Technology

The iPhone 16 line landed a while back now, so unsurprisingly there are numerous iPhone 17 leaks at this point – some of which emerged even before the launch of Apple’s latest phones.

As such – even though we’re not expecting the iPhone 17 and its siblings to launch before September 2025 – we already have some idea of what to expect from these phones. That includes camera upgrades, yet another new button, better screens, and even an entire new model.

Below then, you’ll find full details of all the credible leaks and rumors we’ve heard so far, and we’ll be updating this article whenever we hear anything new.

Latest news

Loads of iPhone 17 Air specs just leaked.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next flagship iPhone
• When is it out? Probably September 2025
• How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399

A predictable release date

The iPhone 16 (Image credit: Future)

• Likely to be announced in the first half of September
• Could start at upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399

There aren’t many iPhone 17 release date rumors yet, but we don’t really need any, as Apple tends to follow a highly predictable pattern.

As such, based on past form we predict that the iPhone 17 will be announced in the first half of September 2025. Typically Apple announces the device on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but the company broke with that pattern for the iPhone 16 and used a Monday, so we aren’t totally confident of the exact day.

That said, Apple more often uses the second week of the month, so it could be announced sometime between Monday, September 8, and Friday, September 12, with September 8, 9, or 10 being most likely based on the weekdays Apple usually goes with.

In any case, the phones will likely then go up for pre-order on the Friday of their announcement week (meaning probably Friday September 12 or failing that September 5 if our guesses are right), and then ship on the following Friday, which would probably be September 19 but could be September 12. While those are all just predictions for now, one source has unsurprisingly pointed to a September launch for the iPhone 17 series.

As for the price, most of the leaks there so far are for a new model possibly dubbed the iPhone 17 Slim or iPhone 17 Air (more on which below), but a report suggests this slimmer iPhone 17 model could have a starting price of $1,299 (about £1,000 / AU$1,950).

We would however take that with a pinch of salt, as that would be a higher price than the current top iPhone, and some other leaks suggest this would be positioned more in the middle of the pack.

Indeed, more recently we've heard that the iPhone 17 Air could cost less than the iPhone 17 Pro, with the latest leak pointing to a starting price of $899 for the iPhone 17 Air, which would see it match the iPhone 16 Plus. That's a claim we've now heard multiple times. Whatever it costs though, it's predicted that the iPhone 17 Air might not be a massive hit.

In any case, we can look at previous pricing for possible starting prices of the other models. The iPhone 16 then starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599, the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, so successors to these models are likely to cost at least this much.

However, the one iPhone 17 pricing leak we have heard suggests they might cost more, and with President Trump threatening 25% tariffs on Apple, there's a growing chance the prices could increase.

Can you trust these rumors?

The claim that the iPhone 17 Air could have the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus is believable, though with potential tariffs it's hard to be sure. In any case, the release date for all these phones will very likely be in September.

A new model

We might not get a successor to the iPhone 16 Plus (Image credit: Future)

• An iPhone 17 Air rather than a Plus model
• Also expect an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max

You won’t be surprised to hear that we’re expecting an iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max, but what about the iPhone 17 Plus? Well, while that’s a possibility, several leaks have suggested that there might be a slimmer and more expensive iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim instead.

However, a reputable analyst predicts that the iPhone 17 Air won't be any more popular than the company's Plus and mini models.

There’s also an outside chance that we’ll see an iPhone 17 Ultra, either instead of or as well as the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This would be an ultra-premium model that would sit at the top of the line. But that’s seeming less likely, as it’s not something that’s been leaked much recently, though claims of an Ultra model still occasionally emerge.

Claims of an iPhone 17 Air though have arrived with more frequency, and from a number of reputable sources, so there’s every chance we could see a super-slim iPhone in 2025.

In fact, the latest leaks point to the iPhone 17 Air measuring even thinner than the competition, namely the recently-announced Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, at a possible thickness of just 5.44mm. That's even thinner than an unfolded Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

What's more, the iPhone 17 Air is tipped to get Apple's new C1 modem, revealed with the iPhone 16e, unlike the base model iPhone 17.

Can you trust these rumors?

Numerous reputable sources have pointed to an iPhone 17 Air or iPhone 17 Slim, so we'd think this is likely to make an appearance, though what it will actually be called is less clear, and we wouldn't count on seeing an iPhone 17 Ultra.

A new button

The iPhone 16 Pro (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• A 120Hz screen for all four models
• A new button in place of the Action and volume buttons
• A new display technology for the Pro models

One of the more intriguing iPhone 17 design leaks we've heard is that the iPhone 17 Pro and possibly other models could have another new button – this time a single button that would replace the Action button and both volume keys.

Details of this possible button are limited, but it’s easy to imagine it could work like the Camera Control key, allowing you to swipe to change the volume, and press it to launch an app or feature of your choice. Perhaps it would even accept both light and strong presses to launch different things.

Apple has actually experimented with unified solid-state volume buttons in the past, including on an iPhone 14 Pro prototype, so it's possible the idea is being resurrected for the iPhone 17 series.

And in a less likely leak, we’ve heard that Apple could equip some or all iPhone 17 models with under-display Face ID.

One other source has leaked three possible iPhone 17 Pro colors, namely Dark Green Titanium, Teal Titanium, and Green Titanium. Apparently only one of these will be used if any, and of these it's the Teal Titanium they suspect is most likely to be used. That's the middle shade in the leaked image below. That said, we suspect all three of these are brighter than Apple would opt for.

(Image credit: Majin Bu)

Indeed, they can't seem to make up their mind as to which new color or colors we might see, as they've more recently claimed Sky Blue is the most likely new iPhone 17 Pro shade, and also previously pointed to Titanium Blue or Titanium Purple shades.

The same source has since said that the standard iPhone 17 could come in a purple or green shade.

In another leak, we've heard that all four iPhone 17 models could have an aluminum frame, which would be a change for the Pro models, as the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max use more premium titanium.

So that seems an odd shift, and the report adds that in the case of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the top half of the back will also be aluminum, with the bottom half sticking as glass, and the camera bump being larger than on current models.

However, another leak has since refuted this, saying the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will stick with titanium frames.

Since then, we've heard that the iPhone 17 series could use the frame pictured below, which could make for a Pixel 9-like design, and somewhat lines up with the leak above mentioning an aluminum top half and a larger camera bump.

(Image credit: @Jukanlosreve)

We've seen a similar design in iPhone 17 series dummy units, and yet another source has also similarly claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro (and probably the other models) will have the design shown below.

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / @asherdipps‬)

This source has also shared the possible design of the iPhone 17 Air, as you can see below.

It has a very slim build but a quite large camera block considering there's just one lens on the back. So we'd take it with a pinch of salt, though it does line up with another iPhone 17 Air design leak.

The same source has also claimed that the standard iPhone 17 will have the same camera design as the iPhone 16, so that model might not get this new camera bar.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)

Other leakers have since backed up these claims, with multiple sets of iPhone 17 dummy units being leaked, showing similar designs, which we've seen numerous times now, and it's a design that people don't seem keen on so far. In fact, Google has even made fun of it.

