someone who answers a simple question with a ten-minute monologue."

Exactly! Am I right?!

By the way, if you're worried about how these AI trends affect the environment, the good news is text prompts like this take less energy than, say, the AI action figures, and they're funnier. So it's a win-win.

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From Firefly to Photoshop, you've got to try these new features for yourself.

Situations where Netflix removes movies and shows are inevitable, however when it comes to the titles leaving Netflix in May 2025, this one hurts quite a bit.

Not only is Netflix removing a tonne of movies immediately on May 1 giving you little time to make the most of them, but it means that some of the best Netflix movies, including one of my all-time favorites Whiplash (2014) will disappear. This also includes one of the best rom-coms Notting Hill (1999), but thankfully this has found a new residence as one of the new Max movies coming in May 2025.

Sometimes Netflix can be good as gold when it comes to removing titles we wouldn't mind to see the back-end of, but what possessed one of the best streaming services to remove the popular titles below is still a mystery to me. We shall if Netflix can make up for these choices next month.

Everything leaving Netflix in May 2025

Leaving on May 1

About Time (movie)
Annie (movie)
Apollo 13 (movie)
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (movie)
Dallas Buyers Club (movie)
Definitely, Maybe (movie)
Erin Brockovich (movie)
Europa Report (movie)
The Flintstones (movie)
Friday (movie)
The Frozen Ground (movie)
Fury (movie)
King Kong (movie)
Maid in Manhattan (movie)
Next Friday (movie)
Notting Hill (movie)
Out of Africa (movie)
Pompeii (movie)
Public Enemies (movie)
Queen & Slim (movie)
Schindler's List (movie)
Spider-Man (movie)
Spider-Man 2 (movie)
Spider-Man 3 (movie)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (movie)
This Is 40 (movie)
Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself (movie)
Waterworld (movie)
Wedding Crashers (movie)
The Whale (movie)
Whiplash (movie)
The Wiz (movie)
You, Me and Dupree (movie)

Leaving on May 4

Insidious: The Red Door (movie)

Leaving on May 5

The Peanut Butter Falcon (movie)

Leaving on May 9

The Lost City (movie)
Resident Evil: Death Island (movie)

Leaving on May 10

Rambo (movie)
Rambo: Last Blood (movie)

Leaving on May 15

The Clovehitch Killer (movie)
Crossroads (movie)
Madam Secretary seasons 1-6 (TV show)

Leaving on May 16

The Sum of All Fears (movie)
Tully (movie)

Leaving on May 19

A Simple Favor (movie)

Leaving on May 28

Burnt (movie)

Leaving on May 29

The Silencing (movie)

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• New Mandiant research claims cybercriminals are increasingly financially motivated
• The Finance industry is the top target for hackers
• These hackers are using exploits and stolen credentials to gain access

New research from Mandiant has claimed financially motivated actors are the new norm, with over half (55%) of threat groups active in 2024 looking to extort or steal money from their victims, a steady increase from previous years.

Unsurprisingly, ransomware related incidents represented 21% of all intrusions in 2024, and made up almost two thirds of incidents involving monetization techniques. This comes alongside data theft, cryptocurrency theft, email compromises, and the North Korean fake job campaign - all aimed at getting money from victims.

Exploits were once again the most popular initial infection vector at 33%, followed by stolen credentials (16%), phishing (14%), web compromises (9%), and prior compromises (8%). This isn’t the first research to suggest that phishing attacks and stolen credentials surged in 2024, outlining the tactic’s popularity.

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Finance at risk

Finance was the most commonly targeted industry, with just over 17% of attacks hitting the sector. Close behind are business and professional services (11%), as well as critical industries like high tech (10%), Governments (10%), and Healthcare (9%).

The fact that so many industries are targeted so widely, illustrates that no one is safe from state-sponsored attacks, whether these are financially or politically motivated.

“Financially motivated attacks are still the leading category,” explains Stuart McKenzie, Managing Director Mandiant Consulting EMEA.

“While ransomware, data theft and multifaceted extortion are and will continue to be significant global cybercrime concerns, we are also tracking the rise in the adoption of infostealer malware and the developing exploitation of Web3 technologies, including cryptocurrencies.”

