TechRadar News

• Ulefone Armor 30 Pro combines ruggedness with productivity
• A triple-camera setup in a rugged smartphone isn't that common
• 64MP camera and a 4W speaker reflect a shift in what rugged smartphones aim to offer

The best rugged smartphones often focus on strength and battery life, but in recent years, they’ve started to include features such as portable projectors and even dual displays.

The Ulefone Armor 30 Pro is a dual-screen rugged device featuring a 6.95-inch FHD+ main display with a 120Hz refresh rate. On the rear, it sports a 3.4-inch secondary screen with a 960x412 resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass.

While the displays can’t be operated independently, both run on Android, and the rear screen allows users to take selfies and video calls using the main camera system.

Big battery and a MediaTek processor

The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. It supports 5G connectivity and AI-powered features.

As with many rugged devices, it houses a large 12,800mAh battery that promises extended usage. It supports 66W fast charging for quick top-ups and offers 10W reverse charging to power smaller devices like smartwatches or earbuds.

One major surprise feature is the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro's triple rear camera setup - which is pretty uncommon in this category. It includes a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 64MP infrared night vision camera supported by four IR LED blasters.

The Armor 30 Pro is built for more than just survival in harsh environments. It features pogo pin connectors for accessories like endoscopes and microscopes, along with a dedicated shutter button for quickphoto capture.

Another unusual inclusion is a waterproof 4W loudspeaker, embedded in the hexagonal camera bump, that's capable of reaching up to 118dB. It’s an unusual choice for a device in this category, suggesting a shift toward entertainment and daily use, making it feel closer to a business smartphone than a traditional field device.

While not a typical productivity smartphone, the dual-screen layout and advanced sensor suite elevate its potential as a rugged tablet replacement for those who need portability with function.

The Armor 30 Pro will be available from April 14, priced at $379.99 on Aliexpress, $549.99 on the official store, €499.99 on Amazon, 33,015₽ on Ozon, and $499.99 on Mercado Livre.

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• UK-based Fractile is backed by NATO and wants to build faster and cheaper in-memory AI compute
• Nvidia's bruteforce GPU approach consumes too much power and is held back by memory
• Fractile's numbers focused on a cluster of H100 GPU comparison, not the mainstream H200

Nvidia sits comfortably at the top of the AI hardware food chain, dominating the market with its high-performance GPUs and CUDA software stack, which have quickly become the default tools for training and running large AI models - but that dominance comes at a cost - namely, a growing target on its back.

Hyperscalers like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta are pouring resources into developing their own custom silicon in an effort to reduce their dependence on Nvidia’s chips and cut costs. At the same time, a wave of AI hardware startups is trying to capitalize on rising demand for specialized accelerators, hoping to offer more efficient or affordable alternatives and, ultimately, to displace Nvidia.

You may not have heard of UK-based Fractile yet, but the startup, which claims its revolutionary approach to computing can run the world’s largest language models 100x faster and at 1/10th the cost of existing systems, has some pretty noteworthy backers, including NATO and the former CEO of Intel, Pat Gelsinger.

Removing every bottleneck

“We are building the hardware that will remove every bottleneck to the fastest possible inference of the largest transformer networks," Fractile says.

"This means the biggest LLMs in the world running faster than you can read, and a universe of completely new capabilities and possibilities for how we work that will be unlocked by near-instant inference of models with superhuman intelligence.”

It’s worth pointing out, before you get too excited, that Fractile’s performance numbers are based on comparisons with clusters of Nvidia H100 GPUs using 8-bit quantization and TensorRT-LLM, running Llama 2 70B - not the newer H200 chips.

In a LinkedIn posting, Gelsinger, who recently joined VC firm Playground Global as a General Partner, wrote, “Inference of frontier AI models is bottlenecked by hardware. Even before test-time compute scaling, cost and latency were huge challenges for large scale LLM deployments... To achieve our aspirations for AI, we will need radically faster, cheaper and much lower power inference.”

“I’m pleased to share that I’ve recently invested in Fractile, a UK-founded AI hardware company who are pursuing a path that’s radical enough to offer such a leap," he then revealed.

"Their in-memory compute approach to inference acceleration jointly tackles the two bottlenecks to scaling inference, overcoming both the memory bottleneck that holds back today’s GPUs, while decimating power consumption, the single biggest physical constraint we face over the next decade in scaling up data center capacity. In fact, some of the ideas I was exploring in my graduate work at Stanford University will now come to mainstream AI computing!”

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• Two US Senators have asked tech giants for more information on AI deals
• Even partial acquisitions could harm competition
• The FTC also noted potential competition issues

Two tech industry titans that have been the subjects of many an anticompetitive investigation are now being questioned over their partnerships with AI companies.

Democratic US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden are reportedly demanding information about the deals Google and Microsoft have with companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence.

The concern is that these strong partnerships could impact competition within the industry, violate antitrust laws, and ultimately lead to both fewer choices and higher prices for customers.

Microsoft and Google questioned over AI deals

In question are Microsoft’s deal with OpenAI and Google’s deal with Anthropic, with the Senators seeking financial details of payments made by AI firms to their cloud providers and information on whether the companies have exclusive rights to certain AI models.

Warren and Wyden also want to know whether Google or Microsoft have any intentions to acquire their respective AI partners.

“Partnerships between CSPs and AI developers, if left unchecked, may accelerate consolidation of the AI sector, ultimately driving up prices and choking off innovation,” the two said in their letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (via Reuters), and in their second letter to Microsoft and OpenAI’s CEOs, Satya Nadella and Sam Altman.

This isn’t the first time these specific companies have come under fire for their involvement with leading AI firms.

A separate January 2025 report by the Federal Trade Commission had already studied such partnerships, raising concerns about potential acquisitions which could spell out disaster for competition.

“As noted in the FTC and Department of Justice (DOJ)’s merger guidelines, even partial acquisitions may present 'significant competitive concerns' because of the effects on firms’ incentives and strategy,” the Senators continue.

TechRadar Pro has contacted all four companies for comments and context, but we have not received any responses as yet.

