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United Launch Alliance's Atlas V lofted Amazon's second batch of Project Kuiper satellites into orbit early Monday.

• Tronsmart Fiitune X30 is out now for $179.99 (about £154 / AU$322)
• 80W output with built-in subwoofer and up-firing "sky driver"
• IPX6 water resistance and 14 hour battery life

The Tronsmart Fiitune X30 is a direct rival to the Sonos Era 300, and it has one particularly appealing quality: it's less than half the price of the Sonos.

Where the Sonos Era 300 has a list price of $449 / £449 / AU$749, the Fiitune X30 is launching with a price tag of $179.99 / €179.99 (about £154 / AU$322).

As you'd expect, there are a few differences in spec to achieve that much lower price. And if you're serious about spatial sound, one of those differences may be a deal breaker.

(Image credit: Tronsmart)Fiitune X30: key features

The Fiitune X30 has six driver units, including an upward-firing illuminated "sky driver" to throw some audio towards the ceiling, a down-firing active subwoofer, dual tweeters, and dual mid-range drivers. There are four passive bass radiators and total power output is 80W. Frequency range isn't specified beyond "an ultra-wide 40kHz bandwidth".

It's a portable design with an integrated handle, dual-device connection, and IPX6 water resistance, and it promises 14 hours of playback between charges – that's fairly low compared to the best portable speakers, though there are lots of speakers to handle here, to be fair.

You can tune the audio with the companion smartphone app for iOS and Android, and Android users can stream audio to the speaker in LDAC for the highest possible sound quality. The speaker can be used solo or as half of a stereo pair.

It's not a bad spec for the money, but there's one important caveat: the spatial audio here isn't native, because the speaker doesn't support Dolby Atmos (or rival spatial audio formats, but Atmos is the crucial one for music right now).

Any spatial effect will be from 'upscaling' the music to have virtual extra height using that top-mounted speaker, and any 3D placement beyond stereo will also be added by the speaker.

That means it's targeting a very different market than the Sonos, and I suspect its real rival isn't the Era 300 but the Sonos Roam 2. The littlest Sonos is nowhere near as loud as the Fiitune X30 – it's 10W rather than 80W and has far fewer speakers – but it's priced identically at $179 / £179 / AU$299.

The Tronsmart could be a juicy set of speakers anyway, with lots of power for a low price, but this might be a case where there's no point putting the extra effort of spatial speakers in unless you're going to go the whole way and include Atmos.

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• Most people are polite to AI even when they’re frustrated, Tidio survey finds
• Cursing at chatbots doesn’t stop people from saying thank you
• Politeness toward AI feels normal even when the tech fails often

Are you someone who always says “please” and “thank you” to AI tools, or do you let rip when it doesn’t get what you mean or give you what you want?

New research has suggested users of AI chatbots can be both polite and rude, often in the same conversation.

A new report from Tidio found most people have cursed at a chatbot at least once, but that hasn’t stopped them from saying “thank you” afterward, highlighting the contradiction in how people interact with AI.

Avoiding AI chatbots

Nearly 70% of users admitted to swearing at chatbots out of frustration, but the service we’re getting from our future AI overlords can’t be that bad since 75% said they were satisfied with their most recent interaction.

Although people can be quick to vent when things don’t go their way (something human customer service workers know all too well), politeness still seems to be a habit people carry into conversations with AI, even when the experience isn’t totally smooth.

A previous Future study found 67% of Americans and 71% of Brits are nice to AI. That includes saying “please,” “thank you,” and even apologizing to digital assistants like ChatGPT or smart speakers.

It may sound silly, but some people say being respectful helps them get better answers. TechRadar’s Becca Caddy tested this by removing polite words from her prompts to ChatGPT and said the quality of responses dropped.

Even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, weighed in on the cost of politeness. When asked how much it costs to power responses to polite prompts, he replied, “Tens of millions of dollars well spent.”

Although AI is now part of our daily lives, a good portion of people aren’t wholly convinced by it.

Around 30% of respondents to Tidio’s survey said they’d prefer to wait for a human even if a chatbot is ready to respond. And 26% said they’d rather trust a Magic 8-Ball than AI support.

Some users are even willing to pay to avoid it. About 11% would spend extra just to talk to a human.

Yet in practice, most people are prepared to use AI for help with basic tasks. The most common purposes include technical support, general questions, billing issues, and product information.

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There's a new show at the top of the Netflix streaming charts, and whether you'll love it or not depends very much on whether you like shows such as Virgin River, Yellowstone or Dawson's Creek.

The Waterfront – Kevin Williamson's (Scream) new family crime drama – is according to The Guardian "Dawson's Creek for grown-ups". The Hollywood Reporter has described it as "Ozark meets Bloodline (with a bit of Virgin River)", while The Daily Beast says that "perhaps Yellowstone fans will be excited to watch that show’s vibe CW-ified and ported over to Netflix. Everyone else can just keep fishing for something better".

So we're clearly in love it or hate it territory – it's 64% score from the critics and 71% rating (at the time of writing) from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes confirms that. But for those who love it, The Waterfront is lots of fun.