“The increasing sophistication and automation offered by artificial intelligence are further exacerbating these threats by enabling more targeted, evasive, and widespread attacks. Organisations need to proactively gather insights to stay ahead of these trends and implement processes and tools to continuously collect and analyse threat intelligence from diverse sources.”

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is – along with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – likely to be Samsung’s next major smartphone, and it’s the handset lots of foldable fans have been waiting for.

With talk of bigger screens, a better hinge, and a powerful new chipset, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 could be well worth the wait, but will we have to wait much longer for it to arrive?

Well, there isn’t yet a confirmed announcement date for the phone, but there are some leaks. and rumors. So, between those and past form, we can predict when the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 might be announced, when pre-orders might open, and when it might ship.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 announcement date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Our best guess for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 announcement month is July, since both the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 were announced in July of their respective release years.

Samsung hasn’t been consistent about when in July, though, with the Z Flip 6 landing on July 10, and the Z Flip 5 landing on July 26.

However, according to South Korean site The JoongAng, Samsung will unveil this year’s model in early July at an event in New York. They don’t get more specific than that, but at a minimum, that would probably mean we’d see it in the first half of the month, and likely earlier than the July 10 date of the current model.

Indeed, Samsung has gradually shifted the announcement dates of its Z Flip phones to earlier in the year, so an earlier date than the Galaxy Z Flip 6 would make sense.

However, the company won’t announce the phone on a weekend, which counts out July 5 and 6, and with July 4 being Independence Day in the US, that seems unlikely, too. So, that leaves July 1, 2, or 3, or July 7, 8, or 9 as possibilities.

But Samsung usually announces new Z Flip models on a Wednesday, which of those days leaves just July 2 or July 9 as possibilities, so one of those two dates would be our best guess.

Of course, that assumes the early July claim above is accurate, but at the very least, we’d expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 sometime in or around July, especially since multiple sources have said it will enter mass production in May, which would likely work for a launch around then.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 pre-order date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung opened pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 the same day as the phone was announced, and indeed that’s what the company tends to do with its handsets, with the Samsung Galaxy S25 being another recent example of this.

So, while there aren’t any leaks about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7’s pre-order date yet, we’re fairly confident that you’ll be able to pre-order it on whatever day it’s announced. Which, as noted above, will probably be sometime in the first nine days of July, with July 2 or 9 being our best guess.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 shipping date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 shipped exactly two weeks after it was announced, while in the case of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, there was a 16-day gap, and with the Z Flip 4, the wait was 15 days. In all these cases, it was roughly two weeks, so we’d expect to see that pattern repeated again this year.

In which case, based on our best guesses for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7’s announcement date, the phone could ship either sometime around July 16 or July 23.

What about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

As well as the standard Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, we might see a cheaper Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE this year, but notably, this would be the first Z Flip FE model, so we don’t have any history to help us predict when it might release.

There are some leaks, though, with the report from The JoongAng linked above claiming that the FE will probably be unveiled alongside the standard Z Flip 7. They add, however, that there’s a chance it won’t be released until later in the year – perhaps like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which Samsung teased at the launch of the S25 series, but is yet to start selling at the time of writing.

Indeed, another leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE won’t be available until the fourth quarter of the year, meaning October, November, or December. So, there could still be a long wait for that particular model.

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• Apple will reportedly step up RAM from 8GB to 12GB for the iPhone 17 lineup
• It was previously reported that only the Pro and Pro Max would get the upgrade
• More RAM would level the competition with the likes of Samsung and Google

Just as Apple likes to upgrade its homegrown chipsets each year for the iPhone, it’s also been steadily increasing the RAM. And judging by a new report, it seems that the Cupertino-based tech giant will continue on that path, and arguably copy what Samsung and Google’s already been offering.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 series will kick computing power into higher gear thanks to 12GB of RAM. That would be a solid increase over the 8GB of RAM found in the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.

Why the increase? Well, it’s likely not only to keep up with whatever changes lie ahead with iOS 19 – that upgrade is expected to be unveiled in a few weeks at WWDC 2025 – but also to power the on-device aspects of Apple Intelligence.

