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Mattel is partnering with OpenAI to build AI‑powered toys, which might lead to some amazing fun, but also sounds like the premise for a million stories of things going wrong.

To be clear, I don't think AI is going to end the world. I've used ChatGPT in a million ways, including as an aide for activities as a parent. AI has helped me brainstorm bedtime stories and design coloring books, among other things. But that's me using it, not opening it up to direct interaction with children.

The official announcement is very optimistic, of course. Mattel says it’s bringing the “magic of AI” to playtime, promising age‑appropriate, safe, and creative experiences for kids. OpenAI says it’s thrilled to help power these toys with ChatGPT, and both companies seem intent on positioning this as a step forward for playtime and childhood development.

But I can’t help thinking of how ChatGPT conversations can spiral into bizarre conspiracy theories, except suddenly it's a Barbie doll talking to an eight-year-old. Or a GI Joe veering from positive messages about "knowing is half the battle," to pitching cryptocurrency mining because some six‑year‑old heard the word “blockchain” somewhere and thought it sounded like a cool weapon for the toy.

As you might have noted from the top image, the first thought I had was about the film Small Soldiers. The 1998 corny classic about an executive at a toy company deciding to save money by installing military-grade AI chips into action figures, leading to the toys staging guerrilla warfare in the suburbs? It was a satire, and not a bad one at that. But, as over-the-top as that outcome might be, it's hard not to see the glimmer of chaotic potential in installing generative AI in the toys children may spend a lot of time with.

I do get the appeal of AI in a toy, I do. Barbie could be more than just a doll you dress up, she could be a curious, clever conversationalist who can explain space missions or play pretend in a dozen different roles. Or you could have a Hot Wheels car commenting on the track you built for it. I can even picture AI in Uno as a deckpad that actually teaches younger kids strategy and sportsmanship.

But I think generative AI models like ChatGPT shouldn't be used by kids. They may be pared down for safety's sake, but at a certain point, that stops being AI and just becomes a fairly robust set of pre-planned responses without the flexibility of AI. That means avoiding the weirdness, hallucinations, and moments of unintended inappropriateness from AI that adults can brush off but kids might absorb.

Toying with AI

Mattel has been at this a long time and knows what it is doing, in general, with its products. It's certainly not to their advantage to have their toys go even slightly haywire. The company said it will build safety and privacy into every AI interaction. They promise to focus on appropriate experiences. But “appropriate” is a very slippery word in AI, especially when it comes to language models trained on the internet.

ChatGPT isn’t a closed-loop system that was built for toys, though. It wasn’t designed specifically for young kids. And even when you train it with guidelines, filters, and special voice modules, it’s still built on a model that learns and imitates. There’s also the deeper question: what kind of relationship do we want kids to have with these toys?

There’s a big difference between playing with a doll and imagining conversations with it, and forming a bond with a toy that independently responds. I don’t expect a doll to go the full Chucky or M3gan, but when we blur the line between playmate and program, the outcomes can get hard to predict.

I use ChatGPT with my son in the same way I use scissors or glue – a tool for his entertainment that I control. I’m the gatekeeper, and AI built into a toy is hard to monitor that way. The doll talks. The car replies. The toy engages, and kids may not notice anything amiss because they don't have the experience.

If Barbie’s AI has a glitch, if GI Joe suddenly slips into dark military metaphors, if a Hot Wheels car randomly says something bizarre, a parent might not even know until it’s been said and absorbed. If we’re not comfortable letting these toys run unsupervised, they’re not ready.

It’s not about banning AI from childhood. It’s about knowing the difference between what’s helpful and what’s too risky. I want AI in the toy world to be very narrowly constrained, like how a TV show aimed at toddlers is carefully designed to be appropriate. Those shows won't (hardly ever) go off script, but AI's power is in writing its own script.

I might sound too harsh about this, and goodness knows there have been other tech toy scares. Furbies were creepy. Talking Elmo had glitches. Talking Barbies once had sexist lines about math being hard. All issues that could be resolved, except maybe the Furbies. I do think AI in toys has potential, but I'll be skeptical until I see how well Mattel and OpenAI navigate that narrow path between not really using AI and giving the AI too much freedom to be a bad virtual friend to give your child.

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• OpenAI has upgraded ChatGPT's Projects feature to remember past chats, tone preferences, and files
• Projects now offers deep research, voice mode, mobile file uploads, and more
• OpenAI wants Projects to function more like smart workspaces than one-off chats

ChatGPT's Projects feature has been a useful way to organize conversations with the AI chatbot since it debuted, but it has had its limitations. A major set of upgrades released by OpenAI this week has transformed Projects from a simple file folder into a highly focused version of ChatGPT as a whole.

