Technology

• The White House wants to reallocate hundreds of billions of dollar worth of federal funding away from universities and peer reviewed research panels
• The funding would instead go to individual scientists and AI-native laboratories
• The credibility of the plan is undermined by the US government's track record on science and AI

The Trump administration has unveiled plans to shift around $200 billion dollars of research funding into individual scientists and a ‘national AI-for-science initiative’.

The move would pull funding from university research and ‘slow’ consensus peer review panels in an effort to stay ahead of China, which is making strides to catch up in AI and quantum computing technology.

Plans were laid out in a new report, dubbed ‘Science: A New Golden Age’, presented to Donald Trump by the Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Michael Kratsios.

Funding to be moved to AI and individual scientists

Peer-reviewed study has been the basis of American research since the end of World War II, but Krastios says that science must again be reinvented in a way “that frees American scientists to do their most groundbreaking work, revives the national pursuit of ambitious scientific missions, and positions the United States to lead the AI-driven scientific revolution that will define the next century.”

The report is a suggestion of the direction the Trump administration wants to shape the future of federal funding for science, but the federal funding budget is underwritten by Congress.

The point of peer reviewed research is to prevent research from being performed in an echo chamber, to spot errors and misinformation, and to provide criticism on research methodology and bias. By moving away from peer review and placing funding with individual scientists (likely vetted by the government to provide conclusions that toe the party line), this shift in how academic research is conducted will undermine US scientific credibility both at home and on the global stage.

The report also suggested providing full funding for the ‘Genesis Mission’, which seeks to unite “National Labs, industry, academia, and more to harness AI for breakthroughs in energy dominance, discovery science, and national security” by creating “AI-native scientific institutions better suited to an era of machine-augmented research.” There are obviously use-cases for AI in science, but the US government does not have the best track record of using AI for science.

The US government has already been previously caught out using AI to create documents presented in hearings, with a research report presented by US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being riddled with errors and citing studies that did not exist - a classic case of AI hallucination.

Trump has also made significant deviations to the direction of climate science in the US, with peer-reviewed authoritative assessments on the US national climate being deleted from US government websites, the US withdrawal from the Paris Accord, alongside funding and staffing cuts across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Mauna Loa Observatory, and multiple climate monitoring centers.

In order to maintain the forefront of AI development, the US is also experiencing a mass-buildout of AI data centers to provide capacity for usage, training, and development of frontier models. But this has presented a major challenge in providing enough power to sites already running, as well as planned sites that will require multi-gigawatt connections.

Trump has encouraged AI companies and data center developers to lean into fossil fuels to provide extra energy capacity, with many AI campuses deploying natural gas burning turbines. Some of these sites operate at noise levels matching an international airport 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with local residents reporting illnesses and symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vertigo, and sleep disruption as a result of the infrasound emitting from turbines.

AI was supposed to level the playing field. So far it has done the opposite. The enterprises that already had the most resources are pulling further ahead, while the small businesses that stand to gain the most are still waiting for tools built for them and their workflows.

The appetite is there with 72% of small business owners in the US see AI as a way to support their staff and work more efficiently. What is missing is access. Most of what ships today is built for enterprise scale and enterprise budgets.

That is a design problem as much as a pricing one. Tools built for large organizations assume infrastructure, technical teams, and time to onboard.

Most small businesses have none of the three. The result is a widening gap between what AI can do and what a small business can actually use.

The admin tax on small teams

Ask any founder where their week goes, and the answer is rarely the work they started the business to do. It goes to outreach, follow-ups, meeting prep, and the dozens of small tasks that keep the lights on. In a small team, where roles blur, most of it lands on the founder.

Most founders have adapted by becoming more efficient with menial tasks. They get faster at outreach, better at juggling calendars, and sharper at the administrative work that never required their judgement or insight in the first place.

None of it is optional, and all of it competes with the time that should go to customers and growth. For a small business, winning that time back is the difference between surviving and building something that lasts.

AI is becoming part of the team

For most of the past two years, AI has played a supporting role. It drafted copy, summarised documents, answered questions, always useful but also always waiting for instructions.