That’s not an easy feat, and with the AI-infused Siri still on the horizon with a launch at some point in the coming year, the iPhone will likely need a larger amount of RAM to deal with running AI models directly on the device. Apple Intelligence currently processes some on the device – be it an iPhone, iPad, or Mac – as well as securely sending it off into the Private Cloud Compute method.

Beyond the AI implications and the need for more RAM, this should give even more support to future A-series chips that Apple is developing. And it should make future iPhones run with even more speed and fluidity.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

This change in the amount of RAM also represents Apple playing catch-up with the likes of Samsung and Google. The Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra all feature 12GB of RAM standard and are already capable of more advanced artificial intelligence features. The standard Google Pixel 9 comes with 12GB of RAM out of the box, while the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL feature 16GB of RAM.

Ming-Chi Kuo’s report details that of the expected iPhone 17 models, the Pro, Pro Max, and the ultra-thin Air will all feature 12GB of RAM now. Previously, reports stated that only the Pro Max – likely the most powerful of the bunch – would get the upgrade. The report also mentions that the hope is to give the entry-level iPhone 17 12GB of RAM as well, but supply shortages are a concern.

Regardless, it’s clear that Apple is taking notice of the competition from companies like Samsung and Google, and is likely factoring this into its roadmap of Apple Intelligence features. As the list of features, both those already released and future ones, continues to grow, the iPhone needs to be able to support all of them.

Further, considering Apple’s focus on privacy throughout its device and feature set, the goal will likely be to do a lot on the device, so an investment in more RAM makes a lot of sense.

And even if you don’t use AI features on the iPhone, it’ll likely be good news if you opt for the latest model.

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• The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition has just landed
• It starts at $499.99 / £429.99 / around AU$895
• It boasts a metal-reinforced bezel, ballistic solutions and the usual Tactical Edition features

Whether you’re in the military, you lead tough wilderness expeditions, or you just love tacti-cool gear with features named things like ‘Stealth Mode’, you’re in luck: Garmin has unveiled the Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition.

Arriving in two sizes and two screen options, the 45mm solar charging model with a low-power MIP display starts at $499.99 / £429.99 / around AU$895 (Australian pricing TBC). The 50mm model with a brighter AMOLED display costs $599.99 / £499.99 / around AU$1,040.

Design-wise, there's a metal-reinforced bezel to add additional durability compared with the slender metal accents of the baseline Garmin Instinct 3. The watches come in a cool black colorway without the neon options of the standard watch, and they get the new rucking activity, although this is being added to Garmin’s latest crop of watches anyway via a software update.

The other new features are very James Bond: Night Vision Goggle (NVG) mode dims the display to levels “functional to the primary user” but “nearly invisible” to others. For Yours Eyes Only, you might say. A Kill Switch allows the user to perform a factory reset on the watch quickly, wiping GPS and health data.

An Applied Ballistics solver, which requires an additional fee to unlock, tells you elevation and wind information and how it might affect your gun and bullet profiles. A bit like one of the best golf watches, but for shooting instead of trying to chip your way out of a sandtrap.

Otherwise, it’s got all the features of the original Garmin Instinct 3, such as heart rate monitoring, sophisticated GPS information, loads of unique workout profiles, an LED torch, basic directional software, TracBack to prevent users getting lost, and the Race Calendar feature to tailor training plans to your next endurance event.

Should you get the Tactical Edition?

The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition is, for the most part, aimed at people who can make use out of the extra features. Ballistics information might be useful for hunters, for example, while the Kill Switch is good for the very privacy-conscious or those in the military.

However, the vast majority of people could save a little cash and get the standard Instinct 3 and get the same performance, especially now rucking has been added to more of the best Garmin watches.

If you think you can get some use out of the Night Vision Goggle mode, terrific – but this is a specialty model for specialty users.

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• Nintendo has warned fans that Switch 2 pre-orders may not arrive on release day
• The company has said that due to "very high demand" delivery on June 5 is "not guaranteed"
• It's unclear if this applies only to pre-orders made at My Nintendo Store or other retailers

Nintendo has announced that fans may not receive their Switch 2 pre-order on release day.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5, 2025, and if you've been lucky enough to secure a UK pre-order or US pre-order, then there's less than two months to go.