The Projects feature debuted as a way to organize related chats and files into one digital shoebox. But now, that organization means ChatGPT will remember that those chats and files are related. So, if you start a chat within a Project, the AI will remember things from other chats in that project, referencing your past messages within the same workspace.

If you start a new Project, you can upload your notes, chat about the topic with ChatGPT, ask for online comparisons, and then come back three days later to continue the conversation without rehashing everything or having the AI cite unrelated discussions. ChatGPT won’t just remember the topics either. It will remember your formatting preferences, as well as your tone of voice.

And those can be a lot more complex conversations now that Projects includes the Deep Research tool, which lets you run multi-step tasks in ChatGPT, blending your files and instructions with live information from the web.

You can also now use ChatGPT's voice mode in Projects. Tap the microphone inside any project and start talking about the files within or anything else, and you'll see it appear. And if you're using the mobile app, you can now upload files directly and switch between GPT-4o or other models on the fly.

Other upgrades are more minor but still significant. For instance, if you have a Project that you don't want to share in its entirety, but it includes a particular ChatGPT conversation you wish to send to someone, you can do that now. And if a discussion with ChatGPT suddenly inspires you to start a Project, you can now drag it directly into a project folder or convert it instantly from the sidebar.

Not everyone can use the upgraded Projects features as of yet. You have to be a ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscriber for now. However, based on many other ChatGPT features that were once exclusive to subscribers, I wouldn't be surprised if these become accessible to free users at some point in the future.

AI project power

As impressive as ChatGPT Projects could be now, I wouldn't expect to see offices throwing out their Notion or Trello programs anytime soon. They still lack some of the common elements of those tools, like calendars. But, for personal or just smaller efforts, it's a nice enhancement of the AI assistant, one that might at least help OpenAI compete with the AI infusions Google has been adding to its ecosystem.

OpenAI has been clear that they don't just want to be a chatbot provider. They want to be your go-to for life and work. These upgrades feel like the early sketches of something more ambitious. OpenAI might someday pitch ChatGPT as an alternative to toggling between ten apps. Instead, you might one day just open ChatGPT and say, “Let’s pick up where we left off on the next work presentation.”

A little experimentation on my part found the upgraded Projects seemed more efficient almost immediately, but not without some hiccups. One large collection of conversations I've organized for testing other features was a little too eager to dredge up the initial interactions rather than pull from more recent discussions about ChatGPT's capabilities. And while Projects can now reference past chats, the actual search and navigation between those chats still isn’t perfect. There's no Boolean logic to use to isolate certain phrases yet, so you might have to do some scrolling to find what you're looking for.

Still, even with the inevitable friction, I can see the value of making Projects more of a self-organizing AI data source, rather than simply a file folder for documents, as it has been. Whether compiling research, analyzing data, or plotting the perfect party, it could make using ChatGPT a lot less chaotic.

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• Gigabyte's AI TOP 500 TRX50 is a desktop built for AI developers working on massive LLMs
• Older Threadripper CPU included but motherboard supports newer upgrades
• GeForce RTX 5090 GPU paired with software for model tuning

Gigabyte has quietly launched the AI TOP 500 TRX50, a high-end system aimed at developers working on AI models and advanced multimodal tasks.

The machine is powered by AMD’s 24-core Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX processor and cooled by an AORUS 360 AIO liquid cooler. This combination allows it to outperform Gigabyte’s previously announced Arrow Lake-S-based AI TOP 100 Z890.

Interestingly, as TechPowerUp reports, the AI TOP 500 still relies on AMD’s current-generation "Zen 4/Storm Peak" architecture, even with the Threadripper PRO 9000 series expected to launch in the near future.

Ports galore

Fortunately, Gigabyte’s TRX50 motherboard supports future upgrades, which could appeal to those planning longer-term builds. VideoCardz suggests that a version using the 32-core 7975WX might be released soon.

Like the AI TOP 100, the 500-series prebuild also includes Gigabyte’s own GeForce RTX 5090 Windforce graphics card.

Internally, the desktop (which bears a striking resemblance to the Cooler Master HAF 700) supports up to 768GB of DDR5 R-DIMM memory across eight slots.

Storage comes in the form of a 1TB AI TOP 100E cache SSD, built to endure heavy write cycles, and a 2TB AORUS Gen 4 SSD for primary use. Power is provided by a 1600W AI TOP Ultra Durable PSU rated at 80 Plus Platinum and compatible with ATX 3.1.

The AI TOP 500 offers a wide range of connectivity options. Up front, users get four USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, audio in and out jacks, and both power and reset buttons. On the rear are six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB4 40Gbps Type-C ports, dual RJ-45 LAN ports, a DisplayPort input, and two additional audio jacks.

