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• Intel has highlighted the improvements of its Arc iGPUs used in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw 7 AI+ handhelds
• The Arc 140V and 130V both have better power management optimization
• It's resulted in better frame rates and frame pacing across multiple games

Handheld gaming is again growing in popularity, with new AMD and Intel SoCs (System-on-Chip) hitting the market that provide great gaming performance, and Team Blue has taken steps to improve the efficiency of two of its iGPUs.

In an official blog post, Intel confirmed a performance update for both the Arc 140V and 130V iGPUs, claiming a 10% FPS gain and a 25% upgrade on 99th percentile (essentially lowest possible FPS) uplifts across several games at 17W (power consumption). The Arc 140V is present in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and the MSI Claw 7 AI+ handheld gaming PCs, which both use the powerful Core Ultra 7 258V processor.

This is all possible thanks to the previous Arc Graphics driver 32.0.101.6734, which improved power management at lower wattages (also incorporated in its latest Arc Graphics driver 32.0.101.6739), as Intel highlighted in its release notes. We previously reported on this, but now Team Blue has performance charts to showcase the enhancements.

In games like Cyberpunk 2077, God of War Ragnarok, and Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, both average FPS and 1% lows see significant improvements between drivers 6732 and 6734 while gaming on 17W TDP. Notably, Fortnite on driver 6734 has the biggest uplift in both average FPS and 1% lows; essentially, this increases smoothness with better frame pacing.

(Image credit: Intel) The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the king of efficiency by the looks of it...

Considering its 80WHr battery and performance capabilities at a low 17W TDP, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is probably the best handheld gaming PC in terms of efficiency.

I'd be lying if I said I've been using my Asus ROG Ally consistently; it's been mainly collecting dust, because its battery life is poor. As much as I don't mind staying plugged into a wall socket (same as what you'd do with a gaming laptop), it gets frustrating.

I've not had the pleasure of using the MSI Claw 8 AI+ yet, but everything I hear about it makes me want it that much more (especially after the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal). You'd barely need to push the device beyond 17W, and you'll still have great performance - and I can't say the same about the ROG Ally.

Now, if you do want to use the MSI Claw while on battery, it's still going to last a lot longer than the ROG Ally and other handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go. It's a testament to how MSI turned things around after its initial attempt with the MSI Claw A1M model. Let's hope it can once again outdo itself with a new device in the future...

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• Co-Op has shut down systems following a cyber incident
• Stores and funeral homes are trading as usual
• This follows a destructive alleged ransomware attack on M&S

British supermarket Co-Op has had to take down parts of its IT systems after discovering an attempted cyberattack, The Guardian reports. It seems hackers are attempting to gain access to systems, and the chain is taking “proactive measures” to defend against the attack, which had a “small impact” on the firm’s back office and call centre.

This comes just days after another UK supermarket, Marks and Spencers, suffered an outage allegedly linked to ScatteredSpider ransomware - taking out online orders, contactless payments, and Click and Collect systems.

In a letter sent to staff, the retailer confirms it has “taken steps to keep systems safe” so had “pre-emptively withdrawn access to some systems for the moment”. It’s not yet known if there is any link between this incident and the M&S ransomware attack.

Unauthorised access

Retailers tend to work with a large number of third parties for logistics, supplies, and software - making them an attractive target for criminals who can use smaller vendors as an access point. The scope of this incident isn’t yet clear, nor is the initial attack vector.

A spokesperson for Co-Op told TechRadar Pro that all stores (including quick commerce operations) and funeral homes are trading as usual.

“We are working hard to reduce any disruption to our services and would like to thank our colleagues, members, partners and suppliers for their understanding during this period. We are not asking our members or customers to do anything differently at this point. We will continue to provide updates as necessary.”

The Metropolitan police has confirmed it’s investigating into the M&S cyberattack, and the chaos of the incident has reportedly cost the firm millions of pounds in downtime and lost sales.

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Shark has abandoned all restraint with the latest addition to its fan lineup. The FlexBreeze Pro Mist comes with a full-size water tank that clips onto the base, enabling it to blast you with a cooling cloud of mist for hours. It's also cordless and UV- and rain-resistant, making it the perfect outdoor hangout companion when the hot weather sets in.

Misting capabilities are particularly useful because fans don't actually cool the air – they just swish it around a bit so it feels colder. In contrast, misters do cool the air. If you fill the tank up with chilled water, or pop some ice cubes in there, Shark says the Pro Mist can shift temperatures down by 6C (10.8F), which is enough to take you from hot mess to cool customer.

The FlexBreeze Pro offers on-the-go misting, wherever you may be (Image credit: Shark)

The design converts from full-height pedestal fan to tabletop mode (the latter is still suitable for use with the water tank, but it'll just sit alongside the fan rather than attaching to the stand) and it can oscillate horizontally up to 180 degrees and manually tilt vertically 55 degrees, for wide-ranging cooling. There are five speed modes to choose from, plus two 'SmartBreeze' settings that simulate natural wind – presumably intended for when you're not actually outside – and a remote control for extra convenience.

If you're using it indoors, you can of course turn the mist off so you don't end up with damp carpets. And if it's living inside for long periods then the tank can be taken off completely – although it's the main reason to choose this fan, so if you're not in it for the misting, you're better off looking elsewhere in our best fan roundup.

A cooling collection

The FlexBreeze Pro Mist is the third (or fourth, depending where you live) addition to the FlexBreeze line, and the most hardcore option.

The original model – which you can read about in our Shark FlexBreeze review – still has a mist function, but you'll need to hook it up to an outdoor water source, which limits the versatility somewhat. If your BBQ doesn't happen to be next to a faucet, no icy clouds for you.

You'll also find the portable FlexBreeze HydroGo in the same range (Image credit: Shark )

There's also a portable option – covered in our Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo review – which offers misting from a small onboard water tank. But that won't last nearly as long as the Pro Mist's big bucket, and the fact it's tabletop-only and can't oscillate means it's really for personal cooling, and less well suited to gatherings.

