Technology

Everyone’s favorite music-recognition app, Shazam, just got a new update that comes with a small, but particularly helpful new feature that has improved its integration with Spotify and Apple Music. The latest version of the app (version 18.9), which arrived on March 5, comes with an improved syncing feature that automatically adds your identified songs within the Shazam app to a playlist in your Spotify or Apple Music account. So far, it seems as though it’s available to Spotify and Apple Music users only.

When you use Shazam’s Music Recognition on iPhone and iPad, it will automatically add those songs to a special playlist in your account titled ‘My Shazam Tracks’. Before Apple rolled out the 18.9 version of the app, songs identified manually through the Shazam app itself would be synced to a separate playlist in your Spotify or Apple Music account, but not songs discovered through the Control Center. The new update changes that, and will now add songs to the playlist when identified through Siri and Shortcuts, as well as the Control Center.

The new update will automatically add your Shazam-searched songs to your own 'My Shazam Tracks' playlist in Spotify and Apple Music. (Image credit: Future)

Since joining the Apple family back in 2018, Shazam has evolved into more than a simple music recognition app and has improved the experience of the best music streaming services through its integrations - and its new ability to predict music you'll listen to in the future. According to the iOS App Store description, here’s exactly how you can expect the latest update to further improve your experience:

‘We’ve made syncing songs to Apple Music and Spotify better than ever! Shazam will now include songs found via Music Recognition in Control Centre, Siri, and Shortcuts to your “My Shazam Tracks” playlist in Apple Music or Spotify.

Simply toggle “Sync your songs” off and on in Shazam settings to re-sync all your previously discovered songs from the Shazam app. You may need to reopen Spotify to see the playlist refreshed.

Don’t forget to keep your Shazam History safe and in sync between your devices. To do this, turn on iCloud sync in Shazam Settings’.

For me, Shazam is one of my go-to music app companions, when it comes to song identification and I can’t quite put my finger on what’s currently playing - or even when I like the sound of a song and want to learn more. It also works wonders for when a familiar song starts playing during a movie or TV show. It’s a small, but rather effective new feature, and this is how you can take advantage of it for yourself.

How to sync your Shazam songs to Spotify or Apple Music Go to the Shazam app and tap the settings icon

(Image: © Future)

It can be found in the 'My Music' section of the app when you swipe up on the main song search page. From there, connect your Spotify or Apple Music account to Shazam and enable the 'Sync your songs' toggle.

When you enable the toggle, Shazam should sync all of your identified songs to your Spotify or Apple Music account to create your 'My Shazam Tracks' playlist. If it doesn't sync at first, I got mine to work by turning the toggle on and off a few times.

Head to Spotify or Apple Music to see your newly synced playlist

(Image: © Future)

Once your Shazam-searched songs have synced to your new playlist, listen to your heart's content.

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• YouTube warns users of an ongoing phishing scam
• The scam includes an AI-generated video of its CEO
• Hackers are using stolen accounts to broadcast crypto scams

YouTube is warning its users of a new phishing campaign using an AI-generated video of its CEO Neal Mohan as bait.

In a post on its official community website, the company said it is “aware that phishers have been sharing private videos to send false videos, including an AI generated video of YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan announcing changes in monetization.”

“YouTube and its employees will never attempt to contact you or share information through a private video. If a video is shared privately with you claiming to be from YouTube, the video is a phishing scam,” YouTube said in the pinned post. “Do not click these links as the videos will likely lead to phishing sites that can install malware or steal your credentials.”

Falling victim

The attack goes like this: scammers used AI to create a deepfake video of the YouTube CEO discussing changes in monetization on the platform. They then shared it as a private video with their targets. In the description of the video is a link that leads the victims to the phishing landing page - studio.youtube-plus[dot]com.

There, they’re prompted to “confirm the updated YouTube Partner Program (YPP) terms”, to continue monetizing their content and accessing YouTube’s features - but obviously, by “confirming” the terms, the victims would just be sharing their credentials with the attackers.

Furthermore, in true phishing fashion, crooks added a false sense of urgency, threatening the victims that their accounts will be restricted for a week if they do not comply with the new rules. That includes the inability to add videos, receive monetization, and more.

Once the victims enter their credentials, the page says the account is under review.