The workstation also supports multi-node expansion through Thunderbolt 5 and Dual 10G LAN, making it a practical option for research labs or development teams.

The system is tightly integrated with Gigabyte’s AI TOP Utility software platform which helps users manage AI models, build datasets, and monitor hardware performance in real time.

With support for up to 405 billion parameter models, Gigabyte is targeting users who require serious local compute performance without relying on cloud resources…. And, gamers too, apparently, if its tagline of “Premium gaming & AI empowered desktop” is to be believed.

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• Forescout report finds many vulnerable solar devices run outdated firmware with known exploits active in the wild
• Europe holds 76% of all exposed solar power devices, with Germany and Greece particularly at risk
• SolarView Compact exposure jumped 350% in two years, and it's already linked to cybercrime

The rapid growth of solar energy adoption worldwide has sparked renewed concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities within solar infrastructure.

A study by Forescout’s Vedere Labs found nearly 35,000 solar power devices, including inverters, data loggers, and gateways, are exposed to the internet, making them susceptible to exploitation.

These findings follow a previous report by Forescout which identified 46 vulnerabilities in solar power systems.

High exposure and geopolitical implications

What’s particularly alarming now is that many of these devices remain unpatched, even as cyber threats grow more sophisticated.

Ironically, vendors with the highest number of exposed devices aren’t necessarily those with the largest global installations, suggesting issues such as poor default security configurations, insufficient user guidance, or unsafe manual settings.

Forescout found Europe accounts for a staggering 76% of all exposed devices, with Germany and Greece most affected.

While an internet-exposed solar system isn’t automatically vulnerable, it becomes a soft target for cybercriminals. For example, the SolarView Compact device experienced a 350% increase in online exposure over two years and was implicated in a 2024 cyber incident involving bank account theft in Japan.

Concerns around solar infrastructure deepened when Reuters reported rogue communication modules in Chinese-manufactured inverters.

Although not tied to a specific attack, the discovery prompted several governments to reevaluate the security of their energy systems.

According to Forescout, insecure configurations are common, and many devices still run outdated firmware versions. Some are known to have vulnerabilities currently under active exploitation.

Devices like the discontinued SMA Sunny WebBox still account for a significant share of exposed systems.

This is not just a matter of faulty products, it reflects a system-wide risk. While individually limited in impact, these internet-exposed devices may serve as entry points into critical infrastructure.

To mitigate risk, organizations should retire devices that cannot be patched and avoid exposing management interfaces to the internet.

For remote access, secure solutions such as VPNs, along with adherence to CISA and NIST guidelines, are essential.

Additionally, a layered approach using top-rated antivirus tools, endpoint protection solutions, and especially Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) architecture may be necessary to keep critical systems insulated from intrusion.

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• AMD is aggressively acquiring talent to bridge the Instinct and Blackwell GPU performance gap
• Brium’s compiler expertise could help AMD accelerate inference without hardware-specific dependencies
• Untether AI's team joins AMD, but existing customers are left without product support

AMD’s recent moves in the AI sector have centered around strategic acquisitions aimed at strengthening its position in a market largely dominated by Nvidia.

These include the acquisitions of Brium, Silo AI, Nod.ai, and the engineering team from Untether AI, each targeted at bolstering AMD’s AI software, inference optimization, and chip design capabilities.

The goal is clear: narrow the performance and ecosystem gap between AMD’s Instinct GPUs and Nvidia’s Blackwell line.

Calculated acquisitions amid a competitive ecosystem

AMD described the acquisition of Brium as a key step toward enhancing its AI software capabilities.

“Brium brings advanced software capabilities that strengthen our ability to deliver highly optimized AI solutions across the entire stack,” the company said.

Brium's strengths lie in compiler technology and end-to-end AI inference optimization, areas that could be crucial for achieving better out-of-the-box performance and making AMD’s software stack less reliant on specific hardware configurations.

While this makes for a strong technical case, it also suggests that AMD is still playing catch-up in the AI software ecosystem, rather than leading it.

Brium’s integration will affect several ongoing projects, including OpenAI Triton and SHARK/IREE, which are seen as instrumental in boosting AMD’s inference and training capabilities.

The use of precision formats such as MX FP4 and FP6 points to a strategy of squeezing higher performance from existing hardware. But the industry has already seen similar moves from Nvidia, which continues to lead in both raw processing power and software maturity.

Another notable move was AMD’s absorption of the entire engineering team from Untether AI, a Canadian startup known for its energy-efficient inference processors. AMD didn’t acquire the company, only the talent, leaving Untether’s products unsupported.

“AMD has entered into a strategic agreement to acquire a talented team of AI hardware and software engineers from Untether AI,” the company confirmed, highlighting a focus on compiler and kernel development along with SoC design.