Via Reuters

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• A critical flaw was discovered in file transfer tool CrushFTP
• Experts claim the issue was being abused in the wild
• CISA added the flaw to its KEV catalog

A critical-severity vulnerability plaguing file transfer software CrushFTP was found being actively exploited in the wild.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the software, commonly used by organizations to handle large-scale file transfers, contained an authentication bypass vulnerability which allowed unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative access.

By specifically targeting the crushadmin account, threat actors could abuse the flaw to compromise the target system entirely.

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CISA adds it to KEV

The flaw is now tracked as CVE-2025-31161, and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical)

It affects CrushFTP versions 10 before 10.8.4 and 11 before 11.3.1. Users are strongly advised to update to these versions immediately, and if they can’t, enabling the DMZ proxy instance can serve as a temporary workaround.

Security researchers have warned that the bugs were used in the wild to install remote management tools like AnyDesk and MeshAgent, The Hacker News reported.

CISA has also picked up on the news, adding the bug to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (KEV). This means that Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies have a three-week deadline (until April 28) to apply the patch, or stop using CrushFTP entirely.

Cybercriminals often target managed file transfer software vulnerabilities, since they could allow access to sensitive corporate files and databases. In fact, one of the most devastating cyberattacks in recent history happened in 2023, when ransomware operator Cl0p abused a previously unknown SQL injection vulnerability in MOVEit managed file transfer software to breach hundreds of corporations around the world.

A year before that, GoAnywhere MFT was breached and used to steal sensitive data from almost 130 organizations, and in January 2024, the same software was found to be vulnerable to a critical path traversal weakness flaw.

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Google Cloud Next 2025!

We're live in Las Vegas and ready for a packed few days hearing about Google's latest cloud and AI news.

The event kicks off tomorrow (Wednesday) with a keynote hosted by Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, who will be joined on stage by a host of guests, doubtless with much to tell us, so stay tuned for all the details as it happens!

Good morning from sunny Las Vegas! We're here for Google Cloud Next, and after a slighted delayed arrival into the city last night, are busy getting ready for the event kicking off tomorrow.

If you'd like a reminder of everything announced at last year's event, you can revisit our live blog here.

• Hades 2 will be a Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 exclusive at launch
• Supergiant Games announced the news alongside a new Creator's Voice video shared today
• Hades 2 will be coming to other platforms at a later time

Supergiant Games has announced that Hades 2 will be a Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive at launch.

Hades 2 has been in Early Access for almost a year now and we recently learned that the sequel to the popular roguelike game will also be heading to the Nintendo Switch 2 when it's ready for a full release.

Now, alongside a new Creator's Voice video showcasing the behind-the-scenes development of the game, Supergiant has revealed that the game will be exclusive to the Switch and Switch 2 when it releases but that it's still planned for other consoles and PC post-launch.

Supergiant shared the news on X / Twitter, saying, "While we have no set date just yet for v1.0 of HADES II, we can confirm its console launch will be on #NintendoSwitch2 as well as the original Nintendo Switch, where HADES got its start."

Battle beyond the Underworld using dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time in #HadesII. This bewitching sequel is coming first on console to both Nintendo Switch and #NintendoSwitch2. pic.twitter.com/dpsJZ56hLvApril 2, 2025

During the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct last week, a bunch of other Switch 2 exclusives were also revealed, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and The Duskbloods.

We also learned that the console will be released on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Switch 2 pre-orders are officially live in the UK, but fans in the US will need to wait a little longer to secure theirs as Nintendo has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders from its original April 9 date to assess the potential impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

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• Turkey plans to expand the authorities' power to block access to social media on the grounds of "national security"
• Global companies with over 1 million users in Turkey will also be required to set up a local company
• Messaging platforms are also included in the so-called "over-the-top service providers" expected to follow the new rules

Turkey plans to expand authorities' power to block access to social media and messaging platforms on "national security" grounds without a court order.

As per a report by the Turkish news site Ekonomim and reported by Bianet English, the draft amendment would also require these so-called "over-the-top service providers" to establish a local company when they have more than 1 million users in Turkey.

The draft law follows a 42-hour social media shutdown, amid protests sparked by the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, that forced citizens to turn to the best VPN apps. Unrest is still ongoing across the country at the time of writing.

Turkey's internet control

Turkey is infamous for seeking control over the internet. VPN provider Surfshark, for instance, recorded a total of 17 instances in which authorities enforced some form of internet restriction since 2015. Instagram, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Telegram are the main targets.

Examples include a block on X at a time when people needed it most – the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that shook both Turkey and Syria in February 2023. Social media and messaging apps went dark during times of political turmoil in 2024, too.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Turkish authorities have also been cracking down on VPN services, the most popular tool to bypass government-imposed internet restrictions, since at least December 2023. People have reportedly managed to evade this ban, however, as most VPNs, like Proton VPN, keep recording usage spikes across the country.

Halting the spread of hate speech and disinformation is usually the motive behind these temporary blocks to people's online communications, as per current regulations upon obtaining a court order.

The draft amendment would, however, empower the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) to directly restrict access to social media and messaging apps "on grounds of national security, public order, public health, or similar public interest considerations," Bianet English reported.

As the news site points out, BTK already has the power to throttle bandwidth by up to 90 percent for up to 24 hours during emergencies, de facto making accessing targeted websites and apps almost impossible.

The amendment could also expand on existing requirements to appoint a local representative, mandating a new obligation to set up a local company for providers with more than 1 million users in Turkey.

Mass censorship & information control is spreading worldwide. Turkey’s new “cybersecurity” law is widely seen as another censorship tool.Setting up a @signalapp proxy server helps keep private communication alive even when regimes try to shut it down.https://t.co/hpfgwQtrut pic.twitter.com/2Fl7doIEA0March 30, 2025

The news of the draft amendment comes at a delicate time of political turmoil. Protests over the arrest of the major opposition leaders are still ongoing, in fact, with journalists increasingly facing arrest.

X accounts of protesters and opposition figures have also been reportedly blocked at Erdogan's orders.

Additionally, on March 13, 2025, a new cybersecurity law was also enforced, introducing new powers to fight back against cybercrime in the country. These include "two to five years in prison for falsely claiming that a cybersecurity-related data leak has occurred," Bianet English reported.