What are the critics saying about The Waterfront?

The show centers the Buckley family – Holt McCallany and Maria Bello – who've built a fishing empire in their home town, only to have it taken away from them piece by piece as patriarch Harlan (McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks.

According to TIME: "it’s a slow-burn Southern gothic tale rich with betrayal and moral ambiguity, but beneath the genre trappings lies a deeper current of meaning... the series stands as a meditation on loyalty, legacy, and the weight of unfinished business."

The aforementioned Guardian review begs to differ, saying happily that: "It is escapist summer nonsense with – God, I hope – no pretensions to being otherwise. Dive into the adult creek and wallow in nostalgia as the waves of absurdity sweep towards shore."

Variety agrees – it's "the Netflix equivalent of a beach read, but it’s highly entertaining" – and The San Jose Mercury News reckons that the show "is a keeper because of the outrageous behavior of its morally compromised characters." Meanwhile, New York magazine says "there’s nothing quite like sensational, just-this-side-of-campy organized crime to buoy you through the sticky, grimy days of summer."

So, it's big daft summer fun? Not so fast! The haters are here and they've got some hating to do about why it's not one of the best Netflix shows, starting with IndieWire who says that "Netflix's sludgy family crime drama is a shallow reflection of better shows".

The grade here is a grudging D+ because, IndieWire's Ben Travers says, "it's all vibes and no soul... Nothing that’s heard has to mean anything, it just has to sound like it does. Nothing that happens has to evoke any real emotions, it just has to remind you of shows that did. Even if you haven’t seen Ozark or Yellowstone – heck, even if The Waterfront is the first series you’ve ever seen – there’s no mistaking a sinking ship."

The Independent wasn't exactly raving either. "It is hard to imagine that anyone at Netflix thinks The Waterfront is going to be a classic, or even a particular hit. Instead, it is television played about as safe as it comes."

It's "unconvincing", says The Hollywood Reporter. "This isn’t necessarily a good show, but it’s a serviceable attempt to reproduce the sort of accessible, young-skewing soap opera The CW and The WB used to make, with a solidly above-average cast."

The Waterfront is streaming now on Netflix.

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Whether it's during my time testing TVs at TechRadar or back in my AV retail days, one aspect of TVs I like to explore thoroughly is the smart TV platform, also known as the Operating System (OS).

The best TVs not only deliver great picture and sound quality (although great TV sound is a bit rarer), but they also make the viewing experience smooth, responsive and user-friendly.

Over the past few years, LG’s webOS smart TV platform has delivered the best user experience. In comparison, other smart TV platforms such as Google TV, Roku, and Fire TV all come up short, and the same has been true of Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform – until now.

In our recent reviews of the Samsung S95F and 65-inch Samsung S90F OLED TVs, and the Samsung QN90F mini-LED TV, the Tizen smart TV platform scored four and a half out of five stars in the smart TV category. Previously, the maximum I would give Tizen was four stars.

What has changed in the latest version that makes it so much better?

The best features

The Samsung Gaming Hub (pictured on the Samsung S95F) is one of Tizen's best features (Image credit: Future)

One of the best features in Samsung’s Tizen interface is the Gaming Hub. A portal dedicated to all things gaming, the Gaming Hub features a wide range of cloud-based apps such as Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now and Luna. It also has access to recommended Twitch streams and can detect your console when it's connected, working as a launch page. Gaming Hub is one of the major reasons why Samsung TVs always feature in our list of the best gaming TVs.

A more recent Tizen addition that seems to be inspired by LG’s webOS is the quick menu. Previously, accessing the settings on Samsung TVs was a long-winded process, but with the new quick menu overlay, accessing picture and sound modes, and the brightness setting is incredibly easy. Tizen 9.0 (the 2025 version) also remembers your most recent and frequently accessed settings and puts them at the top of the quick menu – useful if you regularly change one setting (I found I changed Dynamic Tone Mapping often while in Filmmaker Mode).

Samsung's new quick menu screen overlay gives you easy access to some settings (Image credit: Future)

The Tizen homescreen is split into three sections: For You, Live and Apps. For You now hosts more AI-based recommendations based on your viewing history, and I found these to be largely accurate. Samsung has also introduced profiles, where individual recommendations can be made for each user – another feature found in LG’s webOS platform that was first introduced in 2024.

Samsung TVs have a mode (called Art on LED, QLED and mini-LED sets, Ambient on OLED sets) where pictures can be displayed instead of showing a blank screen when in standby mode. There’s also a new subscription-based Art Store option that lets you “stream” paintings from famous museums, a feature that was previously limited to Samsung The Frame TVs.

Finally, Tizen provides access to not only the best streaming services but also thousands of hours of free TV shows and movies via its Samsung TV Plus hub, which is similar to the LG Channels feature on LG TVs.

Searching for settings

Some more advanced settings are unfortunately hidden away and can be tricky to find (Image credit: Future)

Tizen 9.0 may be the best version of Samsung’s smart TV platform I’ve used so far, but it’s still not perfect. One common criticism in TechRadar’s recent Samsung TV reviews involves the difficulty in accessing certain settings.