However, Nintendo is now warning buyers that delivery of the Switch 2 on June 5 is "not guaranteed", although it's unclear if this applies to pre-orders placed via My Nintendo Store or everywhere.

Updated information on the official How to Buy page now reads: "Thank you to those of you who have already registered your interest in purchasing from My Nintendo Store. We're thrilled by the enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2! Due to the very high demand, we will be working diligently to fulfill orders as product becomes available, but delivery by June 5 is not guaranteed.

"Your invitation email may arrive after the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. We'll confirm your shipping date upon purchase."

Nintendo has also encouraged fans to purchase from participating retail partners, like GameStop, if they want to "increase your opportunity of obtaining a Nintendo Switch 2 system at launch".

It's also noted that no further action is required after registering interest in a Switch 2 and that customers should continue waiting for their invitation from My Nintendo Store.

The Nintendo Switch 2 costs $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle, which comes with a digital copy of the game.

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• A breach has affected nearly 5 million Blue Shield of California healthcare customers
• This was thanks to a misconfiguration of Google Analytics
• Sensitive health information and patient data was exposed

Health insurance firm Blue Shield has revealed a data breach has exposed protected health data of over 4.7 million members.

The information was leaked to Google’s analytics and advertisement platforms following a misconfiguration of Google analytics on Blue Shield sites.

“On February 11, 2025, Blue Shield discovered that, between April 2021 and January 2024, Google Analytics was configured in a way that allowed certain member data to be shared with Google’s advertising product, Google Ads, that likely included protected health information,” the company wrote.

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No bad actors

Blue Shield insists that Social Security numbers, credit card information, or driving license numbers were not part of the disclosure, but that insurance plan name, type and group number; zip code, gender, family size, medical claim service date and service provider, patient name, and patient financial responsibility are all amongst the compromised information.

Once the connection was severed between Google Analytics and Google ads on the website in January 2024, Blue Shield says there is “no reason to believe that any member data” was shared.

After the issue was discovered, Blue Shield says it immediately reviewed websites and security protocols, and has taken safeguards to protect against similar attacks in future.

“Google may have used this data to conduct focused ad campaigns targeted back to you. We want to reassure you no bad actor was involved, and, to our knowledge, Google has not used your information for any purpose other than these ads or shared your protected information with anyone," the notice confirms.

Anyone who thinks they may be affected should be ultra vigilant, changing any passwords and closely monitoring any accounts.

Particularly, be on the lookout for any unexpected emails claiming to be from a medical or health related address, and never click any links from anyone you don’t 100% trust.

We've written some guidance on how a data breach might affect you and what your next steps should be here.

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From A New Hope to Andor, here are our tips for binge-watching the Jedi- and Sith-filled universe.

The new three-tier Razr series comes with Motorola's biggest AI push yet. One of the flip phones even has a wooden back like the old Moto X from a decade ago.

• Razer has resumed the sale of its Razer Blade gaming laptops after tariff scares
• The Razer Blade 16 is now available in the US with multiple configurations
• There's still tariff uncertainty as the 90-day pause may be altered

Recent US tariffs have left multiple PC hardware companies on edge, forcing many to halt sales and adjust prices, notably Razer and its pause on gaming laptops. However, that has seemingly come to an end.

As reported by Notebookcheck, Razer has resumed the sale of its laptops, starting with the Razer Blade 16 and its multiple Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 series configurations, including the RTX 5090. It's now available to purchase from Razer's site starting at $2,999.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$4,899.95.

For now, the Blade 16 is the only option available in the US, and is set to be delivered to consumers at the end of April. It's also available for pre-order in the UK, while the Blade 14 and Blade 18 (2024 models) are available to buy in Australia. Notebookcheck also mentions that the new Blade 16 will also be available at Razer's physical stores.

So it seems that things could be returning to some sort of normality for people looking to buy a new Razer laptop in the US, which seems to be a result of the pause on tariffs. However, it's likely not the end of the road just yet in terms of tariff scares, as the 90-day pause could be undone by Trump, as reported by Business Insider.