Yet, digital rights now fear these new powers are too broad and could be used to restrict independent reporting and stifle dissent, the Global Voices reported. This could de facto increase internet censorship levels even further.

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• Nintendo has reportedly delayed Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in Canada
• This is to align with the delayed US pre-order timing
• The console is still set to launch on June 5, 2025

I have some seriously bad news if you are a Canadian gamer hoping to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order.

According to Canadian technology website MobileSyrup, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have now been delayed past their original April 9, 2025, start date in the country.

In a statement given to the site, Nintendo of Canada reportedly said that “pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in Canada will not start on April 9, 2025 in order to align with the timing of pre-orders to be determined in the US."

Thankfully, this will not affect the existing launch date of the console. “Nintendo will provide updated information at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged,” the statement continued.

The news follows the announcement earlier this week that Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders would be delayed in the US.

In a statement provided to TechRadar Gaming, Nintendo said that "pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions."

The company also stated that it "will update timing at a later date" and affirmed that "the launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged."

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch worldwide on June 5, 2025. It will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle. Pre-orders from the My Nintendo Store are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK, though many retailers are currently offering them ahead of that date.

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Full spoilers follow for The Last of Us season 1. Light spoilers also follow for season 2.

The Last of Us season 2 is almost here. HBO's incredibly popular TV adaptation of Naughty Dog's hit video game franchise returns to our screens on April 13 (US) and April 14 (UK and Australia). There's no time like the present, then, to find out who's part of its ensemble cast.

Below, I've listed every actor who'll appear in The Last of Us TV show's second chapter, where you might have seen them before, and which character they're playing. Once you're reached the end of this guide, you'll be an expert on the hit series' character roster.

So, without further ado, here's all you need to know about who'll appear in The Last of Us' (TLoU) sophomore season.

Pedro Pascal as Joel

Joel still hasn't told Ellie what he did to save her life in the season 1 finale (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The internet's favorite zaddy (don't ask...), Pascal reprises his role as one of TLoU's primary characters in season 2.

In the critically-acclaimed Max show's latest chapter, Joel has become an integral part of the Jackson, Wyoming community. However, his surrogate relationship with Ellie has become strained in the five years (in-universe, anyway) since we last saw them – and it's got nothing to do with what he did in the season 1 finale. Expect that to come to the fore at some point this season.

As an actor, Pascal needs no introduction. Following his break-out roles in Netflix's Narcos TV series and HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation, he's gone on to appear in other projects including The Mandalorian, Gladiator II, and Wonder Woman 1984. He's also set to play Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which arrives in theaters on July 25.

Bella Ramsey as Ellie

Ellie is one of three main characters you'll see in season 2 (Image credit: HBO)

The other main character in TLoU is Ellie, who will be portrayed by Ramsey once more.

Season 2 will reunite us with an Ellie whose in her late teens. She's as headstrong as ever but, having made friends of her own age in Jackson, she's not only spending less and less time with Joel, but seemingly punishing him for reasons yet to be revealed. TLoU season 2's latest trailer confirmed there'll be a huge showdown between the pair, so you better prepare yourself for an incredibly heart-wrenching scene at some point this season.

Like Pascal, Ramsey is a Game of Thrones alumnus – in fact, it's the show that marked her major acting debut. Since then, she's featured in Chicken Run 2, His Dark Materials, Catherine Called Birdy, and Becoming Elizabeth among other film and TV productions.

Kaitlyn Dever as Abby

Abby is out for revenge in The Last of Us season 2 (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The deuteragonist of Naughty Dog's divisive game The Last of Us Part II, HBO's live-action retelling will finally introduce us to Abby.

She'll be played by No One Will Save You's Kaitlyn Dever and, after the release of one of season 2's most recent teaser, some TLoU fans are already concerned for Dever's welfare. The reason? Abby is a highly controversial figure among sections of the fanbase. Let's hope Dever has the support structure around her to cope with any toxicity that comes her way.

For the uninitiated: Abby is a member of the militia group known as The Fireflies. She's also the daughter of one of the faction's members who was murdered by Joel in the season 1 finale. Its follow-up, then, will see Abby embark on a mission of revenge, with Joel firmly planted in her crosshairs.

Dever was recently seen starring in Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar TV series. She's also appeared in Last Man Standing, Justified, Rosaline, Good Grief, and Booksmart among other productions.

Gabriel Luna as Tommy

Tommy has taken on a bigger leadership role in the years since we saw him (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Another returning face, Luna's Tommy – aka Joel's brother – has taken on a more central role in Jackson since season 1 ended. Indeed, he now sits on its council. When he's not sorting out issues within the community, he's either helping to bring up his son and, as she continues to shun Joel, become another surrogate father to Ellie.

Best known for playing Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD TV show before playing Tommy in one of the best Max shows, Luna has also appeared in True Detective, FUBAR, Wicked City, and Terminator: Dark Fate.

Rutina Wesley as Maria

Maria is the leader of Jackson's council (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The fourth and final actor to reprise their season 1 role, Wesley's Maria is Tommy's wife. She's also the democratically elected leader of Jackson's council and mother of their pair's child.

A regular on The CW's Arrow TV show, viewers may recognize Wesley from Hannibal's TV adaptation, The Cleveland Show, and Outsiders. Her most prominent role to date, though, was in popular fantasy horror drama True Blood.

Isabela Merced as Dina

Dina (left) is an incredibly important person in Ellie's (right) life (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Arguably the most important addition to the show's cast (outside of Abby, anyway), Dina will be played by Isabela Merced.

Ellie's closest friend and love interest, Dina is a free spirit who's also incredibly loyal to Ellie. Fans of the game series' second title will know, though, that their relationship will be put to the test as the story unfolds in this season's seven-episode installment and, potentially, its yet-to-be-greenlit third season.

2024 was a breakout year for Merced, with the US-Peruvian actor featuring in Madame Web, Turtles All the Way Down, and Alien: Romulus. Before then, she voiced Kate in Dora the Explorer: In the City!, played the titular character in Dora the Explorer's live-action film, and appeared alongside Dever in Rosaline.