Although the quick menu mentioned above is a welcome feature, some settings are buried under a layer of menus, making them hard to find. For example, something as basic as Noise Reduction is found by going to Settings>All Settings> Picture Settings>Picture Clarity Settings>Noise Reduction, and this process involves scrolling down through multiple menus.

This deep nesting of settings makes life difficult for those who like to experiment with their TVs. And while Samsung provides a wide range of picture settings for viewers to customize the picture, Samsung could have made these easier to access.

Final thoughts

(Image credit: Future)

Tizen may not be a perfect smart TV platform, but for years, it was trailing behind LG’s webOS. Although webOS is still my top pick for a smart TV platform, it’s great to see just how much Tizen has improved in this latest version.

For Samsung TV owners with an older version of Tizen, fear not: Samsung’s commitment to seven years of software updates for older models gives your old TV extended life. And having tested this latest version, I can say that Tizen 9.0 is the best one yet.

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• Insurance giant AFLAC confirms it has been hit with a cyberattack
• The attack looks to have been by notorious Scattered Spider group
• Increasingly infamous group targeted multiple UK retailers earlier in 2025

AFLAC (American Family Life Assurance Company), has confirmed in a statement it has suffered a cyber ‘incident’ in which hackers intruded into its network.

AFLAC, the largest supplemental insurance provider in the US, says it was able to stop the intrusion ‘within hours’ and systems were not affected by ransomware.

Whilst AFLAC hasn’t confirmed the source of the breach or who was behind it, the breach exhibits all the signs of a Scattered Spider attack.

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A wider campaign

The name Scattered Spider will sound familiar to lots of readers, especially given that the group is allegedly behind major and disruptive breaches of UK retailers Marks and Spencer and Co-op, as well as luxury department store Harrods.

Google recently warned the group was aiming its sights on US firms, and urged the US insurance sector to be on high alert for social engineering and credential stuffing attacks.

Insurance companies are particularly at risk as they hold vast amounts of personal data and turn huge profits which can be exploited for ransom.

“This attack, like many insurance companies are currently experiencing, was caused by a sophisticated cybercrime group. This was part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry,” AFLAC’s statement stated.

“The potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, social security numbers, and/or other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in our U.S. business. We remain committed to caring for and supporting our customers.”

Anyone who uses any services hit by this group (or affected by any data breach) should be very wary of any unexpected communications, looking out for social engineering attacks, and should check out the best identity theft protection software to keep safe.

AFLAC is also offering 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for customers who contact their hotline following the breach.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Apparent DJI Mini 5 Pro prototype spotted and snapped by mountain biker
• Serial leaker says trusted source has signalled 7 August 2025 launch date
• New ultralight drone will reportedly come with LiDAR sensors

Drone lovers, prepare for lift-off: the release of the long-rumored DJI Mavic 5 Pro could be imminent, according to one serial leaker.

The replacement for the DJI Mini 4 Pro, which we rate as the best-in-class ultralight drone, is due to get its official launch on 7 August 2025, if serial drone blogger Jesper Ellens is to believed. Writing at DroneXL, Ellens reports that a (reliable) contact has messaged him sharing the date. He also says that, while he usually prefers to wait for more corroboration before posting a rumor like this, this source has never been wrong before.

If true, the date is a mere seven weeks away – weeks in which we expect further news and rumors about the DJI Mini 5 Pro will trickle out. We also suspect we’ll get more photos of the drone in the wild – such as one new captured by a Chinese mountain biker who claims he simply came across a prototype of the drone in a park.

The image was shared by another serial drone leaker, @MauroTandoi, and while it’s of pretty poor quality, it appears to show a small folding drone with larger front-facing sensors (see below).

#djimini5pro #dji #mini5pro pic.twitter.com/4RCeZC82adJune 20, 2025

This fits in well with early rumors about the Mini 5 Pro from last year; back in December 2024, Jesper Ellens (yes, we did say he was a serial leaker) claimed it would come with LiDAR sensors, as well as vented motors.

LiDAR, which would greatly enhance the drone’s obstacle avoidance system, particularly in low light conditions, has recently started appearing on higher end DJI drones such as the DJI Air 3S and DJI Mavic 4 Pro, so we would not at all be surprised to see it on an upcoming DJI Mini 5 Pro.

Vented motors, meanwhile, could result in stronger flight performance: higher air speed, better wind resistance and even longer battery life.

Other upgrades to come?

The DJI Mini 4 Pro weighs under 250g, a key part of its appeal that we strongly expect the DJI Mini 5 Pro to retain – regardless of any upgrades DJI has implemented. (Image credit: DJI)

LiDAR and vented motor upgrades alone might well be enough to convince people to upgrade to the Mini 5 Pro from a Mini 4 Pro, but we have also heard speculation about a larger 1-inch sensor for the camera (the Mini 4 Pro has a 1/1.3-inch sensor), which could really get people excited – especially if DJI keeps the weight under the all-important 250g mark.

