TechRadar News

• Zoom’s AI agents are coming to Meetings, Team Chat, Docs and more
• More than 45 “innovations” have been made to boost productivity
• New features will be rolling out over the coming weeks

Zoom has announced the next step in its agentic AI strategy with a range of new skills, agents and models coming to Zoom Workplace and Zoom Business Services.

The company said the new releases will help its users get on with being more productive and strengthening their relationships with customers with the help of more autonomous AI tools.

With the bold claim that over 45 new innovations have made it to Zoom’s portfolio, its agentic AI will cover apps like Zoom Meetings, Zoom Phone, Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Docs and Zoom Contact Center.

Zoom AI Companion gets an agentic boost

The platform’s AI Companion, which gets a 2.0 version launch, will continue to serve as the vehicle for Zoom to implement agentic AI across its portfolio, just with helpful enhancements like reasoning and memory for decision-making, problem solving and learning.

Zoom CPO Smita Hashim summarized: “AI Companion is evolving from a personal assistant to being truly agentic.”

Besides the usual task action and orchestration functionalities of agentic AI, Zoom will also help workers manage their calendars and generate content.

Later this spring, users will also be able to create and deploy customizable virtual agents for more contextual customer conversations, but they’ll also be able to take action. Third-party agents such as the ServiceNow Now Assist agent and custom agents are also set to be supported “soon.”

Agentic AI promises major boosts for things like detecting action items in meeting summaries with Zoom Tasks and extracting tasks from calls using the Zoom for Microsoft Teams app. Coming later in May, we’re also promised agentic AI for creating meeting agendas and also real-time summarization of meetings and phone calls.

It’s not just worker productivity that’s set for improvements, though, because AI Companion for Workspace Reservation will recommend which days employees should go to the office based on scheduled meetings and teammates’ scheduled in-office days, with the agentic portion of Zoom’s AI proactively booking desks or Zoom Rooms.

“We’re delivering value for our customers through AI agents and agentic skills that solve real customer problems, helping them connect, collaborate, and get more done, all within the Zoom platform our users trust and love,” Hashim added.

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It's a great time to be a Hulu subscriber, and though the weather may be getting better as spring starts to blossom that doesn't mean you have to spend every waking minute outside. I'd say you're entitled to a few evenings spent indoors bingeing the best titles on the best streaming services, particularly on Hulu.

Although, it has to be said that April looks to be a bittersweet month for Hulu's new arrivals. On the one hand, the new roster of fresh movies packs yet another powerful punch of personal favorites that rank among the best Hulu movies already on the platform, including Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan (2010), Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993).

However, on the other hand, April marks the end of one of the best Hulu shows as we will unfortunately have to bid farewell to Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 when the final season premieres on April 8. It's been a long ride, but even the best TV shows have to come to an end at some point – at least its sequel series The Testaments is in the works!

So while you prepare yourself for a climatic final season, take this as your sign to scour through Hulu's April schedule for your next TV obsession. Take it from me, there's plenty to choose from, you just have to know where to look.

Everything new on Hulu in April 2025

Arriving on April 1

Arrival (movie)
Arrival (En Espanol) (movie)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (movie)
Black Swan (movie)
Boys on the Side (movie)
Concussion (movie)
Concussion (En Espanol) (movie)
Copycat (movie)
Enough Said (movie)
The Equalizer (movie)
The Equalizer (En Espanol) (movie)
Gifted (movie)
The Good Thief (movie)
Gone Girl (movie)
Gulliver's Travels (movie)
The History of the World Part I (movie)
I Heart Huckabees (movie)
Interstellar (movie)
Interstellar (En Espanol) (movie)
Jumanji (movie)
Jumanji (En Espanol) (movie)
Jurassic Park (movie)
Jurassic Park III (movie)
The Karate Kid (movie)
The Karate Kid (En Espanol) (movie)
The Karate Kid Part II (movie)
The Karate Kid: Part II (En Espanol)
The Karate Kid Part III
The Karate Kid Part III (En Espanol)
Little Man (movie)
Little Man (En Espanol) (movie)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (movie)
Made in America (movie)
Me, Myself and Irene (movie)
Mrs. Doubtfire (movie)
Oddity (movie)
Red Sparrow (movie)
The Revenant (movie)
Runaway Jury (movie)
Sexy Beast (movie)
Shark Tale (movie)
The Spy Who Dumped Me (movie)
Superbad (movie)
Superbad (En Espanol) (movie)
Tombstone (movie)
True Story (movie)
21 Jump Street (movie)
22 Jump Street (movie)
Wall Street (movie)
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (movie)
War of the Worlds (movie)
Widows (movie)
Wild (movie)
The Wolf of Wall Street (movie)
The Wolf Of Wall Street (En Espanol) (movie)
Year One (movie)
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (movie)

Arriving on April 2

Beyblade X season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on April 3

Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America (TV show)

Arriving on April 4

Dying for Sex (TV show)
Fire Force season 3 (TV show)
Classified (movie)
The Darjeeling Limited (movie)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (movie)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (movie)
The Royal Tenenbaums (movie)
Rushmore (movie)

Arriving on April 5

American Monster season 3 (TV show)
Bering Sea Gold season 3 (TV show)
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives seasons 1-2 (TV show)
I Love A Mama's Boy season 2 (TV show)
2025-04-05 00:00:00
The World According to Allee Willis (documentary)

Arriving on April 6

Witch Watch (TV show)

Arriving on April 8

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 (TV show)
Small Things Like These (movie)

Arriving on April 9

Angels & Demons (movie)
The Da Vinci Code (movie)

Arriving on April 10

Court Cam season 7 (TV show)
Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life season 1 (TV show)
Ca$h (movie)
Hesher (movie)
Niko: Beyond the Northern Lights (movie)
Red Dog (movie)
So Undercover (movie)
Spun (movie)

Arriving on April 11

Got to Get Out (TV show)
Garfield (movie)
Garfield: A Tail Of Two Kitties (movie)
Magpie (movie)

Arriving on April 12

Fixer Upper season 5 (TV show)
MythBusters season 5 (TV show)
The Family Chantel season 4 (TV show)

Arriving on April 15

Lake George (movie)

Arriving on April 16

No Man's Land season 2 (TV show)
Synduality Noir season 1 (TV show)
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on April 17

The Stolen Girl (TV show)
Bible Secrets Revealed season 1 (TV show)
Gangland Chronicles season 1 (TV show)
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath seasons 1 & 2 (TV show)
Martin Short season 1 (TV show)
The Girl Who Wasn't Dead (movie)

Arriving on April 18

The Order (movie)

Arriving on April 19

Breaking Amish season 4 (TV show)
Disappeared season 6 (TV show)
Gypsy Sisters season 3 (TV show)
Moonshiners season 13 (TV show)