The campaign appears to have been active since late January 2025, and “many creators” have already fallen victim, reporting that their channels had been hijacked and used to broadcast live cryptocurrency scam streams.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Netflix has canceled spy series The Recruit after two seasons.
• The Recruit failed to compete with Netflix's smash hit espionage thriller The Night Agent.
• The news was announced by one of The Recruit cast members on social media.

Netflix has canceled hit spy series The Recruit after two seasons, and I'm pointing the finger at The Night Agent as the reason why it's ended up on the streamer's scrap heap.

The Recruit already faced a tough mission having to compete with the espionage thriller The Night Agent, which is one of Netflix's most-watched shows of all time – and the stakes were raised even higher when the second season of The Recruit was released just one week after The Night Agent season 2.

The Recruit's cancelation comes five weeks after season 2 of the spy dramedy debuted on one of the best streaming services on January 30. Colton Dunn, who played former CIA operative Lester Kitchens on the show, announced the news on Instagram Threads.

He wrote: "The Recruit has been cancelled y’all. Such a bummer. I’ll share some pics and fun memories on IG but just wanted you to hear it from me. Thanks if you watched. I’m AVAILABLE NOW! Hire me for you [sic] tv story!!”

Despite The Recruit season 2 racking up 5.9 million views within its first four days on Netflix, it wasn't enough to compete with The Night Agent, which reclaimed its number one spot with 13.9 million views. Throw in the fact that The Night Agent also amassed a total of 98.2 million views, The Recruit was always facing an uphill battle to get renewed.

What are The Recruit and The Night Agent about?

The Recruit stars Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, a CIA lawyer who becomes embroiled in dangerous international conflicts after former asset Max Meladze (Laura Haddock) threatens to expose the agency unless they clear her of a serious crime.

In The Recruit season 2, which consists of six episodes instead of eight for season 1, Owen is thrown into yet another life-or-death situation as he gets involved in a perilous mission in South Korea

While Netflix hasn't officially revealed why The Recruit was canceled, it's usually low viewing figures that are a driving force behind axing's of the best Netflix shows. It's also possible that people got tired of too many spy series going on at once, but for now The Recruit has met the same fate as the Yellowstone-style series Territory and The Sandman.

Based on the novel of the same name by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent follows low-level FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) as he's plunged into a vast conspiracy involving a mole in the highest levels of the US government and embarks on a hunt to find the traitor to save his country.

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• AMD's FSR 4 has dethroned FSR 3 and Nvidia's DLSS CNN model, according to Digital Foundry
• FSR 4 has significantly reduced ghosting and improved image stability, especially at long draw distances
• DLSS 4's transformer model is still the victor over AMD's new upscaling method

AMD has been taking full advantage of its rival Nvidia’s controversial RTX 5000 series launch, with Team Red's new Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs launching today. With affordable pricing and great performance, the new lineup could provide strong competition in the GPU market - and the new-and-improved FSR 4 upscaling method may have a much greater impact than anticipated.

According to Digital Foundry, AMD's FSR 4 offers a significant leap over the previous FSR 3 model, while simultaneously dethroning Nvidia's former DLSS CNN model (in some cases), most notably when compared in their respective ‘performance’ modes as reported by Wccftech. FSR 4 makes outstanding improvements over its predecessor in retaining image stability at longer draw distances, by removing ghosting of objects in motion - this was a big issue in some games for both FSR 3 and Team Green's DLSS 3 when using performance mode.

An important note is that FSR 4's performance mode is slightly slower in terms of frame rates compared to FSR 3's (evident in Digital Foundry's video below) - this was also previously observed in DLSS 4's transformer model, but it only applies in some titles where we see a minor performance drop. FSR 4's frame rate in performance mode is typically 5-10fps slower than FSR 3’s (based on Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart in DF's video), but in my opinion, it’s ultimately a worthwhile tradeoff for such significant image quality improvements.

(Image credit: Digital Foundry) FSR 4 is off to a great start

It's safe to say that DLSS 4's new transformer model still leads as the best upscaling method, and FSR 4 doesn't quite match it. However, the leap over the CNN model may be enough to catch the attention of gamers - especially since with upscaling, the Radeon RX 9070 XT provides fantastic 4K performance at a shockingly affordable $599 / around £510 / AU$870) price. Compared to Nvidia's RTX 5000 series GPUs, which are either hard to find or have absurdly inflated prices, it feels like a no-brainer.