In the UK, EU and USA, drones of 250g and above are subject to more rules, regulations and restrictions, so ultralight models such as DJI’s Mini range fulfil an important role – provided they keep their total take-off weight under that figure.

Stay tuned for more DJI Mini 5 rumors in the coming weeks.

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• Samsung India to launch 'core' Galaxy Buds on June 27
• An Amazon India listing spilled the beans on the release date
• But it's unclear whether the US will get them on Friday – or anyone else

Samsung's marketing strategy for its Galaxy Buds Core and/or Galaxy Buds 3 FE (which would bypass any Buds 2 FE variant entirely, despite being the first and only successors to the Galaxy Buds FE) has been somewhat… eccentric.

And now, instead of two sets of earbuds, just one has been teased by Samsung's Indian arm – but not by the tech giant's US or UK subdivisions.

And although Samsung India's post on X (below) doesn't expressly state 'Here are the Galaxy Buds Core, ladies n gents!' the tagline 'Let the music move you to the core' is fairly telling… and if you click through to an Amazon listing, you also get to know that sales start on June 27 for buyers based in India.

Brace yourself! The music is about to hit harder. Feel every note, every drop, every beat – louder, clearer, deeper. Dropping soon!Notify me: https://t.co/65SB0Nqwuz#Samsung pic.twitter.com/0Vm7DIvJR6June 21, 2025

Will the US / UK and Australia also get the Galaxy Buds Core on June 27?

Short answer: it's impossible to say – again, this particular release (or pair of releases) from Samsung has been rather hard to follow.

Less than two weeks ago, two unannounced sets of Samsung Galaxy earbuds were revealed in an APK teardown of the latest Galaxy Buds Controller app (Wear OS version, v1.0.08.38 – thank you for your hard work there, Android Authority) and neither of them was the expected Buds 2 FE.

Back in April though, Galaxy Buds Core certification filings were spotted in the US (FCC) and India (BIS) as the successors to the Buds FE – so perhaps it's best to think of the lineup thus: the Buds Core take the spot of the Buds 2 FE, and the Buds 3 FE occupy a place, er, after that.

And we're not done: as spotted by Android Authority, the team over at Gadgets360 spotted a Buds Core listing on Samsung’s official UAE website, which does suggest a global rollout on June 27, even if the US is being fashionably late to the launch party.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds series hasn't seen a new product since the stemmed Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which arrived in summer 2024 (although they did get some much-needed updates in March 2025). So, it's high time for some fresh iterations – and in case you haven't spotted it, the Buds 3 Pro are heavily discounted right now, which often signals products that are about to be superseded.

What's the main upgrade we can expect over the Buds FE? Some have suggested Wi-Fi support (I'll believe it when I see it) but I think we can definitely expect an uptick in stamina. The original Buds FE boasted a relatively humble 6 hours with ANC on and I'm sure Samsung is looking to level that up to stay relevant, even in the $99 / £99 space.

Anyway, not long to wait now…

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• Iranian authorities are pushing citizens to use a domestic messaging app to communicate with their families outside the country
• A security audit found Bale Messenger wasn't safe; it lacks E2EE protection and shares sensitive users data with the app server
• Iran has been experiencing a near-total internet blackout since June 18, 2025, impacting citizens' ability to communicate and access information

As Iran enters the fifth day of a near-total communication blackout, officials are reportedly encouraging citizens to turn to a domestic messaging app to stay in touch with their families outside the country.

Fars News Agency – which is managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – shared a tweet on Friday, June 20, saying that foreign users, as well as locals, can now use the Bale app to communicate with relatives and friends during the internet outage.

There's a problem, though: security researchers have previously flagged Bale (or Baleh) Messenger as a state surveillance tool. Not only did they find that it lacked end-to-end encryption protections, but that it also has censorship and surveillance capabilities.

The risks of Bale Messenger

(Image credit: Future)

Reportedly developed by a company with ties to the National Bank of Iran, Bale (which means Yes in Persian) is an instant messaging application that includes voice-over-IP features, a social media platform, and even banking services.

Bale claims to use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to ensure users chats remain private.

According to data coming from the Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Bale had 16.5 million monthly active users as of May 2023.

Considering its growing popularity, security researchers at the Open Technology Fund decided to verify the claims of Bale and two other Iranian messaging apps (Eitaa and Rubika) with a security audit. The tests were carried out in December 2023 and October 2024 and uncovered several privacy and security vulnerabilities.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Kenneth Cheung/via Getty Images)

Iranian authorities enforced heavy internet restrictions against popular Western apps following the country's 2022 massive protests. This has likely led to a spike in usage of Bale and other Iran-developed applications.

For starters, auditors confirmed that all three apps employed different forms of client-server encryption, but none had E2EE protections enabled, despite government claims.

Specifically Bale was found using "one form of encryption that could be easily reversed in the context of encrypting a user’s credit card data" according to the audit.

All apps could reportedly exchange messages with each other, too, through a backend process called Message Exchange Bus (MXB), which auditors confirmed was a state-owned service.