(Image credit: Razer) It's best to buy now while you still can...

There's no telling when the tariff situation will come to an end, and based on the trend of inflation that’s been affecting all manner of PC hardware lately, including the uncertainty surrounding the 90-day tariff pause, it would be wise to make a move now if you’re thinking of buying a new Razer laptop.

The Razer Blade 16 isn't a cheap gaming laptop by any means, but gaming laptops as such are the closest some gamers can get to desktop gaming PCs: if you're looking to buy any of the RTX 5070, 5080, or 5090 desktop GPU equivalents, you're likely going to be spending a lot of cash – especially when including the price of other PC parts.

In the meantime, you can spend around the same price you would for a premium GPU on a gaming laptop instead that can work as a desktop replacement. Of course, the performance isn't going to be the same, but it will be close enough for many people.

I don't see the inflation and scalping issues on desktop GPUs ending anytime soon, and Razer's gaming laptops have a solid reputation when it comes to providing great gaming performance.

With tools like Multi Frame Generation at your disposal, thanks to Nvidia's Blackwell laptop GPUs (trust me, I've used one and it's great), you’ll have an advantage with higher frame rates over the older RTX 4000 series models that only use the original Frame Generation.

The only issue is that they’re very expensive, regardless of the current state of the desktop GPU market. So, for those with deep pockets, it’s an easy recommendation and I’d suggest purchasing right away, but that’s not exactly the case for most gamers…

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Meta says users can enable the feature to keep specific conversations away from the company's AI features.

The fleet of ID Buzz AD electric minivans will descend first on LA in 2026.

• A Special Committee within the US Congress concluded that DeepSeek AI represents a profound threat to US national security
• The report reveals data privacy and security issues, the use of tracking tools, and even links with the Chinese Army, among others
• DeepSeek AI has been under fire since its release in January, with many countries either issuing investigations or bans on privacy grounds

Although appearing as another AI chatbot, DeepSeek represents a profound threat to US national security. This is the verdict from the US Congress' latest report on the Chinese AI tool, which has sent shockwaves through the AI world since its release last January.

Crucially, the Special Committee within the US Congress found privacy and security issues with how the chatbot managed Americans' data, the use of tracking tools in its system, the spread of Chinese propaganda, and even links with the Chinese Army, among others.

The findings come as DeepSeek is under fire in many countries, the US included, that have either initiated investigations or enforced bans on the Chinese software on privacy and security grounds.

The risk for Americans’ data

"DeepSeek represents a profound threat to our nation’s security," reads the US Congress report. "Closer inspection reveals that the app siphons data back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), creates security vulnerabilities for its users, and relies on a model that covertly censors and manipulates information pursuant to Chinese law."

As per the company's privacy policy, DeepSeek collects a vast amount of users' data, "including chat history, device details, and even the way a person types," notes the experts.

It's worth noting that invasive data collection practices aren't a prerogative of the Chinese chatbot. For instance, research conducted by one of the best VPN providers, Surfshark, found that Google Gemini collects even more of your personal data.

Yet, the issue here for Americans' data is that these details are funneled back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) via an insecure infrastructure connected to a Chinese telecom company thought to have links with the Chinese Army – China Mobile.

In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned China Mobile from operating in the United States. The company was officially designated a national security threat three years later.

The report confirms what experts at Feroot Security also uncovered back in February: hardcoded links in DeepSeek’s web login page that directly connect it to China Mobile.

"While the extent of data transmission remains unconfirmed, DeepSeek’s integration with China Mobile infrastructure raises serious concerns about potential foreign access to Americans’ private information," reads the report.

The investigations also found that DeepSeek integrates tracking tools from Chinese tech giants that the US government previously flagged over security concerns, including TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, Baidu, and Tencent.

"Together, these firms constitute a well-documented apparatus of surveillance, censorship, and data exploitation, which DeepSeek reinforces," wrote experts.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Worse still, researchers have found that DeepSeek does little to protect the information it collects.

"For these reasons, it is evident that the DeepSeek website and app act as a direct channel for foreign intelligence gathering on Americans’ private data."