Young Mazino as Jesse

Jesse (left) is something of a mentor to Ellie (right) (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Best known for portraying Paul Cho in season 1 of Netflix's acclaimed TV Original Beef, Young Mazino is set to play another of Ellie's close friends Jesse in TLoU season 2.

A selfless individual who's always looking out for Jackson's younger citizens, Jesse is also Dina's on-and-off boyfriend. Major spoilers notwithstanding, he'll embark on a quest alongside Ellie and Dina that'll similarly test his devotion to the former.

An actor whose roles came in solitary TV episodes until his breakthrough role in Beef, Mazino was last seen in A24 psychological thriller Opus, which wasn't one of 2025's best new movies.

Danny Ramirez as Manny

Manny is one of four Firefly group members who joins Abby on her quest for vengeance (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

One of four Fireflies who joins Abby to seek retribution for what Joel did in season 1 episode 9, Manny is a loyal soldier whose biggest fear is failing those he's closest to.

Fresh off making his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) big-screen debut in Captain America: Brave New World, Ramirez will play Manny. Viewers will know him from Top Gun: Maverick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Mirror.

Post-season 2, his next role will see him play his MCU character Joaquin Torres/Falcon again in Avengers: Doomsday, with the Marvel Phase 6 film set to be released in May 2026.

Tati Gabrielle as Nora

Nora also joins Abby in an attempt to hunt down Joel (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Another member of Abby's strike team, Nora is a military medic who struggles with the person she used to be. Tati Gabrielle will bring Nora to life in HBO's TV adaptation.

Gabrielle won't be unfamiliar to many TV fanatics. Indeed, she had sizeable roles in popular Netflix projects You, Kaleidoscope, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Away from starring in projects for the world's best streaming service, Gabrielle can also be seen in Sony's Uncharted movie and TV show The 100. She'll next appear in Mortal Kombat 2 this October.

Spencer Lord as Owen

Owen is the most reluctant member of Abby's group over her plan to find and kill Joel (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Ally number three of Abby's, Owen is a gentle giant who, despite his caring nature and reluctance to fight, is forced to use his brute strength to take down his foes. He's also the voice of reason within the group and ensures the impulsive Abby doesn't over-commit when it isn't necessary.

Spencer Lord, who's most famous for TV shows Family Law and Heartland, will portray Owen. He also played Terry in Riverdale, but that was only a two-episode stint on that program.

Ariela Barer as Mel

Mel is the medic for Abby's five-strong party (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The final addition to Abby's five-strong party, Mel is a doctor who, while committed to her role as the group's healer, is conflicted in her feelings on the realities of war and the increasingly divisive nature of post-apocalyptic Earth.

Perhaps best known for playing Gert Yorkes in Marvel's non-canonical MCU TV show Runaways, Barer will portray Mel. Barer is also the co-writer and producer on critically-acclaimed eco-action thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and has also starred in Rebel, Atypical, and 2021's Saved by the Bell reboot.

Jeffrey Wright as Isaac

Isaac isn't someone to be trifled with (Image credit: HBO)

The only star to play the same character he voiced in The Last of Us game series, Jeffrey Wright has been hired to play Isaac. A former US Marine, Isaac is the ruthless de-factor leader of another militia known as the Washington Liberation Front.

Like Pascal, Wright needs no introduction. The beloved actor has appeared in comic book movies and shows, such as DC film The Batman and Disney+ series What If...?, as well as other popular franchises including The Hunger Games, James Bond, and Westworld.

Catherine O'Hara as Gail

Gail is the only character who's been created for season 2 of the hit HBO TV series (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The only new character created for TLoU's TV adaptation, Gail is a Jackson-based psychotherapist who Joel will confide in.

She'll be played by Catherine O'Hara, who was confirmed to be play a supporting role in season 2 last February. However, her character's identity was kept a secret until a few weeks before season 2's release – indeed, HBO didn't even reveal who she was portraying following the release of The Last of Us season 2's first trailer.

An iconic actor whose career spans 50 years of TV and film, O'Hara is most famous for her roles in Beetlejuice, the Home Alone movies, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. More recently, she's appeared in highly-rated Apple TV+ show The Studio, Universal Pictures' The Wild Robot, and the critically-panned Universal/Apple joint venture flick Argylle.

Joe Pantoliano as Eugene

Eugene's backstory will be expanded upon in HBO's small-screen adaptation (Image credit: HBO)

A character who's only briefly referenced in Naughty Dog's two games, Eugene is a former Firefly who joined the Jackson community alongside Tommy. In HBO's retelling, however, he'll be Gail's husband. In much the same way that Bill and Frank's history was greatly expanded on from the games in season 1 episode 3, Eugene's backstory will be explored in-depth in the TV show, too.

Pantoliano, who played Cipher in The Matrix's original film trilogy and Ralphie in The Sopranos, boarded the project many, many months ago. His involvement in HBO's remake, though, was only recently made public.

The Last of Us season 2 will be released on Max (US and Australia) and Sky/Now TV (UK).

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The Apple TV app is still very fresh to Android devices since it finally became available in February this year to non-iOS users, and just after a mere two months the Android app is getting its first notable update that packs two features that could really improve your streaming experience.

Version 1.1 dropped yesterday (April 7) and 9to5Google was the first to jump on the news, revealing that the new update has added preview clips that play automatically in the app’s main carousel. In a way, they can also function as mini trailers that preview the best Apple TV+ movies and best Apple TV+ shows in its library.

But the second, and arguably more fascinating new feature, is the introduction of new automatic subtitle settings. There are two new controls, ‘Show on Muted’ and ‘Show on Skip Back’, and both sound rather helpful.

(Image credit: 9to5Google )

When you enable the ‘Show on Muted’ control this will automatically show subtitles when the volume of the Apple TV+ movie or show you’re watching is turned right down manually or muted. On the other hand, enabling the ‘Show on Skip Back’ setting will show subtitles temporarily when you rewind up to 30 seconds – perfect for if you get distracted and miss an important on-screen moment.

Topping things off, the Apple TV Android app has introduced an auto-play setting that will play recommended content once a movie, show, or even a sporting event has finished – much like YouTube’s way of auto-playing related videos, keeping your streaming experience on a continuum.