That is changing. The newest systems do not just help with tasks. They take them on. They can hold their own queue of work, make decisions, and run multi-step jobs from start to finish with little supervision. The software starts to behave like a teammate that owns a workload, rather than a tool that waits for the next prompt.

The shift also changes what good looks like. When AI was viewed as a glorified writing assistant, the standard was defined by its output quality. When it owns a workload, the measure is reliability or how well it follows through with tasks with minimal human input. This is what separates tools that earn trust from ones that create a new challenge.

From orchestrator to strategist

As AI takes on more of the operational load, the founder's job changes. Less time supervising the day-to-day means more time on the work only a founder can do: setting direction, building partnerships, planning past the next quarter. In a cautious economy, that shift is what separates the businesses that merely survive from the ones that compound.

It only works if the tools earn their place. AI saves time only when it does not create more of it. Anything that adds friction, complexity, or one more thing to manage will not deliver an advantage. It will breed resentment.

The founders who adapt to adoption early will be the most technical who know where their judgment is genuinely needed and where it has just been the only option available. That distinction is harder to make honestly than it sounds. The burden of time and limited resources make this necessary.

Built for small teams

A new class of platforms is being built around how small businesses actually operate, rather than as scaled-down enterprise software. They assume no technical team and no lengthy onboarding. The ones that win will fit the messy, improvised way small teams really work, and make people more capable without asking them to learn a system first.

Pricing and access are not the only barriers to adoption. Trust is a big factor. Many small business owners have fallen victim to software that overpromises and underdelivers. The bar for small businesses goes beyond functionality. There must be transparency with any AI tools about what it is doing and why.

Bridging the gap

Enterprises had the head start on AI. They had the budgets, the engineers, and the time. Small businesses had none of that, and they are the ones who need the leverage most.

Closing that gap is the real opportunity in front of this technology. Meet small teams where they already are, give them tools that work on day one, and you hand them something they have never had: a fair shot at competing with companies many times their size. That is the version of AI worth building.

We list the best small business CRM software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to 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/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

• Update adds more Grok commands to Tesla models
• Navigation can now learn recurring stops and plan routes accordingly
• Improved parental controls for the rear screen have been added

Tesla regularly releases major updates to its vehicles that bundle together a host of software upgrades that not only keep its fleet of vehicles bug-free and running smoothly, but also at the cutting edge of in-car technology.

For its Summer Update, Tesla has added a slew of new Grok commands that allow its AI voice assistant to take care of more key vehicle functions, without drivers needing to hunt around in on-screen menus.

When it was first introduced into Tesla models back in 2025, Grok was merely an AI voice assistant that could answer generic questions — it wasn't able to control features on the vehicle.

https://t.co/mYFSdKeCuwJuly 21, 2026

This has slowly been changing, with a Spring Update earlier this year adding a wake word, and the ability for users to set reminders based on location.

Now, Grok can make or answer hands-free phone calls, skip tracks or change radio stations on the media screen, and adjust the climate inside the vehicle.

Similarly, it's also able to open the glove box — something that traditionally involves navigating an on-screen menu — with a voice command.

On top of the major Grok updates, Tesla has also added improved parental controls for the rear display that's available for a number of models, allowing front-seat occupants to have full control over what's playing in the rear, or lock it out entirely.

Analysis: Grok updates make Tesla more competitive

(Image credit: Tesla)

Despite Elon Musk's wider focus on artificial intelligence across much of his business empire, Tesla has been relatively slow to introduce advanced AI voice assistant functionality into its cars.

Numerous Chinese competitors have long offered smart voice assistants that are able to control key vehicle functions and even open windows, while the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen have been rolling out a mix of LLM-powered assistants and in-house-developed voice assistants that can deal with general queries as well as more specific vehicle-based requests.

However, Tesla has once again demonstrated that it can improve its vehicles as they age, rather than reserving its hottest new features for new customers only; the Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck remain some of the best examples of software-defined vehicles on sale today.