However, more recent iPhone 17 Pro dummy unit photos show a far more refined version of this design, and one that should be easier to like.

Some smaller design changes could be planned too, with one source suggesting that some or all iPhone 17 models will have curvier sides than their predecessors.

We’ve also elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could have a narrower Dynamic Island than the current model, and that conflicting with one of the leaks above it will have a titanium frame, while the other models will apparently have a “more complex” aluminum shell, which may be a reference the the half metal, half glass rear leaked above. Multiple sources have now pointed to a smaller Dynamic Island, though one source says the Dynamic Island will stay the same.

Another source has similarly said that the front of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will look similar to the iPhone 16 Pro, meaning that the Dynamic Island probably won't be smaller. And they added that while the rear cameras will be redesigned, there won't be a two-tone color scheme. We've since seen how this single-color iPhone 17 Pro design might look.

One of these sources also claimed that the iPhone 17 will have a 6.1-inch screen, the iPhone 17 Air a 6.6-inch one, the iPhone 17 Pro will have a 6.3-inch display, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch one. So that’s the same sizes as the iPhone 16 line, albeit the rumored new Air model could have a slightly smaller screen than the Plus model it might replace.

That said, a case maker has suggested the iPhone 17 could instead have a 6.3-inch screen like the Pro model.

There’s also some disagreement on the iPhone 17 Air’s screen size, with leaker Ross Young claiming it will be slightly smaller at 6.55 inches, while @UniverseIce says to expect a 6.65-inch screen, and another source points to a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 one.

Also on the subject of the iPhone 17 Air, one report suggests it won't be as slim as Apple hoped, with the company originally aiming for around a 6mm thickness but apparently failing to achieve that, as it needs more space for the battery.

That said, we've elsewhere heard that the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.44mm thick, while another leak similarly says the iPhone 17 Air will in fact be 5mm to 6mm thick, but that thanks to this it won't have space for a SIM card slot (so it will be eSIM only). More recently, an iPhone 17 Air leaks has split the difference and pointed to a 5.5mm thickness.

This report adds that the iPhone 17 Air will also only have one earpiece speaker, rather than two as is the case on other iPhones, and that it will have a “large, centered camera bump” housing just one lens.

This lack of a SIM card slot and only one speaker claim is something we've now heard multiple times.

We've also now seen an image showing how slim the iPhone 17 Air might be in comparison to the iPhone 17 Pro, and it certainly looks very thin there.

Another leak shows an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit (which is apparently 5.65mm thick) next to an iPhone 17 Pro Max dummy unit (which is 163.04 x 77.59 x 8.75mm) and an iPhone 17 one (which is 149.62 x 71.46 x 7.96mm). And again, the Air looks exceptionally slim.

You can see this slim design again in photos showing an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit next to an iPhone 16 Plus, though it's notable how far the Air's camera sticks out.

We've also heard that all four iPhone 17 models could have a 120Hz refresh rate and an always-on display. In fact, several sources have echoed this, saying that the base iPhone 17 will join its Pro siblings in having a 120Hz refresh rate and and always-on screen. We've heard this as recently as March 2025, with reputable leaker Mark Gurman saying as much.

So this wouldn’t be an upgrade for the Pro models, but it would be for the standard iPhone 17, and for the iPhone 17 Air if we get such a phone. That said, in June 2025 we heard that while the base iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air would have 120Hz refresh rates, these wouldn't be ProMotion screens, meaning they wouldn't have a variable refresh rate and probably wouldn't support always-on display.

Speaking of all the iPhone 17 models, a rumor has them all tipped to use Samsung's M14 OLED display, which features on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.

However, the Pro models could still get a screen upgrade, with one source claiming that their displays will use a new technology that "improves battery efficiency, maximizes display durability, and enhances overall performance compared to existing display technologies.”

Finally, we’ve heard that the iPhone 17 line’s screens might use a type of glass that’s tougher to scratch and cuts down on reflections, but a more recent leak suggests this display upgrade has been scrapped.

Can you trust these rumors?

Apple bringing 120Hz screens to all four models is long overdue, so we certainly hope that's true, and it has been tipped enough that for now we'd say it's likely.

The talk of a new button is something we're less sure about, just because only one source has mentioned it so far, and they have a mixed track record.

We're also unsure about claims that all four models will have an aluminum frame, as that would seem like a downgrade for the Pro units. And the rumored changes to the camera design also seem questionable, but enough sources have mentioned this that it's certainly possible.

More megapixels

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• A new 48MP telephoto camera for the Pro models
• New 24MP selfie cameras for all models

The iPhone 17 line could include several significant camera upgrades, including a new 24MP front-facing camera for every iPhone 17 model, up from 12MP on the current phones. It’s a claim this source (Jeff Pu) has made multiple times, most recently in March of 2025.

The same source also points to a 48MP telephoto camera for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, up from 12MP currently. We’ve also heard analyst Ming-Chi Kuo say similar, though they weren’t sure whether both Pro models would get this, or if only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get a 48MP telephoto camera.

And leaker @UniverseIce has also said that the Pro models will have a trio of 48MP cameras, meaning an upgrade for the telephoto but not – at least in terms of megapixels – for the main or ultra-wide cameras. Mark Gurman (who has a great track record for Apple information) has also made this 48MP telephoto camera claim.

We've heard mention of a trio of 48MP cameras from another source too, but they also claim that oddly the main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will have a smaller sensor than on the 16 Pro series, which sounds like a downgrade.

And one source has claimed that as well as a new 48MP sensor, the the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will offer 3.5x optical zoom, rather than the 5x of the current models. However, they would reportedly still offer lossless zoom at 5x and 7x by cropping the image.

We've also heard that the iPhone 17 Pro models could offer 8K video recording.

Elsewhere, another leak says the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air won't have a 5x telephoto camera. This isn't really surprising but it is disappointing. In fact, the iPhone 17 Air might just have one rear camera, with another source claiming the iPhone 17 Air will have a 48MP main camera and a 12MP front-facing one. Multiple sources have now pointed to the iPhone 17 Air having just a single 48MP camera on the back.

Intriguingly, we’ve heard that Apple might be planning a camera with a mechanical aperture for at least one phone in the iPhone 17 series. This would allow you to adjust the size of the aperture, and therefore the depth of field.

And finally, Apple is reportedly testing a 200MP camera, though if this is ever used we'd expect it won't be until a later iPhone model.

Can you trust these rumors?

The front-facing and telephoto cameras seem obvious upgrade choices in the iPhone 17 line, as their megapixel counts are noticeably lower than some of the other cameras. So there's a good chance those leaks will prove accurate.

A boost in power

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

• A powerful new A19 Pro chipset
• Up to 12GB of RAM

One leak suggests that – unsurprisingly – the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a new A19 Pro chipset, and that the other models will have either an A18 or A19 chipset. The same source also says to expect 12GB of RAM in the Pro models, up from 8GB currently, but that the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Slim will only have 8GB. They've now made this claim multiple times, so they seem confident of it.

