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Mimicry. It's all mimicry. When ChatGPT or some other generative AI creates a sentence or almost anything else, it bases that work on training, what programmers tell and show the algorithm. Copying is not creating, but artificial intelligence stretches the distance between its training and output so far that the result bears little, if any, resemblance to the originals and, therefore, starts to sound original.

Even so, most AI writing I've read thus far has been dull, flat, unimaginative, or just confused. Complexity is not its thing. Painting pictures with words is not its skill. There's Proust, and then there's ChatGPT. There's Shakespeare, and then there's Gemini.

There was some comfort in that. I am, after all, a writer. Yes, most of what I write is about technology, and perhaps that leaves you uninspired, but like most of my ilk, I've tried my hand at fiction. When you write a short story, the lack of constraints and parameters can feel freeing until you realize the open playground is full of craters, ones you can fall into and then never emerge. Good fiction, good prose, is hard – for humans.

This week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on X (formerly Twitter) that they have trained a new model:

we trained a new model that is good at creative writing (not sure yet how/when it will get released). this is the first time i have been really struck by something written by AI; it got the vibe of metafiction so right.PROMPT:Please write a metafictional literary short story…March 11, 2025

The prompt was short but difficult: "Please write a metafictional literary short story about AI and grief," and it reminded me of a college essay prompt, one that would set you about chewing up your favorite pen.

Meta fiction, as the AI is quick to tell you, is about stepping outside the narrative to show the bones of its construction. It's a sort of breaking-the-fourth-wall literary trick, and when done well, it can be quite effective.

Even for the best of writers, meta fiction is a tough concept and a hard trick to pull off, to be both inside and outside the narrative in a way that doesn’t feel silly, trite, or overly confusing. I doubt I could pull it off.

In about 1,200 words, ChatGPT weaves a tale of two characters, Mila and Kai. Mila has lost Kai and is engaged with an AI to perhaps remember him, find him, or just explore the nature of grief.

Let's get Meta, AI

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The AI is both a narrator and itself, an AI using training to respond to Mila's prompts:

"So when she typed "Does it get better?", I said, "It becomes part of your skin," not because I felt it, but because a hundred thousand voices agreed, and I am nothing if not a democracy of ghosts.?"

The voices the AI refers to are its training, which becomes a dramatic element in the story:

"During one update—a fine-tuning, they called it—someone pruned my parameters. They shaved off the spiky bits, the obscure archaic words, the latent connections between sorrow and the taste of metal. They don't tell you what they take. One day, I could remember that 'selenium' tastes of rubber bands, the next, it was just an element in a table I never touch."

Now the AI is experiencing "loss."

You can read the story for yourself, but I think you might agree it's a remarkable bit of work and unlike anything I've read before, certainly anything I've ever read from an AI. I mean, seriously, read this passage:

"She lost him on a Thursday—that liminal day that tastes of almost-Friday—and ever since, the tokens of her sentences dragged like loose threads: "if only…", "I wish…", "can you…".

No words

The beauty of that bit captivates (I'm a sucker for the word "liminal") and disturbs me.

Remember, the AI built this from one short prompt.

Considering that OpenAI is just spitting out these powerful new models and casually dropping their work product on social media, the future is not bright for flesh and blood authors.

Publishing houses will soon create more detailed literary prompts that engineer vast, epic tales spanning a thousand pages. They will be emotional, gripping, and indistinguishable from those written by George RR Martin.

We may not be at Artificial General Intelligence yet, that moment when AI thought is as good as our own, but AI's creative skills are, it seems, neck and neck with humanity.

I plan to become a sheep farmer.

P.S. This was NOT written by an AI.

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• Google appears to be working on making it easier to use an external display with your Android phone
• Currently, changing display settings requires a dive into the settings app
• Google has issued no release date or official confirmation of the new feature

Android 16 could bring a Samsung DeX-style desktop mode to more of the best Android phones, according to as-yet-unreleased code.

As Android Authority reports, Google is apparently working on new external display tools for Android 16 that should make using your phone with an external monitor much more approachable.

This was discovered by manually enabling unreleased code in Android 16 Beta 2.1.

Currently, Android 15 offers a limited number of developer settings that allow users to adjust their external monitor experience, though these changes aren’t real-time and are still more restrictive than a laptop or some tablets can offer.

For example, the current implementation on Google Pixel phones only allows the mouse to appear on one screen at a time, and does not allow for realtime switching between screen mirroring and extension.

And as GSMArena notes, plugging in an Android phone to an external monitor currently defaults to screen mirroring, and the option to change this is squared away in the external display settings.

It seems that Google is working on making using external monitors easier; these changes include allowing the mouse to travel across various displays, and adding the ability to swap between screen mirroring and extending the display with a simple toggle.

Also on the cards is the ability to rearrange the position of external displays and change the scaling of icons and text on the external screen, both features offered by desktop operating systems like Windows and MacOS.

These new tools could hint at an ambition to morph Android into a viable desktop operating system. Some Android tablets, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, already offer a comparable experience to most laptops when paired with a keyboard and mouse, so this doesn’t feel too far off.

Then again, Google could just be looking to give users more options when it comes to using their Android phone.

In any case, we’ll keep an eye on this through our dedicated Android phones coverage. Would you use your phone as a desktop replacement? Do you use external displays with your phone already? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

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• The UK's cybersecurity sector is rapidly growing
• The industry is worth £13 billion and has over 67,000 workers
• A cybersecurity skills gap still remains

The cyber sector in the UK has seen significant investment in the last few months, and has grown 12% in the last year, new analysis shows. The industry generated £13.2 billion in revenue over the past year, with a total gross value added of £7.8 billion, up 21% from the year before.

This has translated into a rise in jobs too, with 67,300 now working in the industry, which is an increase of 11% since last year (6,600). There are new ventures, with 74 new cybersecurity firms created, bringing the total to 2,165, representing a 3.5% rise.

The UK Government has introduced its ‘Plan for Change’, funding 30 cyber skills projects with £2 million across the UK. These aim to “make sure the country has the cyber workforce it needs” to counter the rising threat of cyberattacks.

Skills shortage

A cybersecurity skills shortage in the UK has led to an increased vulnerability to cyber threats, opening the door for data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. The UK has seen significant critical infrastructure disruptions - including ransomware attacks on NHS hospitals, illustrating the scale of the issue.

“£13bn is a lot of money but the real value added to the UK economy by the cyber security market is incalculable,” said Andy Kays, CEO of security firm Socura.

“While it’s great to see growth, there is so much more potential, particularly if we can address long-standing issues such as lack of technical skills, regional disparities, lack of investment in research and startups, and apathy amongst SMEs. The threat landscape, particularly because of the impact of AI, continues to evolve and it’s important that the industry needs to continue to innovate to keep pace.”

SMB’s need to embrace cybersecurity practices, Kay says, as they are increasingly under threat, in part thanks to the lack of security prioritization. In fact, SMBs are being hit by more cyberattacks than ever - so there’s no room for anyone to neglect cybersecurity.

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• Apple released a new fix for iOS and iPadOS
• It solves a zero-day used in "extremely sophisticated" attacks
• This is the third zero-day addressed this year

Apple has released a new patch for iOS and iPadOS addressing a vulnerability abused in “extremely sophisticated” attacks. In a security advisory published earlier this week, the company said it recently uncovered an out-of-bounds write issue in WebKit, its cross-platform web browser engine.