Arriving on April 21

Secrets of the Penguins (TV show)
No Hard Feelings (movie)
No Hard Feelings (En Espanol) (movie)

Arriving on April 22

In a Violent Nature (movie)

Arriving on April 24

Airline Wars season 1 (TV show)
Customer Wars season 4 (TV show)
Tell Me How I Died season 1 (TV show)
Tiny House World season 1 (TV show)
Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story (movie)

Arriving on April 25

Jessica Kirson: I'm the Man (TV show)
Azrael (movie)

Arriving on April 26

Chopped season 60 (TV show)
Four Weddings season 9 (TV show)
House Hunters Renovation season 16 (TV show)
Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on April 29

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (documentary)

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• Rumors suggest a revised May 2025 launch for the EOS R6 Mark III
• It could inherit features from the pricier EOS R5 Mark II
• As a potential EOS R6 Mark II update, it rivals the Nikon Z6 III and Sony A7 IV

Canon's twin launch of the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II stole 2024's headlines, with the latter camera winning TechRadar's camera of the year award. However, it's believed that the mid-range (and more affordable) EOS R6 Mark II remains Canon's most popular full-frame mirrorless camera, and that it could be updated soon with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III.

Canon Rumors initially touted an announcement for the end of 2024, which would have tallied with Canon's two-year cycle for EOS R6 cameras so far. However, here we are months later in March 2025 and there's still no sign of the third model, the potential EOS R6 Mark III, nor a rival Sony A7 IV successor for that matter – the rumored Sony A7 V, which is also taking longer than expected.

That leaves the Nikon Z6 III as the best full-frame mirrorless camera for most people. It might not hold that crown for long, however, if that latest EOS R6 Mark III launch rumors are accurate this time.

I've no doubt that a third model is in the pipeline, but I'm less convinced that it will come as soon as May – it's telling that there are so few leaked EOS R6 Mark III features. Still, that doesn't stop us from speculating about what features the next model could have, and what it needs to have to be a worthy EOS R6 Mark II upgrade and Nikon Z6 III rival.

Fully stacked: the latest stacked sensor type could be the single biggest upgrade for the EOS R6 Mark III. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future) 1. A new stacked sensor

While a number of EOS R6 / EOS R6 Mark II users would hope for a higher-resolution sensor in a third model, the more likely scenario outlined by Canon Rumors is that the sensor will remain a 24MP unit. However, it will be a 'stacked' sensor type, like the one we saw in the EOS R3 – Canon's previous flagship before the EOS R1.

A stacked sensor delivers faster readout speeds, which can in turn improve a camera's overall performance for burst shooting and autofocus, plus its handling of rolling shutter distortion. The Nikon Z6 III features a partially stacked 24MP sensor, whereas the Z6 II has a regular 24MP sensor.

These sensors don't come cheap, and if Canon decides to put one in the R6 Mark III it will likely have an impact on the camera's price. However, it's the logical upgrade for Canon to start with; and keeping resolution to 24MP would leave sensible breathing space between the EOS R6 Mark III and the next model up – the higher-resolution EOS R5 Mark II, which has a 45MP stacked sensor.

The twin card slots of the EOS R5 Mark II. Expect much the same in the EOS R6 Mark III. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) 2. Improved speed

To fully utilize a faster stacked sensor, the EOS R6 Mark III is also going to need a new processor. The EOS R1 / EOS R5 Mark II introduced a DIGIC accelerator – it's much like a second processor that streamlines how files are processed, easing bottlenecking – and that same secondary processor will likely find its way into an EOS R6 Mark III.

A DIGIC accelerator could enable faster and longer burst-shooting sequences, plus better pre-capture shooting and various other speed-dependent features.

However, it'll be of no use to have a stacked sensor and second processor if the cameras still relies on SD cards to store files. No, the EOS R6 Mark III will need to accept the faster CFExpress Type B cards too, and I expect one slot for each of those card types.

I posed this basketball player before a match to register them in the EOS R1. Following that, the camera prioritized this player as the point of focus throughout the game. This tech could find its way into the EOS R6 Mark III. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) 3. The latest autofocus

Again, it's pretty typical for Canon's latest autofocus system to trickle down from its flagship models all the way to its mid-range models, such as the EOS R6 series. To that extent, I expect the EOS R6 Mark III to feature the same autofocus system as the EOS R1 / EOS R5 Mark II, which is pretty much the best in the business, especially if you photograph certain sports.

We've already covered just how sophisticated Canon's autofocus is in our in-depth reviews – some standout features include subject priority and sports priority modes. For the former, you can take a picture of a person and store it in the camera as a priority subject for the camera to focus on, such as the bride at a wedding. For the latter, users can select one of a number of sports, and the camera can assess where the key points of interest are based on the action, say the player kicking a ball.

What is unlikely to be inherited from Canon's flagship models is Eye Control AF, which works using a sensor in the viewfinder that knows where your eye is looking in the frame, and automatically adjusts the focus area to what has your attention.

Might we see an all-new screen in the EOS R6 Mark III that outdoes the one in the EOS R5 Mark II? (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) 4. A new multi-angle screen

I don't expect many improvements with regards to the body and handling of the EOS R6 Mark III. However, Canon Rumors says the latest camera could feature a multi-angle LCD screen much like the one on the Sony A9 III, which would be a first for Canon.

A multi-angle screen effectively has twin hinges, meaning you can flip the screen out from the body, and then spin it again. This allows for easy viewing from awkward angles when you're shooting in horizontal and vertical formats, where a single-hinge type would be limited to horizontal tilting.

Apparently, the screen itself could be a fancier OLED type too, rather than LCD. That would make for easier viewing in bright light, although the tech would further increase the cost. File that one in the unlikely category.

An example of how much bigger Canon's in-camera AI upscale editor makes images. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) 5. In-camera AI editing

Another feature that debuted in last year's flagship models was in-camera AI editing. Such AI tools aren't just gimmicks – they can prove genuinely useful on the go, and one such feature is upscaling – I wrote about my experience getting 400% bigger images with the EOS R5 Mark II. Another is denoising, to improve detail in low-light / high-ISO images.

I see no reason why these tools can't make their way into an EOS R6 Mark III if it features the upgrades already mentioned above. And a feature like upscaling, which could quadruple the camera's image size from 24MP to 96MP, arguably makes even more sense. The increasing sophistication of the tech really could put the megapixel race to bed.

Summary

I don't think we'll see a lot of completely new tech in the EOS R6 Mark III, whenever it finally launches. However, by inheriting a lot of EOS R3 / EOS R5 Mark II tech, it will be a healthy update of the EOS R6 Mark II, especially for users who need a speedier camera and improved autofocus accuracy.