Another source has echoed this, saying to expect an A19 Pro chipset and 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This chipset will reportedly be built on a new 3-nanometer manufacturing process, which could mean a big jump in performance.

Elsewhere we've heard that the iPhone 17 Air could have 12GB of RAM too, along with an A19 – but not A19 Pro – chipset.

That said, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will get 12GB of RAM, with the others stuck at 8GB, and that the Pro Max will also have an upgraded cooling system, and exclusively have “enhanced on-device AI capabilities.”

Kuo also claims that the iPhone 17 line could use a lighter and thinner motherboard, which would leave room for other components or a larger battery. And speaking of the battery, the iPhone 17 Air might have a high-density cell, giving it comparable life to current iPhones. We've also heard that the iPhone 17 Air might support MagSafe, and that it might support a battery case accessory, which could make up for any stamina shortfalls.

There’s also an outside chance that some or all iPhone 17 models could include under-display Touch ID, giving you a fingerprint sensor as well as Face ID, but we doubt that.

We've also heard that Apple might equip the iPhone 17 series with a vapor chamber to help keep these phones cool, though there's disagreement on whether all four models or just the iPhone 17 Pro series would get a vapor chamber.

Finally on the hardware front, the iPhone 17 Air might use Apple's in-house 5G modem, but this reportedly doesn't perform as well as the Qualcomm modems the company currently uses – and we've heard that the base model iPhone 17 could even miss out on Apple's C1 modem.

As for software, we expect these phones to run iOS 26 out of the box, and while this software isn't finished yet, it has been announced. So we know it includes a new 'Liquid Glass' appearance, and overhauls to many apps, such as the Phone and Camera apps. It also features improvements to Apple Intelligence, a new Apple Games app, and more.

Can you trust these rumors?

New chipsets are sure to make an appearance, and we'd expect at least some models would get boosted to 12GB of RAM, especially as this could help with AI.

We'd be quite surprised though if Touch ID makes a return, even in under-display form.

You might also like

• iPhone 16 Pro review: pocket-sized brilliance and no concessions
• iPhone 16 Pro Max review: a beautiful, intelligent beast
• Best iPhone: which Apple smartphone reigns supreme?

• HPE pushes Morpheus as VMware virtualization costs rise under Broadcom
• Socket-based pricing offers cost predictability for high-core system deployments
• Morpheus aims to compete but VMware remains deeply rooted in enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has looked to address growing rumblings from its customers about rising VMware licensing fees following Broadcom’s acquisition of the virtualization company in 2023.

HPE is actively responding to these concerns, especially from those seeing major increases in virtualization costs, by pushing its Morpheus platform at its recent HPE Discover 2025 event.

HPE acquired Morpheus in 2024 and has since worked to develop it into a viable option for companies looking to reduce or end their reliance on VMware.

A choice of editions

Morpheus is being integrated into HPE’s broader Private Cloud offerings, with two editions available to suit different needs.

The VM Essentials edition is geared toward smaller environments and supports management of local KVM clusters and VMware clusters through vCenter.

This edition has a much lower entry cost, priced around $600 per socket, and unlike Broadcom’s per-core licensing, which some say penalizes scale, HPE’s per-socket model remains fixed regardless of hardware configuration.

This could appeal to those with high-core-count systems and help organizations better keep on top of their infrastructure costs.

For more advanced deployments, there’s Morpheus Enterprise. This includes profiling and cost calculator tools to help compare cloud and on-prem options. This version is priced at about $2,500 per socket.

HPE’s goal appears to be giving customers a clearer path away from VMware, starting small and scaling up.

Whether that’s enough to make a dent in VMware’s deep entrenchment across enterprise environments remains to be seen, but HPE is clearly making the case.

ServeTheHome's Patrick Kennedy writes, “We know many folks are struggling with virtualization licensing costs. It seems like HPE sees the need. It was actually neat to see that HPE is aggressively trying to move customers off of VMware and the Morpheus booth was certainly busy today. For folks who are still looking for solutions, this might be one to look into especially if you are a HPE shop.”

You might also like

• This is the best virtual machine software available right now
• Companies switching from VMWare should expect high-cost high-risk journey
• HPE now allows customers to run its most powerful server on AWS

Likeable brand Nothing has unveiled a set of striking over-ear headphones and if, like me, you're ready to fully embrace cans that aren't trying hard to look like the Sony WH-1000XM4 (and, by association, like every other set of headphones on the market), you'll probably be fully on board with these.

Might it appear as if I've got two cassette tapes lashed around my head – two, ahem, head cleaners, if you're old enough to get the gag? Quite possibly. Do I mind? Not one jot thank you very much; know me, know that I have a lot of love for the resurgence of the humble cassette format.

Anyway, I've worn them for a week now and sadly, owing to various time constraints, I wasn't able to compile TechRadar's full Nothing Headphone (1) review. However, I do share my colleague Matt Bolton's verdict and of course, that doesn't mean I have no further thoughts… the first being that the design here is a rare delight for the money.

Since the product has been under embargo until very recently, I've not been able to wear the Headphone (1) in public. But believe me, I cannot wait to do that. The transparent accents on the ear cups catch reflections and the light quite beautifully and there's a quirky, otherworldy-but-the-90s aesthetic to them. They remind me of Björk's 1997 All is Full of Love video – why wouldn't I want that?

(Image credit: Future)Nothing ventured, Nothing gained

So they look delightfully oddball, and you love to see it. They're also comfortable – for me, anyway, and I do wear glasses at work these days (see "old enough", above).

Furthermore, the Nothing X companion app is a joy. It's clean, it's stylish, it's easy to follow and it puts things like noise cancellation and head-tracked streaming-service agnostic spatial audio up front and center, exactly where you want those perks. Honestly, I love the app.

So where does it start to go wrong? My one minor gripe with the design is to do with the volume roller on the right ear cup. Don't get me wrong, I adore it; why has no other brand implemented anything even close, except for the Fairphone Fairbuds XL and Marshall Monitor III ANC, although both were different in that they were bijou joystick-style dials, rather than a roller?

No, my issue is the piped-in sound you hear when you use it. I know it's supposed to mimic a rotary watch bezel, but it's such a sweet, treble-centric whirr and so close to my delicate ear that it sets my teeth on edge (and there's no way to turn it off). In fact, even the power on buttons are a little sweet for my liking.

(Image credit: Future)Much ado about Nothing?

You're probably thinking: come on, this issue feels small-fry and you've already said you love the design, what's the big problem? And you'd be right: I think the bare bones here are truly exciting. Nothing goes its own way and I'm all for it. I've championed the Nothing Ear (a), the firm's triumphant third stab at earbuds, for over a year now.

The thing is, there's one key area where the Heaphone (1) don't quite pass muster at the level. Sonically, I pitted them against my trusty Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, and the circumaural soundstage of the P100 betters the Nothing option – something you hear straight away.

Nothing has gone to great lengths to tell us about the "custom 40 mm dynamic driver, built with high-linearity suspension and an 8.9 mm PU surround that moves air more freely than conventional PET materials" alongside a "nickel-plated diaphragm, including rim and dome".