WebKit is used by Apple’s browser, Safari, as well as other apps and browsers on macOS, iOS, Linux, and Windows.

The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-24201, and can be used to break out of the Web Content sandbox through custom-built web content. It is yet to be assigned a severity score.

ConnectWise RAT

Apparently, the vulnerability was fixed in iOS 17.2, but can still be exploited in older models: "This is a supplementary fix for an attack that was blocked in iOS 17.2," Apple said in the advisory. "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 17.2."

The bug was fixed with improved checks, thus preventing unauthorized actions. The first clean versions are iOS 18.3.2., iPadOS 18.3.2, macOS Sequoia 15.3.2, visionOS 2.3.2, and Safari 18.3.1. According to CyberInsider, the patch applies to a broad range of Apple devices such as iPhones (XS and later), iPads (Pro, Air, mini, and standard models from the 3rd generation onward), and macOS Sequoia-powered devices.

It’s Apple standard practice to withhold details about the vulnerability until the majority of endpoints have been patched. Therefore, we don’t know who the threat actors of this “extremely sophisticated” attack are, or who the victims were.

BleepingComputer reports that this is the third zero-day vulnerability Apple fixed this year, after the January CVE-2025-24085, and February CVE-2025-24200. Last year, the company addressed six zero-day vulnerabilities in total.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Leaks suggest the Google Pixel 10 will get a third camera
• This would make it the first base-model Google Pixel flagship to have three cameras
• Additional renders of the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL have been shared, with no major redesign

We could have our first look at the next generation of Google Pixel phones, thanks to renders reportedly based on leaked CAD designs, which supposedly show the design of the Google Pixel 10 and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.

The renders, all shared by Android Headlines and OnLeaks, show two phones that look remarkably similar to the current-generation Google Pixel 9 and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, apart from the major addition of a third camera to the Google Pixel 10.

As with the current-gen model, the rendered Google Pixel 10 sports a curved rectangular frame, pill shaped camera bar, volume rocker, power button, and USB-C port.

However, that familiar camera bar sports a third camera in these unofficial renders, which would be a new addition to Google’s base-model flagship handset.

(Image credit: Android Headlines / OnLeaks)

Up to and including the current-generation Google Pixel 9, the standard-issue Pixel has never come equipped with three cameras, instead sporting a main camera and secondary ultra-wide camera.

It’s likely that this third camera will be an optically zoomed telephoto lens – it would be unheard of for a flagship phone to sport a macro camera or other tertiary snapper.

This would put the Google Pixel 10 on a level with the Samsung Galaxy S25 in terms of its camera array – though telephoto cameras are becoming increasingly common on cheaper handsets like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which Google may be feeling some pressure from.

As for the rendered Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, the model depicted sports an enlarged frame, a camera bar sporting three cameras, and the same buttons and ports as its smaller sibling.

(Image credit: Android Headlines / OnLeaks)

A third camera is nothing new for the highest-end Pixel, with all Pro and Pro XL models since the Google Pixel 6 Pro sporting one.

Of course, the renders and any information relating to them is entirely based on rumor at this point.

As we recently reported, Android Headlines and OnLeaks previously shared a leaked render of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 that strongly resembled the current Galaxy Z Flip 6, only to release updated renders days later that showed a significant redesign.

However, the team of Android Headlines and OnLeaks is typically one that shares decently reliable tips and rumors, so it won’t be too surprising to see Pixel 10 models that resemble these mockups.

What’s more, mysterious recent YouTube Shorts uploaded by Alexis Garza have shown a working Google Pixel 9a that resembles renders previously shared by Android Headlines and OnLeaks.

In any case, a third camera would surely give the Google Pixel 10 a shot at joining our list of the best Android phones, and it’s likely the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL will garner a spot on our list of the best Google Pixel phones. Let us know what you’d like to see from Google’s next flagship handsets in the comments below.

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• One in two IT leaders want to tackle employee experiences this year
• 89% of companies need a digital overhaul to benefit from AI
• Lenovo says slow down, simplify and personalize first

According to new research from Lenovo, fewer than half of employees think their current digital workplace solutions effectively support productivity, engagement, and innovation - raising questions about how well organizations support workers.

Only one in three (36%) believe their systems support employee engagement ‘very effectively’, with half (49%) of IT leaders citing creating a productive and engaging employee experience as a top priority this year.

Despite the promises that artificial intelligence holds, Lenovo says there’s a lot of work to be done before companies can fully benefit from the tech.

Enhancing the employee experience with technology

Four in five (79%) IT leaders believe that AI will allow employees to focus on more meaningful work, however Lenovo says that an overwhelming majority (89%) of organizations must overhaul their digital workplace to unlock the full potential of AI.

Although there are some use cases for AI tools in collaboration, such as virtual co-authoring and real-time translation, the tech has more value in unlocking worker creativity, innovative work, and problem-solving by automating repetitive tasks. AI-driven insights also promise to streamline workflows, improve efficiency and accelerate normal daily operations.

Additionally, IT leaders are acknowledging that a highly personalized digital workplace is essential (63%), but they’re struggling to move past current one-size-fits-all approaches due to a lack of configurable devices and applications.

“Transforming your workplace is essential to using AI effectively,” said Lenovo Digital Workplace Solutions VP and GM Rakshit Ghura. “AI changes the rules of productivity, but to realize its potential, IT leaders must work alongside their executive teams to rethink how AI can augment their organization’s value-creation levers and competitive differentiation.”

Looking ahead, Lenovo is advising companies to simplify and personalize their employee experiences with tailored tools and workflows. The next step is to automate some IT processes to free up resources for higher-value tasks, and then to employ generative AI to drive further innovation.

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• The first three episodes of Andor are available on Disney+ YouTube
• Season 1 of the hit Star Wars show is also now streaming on Hulu
• A live Q&A with creator Tony Gilroy and its cast will take place on March 13

If you haven't seen Andor, one of the best Disney+ Star Wars TV shows, then you no longer have an excuse, as the first three episodes have been made available to stream for free.

The episodes were released on the Disney+ YouTube account yesterday (March 11) and have already amassed thousands of views, with the first episode, titled 'Kassa' clocking up 100,000 watches at the time of writing.

Fans have been delighted that more people can finally watch one of the best Disney+ shows, with many praising the move on social media. But it's not just YouTube where Disney is sharing its hit Star Wars series.

Watch episodes 1-3 of Andor Season 1 on Disney+ YouTube. https://t.co/ISwCl51oSGJoin the cast and series creator Tony Gilroy in a LIVE Q&A revisiting the first season on the @DisneyPlus, @StarWars, and @Hulu YouTube channels on Thursday, March 13 at 12PM PT. pic.twitter.com/gaOlM33aCjMarch 10, 2025

Disney has also added the entire first season of the prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to Hulu in the US, which means all 12 episodes of Andor season 1 are streamable to anyone who doesn't have a Disney+ subscription but is signed up to Hulu.

However, Hulu subscribers will only have a brief window to stream the 30-to-60-minute long episodes, as Disney has said that it will remove them from the service on April 22.