• LG monitors are reportedly installing bloatware on Windows 11 PCs
• The LG Monitor App Installer carries a McAfee pop-up and is automatically installed when connecting an LG monitor to a PC
• There's a fix for this, but it's a rather fiddly affair

It's no secret that Windows 11 users have voiced frustrations regarding bloat on the operating system for years, and unfortunately, LG's monitors are reportedly making the situation worse.

As reported by Windows Latest, LG monitors are installing McAfee bloatware on Windows 11 PCs without consent, and there's evidence of this in the changelog of LG's monitor app on the Microsoft Store.

Even if you don't install the app yourself, Windows Update will do so, and then treat you to a McAfee pop-up. All you have to do is plug in the LG monitor to your PC, and the automatic installation of McAfee is also shown by checking the Windows Reliability Monitor, which documents a 'successful Windows update' for the LG Monitor App Installer package.

We've reached out to LG for a comment, but haven't received a response yet. In the meantime, though, there appears to be a fix that requires users to do the following: press the Windows key and R, and type 'gpedit.msc', then hit Enter.

From that point, navigate your way to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation > "Prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata", then select the 'Enabled' box and apply.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

In theory, this should stop any unwanted applications from being installed, specifically with devices like LG monitors that do so via device metadata.

And if you already installed the LG monitor app manually, you should remove it, because as noted, the description on the Microsoft Store suggests McAfee is a fundamental part of the monitor application.

Bloatware can be problematic for Windows 11 users because it hogs system resources, and LG is adding to that system drain, not to mention the annoyance of continually seeing that pop-up.

Alongside LG, Microsoft hasn't provided a statement on the matter yet. I'd expect Windows 11 users will want an answer of some kind, especially because of the rather fiddly steps involved to prevent these automatic installations — and frankly, this shouldn't require extra effort from anyone.

Even for products that leaked long before they were revealed, Samsung’s reveal had several high points.

• Chick‑fil‑A confirmed a credential stuffing attack between June 17–19, breaching thousands of accounts
• Exposed data includes names, emails, membership numbers, payment details, birthdays, and addresses
• Company logged out users, removed payment methods, restored balances, and notified multiple US states

Chick-fil-A is notifying its customers of a worrying cyber incident involving their sensitive information being leaked.

In a data breach notification letter being sent to affected customers, the fast food giant said it recently identified “suspicious login activity”, which prompted it to investigate further.

That investigation determined that unidentified threat actors ran a credential stuffing attack between June 17 and June 19 2026, successfully breaching an unknown number of accounts.

Logging everyone out

A credential stuffing attack is when threat actors use automated systems to try thousands of username/password combinations against a service to see which ones work. The login credentials are usually obtained on the black market, in advance.

Since the attackers broke into people’s accounts, the data found inside was exposed. According to the notification letter, that data includes names, email addresses, Chick-fil-A One membership numbers, mobile pay numbers, QR codes, last four digits of payment cards, and the amount of Chick-fil-A credit.

“The information may have included the month and day of your birthday, phone number, and address,” the company added.

After it discovered the intrusion, Chick-fil-A logged everyone out of their accounts and removed any stored payment methods. It also restored impacted customers’ account balances and, in some cases, added rewards to victim accounts, too.

We don’t know exactly how many people are affected by the breach, but it is definitely in the thousands.

BleepingComputer found that the company notified the Texas Attorney General that the breach impacted 2182 of its citizens. Similar notifications went out to Iowa, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

Chick-fil-A is one of the largest fast-food restaurant chains in the US, operating more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. It employs over 200,000 people and generated about $10.3 billion in annual revenue in 2025.

After a grand reveal in the latest Galaxy Unpacked event, preorders for the brand-new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 are now live. Retailers and mobile networks have several launch deals available for those interested in picking up a device on August 7, so I've had a look through and picked out the best options.

One of the standout deals in the US is at the official Samsung store, where you can get savings of up to $1,200 with a trade-in, as well as an extra $30 off if you registered your interest ahead of Unpacked. As for the networks, you can get even larger discounts of up to $1,900 at T-Mobile when you add an eligible line, or get a Galaxy Z Fold 8 for as little as $30 a month at Verizon.