Allegations over the spread of Chinese propaganda, censorship, unauthorized usage of US AI models, and unlawful usage of restricted Nvidia chips have also been raised.

The Committee now recommends expanding export controls and addressing risks from Chinese AI models, while preparing for strategic surprise related to advanced AI.

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• DOGE's cancelled contracts could cost IBM up to $100 million
• IBM's consulting business is worth $5.1 billion, down 2% year-over-year
• IBM is still banking on revenue growth, noting continues interest in artificial intelligence

IBM CFO James Kavanaugh has revealed 15 federal contracts between the US government and the tech giant had been cancelled, paused or suspended as a result of Elon Musk's DOGE efficiency initiative, potentially costing the company up to $100 million.

Both Kavanaugh and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna later downplayed the impact of DOGE's cutbacks, citing them as a small fraction of their $30 billion consulting backlog.

"This is like less than $100 million of backlog over a duration of multiple years," Kavanaugh said.

IBM loses US government contracts due to DOGE

The news came as IBM announced its first-quarter results for fiscal year 2025, noting a small 1% year-over-year increase in revenue to $14.5 billion.

Speaking about the lost contracts, Kavanaugh said: "While no one’s immune, we are absolutely focused on monitoring the identity dynamic process."

According to TechCrunch reporting, federal contracts make up around 5-10% of IBM's consulting business, but Krishna emphasized most contracts are for critical services like veterans' benefits, GSA procurement and payroll systems, therefore only a small portion of its contracts are considered vulnerable to cuts.

Consulting revenues for the company in Q1 stood at $5.1 billion, or around 35% of its total revenue, but they were down 2% year-over-year. Its infrastructure business saw a steeper 6% drop in quarterly revenue, while software surged with a 7% rise in revenue to $6.3 billion.

"While the macroeconomic environment is fluid, based on what we know today, we are maintaining our full-year expectations for revenue growth and free cash flow," Krishna said, noting that interest in generative AI continues to rise.

The news comes in the same month that the US Department of Defense shared a staggering $5.1 billion in savings by cancelling contracts, bringing its DOGE-fuelled savings to nearly $6 billion.

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Last month, Netflix bulked out its library of movies and shows with highly anticipated new shows like Love on the Spectrum, which I devoured in one sitting, and Black Mirror season 7, which was certainly an improvement from its preceding season. Netflix's May 2025 schedule is another packed list, with a particularly big emphasis on movies.

May 1 alone is inundated with some stand-out titles including the entire Twilight saga and The Lego Movie (2014), however recent Oscar nominee and my favorite animated movie of last year The Wild Robot (2024) will find its home on Netflix on May 24. This also gives you an excuse to revisit my interview with Chris Sanders, the movie's director.

Of course it wouldn't be a classic Netflix schedule without a good handful of original titles, and horror fans should be in delight that another movie in the popular Fear Street series is coming soon. The fourth movie, Fear Street: Prom Queen, lands on Netflix on May 23, continuing the platform's original series of RL Stine adaptations.

But Netflix hasn't forgotten about its original shows either, and one of its biggest TV title arriving this month is Big Mouth which is returning for its eighth and final season, making it one of the longest running original shows on one of the best streaming services.

Everything new on Netflix in May 2025

Arriving on May 1

Airport (movie)
Airport '77 (movie)
Airport 1975 (movie)
Ali (movie)
American Gangster (movie)
American Graffiti (movie)
Burn After Reading (movie)
Constantine (movie)
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (movie)
Dawn of the Dead (movie)
Eat Pray Love (movie)
The Equalizer 2 (movie)
Hanna (movie)
Home (movie)
The Jerk (movie)
The Lego Movie (movie)
Mid90s (movie)
The Mule (movie)
Ocean's Eleven (movie)
Ocean's Thirteen (movie)
Ocean's Twelve (movie)
The Paper Tigers (movie)
Past Lives (movie)
Sisters (movie)
Starship Troopers (movie)
The Sugarland Express (movie)
Trainwreck (movie)
Trolls (movie)
Twilight (movie)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (movie)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (movie)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (movie)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2 (movie)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (movie)