It's also important to note that AMD is at a slight disadvantage - FSR 4 (as of now) is only available on RDNA 4 GPUs, whereas Nvidia's DLSS 4 is available retroactively on all RTX GPUs. But this doesn't matter much if you can't find any older RTX cards that aren't already discontinued or at MSRP (unless overpaying isn’t a big deal for you, but like… come on, don’t do that).

Despite FSR 4's current-gen exclusivity, AMD's midrange GPU focus for this generation is looking great so far, and the RX 9070's price and FSR 4's current image quality capabilities are a strong starting point.

It's time to show AMD love

I must admit, it feels refreshing to congratulate the perennial underdog AMD on its latest GPU efforts, considering Nvidia's total domination of the market over the years. It's obvious that the new Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT won't compete with the likes of Team Green's RTX 5090 or RTX 5080, but this was never Team Red's intention.

I'm happy to say that AMD has delivered at a time when PC gamers need it most - the RTX 5000 series launch is nothing short of a mess (despite its flagship GPU's admittedly monstrous performance capabilities), and as I've said previously, what good is a Blackwell GPU if you can't find one?

AMD's FSR 4 is another testament to how impressive its RDNA 4 architecture is, since FSR 3 was quite a long way behind DLSS 3's competing CNN model. If there are no supply chain or price inflation issues (though there still could be), I don't see how it isn't a clear win in the midrange space for Team Red over its fiercest rival.

Patience is a virtue, I must admit - you could easily decide to play the waiting game for RTX 5000 series GPU prices to drop, but there is no guarantee that this will happen (the RTX 4090 is a prime example, with prices still over MSRP even now). With this strong showing from AMD, I’m hoping it’ll give Nvidia more to worry about with gamers considering a switch - and competition is good for the consumer, so long may it continue.

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• The first leaked images of Fujifilm's rumored GFX100RF have appeared
• It would be Fujifilm's first fixed lens compact with 100MP medium-format sensor
• It could be unveiled at the Fujifilm X-Summit on March 20

Fujifilm GFX100RF rumors are gathering pace in the build up to the recently announced Fujifilm X-Summit, which takes place in Prague on March 20, where the premium medium-format compact could be revealed.

Most recently, Fujifilm Rumors shared the first image of the would-be GFX100RF, revealing parts of the camera's back and top plate, albeit from an awkward angle. It followed up this post by sharing another image from Fujifilm's X-Summit announcement, brightening up the dark silhouette to reveal a few details of the camera's front.

The expected GFX100RF is one of the most exciting cameras for 2025. Think of it as a high-end Fujifilm X100VI alternative – it would be Fujifilm's first-ever 100MP medium-format camera with a fixed lens – a pricey, premium compact appealing to seasoned reportage and documentary photographers who value image quality above all else.

EXCLUSIVE: First Image of Fujifilm GFX100RFhttps://t.co/98B4ebIzSu pic.twitter.com/mUCx8ijZhQMarch 3, 2025

What can we learn?

So what do the leaked images seemingly reveal? Design-wise, this could be one of the smallest medium-format cameras ever, and that's with a compact-looking fixed lens factored in – impressive stuff.

There's a new aspect ratio dial, which takes a prominent position above the LCD screen. It's a control like in the Lumix LX100 II, and makes sense for a fixed lens camera with plenty of pixels to play with.

On the top is Fujifilm's lovely shutter speed / ISO dial, an exposure compensation dial and hotshoe, while on the back is an AF joystick and pronounced command dial, but no D-pad.

On the front is compact-looking fixed lens – though we can't see focal length or aperture or if it's stabilized – a crop-lever that should make quick work of making the most of the camera's high-resolution sensor (like the 61MP Leica Q3 can), and a viewfinder selector switch like in the X100VI. However, there's no hybrid viewfinder here – only an EVF.

With a medium-format sensor and fixed lens, the GFX100RF sounds like a cross between the GFX100S II and the X100VI.

Personally, I hope the scales were tipped towards the X100VI – that sort of design and handling with hybrid viewfinder, only with the larger sensor. However, the leaked images suggest the rumored GFX100RF will handle more like the GF-mount GFX100S II with its EVF, only with a fixed lens.

Of course, there's still plenty to learn about the camera beyond the leaked image, but with the X-Summit on the horizon, we might not have long to wait to find out more. I expect the GFX100RF to be one of the camera highlights for 2025.

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• Invincible season 3 episode 7 finally reveals which star is voicing Conquest
• Fans have predicted the chosen actor would play Conquest since early 2023
• At the time, Invincible's co-creator denied that the star in question would portray him

The seventh episode of Invincible season 3 has smashed its way onto Prime Video – and it just made good on a wild fan theory that's circulated online for over two years.