This meant that the app server "could potentially view plaintext messages due to the lack of E2EE in any of the apps".

Researchers also found evidence of "unexpected transmission of private data".

Crucially, when users click on URLs shared via messages, they appear to be redirected to the application’s backend server.

"This would effectively allow the servers to monitor which websites are viewed by users within the app," researchers explained, deeming the tactic "a mechanism for censorship and surveillance".

The Bale app was also found to share users location data with the app server during authentication.

What experts are saying

Researchers at the Open Technology Fund concluded their security audit by suggesting opting for more secure messaging apps that actually employ E2EE. These include Signal (which also offers anti-censorship proxy servers), Session, and Wire.

Iranian Information Security Analyst and women’s rights advocate Azam Jangrevi also raised concerns following Friday's statement from the Iranian authorities.

Iran's regime has cut internet access, leaving millions disconnected from loved ones abroad. Officials push the "Baleh" app,long flagged by activists as insecure and a tool for state surveillance. #InternetFreedom #Iran #war #IranIsraelConflict pic.twitter.com/3mbuTogCdsJune 20, 2025

Jangrevi told TechRadar: "The app, tied to the National Bank of Iran, has raised red flags due to potential spyware embedded within its code. Key concerns include unauthorized surveillance, remote device access, and metadata collection especially targeting individuals with political or social influence.

"With those risks, analysts urge citizens to avoid Baleh for sensitive communication. Instead, they suggest turning to encrypted services like Signal or WhatsApp (via secure VPNs), though connection quality varies."

Iran's internet blackout

(Image credit: NetBlocks)

Iran has been suffering a near-total internet blackout since June 18, 2025, impacting citizens' ability to communicate and access information.

Internet connectivity was briefly restored on Saturday (June 21) "when residents could exchange messages with the outside world," internet watchdog NetBlocks reported, before collapsing again in the evening.

The latest data from Sunday (see image above) shows that the country remains largely "offline."

"At 72 hours, diminished telecoms continue to impact the public's ability to stay informed and in touch with loved ones," NetBlocks noted.

It's in this context that Iranians were also asked to delete WhatsApp from their smartphones, with officials fearing the app may be used as a source of strategic information for its opponent in the current conflict.

A series of government-imposed restrictions also began on June 13 and sparked a surge of VPN demand across Iran that reached peaks of over 700% increase.

Authorities, however, appear to be targeting VPN usage with some of the best VPN apps now reportedly not working at all times.

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• Desktop shipments to enterprises are up 22%, accounting for 17% of enterprise PC sales, report claims
• Consumers on the whole are less keen to upgrade, with just a 9% rise
• The market could slow down or even contract again next year

With the official Windows 10 end of life set for just a few months away, businesses are ramping up their purchasing of new devices in anticipation of boosting support not just for Windows 11, but for future OSs as well.

The latest figures from industry analyst at Context (via The Register) illustrate a 22% year-over-year rise in desktop shipments to enterprise customers during April and May 2025, largely driven by refresh cycles and the looming end of support for Windows 10.

Interestingly, it found companies have been buying many more desktops than portable devices, which ties in with industry trends across the tech sector of widespread return-to-office mandates.

PC shipments rising as Windows 10 end of life nears

"Their share of total PC revenues in early Q2 reached nearly 17%, the highest level in Context's two-year reporting period," Context senior analyst Marie Christine Pygott explained.

"This reflects both a long-overdue refresh cycle in commercial environments and the typical spike in demand ahead of major OS support deadlines."

The trends broadly reflect similar changes seen by Canalys, another firm that tasks itself with monitoring device shipments, among other metrics.

During the first four months of 2025, overall PC shipments were up 9% on average, with desktops up 8% compared with 10% for notebooks. Those metrics account for all PC shipments, though – not just enterprise customers.

Principal Analyst Ishan Dutt explained Microsoft's decision to pull the plug from Windows 10 isn't the only influencing factor over increased sales – ongoing trade war-induced tariffs and widespread economic uncertainty has seen both customers and suppliers aim to acquire new tech before prices increase.

"This preemptive strategy allowed manufacturers and the channel to stock up ahead of potential cost increases, boosting sell-in shipments despite otherwise stable end-user demand," Dutt added.

Windows 10 had remained highly popular for months, with many customers happy with their existing hardware and others limited from upgrading due to software and licensing restrictions. Windows 11 (43%) adoption still hasn't overtaken the number of Windows 10 installs (53%), but the gap has closed considerably in the space of a year (via Statcounter).

However, looking ahead, IDC predicts contraction in the global PC market due to the stabilization brought on by widespread Windows 11 migration.

"Expectations of worsening macroeconomic conditions around the world and in the US characterized by upward pressures on prices and degrading consumer sentiment," IDC Worldwide PC Trackers Research VP Jean Philippe Bouchard added.

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• 'Motors' WordPress theme vulnerability leaves accounts open to takeover attacks
• Widespread attacks were observed from June 7 onwards
• A patch is available in version 5.6.68, so update now

A popular premium WordPress theme, has been exploited by hackers thanks to a critical privilege escalation flaw tracked as CVE-2025-4322.