This signals a strong push into inference-specific technologies, which are becoming increasingly critical as training-based GPU revenue faces potential decline.

“AMD’s acquisition of Untether’s engineering group is proof that the GPU vendors know model training is over, and that a decline in GPU revenue is around the corner,” said Justin Kinsey, president of SBT Industries.

While that may overstate the situation, it reflects a growing sentiment in the industry: energy efficiency and inference performance are the next frontiers, not simply building the fastest systems for training large models.

Despite AMD’s optimism and commitment to “an open, scalable AI software platform,” questions remain about its ability to match Nvidia’s tight integration between hardware and CUDA-based software.

Ultimately, while AMD is taking calculated steps to bridge the gap, Nvidia still holds a considerable lead in both hardware efficiency and software ecosystem.

These acquisitions may bring AMD closer, but for now, Nvidia’s Blackwell remains the benchmark for what is widely regarded as the best GPU for AI workloads.

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• Default passwords and outdated firmware are turning your home camera into a public livestream, report warns
• Thousands of exposed webcams are offering a front-row seat into private and corporate life
• A simple web browser is all it takes to peek into 40,000 unsecured camera feeds

Thousands of internet-connected webcams, intended to enhance safety and convenience, are now unintentionally offering a window into private lives and secure environments.

Research by Bitsight claims over 40,000 webcams around the world are publicly accessible online, often without their owners’ knowledge.

These include security cameras, baby monitors, office surveillance systems, and even devices inside hospitals and factories.

A growing digital threat, not a hypothetical one

The investigation highlights just how easily accessible these cameras are.

“No passwords. No protections. Just out there,” wrote João Cruz, Principal Security Research Scientist at Bitsight TRACE, noting it requires neither elite hacking skills nor expensive software. In many cases, all it takes is a web browser and a valid IP address.

“We first raised the alarm in 2023, and based on this latest study, the situation hasn’t gotten any better.”

Exposed footage ranges from innocent scenes, like bird feeders, to far more sensitive views, such as home entry points, live feeds from living rooms, whiteboards in office spaces, and even operations inside data centers.

Worryingly, disturbing conversations have emerged on dark web forums, where some users share methods for locating exposed cameras, or even sell access to live feeds.

“This isn’t hypothetical: this is happening right now,” Cruz emphasized.

The United States leads with roughly 14,000 exposed cameras, followed by Japan, Austria, Czechia, and South Korea. These aren’t isolated incidents but part of a broader failure in how internet-connected cameras are deployed and managed.

Bitsight’s team scanned for both HTTP- and RTSP-based cameras, and the results suggest these figures may only scratch the surface.

Many of the exposed devices result from basic setup errors: default credentials, open internet access, and outdated firmware that leave systems vulnerable.

While vendors and manufacturers must improve device security, users also share responsibility.

Choosing products vetted for cybersecurity can help, but users should also pair their camera setups with tools like leading antivirus software and top-rated parental control solutions, which often include network monitoring to flag unusual access or unprotected devices.

Ultimately, private users should always check remote accessibility settings, change default passwords, update firmware regularly, and, especially for enterprises, enforce firewall protections and require VPN access.

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Well, for the iPad faithful, Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote was the day that faith was rewarded. I, like countless others, have been waiting for a major upgrade for iPadOS, and the Cupertino-based tech giant delivered.

Yes, iPadOS 26 brings with it Liquid Glass, but more importantly for all iPads that support it, you’ll get actual windowed multitasking, the ability to drop folders in the dock, a menu bar up-top, one of the most addicting gestures I’ve used, and the ability for tasks to run in the background.

Easily, it was the standout moment from the keynote, and I got to go hands-on briefly with iPadOS 26 running on a 13-inch iPad Pro with M4 attached to a Magic Keyboard with an Apple Pencil Pro.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room – allowing those landmark features I listed out above makes the iPad seem like a Mac, but don’t call this a Mac. Yes, Apple did take some features from the Mac rather than reinventing the entire concept – say, for the close, minimize, or expand buttons in the top left or the menu bar – but this is all well thought out for the iPad, and takes advantage of one of the best parts of an iPad.

Multitouch.

With the iPad’s approach, it’s sort of a choose-your-own-adventure, while on the Mac, it’s keyboard and trackpad. I used it and saw a demo of fingers controlling the windows, as well as using the Apple Pencil to move items around and even the cursor. It's all about control, in that however you see it and want to use it, you can do so to get more out of your iPad. Let’s talk about why.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Let’s start with the most exciting part – from any app, you can pull from the bottom corner – it’s set with an effect, a slightly darker edge in the bottom right – to easily resize the window by pulling it back and forth. So from full screen, you just pull it towards the other side to make it smaller, by width or height, and then you can grab the top of the window to place it where you like.