Then, enter hi-fi giant KEF, which provided the rigorous tuning and testing of the headphones. And I think perhaps therein lies the rub. Nobody is challenging KEF's formidable audio chops, but maybe (just maybe) a modicum of function has had to be lost in the name of a finessed form?

KEF is a master of its trade, and clearly the intention here is serious, integrated, neutral and layered hi-fi sound. And this is very much on the way to being achieved – in fact, in acoustic mixes and with spatial audio deployed, I found admirable separation and insight. Sonically, they are not bad.

It's just that I've reviewed every set of Nothing earbuds to date, and I know the sound Carl Pei's company and its collaborative effort is capable of achieving, given a fresh iteration. The result here is a set of headphones that while relatively detailed, come off a little dynamically lean.

(Image credit: Future)If at first you don't succeed… 

Perhaps if the Headphone (1) release hadn't been so rigidly tied to the simultaneous unveiling of the Nothing Phone (3)? Perhaps if Nothing's design language hadn't been of such paramount importance, there may have been leeway to eke a little more out of the svelte drivers nestled in their much-adorned ear cups? I'm speculating – I am.

But I'm also urging Nothing and KEF to work more on this partnership, because this product as an inaugural effort is beautiful to me, and the sound is well on its way.

I listened to D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (I decided to give my Apple Music Replay All Time playlist a spin; a trip back to 2016 I'm not sure I needed) and while the vocals do dart out from shadowy corners in the mix, it's an all-together more immersive, dynamically agile listen when played through the cheaper Cambridge Audio rival.

Again, I want to urge Nothing to keep working on these. I truly admire the release of the Nothing Headphone (1) when most smartphone-centric firms are sticking to cheaper earbuds propositions alongside handsets. Case in point: Samsung, a heavy-hitter that hasn't launched a set of actual headphones in nearly 10 years, following mixed reviews for the 2014 Level Over and 2016 Level On.

In 2025, Nothing's got something here that could blow everything else away, and while the sound is not perfect yet, the design and feature-set is too good to shelve. Very few manufacturers ace a set of headphones at the very first time of asking, and to say that I eagerly await for the release of the Headphone (2) is an understatement.

(Image credit: Future)You may also like

• I'm an audio expert and these are the only 4 headphones and Bluetooth speakers I want to see in the Prime Day deals
• Everyone needs 5 pairs of headphones: these are the ones to buy
• See our pick of the best noise-cancelling headphones around

• Techland has discussed how the narrative is shaping up in Dying Light: The Beast
• The developer is doing away with branching choices
• This is in an effort to create a starting point for the series' future

Developer Techland will be stepping away from player-driven narrative choices for the upcoming Dying Light: The Beast. But it seems like there's going to be a very good reason for that, at least in relation to the game's returning protagonist - Kyle Crane.

In an interview with GamesRadar, Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektała explained: "We wanted this to be a canon entry into the series. We're looking back at what happened to Kyle Crane in the first game, and we want to tell the next chapter of the story."

"One thing that Dying Light: The Beast does is hint at the future of the series," he adds. "We really wanted to make sure that at the end of the game, Kyle Crane is where we want him to be, so that's why we decided to back down from the narrative choices of Dying Light 2."

Furthermore, it's likely that Techland is looking to shape the future of the Dying Light franchise with what happens at the conclusion of The Beast.

While he didn't drop any juicy story hints, Smektała told TechRadar Gaming: "We definitely have, I would say, some Marvel [style] post-credit scenes that hint at some things that are going to happen in the future."

Smektała also provided further context on the decision to move away from branching narrative choices, adding: "If we would have given the players agency in terms of how they want to shape the story, then it will be harder for us to have Kyle where we want him to be at the end of the game.

"So this is a very canonical Kyle story that answers everything that happens to him before and after the events of Dying Light."

You might also like...

• Steam's new performance overlay feature will help you monitor how your games are running
• Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 2 finally fixes the awful performance issues that have plagued PC players since day one
• If you're nostalgic for classic Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, you'll probably want to keep an eye on this modular guitar controller

• There will be a free Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade for Shadow Labyrinth
• The game will run at 4K 60fps on the Nintendo Switch 2
• It's available to pre-order now

Upcoming strange Pac-Man game Shadow Labyrinth will run at 4K 60 frames per second (fps) on Nintendo Switch 2 in docked mode thanks to a free Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack.

This was revealed as part of the most recent trailer for the game, which gave us a decent look at the Nintendo Switch 2 version in action. It also presented some side-by-side footage showing the Nintendo Switch version too, which seems to be running at a noticeably lower frame rate and resolution.

Both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions of the game are up for pre-order via the eShop, where they both cost $29.99 / £24.99. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack is also available to pre-order and is completely free.

Shadow Labyrinth was first revealed at The Game Awards 2024, with a subsequent appearance in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. A darker take on Pac-Man, the game is a 2D metroidvania adventure in which the protagonist Swordsman No. 8 explores a sinister maze accompanied by the familiar yellow Puck.

It features plenty of combat and traversal, but also a few elements directly inspired by the classic arcade Pac-Man gameplay. It's set to launch on July 18 this year and is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S in addition to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

You might also like...

• I've replaced my Switch OLED with a Nintendo Switch 2 for two weeks now - here are the biggest improvements I’ve noticed in my time with the new console
• Donkey Kong Bananza offers a no-holds-barred open world that encourages you to go bananas
• I’ve clocked up more than 60 hours in Mario Kart World – here are my 3 top tips for getting first place

• You can now edit texts sent from Android to iOS
• The change is part of the updated RCS standard
• Texts sent from iOS to Android can’t yet be edited, though

Sending text messages between an iPhone and an Android device has long been a pretty poor experience, with features like typing indicators and read receipts missing for years. That’s shifted in recent years thanks to the use of Rich Communication Services (RCS), and it’s bringing another benefit to your cross-platform chats.

In this case, that’s the ability to edit texts sent from an Android phone to an iPhone (via Android Authority). This feature appears to be rolling out gradually to Android users, so it’s not available to everyone just yet. But if it’s working for you, all you’ve got to do is long press on a sent message, then tap the pencil icon, make your adjustments and save your message.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work the other way around – that is, texts sent from an iPhone to an Android device cannot be edited. Presumably, Apple will need to update its Messages app to add support for this functionality.

You’ve been able to edit texts sent between iPhones for years, and messages going from one Android device to another have been editable when using RCS for about twelve months. But although editable messages are now part of RCS, companies like Apple and Google need to support the feature – which is why it’s not available in iOS right now.

Slowly adding support

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tada Images )

Apple has been reluctant to support RCS for a long time, partly because it previously offered much weaker encryption than Apple’s iMessage platform, which is end-to-end encrypted. However, the change that introduced editable texts to RCS has now also brought forth end-to-end encryption, which might help to smooth things over with Apple.

The rollout of editable messages also hasn’t been entirely pain-free. While edited messages appear as normal on Android (with a small “Edited” timestamp underneath them), they behave differently in iOS. There, iPhone users see a second message preceded by an asterisk, doubling up the number of texts on their screen.

Both Apple and Google gave their support to cross-platform RCS messages earlier this year, so we’re hoping that these bugs and oddities will be ironed out in due course. For now, though, the situation when texting across phone platforms has been improved, even if only in one small way.

You might also like

• Apple will finally enable encrypted RCS messages between iOS and Android, and it's about time
• What is RCS messaging? The iMessage rival and SMS text replacement explained
• Hell freezes over – Apple to support RCS messages from Android phones next year

• The iPhone 17 Air will apparently be just 5.5mm thick
• That's even slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
• However, it now looks very likely to only have one rear camera

The iPhone 17 Air is a rumored phone that – no matter what else might be good or bad about it – will in large part be judged on how slim it is. After all, being slim appears to be its entire USP. And on that front, it could be a success.

In a new YouTube video, FrontPageTech (via NotebookCheck) has claimed that the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.5mm thick, which would make it even slimmer than the 5.8mm thick Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. While that’s only a 0.3mm difference, this could still be a big win for Apple, since the S25 Edge would be this rumored phone’s main competitor, and is also sold on being slim.

Of course, we’d take this thickness claim with a pinch of salt, especially as FrontPageTech has a mixed track record. But lately they’ve been right more often than they’ve been wrong, and this leak is broadly in line with previous iPhone 17 Air leaks – though one puts it at a slightly slimmer 5.44mm and another at a marginally thicker 5.65mm. In all cases though, leaks suggest it will have Samsung’s rival phone beat on that front.

Compromised cameras and a Plus-level price

However, the iPhone 17 Air probably won’t have the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge beat in every other way, as this latest leak – among many others – suggests the iPhone 17 Air will have just a single 48MP camera. That’s in contrast to a dual-lens camera on the S25 Edge, consisting of both a 200MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. So it seems Apple is probably prioritizing thinness over photography.

Other specs have also been leaked here, and again largely echo what we’ve heard before. This includes an A19 – but not A19 Pro – chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a 6.6-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The video also highlights the battery, saying that Apple will use one with a silicon anode, in order to achieve a higher density than would otherwise be possible, and that this – coupled with an efficient modem and chipset – could mean the iPhone 17 Air will last almost as long as the base iPhone 17, despite the limited space for a battery.

Finally, the video touches on price, stating that the iPhone 17 Air will cost roughly the same amount as the iPhone 16 Plus – a phone that starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599. This too is in line with multiple previous leaks.

We should find out whether this is all correct or not in September, as that's when the iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch – alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 series.

You might also like

• The foldable iPhone’s cameras might leave it trailing behind the Galaxy Z Fold 7
• The iPhone 17 Pro’s rumored camera bar looks much better than before in new dummy unit photos
• iPhone 17 Pro again tipped to get a vapor chamber – here's why that'd be a big deal

Even with today’s vast arsenal of cybersecurity tools and AI-enhanced threat detection, attackers continue to succeed – not because the technology is failing, but because the human link in the defensive chain remains exposed. Cybercriminals almost always take the path of least resistance to execute a breach, which often means targeting people rather than a system.

According to McKinsey, a staggering 91% of cyberattacks have less to do with technology, and more to do with manipulating and taking advantage of human behavior. In other words, despite technologies like AI advancing at break-neck speed, cybercriminals are still more likely to hack people than machines.

From a cybercriminal’s perspective, this makes sense. It’s the path of least resistance. Why spend resources hacking your way through a high-tech, AI-secured front door when there’s an open window around the back? This isn’t news to CISOs – according to a 2024 IBM survey, almost three-quarters (74%) now identify human vulnerability as their top security risk. They’re aware of the open window, and now they’re trying to secure it.

Easier said than done

That’s easier said than done, however. Whether it’s a well-timed phishing email, a spoofed call, a deepfake video, or a barrage of authentic-seeming push notifications designed to wear down a user’s judgment, attackers are adapting faster than defenses can compensate.

The reality is that while security vendors race to outpace attackers with smarter algorithms and tighter controls, the tactics that most reliably lead to breaches are psychological, not technical. Threat actors are exploiting trust, fatigue, social norms, and behavioral shortcuts – tactics far more subtle and effective than brute-force code.

It’s not a lack of technology leaving organizations vulnerable to these techniques, it’s a lack of alignment between those tools and the way people actually think and operate. In fast-paced, high-pressure environments, employees don’t have the bandwidth to second-guess every request or scrutinize every prompt.

They rely on instincts, familiarity, and patterns they’ve learned to trust. But those very instincts are what attackers hijack, turning help desk tickets into access exploits, or mimicked CFOs into multi-million-dollar heists. As generative AI accelerates the realism and reach of these tactics, organizations face a critical question: not just how to keep the bad actors out, but how to better equip their people within. Because when breaches hinge on human decisions, cybersecurity isn’t just a technology issue – it’s a human one.

Trust, bias, and the psychology of security breaches

Human behavior is a vulnerability, but it’s also a predictable pattern. Our brains are wired for efficiency, not scrutiny, which makes us remarkably easy to manipulate under the right conditions. Attackers know this and design their exploits accordingly. They play on urgency to override caution, impersonate authority figures to disarm skepticism, and drip-feed small requests to trigger consistency bias. These tactics are ruthlessly calculated, and they work not because people are careless, but because they’re human.

In early 2024, a finance worker at a Hong Kong firm was tricked into transferring $25 million after attending a video call with what appeared to be the company’s CFO and other colleagues – each one a convincing AI-generated deepfake. The attackers used publicly available footage to clone faces and voices, creating a seamless illusion that exploited trust and familiarity with devastating effect.

The eye-opening part is that these deepfake tools are now readily available. Modern social engineering doesn’t rely on obvious red flags. The emails aren’t riddled with typos, and the impersonations don’t sound robotic. Thanks to generative AI, deepfake technology, and access to vast training data, attackers can now create incredibly convincing personas that mirror the tone, behavior, and language of trusted colleagues. In this environment, even the most well-trained employee can fall victim without fault.

Heuristics – mental shortcuts – are frequently exploited by attackers who know what to look for. “Authority bias” leads people to follow instructions from perceived leaders, like a spoofed email from a CEO. The “scarcity principle” ramps up pressure by creating false urgency, making employees feel they must act immediately.

And “reciprocity bias” plays on basic social instincts – once someone has received a seemingly benign gesture, they’re more likely to respond positively to a follow-up request, even if it’s malicious. What so often looks like a lapse in judgment is often just an expected outcome of cognitive overload and the common, everyday use of heuristics.

Where policy meets psychology

Traditional identity and access management (IAM) strategies tend to assume that users will behave predictably and rationally – that they’ll scrutinize every prompt, question every anomaly, and follow policy to the letter. But the reality inside most organizations is far messier. People work quickly, switch contexts constantly, and are bombarded with notifications, tasks, and requests.

If security controls feel too rigid or burdensome, users will find workarounds. If prompts are too frequent, they’ll be ignored. This is how good policy gets undermined – not out of negligence, but because the design of the system clashes with the psychology of its users. Good security mechanisms shouldn’t add friction; they should seamlessly guide users towards better choices.

Applying principles like Zero Trust, least privilege, and just-in-time access can dramatically reduce exposure, but only if they’re implemented in ways that account for cognitive load and context. Automation can help here: granting and revoking access based on dynamic risk signals, time of day, or role changes without requiring users to constantly make judgment calls.

Done right, identity management becomes an invisible safety net, quietly adapting in the background, rather than demanding constant interaction. Humans shouldn’t be removed from the loop, but they should be freed from the burden to catching what the system should already detect.

Building a security culture

Technology may enforce access policies, but culture determines whether people follow them. Building a secure organization has to be about more than simply enforcing compliance. That starts with security training that goes beyond phishing drills and password hygiene to address how people actually think and react under pressure. Employees need to recognize their own cognitive biases, understand how they’re being targeted, and feel empowered – not penalized – for slowing down and asking questions.

Equally important is removing unnecessary friction. When access controls are intuitive, context-aware, and minimally disruptive, users are more likely to engage with them properly. Role-based and attribute-based access models, combined with just-in-time permissions, help reduce overprovisioning without creating frustrating bottlenecks in the form of pop-ups and interruptions. In other words, modern IAM systems need to support and empower employees rather than make them constantly jump through hoops to get from one app or window to another.

The human firewall isn’t going anywhere

The biggest takeaway here is that cybersecurity isn’t just a test of systems, AI-driven or not – it’s a test of people. The human firewall is arguably an organization’s biggest weakness, but with the right tools and policies in place, it can become its greatest strength. Our goal should not be to eliminate human error or change the innate nature of humans, but to design identity systems that make secure behavior the default – easy, intuitive, and frictionless.

We list the best employee recognition software.

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

Full spoilers immediately follow for Ironheart.

Ironheart has disengaged its thrusters. Its final three episodes landed on July 1 or 2 (depending on where you live), with the trio's arrival marking the end of the Marvel TV show's run on Disney+.

Or does it? The last Marvel Phase 5 project's finale is full of unresolved plot threads that suggest Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) and Parker Robbins' (Anthony Ramos) stories have only just begun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Throw in the debut of a long-awaited Marvel villain and other interesting tidbits that might impact the MCU moving forward, and Ironheart could be more important to the MCU than we realized.

But enough babbling. Let's take a look at the biggest questions you have about Ironheart's ending and I'll do my best to answer them.

Who plays Mephisto in Ironheart? And what is he, exactly?

The demon lord known as Mephisto in Marvel Comics has finally made his MCU debut (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Let's address the second question first because it's easier to answer: Mephisto is played by Sacha Baron Cohen – he of Borat, Ali G, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 fame – in the MCU.

Cohen's appearance won't shock some MCU devotees. He was first linked with the role of Mephisto in October 2022 – those reports arriving 18 months after Marvel fans had convinced themselves Mephisto would be unveiled as primary antagonist of WandaVision. As it happened, Agatha Harkness was that show's Big Bad. Nonetheless, fans have longed for the day that Mephisto would finally make his bow in Marvel's cinematic juggernaut.

As for who (or what) Mephisto is: he's Marvel Comics' takes on Mephistopheles, the demon lord who appears in the Germanic fable Faust. Mephisto is also an alias of The Devil, aka the mythical personification of evil who lauds it over the realm known as Hell in many religions.

Mephisto's true form can be seen in a easily-missed shot when he taps a teaspoon on the side of a cup of coffee (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

But back to Marvel's take on Mephisto. First introduced in comic book 'Silver Surfer #3' in December 1968, the demonic entity is a recurring adversary of The Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man in Marvel literature, although he's also crossed paths with Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, Scarlet Witch, and myriad other Marvel heroes and villains.

He's most famous for being responsible for the demise of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's marriage, too. Indeed, in the incredibly divisive 2000s comic story 'Spider-Man: One More Day', Mephisto made a deal with the pair to save Aunt May's life in exchange for the formal union of their love, which infuriated long-time fans of the webslinger.

Abilities wise, Mephisto is unsurprisingly one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He possesses all of the usual superhuman powers, but it's his ability to shapeshift, foresee events before they transpire, and prey on people's biggest fears and/or their trauma that makes him such a threat.

It's the latter of those skills, coupled with his vast magical powers, that enables him to warp reality, and to manipulate people and bargain with them for something they want. Usually, the trade-off is the other individual's soul, which Mephisto takes ownership of once a deal is formally agreed.

Okay, so what's the deal with him first appearing in Ironheart? He's the individual who rescues Parker Robbins after the latter and Cousin John's unsuccessful break-in at the home of Parker's dad. Then, he convinces Parker to strike a deal: Mephisto will gift him a dark magic-infused hooded cloak – so Parker can commit petty crimes and make himself rich – in exchange for Parker's soul.

Who dies in Ironheart?

Ironheart performs the rare feat of bringing someone back from the dead (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Nobody. The eponymous hero survives, as do Anthony Ramos' villain in Parker Robbins/The Hood and Alden Ehrenreich's secondary antagonist Zeke Stane.

In fact, Ironheart pulls a reverse Uno card, and brings someone back from the dead. After she defeats The Hood by taking away the source of his powers (aka his cloak), Riri heads for the exit of Desperito's, aka the dilapidated pizza restaurant that The Hood turned into his hideout.

On the way, though, she bumps into Mephisto, who cajoles her into becoming his next victim. Mephisto makes a deal with Riri to revive Natalie Washington (Lyric Ross). Remember, Natalie is Riri's best friend, who was killed in a drive-by shooting years ago, and who N.A.T.A.L.I.E, the artificial intelligence Riri creates, is based on.

In return, Mephisto gets Riri's soul. Indeed, after Riri shakes hands with Mephisto, we're privy to a highly emotional reunion between Riri and the reborn Natalie. However, as the pair hug, Riri's right forearm gets covered by the same fire-esque skin markings that adorned Parker's body every time he used his cloak and/or powers.

With Riri's soul now seemingly bound to Mephisto, it'll be fascinating to see when she realizes this is the case, and if her and/or Natalie sacrifice the latter's second chance at life to free Riri of the pact that this flawed hero has made.

Does Ironheart have a mid-credits or post-credits scene?

Parker and Zelma meet in Stanton's in Ironheart's mid-credits scene (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Yes and no. Ironheart has a mid-credits stinger, but there's no end-credits scene to stick around for.

Where the former is concerned, we see the now-cloakless Parker visit Stanton's. That's the confectionary shop that's a front for the Stanton family, who deal with the mystical and the occult.

Anyway, upon entering the store, Parker is greeted by Zelma Stanton (read my Ironheart cast and character guide for more on her), who rattles off the welcome spiel we first heard in episode 4. Parker, though, immediately sees through Zelma's facade, and informs her that he knows about the stuff in the back – i.e., the magical trinkets and knowledge in the Stantons' possession. Parker then tells Zelma he's looking for someone more "experienced" and "supreme" than she is before the screen cuts to black.

Clearly, Parker is interested in finding one of two individuals: Stephen Strange, aka Doctor Strange, or the current Sorcerer Supreme/Master of the Mystic Arts in MCU fan-favorite Wong. Considering that Strange is off-world dealing with the fallout from Doctor Strange 2, I suspect Parker wants to find Wong to learn more about magic. Will it be for the right reasons because he's turned over a new leaf in his life, or does he seek more knowledge of dark magic in order to exact revenge on Riri and Mephisto? Who knows – but this isn't the last we've seen of Parker.

Will there be an Ironheart season 2? And how could it set up Marvel's Strange Academy TV show?

I'd be surprised if Ironheart gets a second season (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

We don't know. Unlike their big-screen offerings – read my articles on how to watch the Marvel movies in order and the best Marvel movies while you're here – Marvel rarely tells us if a show's lead character will return in a second season once its final end credits sequence has rolled. The only time I can remember the comic giant doing so was with season 1 of Loki, with a mid-credits stinger stating "Loki will return in season 2".

The Tom Hiddleston-starring series aside, Marvel has only renewed three other shows: Daredevil: Born Again, whose second season is currently in development, and animated offerings Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and What If...?. The former's sophomore season is also in active development, while the latter ran for three seasons between 2022 and 2024.

The chances of Ironheart season 2 being greenlit, then, aren't too high. Sure, its 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes suggest it should be, but its mixed audience rating indicates that general viewers wouldn't be devastated if a second season isn't forthcoming.

In my view, it's far more likely that Williams, Robbins, and/or Mephisto will show up in other MCU projects. Williams could be part of the cast for Marvel's long-rumored Young Avengers project. Based on Ironheart's mid-credits scene, Robbins could show up in another rumored Disney+ show called Strange Academy, which could star Benedict Wong's Sorcerer Supreme and explore the Mystic Arts in more detail. As for Mephisto, given his shared history with Spider-Man, would it be too much to ask for a cameo in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Probably, but stranger things have happened.

You might also like

• I watched Ironheart on Disney+, and Marvel and Ryan Coogler have conjured up a magical show that falls just short of being iconic
• 'It changed our release plan': Ironheart producers explain why it's taken so long to come out on Disney+
• These are the best Disney+ shows to stream today

Modern IT systems are awash with a constant flow of data providing information on system performance and security. This data is crucial for IT professionals looking to keep IT infrastructures running smoothly.

The snag is, with so much information available, it’s almost impossible to decipher what’s routine and what potentially could pose a threat. Trying to figure out the digital wheat from the chaff requires more than just visibility. It requires increasingly sophisticated systems that can interpret, prioritize and act—not simply collect information.

Unfortunately, most observability tools today don’t work this way. They generate alerts, log events and surface anomalies. And while technology is improving all the time, they don’t always understand what’s happening or how to respond.

Take a typical global enterprise running a hybrid architecture. It may have critical applications that are spread across multiple cloud providers, while also relying on on-premise legacy systems. Together, these systems are shepherded by dozens of monitoring tools generating thousands of alerts every day.

Some are false positives. Others are minor policy breaches. But lurking somewhere in the noise is a genuine security incident. And by the time it’s spotted… well, it could be too late.

Observability is becoming more intelligent

What’s missing isn’t just more tools or greater visibility. It requires a new, highly sophisticated level of observability—one that works more like a human brain with the ability to filter out noise, recognize what matters and trigger the right response at the right time. What’s needed is something intelligent that can ’think’ for itself.

Part of the reason why this is needed is because IT teams have tended to invest in separate tools that often have little contextual awareness. That means it’s up to the human members of IT teams to bridge the gaps, deciding whether an alert is serious, identifying the root cause and initiating the right response. In fast-moving environments, these human assessments can take time which, in turn, adds to the risk.

An intelligent observability system, on the other hand, would do more than simply monitor for known issues. It would detect anomalies in real time using context-aware monitoring, then assess the severity and likely impact based on both the technical and business relevance and risk.

Rather than treating every signal the same, it would prioritize based on urgency and risk, helping teams focus on what truly matters.

Crucially, it would also support automation, enabling routine fixes or containment measures to be initiated. And instead of splitting insight across multiple disconnected views, it would bring together data from on-premises and cloud environments in a single, cohesive picture.

This kind of system doesn’t just monitor IT systems and networks. It has total oversight and is ready to act when needed.

So, how close are we?

The good news is that progress is being made. AI-driven observability is moving from aspiration to implementation. Anomaly detection based on behavioral baselines is becoming more accessible, helping teams distinguish real issues from false alarms. Alert correlation and intelligent escalation paths are improving, reducing alert fatigue and bringing the right signals to the right people at the right time.

Some observability platforms, including those being developed at SolarWinds, are already combining monitoring, analysis and response into more cohesive workflows. Integration across hybrid environments remains a challenge, but the building blocks for intelligent observability are now in place.

What’s still missing, though, is the kind of full-system intelligence that can replicate the nuance of human decision-making. Most observability tools still rely on thresholds, templates, or predefined rules. True context-awareness—the ability to understand why something is happening and what to do next—is still emerging. But the direction of travel is clear.

Why this matters now

According to a recent SolarWinds AI and Observability report focused on the public sector, three-quarters of respondents said hybrid environments were hard to manage. Top concerns included data protection, integration complexity and a lack of visibility across systems.

Managing this complexity is made harder by the reality that observability tools are often siloed—one for cloud, another for on-prem, with separate platforms for detection, logging and remediation.

Security only adds to the unpredictability. In the same report, more than half of IT professionals said insider mistakes were contributing to serious threats, while 59% highlighted increasingly sophisticated attacks from external actors. The rise of generative AI means those external threats are becoming more scalable and targeted, increasing the strain on overstretched IT teams.

Which is why the key is not to add even more tools but to reduce complexity, improve visibility and act with intelligence and speed. An observability system that functions more like a brain does exactly that, because IT systems need to do more than observe. They need to understand.

We list the best small and medium business (SMB) firewall software.

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

Looking for reliable internet service in Utah? Here are the top picks from our broadband experts.

Marvel did its Marvel thing again.

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 2.

• Report finds business AI adoption is exploding, but most companies are skipping the hard work of preparation
• Leadership teams are failing to align on AI priorities, leaving strategies fractured and confused
• AI is only as good as the data behind it, and most data strategies are missing

The surge in artificial intelligence adoption has sparked comparisons to the cloud boom of the past decade, but while usage is growing rapidly, understanding remains shallow, new research has claimed.

A Hostinger report found almost 80% of companies now use or plan to use AI, but a seperate Adecco Group report claims only 10% of C-suite leaders believe their organizations are fully ready for the disruption AI brings.

Among the estimated 359 million companies worldwide, about 280 million now integrate AI into at least one function.

AI adoption accelerates, but strategy and structure lag behind

A growing number of small businesses are turning to the best AI tools to handle tasks like writing emails, analyzing data, or generating content.

Larger companies may build out full teams for implementation, but smaller firms are quietly transforming operations using lean, sometimes improvised, approaches.

Still, readiness doesn’t follow adoption, and there is a worrying gap in strategy, as although 60% of leaders expect workers to update their skills, 34% of companies have no formal AI policy.

Adecco found over half of CEOs admit their teams struggle to align on priorities, and only a third of businesses are investing in data infrastructure that would help close these gaps.

However, a small group of “future-ready” companies is building more responsive strategies by supporting continuous learning and relying on enterprise-wide insight to shape their AI direction.

Adecco’s CEO, Denis Machuel, puts it plainly: “AI-driven transformation must be human-centric.”

Many companies rush into AI adoption without understanding what differentiates them, resulting in scattered or redundant projects.

“Without enterprise-wide insight, AI efforts become siloed and misaligned. Enterprise Architecture can help focus AI initiatives on what truly sets a company apart,” Stendera explains.

By mapping their unique strengths and workflows, organizations can guide AI deployments that reinforce strategic priorities rather than dilute them.

AI depends not just on investment, but on introspection, and it is not a magic fix - and if companies do not understand what they need from AI, they won’t know how to use it, and the result will be catastrophic.

You might also like

• Check out the best AI phones on the market
• Here is our list of the best AI website builders on the web
• This AI tool claims to boost student grades by 15% using a 2400-year-old technique

An MIT study found that using gen AI to write an essay kind of defeated the purpose of writing an essay.

Planes equipped with Starlink now get enough internet speed for online gaming, videoconferencing and 4K video streaming.

• Streams 4K video, backs up your phone, and still skips cloud storage entirely
• The TerraMaster F4 SSD promises home privacy, but may offload all maintenance responsibility onto the user
• Up to 32TB of SSD speed sounds impressive, but your router might bottleneck it

As local storage continues to evolve, some brands now offer compact network-attached systems that emphasize privacy, speed, and media versatility.

The TerraMaster F4 SSD provides support for up to 32TB of SSD storage using four 8TB SSDs, and supports file systems such as EXT4, BTRFS, exFAT, and NTFS.

It bypasses the need for cloud-based platforms by incorporating hardware-level encryption and data segregation for over 20 user accounts.

Performance metrics meet household use cases

The device is powered by a quad-core ARM-based Rockchip RK3568 processor clocked at up to 2.0GHz, with hardware decoding support for H.264 and H.265 codecs and resolutions up to 4K@60fps.

It also features 8GB of DDR4 RAM, expandable to 32GB using two SODIMM slots.

Network capabilities include a 2.5GbE port and a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface, while HDMI 2.0 offers 4K display output.

TerraMaster F4 SSD can also stream to TVs and tablets using standard protocols like uPnP and DLNA, and support for media servers such as Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby suggests it will be compatible with the majority of home setups.

The F4 SSD is built around a 5G Ethernet port, reportedly offering speeds up to five times faster than standard Gigabit connections, supporting high-throughput scenarios.

However, in practical terms, users will likely be limited by the speed of their broader home network, not just the NAS hardware.

Software features include backup tools (including cloud sync and snapshot), AI photo management, VPN server, and remote access via TNAS.online, which enables downloads and uploads through the cloud.

Security features include TRAID, a flexible array system that optimizes space while providing redundancy.

It also supports RAID 0/1/5/6/10, JBOD, and includes tools such as S.M.A.R.T., bad block scan, SSD trim, and hot spare management.

TerraMaster’s SPC control system is another layer that restricts app access based on verified permissions.

The F4 SSD also allows bi-directional syncing with cloud platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox.

This hybrid capability, while useful, may seem counterintuitive in a product designed to replace cloud reliance.

The NAS also features tool-free SSD installation with a drawer-style enclosure, making drive upgrades accessible to beginners.

Cooling is handled by a quiet convection fan system, reportedly keeping standby noise around 19dB, like the TerraMaster D4 SSD. Such silence may be beneficial in noise-sensitive environments like home studios or bedrooms.

The system operates on TOS 6.0 and supports up to 128 user accounts, 128 user groups, and 8 shared folder sync tasks.

This makes it suitable for advanced home users or small studios needing high-speed, private data access.

The TerraMaster F4 SSD is ambitious in scope, but its value will depend on whether users make full use of its features.

Via TechPowerUp

You might also like

• These are the fastest SSDs you buy right now
• Take a look at some of the best external hard drives
• Acer is giving away $240 worth of Google goodies for free with its Chromebooks

Tuesday night's aurora is expected to be stronger than Wednesday's.

The company is also upgrading its entire fleet with a new generative AI model.

• Experts warn emails sent with sensitive data are still getting delivered unencrypted, and no one gets notified
• Microsoft 365 sends email in plain text when encryption fails, without alerting the user at all
• Google Workspace still uses insecure TLS 1.0 and 1.1 without warning senders or rejecting messages

Most users assume that emails sent through cloud services are encrypted and secure by default, but this might not always be the case, new research has claimed.

A report from Paubox found Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace both mishandle these failures in ways that leave messages exposed, without notifying the sender or logging the failure.

“Using obsolete encryption provides a false sense of security because it seems as though sensitive data is protected, even though it really is not,” Paubox said.

Default settings quietly undermine encryption

The problem isn’t just a technical edge case; it stems from how these platforms are designed to operate under common conditions.

Google Workspace, the report found, will fall back to delivering messages using TLS 1.0 or 1.1 if the receiving server only supports those outdated protocols.

Microsoft 365 refuses to use deprecated TLS, but instead of bouncing the email or alerting the sender, it sends the message in plain text.

In both cases, the email is delivered, and no warning is issued.

These behaviors pose serious compliance risks, as in 2024, Microsoft 365 accounted for 43% of healthcare-related email breaches.

Meanwhile, 31.1% of breached healthcare entities had TLS misconfigurations, despite many of these organizations using “force TLS” settings to meet compliance requirements.

But as Paubox notes, forcing TLS does not guarantee encryption using secure versions like TLS 1.2 or 1.3, and fails silently when those conditions are not met.

The consequences of silent encryption failures are far-reaching - healthcare providers routinely send Protected Health Information (PHI) over email, assuming tools like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer strong protections.

In reality, neither platform enforces modern encryption when failures occur, and both risk violating HIPAA safeguards without detection.

Federal guidelines, including those from the NSA in the US, have long warned against TLS 1.0 and 1.1 due to vulnerabilities and downgrade risks.

Yet Google still allows delivery over those protocols, while Microsoft sends unencrypted emails without flagging the issue.

Both paths lead to invisible compliance failures - in one documented breach, Solara Medical Supplies paid more than $12 million after unencrypted emails exposed over 114,000 patient records.

Cases like this show why even the best FWAAS or ZTNA solution must work in concert with visible, enforceable encryption policies across all communication channels.

“Confidence without clarity is what gets organizations breached,” Paubox concluded.

You might also like

• These are the best VPNs with antivirus that you can use right now
• Take a look at our pick of the best internet security suites available
• China-backed "LapDogs" hackers hijacked hundreds of devices