In the UK, the Samsung store is also a strong option, as you can get an extra £100 off with a trade-in, and use the £30 voucher from registering your interest to save on accessories. Meanwhile, networks such as Sky Mobile are offering their own large trade-in rebates of up to £934, plus a free Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 with the latest handsets.

I'll update this list with all the best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorders as I spot them over the coming days, so hopefully there will be a combination of phone and plan that suits you.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 deals in the US

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: up to $1,200 off with a trade-in or $200 off without
Samsung's offer on its new Flip and Fold range include trade-in rebates of up to $1,200 for the Fold 8 and up to $600 for the Flip 8. Don't have a phone to hand over? You can get a flat $200 in Samsung credit when buying the Fold 8 or $150 with the Flip 8. There are also bundle discounts of up to 15% when buying other accessories or the opportunity to get an extra $100 off with PayPal.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: up to $1,900 off the Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra with a trade-in and qualifying line
T-Mobile's launch offer for the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 includes a saving of up to $1,900 on the Fold 8 Ultra when you trade in — that will effectively bring the price of the device down to $100. You will need to add a qualifying line to your account at the same time, such as the Experience Beyond plan.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: get a Galaxy Z Fold 8 for $30 a month
The standout launch deal at Verizon is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for $30 a month on a 48-month contract — and that's with no trade-in required, either. If you are looking to upgrade, you can get up to $1,100 off with a trade-in, and even add a Galaxy Watch 9 or Galaxy Tab S10 FE for free when you buy a new phone or upgrade.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: get the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for $0 with an eligible trade-in
AT&T's standout offer on Samsung's new foldable line-up is this offer that can get you a Z Fold 8 for free when you trade in an eligible device and sign up for an eligible unlimited plan. You can also add a Galaxy Watch9 and Tab A11 Plus for $1.99 per month each with a new line, and get $200 off a new line when you order online.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: get an extra $400 with a trade-in, plus a $350 Amazon Gift Card
One of the stronger options if you just want to buy a device outright is at Amazon. As well as a savings bonus of up to $400 when you trade-in, you also get a gift card worth up to $350 with Samsung's latest foldable handsets. There's also a bundle that includes a pair of Galaxy Buds 4 Pro with a 10% discount.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 deals in the UK

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: up to £752 off with a trade-in, and an extra £100 off with the code 'Z8'
The launch offer for the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 range at the official Samsung store includes a discount of up to £752 when you trade-in and an extra £100 saving when you use the code 'Z8' at the checkout. Contract options are also available from £18 per month and from £649 upfront. Finally, six months of Google AI Pro are included with all handsets.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: from £47 per month, up to £528 off with a trade-in, plus £1 Buds 4 Pro
Offers for the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 start at £47 per month at EE on the 125GB Essential package. If you have a phone to trade in, you can also get a saving of up to £528 across all three devices, plus there's the option to add a pair of Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for only £1.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: trade-in to save up to £1,750
Vodafone's is offering its biggest ever trade-in deal for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, with savings of up to £1,750 when trading in an eligible device. You can also get up to £1,280 off the Galaxy Z Flip 8 with a trade-in. Unlimited data contracts then start from £25.67 per month and from £40 upfront.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: up to £1,325 off with a trade-in, plus Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for £1
Trade-in offers at O2 include savings of up to £1,325 on the new Galaxy Z series devices when you pair them with an Unlimited Classic or Unlimited Plus plan. To sweeten the deal further, you can add a pair of Galaxy Buds 4 Pro to your preorder for just £1.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: save up to £1,678 with a trade-in and get unlimited data
Three's trade-in offer for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8 includes a discount of up to £1,678 when you hand in an eligible device. You can also get a pre-order bundle featuring the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and a Samsung OEM Mag Case for £270, or the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and a Clear Mag Case for £153 — that's a saving of up to £124.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: up to £946 off with a trade-in, plus free Galaxy Watch 9
Over at Sky Mobile, you can save up to £946 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, Fold 8, and Fold 8 Ultra when you trade in your existing handset. Contract prices with a handset start at £38 per month and £12 upfront for 256GB of data. As a bonus, every Galaxy Z Flip 8 preorder includes a free Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm) worth £349, while a Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorder comes with a free Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm) worth £379.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8: from £39.99 a month, plus get £100 in Clubcard points
Rather than the big trade-in savings offered by others, Tesco Mobile is going strong on zero upfront costs and low monthly prices for its launch deals, with prices starting at £39.99 for 6GB of data. These offers are exclusively available for Clubcard members, and you get £100 Clubcard points with your order.View Deal