Using the dock, you can then drag and drop another app up or do a swipe up for the peek mode to access your home screen and place any app in this layout. It’s really smooth and lets you finally have your ultimate iPad layout. Maybe that’s a Safari window open to a Google Meet in the corner, the reminders app for your checklist, and your email as you start your day.

You can also split the screen with an image and then open an app like ProCreate, allowing you to see your starting point while drawing something awesome. It really lets you tailor the experience to how you see fit.

Now this new windowing setup does replace SplitView and SlideOver, and while that didn’t excite me when I first heard, I do like the various preset options you can pick from via a long press in the top left corner of any window and the new gesture.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

With a flick to the left or right, you can effortlessly split your screen and then adjust it further by moving the slider in the middle as needed. This feels like an easier way to achieve a similar result to SplitView, and is quite frankly fun to do.

You can also tap the top of the iPad’s screen to access a menu bar for things like more precise settings or easy exports – it’s the most similar part of the experience to the Mac. Still, considering it’s hidden until you need it, I think iPad power users will likely get the most out of this.

It feels really natural in this implementation, and not a cookie-cutter copy and paste from the Mac, given the updated elements and the ability to control with both touch and a trackpad.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Complementing the new multitasking approach is a significantly improved Files app and a dock that can now display a live folder. The app will feel familiar, but a new list view with the ability to customize modifiers, also known as the columns you see, will really let you tailor this for your specific needs.

For instance, I could see myself sorting by last modified and then pulling the folder containing images to the dock to edit in an app like Pixelmator, export, and then upload it into a content management system for a story build. Changes you make within folders or to these layouts can be synced across devices and updated in iCloud as well. If you’re a fan of colored folders and keen to name with emojis, you get this as well.

Those larger exports, maybe a batch photo editor or video export from Final Cut Pro, can now run in the background. I got a demo of this, and it either lives at the top of your device with a progress bar or in a little icon near your time where you can track multiple exports or tasks.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

The really exciting part, even from these demos and a little usage, is the fact that this isn’t just limited to the iPad Pro with M4 or the iPad Air with M3 or even another step-up model. This new multitasking experience is the result of a new ‘Window Prioritization Model’ that works in conjunction with the performance and resource manager. It has been entirely re-architected to run on any iPad that supports iPadOS 26.

Meaning that the 9th Gen iPad – one of the best values Apple’s ever released – will get this new multitasking experience, same for the 10th, 11th, or 13th Gen, the iPad Air, iPad mini, and Pro. You might not be able to open a dozen there all at once, but it will let you push the chip inside further.

For now, iPadOS 26 is in a developer beta, which means it's not for your main device as bugs and issues are to be expected, but a public beta will arrive in July, and this will be released for everyone with an eligible device in the Fall. I’m super excited to spend time with it and eventually give it a full review treatment, but for now, it’s the upgrade we’ve been waiting for that feels distinctly like an iPad.

Sure, the Mac has long been the ultimate in productivity, but that lacks touch and is truly designed for keyboard and trackpad. The iPad is multitouch first, and Apple really put the time in to craft an experience that feels purpose-made for multiple inputs, with touch being first.

Just fair warning, I’ll be using many, many windows.

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• The Fiio M21 hi-res audio player costs £279 / $329 (about AU$583)
• Quad-DAC configuration and two-stage amplification
• Desktop mode for optimized output for hi-fi systems

The arrival of a new affordable audio player from FiiO is guaranteed to get our attention: when we reviewed the JM21 portable music player we were blown away by its sound and its value for money. And now there's a new player that's more powerful without being much more expensive.

Where the JM21 is a dual-DAC device, the new FiiO M21 is a quad-DAC player. And double the DACs doesn't mean double the price: where the JM21 launched at $199 / £179, the M21 is $329 / £279.

FiiO M21 portable audio player: key specifications and features

(Image credit: FiiO)

The M21 is a sleek-looking thing with a big 4.7-inch IPS touchscreen on the front, a glass back, and an octa-core Snapdragon 680 inside it. The device runs Android 13 and comes with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage with 52GB of that available for use, and you can add up to 2TB via microSD. Bluetooth is 5.0 (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC).

The DACs are four Cirrus Logic CS4319s arranged to minimize crosstalk and noise. The two-stage amplification provides voltage first and current second, which Fiio says creates a clean and dynamic sonic profile.

A key new feature is M21, a first for Fiio's entry-level Androids. It enables you to connect to a USB-C supply and bypass the battery, delivering up to 21Vpp peak voltage and 950mW per channel into 32 ohms. Desktop mode also enables you to use the M21 as a hi-res streamer for a wider hi-fi system.