Everything about the FlexBreeze Pro Mist sounds delightfully refreshing... although the price might put a dampener on things. At list price, it's $249.99 / £249.99, which is on the steep side for a fan that lacks smart features or connectivity. It's also $50 / £50 more than the original FlexBreeze, which is the same but needs to be hooked up to a hose to for misting. That's one expensive bucket. That said, Shark does offer regular sales, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a discount before beach season arrives.

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• Cronos: The New Dawn will take around 18 hours to beat
• This is according to its directors
• There will be plenty of reasons to replay, however, including a new game plus difficulty and new skins

Cronos: The New Dawn will take around 18 hours to beat, according to its developers.

This comes from a recent chat with Wojciech Piejko and Jacek Zięba, directors of the upcoming survival horror game, who commented on how long it will be.

"18 hours," replied Piejko in response to my question about the game's length. "Current play testers are finishing the game in 18 hours," he then clarifies, though notes that the team is still "balancing everything" so this might change.

He goes on to suggest that it could take up to 20 hours, or as little as 16, depending on how you play.

Cronos: The New Dawn follows a time traveler sent back to 1980s Poland in order to rescue important figures from an oncoming apocalypse.

The game is being developed by Bloober Team, known for the recent Silent Hill 2 remake in addition to other horror titles like The Medium and Layers of Fear.

Later in our conversation, Zięba reveals that players will be encouraged to replay thanks to the ability to "unlock new skins" in addition to access to a harder difficulty option in new game plus, so there's scope for lots of additional time in the game.

"There is a big opportunity to play the game again and again and again, as a good survival horror game should," he adds.

Replaying will also allow you to experiment more with the upgrade system or try out different combinations of weapons.

Every playthrough will enhance your understanding of the plot too, which has multiple layers and, according to Zięba, needs to be experienced "at least twice" in order to "understand most of it."

Cronos: The New Dawn is set to release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC later this year.

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It's been four years since LG pulled the plug on its once robust phone business, and there have been no new LG handsets since then; but some people still own and use them, and many of us have a drawer filled with classic models.

Now, though, all LG phones will begin the slow, steady march to brickatude, as software updates end on June 30. It's a sad moment, and it got me thinking about how LG did things differently (really differently) and what the rest of the phone industry (looking at you, Samsung, Apple, Google) can learn from it.

In some ways, LG (formerly Lucky Goldstar, which should tell you something) was just like any other phone company, albeit one that always appeared to be on a little bit of acid.

LG, for instance, has an obsession with multiples. Even before foldables, it slapped two screens on a phone, most memorably in the LG Wing, which, when you flipped the top screen from portrait to landscape, turned the handset into a digital cross, complete with a half-sized display squeezed in below the main one. Flipping a screen was also kind of an LG thing.

Now, this was a wild phone. I always loved when LG would swing for the fences. pic.twitter.com/MKjcBScYZhNovember 11, 2022

Then there was the LG V60 ThinQ, which put a second full-sized display in the case. This was years before folding phones that could transform from a standard handset into a tablet; instead, the V60 faked it. Content could span across the two screens, but it was more typical for you to use one screen as a virtual keyboard, with the other screen as the content display.

LG would invent or adopt oddball words like "Groufies," which was another way of saying "group selfies," – that particular term was coined for the LGV10, which featured two front cameras to create an ultra-wide front-facing camera.

The LG Velvet included ASMR recording capabilities; the LG K7i could repel mosquitoes (it emitted a special sound). We marveled at these technological achievements, and we also asked, "But why?"

LG made a lot of phones, and sometimes operated at the very bleeding edge. It was among the first phone companies to support Windows Phone 7 (and not to its benefit), and offered the first phone to run Android Nougat.

Even before that, though, I knew LG as the maker of fun and affordable feature phones. There were the Voyage and enV, which I gave my kids. The latter featured an excellent QWERTY keyboard, and I bought some of these phones for my kids because they were reliable and affordable, while still offering a fair amount of design sex appeal.

I've never really understood why LG abruptly exited the phone business, but sometimes I wonder if it just couldn't stand the heat from frequent competitor Samsung. Visit South Korea, the home country of both brands, and you'll see how the two companies loom large across almost every area of commerce and culture.

Like LG, Samsung has been willing to take some risks (though at a much higher price), introducing a folding phone well before the technology was fully ready for prime time. We've watched Samsung iterate on the fly, and it now produces two excellent, if pricey, flexible phones in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.

The LG Wing (Image credit: LG)

LG had a habit of introducing weird designs and then abandoning them. It could not iterate (or didn't want to), and with the LG Wing being its last big swing-for-the-fences design, it left the field.

I still miss LG, though, because even given the folding revolution I believe that Apple, Google, Samsung, and others could be taking more design risks. The majority of smartphones we see today look, at a glance, far too similar; perhaps the market has squeezed out design and innovation anomalies, but I think it has more to do with the industry steering consumers towards a bland sameness that is more manageable.

These days, affordable innovation comes from companies like TCL, Huawei, OnePlus, and Nothing, brands that operate at the edges of the US phone market, and which arguably have little impact on industry design and tech direction.

With the last vestiges of LG fading away over the summer, it's unlikely we'll ever see its like again. Risk-taking is not rewarded in this industry or this market. Same sells. Thanks for the weirdo memories, LG.

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• SentinelOne says it identified hundreds of fake personas applying for a job at the company
• At the same time, Chinese state-sponsored actors are targeting both the company and its clients
• The threat actors are also targeting government-aligned firms in South Asia

North Korean and Chinese state-sponsored threat actors have been targeting SentinelOne and its clients, the company claimed in a recent analysis.

SentinelOne is a cybersecurity company providing autonomous endpoint protection using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Its clients include Fortune 10 and Global 2000 enterprises, government agencies, and managed service providers, across different industries. Some of the more notable names include Amazon, Samsung, and Bloomberg.