France will ban social media for children under 15, requiring nationwide age checks and raising privacy and platform compliance concerns.

The post France Bans Social Media for Under-15s, Requires Age Checks appeared first on TechRepublic.

• Bluehost has launched AI agents to help businesses grow 24/7
• Agents span a range of services including website building, store management, and customer service
• Other AI tools include a domain name generator, copywriting, and a hosting agent

Bluehost, one of the biggest website hosting and building companies in the world, has announced the rollout of ‘intelligent AI agents’ that can build, grow, and run your online presence.

According to a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, the new AI agents will offer capabilities ranging from building websites and running online stores to capturing leads, answering customer questions, and booking appointments.

Users will be able to interact with the AI agents using plain-English prompts, removing the need for technical experience.

“Our customers aren't developers, and they shouldn't have to think like one. We build for the florist, the electrician, the therapist who wants a site or store that runs itself, and books appointments while they run their business," said Salim Ali, Chief Marketing Officer for Bluehost.

Bluehost’s new AI agents

Bluehost has broken its AI agents into specific roles, making them easier to manage:

• Bluehost AI Site Builder: An agentic website builder that aims to simplify the building process and support best practices across key areas such as design and SEO.
• Bluehost AI Store: A dedicated agent for online stores, delivering reports that help users track orders, customers, stock, payments, and sales channels.
• Bluehost AI Front Desk Agent: A dedicated AI receptionist and sales assistant that is available 24/7 to manage everything from missed calls and messages to answering visitors' questions.

Bluehost claims its new features build on its four-in-one LLM pack and no-code agent creation options, promising to help small businesses manage key processes 24/7.

"AI shouldn't stop at building a website," said Sachin Puri, CEO of Bluehost Group and Network Solutions Group. "It should help you answer customers, manage appointments, sell products, and grow your business. Our vision is simple: give every small business the capabilities of a much larger company without the complexity or cost. Every AI capability we build is guided by one principle: save time, reduce complexity, and help entrepreneurs focus on serving their customers, not learning another tool."

Bluehost also offers several other AI-powered tools aimed at small businesses, including:

• AI domain name generator
• All-in-one access pack to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok
• AI copywriting and content tools
• AI agent hosting for developers
• GatorClaw AI agent builder fpr creating an deploying AI agents

Businesses are moving quickly to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into the workplace, exploring how it can support everything from recruitment and workforce planning to performance management and employee services.

Employee confidence in this technology, however, is struggling to keep up. Research suggests only 46% of people say they trust AI systems, while almost a third (31%) of employees are concerned they could be replaced by AI.

As AI becomes more involved in decisions around hiring, performance and progression, employees are asking more questions about how those tools are being used and where the boundaries should sit.

Without confidence in how AI is integrated into these processes, even the most promising AI initiatives can struggle to gain acceptance.

Employees aren’t necessarily resistant to AI

There is often an assumption that employees are reluctant to embrace AI. But in reality, many workers would welcome technology that helps tackle the admin burdens or tedious tasks that consume their time each day.

European employees lose an average of 15 hours every week to administrative tasks. Only 43% say they spend most of their working day focused on work that delivers direct value, while more than a quarter (26%) say they’re spending most of their time on administration outside their core role.

That helps explain why AI is attracting so much interest in the workplace. Used well, it can automate repetitive tasks, simplify processes and make it easier for employees to access the information they need.