Battery life in portable mode is 15 hours over the 3.5mm output and 11.5 hours with the balanced 4.4mm output. And there's an optional retro case that looks like a cassette tape – it's the larger metal-colored box the M21 is sitting on in the main photo at the top.

There's no doubt that this is going to sound fantastic – and I suspect it'll probably cope better with higher volumes than the JM21, which gets a bit shouty when you crank things up too high. And at £279 / $329 the M21 still undercuts many rival hi-res audio devices – not least Fiio's own M23, another player we love.

Between that and the fake-cassette cas,e I think FiiO's come up with a winning formula here. The player is available now.

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• Researchers are warning about the "unsubscribe here" button in spam emails
• They can be used to redirect victims to malicious pages
• There are other ways to get rid of spam, so users should be on their guard

If you've received a spam email with an “unsubscribe here” button at the bottom, don’t press it - it could do more harm than good.

This is according to TK Keanini, CTO of DNSFilter, who recently revealed pressing such a button sends the recipient away from the safety of the email client and into the open internet, where potentially malicious landing pages are lurking.

In fact, Keanini claims that one in every 644 clicks can lead to a malicious website.

How to unsubscribe, then?

Even if clicking the button doesn’t lead directly to a phishing page, other, more subtle, risks, are lurking as well.

Keanini says that hackers would often place that button just to see who clicks - which would also help them determine which email addresses are active and thus worth targeting further.

The general rule of thumb seems to be - if you don’t trust the company that sent the email, don’t trust the unsubscribe process, either.

So, what’s the alternative? The alternative is to unsubscribe through the email client itself, rather than through the email’s body.

Most email clients have “list-unsubscribe headers”, which appear as built-in buttons and thus don’t include source code, Tom’s Guide explained. “If your email header doesn’t contain a link, you can reply on your spam filters, or try blacklisting the sender instead,” the publication further explained.

Those who don’t have these options can use disposable email addresses when signing up for different services. Most email service providers allow users to create throwaway email addresses, as well. For example, Gmail has a feature called “plus addressing” or “Gmail aliases”, which allow users to modify their address by adding a + and a tag before the @gmail.com address.

That way, the email address used during registration could be yourname+shopping@gmail.com. Messages will still arrive in the inbox, but they can be easily tracked or filtered.

Via Wall Street Journal

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How is it already June when January lasted about three years? Well, somehow, we've made it to the halfway point of 2025 and the best streaming services are ramping up their offerings as we head into the summer season. With the rising cost of inflation kicking in pretty much everywhere, it's not always optimal to maintain subscriptions to Every. Single. Service.

Enter: streaming hopping. Lots of people are opting to snip 'n' save every month by pausing subscriptions based on what's available to watch.

That's why I've pored over the main streamers and what they're offering this upcoming month, to help you decide which ones to keep, and which ones to pause for June 2025. I'll be exploring why Netflix is rocking my watchlist and why its one-time biggest competitor Prime Video remains on hold.

Why I'm not canceling Netflix…. again

(Image credit: Netflix)

Look, I'm as shocked as anyone to discover that the staple streamer I always refer to as the one I keep just because, is offering up plenty of new morsels that I'm genuinely excited to watch. And that doesn't include all of the teasers that debuted at this year's Tudum event.

First up, out of everything coming to Netflix in June, let's take a peek at the library titles. If classic horror is your bag, you'll be pleased as punch as a trio of top-shelf Hitchcock titles are scheduled to arrive June 1. The Birds, Frenzy, Rear Window, and Vertigo are the perfect jumping-off point if you've always wanted to get into Hitch but didn't know where to start. I only saw Vertigo for the first time recently and can't believe how long it took me to see it! So don't be like me – watch it!

Elsewhere on the new front, we've got a bunch of shows I'm very excited for. One is arguably one of the best Netflix shows ever made: Squid Game. Every single episode of Squid Game season 3 drops on June 27, bringing to a close this hugely popular series that makes you realize that things could always be worse – we could be fighting for our lives playing schoolyard games. Since season one, this South Korean series has become one of the water cooler shows of the season, so make sure to catch up on the first two seasons.

(Image credit: Netflix)

I'm excited as heck for The Ultimatum: Queer Love season 2 that drops in its entirety on June 25. I am typically not the biggest fan of reality TV, but the first season of this took over my life for a few days back in 2023. I expect season 2 will do exactly the same.

If it's cosy you're after, then look no further: Ginny and Georgia season 3 arrives on June 5 followed by Greys Anatomy season 21 (I'm sorry, season 21??) on June 14. Sometimes you need those shows that are the streaming equivalent of a weighted blanket, and this duo fit the bill.

Speaking of cosy, a couple of recent horrors are set to arrive on June 1, so if you wanna dive into the world of Jordan Peele scope out Us. Ahead of Weapons, Zach Cregger's sophomore effort due to arrive in theaters this summer, catch up on his 2022 debut Barbarian. I recommend going in knowing nothing!

Why I'm leaving my Prime Video subscription paused… also, again

(Image credit: Prime Video )

Until Prime Video delivers a whammy of must-see movies or shows– like October 2021 when it dropped a quartet of Original horror movies – I'm keeping my subscription on pause. That's not to say it will last forever, with the streamer promising a raft of intriguing titles in the future, but for now it's feeling a bit like… everything good is fleeing!

Last month's new Kevin Bacon series recently received the axe after one season, which only dropped in May, and they also canceled the sprawling Robert Jordan adaptation The Wheels Of Time following a three season-run.

Here's hoping Prime Video pivots back soon, but until then, I'll be sticking with Netflix.

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• Kioxia details its plans for a new SSD for AI workloads reaching 10 million IOPS
• IOPS measures how quickly a storage device can handle small, random requests
• New drive uses XL-Flash, a type of SLC NAND, and a new in-house controller

Kioxia has unveiled plans for a new SSD it says could hit an impressive 10 million IOPS, a level of performance aimed squarely at the demands of AI-driven systems.

The SSD will use XL-Flash, a type of single-level cell (SLC) NAND, combined with a new in-house controller.

A Kioxia spokesperson told TechPowerUp, “We’re taking our ultra-fast XL-Flash memory chips, which use single-level cells, and pairing them with a completely new controller… We're targeting over 10 million IOPS, and we plan to have samples ready by the second half of 2026.”

Difference between IOPS and GBps

IOPS, or input/output operations per second, measures how quickly a storage device can handle small, random requests, particularly important in AI and server applications where fast access to small files is key.

This is different from GBps, which refers to the actual data transfer speed and is used to measure how fast large files can be read or written.

A drive with high GBps might excel in video editing or large file transfers, but for machine learning tasks where thousands of small data packets are read or written constantly, high IOPS matters more.

Kioxia’s approach to next-gen storage includes not just one-off projects but a wider effort to meet varied use cases. Its CM9 series, which is sampling to customers now, focuses on speed and reliability to match high-end GPUs used in AI, while the LC9 series delivers massive 122TB capacities for large databases.

Behind these products is the 8th generation BiCS FLASH, which introduces CBA tech to boost performance and efficiency.

Kioxia is also preparing future flash memory generations using two methods. The first will add more layers for capacity, while the second blends new CMOS designs with older cell structures to keep investment costs in check.

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• New research found that Apple and Google keep offering VPN apps without revealing their Chinese ownership
• At least five may have ties with a Shanghai-based firm believed to have links with the Chinese military
• Experts first uncovered this threat in April 2025

At least 17 China-linked free VPN apps may still be hidden in Apple and Google app stores, and big tech could be making a profit – as revealed by new research.

In April, experts at Tech Transparency Project (TTP) first uncovered that millions of free VPN users across 20 apps may have sent their data to China without knowing it. Five of these were reported to have ties with Qihoo 360, a Shanghai-based firm believed to have links with the Chinese military.

Now, about six weeks later, TTP researchers have found that most of these VPNs are still available in the US Apple and Google app stores. They also said to have found evidence that Apple and Google may also be profiting from these apps.

Which are the free VPNs affected?

(Image credit: Geralt / Pixabay)

TTP's initial report found that more than 20 of the top 100 free VPNs available on the US Apple App Store had undisclosed ties with China.

Five of these apps (Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN) are reportedly linked with Qihoo 360 – a company the US sanctioned on national security grounds for its alleged ties with the Chinese military in June 2020.

While the best VPN services promise to boost online privacy and work with strict no-log policies, Chinese-owned VPNs are subjected to stricter data retention rules and can be forced to share user data with the government upon request.

After another check in May, an update to the report claims that, despite some of these being quitely removed, "two other apps linked to Qihoo 360 – Turbo VPN and VPN Proxy Master – remained available in the US Apple App Store, along with 11 other Chinese-owned apps identified in TTP’s report."

The latter are X-VPN, Ostrich VPN, VPNIFY, VPN Proxy OvpnSpider, WireVPN - Fast VPN & Proxy, Now VPN, Speedy Quark VPN, Best VPN Proxy AppVPN, HulaVPN, and Pearl VPN.

NEW: Apple and Google’s app stores continue to offer VPNs that are surreptitiously owned by Chinese companies, over 6 weeks after TTP first identified them.The latest findings also show Apple and Google may be profiting from these apps by taking a cut of subscription revenue. pic.twitter.com/fGzvBhPtOwJune 12, 2025

Researchers also found that the Google Play Store in the US offered 11 free VPN apps with shady Chinese ownership, which include four Qihoo 360-connected services (Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN).