The Chinese are there, too

In a new article titled “Top Tier Target | What It Takes to Defend a Cybersecurity Company from Today’s Adversaries”, authors Tom Hegel, Aleksandar Milenkoski, and Jim Walter explained that in the last couple of months, cybercriminals from North Korea were persistently trying to get a job in the company. The company said it is now tracking some 360 fake personas and more than 1,000 job applications linked to DPRK IT worker operations applying for roles at SentinelOne and SentinelLabs Intelligence.

At the same time, Chinese actors were trying to conduct cyber-espionage, not just against SentinelOne, but its high-value clients, as well.

“One notable set of activity, occurring over the previous months, involved reconnaissance attempts against SentinelOne’s infrastructure and specific high value organizations we defend,” the authors said. “We first became aware of this threat cluster during a 2024 intrusion conducted against an organization previously providing hardware logistics services for SentinelOne employees.”

The researchers said the group running these attacks is called PurpleHaze, a threat actor that was also seen targeting a South Asian government-supporting entity in late 2024. In this attack, it used an operational relay box (ORB) network and the GoReShell Windows backdoor.

"The use of ORB networks is a growing trend among these threat groups, since they can be rapidly expanded to create a dynamic and evolving infrastructure that makes tracking cyberespionage operations and their attribution challenging," the researchers stressed.

Via The Hacker News

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• Microsoft issued a fix, but it's suspiciously still monitoring for further "optimization"
• Outlook has had its fair share of issues in recent months and years
• A further Outlook paste issue is also being addressed

Microsoft is addressing delays and failures in the search functionality for Outlook on the web and SharePoint online, with the issue reportedly traced to underperforming infrastructure components (via Bleeping Computer).

Logged under EX1063763, Microsoft promises to have deployed a fix, but the company continues to monitor system performance to ensure a full resolution.

First acknowledged at 05:21 UTC, an 08:22 UTC update confirmed that services had returned to normal, around three hours after the issue was first reported.

Microsoft experiencing Outlook Web and SharePoint Online bugs

Despite confirming that the service has returned to normal, the company noted: "We're validating and deploying a fix to improve performance parameters in the short term while conducting a period of monitoring."

"In parallel, we're continuing to review telemetry data to determine whether additional optimization actions may be required to fully remediate impact," Redmond added.

This isn't the first time that Microsoft's online services have experienced disruptions – in fact, it's becoming a bit of a trend. In March, Outlook on the web and the new Outlook client experienced an issue with search due to a code error. That was tracked under EX1035922.

In the same month, a global outage prevented access to Exchange Online mailboxes via Outlook on the web, and before that, Outlook.com search failed in July 2023, triggering 401 errors.

Today, though, it's not just search that was broken for Outlook. The 'paste special' shortcut is currently affecting classic Outlook.

"Starting with Current Channel (Version 2503 Build 18623.20156), when you use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+V to paste special, nothing happens," Microsoft confirmed in a separate support page.

Redmond confirmed the issue is fixed, but users still have some waiting to do before they can see any improvements. Specifically, "early May" for the Beta Channel, "early June" for the Current Channel Preview and as late as "Late July" for the Current Channel.

Other now-resolved issues Microsoft has been attending to include CPU spikes when typing and drag-and-drop broken by the February 2025 Windows updates. All in all then, a pretty rocky ride.

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For a software vendor, telling the world about the latest security vulnerability is always a delicate balancing act. Customers need information quickly, starting with the flaw’s severity rating and whether it is severe enough to allow for remote exploitation. But they are not the only people listening, which is why care needs to be taken with the information disclosed. Criminals, too, pay close attention to public alerts, looking for any clue that might help them create a successful exploit for a vulnerability before it is patched.

This is cybersecurity’s quiet war, fought every day across dozens of vulnerability disclosures. Attackers want to understand and write exploits for flaws as quickly as possible while defenders want to prioritize, mitigate and patch them just as fast. If the attackers triumph every now and again, it remains the case that good patching routines and threat detection keep the bad guys out most of the time.

The dangers of local models

The bad news is that thanks to developments in AI this is changing. We’re still in the early days of offensive AI techniques and tools, but already it is having a disruptive effect across multiple threat types. Unfortunately, that includes using local or offline generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) models as a way of accelerating and automating exploit creation.

Since DeepSeek released its open and resource friendly, but very competitive and capable model, we are now standing at the advent of a potential open model boom. This movement brings new and evolving risks, where criminals can adapt open pre-trained models, easily downloadable across the Internet, and run them locally on modest PCs with GPUs.

Operating without the guardrails typically found in their commercial online counterparts, local spinoffs can then be created and fine-tuned using data collected from malicious software research and underground forums. What you end up with are specialized crime AI platforms that can be offered as a subscription service or the backend of AI agent system for automating attack campaigns. The weaponized platforms can be specifically designed to make writing malware – or creating exploits based on vulnerability disclosures – a more automated and therefore much faster process.

The modus operandi won’t succeed every time, but for criminals, success is always a percentages game. Across possibly hundreds of threat actors, successful exploits could be written on a scale that will dramatically increase the likelihood of eventually uncovering a working exploit.

The threat here isn’t theoretical. The proof of concept is that black hat AI models, such as FraudGPT and WolfGPT, have been around since 2023. Moreover, researchers demonstrated the ability of a single LLM agent backed by GPT-4 to exploit one-day vulnerabilities in April 2024. Today, an organization might still assume it has 24-48 hours to mitigate or patch a significant vulnerability before the risk of exploits in the wild begins to rise. The advent of local pre-trained models coupled to AI agents for automation are transforming this. Instead of days to patch, organizations are looking at minutes.

Fighting AI with AI

This much is certain: no organization can patch their systems in minutes, at least not using today’s processes based on manual decision making. But let’s not panic. Vulnerability exploits written by AI are just the latest incarnation of an unceasing threat evolution. The answer is the same as it always has been – the defenders must evolve, too.

Just as attackers can use AI agents to create exploits quickly, so defenders can deploy the same technology to process new vulnerability alerts in real time, rapidly implementing security mitigations that might be required. In many ways, this is the perfect example of how today’s defenses could soon become a battle of our AI versus their AI.