Attackers are able to exploit the vulnerability in the 'Motors' theme to hijack administrator accounts, taking full control of sites to change details, inject false details and spread malicious payloads.

Developed by StylemixThemes and a popular pick among automotive websites, nearly 22,500 sales of the theme have been logged on EnvatoMarket.

'Motors' WordPress theme has been hijacked

The vulnerability had first been discovered on May 2, 2025, with a patch later released with version 5.6.68 on May 14, meaning that up-to-date accounts should be protected from potential account takeovers. Versions up to 5.6.67 are affected by the CVE, with Wordfence reporting on the details on May 19.

"This is due to the theme not properly validating a user's identity prior to updating their password," Wordfence explained.

"This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to change arbitrary user passwords, including those of administrators, and leverage that to gain access to their account."

Although the patch has already been released, accounts that are still running older versions are at risk of takeover, with attacks seen to have started on May 20. By June 7, researchers were observing wide-scale attacks – Wordfence has now blocked more than 23,000 attack attempts.

Wordfence also disclosed a number of key IP addresses seen to be attacking sites – many making thousands of attempts each.

"One obvious sign of infection is if a site’s administrator is unable to log in with the correct password as it may have been changed as a result of this vulnerability," the researchers explained.

The biggest change users of the 'Motors' theme can do is to update to version 5.6.68, closing the vulnerability to attackers and securing their accounts from takeovers.

Via BleepingComputer

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The service kicked off as scheduled aboard Tesla's Model Y vehicles, with customers paying a $4.20 flat fee to ride.

As a resident Reviews Writer here at TechRadar, I’ve tested some truly phenomenal gadgets and gizmos, ranging from the best headphones on the planet through to the best Bluetooth speakers. But despite how many impressive products I see, there’s the occasional stand-out release, and the Samsung HW-Q800D soundbar was certainly one of them.

With roaring bass output, awesome Dolby Atmos effects and an abundance of smart features, I was delighted with the soundbar’s talents, awarding it four-and-a-half stars in my Samsung HW-Q800D review.

But recently, I decided it was time for a change and traded my multi-box Samsung set-up for an all-in-one alternative. Why? Well… I’ll reveal that in a moment. But the soundbar in question is the Marshall Heston 120, which packs room-swallowing bass, stellar spatial audio effects and jaw-dropping beauty into one standalone bar.

Still, was it really worth dropping my 360W setup with a rumbling sub for a 150W one-box rival? Yes, yes it was. So, let’s uncover why that’s the case…

The Marshall Heston 120 is a true work of art (Image credit: Future)The noisy neighbor… was me all along

I live in an apartment, and not one that's on the ground floor. And look, I love booming bass as much as anyone… more than most, in fact – but the raw might of the HW-Q800D sometimes felt like overkill for my neighbors.

When watching movies at night – especially those with imposing, bass-heavy scores – I would be hurrying to switch Night mode on through the Samsung Smart Things app. And even then, I sometimes would have to dial down the sub manually, to ensure I wasn’t rousing my lower-floor neighbors from deep slumber.

So, if like me, you live in an apartment complex, especially if you’re in a smaller-sized room and not on the ground floor – a big sub might not be the best move for you.

Since switching to the Marshall Heston 120, I’ve found that night-time viewing is a lot more seamless and worry-free. Yes, the Heston 120 produces incredibly impressive low-frequency audio for an all-in-one bar, but I’m not getting the same floor-shaking rumble that the Q800D dished out.

And if bass power is still a little much, I can still simply switch on Night Mode and adjust the level to ‘high’ in the revamped Marshall app. Easy as you like.

Even if you live in a detached property or don’t have to worry about neighbors for whatever reason, I’d still highly recommend the Marshall Heston 120, though. For most, it will already have enough power to make movie nights that bit more memorable.

But it also has an RCA port, enabling you to connect the soundbar up to any external wired sub. I tried hooking the Heston 120 up to a mega sub from Q Acoustics recently, and the results were mindblowing.

There’ll also be a compatible subwoofer arriving directly from Marshall in the future, dubbed the Heston Sub 200. So if you have the capacity for a multi-box setup, I’m sure this will make your viewing experiences incredibly immersive too.

Here's the Marshall Heston 120 hooked up to the mammoth Q Acoustics Q Sub120, a 600W, 50lbs (22.7kg), 12-inch (30.5cm) beast of a subwoofer! (Image credit: Future)If looks could kill…

OK, so I’m a lot less worried about noise complaints now, but there was something else that really drew me to the Marshall Heston 120. And that’s its incredibly charming retro design, which hooked me from the second I laid eyes on it.

I attended the unveiling of the Heston 120 at Marshall’s Stockholm HQ and I was told that the team was incredibly keen to make its first ever soundbar stand out among a homogenous market filled with hulking black bars. And this is exactly what they did.