(Image credit: 9to5Google )

For its first major update, it has generally pleased Android users with its convenient new additions, but for those who are waiting for their iTunes movies and shows to show up, there's still a gap for improvement.

Where’s my iTunes purchases and new episode updates?

As it is for a majority of the best streaming services, they’re great for giving you reminders of new episodes to your favorite shows, or when a highly-anticipated movie you’ve been waiting for is finally released.

As it stands, this is a minor feature that’s missing from Apple TV's app on Android, and it’s not clear as to when – or if – this will ever be integrated. One other thing that loyal Apple TV+ subscribers are still waiting for is permission to migrate purchased content on iTunes, which was phased out of macOS in 2019.

Long before Apple TV+ made waves as one of the leading streaming services, iTunes was the place to go to purchase movies and TV shows, as well as songs and music videos. Thanks to Apple Music, subscribers can access its endless library of music without the fuss of having to rely on iTunes, but those who have purchased visual media through iTunes are still waiting for the day they can migrate these purchases to their Apple TV app accounts on Android devices.

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• Modders have been supercharging AMD’s RX 9070 GPU with a simple trick
• They’ve been using the BIOS for the RX 9070 XT with the vanilla GPU
• While this provides a major performance boost, which in fact makes the RX 9070 about as fast as the XT version, there are huge caveats here

It seems that AMD’s RX 9070 graphics cards can be supercharged simply by applying the BIOS for its higher-tier sibling GPU, the RX 9070 XT, based on experiments that’ve recently been conducted.

VideoCardz noticed that modders who inhabit the PC Games Hardware forum (a German tech site) have been playing around with installing the XT BIOS in non-XT models of the RX 9070.

Of course, this should not be done in theory. After all, these are two completely different models of graphics cards, and the BIOS for each is designed specifically for that GPU, and is not to be used elsewhere.

Doing this wouldn’t work at all in many cases – indeed, sometimes GPU owners are completely blocked from using firmware (another term for BIOS) in this way – but because the RX 9070 vanilla card is quite similar to the RX 9070 XT (in terms of many specs), and there are no such restrictions in place, this trick can be pulled off. (Although I still wouldn’t recommend doing this for reasons I’ll come back to).

However, that warning noted, what these modders found with the RX 9070 running an RX 9070 XT BIOS was illuminating, to say the least.

There were reportedly no issues using the XT BIOS in this way – at least on the face of it – which essentially applies more power and faster clock speeds to the RX 9070, and the graphics card can apparently still be overclocked on top of this, too.

As VideoCardz notes, the RX 9070 supercharged in this way was about 15% to 20% faster than the GPU normally is – with that extra overclocking applied, mind. This means it’s close to stock RX 9070 XT performance (without any overclocking) when using the BIOS meant for the XT (but then the 9070 XT could also be overclocked, of course).

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Three words – don’t do it

How can the RX 9070 almost be the equal of its XT spin? Well, I must again underline that the RX 9070 coming close to the 9070 XT’s performance in this way is due not just to the use of the BIOS from its beefier sibling, but also due to the GPU being overclocked on top of that.

In short, this is a lot of fudging and pushing the boundaries of flashing a non-intended BIOS version into the RX 9070. Even without the extra overclocking, you may well see a lack of stability from the 9070 GPU trying to cope with using an XT BIOS, and frankly, I think this is likely – though the odds may depend on how good a chip you’ve got. (There are variances in the quality of GPUs, which means you’ll get slightly better results in situations where you’re really pushing the chip if you’ve been lucky and won the so-called ‘silicon lottery’).

With overclocking as an additional measure here, augmenting the XT BIOS, I’d say that’s quite likely to cause glitches. Indeed, some of the modders involved here reported their PC locking up at times, but they were able to tweak their way around these issues. It’s definitely the case that those who aren’t, at the very least, highly confident in their tech abilities should not be attempting anything like this.

Even if things do appear to be okay to begin with when using this trick – which is the case for some, apparently – who's to say whether a future driver update might throw a spanner in the works? Or whether a future game could have problems with an RX 9070 that’s turbocharged in this way.

Longer-term, you’ll also be running an RX 9070 graphics card consistently well above the power – and temperatures – its cooling system was designed for. So, especially if it’s an entry-level board without the greatest cooler, that could lead to potentially serious problems eventually.

The other point to remember here is that if something does go wrong, either with your initial attempt or at a later date, you could end up with a bricked GPU. And if you think that your warranty will cover the results of an alien BIOS being flashed to your graphics card, well, think again – it won’t, and you’ll be out to the tune of a whole lot of cash.

Proceed very much at your own peril, given all this, but it’s still interesting to see the results of experiments like this – and how fast the RX 9070 can be when powered up in this manner.

If you want to try and get more performance out of your RX 9070 graphics card, I’d suggest simply looking to overclock it (with the correct BIOS for the GPU). But even then, you’ll need a sound grasp of technical knowledge to proceed, ideally, because things can still go awry with overclocking.

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With the regrettable Studio Ghbli AI trend in our rearview mirror, we've stumbled right into our next unfortunate AI trend: Action Figures of ourselves.

To be clear, I've made one of myself with ChatGPT 4o's new native image capabilities because how could I not? As you might expect, ChatGPT's work is exceptional. I fed OpenAI's GPT 4o model a full-length photo of me and used this prompt:

Create an action figure of the person in this photo. It must be in its packaging and with things that represent his interests like computers, robots, cameras, smartphones.

The initial results were good, though I neglected to tell ChatGPT to use my name on the packaging. The platform also stumbled a bit when I asked for adjustments to the figure, with each iteration looking less and less like me.

It doesn't matter. I did it, and so have thousands of others. At least we're not, as with the Ghibli and Muppets AI memes, stealing someone else's intellectual property (IP) to create new and uncanny images.

(Image credit: ChatGPT 4o - AI-generated images)

I can understand why everyone is doing it. First of all, these images look just like real action figure packaging. The addition of interest accessories and, though I didn't ask for it, an optional head, is perfect.

There is a proportional relationship between this quality and how quickly these AI image trends spread. The generative images are so good that as soon as they started to appear on social media, others started investigating how to make one for themselves.