Employees do not necessarily want technology to do their jobs for them. They want more time to focus on the work they were hired to do. Almost three in ten (29%) of employees say they would enjoy their job more if they had greater freedom to focus on creative work.

The challenge is that discussions around AI are no longer limited to productivity. As organizations introduce AI into more workplace processes, employees naturally want to understand what role it is playing and what influence it has over decisions that affect them.

Clear boundaries build confidence

Recent headlines have done little to ease those concerns. Stories involving AI analysis of workplace communications and AI-enabled employee monitoring have prompted wider discussions about where organizations should draw the line. While these examples do not reflect every organization's approach, they have contributed to growing uncertainty about how AI could be used in the workplace.

Those concerns become even more pronounced when AI moves closer to areas such as hiring, performance management and career progression. Most employees are comfortable with AI helping them complete a task, find information or reduce administrative work. They become less comfortable when they are unsure how much influence the technology has over decisions that shape their careers.

This is why businesses need to be clear about where AI fits into workplace decision-making. Employees should understand where AI is supporting decisions, where human judgement remains essential and who is ultimately accountable for outcomes.

AI can help identify patterns, analyze information and provide recommendations. It can help managers make better-informed decisions and reduce administrative effort. Responsibility for decisions that affect an individual’s career, development or wellbeing, however, should remain with people.

The clearer organizations are about where AI supports work and where people remain accountable, the easier it is for employees to feel confident about its role in the workplace.

Bringing employees into the conversation

Employees are more likely to embrace new technology when they understand how it works, why it is being introduced and how it can help them in their role.

That means businesses need to invest in communication, training and skills development alongside technology deployment. Employees should have opportunities to learn, experiment and develop confidence in using AI themselves.

This is particularly important at a time when concerns about replacement remain widespread. People are far more likely to view AI positively when they see it helping them become more productive, develop new skills or spend more time on higher value work.

The conversation should not simply focus on what AI can do but also focus on how employees can work alongside it.

Trust has to be earned

AI has enormous potential to improve employee experience and reduce the administrative burden that continues to frustrate many workers. But successful adoption depends on more than introducing new technology.

Employees do not need every answer about AI, but they do need honesty about where it is being used, where decisions remain human and what role they have in the process.

Ultimately, confidence is built when employees can see that technology is helping them do their jobs better, not quietly making decisions on their behalf. AI can automate work, but building trust still requires people.

We review the best employee management software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to 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/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

• Flock is abandoning plans for a 'human distress detection' feature
• It had previously been rolled out as a small trial
• Consumer groups say it's evidence of 'mission creep' from the company

It's fair to say Flock isn't the most popular tech company at the moment, with major consumer concerns around surveillance and privacy in regards to its widespread license plate cameras — but it has at least now pulled one of its most contentious features.

That feature is 'human distress detection', which was recently trialed on a small scale, and used Flock's network of urban acoustic detectors to listen out for sounds of human screaming and panic. If those sounds were detected, then the police would be alerted, potentially giving law enforcement a head start in responding to an incident.

After "careful consideration and community consultation", Flock says it's now removing the human detection element. The acoustic detectors remain in place, and continue to listen out for sounds including gunshots and vehicle crashes — but the 'human distress' element experiment is over, and won't be rolled out more widely.

In a detailed defense of its technology, Flock says "the system cannot understand speech, analyze language, or identify voices". Audio isn't recorded by default, but a rolling five-second window is continually processed. If a matching event is detected, then the clip is processed, encrypted, and stored.

A 'victory' for campaigners

One of Flock's license plate readers (Image credit: Flock)

Consumer rights and privacy groups are welcoming the decision. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has declared the move a "victory" for campaigners, though the organization still has many concerns around the existing gunshot and collision technology the microphones are still set up for.

"Gunshot-detecting microphones eventually being used to listen for screaming is exactly the type of mission creep that we've seen happen with other pieces of surveillance technology, including Flock's license plate readers," says Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the EFF.