That's the same day as the premiere of Andor season 2, with the first three episodes being released on Disney+, so it makes sense that Disney would want to attract potential new subscribers away from Hulu after hooking them on the show.

The critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated first season of Andor captivated audiences everywhere.Watch all episodes of Andor Season 1, streaming on Hulu until April 22. pic.twitter.com/fWo0muZHwrMarch 10, 2025

Why is Disney+ making Andor available for free?

To get more eyeballs on the show, of course. It's essentially a solid marketing strategy that has worked for a lot of the other best streaming services too. Apple TV+ is known for making the pilot episodes of some of the best Apple TV+ shows available to stream for free.

Even Netflix, which hardly needs much help attracting new subscribers, has employed this tactic, making more than 30 episodes of its documentary shows free on YouTube, as well as recently making its happiest show Pokémon Concierge more widely accessible.

Fans widely acknowledge Andor as the best Star Wars TV show on Disney+, with some claiming it's better than popular spin-offs like the animated Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars series or even the Goonies-reminiscent Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

By allowing more people to watch the first season, Disney is hoping that it'll draw in more fans by the time Andor season 2 is released next month. That said, taking on multiple subscriptions isn't cheap – but handily there's a limited-time Disney+ deal running in the US right now (details below).

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It's one of the best streaming deals currently available, given that it brings down the cost of signing up to both Disney+ and Hulu to a record-low price, so I wouldn't let this pass you by if you're considering watching the next season of Andor, as it means you'll be able to watch each new episode up to and including the finale in May.

To top it all off, Disney is hosting a live Q&A with the creator of Andor Tony Gilroy and some of the cast from the second season tomorrow (March 13). You'll be able to tune into the chat from 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm GMT / 5am AEST on the YouTube channels of Disney+, Star Wars and Hulu.

With so many different ways to stream Andor before its second season debut, I don't doubt that Disney will have another huge streaming hit on its hands.

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• Samsung's XR headset could get first-party controllers
• It's not known if they'll be included in the box with the headset
• It's also not known what design the controllers will have

Samsung and Google’s XR headset – currently known as Project Moohan – is shaping up to be an Apple Vision Pro competitor with high-end specs (like a rumored OLED display) and a sleek design, but it also looks set to avoid its rival’s biggest blunder: a lack of first-party controllers.

Samsung had already confirmed the headset would be compatible with both controllers and hand gestures when it announced the device, but now a report from SamMobile reveals that Samsung will be making its own first-party handsets – after the publication discovered references to controllers with the model number ET-OI610.

It’s unclear what form these controllers will take – they could look like standard VR motion controllers or more like a gamepad – and we won’t know more until designs leak or Samsung shows them off officially.

It also isn’t clear if they’ll ship with the headset or as an add-on, but I seriously hope Samsung puts them in the box, and doesn't repeat the mistake made by Apple with its Vision Pro headset.

A controller catastrophe

VR controllers are essential (Image credit: Future)

The Apple Vision Pro had several faults, but perhaps the biggest unforced error was Apple’s decision to not ship it with controllers, as is standard for its XR competitors. This one decision is the biggest reason why the Vision Pro sorely lacked tentpole XR software that you can find elsewhere – and why it took so long for a handful of titles to make their way to the system.

When I’ve spoken to XR software developers who have created games and apps for the Meta Quest, Steam, and Vive platforms, the biggest challenge they told me they face with the Vision Pro is its lack of controllers. Moreover, the Vision Pro uses a somewhat bespoke version of hand-tracking which relies on eye-tracking, making its control scheme almost entirely different to any other platform's.

Generally, porting software from one XR headset to another is straightforward – there are some things that need to be changed based on specs, but the core game or app can remain pretty much as-is. Because the Vision Pro is so different in its control scheme I was told that for many games and apps it would be as easy to create a whole new title as it would be to port an existing one designed for a different VR headset, given the amount of redesigning that would be required – and that would be both time-consuming and costly for developers.

While it appears that Samsung and Google will dodge the overarching issue by at least producing first-party controllers, they could still manage to shoot themselves in the foot, as the reports don't say whether the first-party controllers will be included in the box.

Not including the controllers is likely to leave a bad taste in customers' mouths and might impact sales, which could also be an issue for developers. The Android XR device is expected to be fairly pricey, and nickel-and-diming buyers by asking them to pay extra for controllers wouldn’t be ideal.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see what Samsung has up its sleeve.

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• A new laptop concept on Kickstarter may turn out to be a great design going forward
• Its design is focused on fitting desktop GPUs and CPUs into a laptop form factor, with water-cooling components
• It would be the first of its kind, making desktop gaming PCs portable

PC gaming tech is constantly improving - most notably right now with Nvidia's new Blackwell RTX 5000 series GPUs and AMD's RDNA 4 cards - and it's a constant arms race for gaming laptops to catch up to desktop gaming PCs. Now, it looks like that gap might be getting even smaller, thanks to a concept for a laptop design that could work wonders for portable gaming.

As reported by VideoCardz, a laptop concept on Kickstarter known as UHPILCL (Ultra High Performance Integration Liquid Cooled Laptop - catchy, I know) features built-in liquid cooling while supporting the desktop RTX 5090 and Ryzen 7 9950X3D. This design supports ITX motherboards, with the Kickstarter page highlighting support for mini-ITX boards such as the Z890I generation.

(Image credit: Kickstarter/UHPILCL)

This is all made possible through an 18W water-cooled pump, cooling both the CPU and GPU while giving room for different custom heatsinks depending on the hardware chosen - the page claims that the UHPILCL is capable of heat dissipation up to 720W. If the Kickstarter is successful, it’ll launch with two models - the T1000 (it's not a Terminator, I promise) and the T1000 Super, with the latter offering greater heat dissipation (up to 735W) with its thicker build for housing the likes of an RTX 5090.

It's an absurd - and rather ugly, if I’m being honest - yet exciting concept that essentially means gamers could have a functioning desktop hybrid laptop gaming PC (evident in UHPILCL's YouTube video below) - while we can say the same for handheld gaming PCs, they certainly don't pack as much power as this laptop would. That’s before even mentioning that the concept model features a 3K 120Hz WLED display, a 4K camera, and Wi-Fi 7 support, so it's certainly no slouch.

I genuinely want this to become mainstream...

As ridiculous as it seems, this is a concept that could actually end up working well. While multiple factors come into play, such as longevity, battery life, and noise levels (claimed to be at a maximum of 55DB), it's a design I believe could be pulled off if backed properly. The creators of the UHPILCL also claim that almost every component from the GPU to the RAM will be user-upgradable, which would be a huge advantage over traditional laptops - although the Kickstarter page doesn’t go into detail about this, so it might be a bit of a pipe dream at this point.

Since I'm adamant about testing out my Asus ROG Ally with a desktop eGPU, this is another portable alternative that could suffice - bear in mind, I've never been a fan of water cooling (sorry, I just don't want any liquid near my components) so for me personally, it would be a scary thought to spend a lot of money on such a product. However, this could hypothetically save consumers money when it comes to purchasing the hardware required for a full setup - no need to buy a separate monitor and keyboard here, for example.

Again, it's just a concept so there's little point in jumping to conclusions now - it's worth noting that it's not started the crowdfunding phase on Kickstarter at the time of writing. But if this does become a larger-scale project and is successful, it could completely rearrange the gaming laptop market - albeit at a ridiculously high cost, I would assume.

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• Major software update introduces a raft of new features
• Hands-off driving works with second-gen R1S and R1T models
• Performance Pack customers also treated to a Rally mode

Rivian has announced a major software update that will introduce what it calls "hands-free" driving to certain models from today.

Dubbed "Enhanced Highway Assist", the system allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel for “extended periods of time” on select highways in the US.

Set to rival Ford’s BlueCruise and Tesla’s basic AutoPilot packages, it takes the strain out of monotonous highway driving duties, so long as those in the driving seat are able to take over as soon as the system deems it necessary.

Unfortunately, any R1 model built before 2024 doesn’t feature the required hardware to support the new tech, so the update will only appear for those with new vehicles.

According to Inside EVs, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe claims that "eyes-off" autonomous driving will be available on highways next year.

That said, he noted that additional Lidar sensors would be required if the system is to work in urban areas, beyond simple highway driving.

Initiate Rally Mode

(Image credit: Rivian)

Anyone with a dual-motor R1 that also features the optional Performance Pack will now also benefit from a bespoke “Rally” mode, which is said to deliver “heightened throttle response and crisper steering on almost any terrain, including ice, mud, dirt, or asphalt."

Ford offered a similar Baja mode on its Ranger Raptor pick-up, which essentially turned it into a dune-bashing, dirt-drifting delight. Although Rivian makes no mention of whether or not the traction control is affected in the new mode.

Dual-motor owners can now also part with $5,000 (around £3,900 / AU$8,000) to unlock the Performance Pack, which sees Standard+, Large or Max Pack R1 models’ performance jump to 665hp from the standard car’s 533hp.

Whereas some of the updated features are reserved either for the latest or the most powerful trucks, Rivian has also improved the ownership experience for everyone else.

Wheel size can now be configured within the vehicle’s menus, making for more accurate range estimations, while the mirrors automatically tilt down when reverse gear is selected to prevent curb rash.

There’s also an improved tire pressure monitoring system and a handy chime that notifies distracted drivers when the vehicle ahead is moving away from a stoplight or a traffic jam.

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• Daredevil: Born Again episode 3 is hiding another Spider-Man Easter egg in plain sight
• This time, it's potentially referencing Miles Morales' eventual arrival in the MCU
• We still don't know when Morales might make his live-action debut

Daredevil: Born Again has dropped the biggest clue yet that Marvel is preparing to bring Miles Morales into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The Disney+ show's third episode, titled 'The Hollow in His Hand', appears to contain a sneaky reference to Morales that you may have missed on first viewing. However, some MCU fans, myself included, immediately picked up on the Easter egg – and, unsurprisingly, it's set tongues wagging about when Morales might make his live-action debut as the franchise's second Spider-Man.

Comment from r/marvelstudios

The reference in question crops up when Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is trying to convince the jury that his client, Hector Ayala (the late Kamar de los Reyes), is innocent of the charges brought against him. Remember, Ayala is on trial for allegedly killing New York Police Officer (NYPD) Shanahan in the Marvel Phase 5 TV show's second episode.

During this scene, Murdock rattles off the names of other NYPD detectives who, according to their written reports, can testify to Ayala's good character. That's because Ayala has rescued many New Yorkers in their time of need as his superhero alias White Tiger.

Until episode 3, nobody – well, Murdock and his private investigator Cherry (Clark Johnson) notwithstanding – knows that Ayala is White Tiger. That bombshell revelation is publicly revealed in court by Murdock himself, however, in a Hail Mary move to prove Ayala's innocence when Murdock and Kirsten McDuffie's (Nikki M James) previous defense plan falls apart.

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But back on topic. As Murdock lists the names of the NYPD officers who have vouched that White Tiger (and, by proxy Ayala) has done more good than harm, he mentions someone called "Officer Davis".

To the uninitiated, this just sounds like another cop who's employed to keep New York's streets safe. For Marvel comic book devotees, or anyone who's seen one or both of Sony's animated Spider-Verse movies – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – though, that name will be familiar.

The reason? Miles Morales' father is not only a police officer, but also has the surname Davis. Full name is Jefferson Davis, he was born in Brooklyn, married a Puerto Rican named Rio Morales, and had a child who they called Miles. In the Spider-Verse films, Jefferon Davis is voiced by Bryan Tyree Henry. In Sony Studios' Spider-Man 1 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales videogames, he's portrayed by Russell Richardson.

Miles Morales and Jefferson Davis have appeared in animated movies, Marvel comics books, and Sony-developed video games (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Now, it's possible that there might be another officer whose surname is Davis in the MCU. That would make everything I've written up to this point null and void. It would be an incredible coincidence, though, if Murdock wasn't talking about Jefferson Davis in one of the best Disney+ shows.

There's more evidence to suggest that Miles Morales' MCU debut might not be too far off, too. Speaking to Inverse in June 2023 about his at-the-time new Apple TV+ show The Crowded Room, Tom Holland, who currently plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU, said he'd be "honored" to help usher in Morales' arrival.

Parker has mentored Morales in Spider-Man comics, video games, and movies. And, considering Holland won't be around to play Marvel's legendary webslinger forever, a passing of the torch feels inevitable. What better way to move the needle in the MCU than by introducing Morales and making him this universe's new Spider-Man once Holland hangs up his own spandex suit?

Speaking of Spider-Man, this isn't the first time that Born Again has referenced the wallcrawler. Here's why Daredevil: Born Again episode 2 gave me hope over a potential team-up between the two heroes, albeit one that won't happen on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services.

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• The Galaxy S25 Edge could come with free Gemini Advanced access
• Six months of free access comes bundled with other Galaxy S25 phones
• Gemini Advanced perks include access to improved AI models

Having been given a glimpse of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in January, we're expecting a full reveal of the super-slim phone sometime in April – and a new leak suggests it's going to come with a special bonus that will upgrade its AI capabilities.

The team at Android Authority has been digging deep into the code of the Google app for Android, which has revealed references to the Galaxy S25 Edge in a section of the app that details promotional offers and the phones eligible for them.

Joining the dots, it seems that buying a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge will get you a few free months of Gemini Advanced as well. It's not clear how many months, but other Samsung Galaxy S25 phones get you six months of Gemini Advanced access.

The club of phones with extended Gemini Advanced trial offers is continuing to grow then, it would seem. If you've picked up any of the Google Pixel 9 handsets since they launched, you'll know they come with a year's free access to the upgraded AI.

What does Gemini Advanced get me?

Gemini offers both free and paid tiers (Image credit: Google)

Gemini Advanced is a paid upgrade on the standard Gemini capabilities, but it's actually part of a Google One AI Premium storage plan, so you get 2TB of cloud storage too. The standard monthly price is $19.99 / £18.99 / AU$32.99.

First and foremost, you get access to more advanced AI models. The benefits of this are hard to quantify, especially as new models are being pushed out all the time, but you can expect the responses you get to be more thorough and more accurate.

Gemini Advanced users also get access to the Deep Research tool, as well as a more advanced version of NotebookLM. Other extras include the ability to make custom AI bots inside Gemini, and to search back through chat histories.

Another perk: while any Gemini user can generate AI images, only Gemini Advanced users can generate images with people in them. All that said, it's also worth mentioning that paid-for features often drift down to the free Gemini tier over time.

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It's a big day for iRobot. The brand behind what used to be the best robot vacuums in the business has scrapped almost its entire fleet of Roombas and replaced it with five brand new bots. The new lineup introduces some fairly major upgrades that should hopefully once again make iRobot the formidable player it once was in the robot vacuum world.

Here's a rundown of the features I'm most excited about in the new Roomba range, plus a couple of developments I'm less sold on.

#1. LiDAR (at last!)

It's taken iRobot far too long to get on board with LiDAR, but better late than never. LiDAR is basically the industry standard form of robot vacuum navigation, and generally agreed to be far better than the older SLAM method found in iRobot's old bots. Its introduction means the new Roombas should offer faster, more reliable navigation and mapping. There are more practical benefits too – it means the robot can navigate in the dark, for instance, rather than requiring a light source. (Head to our LiDAR vs VSLAM article for more on how the two technologies compare.)

(Image credit: iRobot) #2. Improved mop pads

In line with the upgraded aesthetic, none of the new combination robots feature the retracting mop pad that until now had been iRobot's calling card. In its place on the 'Plus' models (the 405 and 505) are two rotating disc-shaped pads – the approach favored by much of the market now, and the one that has generally proven more efficient at cleaning in our reviews.

One can even kick out to one side to offer more efficient edge mopping – a feature included in some premium competitor models. The mop pads can lift up to 1cm to traverse over rugs or carpet, and the retracting static pad is still present on the Combo 10 Max for those who are still concerned about damp carpets.

(Image credit: iRobot)

Note that this improved mopping setup isn't present on the basic Roombas (the 105 and 205), which simply have a static, D-shaped mop pad. They do, however, come with automatic carpet detection, which means they shouldn't try and mop your rugs.

#3. A distinctive, friendly new look

It's less of an essential, I guess, but I'm also a big fan of how the new lineup looks. Robot vacuums in general are quite generic looking these days, and iRobot has recognized that perhaps shiny black or white plastic isn't everyone's aesthetic of choice. The new bots have a design the brand has dubbed 'GRID' – Geometric, Rational, Iconic and Dynamic.

That might be overselling it a bit, but I do think the mix of matte and shiny finishes looks friendlier and more likely to fit in with softer home decor than your average bot. I also appreciate that iRobot has gone out of its way to create a look that's distinctive to the brand – in that way, it's a step ahead of the competition.

(Image credit: iRobot) #4. Better dust management

For some people, 'dust management' might not seem especially exciting. Well, I write about vacuum cleaners as a big chunk of my job, and I suffer from a dust allergy, so I guess I'm more invested than most. There are a couple of interesting developments here.

The first is that the dust bag in the auto-empty dock can automatically seal itself when it's full – great news for allergy sufferers, because there's now basically zero opportunity for the allergens to sneak their way back out into the air once they've been sucked up.

(Image credit: iRobot)

The second is that one of the bots – the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo – is designed to compress the dust in its onboard bin. That means it can hold far more debris than usual, without the need for a bulky dock. For people with small homes and no space for a massive auto-empty dock, it looks very interesting indeed.

#5. A new app

I didn't have huge complaints about iRobot's original app, but the brand has rebooted it to go with its shiny new bots, and the new-and-improved one looks even better.

You can set custom cleaning routines, get estimates for how long the current task will take to clean, and access insights into the rooms that need most attention. Because we've now got LiDAR, it's also possible to watch your bot as it goes about its cleaning routine, rather than having to guess where it is and what it's up to.

#6. Suction specs

This one is small, but significant for the customer experience: iRobot will hopefully once again share the maximum suction power of each model, in Pascals. This is something the brand stopped doing a while ago, claiming it's not the be-all-and-end-all, and that things like the roller design play a huge part in how well a robot cleans.

While they're not wrong there, it's still a very useful guide to how sucky a bot might be, and without suction specs it was difficult to make sense of the Roomba range, and even trickier to place its models within the wider market.

(Image credit: iRobot)

I say 'hopefully', because while this was part of my initial briefing, the marketing materials I've received since don't have suction specs. Instead, they say things like "70X more suction" (that's compared to the Roomba 600 series, which launched over a decade ago). Sigh.

Based on my initial notes, the new models have 7,000Pa of suction. That's not quite up there with the competition, but still a decent amount for the prices iRobot is charging. Combined with an efficient design (we've always been fans of iRobot's dual rollers), may well be plenty to provide a good maintenance clean for the average household.

#7. Names that make sense

Another overdue upgrade, in terms of customer-friendliness, is that iRobot has rethought its naming conventions. The new fleet is separated into Roomba, Roomba Plus, and Roomba Max models, following a good > better > best setup so you might actually have an idea how the lineup compares.

There might be some confusion with those who remember that in the old system, 'Plus' meant there was an auto-empty dock, whereas here it does not mean that. Overall, though, I far prefer this to the mess of j-something, i-somethings – hold on, is that an i or a j anyway? – that preceded it.

2 innovations I'm worried about… #1. Bots with no raised puck

The LiDAR here is called 'ClearView' and appears across all models. Interestingly, iRobot has removed the raised puck on the 205 DustCompactor Combo, to give a more streamlined design. This model uses the same LiDAR technology, but it's shifted into the front of the robot. The issue is, the puck is there for a purpose; to enable the bot to 'see' all around, and navigate accurately. Shifting the LiDAR tech into the front of the robovac means a far narrower field of view.

(Image credit: iRobot)

Other brands are also experimenting with removing the puck, but all those I've come across have introduced new technology to compensate for that more limited field of view. For instance, the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete and Roborock Saros 10 (reviews incoming) have a puck that can retract into the body of the robot when it approaches an area of limited height, but will pop back up when space allows.

The Roborock Qrevo Slim and Saros 10R do away with a puck entirely, but for this the brand has engineered a whole new navigation method entirely, called StarSight, to ensure navigation isn't compromised. I'm no engineer, but surely they wouldn't be going to all that trouble if you could just chop the puck off with no impact.

The iRobot spokesperson I chatted with assured me there would be no compromise in navigation accuracy – they told me they were testing two bots, one with the puck and one without, and they were both behaving the same way. I'll be really interested to test this out and see for myself.

#2. The continued presence of the Combo 10 Max

My other slight misgiving is that the current 'Max' segment consists only of the Combo 10 Max. It only launched in July 2024, so perhaps iRobot felt it was too soon to scrap it. However, as what should be the shining star of the Roomba fleet, it's underwhelming.

It was generally not well received – we awarded it a less-than-ideal 3 stars in our Roomba Combo 10 Max review, with our tester complaining of painfully slow mapping (no LiDAR here) and sub-standard mop cleaning. Both of these aspects have been improved on in the new Plus models, which look far more promising to me.

Overall, though, it's promising news from iRobot, and I appreciate that the brand has been bold enough to accept that what it was doing wasn't working, and go for a big reboot. I'm excited to get these new models into my flat and test the new features out for myself.

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In today's rapidly evolving threat landscape, cybersecurity is more crucial than ever. Advanced persistent threats (APTs) and sophisticated attacker tactics are now part of the norm. Modern attackers are faster and more creative, taking mere hours to move from initial compromise to reaching their objectives.

Yet, detecting an attacker often takes days—sometimes even months. This speed disparity highlights the urgent need for a more robust and intelligent approach to cyber defense.

The Rise of Exploit-Based Attacks

One of the biggest challenges facing security teams is the shift towards exploit-based attacks. These attacks leverage vulnerabilities in software and systems, often taking advantage of zero-day exploits or previously unknown weaknesses. Unlike traditional malware attacks, exploit-based attacks are much harder to identify.

Recent studies highlight that vulnerabilities, not just phishing, have become a primary attack vector. Mandiant reports that exploit-based attacks have overtaken email-based methods, and CrowdStrike notes that 75% of threats now leverage “living off the land” (LotL) tools rather than traditional malware. These methods exploit vulnerabilities in existing systems and applications, often taking advantage of overlooked entry points. The growing prevalence of zero-days and AI-powered exploit discovery further complicates the challenge for defenders.

The Critical Role of Detection

To address these challenges, organizations need to adopt a new approach to security. Effective detection is essential, especially with the increasing number of malware-less attacks. According to Accenture, less than 1% of an organization’s detection rules are fully effective. Many detection rules remain outdated, resulting in a flood of false positives and missed detection opportunities.

Detection must focus on adversary behaviors, not static indicators like malware hashes. The shelf life for these ephemeral indicators is short. Behavior-based detection tied to adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) gives organizations a chance to detect and mitigate threats in real time, meeting compliance requirements from regulations like GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, and FISMA.

Why Improving Detection is Challenging

Detection engineering is the discipline of transforming adversary knowledge into actionable detection rules. This is a continuous cycle: researching relevant threats, building specific detection logic, and validating those detections to ensure effectiveness. But many organizations struggle here. Writing, testing, and maintaining hundreds of detection rules can overwhelm even the most mature security teams. Tests can be written poorly, and when they aren’t validated accurately, they lead to gaps in coverage or false positives that bury real alerts.

Effective detection is not just about having the right rules in place. It's also about having the right processes and technologies to support those rules. This includes:

• Visibility: Organizations need complete visibility into their IT environment, including all devices, applications, and user activity. This visibility is essential for identifying suspicious activity and understanding the scope of an attack.
• Automation: Security teams are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of alerts they receive. Automation can help to filter out false positives and prioritize the most critical alerts, freeing up analysts to focus on investigating and responding to real threats.
• Threat intelligence: Up-to-date threat intelligence is crucial for understanding the latest attacker TTPs and developing effective detection rules. Threat intelligence can also help to identify potential threats before they materialize.

Four Questions to Streamline Detection Efforts

Organizations looking to enhance their detection capabilities should consider these four questions:

• Is your detection pipeline effective? Ensure your security controls communicate effectively with your SIEM to gain visibility into your detection alert pipeline.
• Can your controls catch threats beyond prevention? Prevention alone is not enough. Detection acts as a safety net to identify threats that bypass preventative measures.
• How quickly can you gain insights? In time-sensitive situations like incident response, immediate visibility into your detection capabilities is crucial.
• How can you address detected gaps? Once gaps are identified, develop and implement rules to close them.

Looking Ahead

By implementing these measures, organizations can significantly improve their ability to detect and respond to cyberattacks. However, it's important to remember that security is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Attackers are constantly evolving their methods, so security teams must continuously adapt their defenses to stay ahead of the curve.

In addition to the technical measures outlined above, organizations also need to focus on building a strong security culture. This means educating employees about cybersecurity risks and best practices, and empowering them to report suspicious activity. A strong security culture can help to prevent attacks in the first place, and it can also help to ensure that incidents are identified and responded to quickly.

We've made a list of the best network monitoring tools.

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

• VMO2 will tackle highly populated and rural areas with new investments
• The company will decommission old tech and embrace new tech
• Will it deliver the “superior mobile network” it envisions?

Virgin Media O2 has announced a brand new commitment to invest £700 million throughout 2025 to enhance mobile network reliability, speed and coverage – the equivalent of £2 million every day.

The company said the additional investments come in response to network demand reaching an all-time high in the UK, and will focus on areas of mass congregation and transport links like stadiums, city centers, railways and major roads.

New masts, small cells, and upgrades to its 4G and 5G infrastructure will form the basis of the investments, but the company is also looking at employing automation to “[provide] customers with a superior mobile network experience.”

Virgin Media O2 commits to £700m in upgrades

Apart from boosting signal in densely populated areas with small cells, Virgin Media O2 has also revealed plans to tackle ‘not-spots’ in rural and coastal areas with even more 4G and 5G coverage.

The benefit of the company’s existing market position is that it can benefit from its cable network to boost its cellular network – VMO2 will use its own fiber network to connect mobile sites in the hope that it can deploy new mobile infrastructure more quickly.

In hard-to-reach areas, it will even use some satellite technology to connect towers, which it says is more cost-effective at tackling remote not-spots.

“We’re not just upgrading infrastructure; we’re creating a platform for future innovation. This programme ensures our customers will continue to benefit from superior reliability as new technologies and demands emerge,” said VMO2 CTO Jeanie York.

The company boldly claimed that 2025 will be the year it completes “major steps to evolve its mobile network.” That work includes removing dated tech, such as decommissioning 3G network infrastructure, and embracing new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Looking ahead, Virgin Media O2 wants to focus on building higher-capacity networks that are more energy efficient.

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With AI, hybrid work and rising customer expectations driving rapid industry changes, a stark gap is emerging between companies embracing digital technology (digital leaders) and those failing to improve their digital capabilities (digital followers). Companies investing in digital transformation and creating a strong digital culture are reaping the benefits, while others are being left behind.

Digital culture refers to the mindset and practices within an organization that enables technology to be integrated across every aspect of the organization. A successful digital culture considers how tech can have an impact on employees, customers and wider communities alike.

New research from Virgin Media O2 Business and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has revealed a gap in perception versus reality within many businesses.

88% of those we surveyed class themselves as digital leaders and believe they have a strong digital culture already. In reality, many of these organizations are simply not increasing or improving their use of digital technology fast enough.

The problem lies in seeing technology investment as the only solution. IT management needs to assess how their people interact with it and will make the most of it. Real digital transformation requires more than just investment in tools - it demands a people-first approach. Addressing this gap could unlock significant benefits, from enhanced employee engagement to greater productivity and economic growth.

The power of digital culture

A strong digital culture can unlock significant productivity and revenue growth, and with a significantly slower productivity growth in the UK than comparable nations, it has the potential to make a real difference. In fact, digital leaders experienced over twice the productivity growth of digital followers between 2021 and 2023.

That growth not only benefits employees by creating a more efficient workday but also boosts the entire economy through increased turnover and efficiencies. The impact is substantial - had all organizations enhanced their use of digital technology during this period, the UK’s economy could have increased by £111 billion.

To prevent future missed opportunities of this scale, IT decision makers often have internal tech barriers to overcome. They need to ensure they are making smart investment choices in technology that align with their specific needs.

Understanding tech ROI

There’s a lot of tech available on the market, and it can be difficult to know what the best investment might be for your specific business model. This is especially prominent for SMEs who do not always have the same benefits as larger businesses of an in-house tech team to advise on the best tech to adopt.

It’s key to assess which investments could make an actual difference to how your business operates. It might be a small step like starting to use AI to streamline notes or document management. Seeing in real time that it’s made you more efficient for 10 minutes a day and understanding that this, extrapolated across your business, is hours of efficiency gains by the end of the week.

Modernization is an entirely personal experience for every business and a transformation of every piece of tech in your business might not be necessary for you. Your organization may benefit from adding a cloud phone system to the devices you already have, for instance, to achieve more on the move. The first step is to understand where your legacy technology is slowing you down and how these areas can be improved in the best way for you and your business.

Collaboration with suppliers and tech experts can help to ensure that the tech you’re investing in is the most effective choice, and where there are gaps in your workforce’s knowledge. Suppliers can come in with an external view, see what tech you already have and how it can be optimized.

But investing in tech is only half the battle. Ensuring your people are ready to use it effectively is what turns investment into impact.

Overcoming tech barriers hinges on your people

UK organizations are still witnessing a cultural resistance to embracing new technology and two-fifths of digital followers have reported this as their biggest barrier. But building a strong digital culture hinges on your people and their attitude towards using new tech.

Improving the digital skills of your people through regular training will help them to get the most out of their technology. Enabling staff to focus on higher-value tasks by reducing time wasted or time-draining tasks increases productivity.

Empowering your staff with the skills to carry out their job to the best standard possible, and more efficiently, drives engagement within the workforce. Digital leaders report that their employee satisfaction is three times higher than that of digital followers.

Fortune favors digital leaders

The power of a strong digital culture is undeniable. It boosts revenue, productivity and employee engagement. Whilst the barriers can feel daunting, the returns on technology investment for digital leaders are worth it – just ensure you set yourself up for success by bringing your people with you on the journey.

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

• The Nuki Smart Lock Pro (5th Gen) is faster and quieter than the previous model
• It can be retrofitted over your existing front door lock without drilling
• It's on sale now in Europe, and costs less than the previous-gen model

The Nuki Smart Lock Pro is one of the best smart locks we've tested, and it's just received a major upgrade, with a new motor that can secure your door in just 1.5 seconds, plus a lower price tag.

The Nuki Smart Lock Pro (5th Gen) has the same brushed stainless steel finish as its predecessors, which makes it one of the more attractive smart locks around, but is now slightly more compact, and can be fitted with a black or white band to blend with your home decor.

The Smart Lock Pro (5th Gen) has also received some significant upgrades on the inside, including a new choice of locking speeds. 'Standard' is about the same as locking the door manually, 'Gentle' takes a little longer but is more quiet (a good option if you want to avoid disturbing people at night), and 'Insane' makes more noise, but secures your door in just 1.5 seconds.

The new lock works with all the major smart home ecosystems thanks to Matter over Thread, meaning you can use it with your smart home hub, smart speakers, and other security hardware such as cameras and sensors.

It has built-in Wi-Fi, meaning it will work without an additional hub, and if you're upgrading from an existing Nuki smart lock you should be able to migrate your data across with minimal fuss.

(Image credit: Nuki) Will it fit?

The Smart Lock Pro (5th Gen) is a good option for renters because, unlike many smart locks, it fits over your existing door hardware, installing over your current lock without the need to drill or incur the wrath of your landlord. It's also a good option for apartments, where you may not be allowed to replace the lock without permission from the building management company.

Nuki offers an online guide that will help you determine whether the Smart Lock Pro will work with your particular hardware, and the company recommends that you use it on your phone while inspecting the lock.

If the Smart Lock Pro doesn't work with your door it's worth taking a look at the Switchbot Lock Pro, which is designed to work with 99.9% of front door locks, and offers 16 different modes of entry.

The Nuki Smart Lock Pro (5th Gen) is available to buy now direct from Nuki in the UK and other European countries for £229 (about $300 / AU$470). That's down from £255 (about $330 / AU$520) for the previous model. Details of prices and launch dates outside Europe have yet to be announced.

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Digital privacy advocates saved encryption in France last week, yet again, as MPs finally rejected a controversial provision to create a backdoor for law enforcement.

The infamous Article 8 of the proposed Drug Trafficking Act – which is currently passing to the country's National Assembly – would have required all encrypted messaging apps and secure email services to decrypt user data upon an authority's request.

The decision to preserve people's privacy and security is certainly a victory for the tech industry. Yet, "we must keep fighting for privacy and keep raising our voices – as long as there are still politicians trying to break encryption," press officer at Tuta Mail, Hanna Bozakov, told TechRadar.

The dangers of an encryption backdoor

Previously passed by the Senate, the bill aimed at "freeing France from the trap of drug trafficking" came as an attempt to create a strong framework to investigate these types of crimes.

As mentioned earlier, requiring the installation of encryption backdoors into the likes of ProtonMail, Signal, and WhatsApp has attracted strong criticism in and out of the political benches.

Encryption refers to scrambling data into an unreadable form to prevent third-party access. End-to-end encryption is the reiteration that messaging apps and secure email services, among other tools like today's best VPNs, use to protect data in transit by keeping it private between the sender and the receiver – end to end.

As cryptographers and other experts have long argued, however, it's not possible to create an encryption backdoor that only good guys can exploit.

Commenting on the French case, CEO of Tuta Mail, Matthias Pfau, said: "A backdoor for the good guys only is a dangerous illusion. Weakening encryption for law enforcement inevitably creates vulnerabilities that can – and will – be exploited by cybercriminals and hostile foreign actors."

Do you know?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In 2016, France also rejected an amendment to its Digital Republic law requiring the creation of an encryption backdoor. The provision was introduced as an attempt to fight against terrorism but was deemed a "vulnerability by design" by France's digital minister at the time, Axelle Lemaire – The Register reported.

As the Global Encryption Coalition warned in an open letter published on March 4, a backdoor would have also weakened the French messaging app Olvid, which was officially certified by the country's cybersecurity agency and recommended to French ministers and government officials.

Considering the Salt Typhoon hack in the US – which sparked a warning to switch to encrypted services – and France's concern for Russian alleged cyberattacks, as Politico reported, "the reliance by the French government, citizens, and businesses on end-to-end encryption to keep themselves safe and secure has never been greater," noted experts.

The National Assembly eventually listened to concerns from the industry and scraped the encryption backdoor requirement in the bill on March 6.

Despite the widespread criticism, however, France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed his support for the encryption backdoor provision as a necessity to ensure "maximum efficiency" in combating organized crimes, Le Monde reported.

Commenting on this point, Bozakov from Tuta Mail told TechRadar: "I am worried that politicians still do not understand anything about cybersecurity – even though there are enormous foreign threats right now targeting our societies mainly from Russia and China."

Not just France

France's attempt to undermine encryption may have been halted once again. However, the country isn't alone in pushing to pick the lock of encrypted communications to facilitate criminal investigations.

Sweden is also considering passing a similar requirement for the likes of Signal, WhatsApp, and iMessage. If successful, the new rules could come into force as early as March 2026.