Season 3's penultimate chapter, titled 'What Have I Done?', is an entry that may be the most devastating since Invincible's season 1 finale. Amid the scenes of utter carnage and big character deaths – read my Invincible season 3 episode 7 ending explained piece for more on those – that it contains, though, the show's latest episode proves one thing: we were right about who would voice the terrifying Viltrumite warrior known as Conquest.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Invincible's newest installment. Turn back now if you haven't watched it yet.

If Mark Grayson thought he had it bad enough in episode 7, he's seen nothing yet... (Image credit: Prime Video)

Yes, your ears weren't deceiving you. That's none other than Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who's appeared in numerous projects including Zack Snyder's Watchmen movie and Amazon's live-action adaptation of The Boys, who's playing Conquest.

Shocked? If you've frequented these parts and read my never-ending coverage on Prime Video's animated retelling of Invincible, you shouldn't be.

For anyone who doesn't know what I'm on about, let me explain. In January 2023, I reported on the speculation that The Walking Dead alumnus had been cast in Invincible. That rumor was born out of an Instagram post – see below – that Morgan made, which showed him posing with two hefty-looking tomes of Invincible's source material.

A post shared by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@jeffreydeanmorgan)

A photo posted by on

It didn't take long for Invincible fans to offer their thoughts on which character he could play in one of the best Prime Video shows. Could he be Grand Regent Thragg, the Viltrum Empire's dictatorial ruler? Or, what about Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man in the still-in-development Invincible live-action film?

Those suggestions paled in comparison to another that many, many fans had: Conquest. At the time, I agreed with the majority that Morgan seemed like a perfect fit for the long-lived, battle-scarred, and incredibly powerful world-conqueror. Morgan brought real menace and malice to Negan in AMC's The Walking Dead TV show, and the fan-favorite star since proved his talent for playing complicated antagonists and/or outright villains in many other movies and TV series. It would make sense, then, if he'd been hired to voice Conquest.

The Conquest-Invincible fight is going to have us on the edge of our seats (Image credit: Image Comics)

Prior to Invincible season 2 part 1's release last February, though, it appeared our hopes had been dashed. Speaking to me ahead of last season's launch, Robert Kirkman, co-creator of Invincible's graphic novel series and its TV namesake, responded to those wild Jeffrey Dean Morgan rumors by saying: "I mean – Jeffrey and I know each other. It's possible he was just reading the comic books, which I think will disappoint many people."

I wouldn't want to spoil anything for future seasons

Robert Kirkman, Invincible co-creator (February 2023)

However, there was a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. Continuing to answer my Morgan-based question, Kirkman added: "...But I wouldn't want to spoil anything for future seasons.

"Jeffrey's on a very long list of The Walking Dead actors that I would love to work with again. Norman Reedus is someone else on that list, as well as Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln. It would be great to get them into Invincible in some capacity; it's just a matter of finding the right role for them, so when the right one emerges for Jeffrey, hopefully you'll see him in Invincible. But it's not something I could talk about yet even if I wanted to."

Clearly, Morgan had been lined up to voice Conquest but, at the time, Kirkman couldn't confirm that he had been. Technically, then, Kirkman wasn't lying about the fact that Morgan had been case in Invincible's second season – indeed, he'd been picked to appear in its sequel chapter instead. Spoilers notwithstanding, expect to hear much more of Morgan's Conquest in Invincible's season 3 finale next Thursday (Match 13) on Prime Video, aka one of the world's best streaming services.

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• Security researchers HUMAN and partners disrupt BadBox 2.0 botnet
• They removed dozens of malicious apps from the Play Store, and sinkholed multiple domains
• The botnet targeted off-brand, low-cost Android devices

BadBox 2.0, the spiritual successor of the BadBox Android malware, has been disrupted after cybersecurity experts from the HUMAN's Satori Threat Intelligence team, together with multiple partners, removed dozens of malicious apps from the Play Store, banned their developers, and sinkholed communications for hundreds of thousands of infected devices.

“The infected devices are Android Open Source Project devices, not Android TV OS devices or Play Protect certified Android devices. All of these devices are manufactured in mainland China and shipped globally,” the researchers explained.