If attackers have the advantage of time and the volume, defenders have the benefit of knowledge. Agentic AI tuned to understand the environment it is defending will always know more about the network it is protecting than the AI probing it. Meanwhile, attacks targeting exploits are not necessarily getting more sophisticated, but merely faster and more frequent. It is the speed attackers can throw exploits at defenders that is dangerous, not the quality of those exploits. If defenders can match them on this metric, all is not lost.

What we shouldn’t do is become alarmed. The fact that attackers look for vulnerabilities is not new. AI is just the latest technology in a long line that can be put to malicious use. But this capability cuts both ways. Defending against AI-developed exploits will be challenging but developments such as agentic AI automation will also be our friend.

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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

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is probably landing soon, with claimed leaks and rumors suggesting we could see it as soon as July, and we’re also hearing that this could be a major upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Rumored highlights include a new 200MP camera, a powerful new chipset, and bigger screens.

But that’s not all, so read on below for all the key rumored specs, along with educated guesses for aspects that haven’t yet been leaked.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 predicted specs

You can see the rumored and predicted Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs in the chart above, but the single biggest and most exciting upgrade we might get on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a new 200MP main camera.

This would replace the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6’s 50MP main camera, and is likely to be the same sensor as is found on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

We’ve heard this claim quite a few times now so there’s a good chance it will happen, and it would be a very desirable upgrade, given that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, 5, and 6 have all had 50MP main cameras.

Also on the camera front, it has been reported that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could have an upgraded under-display camera. The source doesn’t specify what those improvements will be, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 just has a 4MP one, so perhaps there will be more megapixels.

However, according to one source, the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s other rear cameras won’t be upgraded, meaning we’d see a return of the Z Fold 6’s 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto (with 3x optical zoom).

Moving on to the screens, and these could be in for an upgrade – or at least an increase in size, with sources suggesting the Z Fold 7’s main display could be either 8 or 8.2 inches, and the cover screen could be 6.5 inches. That’s up from 7.6 and 6.3 inches respectively on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

There’s no word yet on the resolution, but we’d expect that will match or exceed the Z Fold 6’s, meaning a resolution of at least 1856 x 2160 for the foldable screen and at least 968 x 2376 for the cover screen. We’d also expect that both screens would have a 120Hz refresh rate, since that’s the case on the current model.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The other big upgrade we’re expecting on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is its chipset, with reports suggesting the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be used.

That’s the chipset you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, and it’s exactly what we’d expect to see, since it’s the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

That new chipset could be joined by a larger vapor chamber, so performance may get a big boost. However, we’re not expecting an increase in RAM, with multiple sources pointing to 12GB again. Storage is also reportedly staying the same, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models supposedly planned.

Finally, there’s the battery, and that sadly isn’t thought to be increasing in size either, with a 4,400mAh battery tipped for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. However, the display is apparently more efficient, which could lead to improved battery life even if the battery itself isn’t any bigger this year.

We haven’t heard what speeds the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 might charge at, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, so we’d expect at least that.

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Businesses that handle large volumes of web traffic or multimedia files should be looking at a content delivery network (CDN) solution to lower costs and boost performance, however, there are many myths and misconceptions to address first.

CDNs play a vital role in the modern Internet, designed to improve the performance and reliability of websites and online services by distributing content closer to users. However, for many potential customers, there are several misconceptions which might put them off. Let’s explore some of the most common myths, reveal the truth and ask how to choose the best CDN solution for you.

1: CDNs are only for large enterprises

CDNs are actually suitable for companies of any size; it just depends on what type of content you want to share over the Internet and your particular business model. Essentially, a CDN ensures your users can access your website instantly, with no lag times, which is crucial because even waiting for just one second will negatively impact business and traffic. For startups and SMEs looking to expand their reach, CDNs ensure that their content is accessible and loads quickly for users around the world.

At the same time, CDNs often include security features, such as DDoS protection, which can help smaller businesses safeguard their websites without needing to invest in complex security solutions. They also usually scale in terms of pricing, making CDNs affordable without extensive infrastructure investment, which might be beyond the reach of smaller companies.

2: CDNs require lots of management

A managed CDN solution will take care of all the management stress, leaving the customer to focus solely on custom configuration. This means you don’t need a lot of resources to keep the CDN running smoothly. Features such as automatic content replication, load balancing, and caching, combined with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces, make running a CDN simple.

3: All CDNs are the same

There are multiple flavors of CDN, chiefly single CDNs and multi-CDNs. Single CDNs have one network with different points of presence (POPs) and a narrow geographic focus; multi-CDNs combine several CDN providers around the world into one single solution, offering better coverage.

Overall, specific features, geographic coverage, pricing, and use cases can vary widely. Some specialize in streaming media, others e-commerce or gaming. Pricing models might be Pay-as-you-go or subscription-based. Moreover, security features, management tools and other elements of the CDN ecosystem will differ. This means it’s important to look closely at your own requirements before selecting the right CDN partner.

4: Single CDNs are limited

It all comes down to the particular CDN provider, the number of POPs and the pricing. Single CDNs might sometimes be more expensive, depending on their geographic focus. If your customers are largely in one region, a single CDN might make sense but, bear in mind that a single CDN means a single point of failure, while multi-CDNs have failovers built-in in case of outage.

Typically, single CDNs offer simplified management, consistent pricing and streamlined integration. On the other hand, multi-CDNs provide increased reliability, optimized performance and flexible traffic management.

5: CDNs are a security risk

CDNs actually add another layer of protection to your data because they are designed to enhance security by providing various defensive measures. Features, such as DDoS protection, SSL/TLS encryption, web application firewalls and bot management, all combine to boost user safety and protect data.

CDNs work most effectively and securely when they are properly configured, regularly updated and consistently monitored. So, pick a CDN partner that offers best practices when it comes to security risks.

Choosing the right CDN

There are numerous factors to consider when finding the right CDN partner:

Performance: Evaluate the CDN's performance in terms of latency and load times. Many CDNs offer trial periods or performance monitoring tools to test their speed.

Geographic reach: Assess the geographic distribution of your user base. Ensure the CDN has a strong presence (POPs) in regions where your users are located.

Cost: Compare different pricing models, such as pay-as-you-go, subscription plans, or tiered pricing based on usage and choose a model that aligns with your budget and traffic patterns. Be aware of any potential hidden costs, such as charges for SSL certificates, custom configurations, or additional security features.

Reliability: Check the CDN's uptime guarantees and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). A higher SLA percentage can provide better reliability.

Support: Customer support is key – look for providers that offer 24/7 support and multiple support channels.

Integration: Ensure the CDN integrates seamlessly with your current infrastructure, including your Content Management System (CMS), e-commerce platform, or cloud services. Look for CDNs that offer robust APIs and developer tools for easy integration and management.

Once you have taken all these into account, you’ll be well placed to find the right CDN partner. Ultimately, for anyone handling any business online, CDNs offer a cost-effective way to ensure consistent availability and performance regardless of location.

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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

• The human eye perceives a 300-nit OLED the same as a brighter, 500-nit LED screen, Samsung Display claims
• Samsung's claim has been verified by UL Solutions, a global safety science company
• But OLEDs with higher actual light output are needed for more reasons than just 'perceived' brightness

Humans perceive a 300-nit OLED screen as having the same brightness as a 500-nit LED screen due to the great contrast ratio of OLED, according to Samsung Display.

Samsung Display made the claim regarding its own 300-nit QD-OLED panels. It also says its 500-nit QD-OLED panels were perceived the same as 767-nit LED screens, meaning a 1.5x perceived brightness increase on both panels, as reported by FlatpanelsHD.

It's worth noting that the quoted nit figure refers to fullscreen brightness, not peak brightness, which would be a much higher figure on both OLED and LED screens.

Samsung Display manufactures the QD-OLED panels used in some of the best OLED TVs and best gaming monitors, as well as RGB OLED screens for some of the best phones.

The firm has had the claim verified by UL Solutions, a global safety science company.

Perceived brightness can be quantified using the Perceptual Contrast Length (PCL) metric, which accounts for perceived contrast. When a bright pixel is next to a true black pixel, like in OLED, it appears brighter than a white pixel next to a similar pixel on an LED screen, which typically is more of a dark gray than black.

This perceived brightness claim could be seen as a win for OLED, especially after many years of being considered as falling behind LED screens when it comes to brightness in TVs. But while it's great for image quality, it doesn't help the real reason people like me have been hoping OLED TVs would become brighter.

The OLED brightness saga

A mid-range W-OLED TV (left) can't compete in brightness with a flagship mini-LED (right), despite similar pricing and specs. (Image credit: Future)

OLED has become one of the most popular display panel technologies in recent years, and is featured in some of the best TVs on the market thanks to its superb contrast and vibrant color display.

One area OLED has always lagged is brightness. Only a few years ago, the most elite OLED TV would struggle to hit 1,000 nits peak brightness, which would be a breeze for the best mini-LED TVs. That has changed in recent years, with flagship OLEDs such as the LG G5 now surpassing 2,000 nits peak brightness (we measured 2,268 nits in Filmmaker Mode on a 10% HDR white window pattern in our LG G5 review), putting them right in line with their mini-LED rivals.

However, fullscreen brightness remains an obstacle for entry-level and mid-range OLEDs. I measured the LG C5 at 195 nits in Filmmaker Mode on a fullscreen (100%) HDR white window pattern, which is easily beaten by entry-level mini-LEDs such as the Hisense U6N (measured at 580 nits in the same conditions).

The LG G5, alongside the Samsung S95D from 2024, both exceeded 300 nits when measured with the same fullscreen pattern in Filmmaker Mode, meaning these would fit Samsung's claims (although Samsung only made the claim in reference to its own panels).

While higher perceived brightness is a benefit to OLED screens, Samsung's claim is only relevant to picture quality, and that's not where fullscreen brightness matters. There's one thing that brighter, flagship OLEDs can do that mid-range OLEDs simply can't: reduce screen reflections.

Screen reflections: OLED's enemy

The LG G5 exhibits significantly higher full screen brightness, which is ideal for beating reflections (Image credit: Future)

Anyone who has used a typical OLED TV in even a mildly bright viewing environment will tell you just how reflective an OLED TV's screen can be.

Testing TVs day in-day-out, I can confirm just how troublesome OLEDs can be in this regard compared to LED screens.

Though there are ways of beating these mirror-like reflections – moving a light, for example – sometimes they can't be eliminated. TV manufacturers have made strides to combat reflections, however, such as Samsung with its excellent OLED Glare Free screen. But what would actually solve the issue is an OLED panel with higher fullscreen brightness.

Mini-LED and even some LED screens typically have fullscreen brightness much higher than OLED, and for that reason, don't suffer from reflections.

The LG G5, which uses LG's new 'four-stack' OLED panel, is one example of a brighter OLED, and it does a better job of limiting reflections compared to a standard W-OLED screen. But the LG C5, a step-down model from the G5, suffered from reflections during my testing, proving that a brighter panel can aid in beating reflections.

A brighter panel is also useful for watching sports in daytime conditions. It's no coincidence that a lot of our best TVs for sport are mini-LED! Sports benefits from a brighter image, so again a brighter panel is preferred.

So yes, while a confirmation of higher perceived brightness is good news for OLED picture quality, it's not the main reason I've hoped for OLEDs with higher actual brightness. That reason would be beating screen reflections in bright viewing environments.

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 30 (game #689).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #690) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• POCKET
• SHAKE
• PURSE
• PAN
• POT
• DOLLY
• FUN
• PRIZE
• TRAVEL
• BREAK
• BITE
• KICK
• ZOOM
• DROP
• REWARD
• TILT

NYT Connections today (game #690) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: What you get for being champ
• GREEN: Cut it out 
• BLUE: Film-making
• PURPLE: Miniature versions

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #690) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: WINNINGS 
• GREEN: STOP, AS A HABIT 
• BLUE: MOVIE CAMERA VERBS
• PURPLE: WORDS THAT PRECEDE "-SIZE" TO MEAN SMALL

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

NYT Connections today (game #690) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #690, are…

• YELLOW: WINNINGS POT, PRIZE, PURSE, REWARD
• GREEN: STOP, AS A HABIT BREAK, DROP, KICK, SHAKE
• BLUE: MOVIE CAMERA VERBS DOLLY, PAN, TILT, ZOOM
• PURPLE: WORDS THAT PRECEDE "-SIZE" TO MEAN SMALL BITE, FUN, POCKET, TRAVEL

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

All three of my mistakes came in the same group: MOVIE CAMERA VERBS.

My first hunch when I saw the grid of 16 words was that there was a group about photography, but I kept getting it wrong – at first thinking it was Photoshop tools, then something to do with special effects.

It wasn’t until I’d trimmed my options down to eight words that I realised DOLLY was a movie-making word, although I didn’t realise it was a type of shot; I thought the equipment was a dolly.

A frustrating round, then, even more so as I missed a purple group that I really should have got. Roll on tomorrow.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, April 30, game #689)

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A SHOE HEEL, SOLE, TONGUE, UPPER
• GREEN: ACCOMMODATION CAPACITY, CHAIRS, ROOM, SEATING
• BLUE: REPUTATION FACE, IMAGE, REGARD, STANDING
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "YUCK" DYNASTY, ENGROSS, GIMMICK, MILDEW

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands 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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 30 (game #423).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

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

NYT Strands today (game #424) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… I get around

NYT Strands today (game #424) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• STEAR
• ROAST
• SORE
• DORK
• COAL
• SCORE

NYT Strands today (game #424) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #424) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #424) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #424, are…

• SKATEBOARD
• BICYCLE
• ROLLERBLADES
• SCOOTER
• WAGON
• SPANGRAM: WHEELIE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I don’t think I will ever fail to be impressed by the sight of someone popping a WHEELIE.

Perhaps because I’ve never been able to do it myself, I view it as some kind of low-level super power – not that it would be much use in a crime-fighting scenario.

The other day I saw someone riding a BICYCLE with no hands while eating from a bag of chips. Less spectacular, but full marks from me. Yet exactly the kind of thing my dad would have told me off about and muttered something along the lines of “you’ll be laughing when you break both of your legs”.

Anyway, I digress away from one of Strands’ easier days, with little in the way of stunts or odd words to get the hump about. A freewheeling kind of day, in fact.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, April 30, game #423)

• EYES
• DRESSED
• SMILE
• COUPLE
• ATHLETE
• FRIENDS
• HAIR
• SPANGRAM: YEARBOOK

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, April 30 (game #1192).

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 #1193) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* 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 #1193) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.

Quordle today (game #1193) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1193) - 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 #1193) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• I

• E

• S

• D

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

Quordle today (game #1193) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1193, are…

• IDIOM
• EXILE
• SPOOF
• DRAPE

A very close call for me today after a long winning streak.

I got really unlucky with SPOOF; after deducing that there was a double-O, I guessed incorrectly three times, leaving me with no margin for error with the remaining word.

On such a tricky round I just knew that the Quordle gods were going to sneak in a rare letter, and so it proved.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1193) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1193, are…

• NEVER
• RULER
• COMMA
• SHIRE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH
• Quordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN
• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT
• Quordle #1184, Tuesday, 22 April: POUTY, CHEST, BROOM, TEPEE
• Quordle #1183, Monday, 21 April: SHARD, PRINT, SUMAC, LEACH
• Quordle #1182, Sunday, 20 April: DINER, HORDE, SHONE, FUGUE
• Quordle #1181, Saturday, 19 April: GRADE, LAUGH, RAINY, EXULT
• Quordle #1180, Friday, 18 April: DEBUT, GLADE, BASTE, PESTO
• Quordle #1179, Thursday, 17 April: SPRAY, RAMEN, SHELF, COURT
• Quordle #1178, Wednesday 16 April: STUMP, GRAFT, CHORD, INPUT
• Quordle #1177, Tuesday 15 April: SLEET, MERIT, HARSH, FORAY
• Quordle #1176, Monday 14 April: DRAWL, CROOK, ACTOR, LANCE
• Quordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOP
• Quordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THING
• Quordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLY

• GreyNoise saw a significant increase in scanning activity
• IPs from Singapore are looking for exposed Git config files, also in Singapore
• The files could contain sensitive information such as login credentials and access tokens

Singaporean threat actors are on the hunt for organizations in the country that can be broken into and exploited, according to cybersecurity researchers GreyNoise, who recently observed a significant spike in reconnaissance activity.

In a new analysis, published earlier this week, GreyNoise said that on April 20-21, it witnessed a significant increase in IP addresses scanning for exposed Git configuration files. In that timeframe, it saw 4,800 unique IP addresses doing the scanning, which is a “substantial increase compared to typical levels”.

Most of the IPs originated in Singapore, although some were in the US, Germany, UK, and the Netherlands. They were mostly scanning through IPs in Singapore, as well, but also in the US, UK, Germany, and India.

Hunting for Git secrets

Git configuration files usually include sensitive information such as user email addresses, access tokens, authentication credentials, and remote repository URLs that embed usernames or tokens. As such, they are useful to cybercriminals in the reconnaissance and preparation stages of cyberattacks.

Software developers will sometimes forget to prevent public access to these files, exposing the secrets to anyone who knows where to look. As BleepingComputer reminds, this is exactly what happened in October 2024, when Sysdig reported a large-scale operation that scanned for exposed Git config files and grabbed 15,000 cloud account credentials from thousands of private repositories.

“In some cases, if the full .git directory is also exposed, attackers may be able to reconstruct the entire codebase — including commit history, which may contain confidential information, credentials, or sensitive logic,” GreyNoise explained.

To mitigate the risk, the researchers advise software devs make sure .git/ directories are not accessible via public web servers, and to block access to hidden files and folders in web server configurations. Furthermore, they suggest devs monitor logs for repeated requests to .git/config and similar paths, and to rotate any credentials exposed in version control history.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Trailers have been released for upcoming horror movies Fear Street: Prom Queen and Weapons
• The movies will be released on May 23 and August 8, respectively
• Fear Street: Prom Queen is a Netflix release, while Weapons is coming to theaters

We've got plenty of great new movies coming up this year, and after seeing the trailers for Weapons and Fear Street: Prom Queen, I've got quite the list to look forward to.

First up, Barbarian's director – Zach Creggor – is bringing us Weapons, which everyone is talking about due to that insane trailer and viral marketing website MaybookMissing.net, which features a fun reference to Barbarian.

We've also got the highly anticipated Fear Street: Prom Queen, following on from Netflix's excellent horror series of movies, based on the books by R. L. Stine, which also saw its trailer drop today.

I wasn't sure anything could top TechRdar's best horror movies of 2024, but it seems we're truly spoiled this year too. Let's take a closer look at these great trailers.

What do we know so far about Weapons?

Julia Garner is in her horror era lately, following on from her great performance in Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man. In Weapons, she plays a school teacher whose entire class disappears at the exact same time.

In the trailer, you can see CCTV footage showing the school kids running in disturbingly inhuman poses – it's like T-posing in video games, but worse.

Weapons has quickly shot to the top of my horror must-watches this year because all the teasers so far have me hooked. The trailer gives us flashes of disturbing imagery without spoiling the plot, I need to know what's going on.

Weapons is scheduled to be released on August 8, 2025, before eventually likely streaming on Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service Max and hopefully becoming one of the best Max movies.

What do we know so far about Fear Street: Prom Queen?

You can thank Carrie for making prom night utterly disturbing. But before Mike Flanagan's TV adaptation of Stephen King's novel releases on Prime Video, Netflix is bringing us Fear Street: Prom Queen.

Much like Weapons, this movie is centered around a school and also has the potential to become one of the best Netflix movies. Just like the Fear Street trilogy of movies, there's trouble again at Shadyside High (and with a name like that, why wouldn't there be? Shady indeed).

As prom approaches, all the coolest girls are fighting for the crown, but they'll soon start fighting for their lives instead when all the candidates start to disappear. Someone out there is hoping it'll be a killer prom from all the wrong reasons.

Fear Street: Prom Queen will be available to stream on Netflix on May 23.

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• TSMC starts work on its third semiconductor manufacturing facility
• Easier permit acquisition and tariffs influenced the move, says US Commerce Secretary
• TSMC's quarterly revenue was up 41.6%, but it's still keeping an eye on tariff-induced worries

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has started construction of a third chip plant in Arizona according to South China Morning Post reporting, as the company continues to expand operations in the US.

The announcement coincided with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's visit to the site, highlighting the political significance of TSMC's US investment amid the ongoing trade war.

Driven by Trump's push for domestic manufacturing, supported by hefty tariffs on imports from certain countries, the project marks the largest foreign investment in US history.

TSMC invests in more US chip manufacturing

Though TSMC flies under the radar among consumers, the Taiwanese company is a key supplier for Apple and Nvidia. Domesticating manufacturing within the US would certainly help the companies that rely on TSMC keep costs down amid fears that tariffs could impact sales.

In March 2025, the company announced plans to invest $100 billion in the US semiconductor manufacturing industry over the next four years, adding to its existing $65 billion investment in Arizona.

Speaking with CNBC, Lutnick criticized slow permit and regulation processes that previously hampered companies' efforts to move to the US. "And what you saw today is they needed a couple of permits. We got those permits super fast. And here we go. They’re building it. So that’s the idea," Lutnick said.

Reiterating that TSMC's plans mark the "largest foreign direct investment ever made in the United States of America," Lutnick stressed that domesticating manufacturing acts in the name of national security.

Besides upcoming efforts, TSMC's CEO CC Wei confirmed in this month's quarterly earnings call that its second plant is already ramping up operations. Its first plant has also entered high-volume production, with yield matching those in Taiwan.

TSMC confirmed earlier this month that its first-quarter revenue rose a staggering 41.6%. CFO Wendell Huang added: "While we have not seen any changes in our customers’ behavior so far, uncertainties and risks from the potential impact from tariff policies exist."

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• Geopolitical tensions are impacting US companies especially
• Expectations about AI are not realistic
• Networks need major upgrades

Nearly one in five US organizations have experienced security incidents as a result of their AI deployments according to new research commissioned by Expereo.

The report reveals how two in five (41%) organizations struggle to find and retain cybersecurity talent, yet cybersecurity is a close second when it comes to investment priorities at 38%, compared with networking and connectivity (43%).

More broadly, ongoing geopolitical tensions are also affecting how organizations go about deploying artificial intelligence, with 50% noting the impact of such events on their growth strategies.

Rushed AI deployments are becoming costly

Before it even gets to the point of a potential breach, the research reveals how one in three global CIOs believe boards have unrealistic expectations about AI's impact - and more than a quarter (27%) of US tech leaders feel similarly.

This is a trend that appears to be more of a concern abroad, with 28% of global technology executives saying AI expectations are growing faster than their ability to meet them – above the US average of 23%.

Over half (52% globally, 53% in the US) agree that their network connectivity is not ready for new technologies like AI, with more respondents concerned about network performance limitations than last year.

As if AI-induced cybersecurity concerns aren't enough, ongoing trade wars continue to add further complexity. One-third (34%) of global tech leaders have had to reassess their infrastructure due to geopolitical risks, with 37% noting the affect of such disruptions on their growth strategies – a figure that climbs considerably to 50% in the US.

"While the potential of AI is immense, its successful integration requires careful planning. Technology leaders must recognize the need for robust networks and connectivity infrastructure to support AI at scale, while also ensuring consistent performance across these networks," Expire CEO Ben Elms commented.

Looking ahead, cybersecurity isn't the only consideration for businesses when it comes to adopting AI tools. AI governance, the pace of change and inadequate capabilities are among the three biggest external hurdles, with employee resistance still affecting companies internally.

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• Andor actor Faye Marsay has had her say on season 2 episode 6's most shocking moment
• The Star Wars show's latest act includes a moment that impacts Vel more than most
• Marsay says the event will impact Vel's character arc moving forward

Full spoilers immediately follow for Andor season 2 episode 6.

Andor star Faye Marsay has revealed how Cinta's death will impact her character Vel's story throughout the rest of season 2.

Speaking to TechRadar prior to Andor season 2's launch, Marsay suggested that the shocking event will leave a lasting impression on Vel, not least because of the Romeo and Juliet-style nature of the relationship she had with Varada Sethu's Cinta.

Cinta's demise is a heart-breaking and character-defining moment for Vel. Despite their estrangement in Andor season 1's latter half, and Cinta's decision not to contact Vel before suddenly appearing on Chandrila to kidnap (and presumably kill) Mon Mothma's long-time friend Tay in season 2 episode 3, the romantically entangled pair still clearly care for each other.

The evidence for that is on full display in their eventual reunion on Ghorman in this season's sixth chapter, titled 'What a Festive Evening'. After Cassian refuses to do Luthen's bidding – essentially, help to incite a riot that might lead to the death of hundreds of Ghorman's citizens – Luthen sends Vel and Cinta to Ghorman to aid its burgeoning resistance to the Galactic Empire.

Vel and Cinta's reunion is described as "beautifully human" by Marsay's co-star Genevieve O'Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

It's a decision that proves fatal for Cinta, and might be devastating enough for Vel to reconsider her loyalty to Luthen.

Indeed, after a couple of heart-to-hearts that result in the duo rekindling their relationship, Vel and Cinta assist Ghorman's gang of freedom fighters in covertly disrupting an Empire convoy, stealing the arms that said convoy is shipping through Ghorman's streets, and escaping into the night.

That would be the case, anyway, if this wasn't a trap laid by the Empire's Imperial Security Bureau. Long story short, a Ghorman citizen loyal to the Empire interrupts the rebels' attack, a scuffle ensues and, amid the confusion, Cinta is accidentally shot and killed by a member of the Ghorman resistance.

RIP, Cinta (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

In a Star Wars TV series that's already delivered its fair share of tragedies – I'm still pouring one out for Basso following his death in this season's third episode – it's another telling blow to the resistance. For Vel, Cinta's death is even more personal, and it may prove to be a turning point in the Disney+ show that might force her to reconsider her allegiances to Luthen and the Rebel Alliance.

"For Vel, the rebellion has always comes first," Marsay told me when I asked about the latest soul-destroying event in one of the best Disney+ shows. "The only time that's really tested is with this relationship with Cinta. Other than the rebellion, it's the only thing she could've chosen.

Cinta and Vel's time together could have been so different (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

"But, Cinta is stuck in the mindset of 'the rebellion comes first' and Val suffers for that," Marsay continued. "It's a relationship that they want, but can't have.

"Once Cinta is no longer with us, Vel really doesn't have anything else to live for. In itself, that's really sad because now she has a decision to make. She can either put her energy into the thing that, right from the beginning, she's believed so passionately in, or walk away from it completely. You'll see what decision she makes in the episodes still to come."

Andor season 2 episodes 1 to 6 are out now. Three more episodes will arrive on May 6/7, with the final trio being released on May 13/14.

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• Spotify and record labels have been hyping "superfan" tiers for some time
• Spotify's Daniel Ek now appears to be managing expectations: it's not arriving imminently
• He says they need their partners to work with them on it

Has Spotify shelved its own 'Superfan' subscription tier? It certainly sounds like it: during the streamer's latest financial earnings call, Daniel Ek responded to a question about "a Superfan product" by saying that the existing subscription plans on offer were "plenty enough for us".

As we reported back in February, Spotify was expected to launch a "superfan" premium tier this year; record company bosses and Ek have talked about it a few times, and in November 2024 Ek responded to a question about it by saying, "I can’t get into specifics, but I think I’ve left enough breadcrumbs for you guys to get excited by."

The most likely reason for the sudden downgrade in the excitement department? Record companies and concert promoters.

Spotify has discussed offering early access to concert tickets for "superfan" users (Image credit: Spotify) What's stalling Superfan?

When asked "can you share more details about what makes you enthusiastic about the product and when it may be available in the market?", chief business officer Alex Nostrom replied:

"Now with regards to higher tiers, we see great potential in them as we've mentioned before. So creating higher tiers around new offerings is something we are working towards as a really opens up new opportunities to delight users matters. A new value-to-price ratio, if you will. And of course, we need alignment and support from our industry partners to offer these kinds of new experiences to our users."

Daniel Ek then explained how the superfan concept could be "a huge part for the music industry" but "this is really one where I would put, again, the emphasis is for the superfan, we do need the partners to come to the table and be part of this journey."

You don't need to be a weatherman to work out which way the wind is blowing here: everybody thinks superfan tiers will make a ton of money and the record companies want the lion's share of it.

According to Hypebot, Spotify – and other streamers – have also tried to get ticketing giant Live Nation on board so that superfans would get early access to concert tickets.

That could be a really big deal, because presales are big business. But Live Nation doesn't seem particularly excited at the prospect of getting yet another presale partner on board.

Asked about such deals, CEO Michael Rapino using a lot of words where he could probably have just shrugged instead: "Spotify and Apple and Amazon, they’ve approached us, we’ve talked to them all, about ideas on if they wanted inventory. There’s a cost to that and we would entertain and look at that option if it made sense for us in comparison to other options we have for that presale which is a very valuable asset.”

So until that impasse is, uh, passed it looks like there will be a wait for these new kinds of subscriptions. Ek said in the earnings call, "I think you should expect for the near term and midterm growth […] just working on our existing subscriptions, the family plans, all of these things [are] plenty enough for us."

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