The Heston 120 is, to be fair, a hulking black bar. But it's not just that – it has Marshall’s amp-making heritage in its DNA, rocking a wraparound speaker grille, three knurled metal control dials, and a golden Marshall logo positioned right in the center. Golden details and classy red LEDs top off a beautifully crafted product that’s eye-catching, yet classy.

I don’t mind the look of the Samsung HW-Q800D at all. It's got a solid, angular build that screams durability. But in all honesty, it's slightly chunky and lacks the finesse of the Heston 120. If you want your soundbar to be a statement piece as well as a source of sensational cinematic sound, Marshall’s one and only soundbar is a cut above.

I love the gold details on the Marshall Heston 120, they really radiate a sense of luxury (Image credit: Future)A musical maestro, right at the heart of my living room

I’ve spoken a lot about design elements that make the Heston 120 a better fit for my living space, but something I wanted to touch on is performance – specifically, musical performance.

When I tested the Samsung HW-Q800D, I was impressed, overall, with its handling of music. I was treated to excellent depth for dark bass hits, solid instrument separation, and rich mids to boot. But the Heston 120 took things to a new level.

Marshall's soundbar whipped up an incredibly expansive, wide impression when I listened to tunes via Tidal Connect. With Atmos music, guitars sounded as if they were coming from the corners of my room, vocals were pushed forward and percussion danced across the width of the bar.

But stereo music really wowed me, with the Heston 120 offering trouble-free channel separation, subtle detailing and plenty of breathing room for each instrument to express itself as intended.

If want to open yourself up to the best musical experience a soundbar can supply, the Heston 120 is a no-brainer pick. A sidenote to that is you’re even able to connect one of the best record players up to the soundbar via RCA (as long as it has a phono stage built-in) – pretty cool!

Real footage of me switching to Wi-Fi mode before experiencing the Heston 120's mesmerizing musical talents (Image credit: Future)A final note

So, there you have it, the Marshall Heston 120 is the soundbar for me. It suits my living space, it's a real work of art and it has the performance – especially music-wise – to keep me more than satisfied.

But I want to hammer one thing home – the Samsung HW-Q800D is still an excellent multi-box soundbar. I mean, it’s our overall pick for best Dolby Atmos soundbar for good reason!

It might not be optimal for my small apartment, but if you’ve got the right setup, I highly recommend it. Especially as it can be found on sale quite regularly now – as low as £549 in the UK. That’s a considerable chunk less than the Marshall Heston 120, which has a list price of $999 / £899 / AU$1,799.

So, will you be grabbing the Marshall Heston 120? What’s your setup like? I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights in the comments, so please let me know!

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A livestream promised more images of deep space from the new observatory.

• Microsoft has released its 2025 Repsonsible AI Transparency Report
• It outlines its plans to build and maintain responsible AI models
• New regulations are coming in regarding the use of AI, and Microsoft wants to be ready

With AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) increasingly used in many parts of modern life, the trustworthiness and security of these models has become an important consideration for businesses such as Microsoft.

The company has moved to outline its approach to the future of AI in its 2025 Responsible AI Transparency Report, laying out how it sees the future of the technology evolving in years to come.

Just as we have seen AI more broadly adopted by businesses, we have also seen a wave of regulations around the world that aim to establish the safe and responsible use of AI tools and the implementation of AI governance policies that help companies manage the risks associated with AI use.

A hands on approach

In the report, the second following an initial launch in May 2024, Microsoft lays out how it has made significant investments into responsible AI tools, policies, and practices.

These include expanded risk management and mitigation for, "modalities beyond text—like images, audio, and video—and additional support for agentic systems," as well as taking a "proactive, layered approach" to new regulations such as the EU’s AI Act, supplying customers with materials and resources to empower them to be ready and compliant with incoming requirements.

Consistent risk management, oversight, reviewing, and red-teaming of AI and generative AI releases come alongside continued research and development to ‘inform our understanding of sociotechnical issues related to the latest advancements in AI’, with the company's AI Frontiers Lab helping Microsoft, "push the frontier of what AI systems can do in terms of capability, efficiency, and safety."

As AI advances, Microsoft says plans to build more adaptable tools and practices and invest into systems of risk management in order to, "provide tools and practices for the most common risks across deployment scenarios".

That’s not all though, as Microsoft also plans to deepen its work regarding incoming regulations by supporting effective governance across the AI supply chain.

It says it is also working internally and externally to, "clarify roles and expectations", as well as continuing with research into, "AI risk measurement and evaluation and the tooling to operationalize it at scale", sharing advancements with its wider ecosystem to support safer norms and standards.

"Our report highlights new developments related to how we build and deploy AI systems responsibly, how we support our customers and the broader ecosystem, and how we learn and evolve," noted Teresa Hutson, CVP, Trusted Technology Group and Natasha Crampton, Chief Responsible AI Officer.

"We look forward to hearing your feedback on the progress we have made and opportunities to collaborate on all that is still left to do. Together, we can advance AI governance efficiently and effectively, fostering trust in AI systems at a pace that matches the opportunities ahead."