In total, 24 malicious apps on the Play Store distributing BadBox 2.0 were removed, and the developer accounts that uploaded these apps were banned from the platform. HUMAN then also sinkholed an undisclosed number of domains, effectively cutting off communications between the malware and the C2 servers - so in other words, the devices are still infected, but the malware is non-operational.

Sinkholing the domains

BadBox is a piece of malware that turns infected Android devices into residential proxies. They are used in ad fraud, credential stuffing, and other forms of cybercrime. Apparently, BadBox infected hundreds of thousands of devices, from TV streaming boxes, to smart TVs, and smartphones. No one knows exactly how these devices ended up being infected. Some believe they were compromised in early production, while others claim BadBox was dropped somewhere along the supply chain. In any case, these are overwhelmingly low-price-point, “off-brand”, or uncertified devices.

German authorities recently disrupted the operation within its borders, but that only sidetracked it a little. In the weeks following the operation, BadBox grew to more than a million infected devices (although they were mostly located outside Germany, in countries such as Brazil, the US, and Mexico).

Given its size and resilience, security researchers from HUMAN dubbed it “BadBox 2.0”. Now, together with Google, Trend Micro, The Shadowserver Foundation, and other partners, HUMAN disrupted the new operation in multiple ways.

As usual, the best way to defend against these attacks is to buy hardware and software from reputable sources, keep the assets updated, and monitor for malicious activity.

Via BleepingComputer

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• New unofficial renders hint at a full-width cover screen for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
• This contrasts with prior rumors that suggested no major design changes for the rumored phone
• Samsung has yet to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 7 or share any official details

In a recent report, we reported on unofficial renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 that looked almost identical to the current-generation Galaxy Z Flip 6 – but as it turns out, the next Samsung flip foldable could be getting a rather major overhaul.

New renders shared by Android Headlines and OnLeaks and supposedly based on leaked information show the rumored Galaxy Z Flip 7 could sport a full-sized cover display, similar to the one found on the Motorola Razr Plus.

(Image credit: Android Headlines / OnLeaks)

Keen-eyed readers may notice that Android Headlines and OnLeaks also provided the previous set of Galaxy Z Flip 7 renders, the ones that look almost identical to the current model – in a post to X (formerly Twitter), OnLeaks’ Steve H. McFly said “It appears I misinterpreted some data and this actually is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7”.

OnLeaks has a great track record of accurate leaks and tipoffs, so we can probably give them the benefit of the doubt here, especially as other tipsters have corroborated the addition of a larger display.

For example, tipster Ross Young predicted on X (formerly Twitter) that the screen would measure in at 4.05 inches diagonally, excluding the space lost to the two cameras.

This would be a substantial improvement on the contoured 3.4-inch display found on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and would even beat the 4 inch cover display found on the Motorola Razr Plus.

If the new renders are to be believed, the rest of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is largely unchanged from the current generation – though a screen size boost is also tipped for the inner display, expanding from 6.7 to 6.8 inches.

My analysis – a needed improvement

When I saw the recent renders that suggested the Galaxy Z Flip 7 would look nearly identical to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, I will admit I felt a twinge of disappointment.

With the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung has demonstrated that it can issue an impressive iterative product refresh without much of a design overhaul, but I’ve always seen the Z-series folding phones as a testing ground for innovation.

If you ask me, a full-sized cover screen is just the kind of high-impact feature that Samsung needs to keep up with its competitors – spec bumps are nice, but it’s visible stuff like this that sticks in people’s minds.

And, lets face it, a full-sized cover screen is about the only way a flip phone’s outer display can be actually useful. Our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review found the phone’s 3.4-inch cover display to be disappointingly small, so I’m hopeful that this rumoured expansion can offer more utility.

Anyhow, the above is mostly based on rumors for now – we’ll have to wait on Samsung for any official information. What do you think? Is the Galaxy Z Flip overdue a cover screen update? Let us know in the comments.

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• PlayStation Direct is now offering PlayStation hardware rentals in the UK
• You can lease products like the PS5, PS5 Pro, and even PS Portal
• The Service is provided by Raylo

If you're keen to get your hands on some PlayStation hardware in the UK but can't stomach the upfront cost, then PS Direct might just have the service for you.

Sony's official storefront is now offering leases on a wide range of PlayStation hardware, giving you access to products for a monthly fee.

The seriously pricey PS5 Pro, for example, is available to lease for £26.99 a month if you select a 12 month term. Other options include a 24 month lease at £20.99 a month, or a 36 month lease at £18.95 a month. These are fixed term contracts, but there is also a monthly rolling option which costs £35.59 and can be cancelled at any time.

The PS5 Slim is up for grabs starting at £11.99 a month for a 36 month lease. That's a total cost of £431.64, a little below the console's £479.99 asking price. Just bear in mind that you won't own the system at the end of your term and will either have to return it, continue to pay a rental fee, or contact the company to discuss purchasing it outright.

It's not just consoles on offer either. The usually pricey PS Portal could be yours from £6.49 a month, while the expensive DualSense Edge starts at £7.49 a month. While I personally wouldn't want to rent a fully-fledged console, these premium accessories are much more tempting. I can imagine leasing the PS Portal for a few months to try it out before making a full purchase.

One last thing to note is that these rentals are provided by third-party tech rental service Raylo and will require a soft credit check for a successful application.

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• The Pixel Camera is getting an update to version 9.8
• Kernel updates for older Pixels are also rolling out
• Extra options and performance upgrades are included

Google has been busy pushing out software updates for its Pixel phones and Pixel watches in recent days, and we've got a couple more updates to report on – including a low-level upgrade that should boost performance on older Pixel handsets.

First though, Google is updating the Pixel Camera app (via 9to5Google), with the latest version 9.8 now arriving on compatible devices – which is all Pixel-branded phones, as well as the Google Pixel Tablet.

Among the new features on offer, we've got the option to turn off the cute animation in astrophotography mode, and support for the raised hand gesture to control timers on the rear camera. Pixel Fold owners can now use Dual Screen Preview in video mode, while the Add Me feature can be used on the external display on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Every phone in the Google Pixel 9 series gets support for remote connected cameras – compatible models include recent GoPro models, as well as other Pixel handsets – which means you're able to use one device for taking the photo and videos, and another for controlling the capturing.

Kernel updates

Phones going back to the 2021 Pixel 6 are getting a kernel update (Image credit: Google)

The second update to talk about affects the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 ranges, plus the Pixel Fold and the Pixel Tablet. As noted by Android Authority, these older devices are getting a kernel upgrade to Linux 6.1.

Every Android phone runs on top of Linux, and the kernel is the lowest level of software, effectively enabling everything else to run. While kernel updates aren't always significant, users are reporting improvements in performance and battery life.

This puts the older Pixel phones on Tensor G3 and newer processors to the same kernel version as the new Pixel 9 handsets that launched in the middle of last year. It's something Google actually promised more than a year ago, back in January 2024 – but the updates are only now reaching phones.

You shouldn't have to do anything to get these updates: they should appear on your Pixel device automatically, with a prompt when they're ready to install. If you want to run a manual check for updates, choose System > Software update from Settings.

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• Second-gen Galaxy Buds FE are in "advanced" development
• Launching "Summer 2025", expected to cost $99 / £99 / AU$149
• Sony's next budget ANC buds could launch at the same time

This could be a good year for buyers looking for the best budget wireless earbuds: the next generation of Sony's budget ANC earbuds appears to be coming soon, and now a new report says Samsung is working on the second-gen Galaxy Buds FE.

We had mixed feelings about the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, giving them three out of five stars in our review, but they sound good and they offer great active noise cancellation. But of course there's always room for improvement, especially in the super-competitive world of earbuds: the Buds FE will be two years old this year and rivals haven't been sitting still.

What we know about the Galaxy Buds FE 2

The news comes via German site GalaxyClub (via NeoWin), which reports that Samsung's SM-R410 headphones, which are currently in advanced development, are the Buds FE 2.

The report speculates that the launch could be as soon as this summer (perhaps during the same even that we expect Samsung next folding phones), and that the price could be the same as the originals. T

heir launch price was $99 / £99 / AU$149, but within two months the going rate had already dropped to $70 / £75 / AU$135. Even with a post-launch price drop that would make the Buds FE 2 considerably more expensive than our current budget ANC pick, the EarFun Air Pro 3, but around the same price as the Nothing Ear (a), which are our favorite $100 model among the best earbuds.

The report doesn't give us any hints about possible improvements or details of any key features, so we're very much in the dark right now. But if Samsung is going to go into the ring with the likes of Sony it'll be going up against some significantly upgraded earbuds with better battery life, better Bluetooth and presumably better ANC too – we gave the Sony WF-C700N five stars, so we expect their successor to be equally impressive.