AI Action Figures in packaging are so popular that there are, unsurprisingly, YouTube tutorials. That's how I figured out how to do it. I found a Spanish-language one created about a week ago. The translation gave me just enough detail to know how to form the proper action figure prompt.

The true cost of AI memes

This is all good fun, but there are concerns.

First of all, AI image generation is not without cost. Sure, there’s the price of a ChatGPT Plus membership (around $20 / £16 / AU$30 a month), although you can generate around three images a day on the free tier, depending on current demand. Perhaps more importantly, there’s the cost of AI models like 4o.

A Queens University Library report claims, "Artificial Intelligence models consume an enormous amount of water and emit large amounts of carbon in their production, training, operation, and maintenance." Another Cornell University study calls out AI's growing freshwater use footprint, claiming "training the GPT-3 language model in Microsoft's state-of-the-art U.S. data centers can directly evaporate 700,000 liters of clean freshwater."

If you don't think these AI trends and the memes they spawn are attracting wide use, stressing the system, and possibly eating natural resources, just look at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's comments.

it's super fun seeing people love images in chatgpt.but our GPUs are melting.we are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. hopefully won't be long!chatgpt free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.March 27, 2025

We have a joke in my house that every time we create one of these AI memes, it kills a tree. That's hyperbole, of course, but it's safe to say that AI content generation is not without costs, and perhaps we should be thinking about it and using it differently,

That is the other question. With so many consumers primarily using AI for trend image generation, are they missing the point?

The growing intelligence of AI means that someday in the not-too-distant future it could be as smart or smarter than us (Artificial General intelligence could arrive as soon as next year). Meanwhile, we'll all be using it to create funny movie posters and then shocked when AI takes our jobs.

(Image credit: ChatGPT 4o - AI-generated images)

The way into AI and perhaps keeping control of the narrative is by using AI as a practical tool. It's not as much fun, but ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Apple Intelligence, and soon Alexa+, all feature myriad tools for improving things we do every day, including writing, creating outlines, polishing presentations, and summarizing long articles. Yes, they can create complete images and short videos, but tools like Adobe Firefly are more helpful for adjusting existing ones in more subtle ways, like removing backgrounds or distracting people and objects.

There are people using AIs like ChatGPT 4o for these tasks but those workaday activities are drowned out by a flood of AI trend images and memes like the ones above of my life-like action figure in plastic packaging.

It is kind of cool, right?

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• White House updates its AI directives for quicker modernization
• Federal agencies are set to adopt AI in various capacities
• The naming of Chief AI Officers is still required

The White House has released two updated ‘America First’ AI directives to modernize the federal government, at the risk of removing some of the safeguards put in place to protect citizens and businesses.

The changes form part of President Trump’s push to maintain US global dominance within artificial intelligence and reverse some safeguards left over from the Biden era.

On the whole, the goal appears to be to maximize efficiency and remove unnecessary steps so that the US can continue to develop the technology and its implementation at a rapid rate, preventing it from being left behind.

Trump wants US to remain an AI leader

Keen to demonstrate action as well as intent, Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of the White House OSTP, said: “This administration is focused on encouraging and promoting American AI innovation and global leadership, which starts with utilizing these emerging technologies within the Federal Government.”

Parker added that the new policies would provide “much-needed guidance” while “removing unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions.”

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool that can be plugged into knowledge workers’ computers for some productivity enhancements, though.

The Department of Justice is using the tech to better understand drug trafficking, while the Department of Veterans Affairs has been using AI for lung cancer identification and analysis.

Like Biden’s previous executive order, the Trump administration is calling on agencies to name Chief AI Officers to take responsibility and guide their teams with more structure.

Despite the desire for rapid growth, the memorandum continues to stress the importance of ongoing safety: “Through this memorandum, agencies are directed to provide improved services to the public, while maintaining strong safeguards for civil rights, civil liberties and privacy.”

Via Cybernews

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• A browser UX feature that helps users determine which links they visited in the past can be abused
• Over the years, there were multiple attempts to fix it
• Google claims the next version of Chrome finally addresses it

Google is finally fixing a vulnerability in its Chrome browser that’s been present since its very inception, and that could be used to spy on people’s web surfing habits.

In a blog post, Google’s Kyra Seevers explained that when a person clicks on a link displayed in a web page, it turns from blue to purple. The idea behind this design was to improve the user experience and help people navigate the web easier.

This change of state is handled by CSS, but malicious actors found different ways to abuse this UX feature to spy on people’s browsing habits. For example, a malicious website could include thousands of links to popular websites, but style them in a way that the visitors don’t actually see them. The site then uses JavaScript or CSS to check which of those links should appear purple, effectively learning which sites the victim already visited.

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Chrome 136 to the rescue

Apparently, the problem is not limited to Chrome but instead is present on most browsers these days. In fact, the problem predates Chrome, which was first introduced in 2008.

“These attacks can reveal which links a user has visited and leak details about their web browsing activity,” Seevers explained.

“This security problem has plagued the web for over 20 years, and browsers have deployed various stop-gaps to mitigate these history detection attacks. While the attacks are slowed down by these mitigations, they are not eliminated.”

However, the next version of the browser, Chrome 136, is supposed to “render these attacks obsolete.” This is accomplished by partitioning :visited link history, Seevers further stated.

Chrome 136 is scheduled for release in late April 2025.

Via The Register

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• The Nintendo Switch 2 eShop won't have any background music
• Music will be absent because Nintendo wanted to prioritize gameplay videos featured on the store
• Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto said his main focus was performance and making a "smoother experience" for users

Just like on the Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 eShop won't feature any background music while you browse releases.

In a new interview with Polygon following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, console producer Kouichi Kawamoto confirmed that the new eShop won't have any theme songs, unlike the Wii and Wii U, but there's a practical reason why.

"Unlike back then, the eShop now has lots of videos that are showcasing the games," Kawamoto said. "We didn’t want to intrude on that, so we don’t have music there."

While there won't be any catchy music to get stuck in your head, Kawamoto explained that his main focus for improving the Switch 2 eShop was performance and making it a smoother experience for users.

"I wanted to make sure that it was a smooth experience. That the scrolling of the list doesn’t stall, that it’s very smooth, pages load fast," he said.

The Nintendo Switch 2 releases worldwide on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK, but Nintendo has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US from its original April 9 date "in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions".

Nintendo will update the pre-order timing at a later date but confirmed that the console will still launch on June 5.

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Some third-party developers are already praising the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, with Firaxis Games confirming that Sid Meier's Civilization 7 will run quite well on the console.

That's according to Game File, who spoke to several developers at a hands-on press event following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, namely Firaxis executive producer Dennis Shirk, who said that the studio is "extremely happy" with the handheld's power.

"We were able to make this look like a mid-tier PC, because it's got enough power," Shirk said. "We are extremely happy, and it's been easy. Their software development kit is great, the customer support, their developer support, developer relations is great."

The lead also said that Nintendo wanted Civilization 7 on the Switch 2 because the game is "a great showcase" for the console's brand new mouse function and "pairs up so well with our existing PC audience because we have crossplay."

Civilization 7 is currently available on the original Switch, but with the Switch 2's new features, the game will be much improved, and the same can be said for Hogwarts Legacy, according to Avalanche senior producer Jimmie Nelson.

"We originally started with our Switch version," Nelson told GameFile. "We got very good results really quickly, but we felt like we could make a higher quality product if we brought in a lot of the high-resolution assets and raised the resolution, textures, lighting, and world streaming."

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK. Nintendo has announced that it has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US from its original April 9 date as it assesses the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

Nintendo confirmed it will share the new pre-order date soon and that the console's launch date is unchanged.

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• AT-LP60XBT is AT's best-selling turntable – now in limited-edition gold
• The 'limited units' are only available in the US, at bricks-and-mortar stores
• It costs $199 – head to your local record store to see the AT-LP60XBT-GD

Just look at this turntable. And for $199, I really (really) want it. Is it actual gold (gold)? Almost certainly not. But you've got the power to know, you're indestructible, and always believing…

Upon receiving a press release with the headline 'Audio-Technica Celebrates Record Store Day with GOLD AT-LP60XBT,' I expected a product with an extravagant four-figure price tag at least – I'd even cued up one of our 'Money no object' badges to adorn the image. But no, not a bit of it.

What's happened is that ahead of Record Store Day (which falls this Saturday, April 12), Audio-Technica has released of a gold-finish version of its top best-selling turntable, the AT-LP60XBT. And for some reason, the deck is priced just $199, i.e., practically the same asking fee as the non-gold variants.

A quick bit on the deck? Of course. It was originally released in February 2019 (so a relative babe in arms, as turntables go) and as well as being a fully automatic belt-driven vinyl spinner, it offers Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX transmission – so you can send the analog music spinning on your platter to your wireless headphones or Bluetooth speakers. Simply put 'em into pairing mode and press the button on the corner of the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT's plinth. Neat, no?

Back to the GD-suffixed version (the model we'll both be after is the AT-LP60XBT-GD – I know, we must write it down) and Audio-Technica warns me it is available in "limited units" at independent brick and mortar stores across the US only.

Audio-Technica encourages customers to head to their local record store this week to check out the AT-LP60XBT-GD and support local – and I do too, provided I've managed to bag mine in good time…

Oh but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you

Nothing left to make you feel small. Luck has left you standing so tall… (you bought) Gold!

Sorry, I remember Spandau Ballet. And you know what else I remember? When radio ads and TV commercials used to carefully annunciate the correct interstate exit for a store on big event days, as well as the sales prices – because you couldn't find that information online, much less acquire any items without physically going there.

And that's kind of what Record Store Day is about, isn't it? Heading out to a local store, to try to buy something you certainly can't get otherwise. And all of that aside, this is a best-selling deck (that I've used and loved), now in a gloriously 1970s finish, for entry-level money.

Want to browse the limited-edition Record Store Day LPs and CDs for 2025? See our RSD hub for a full list and our pick of the albums you should be buying – but if you're looking for more record players or accessories, Pro-Ject's released a new fully automatic turntable and also a vinyl flattener to add to your cart on the big day.

Whatever you pick up on Record Store Day 2025, enjoy it, and enjoy the music.

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If you can’t get Hulu to load either a classic rewatch of Only Murders In The Building, another on-demand classic, or even Live TV, you’re not alone. Further, if you can’t even see into Hulu – like myself on an iPad and my colleagues on other devices – read on for the latest updates.

It appears that Hulu is in the midst of a pretty sizable outage with reports on Downdetector spiking to over 12,300 as of 10:03AM EST. I’m also beginning to see reports of frustrated users who simply want to stream on social platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Threads.

Interestingly enough, Disney+ appears to still be working just fine in the United States – well, more specifically in New York on an iPhone or iPad – and I can even still access Hulu content. Still, the fact that a device that’s already logged into Hulu can’t load content, and I can’t even sign into the platform on another device, spells problems.

Stick with us as we live blog this Hulu outage and see just how long one of the best streaming services around has problems for.

A big Hulu outage

As of 10:40 AM ET, Down Detector has spiked to over 13,000 reported outages for Hulu, with comments spelling issues watching content – either on-demand or through Live TV – and I can't get it working on an iPhone or an iPad.

Stick with us as we see how long Hulu is having problems for!

(Image credit: Future) Hulu confirms there's an issue

While Hulu doesn't seem to have a status page, the streaming service confirms an issue and tells frustrated streamers its help is on the way. Via the @HuluSupport handle on X (formerly Twitter), it's confirmed there's an issue with a few users who have tweeted asking what's going on.

@HuluSupport writes to one user, "We hear you! Our developers are on the case and working to resolve this as we speak. We appreciate your patience!"

We hear you! Our developers are on the case and working to resolve this as we speak. We appreciate your patience!April 8, 2025

And in another, it offers more reassurance but stops sorts of saying what exactly is causing the issues. It seems that many users are reporting are reporting getting automatically logged out and unable to sign back-in or are seeing basic webpages with a 503 error.

We're sorry to hear you're also experiencing this! Our team is working to resolve this behavior ASAP. We really appreciate your patience while we work on a fix!April 8, 2025

Here's the official statement that @HuluSupport has posted to X (formerly Twitter):

Having issues logging in? If so – we’re on it! Our team has identified the issue, and we hope to have things back up and running soon.April 8, 2025

This confirms an issue with logging in, but the TechRadar team, as well as other users who have posted on social media, are also having issues when already logged in or are being forced to log in after being signed out.

Well, this might be a quick one

It seems like Hulu might be making a fast recovery, which is a good thing! I am now able to sign back in on my iPad and access live TV and on-demand content from the streaming service.

My colleague Lance Ulanoff, who previously couldn't even enter an email address to log into Hulu, has at least gotten past that step.

On my iPhone, however, I am still receiving an "Error playing video" message with an "Error Code," the "Local Time of Error," and a "Unique Error ID."

Even so, @HuluSupport is still responding to users, saying the streaming service's team is working on a fix for login issues and the platform's general instability right now.

Apologies, Diana! We've got all hands on deck working to resolve this. Getting you back to your shows is our top priority. Thanks for bearing with us!April 8, 2025

Hulu says the 'login is resolved'

Now, via a post on X (formerly Twitter), @HuluSupport says that the issues have been resolved, writing:

"Thank you for your patience. The login issue from earlier has been resolved. If you’re still running into any trouble on your end, please restart and try again."

This means that if you're still encountering issues on the web, via a mobile app – iOS or Android –, a smart TV, or even a streaming box, restarting might be the road to streaming once again.

I'm still seeing the error on my iPhone, so I'm trying a restart right now.

Reports on DownDetector are starting to drop as well. As of 10:52 AM ET, they are sitting around 1,100.

Thank you for your patience. The login issue from earlier has been resolved. If you’re still running into any trouble on your end, please restart and try again.April 8, 2025

Considering this was a small outage, we have to hand it to the team at Hulu for quickly resolving it. Additionally, unlike some other recent outages, the @HuluSupport account was also responsive to frustrated users.

In case you're wondering, the restart and log back-in method did indeed work on my iPhone, so if you're still having issues using Hulu, that would be our recommendation.

• A UK court has confirmed a legal challenge against the British Government
• Apple is taking action over an encryption backdoor request
• The tech giant's end-to-end encryption has been removed in the UK

In the latest development of the ongoing privacy dispute between Apple and the UK Government, a British court has officially confirmed the company has launched a legal challenge.

Campaigners have been pushing for transparency in the legal challenge, and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal rejected the attempt by the government to keep the “bare details” of the case secret, the Financial Times reports.

Early in 2025, Apple removed its option for end-to-end encryption, Advanced Data Protection, following a request by the British Government for Apple to build a “backdoor” into the encryption for law enforcement agencies.

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Ongoing litigation

The court confirmed it, “did not accept the revelation of the bare details of the case would be damaging to the public interest or prejudicial to national security”, having heard submissions from privacy campaigners, media organizations, and even US senators.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but has reaffirmed its promise to “never build a backdoor”.

The firm has previously denied requests from the FBI for a similar law enforcement master key - although the current Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, called the UK's request a ‘clear and egregious violation of American’s privacy and civil liberties’, since the backdoor could theoretically be used against citizens outside of the UK.

The tech giant and privacy campaigners argue that once a backdoor is built, threat actors could potentially steal access to private data, and governments could abuse their powers with enhanced surveillance.

Our readers overwhelmingly disagree with proposals to build a master key for law enforcement, with 67% of surveyed respondents saying that their data is private, and that they wouldn’t want their Government to have access.

For now, British Apple users won’t have access to Advanced Data Protection - so users should consider another type of cloud storage solution if they want to enjoy end-to-end encryption.

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• Meta reveals it found a vulnerability in WhatsApp for Windows
• It affects all older versions and allows hackers to trick people into running .exe files
• The flaw lets criminals display .exe files as harmless photos in the chat

Meta has fixed a vulnerability in its WhatsApp client for Windows which allowed threat actors to spoof executable files as images.

In a security advisory published on Facebook, the company said it addressed a spoofing issue in WhatsApp for Windows, prior to version 2.2450.6.

The bug “displayed attachments according to their MIME type but selected the file opening handler based on the attachment’s filename extension,” Meta explained.

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No abuse in the wild

“A maliciously crafted mismatch could have caused the recipient to inadvertently execute arbitrary code rather than view the attachment when manually opening the attachment inside WhatsApp.”

According to CyberInsider, this mismatch is a “classic method” for social engineering-based exploitation, since it allows threat actors to send files that appear harmless, but are in fact malicious. “If a victim double-clicks the attachment within WhatsApp, the underlying executable could run, compromising the user's system,” the publication wrote.

All older versions of the software were vulnerable, Meta further explained, recommending that users apply the patch immediately.

At the same time, the Cybernews team says that there is currently no evidence that the vulnerability is being exploited in the wild. However, as usual with these things, as soon as news of a vulnerability breaks, cybercriminals start hunting for vulnerable endpoints.

Most cyberattacks these days start with social engineering. A phishing message, paired with a malicious attachment can be sent either via email, or through an instant messaging platform such as WhatsApp. It can trick the victim into making a rash decision, running the attachment without thinking through it first.

Email addresses get leaked a lot more often than phone numbers, which makes WhatsApp-borne attacks a little less likely. However, many organizations harvest this information as well, and then store it in misconfigured, non-password-protected databases, which often get picked up by malicious actors and sold on the dark web.

Adam Pilton, Senior Cybersecurity Consultant at CyberSmart, noted this is a dangerous vulnerability since many people are parts of different WhatsApp groups where images get shared all the time. This presents a great opportunity for criminals, and major risk for the users:

"It's really important to stress that this WhatsApp vulnerability impacts Windows desktop users. Most people will be part of a WhatsApp group where it is common for images to be shared and this is where this vulnerability becomes dangerous, because if a cyber criminal was able to share this image either in your group or with someone you trust who then goes on to share it in your group, anybody in that group could unknowingly execute the malicious code associated with the shared image," he said.

"It is good to see however that the solution is at hand and simple to achieve and that is to apply an update to WhatsApp."

Via Cybernews

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