The reaction online to the feature being pulled is less triumphant — most commentators simply don't believe that Flock is going to limit these acoustic detectors in the ways it says it will. "I don't believe that for a second," is a Reddit response typical of the general sentiment, amid ongoing privacy concerns.

What doesn't help Flock's reputation is that its representatives have apparently lied before about what its devices can do, and what data is being collected — making it difficult for citizens to fully trust its stances on privacy, even if this latest move does seem like a win.

TSMC reportedly plans chip manufacturing price increases of up to 10% in 2027 as rising costs and global expansion reshape semiconductor production.

The post TSMC Reportedly Plans Chip Manufacturing Price Hikes of Up to 10% appeared first on TechRepublic.

• Spotify has rolled out its first music video charts playlist
• It's part of the platform's steady expansion of its music video ecosystem
• Spotify is once again battling YouTube, but it's not close competition

Music videos in Spotify are becoming one of the most popular ways to engage in digital music streaming — now the service is expanding its video ecosystem in another attempt to one-up YouTube.

For the first time, Spotify is bringing music videos to its Charts hub with the launch of Music Video Charts Global, a new top 50 playlist of the most streamed videos. Additionally, the platform has also rolled out a new Videos for You editorial playlist, which offers personalized music video recommendations based on your streaming habits.

(Image credit: Spotify)

Music Video Charts Global rolled out on July 21, and is already playing a big role in Spotify’s gradual expansion of its video content. Recently, Spotify altered the video uploading process for musicians, allowing them to upload their own videos directly through Spotify for Artists instead of going through their label and distributor to do so.

Artists can also pitch videos to Spotify’s editorial team to give them a better chance to feature in playlists such as Best New Videos, Live Performances, and Today's Top Videos.

If you were like me and spent most of your youth scouring through music TV channels before they were sadly phased out, Spotify’s new music video charts might evoke a sense of nostalgia — but the platform is doing it in a way that’s designed for the streaming era.

(Image credit: Future)

Music Video Charts Global ranks the top 50 videos around the world based on daily music video streams, refreshing daily at 6pm ET / 11pm GMT / 8am AEST (the next day). Spotify also shared that it will spotlight the top 10 music videos across its social media channels every Tuesday — but there’s another reason why the best music streaming service is doubling down on its commitment to music videos.

Even though Spotify is trying to emulate these channels, a form of music consumption that once shaped listening habits, the platform is backing its music video expansion with data linked directly to streaming.

In an email sent to us, Spotify shared “After streaming a video on Spotify, listeners stream that song 64% more over the next three weeks, are 1.4x more likely to save it, share it, or add it to a playlist, and go on to stream the rest of that artist's catalog 57% more”.

For Spotify, its new ecosystem does more than lead to higher fan engagement and video views — it also gives artists an opportunity to boost audio streams. This is beneficial for both fans and artists, but as someone who doesn’t use Spotify for music videos I see this as just another way for it to compete with YouTube.

The Spotify-YouTube battle continues

Spotify has been playing catch up to YouTube ever since it rolled out music videos in 2024. Although there are users out there who do use Spotify for videos, and the platform has the numbers to support it, I’m just not one of those people. As soon as the music TV channels went bust, it was YouTube that filled the void for me, and it’s been that way ever since.

However, Spotify knows it can’t just build a music video ecosystem and hope that YouTube users will flock to it, it has to offer something extra — which is why it’s taken advantage of early releases. For example, artists like Taylor Swift and BTS have each released music videos to Spotify as exclusive content before uploading the videos to YouTube in the days after. This is where Spotify has the upper-hand.

Because Spotify is centered around music and audio streaming, it’s more likely that artists will gravitate towards the company when it comes to exclusive partnerships. Though YouTube has its own music platform, its standard video player houses content across countless genres from web series, interviews, how-tos, vlogs, and so much more — so music isn't the only place it makes its money. Besides, YouTube Music isn’t as influential as Spotify.

Do I think that Spotify is going good by bringing classic music video charts into the streaming era? I guess so — but I still don’t think it’s enough to entice loyal YouTube-first music video viewers to make the switch.

• The Light Flip is a flip phone designed to prevent you doomscrolling
• It doesn't have social media apps or a touchscreen
• But it does include 5G, an OLED screen, and other modern tech

If you’ve been looking for ways to spend less time on your phone then you might already be familiar with Light — a brand that makes distraction-free phones, designed to be used when needed but without the risk of you wasting hours doomscrolling.

Previously, these have been touchscreen slab phones like the Light Phone III, but now there’s the Light Flip, which takes the same principle and applies it to a flip phone.

It runs LightOS, which is a take on Android, but one without most of the apps. Instead, you just get basics like GPS, an alarm, a podcast player, and a calendar, among a handful of other tools.

The idea — according to the company’s home page — is that this phone should be used “as little as possible.”

As well as lacking apps, the Light Flip also lacks a touchscreen, instead leaving you reliant on a T9 keypad which — along with its tiny 2.8-inch display — is something else that should limit how much you want to use it.

Old-school style meets modern specsLightLight

But the specs are rather better than those of the old-school phones it’s inspired by, and include 5G, an OLED display, 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, and a 12MP camera. So it should perform rather more smoothly than phones of yesteryear.

The Light Flip isn’t cheap though, coming in at $299 (roughly £225 / AU$430), which seems quite a lot for such a basic phone, even if it is a lot cheaper than your average smartphone. And even if you are in the market for this kind of device, it has some competition from the recently announced Commodore Callback 8020, which is a similar prospect but with wider Android app support (though it still blocks social media apps).

That phone is actually more expensive at $500 (around £375 / AU$715). Both phones are available to pre-order now, though while the Commodore is set to ship later this year, you won’t receive the Light Flip before April 2027.

• Cybernews found Carla’s exposed AWS bucket with 48,000 PDFs containing customer rental data
• Files included names, emails, phone numbers, rental details, and travel patterns useful for phishing
• Carla secured the database after disclosure; no evidence of malicious access, but risk remains

Car rental comparison and booking platform Carla kept a database with sensitive customer information unlocked on the open internet, freely available to anyone who knew where to look.

Cybersecurity researchers from Cybernewsreported finding an exposed Amazon Web Services (AWS) bucket with approximately 48,000 PDF files. These files, which was later determined belonged to Carla, contained car rental details and drivers’ personal information.

Among other things, these files held vouchers and confirmation numbers, drivers’ names, email addresses, and phone numbers, rent periods, costs, pick-up and drop-off locations, as well as general vehicle information.

Carla reacts

Cybernews says the data could have been used in convincing phishing attacks. Not only would malicious actors get contact information, but they could also deduce individuals’ travel patterns, which could be used to establish trust with the victims - a crucial step in social engineering attacks.

After disclosing the findings with Carla, the company locked the database down. Currently, there is no evidence that it was accessed by malicious actors in the past, but Cybernews says “if our team uncovered it, so too may have threat actors that have automated tools searching specifically for unprotected corporate data.”

The service does not own a feel of its own. Instead, it works like a travel booking site, aggregating offers from hundreds of rental providers and offering users to compare prices and reserve cars online.

Misconfigured databases continue to be one of the key causes of major data spills. Businesses often misunderstand the shared responsibility model of cloud providers, leaving systems with default settings, or setting up weak and easily guessed credentials.

Cybernews recently also reported discovering an exposed ElasticSearch cluster belonging to Nextcloud and containing 367,000 records of employee data, client company data, contracts, and various scripts.

Samsung’s book-style foldable could be better suited to the way we actually browse the internet and watch videos.

Two new frames from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, 9 hours of battery life, and privacy questions still in the air: here’s what Samsung shared about what’s coming this fall.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at $1,200, but it’s now thinner, lighter and easier to use while closed.

Samsung’s bold design shift shows how consumer needs are reshaping the foldables category. I was among the first outside Samsung to see its new lineup in Korea.

Samsung’s sporty smartwatch gets a larger battery, a faster Qualcomm processor, hands-free Gemini and new trail features. The catch? It also costs more.