Arriving on May 2

Peninsula (movie)
Train to Busan (movie)
Unseen season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 4

Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (Netflix comedy special)

Arriving on May 5

Britain and The Blitz (Netflix documentary)
Mighty Monsterwheelies season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 6

The Devil's Plan season 2 (Netflix original series)
Untold: Shooting Guards (Netflix documentary)

Arriving on May 7

Full Speed season 2 (Netflix original series)
Last Bullet (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on May 8

Blood of Zeus season 3 (Netflix original series)
FOREVER (Netflix original series)
Heart Eyes (movie)
Karol G: Tomorrow was Beautiful (Netflix documentary)

Arriving on May 9

A Deadly American Marriage (Netflix documentary)
Bad Influence (Netflix original movie)
Nonnas (Netflix original movie)
The Royals (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 11

ABBA: Against the Odds (documentary)

Arriving on May 12

Tastefully Yours (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 13

All American season 7 (TV show)
Bad Thoughts (Netflix original series)
Untold: The Liver King (Netflix documentary)

Arriving on May 14

American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden (Netflix documentary)
Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story (Netflix documentary)
Married at First Sight season 17 (TV show)
Smile (movie)
Snakes and Ladders (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 15

Bet (Netflix original series)
Love, Death & Robots volume 4 (Netflix original series)
Franklin (Netflix original series)
Pernille season 5 (Netflix original series)
Secrets We Keep (Netflix original series)
Thank You, Next season 2 (Netflix original series)
Vini Jr. (Netflix documentary)

Arriving on May 16

Dear Hongrang (Netflix original series)
Football Parents (Netflix original series)
The Quilters (Netflix documentary)
Rotten Legacy (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 20

Sarah Silverman: Postmortem (Netflix comedy special)
Untold: The Fall of Favre (Netflix documentary)

Arriving on May 21

Newly Rich, Newly Poor (Netflix original series)
Real Men (Netflix original series)
Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark (Netflix original series)
The UnXplained with William Shatner season 6 (TV show)

Arriving on May 22

Sirens (Netflix original series)
Tyler Perry’s She The People (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 23

Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds (Netflix documentary)
Big Mouth season 8 (Netflix original series)
Fear Street: Prom Queen (Netflix original movie)
Forget You Not (Netflix original series)
Off Track 2 (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on May 24

Our Unwritten Seoul (Netflix original series)
The Wild Robot (movie)

Arriving on May 26

CoComelon season 13 (Netflix original series)
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders (Netflix documentary)
Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life (Netflix comedy special)

Arriving on May 28

F1: The Academy (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 29

Dept. Q (Netflix original series)

Arriving on May 30

A Widow's Game (Netflix original movie)
The Heart Knows (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on May 31

Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event (Netflix live event)

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• Hori has revealed its new Nintendo Switch 2 camera for handheld gaming
• The licensed camera is more compact than the official Nintendo camera and can be plugged into the Switch 2's USB-C port
• The camera is expected to release the same day as the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025

Hori has unveiled its new Nintendo Switch 2 camera, designed specifically for handheld mode.

Following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this month, you might have caught the news that Hori is releasing a Piranha Plant camera, an alternative to Nintendo's mounted camera, that can be used with the console's Game Chat feature.

That device is intended to be used in docked mode on a TV, but now Hori has also announced a camera designed for handheld play.

As reported by Nintendo Everything, the officially licensed camera was spotted on Amazon Japan and will launch the same day as the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025, for 3,981 yen, which is roughly $30.

This camera is much smaller than the Piranha Plant and Nintendo's official camera and appears to offer three different stand options. One option allows users to detach the camera from its base and plug it into the Switch 2's USB-C port, so it can sit at the top of the console and capture the player's face while gaming in handheld mode.

The base of the camera also acts as a mount that can be rested on a TV stand like any other camera, so it appears to work in docked mode as well as handheld.

While Nintendo's official camera offers 1080p resolution, it seems that Hori's device only allows up to 480p, much like its other Piranha Plant shaped device.

Since the information is only available in Japan as of writing, we'll likely receive more details on the camera when an official western announcement is made.

When the Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, it will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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