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Now more than ever, employers are turning to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies in the workplace, largely due to employees showing interest in saying goodbye to their company-issued phones and leadership looking to increase security measures and cut costs. BYOD adoption rates are increasing year-over-year, with a recent survey finding 67 percent of companies had implemented BYOD policies, up from 51 percent the year prior.

Given the growing interest from organizations and employees looking to transition to the BYOD model, it is critical to understand why this switch is beneficial and the steps companies can take to set them up for success and ensure proper security and privacy measures are implemented.

Making the switch to BYOD: start with “why” & build A plan

Just like any other planning facet of a business, setting up a mobile communications strategy should be based on the company’s “why.” What are the primary reasons this workforce should (or shouldn’t) utilize a BYOD model? Is it productivity, security, better client interactions - or all of the above? Depending on, industry, category, and the size of the company, this “why” can take on many forms.

For instance, a company operating in a highly regulated industry, such as financial services or healthcare, will find it imperative to be able to capture calls and texts for compliance purposes. Another company may instead prioritize data privacy in its phone policy both for the company, itself, and its customers. Either way, having a strong mobile communications strategy, with a BYOD policy in place, is critical.

Companies on the other end of the BYOD spectrum, such as those that rely on a transient, 1099 workforce, will need a solution that allows them to assign business numbers to freelance or contract workers. For organizations looking to cut costs while increasing productivity, companies can look into options such as putting a second, dedicated business identity on employees’ phones to provide a distinct separation of work and personal communications.

No matter which of these examples might fit an organization's business model, it is important to determine the “why” upfront before making a decision on whether or not to utilize a BYOD model.

From there, before putting a BYOD policy into practice, companies should develop an implementation plan, starting with legal and human resources teams collaborating on a phone use policy. Among the many issues to be considered is whether employees will be compensated for the use of their personal phones, typically done in the form of a monthly stipend.

Encouraging employee adoption

While many employees have expressed interest in having a BYOD policy in place, some businesses are still facing difficulties getting their workforce to embrace employee adoption due to employee concerns surrounding data privacy, IT complexities, and execution roadblocks.

Implementing third-party software applications can address many of these concerns, but companies should be cautious of applications that enable secure communications on employee-owned devices. Rather, companies should try utilizing apps that make a distinct separation of work and personal communications. Employees are more likely to engage with a BYOD model if they know their personal data isn’t being monitored or recorded by their employer.

Other strategies for encouraging quick and compliant BYOD adoption:

• Emphasize the benefits of BYOD to employees in rollout communications. Nobody likes to carry a second phone and that alone can often be the driving force for staff engagement.
• If the BYOD policy leverages specific apps, make sure there is adequate training from the start. Additional follow-up training is also useful to assure continued use.
• Implement from the top down. When employees see that leadership is compliant with the new policy, it will encourage other employees to follow suit.

Laying the groundwork for real results

Understanding the “why” for implementing a BYOD policy, selecting an option that works for an organization’s specific needs, and properly encouraging employee adoption, will ultimately result in tangible benefits for both the employer and its employees.

Here are just some of the benefits businesses can realize by switching to a BYOD model:

1. Cost savings: Without the need to buy extra phones or manage another device plan, companies can greatly reduce their hardware and mobile service costs.
2. Convenience: Employees no longer have to carry two devices instead of one. Rather, they can keep work and personal communications separate on the same phone.
3. Security & compliance: Third party applications can offer enterprise-grade security features that support communication compliance (e.g., for financial or legal sectors) with automatic call and text recording, archiving, and monitoring.

In short, a BYOD model, combined with a third party application can give you the benefits of a second phone without the hassle or cost—especially appealing for professionals who need to stay compliant or businesses managing mobile fleets.

We've featured the best business tablet.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, June 23 (game #1246).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1247) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1247) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1247) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1247) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1247) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• Q

• S

• A

• F

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1247) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1247, are…

• QUALM
• SQUIB
• AXIAL
• FLACK

Today's Quordle was a slightly trickier one for me, with my opening three guesses giving me only three letters for each part of the board.

I started with the top left, where I had three greens to go on in the format -AUL-; BAULK seemed a good option.

That was wrong, but it gave me a B for the top right and K for the bottom right, and that was enough for me to find FLACK and then SQUIB.

The Q in SQUIB then led to QUALM in top left, leaving just the bottom left – which by this stage could only be AXIAL. A tough bunch of words today, for sure.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1247) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1247, are…

• FRESH
• CLOVE
• USURP
• REIGN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1246, Monday, 23 June: PIXEL, FJORD, STEAL, EXIST
• Quordle #1245, Sunday, 22 June: WREST, CRAZE, PAPAL, SCION
• Quordle #1244, Saturday, 21 June: BUDDY, GROUT, BEGIN, MADAM
• Quordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURID
• Quordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVY
• Quordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURN
• Quordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINE
• Quordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGN
• Quordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVEN
• Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONIC
• Quordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY
• Quordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSE
• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL
• Quordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVEL
• Quordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUME
• Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
• Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY
• Quordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCE
• Quordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPO