Technology

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 15.

• Outdated tech stacks are more than annoying; they're driving top developers out of the industry
• Developers tie their identity to tech stacks, and they’re quitting when they feel embarrassed by them
• Modern innovation can’t happen when devs are trapped in outdated frameworks and dead-end systems

A growing number of developers are rethinking their careers due to outdated and inefficient technology stacks, new research has claimed.

A survey by Storyblok revealed over half (58%) of senior developers at medium to large companies reveal are considering quitting their jobs because of "inadequate and ‘embarrassing’ legacy tech stacks."

Among all participants, 86% said they feel embarrassed by their current tech stack, with nearly a quarter citing legacy systems as the primary reason.

Legacy tech takes a toll on developer morale

Excessive technical debt and reliance on outdated libraries and frameworks were also major contributors to their dissatisfaction.

Developers take their tech environment personally. An overwhelming 74% said their tech stack has a "significant" impact on their professional identity, while 19.5% went further, saying it actually "defined" them. Only 2.5% reported feeling indifferent.

This deep personal connection may help explain why 73% said they know at least one colleague who has quit in the past year due to frustrations with their tech stack.

When asked to identify the biggest issues with their current stack, 51% pointed to a lack of core functionality. Another 47% highlighted maintenance challenges, while 31% expressed concern about limited compatibility with modern innovations such as AI.

Only 14% of respondents said they had nothing to be embarrassed about.

The situation is equally troubling when it comes to content management systems. Outdated CMS platforms were cited as major blockers, with 67.5% of developers saying their current CMS holds them back from doing their best work.

Almost half described this as a "constant" obstacle, and only 4% felt their CMS was fit for purpose.

To retain developers, employers may have to choose between costly pay increases or systemic change. The survey found that 92% of developers would require at least a 10% pay rise to remain in their current roles under existing tech conditions, while 42% said they’d need a 20% increase. Meanwhile, 15% said they would expect more than a 25% bump.

“Outdated tech stacks are making your developers unhappy to the point of quitting. Pay rises are a short-term fix... If you want to bring joy back into your development team, you need to commit to a modernization roadmap,” said Alexander Feiglstorfer, CTO and Co-Founder of Storyblok.

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• Matrox returns with dual-GPU card built for synchronized multi-display setups
• A380 Octal supports up to eight 5K screens and high-end audio
• Quad version offers fewer outputs, less power, for simpler installations

One of Nvidia’s earliest rivals, Matrox was well known in the 1990s for its high-quality graphics cards.

Although it eventually moved away from the mainstream gaming market, the company has remained active in professional and multi-display environments, including supplying display systems for the Sphere, the massive music and entertainment venue just off the Las Vegas Strip.

Now, Matrox is preparing to release a new dual-GPU graphics card aimed at powering video walls and multi-display setups.

Up to four 8K displays

The upcoming Matrox LUMA Pro A380 Octal features two Intel Arc A380E GPUs and eight Mini DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, allowing it to drive up to four 8K displays or eight 5K screens at once.

The A380 Octal is a single-slot PCIe 4.0 x16 card and includes 12GB of GDDR6 memory, with a 130W power requirement and active cooling.

Supported APIs include DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.3, and OpenCL 3.0, making it compatible with a wide range of professional software environments. Matrox’s PowerDesk software and its Mura Developer tools are also supported.

In terms of capabilities, the card can deliver high-definition video across eight synchronized displays, including support for HDR, VESA DSC compression, Adaptive Sync, and HDCP 2.3. The maximum bit depth reaches up to 36 bits per pixel. Users can also stream multi-channel high-definition audio through four digital outputs.

According to Matrox, two cards can be used in a single system and can be frame-locked for synchronized output.

A second model in the lineup, the A380 Quad, offers similar features with a single GPU, 6GB of memory, and four full-sized DisplayPort connectors instead of eight Mini DisplayPorts. The Quad model draws less power and is aimed at less demanding applications.

There’s no word on pricing or availability for either model. Matrox lists them only as “coming soon.”

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• Report warns a college degree no longer guarantees skilled work in today’s AI-powered global job economy
• Remote jobs, once seen as offering freedom, now trap professionals in cycles of digital underemployment
• Middle-level professionals are taking side gigs to survive while tech roles remain out of reach

The global job market is undergoing a profound transformation as remote work, economic disparities, and digital labor migration reshape employment trends across borders.

A new survey by Global Work AI has now revealed underemployment is no longer confined to local economies or immigrant populations - instead, it is spreading across the global remote work landscape, where educational attainment no longer guarantees job relevance or economic security.

After analyzing data from over 5 million users, the platform found that “qualified specialists actively seek unskilled jobs,” including roles in data entry, customer service, and assistant positions, even though 62.75% of job seekers have completed higher education.

The paradox of qualifications in a globalized job market

Demographic data shows that women account for more than 70% of users on the platform, while men represent just under 30%, and millennials and late Zoomers (ages 25 to 40) comprise nearly two-thirds of all job seekers.

The majority of users are mid-level professionals, making up 30.37%, compared to 7.38% junior staff and just 3.47% executives.

“Mid-level specialists are among the most vulnerable employees,” the report notes, adding that recent layoffs have pushed many toward side gigs and project-based work to sustain their income.

The report also highlights that remote work opportunities have fueled digital labor migration, particularly from emerging economies to wealthier nations.

Professionals in countries like Nigeria, India, and the Philippines are using their English-language skills to secure jobs in English-speaking countries, often earning significantly more than they would domestically.

For example, a highly experienced dentist in Nigeria might earn around $1,885 per month (or less than $400 in many cases), while a remote data entry job for a U.S.-based company could pay over $4,000.

Still, this shift is not uniform. High-HDI countries such as the U.S., U.K., and Canada generally show a preference for domestic remote roles.

In contrast, middle-HDI countries like Mexico and Colombia exhibit strong interest in remote opportunities but largely focus on internal markets.

Countries with strong native-language dominance tend to have lower rates of digital migration.

Even with access to the best job sites or the CV builders, many professionals are being forced to downgrade their ambitions.

This trend raises critical questions about the future of work: What does skill mean in a globalized economy? Can professional credentials alone guard against systemic underemployment? And most importantly, what does this evolving landscape mean for long-term career prospects?

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The tournament gets underway at Hard Rock Stadium with the Egyptians taking on Lionel Messi and company.

Happy Father's Day to me.

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• Zinwa Q25 revives BlackBerry Classic with modern hardware and software
• Original screen and keyboard remain in this updated 2025 Android phone
• Q20 Conversion kit and full Q25 handset both expected to ship in August

Chinese company Zinwa Technologies is preparing to bring back the BlackBerry Classic (also known as the Q20) with updated internals under the name Zinwa Q25 (because we’re in 2025).

The phone will feature new hardware while maintaining many of the original iconic components, including the 720x720 touchscreen, physical keyboard, LED notification light, and outer shell.

This project aims to blend the nostalgic BlackBerry form factor with modern smartphone capabilities.

(Image credit: Zinwa Technologies)Upgraded internals

Fortunately, inside, Zinwa is replacing the original internals with a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 256GB of UFS 2.x storage. The battery is also getting an upgrade to 3,000mAh, and the camera system includes a 50MP rear sensor and an 8MP front-facing camera.

The Q25 will run Android 13 out of the box, but there are no plans to upgrade to Android 14 or later. That said, Zinwa does plan to provide regular updates to address bugs and add minor features.

The company will ship the Q25 with NFC, USB-C, a headphone jack, MicroSD card support, and a single SIM slot. The modem in the new motherboard supports all global 4G LTE bands, making the phone compatible with most networks worldwide.

In an interview with the YouTube channel Returning Retro (which you can watch below), Zinwa said the updated trackpad will function like the original, acting as both a cursor and directional pad, depending on the mode selected.

The Zinwa Q25 will be available fully assembled for $400 or as a $300 conversion kit for users who already own a BlackBerry Classic and prefer to retrofit it themselves.

Both the kit and the completed device are expected to ship in early August 2025.

Zinwa has also confirmed it is working on similar refreshes of the BlackBerry KEYone and Passport, with future models possibly named K25 and P26 respectively.

Via Notebookcheck

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• Attackers use real Google URLs to sneak malware past antivirus and into your browser undetected
• This malware only activates during checkout, making it a silent threat to online payments
• The script opens a WebSocket connection for live control, completely invisible to the average user

A new browser-based malware campaign has surfaced, demonstrating how attackers are now exploiting trusted domains like Google.com to bypass traditional antivirus defenses.

A report from security researchers at c/side, this method is subtle, conditionally triggered, and difficult for both users and conventional security software to detect.

It appears to originate from a legitimate OAuth-related URL, but covertly executes a malicious payload with full access to the user's browser session.

Malware hidden in plain sight

The attack begins with a script embedded in a compromised Magento-based ecommerce site which references a seemingly harmless Google OAuth logout URL: https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/revoke.

However, this URL includes a manipulated callback parameter, which decodes and runs an obfuscated JavaScript payload using eval(atob(...)).

The use of Google’s domain is central to the deception - because the script loads from a trusted source, most content security policies (CSPs) and DNS filters allow it through without question.

This script only activates under specific conditions. If the browser appears automated or the URL includes the word “checkout,” it silently opens a WebSocket connection to a malicious server. This means it can tailor malicious behavior to user actions.

Any payload sent through this channel is base64-encoded, decoded, and executed dynamically using JavaScript’s Function constructor.

The attacker can remotely run code in the browser in real time with this setup.

One of the primary factors influencing this attack's efficacy is its ability to evade many of the best antivirus programs currently on the market.

The script's logic is heavily obfuscated and only activates under certain conditions, making it unlikely to be detected by even the best Android antivirus apps and static malware scanners.

They will not inspect, flag, or block JavaScript payloads delivered through seemingly legitimate OAuth flows.

DNS-based filters or firewall rules also offer limited protection, since the initial request is to Google’s legitimate domain.

In the enterprise environment, even some of the best endpoint protection tools may struggle to detect this activity if they rely heavily on domain reputation or fail to inspect dynamic script execution within browsers.

While advanced users and cybersecurity teams may use content inspection proxies or behavioral analysis tools to identify anomalies like these, average users are still vulnerable.

Limiting third-party scripts, separating browser sessions used for financial transactions, and remaining vigilant about unexpected site behaviors could all help reduce risk in the short term.

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• Cortical Labs offers cloud access to neuron-powered computing for just $300 a week
• CL1 fuses human brain cells and silicon and can run real code
• System enables real-time neural processing for research in AI and neuroscience

Cortical Labs, an Australian startup we've covered previously, has launched what it describes as the world’s first commercially available biological computer capable of running code.

The CL1 device combines lab-grown human neurons with silicon hardware and is designed for neuroscience, biotech, and artificial intelligence research.

Customers can purchase a CL1 unit outright for $35,000 or access it remotely through a weekly rental priced at $300, with the platform already available via Cortical Labs’ wetware-as-a-service.

A new way to study brain function

Each CL1 contains about 800,000 neurons grown from reprogrammed adult cells. These neurons are kept alive by an integrated life-support system that delivers nutrients and controls the environment.

The neurons communicate and adapt using sub-millisecond electrical signals, which the company says allows the CL1 to process inputs and generate outputs almost instantly, offering a new way to study brain function.

“The CL1 does this in real time using simple code abstracted through multiple interacting layers of firmware and hardware,” Brett Kagan, Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Labs told IEEE Spectrum. “Sub-millisecond loops read information, act on it, and write new information into the cell culture.”

The CL1 builds on DishBrain, a proof-of-concept where neurons learned to play Pong in a simulated environment.

The new model increases input channels, improves signal latency, and includes hardware enhancements that make it more suitable for research and potential commercial applications. It has already been used to restore learning function in neural cultures modeling epilepsy.

The device consumes less power than conventional AI hardware and supports use cases including drug development, AI testing, and disease modeling. It requires buyers to obtain ethical approval for new cell lines and to operate within a lab environment.

Karl Friston, a theoretical neuroscientist, called the CL1 a “remarkable achievement” and noted that it provides researchers with a practical platform to test theories about learning, behavior, and brain function using real neurons.

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• The latest Steam beta runs natively on Apple silicon
• Apple is retiring the Rosetta 2 compatibility layer
• Games should run more smoothly and more efficiently

Following WWDC 2025, we've had a flurry of Apple announcements this week, including the news that macOS Tahoe 26 will be the last version to support Intel Macs – and right on cue, Steam has finally delivered a version of its client that runs natively on Apple silicon.

Check in on the release notes for the latest Steam Client Beta (via PC Gamer), and you'll see the all-important news that "Steam Client and Steam Helper apps now run natively on Apple silicon" included in the update details.

Up until now, Steam for macOS has always been coded for x86 Intel chipsets, rather than the ARM chips developed by Apple itself – which has meant that on M-series Macs, the client has worked through the Rosetta 2 compatibility layer Apple provides.

As well as dropping Intel chipset support, leaving older Macs on macOS 26, next year's macOS 27 will be the last version to support Rosetta 2, Apple announced at WWDC 2025. That means developers will have to put out ARM-coded versions of their applications.

How to try it now

(Image credit: Future)

For those of us with no interest in chipset architecture or compatibility layers, this simply means that Steam games on macOS should run more efficiently and smoothly – think faster frame rates and better battery life, on the whole.

You should also find the Steam client launches more quickly and is more responsive when it's used on Macs. A big part of that is down to the Chromium-based user interface working natively on ARM, rather than having to be translated.

If you want to try the beta version now, you can do – the usual caveats with beta software apply here, in that you may notice more bugs than normal, and some of your games may be glitchy, but any issues should be ironed out over time.

From the Steam app on your Mac, choose Steam > Preferences > Interface, then click the No beta chosen drop-down menu to the right of the Client Beta Participation heading: You'll then be able to select Steam Beta Update to join the beta.

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• Kioxia’s 332-layer NAND delivers 2Tb without using PLC tech
• Japanese flash giant is focusing on performance and capacity through dual-axis development approach
• Hints are that it can deliver even larger capacity SSDs, as part of "Gen X"

Kioxia has revealed via updated roadmap materials that its upcoming 332-layer NAND chip - part of its 10th generation BiCS FLASH - will offer 2Tb of capacity per die.

While this may seem small compared to expectations, the Japanese flash memory specialist has hinted that it can deliver even larger capacity SSDs, as part of Gen X, without resorting to Penta-Level Cell (PLC) technology.

The roadmap slides, published by TechPowerUp, were shared as part of Kioxia’s long-term corporate strategy.

Dual-axis strategy

The 332-layer chip, which is currently under development, is part of what Kioxia calls its “dual-axis strategy” for NAND. This strategy splits development into two paths: the first focusing on increasing layer count for higher capacity and the second improving performance via Charge-Based Architecture (CBA).

CBA connects the CMOS circuitry directly to the memory array, helping to increase bandwidth, reduce latency, and lower power consumption.

Kioxia says this approach allows it to boost density without sacrificing the endurance and reliability associated with having fewer bits per cell.

Kioxia’s roadmap doesn’t discuss the company’s plans for PLC, even though other competitors are beginning to explore that direction. Kioxia instead appears to be doubling down on process improvements and new controller designs to meet market demands.

The company’s recent focus has been on two SSD families: the CM9 series, which emphasizes high-performance for AI applications, and the LC9 series, which targets large capacity and currently offers up to 122TB capacity.

Both products are based on Kioxia’s 8th generation BiCS FLASH, which introduced CBA and supports energy-efficient, high-throughput workloads.

Kioxia also revealed a high-IOPS SSD that it has developed using its XL-Flash SLC technology. This SSD is expected to exceed 10 million IOPS and sample in the second half of 2026.

(Image credit: Kioxia)

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Chatbots can be incredibly reassuring. That's not always the best thing for your mental health.

Sometimes, it takes a moment to notice the subtler elements of a phone’s software design – but that’s not always for the best reasons.

Take One UI 7, for example. Samsung’s latest mobile operating system update marked a major visual refresh, bringing new icons, fonts, and color schemes to the software’s visual elements.

However, as one member of the TechRadar team discovered, there’s one aspect of Samsung’s latest Android wrapper that makes less sense than ever before.

To cut to the chase, Samsung’s new battery icon is confusingly vague and hard to recognize. TechRadar’s Homes Editor Ruth Hamilton tells me that when she updated her Galaxy A54 to One UI 7, she couldn’t even tell what the battery icon was.

That battery symbol certainly looks pretty round (Image credit: Ruth Hamilton / Future )

“I left the UI update to run overnight, and the following morning I couldn't for the life of me work out what the icon in the top right of my phone screen was,” said Ruth.

“At that point, it was half dark, half light, with a 45 in the middle. I was baffled. Did I have 45 messages? Surely not."

Ruth added: “Amidst the general mild disorientation that follows any UI tweak for something you're using regularly, I just didn't twig. In the absence of the usual visual cues – a percentage symbol, or a suggestion of a terminal – I couldn't work out what I was looking at.”

As this image from a deleted Reddit account shows, the battery icon is especially hard to understand without the percentage in the middle. (Image credit: Reddit)

As the above details, Samsung’s new battery icon is basically just a big oval that can, optionally, have a number representing battery percentage planted in the middle. It’s more circular than rectangular and a far cry from the clear battery-shaped icon used in One UI 6.

Even as someone who tests and reviews the best smartphones for a living, I have to admit that I only really recognize the icon as a battery meter thanks to its placement at the top-right corner of the screen.

Apple got it right

The icons throughout Liquid Glass reflect the real world (Image credit: Apple)

As it happens, I had just finished writing a piece about Apple’s new Liquid Glass design and return to skeuomorphism (that's digital design based on real-world things) when Ruth got in touch.

If you ask me, Samsung’s misstep with the One UI 7 battery icon shows that Apple made the right call by choosing to ramp up the realism with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26.

Tech moves forward in a way that can detach things from their original inspiration – take the pause icon, for example, which was inspired by the caesura, punctuation used in poetry to mark a moment of rest. I think you'd struggle to find someone on the street who could tell you that without looking it up (as I did).

But this has to be done in a way that doesn’t alienate parts of the user base. Apple sticking with the pictographic battery icon for Liquid Glass is a safe bet, but some of the best Android phones push things gently with more abstract rectangles that still feel familiar enough.

As others here at TechRadar have pointed out, Liquid Glass has its own issues with legibility, but at least everything is pretty recognizable (when you can actually see it). And, overall, I’m a big fan of the charming, colorful presentation of One UI 7 whenever I pick up one of the best Samsung phones.

With all that said, the battery icon stands as a reminder that UI design needs to cater to the everyday user as much as the smartphone specialist. Do you find Samsung’s new battery icon confusing? Let us know in the comments below.

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