We could see a faster stacked sensor, twin processors that includes the DIGIC Accelerator, Canon's best-ever autofocus, CFExpress Type B card compatibility, a new screen, plus a host of other hidden features, wrapped in much the same body as before.

If all those upgrades are delivered, I struggle to see Canon pitching the EOS R6 Mark III for anything less than the EOS R6 Mark II's launch price, which puts it north of $3,000 / £3,000. With the Nikon Z6 III and Canon EOS R6 Mark II already heavily discounted to around 50% less than that, the consequence of EOS R6 Mark III delays is clear.

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• Cisco Talos says hackers are abusing CSS in emails
• The stylesheet language is used to hide content, track people's behavior, and more
• Researchers suggest IT teams adopt advanced filtering techniques

Cybercriminals are using CSS in emails to track their victims, learn more about them, and redirect them to phishing pages, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers at Cisco Talos outlined how CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used in emails to control the design, layout, and formatting of email content. Businesses use it not only to make the emails look better, but also to keep the layout consistent across different email clients. There is nothing inherently malicious about CSS but, as is the case with many other legitimate tools, it is being abused in attacks.

"The features available in CSS allow attackers and spammers to track users' actions and preferences, even though several features related to dynamic content (e.g., JavaScript) are restricted in email clients compared to web browsers," a Cisco Talos researcher said in a report.

Advanced filtering techniques

Through CSS, cybercriminals can hide content in plain sight, thus bypassing email security solutions. They can also use it to redirect people to phishing pages, it was said. The tool can be used to monitor user behavior which, in turn, can lead to spear-phishing or fingerprinting attacks.

"This abuse can range from identifying recipients' font and color scheme preferences and client language to even tracking their actions (e.g., viewing or printing emails)," they said. "CSS provides a wide range of rules and properties that can help spammers and threat actors fingerprint users, their webmail or email client, and their system. For example, the media at-rule can detect certain attributes of a user's environment, including screen size, resolution, and color depth."

Cisco Talos said the new campaign builds upon a “hidden text ‘salting’” one they uncovered in late January 2025.

To tackle this threat , the researchers suggested IT teams adopt advanced filtering techniques that scan the structure of HTML emails, rather than just their contents. An email security solution could, thus, look for extreme use of inline styles or CSS properties such as “visibility: hidden”. Deploying AI-powered defenses is also recommended.

Via The Hacker News

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• EliteBook 6 G1q is HP’s flagship 14-inch next-gen AI laptop
• It's powered by Snapdragon X chips with up to 45 TOPS NPU performance
• There's an AMD version of the 14-inch laptop, but Intel sits this one out

HP has been shaking things up at its Amplify 2025 event, unveiling new AI laptops and changing brand names in a bid to make them easier for would-be buyers to understand. The company offers "i" or "a" versions of its AI laptops, so you can tell at a glance whether a device has an Intel or an AMD processor.

However these aren’t the only players in town - and HP knows it. If you’re a highly mobile professional who needs to stay constantly connected and wants to offload time-consuming tasks to AI, HP has launched the EliteBook 6 G1 series laptop, which includes a 14-inch model with a 40–60 TOPS NPU that’s "purpose-built for knowledge creators to do more."

There are two EliteBook 6 Next Gen AI models to choose from: one with an AMD processor (G1a) and one with a Qualcomm processor (G1q), both in a 14-inch size. While Intel is offered in the standard AI version (less than 40 TOPS NPU), and in the higher-end EliteBook 8 G1 models, it’s not offered at all in the EliteBook 6 Next Gen AI lineup.

Choice of Snapdragons

The 14-inch EliteBook 6 G1q Next Gen AI PC is powered by a 45 TOPS Snapdragon X, X Plus, or X Elite processor. Memory configurations go up to 64GB LPDDR5X, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. The 14-inch display comes in multiple options, including WUXGA (1920 x 1200) and WQXGA (2560 x 1600).

Other features of note include an FHD camera, with optional 5MP+IR or AI-enhanced cameras. Audio is delivered through dual stereo speakers by Poly Studio and dual microphones with AI noise reduction.

The laptop also includes a spill-resistant keyboard (optionally backlit with Durakeys) and a Microsoft Precision touchpad. Connectivity options include two USB4 Type-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, audio jack, RJ45, and an optional Nano SIM. Wireless support includes Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.4 or 5.3, along with optional 5G WWAN.

Battery options are 48 or 56Wh. The laptop weighs around 1.45 kg and comes in any color you like, as long as it’s silver. Bundled software includes MyHP, HP AI Companion, Microsoft Copilot, Poly Camera Pro, and more.

There’s no word yet on pricing or availability for HP’s sole Qualcomm AI laptop.

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• HP EliteBook 8 G1 features modular parts for fast hardware replacement
• Battery, fans, SSD, memory and keyboard can be swapped in minutes
• Self-aligning display and accessible components simplify repairs and upgrades

We’re big fans of Framework’s modular laptops, which let you choose the components you want, replace or upgrade parts, and even add third-party custom modules, such as this drone destroyer.

It’s almost a surprise that other major laptop manufacturers haven’t followed a similar path, but HP appears to have cottoned on to this approach with its new EliteBook, unveiled today at Amplify 2025.

The enterprise-ready EliteBook 8 G1, with an AMD or Intel processor, is designed to be easily repaired or upgraded, with HP saying the battery, fans, SSD storage and SODIMM memory can be swapped out in under 10 minutes, and the wireless LAN and mobile broadband M.2 cards are also fully accessible and quickly replaced. If that’s not enough, the modular keyboard can also be removed and switched, and the self-aligning display does not require single-use jigs for replacement.

Redesigned inside and out

HP says the new EliteBook 8 G1 has been, "redesigned inside and out", offering up to 224% better power efficiency. The Series 8 G1 PCs are also made using a diverse range of recycled materials, including glass, cooking oil, rare earth magnets, magnesium, aluminum and ocean-bound plastic.

There is a choice between next-gen AI PCs (with 40–60 TOPS NPUs) and regular AI PCs (with less than 40 TOPS NPUs). They come in G1a (AMD) or G1i (Intel) models, available in 13-inch (with soldered-in memory), 14-inch, and 16-inch sizes.

All feature a WUXGA (1920x1200) display, a redesigned thinner chassis, new Glacier Silver color, larger trackpad, fingerprint reader in the power button, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-C and USB-A options, HDMI 2.1, and support for Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 or 5.4, and optional NFC and Smartcard reader. They support up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

There’s no word on pricing or availability for the new models yet, but we should know soon.

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• HP has debuted a number of new AI laptops at Amplify 2025
• The company has followed Dell’s lead with AI-driven rebranding across its laptop lineup
• 800 and 600 series become EliteBook 8 and 6, while 400 series is now ProBook 4

HP has launched a range of new AI laptops at its Amplify 2025 event with a host of new brand names.