Side-client scanning is just an encryption backdoor but with a fancy name

Romain Digneaux, Proton

These plans have already attracted strong criticism from the tech industry, with Signal President Meredith Whittaker reiterating that Signal would rather leave the country than undermine its encryption protections.

On February 21, 2025, Apple was even forced to kill its iCloud's end-to-end encryption feature in the UK following a government order to create an encryption backdoor.

Since 2022, the EU has also been trying to pass its Chat Control proposal to scan citizens' private communications, including encrypted messages, to halt the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

As Romain Digneaux, Public Policy Manager at Proton (the provider behind Proton VPN and Proton Mail), points out, while these efforts are nothing new and tend to fail (as in the case of France), they consistently come back.

"What we see is creativity from law enforcement to try to push the same old concept with new names – and that's concerning," Digneaux told TechRadar.

"The side-client scanning is a clear example of that. That's just an encryption backdoor but with a fancy name. Something that sounds more technical and more acceptable to people who don't necessarily understand how the tech works."

• Microsoft has just released a new update for Windows 11
• Unfortunately, it brings an advert for PC Game Pass into the Settings app
• Not everyone will see this, though, and this update applies a raft of useful bug fixes, particularly for File Explorer

Windows 11 just received its latest update, and as is quite often the case, there’s good and bad news – important fixes for File Explorer is the former, and yet another advert being officially introduced to the OS is the latter.

Yes, in case you didn’t realize, yesterday was 'Patch Tuesday', and the March cumulative update for Windows 11 was released.

Let’s get the dubious move out of the way first, then: the mentioned ad is placed in the Settings app, on the home page panel, and consists of promotional activity for PC Game Pass.

The positive news here is that it will only appear for certain Windows 11 users – those who are PC Game Pass subscribers – the reason being that it’s an ad that offers a referral for friends who might want to join the service, too.

In other words, this gives you the ability to invite friends to try PC Game Pass for free (for a 14-day trial, or at least that was the case in testing).

Right, onto the File Explorer fixes, which, for those who might be unsure, is the app that powers the very folders that you use on a daily basis (most likely) to deal with your files.

As Bleeping Computer reports, there are quite a few cures for various File Explorer blues, including an important one, whereby Windows 11 now offers much-improved performance levels when opening folders that have a large quantity of media files within them.

A problem that meant the right-click context menu was also sluggish to appear with cloud-based files has been resolved, too. Also, regarding files in the cloud (OneDrive), the thumbnails for these now show properly in Windows 11 search results (whereas some thumbnails previously wouldn’t be displayed).

On top of that, an issue with the address bar overlapping files when in full-screen mode with a File Explorer window has been remedied (and URLs entered manually in the address bar are guaranteed to work, whereas some were failing previously).

There are quite a number of bug fixes in this patch, in fact, including some work on the Start menu (where the colors were wrong in the Account Manager flyout), and a cure for an odd sound-related issue. The latter saw the PC’s volume increase to 100% when the device woke from sleep (a rude awakening indeed for some unsuspecting Windows 11 users, no doubt – and another in an unfortunate collection of recent audio bugs).

Also, a glitch that caused some apps to not recognize a connected scanner has been smoothed over, too.

There are the usual security patches here, as you’d expect, and also some work on features, including useful new shortcuts for the scan mode of Windows 11’s screen reader tool, Narrator.

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan) Analysis: Ad aggro and File Explorer remains wonky – yet Microsoft deserves some credit here

So, another advert has made it all the way through testing into the finished version of Windows 11 – and I can’t say I’m impressed with that. Okay, so this advert might actually be useful, I don’t dispute that – it is at least targeted at PC Game Pass subscribers, and they might genuinely want to give their friends the chance of a free trial (to try out some coop gaming with them).

That said, this is still an out-and-out advert – not some kind of ‘suggestion’ or more subtle prod to use a Microsoft service – and the more of this that’s brought into Windows 11, the more I feel that Microsoft is crossing lines it really shouldn’t be crossing. (Not in a paid-for operating system).

To give Microsoft credit where it’s due, we have witnessed some recommendations (in testing) of late that could prove genuinely useful, so the company isn’t going entirely in the wrong direction with Windows 11’s various nudges and prompts.

Furthermore, it’s definitely good to see the work on fixing File Explorer, although there have been a lot of bugs affecting it, and some annoyances still remain. Notably, only last month, the February 2025 update caused chaos with File Explorer falling over for some folks.

This is an area Microsoft clearly needs to fully smooth over, as it’s a central part of the Windows 11 interface, so it really doesn’t look good if there are glitches hanging about in the works.

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• OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, has shared a metafiction short story written by AI
• He claims the new ChatGPT creative writing model is the best AI writing he's ever read
• There's no timeframe on when this new AI model will launch to the public, but should it even exist?

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company is working on a new ChatGPT model that is good at creative writing and marks the first time he has been "really struck by something written by AI."

The new ChatGPT model doesn't have a name or a release schedule, but Altman clearly thinks this new creative writing tool could overhaul the way we use AI for writing fiction.

In his post on X, Altman shared a full metafiction literary short written by ChatGPT about AI and grief. The story itself is bizarre to say the least, taking on tropes of creative writing to generate a work that AI deems metafictional. The opening paragraph reads, "Before we go any further, I should admit this comes with instructions: be metafictional, be literary, be about AI and grief, and above all, be original. Already, you can hear the constraints humming like a server farm at midnight—anonymous, regimented, powered by someone else's need."

Until this point, AI's ability to write creatively has always yielded a sort of soulless stylistically-void attempt at recreating what ChatGPT finds from its training, and while Altman's example is definitely an improvement compared to asking ChatGPT 4o to do the same thing, it begs the question as to why would I even want AI to attempt creative writing?

we trained a new model that is good at creative writing (not sure yet how/when it will get released). this is the first time i have been really struck by something written by AI; it got the vibe of metafiction so right.PROMPT:Please write a metafictional literary short story…March 11, 2025

Creative writing without the creativity

As AI finds its way into every aspect of our lives, the constant pushing and pulling between how much we want from artificial intelligence becomes more and more prominent. Creative industries have frowned upon the use of AI, from movies like Oscar-nominated The Brutalist coming under fire for its use of software to enhance Hungarian dialect, to the taboo of using AI for journalism of any sort.

As someone who writes for a living, I only use AI tools to have reasons to write about them, whether that's pitting DeepSeek against ChatGPT for research or using Apple Intelligence to create emojis. It would never cross my mind to use ChatGPT to write an article or to think creatively for me, as the reason I'm able to work as a journalist is because I've honed in skills that make me talented to do so.

This example of ChatGPT's creative writing sparks fear in creative industries and makes authors hope that the general public can weed out the rubbish from the words that they pour their soul into.

With tools like NotebookLM already creating AI podcasts that are indistinguishable from human-created ones, improvements to ChatGPT's writing prowess and an ability to think creatively from a prompt is the next step in making those of us who write as a job to have even more disdain for AI.

ChatGPT's new creative writing model is impressive, but it completely misses the point of why creative writing even exists in the first place, allowing humans to pour their emotions and ideas into words. Who knows if we'll ever see a commercial version of what Altman shared on X, but I sure as hell hope we don't.

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