The Sony C710N are expected to cost around $100 / £100 (probably a little over at launch) and they too are expected to launch soon – some rumors suggest May 2025.

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Finance has always prided itself on innovating to problem-solve. From stock markets to electronic banking; spend management platforms to AI. One recent example is JPMorganChase deploying AI to analyze commercial loan agreements – reducing 360,000 hours of lawyer time to mere seconds, in the process.

However, when we look beyond finance corporations to finance teams and functions, this level of AI adoption and automation is far from the standard. Pleo research from last year even showed how only barely more than a quarter (27%) of decision makers were confident about AI’s role in finance. While a recent Gartner survey highlighted how almost a fifth (19%) of finance functions have no planned implementation of AI.

The danger for finance teams comes from an ever-widening chasm between those using AI tools and those who are not; one defined by increased productivity, prioritized work and unrivalled data insights. So, ahead of a year when AI capabilities are set to evolve even more, how can finance teams make up ground in the AI race?

What finance (and businesses) stand to lose by not embracing AI

AI may have evolved at a rapid rate, but the same cannot be said for the stereotypes holding back implementation. But while there are valid concerns around security, bias and ethics, these are all easily navigable. Further, right now is a pivotal moment in the economic, business and technology landscape and firms cannot afford to delay optimizing operations, productivity and efficiency in the digital economy.

This is about more than just increased operations, productivity and efficiency though. Those finance teams that don't embrace AI will miss out on the ability to treat their data as a product. Ten years ago, finance teams talked about data like it was the new oil; a priceless commodity that they can use to understand their customers and cash flow far better. But without AI they’re incapable of drilling down far enough or even knowing where to dig.

The biggest blockers standing in the way of AI innovation

To explore how finance teams can change their AI mindset, I unpack three of the biggest blockers to finance AI and offer practical advice on how to overcome them.

A growing skills gap

AI can be transformative for businesses but over a third (38%) of decision-makers don’t think that their CFO and finance team should have a comprehensive understanding of the technology. This is not only an outdated perspective but could potentially stop finance leaders from getting hands-on with the technology.

Today’s AI models are user-friendly, but training is still needed around best practice and safety. Plus, even those finance teams that are using AI today must continue to learn and experiment with the technology in a safe environment to ensure their innovation with it tomorrow.

For instance, prompt engineering is one area finance teams need to master so they can use AI to better analyze data, critique strategy and break down complex problems or topics for a non-finance audience. Clear instructions help and, just like talking to humans, the more specific you are, the better the output. But first they first need a solid understanding of how to use the technology in their role – something that won’t happen without the backing of the business leaders.

The assumption that AI isn’t safe

The problem with pooling multiple technologies under “AI” is that the good gets mixed up with the bad and horror stories related to shadow AI taint the effectiveness of enterprise-grade AI solutions. This is a particular issue for businesses, where maintaining trust and control with employees and customers alike is paramount. Caution is critical for finance, but it shouldn't unfairly hold back innovation.

Businesses should turn this caution or hesitation into an opportunity to build their own policies and determine how it’s used in-house and in relation to their customers. AI’s rapid evolution has been characterized by personalization, and it’s easier than ever for businesses to put guardrails in place and even build their own GPT models that keep customer data, and trust, safe. Plus, humans should rely on their own guardrails and check AI’s working as they would an eager new hire. For example, asking where the data has been sourced from and why it was used to formulate the answer.

The idea that AI has to be “perfect”

If companies are waiting for the “perfect” AI they’ll be waiting a long time. The technology is moving at pace, but AI shouldn’t be perfect. If you ask a GPT model the same question twice, not getting the same answer is a good thing. That’s because it is there to be our sparring partner to challenge how we think; not to stop us thinking altogether.

When planning how AI can change their business, finance leaders should return to why they are using it in the first place. Based on AI’s current capabilities, it should be being used to save time and money. This means taking the handbrake off their teams and automating manual admin tasks so that they can focus on more strategic work. It also means revolutionizing how they work with data and, as a result, how they prioritize customer centricity.

Gaining ground in the year ahead

Finance teams may have made a slow start in the AI race, but they are more than capable of catching up with the right strategy and, crucially, the right AI.

The time for cautious observation has passed and the next 12 months will likely determine which finance teams emerge as leaders in the AI-enabled future. Those who act now, with clear strategy and purpose, will find themselves not just participating in the AI race, but helping to define its course.

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