The company's 800 Series is now EliteBook 8, and the 600 Series is now EliteBook 6 (both systems come in 13, 14, and 16-inch sizes).

The 400 Series is now ProBook 4 (in 14 and 16-inch sizes). ZBook Firefly is now the ZBook 8 G1i (Intel) and G1a (AMD), ZBook Power is now the ZBook X G1i, Elite Mini/SFF/Tower is now EliteDesk and Elite AiO is now EliteStudio. Clear?

Easy to understand

At the start of the year, Dell decided that the arrival of the AI era meant it was time for a fresh start, and in debuting a new Pro range of laptops, it waved goodbye to the beloved Latitude brand, which was first introduced back in 1994.

The ax swinging didn’t end there, though. The company also debuted a new Pro Max mobile workstation family, which replaced the 32-year-old Precision brand. Intel, which finally has a new CEO, has also been playing the name game recently to try to make things clearer for customers.

While HP’s rebranding isn’t anywhere near as major as Dell’s (it’s also worth noting that more people will be familiar with Dell’s Latitude and Precision brands than any of HP’s brands), it’s still another big change for consumers to get their heads around. At least it’s straightforward enough.

If you want an EliteBook 8 G1 Series laptop, you can differentiate between the models by size (13, 14, 16), processor (G1i for Intel or G1a for AMD), and Next Gen and regular AI models (which offer different TOPS). Once you know what’s what, you can quickly spot the difference between the HP EliteBook 8 G1a 13” Next Gen AI PC and the HP EliteBook 8 G1i 16” AI PC.

Is the rebranding totally necessary? That’s a matter of debate.

“We take a very conventional and pragmatic approach," Tom Butler, Executive Director of Commercial Portfolio and Product Management at Lenovo, recently told NoteBookCheck.

"There is a series name for our ThinkPad products, like T series, L series or E series, with screen sizes in the product name for clarity - T14, T16 and so on. In order to keep it logical and help people keep track, we also put a generational name after. At the moment, we are not making any changes in our direction. Lenovo has solid brand equity, as do our sub-brands like ThinkPad, ThinkBook or Lenovo Yoga for consumers.”

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Nearly 10 years after the iconic Pebble smartwatch was discontinued, the iconic watch is back with two new “Pebble-like” smartwatch models sporting low-power screens and packing a 30-day battery life – designed by Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky.

The limited-run smartwatches will be available from July, running the open-source Pebble OS.

Core 2 Duo

(Image credit: Core Devices)

The first of the two watches is the Core 2 Duo, a device very similar to the old discontinued Pebble 2, with some improvements.

With four buttons and an ‘ultra-crisp’ 1.26-inch e-paper MIP screen similar to some of the best Garmin watches, this low-power screen allows the Core 2 Duo to maintain long battery life at an impressive 30+ days.

The smartwatch, which comes in white or black polycarbonate frames and matching synthetic straps, also features a speaker and microphone array, step tracking, and sleep tracking.

Interestingly, the sleep tracking feature doesn’t use a heart rate monitor (the Core 2 Duo doesn’t have one) but an accelerometer, which analyzes movement during sleep. A barometer and compass round out the hardware features.

“This is my dream watch," Migicovsky told TechRadar in an exclusive interview. "It is similar to the Pebble Time 2, which we announced in 2016 but never shipped, much to the chagrin of many people who emailed or texted me over the last eight years.

“The core reason why we’re making these is that the market is not meeting the needs of people who want exactly this feature set. There are plenty of options in the AMOLED space… but no one’s making something like this.”

Software-wise, both Pebble OS and its accompanying phone app are completely open-source, making the watch eminently hackable. Migicovsky told us there are already 10,000 apps available for the device thanks to the old Pebble OS infrastructure, and 12,000 developers have signed up to potentially create new ones since the initial announcement.

The new hardware allows developers to use the watch in new ways, such as basic ChatGPT integration using the watch’s speaker and microphone.

“The smartwatch is a great form factor for people being able to do a quick ChatGPT query,” says Migicovsky. “I’m just putting it out there so developers know we’ve got a speaker for something… We’re keeping our options open here.”

The Core 2 Duo will cost $149 (around £115 / AU$235) and will ship in July, available exclusively from Pebble's online store.

Core Time 2

(Image credit: Core Devices)

As well as the Core 2 Duo, Migicovsky and his two-person Core Devices company are also debuting the Core Time 2, a premium version with a color screen and heart rate monitor.

Slightly bigger, the Core Time 2 sports a 64-color 1.5-inch e-paper display, comprising 88% more pixels than the Core 2 Duo display. The display is also a touchscreen, primarily because Migicovsky wanted to add complications reminiscent of the best Apple Watches.

“We’re keeping all our buttons, and they will be the primary interface, but I wanted to add a touchscreen – again, mostly to keep our options open – but one key use case is Complications,” says Migicovsky. “Otherwise on Pebble, you have to dig through a menu to get to an app, and at that point, I might as well pull out my phone.

“I love complications on the Apple Watch where you can have a little widget which displays a little information, then you tap on that widget for a larger display.”

The Core Time 2 still packs all the features listed above on the Core 2 Duo, including 30 days of estimated battery life, but has a metal frame instead of the polycarbonate one. The watch will retail for $225 (around £175 / AU$355) and is also shipping in July.

Both watches are available to pre-order now at store.rePebble.com

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• HyperX has unveiled two new gaming headsets as part of the HP Amplify Conference
• This includes the HyperX Cloud III S and HyperX Cloud Jet Dual
• Both are wireless gaming headsets with 2.4GHz and Bluetooth support

Gaming peripheral maker HyperX has revealed two new gaming headsets as part of the HP Amplify Conference 2025.

The most significant is the HyperX Cloud III S, a new version of the popular HyperX Cloud III wireless gaming headset. It features both low latency 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity modes, offering support for both PC and console. It weighs just 0.74lbs / 340g but boasts seemingly incredible battery life.

According to the manufacturer you're looking at up to 200 hours playtime on Bluetooth, or 120 hours in the 2.4GHz mode. That's an awful lot of juice per charge and should mean that you spend less time charging your headset, and more time gaming.

It is worth bearing in mind, however, that the headset will be quite slow to charge when the time does come to top it up. HyperX states that it can take up to five hours, which could be a source of annoyance when you just want to dive into a match with friends.

Elsewhere, it features a stainless steel and aluminum frame, plus support for 3D printed magnetic earcup plates. These are sold by HyperX in certain regions and roughly cost between $39.99 and $49.99 depending on the design.

Like other models in its family, the headset also has a detachable boom microphone. It has a uni-directional pickup pattern and should be more than sufficient for chatting with friends.

There's no word on the price at the time of writing, but if its just right this could very well have a chance at being one of the best gaming headsets right now.

(Image credit: HyperX)

The other model revealed is the HyperX Cloud Jet Dual wireless gaming headset. This comes in either a sleek blue and white or more plain black and, again, has both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. The frame in this model is plastic, suggesting that it could be a more budget-oriented pick.

This is also supported by the lesser battery life, which delivers up to 20 hours in the 2.4GHz mode or 25 hours via Bluetooth.

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• Gemini Canvas helps you write documents and code with AI
• Right inside Gemini you'll be able to create documents and import them into Google Docs
• Google is updating Gemini almost weekly, making it a compelling option for all your AI chatbot needs

Google is today launching a new upgrade for Gemini called Canvas that allows you to refine documents and code straight from within its AI chatbot.

Canvas is a 'new interactive space' that is 'designed to make creating, refining, and sharing work easy'. Think of Canvas as a writing tool akin to ChatGPT Canvas or Apple Intelligence Writing Tools but built into Gemini with easy exporting to Google Docs.

Canvas can generate written drafts, change the tone of voice, and suggest edits directly from within Gemini. The tool can also streamline the coding process by quickly 'transforming your coding ideas into working prototypes for web apps, Python scripts, games, simulations and other interactive apps.'

That might not sound like the most exciting AI upgrade for most of us, but it opens up even more possibilities with Gemini, which is only a good thing, and not even a week on from Google's last major AI updates.

Just last week Google added Search history to Gemini, allowing users to get even more personalized AI responses based on how they've previously used Google Search. Additionally, Deep Research, Gemini's data analysis and reporting tool was made free alongside Gems, a custom chatbot builder, perfect for creating specific use cases like a counseling bot with AI.

Gemini updates are coming thick and fast, ChatGPT should be worried

(Image credit: Google)

Google continues to add huge Gemini upgrades almost weekly, with the AI chatbot quickly taking over ChatGPT as my favorite AI chatbot. Last week's Deep Research upgrade to 2.0 Flash which also included free access without a premium plan is fantastic, and I've used Deep Research multiple times this week without paying a dime. It's an excellent tool for getting in-depth info, perfect for work or the sports nerd like me who wants to know about the best fantasy football assets.

I don't use AI writing tools so Canvas isn't that appealing to me, but I'm excited by the cadence of Gemini updates and how focused Google is on building the best AI chatbot possible.

Last week's Search history upgrade could make Gemini the best AI tool on the market, and while it hasn't rolled out to me yet, I'm looking forward to seeing how it improves the Google AI experience.

Not only has Google announced Gemini Canvas today, but it's also upgrading Deep Research to add Audio Overview functionality from NotebookLM, allowing users to create podcasts from the research reports.

While Google's Gemini updates might not always grab the headlines, the constant push to improve the AI tool is worth writing home about. Gemini is one of the best AI chatbots on the market, and it just keeps getting better.

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• Audio Overview is coming to Gemini and Gemini Advanced subscribers from today
• You can make great sounding podcasts out of articles and more, right in Gemini
• It works with Deep Research reports as well

Audio Overview is coming to Google’s AI chatbot Gemini, and I think it will change the way we use it for good. You can use Audio Overview to turn documents, slides, and even Deep Research reports into easy-to-listen-to podcasts.

The first time I tried Audio Overview I was blown away by how good it was. The podcasts it creates are essentially 10-minute-long shows narrated by two AI hosts who talk about whatever subject you’ve fed them via Google documents, PDFs, or even YouTube videos.

The point of Audio Overview is to speed up the learning process for students. So, instead of having to read all those books, or watch all those YouTube videos yourself, you can get AI to do it for you and then get it to tell you all the important bits in a short information blast, but as if you were listening to a podcast.

Getting in the mix

Audio Overview first appeared as part of Google’s NotebookLM research tool. It was particularly favored by students who didn’t like to read very much, but the technology for creating its AI podcasts worked way better than it had any right to and obviously had implications for projects far beyond the world of education.

Rather than sounding like two boring AI robots discussing a subject academically, the podcast hosts sound as if they were two real humans talking about a subject they both really cared about, with a lot of dynamic back and forth.

I quickly realized there was scope for creating podcasts about pretty much anything using Audio Overview, and I’ve been using it ever since. Now we can use it with Deep Research reports, it will be even better.

Gemini integration

NotebookLM was already free to use, but having Audio Overviews integrated into Gemini just makes them easier to access. Audio Overview is starting to roll out today to Gemini and Gemini Advanced subscribers, globally in English, with more languages coming soon.

They work in Gemini by simply uploading documents into the prompt bar and then choosing Generate Audio Overview from the suggestion chip that pops up. Audio Overviews work in both the web and mobile app versions of Gemini. Go to gemini.google.com to see if they’re available to you yet.

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• Security pros spot a new LockBit variant in the wild
• A potential affiliate abused two Fortinet flaws to deploy the encryptor
• There are multiple overlaps with LockBit 3.0

LockBit affiliates are using vulnerable Fortinet endpoints to target businesses with an updated ransomware strain, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers at Forescout found the threat actor is using two vulnerabilities in Fortinet firewalls, tracked as CVE-2024-55591, and CVE-2025-24472, to deploy an updated ransomware strain named SuperBlack.

Both vulnerabilities had been used in the past before, and both were patched in January 2025 - so the best way to defend against the attacks is to make sure your Fortinet firewalls are up to date.

At least three victims

Forescout named the group running the attacks “Mora_001”. Since there are some overlaps in its tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) with LockBit, the researchers believe the group could be a LockBit affiliate.

Apparently, SuperBlack is based on the builder that was used in LockBit 3.0 attacks, and which leaked in the past. Furthermore, the ransom note in both LockBit and Mora_001 attacks uses the same messaging address.

Speaking to TechCrunch, senior manager of threat hunting at Forescout, Sai Molige, said there were at least three confirmed cases, but added that “there could be others”.

LockBit was one of the most disruptive and influential ransomware groups around, however, in late February 2024, it was struck by the FBI, and it never fully recovered. The law enforcement seized its website, the data it held, and obtained “thousands” of decryption keys.

It also obtained information about its affiliates which, at the time, counted around 200 groups, and later urged the affiliates to come forward. In February this year, the bulletproof hosting service provider, allegedly used by LockBit, was sanctioned by the US and the UK.

LockBit took roughly a week to get back on its feet and resume operations, but it is possible that many of its affiliates pivoted to other groups, such as RansomHub or Medusa.

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The global supply chain is the backbone of the world’s economy. From suppliers and manufacturers to transporters, retailers, and consumers, every step is interconnected. Yet, as powerful and efficient as it usually is, this vast network is highly vulnerable to disruption.

A cyberattack can delay shipments, halt construction projects, or leave manufacturers unable to get the parts they need—whether it’s for electronics, medical supplies, or even everyday goods. For consumers, it means missing out on the products they rely on, facing longer wait times for deliveries, or even seeing prices skyrocket as shortages set in. When cybercriminals target supply chain operations, the ripple effects can be devastating.

One of the growing threats in this space is phishing scams – specifically, double brokering fraud attacks. In the past few years, freight and transportation companies have faced an alarming rise in these scams. Complaints relating to double brokering have surged by 400% since 2022, with 50% of freight brokers naming it their top concern.

Attackers impersonate legitimate transport companies, tricking victims into divulging sensitive shipment details, which are then intercepted or redirected for financial gain. The consequences can be severe: financial losses, uninsured loads, delayed deliveries, and lasting reputational damage.

Double brokering: The hidden cyber threat affecting global transport

Double brokering scams are particularly effective because they exploit the fast-paced nature of the logistics industry, where efficiency and cost savings often outweigh thorough vetting processes.

Here’s how they work: Scammers pose as legitimate freight brokers or create fake transportation companies. Using phishing emails, they gain access to shipment details – such as pick-up, destination, size, and scheduling. They then offer a lower rate than competitors for their services, in order to win contracts from unsuspecting businesses.

Once they secure the job, instead of transporting the shipment themselves, they pass it off to a legitimate carrier – often a real trucking company that believes it has been hired for a normal job. The scammer collects payment from the original client but never pays the actual carrier, pocketing the money and then disappearing – long before the fraud is discovered.

These scams have gained traction due to the sheer number of transportation companies out there, many of which – surprisingly in this digital age – operate without websites, making them much easier to impersonate. Meanwhile, phishing emails have become increasingly sophisticated, with scammers using real carrier numbers and forged (but legitimate looking) documents to avoid detection.

Why phishing is the perfect vehicle for double brokering

Phishing is the go-to tactic for double brokering scams because it doesn’t rely on hacking technical systems – it preys on human error. A simple click on a malicious link or an unwitting disclosure of shipment details can be enough to set a scam in motion. Since email is so ingrained in the supply chain, it provides cybercriminals with an easy, high-reward entry point.

Scammers often register fake domains that mimic legitimate ones (e.g., xyzshippingllc.com instead of xyzshipping.com). Once they deceive a victim into sharing shipment details, they act fast – hijacking the load and redirecting payments before anyone realizes what’s happened. The fallout extends far beyond financial losses. Businesses face delayed deliveries, lost or damaged goods, and a tarnished reputation that can have long-term consequences – leaving businesses to pick up the pieces long after the scam is over.

With cybercriminals becoming increasingly sophisticated, staying one step ahead requires a proactive approach to security, verification, and fraud prevention.

Staying ahead

The foundation of any cybersecurity strategy is awareness. Phishing may be subtle, but it’s preventable. Employees must be trained to recognize the warning signs of fraudulent emails – such as unusual variations, where cybercriminals swap out characters or add extra words like "LLC" or "INC" to make an email look legitimate. When in doubt, always verify. A quick call to confirm the sender’s identity before sharing sensitive shipment information can prevent costly fraud.

Technology plays a crucial role in strengthening defenses, but it’s not foolproof. Solutions like zero trust security postures help businesses secure their applications and data, ensuring only verified users and legitimate requests can access critical systems, reducing the risk of phishing-based fraud.

Email security protocols including DMARC, DKIM, and SPF, help reduce phishing threats, but they aren’t perfect – 89% of phishing emails still slip through traditional filters. This is where advanced technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence provide additional benefits, identifying patterns and flagging suspicious activity with greater accuracy and in real time to detect fraud before it hits.

Beyond prevention, businesses must also focus on cyber resilience – the ability to withstand and recover from cyberattacks without significant disruption. It’s not just about preventing threats but ensuring operations can continue even if a breach occurs. Strengthening cyber resilience starts with evaluating your risks and vulnerabilities across the entire supply chain, from internal systems to third-party logistics partners, and making sure there is no weak link.

By combining awareness, advanced security tools, and a cyber-resilient mindset, organizations can stay ahead of cybercriminals and protect their operations from the growing threat of double brokering scams.

Collaboration is key

Protecting the global supply chain against phishing and cyber threats isn’t just an individual responsibility – it requires industry-wide collaboration. Given the complexity of modern logistics, mitigating cyber risks depends on businesses, industry groups, and regulators sharing knowledge, threat intelligence, and best practices.

For transport companies, cyber resilience must be a priority. Raising awareness, investing in advance technology, and promoting a secure culture can significantly reduce the impact of phishing scams and double brokering fraud. Meanwhile, consumers who interact with logistics platforms must also remain cautious, as cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities at every level of the supply chain.

A stronger, more secure supply chain starts with identifying and reinforcing weak links. By making cybersecurity a shared mission, businesses can protect not just their own operations but the broader economy – ensuring a safer, more resilient future for global trade.

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• Chiral semiconductors use a few tricks from Mother Nature
• The same brightness with much less energy usage
• Big implications for future computers as well as displays

A breakthrough new OLED technology could mean smartwatches with longer battery life, more energy-efficient TVs, and even brighter displays all around.

The breakthrough comes from researchers at the University of Cambridge and the Eindhoven University of Technology, and it revolves around what are called chiral semiconductors.

The research shows that these semiconductors can deliver "record-breaking" brightness and efficiency, and that could be a really big deal for any device with a display from the smallest smartwatch to the most massive OLED TV.

Here comes the science bit

One of the biggest energy drains in screens is the use of polarization layers, which in OLED TVs are generally used to reduce ambient light leakage, ensure the precise contrast the tech is known for. But this filtering process absorbs a lot of light – the firm American Polarizers Inc says that any polarizer absorbs more than 50% of the light going through it; that's a lot of wasted energy.

This new technology is different because it does its own polarization.

According to Eindhoven University of Technology, the semiconductor that the researchers have developed emits circularly polarized light that "carries information about the ‘left or right-handedness’ of electrons." Where normal silicon semiconductors are symmetrical, chiral molecules are left- or right-handed and mirror one another. The most famous example of that is in DNA, where they form the double helix we know so well.

Making chiral semiconductors has proven to be very difficult, but the researchers have found a way. Taking their inspiration from nature, the researchers created right- and left-handed spiral columns from stacks of semiconducting molecules. And those columns could transform the best OLED TVs, the best smartwatches, and everything in between.

According to Professor Sir Richard Friend from Cambridge University, who co-led the research, “Unlike rigid inorganic semiconductors, molecular materials offer incredible flexibility – allowing us to design entirely new structures, like chiral LEDs. It’s like working with a Lego set with every kind of shape you can imagine, rather than just rectangular bricks.”

The semiconductor the team has created is based on a material known as triazatruxene, or TAT for short. It self-assembles into a helix and electrons can spiral along it; the university describes it as being like the head of a screw.

Those structures can be incorporated into OLED panels, as co-first author Rituparno Chowdhury, from Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, explains. "We’ve essentially reworked the standard recipe for making OLEDs like we have in our smartphones, allowing us to trap a chiral structure within a stable, non-crystallising matrix."

The circularized, polarized LEDs demonstrated "record-breaking efficiency, brightness and polarization, making them the best of their kind," Eindhoven University of Technology says.

We're still years away from seeing this technology in any of the best TVs. But it's a big breakthrough that's relevant not just to TVs and other electronic items. According to Eindhoven University of Technology it also has big implications for quantum computing and what's known as "spintronics": a field of research that uses electrons' spin to store and process information, and that one day may lead to faster, more secure computers.

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• AMD has published official benchmarks for the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU
• It demonstrates a clear lead over the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
• The tests were conducted in LM Studio with various LLMs

Official benchmarks have backed up the "Strix Halo" AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395's performance as the "most powerful x86 APU" on the market for AI computing.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core (32 threads) processor with a 50+ peak AI TOPS XDNA 2 NPU, and Radeon 8060S integrated graphics (40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units) for some serious processing power for the form factor. It's being primarily marketed by AMD for its handling of AI workloads, such as in applications such as LM Studio.

This is evident in AMD's published benchmarks for the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which are measured in 'tokens per second' and 'time to first token' in LM Studio against its competition. Specifically, we see how the new "Strix Halo" processor inside of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 with 64GB RAM compares to a similar spec Asus Zenbook S14 with 32GB RAM.

The latter machine has half the unified memory and is using the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V APU with its baked-in Arc integrated graphics clocked at 140V, so it's not necessarily a 1:1 comparison. However, AMD has showcased the prowess of its latest chipset in LM Studio 0.3.11 with "various LLMs" with a 16GB model size, demonstrating at least twice the effective tokens per second with DeepSeek R1, Phi 4 Mini Instruct, and Llama 3.2 compared to its rival.

The lead becomes more dramatic when comparing time to first token in text models, with up to 12.2x faster as evidenced by the benchmarks in DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14b, with a similar lead of 11.3x in Phi 4 14b. It's not a consistent lead across all text models, however, as the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is anywhere from 4x to 9x faster in Llama 3.2 and other DeepSeek R1 distilled models.

AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is also claimed to be up to seven times faster in SOTA vision models in the time to first token, this can be seen in IBM Granite Vision 3.2 2B while the chip is six times faster in Google Gemma 3 12b; it's roughly halved when comparing against Gema 3 4b, though.

Powerful performance that should not be too shocking

AMD's leading "Strix Point" APU is head and shoulders above the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor in a way that should not be surprising to those interested in AI computing. That's because Team Blue's hardware was made with lower threshold AI computing in mind, and this can be seen in the architectural differences when analyzing the two.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V features eight cores and eight threads with a maximum boost clock of up to 4.8 GHz and a maximum TDP of 37W. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 16 cores, 32 threads, a boost clock of up to 5.1 GHz, and a default TDP of 55W. However, this TDP is configurable up to 120W, so it's a night and day hardware difference in the chipsets. Of course, AMD's hardware was going to come out on top; it's far more powerful across the board.

Then we have to consider the two tested machines used for the benchmarks, the differences between the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (a leading gaming laptop) and the Asus Zenbook S14 (a midrange ultrabook). We reviewed the latter device late last year giving it a four-star write-up, citing the "solid performance" from the Lunar Lake processor. The chip debuted inside this machine (and similar) back in September 2024, while the AMD Ryzen™ AI Max+ 395 hit the scene this month.

It's not just AI laptops that are using the flagship Ryzen AI chipset for its performance capabilities as a myriad of mini PCs are using them for productivity and even gaming use. It's become a race to launch the most powerful AI mini PCs possible as mid-March to mid-May are targeted from companies, such as GMKTec and Aoostar, which are leading the charge.

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• Garmin smartwatches have been used in a study conducted by Harvard and Oxford
• Early results have indicated a link between happiness, wellbeing, and the data provided by smartwatches
• Key findings suggest that daily physical activity and sleep are "strongly correlated" with increased happiness and reduced stress

A new study from Harvard University and the University of Oxford powered by the best Garmin watches has suggested a direct link between daily activity, sleep, happiness, and stress.

Garmin has revealed the early results from the study, which it says is the first large-scale study of its kind in this field.

The study aims to "identify predictors of happiness and wellbeing" using data from smartwatches and smartphones. While these results need to be corroborated with a larger upcoming global study, early indications appear to reveal "an important relationship between sleep, exercise, and happiness."

We already knew this didn't we?

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

So what exactly do Garmin's early results reveal? Garmin says "Daily physical activity and adequate sleep, both measured by Garmin devices, were strongly correlated with increased happiness and reduced levels of stress."

What's more, emotional stability varies with age, but appears to increase as we get older.

The study also had a high retention rate, which appears to indicate that participants found value in self-monitoring their emotions during the day.

Finally, respondents were found to be happiest "when involved in cultural and social activities, eating, or spending time with friends and family."

Garmin also shared a happiness and physical activity graph constructed from the data, which reveals the link between happiness and burning calories.

The good news? Burning calories increases happiness. The bad news? To increase happiness, you need to burn calories...

(Image credit: Garmin)

The preliminary results hint at what we all probably know at some level about fitness and well-being: getting active and exercising is good for your mood and your overall happiness.

Garmin, Oxford, and Harvard now plan to expand their study to 10,000 participants across the globe. Respondents will be sent a survey three times a day asking them to identify their level of happiness, and the activities they've completed. The data will be cross-referenced with metrics from Garmin devices to build a picture of the link between happiness and variables like sleep and activity.

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• Roku is testing ads that appear on startup
• Users say the sound is on and some can't be skipped
• Roku is keen to add more advertising to its platform

Some Roku owners are promising that "my Roku devices will be in the trash" if it goes ahead with its latest ad-serving idea: showing you an ad before you get to the home screen.

Disgruntled users are turning to online forums to describe what's going on and to express their displeasure. As one poster to r/Roku explained, "I just turned on my Roku and got an unskippable ad for a movie before I got to the regular Roku homescreen." Other Redditors confirmed that they too were getting the ads (via Ars Technica).

The ad that's causing concern was for Moana 2 (which just launched on Disney+) which users say auto-played with sound on when the Roku device was started up.

Roku has confirmed that this is no accident, but it's not necessarily a permanent addition.

Roku users are having a, ahem, moan-a about unwanted ads. (Image credit: Disney ) Attack of the unwanted ads

As Ars Technica reports, Roku has confirmed that the auto-playing adverts are supposed to be there as part of an experiment. Roku "has and will always require continuous testing and innovation across design, navigation, content, and our first-rate advertising products."

According to Roku, sticking an intrusive ad before the home screen is part of "providing a delightful and simple user experience." But from what I've seen online, users are far from delighted: for some this is a step too far on an already ad-heavy platform. And Roku could go further: as we've reported a few times, Roku's vision for the future of television is more sell-o-vision.

Roku isn't alone here, of course. The razor-thin profit margins when selling even the best TVs mean that many manufacturers see advertising and user data as absolutely vital ways of generating money in an increasingly competitive market.

But Roku does appear to be particularly aggressive about advertising, and it's at the stage of upsetting some customers who feel that the platform is degrading a product they've already paid for. As one Roku owner put it in r/Roku: "Why does everything have to start sucking so much?"

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• Security outfit Wallarm spotted a PoC in the wild
• The method abuses a deserialization flaw in Apache Tomcat
• It allows attackers to fully take over vulnerable endpoints

A deserialization vulnerability on Apache Tomcat servers is being abused in the wild to completely take over affected endpoints, security researchers are warning.

Wallarm has revealed it saw a Chinese forum user, alias iSee857, share a proof-of-concept (PoC) for a flaw tracked as CVE-2025-24813, warning threat actors only need one PUT API request to take over the vulnerable server. The request is used to upload a malicious serialized Java session, which then allows the attacker to trigger deserialization by referencing the malicious session ID in a GET request.

“Tomcat, seeing this session ID, retrieves the stored file, deserializes it, and executes the embedded Java code, granting full remote access to the attacker,” Wallarm explained.

Dead simple

The researchers added that the attack is “dead simple” to execute, and requires no authentication. The only requirement is that Tomcat is using file-based session storage which, according to the researchers, is “common in many deployments”. Furthermore, base64 encoding means the attack will bypass most traditional security filters.

Most web application firewalls (WAF) “completely miss” this attack, Wallarm further warned, since the PUT request looks normal, the payload is base64-encoded, the attack is two-step, where the harmful only happens in the second step, and since most WAFs don’t deeply inspect uploaded files.

“This means that by the time an organization detects the breach in its logs, it’s already too late.”

The worst part, Wallarm concluded, is that “this is just the first wave,” as it expects threat actors to start uploading malicious JSP files, modifying configurations, and planting backdoors outside session storage.

It was not yet assigned a severity score, and as per the NVD, it affects Apache Tomcat from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.2, from 10.1.0-M1 through 10.1.34, and from 9.0.0.M1 through 9.0.98.

Users are advised to upgrade to version 11.0.3, 10.1.35 or 9.0.98, which fixes the issue.

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• Google Messages could get WhatsApp-style mentions
• An overhauled preferences menu also suggests an app redesign could be in the works
• Neither the new feature or redesign has been officially confirmed

Google Messages could finally be getting a seriously useful feature for group chats, as well as an overhauled design, if newly discovered code makes it to release.

In an APK teardown (which is a look at upcoming and unreleased code in future Android updates) the team at Android Authority uncovered a new mentions feature for Google Messages group chats.

A mentions feature typically allows users to tag others in group chats by placing an @ symbol before their name, similar to social media platforms and other messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Tagging a user then sends them a direct notification, making it much easier to speak directly to an individual or group of people within a wider group chat.

However, as the report notes, the unreleased code doesn’t actually include directions for how Google Messages mentions will actually work, so this is an educated guess based on other implementations on other apps.

Google Messages has steadily been improved over the last few months to add more modern features, such as upgraded media quality, individual read receipts, and unsending messages. As the default messaging app on many of the best Android phones, it’s one of the most commonly used messaging apps worldwide.

But as a separate Android Authority APK teardown notes, we might be getting more than new features in Google Messages’ near future, as further unreleased code hints at an Android 16-inspired redesign.

This second APK teardown enabled the activation of a redesigned Preferences screen, sporting a simplified look that reflects the wider Android 16 UI, which suggests a redesign for the rest of the app is either on the way or being considered.

Of course, Google is under no obligation to actually implement any of this unreleased code, and things may change before release.

Personally, I’m starting to root for Google Messages as a legitimate rival to third-party messaging services like WhatsApp and Apple’s own Messages app. The slew of new features we’ve gotten over the past few years has transformed Google Messages from a backup option to an overall impressive experience.

What do you make of these possible updates? Are you keen to see Google Messages get a redesign? Let us know in the comments.

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• New rumors predict a foldable iPhone will launch next year – and cost almost twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max
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• Apple's rumored 18.8-inch foldable might run macOS
• It's also now tipped to launch in 2027
• It could rely on big changes coming in macOS 16

While many of its rivals – Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and more – have started to release foldables, Apple has been noticeably absent. New leaks, however, are teasing it’s not just working on a bendy iPhone but a folding iPad too that is tipped to run macOS.

We reported yesterday (March 17) on the most recent foldable iPhone rumors. It could launch in 2026 but it may be pretty darn pricey, with a starting price of $2,300 (around £1,750 / AU$3,600) – for that kind of money we’re expecting an invisible crease and a self-healing screen.

Today we want to instead focus on Apple’s rumored 18.8-inch foldable which is said to be an iPad-MacBook hybrid. Previously it wasn't expected to launch until 2028, but a new report from Analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors) now suggests the foldable will begin production in late 2026 ahead of a 2027 release.

Beyond teasing an earlier release than we expected, Pu adds that the hybrid will lean more towards its MacBook side – saying he believes the foldable will run MacOS instead of iPadOS. This ties into comments made by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (behind a paywall) that design changes are coming to iOS 19 and macOS 16 to better support foldables and touch-screen computers.

(Image credit: Apple)

For now, however, this report should be taken with a pinch of salt. While Jeff Pu is an analyst with a fairly solid track record, his macOS guess is just that: a guess. He doesn’t cite an insider’s leak and instead references a Wall Street Journal report (paywalled) which describes the foldable as being like a laptop but doesn’t directly confirm it runs on macOS.

That said, it wouldn’t be the first time the large foldable has been associated with macOS.

Back in December last year, we reported on rumors the device would be able to run macOS apps – though then it was said the device would run a souped-up version of iPadOS capable of running both operating systems' apps.

Even if it doesn’t end up running macOS proper, it sounds like Apple is gearing up to launch some kind of touchscreen laptop-like device which certainly has its appeal though some major questions remain like the device’s cost and specs. If the foldable iPhone is $2,300, expect this larger display to be a lot more expensive when it launches.

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