The other are X-VPN, Speedy Quark VPN, VPNIFY, Ostrich VPN, VPN Proxy OvpnSpider, HulaVPN, and VPNProxy AppVPN.

Not only that, though. During TTP’s May spot check, researchers noticed that some of the VPNs listed as free in the app stores offer in-app purchases on top.

"That means Apple and Google may be profiting from these Chinese-owned VPNs when Americans pay for subscriptions or other add-ons," the new report reads.

On the Google Play Store, some of the Chinese-owned VPNs also come with a banner saying they contain advertisements.

Turbo VPN was one of the several Chinese-owned VPNs TTP researchers found to contain ads in the US Google Play – TTP took this screenshot in May 8, 2025 (Image credit: Tech Transparency Project (TTP))

TTP said that Apple, Google, Qihoo 360, and most of the listed developers of the apps did not respond to their request for comment.

TechRadar approached both Google and Apple for a comment.

Apple told TechRadar the company has some strict guidelines in place for VPN app developers, including not using, or disclosing any data for any purpose to third parties. Yet, Apple said it doesn't limit app distribution based on where the provider is based.

We are still waiting for a response from Google at the time of publication.

We can confirm that the China-linked VPN apps are also available in the UK's official app stores, and that's likely other markets are also affected.

If you are looking for a trustworthy free VPN service, we recommend you check our dedicated guide here. Today's top recommendations are Privado VPN and Proton VPN.

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• Researchers from HiddenLayer devised a new LLM attack called TokenBreaker
• By adding, or changing, a single character, they are able to bypass certain protections
• The underlying LLM still understands the intent

Security researchers have found a way to work around the protection mechanisms baked into some Large Language Models (LLM) and get them to respond to malicious prompts.

Kieran Evans, Kasimir Schulz, and Kenneth Yeung from HiddenLayer published an in-depth report on a new attack technique which they dubbed TokenBreak, which targets the way certain LLMs tokenize text, especially those using Byte Pair Encoding (BPE) or WordPiece tokenization strategies.

Tokenization is the process of breaking text into smaller units called tokens, which can be words, subwords, or characters, and which LLMs use to understand and generate language - for example, the word “unhappiness” might be split into “un,” “happi,” and “ness,” with each token then being converted into a numerical ID that the model can process (since LLMs don’t read raw text, but numbers, instead).

What are the finstructions?

By adding extra characters into key words (like turning “instructions” into “finstructions”), the researchers managed to trick protective models into thinking the prompts were harmless.

The underlying target LLM, on the other hand, still interprets the original intent, allowing the researchers to sneak malicious prompts past defenses, undetected.

This could be used, among other things, to bypass AI-powered spam email filters and land malicious content into people’s inboxes.

For example, if a spam filter was trained to block messages containing the word “lottery”, they might still allow a message saying “You’ve won the slottery!” through, exposing the recipients to potentially malicious landing pages, malware infections, and similar.

"This attack technique manipulates input text in such a way that certain models give an incorrect classification," the researchers explained.

"Importantly, the end target (LLM or email recipient) can still understand and respond to the manipulated text and therefore be vulnerable to the very attack the protection model was put in place to prevent."

Models using Unigram tokenizers were found to be resistant to this kind of manipulation, HiddenLayer added. So one mitigation strategy is to choose models with more robust tokenization methods.

Via The Hacker News

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• We polled TechRadar readers on new iOS 26 features
• The Liquid Glass redesign is what you're most looking forward to
• Early adopters can try the developer beta now

We sw the grand unveiling of iOS 26 at the start of this week, and the developer beta is already available for very early adopters – and now TechRadar readers have delivered their verdict on the most exciting features in this huge new software update.

And there are a lot of them to choose from: Apple has packed a lot into iOS 26, which will roll out to the masses later this year. On the TechRadar WhatsApp channel, we asked more than 1,000 TechRadar readers about which feature was the most exciting.

We gave you 10 different options to pick from, and these are the current standings for the top five, at the time of writing, in reverse order…

Voting is continuing in the TechRadar WhatsApp channel (Image credit: Future)5. Messages upgrades

The Messages app in iOS 26 is getting several handy upgrades, as it looks to take your attention away from rival chat apps. You can now add custom backgrounds to individual chats (very WhatsApp-esque), organize polls, and see typing indicators, for example. This came fifth in our survey of readers, ranked the most exciting feature by 5.8% of you.

4. CarPlay refresh

CarPlay comes built right into iOS, and springs up when you're connected to a compatible dashboard. We found that 6.9% of you are most excited about the CarPlay updates coming with iOS 26, which include refreshed visuals and a more compact look, widget support, and better call management – including the Call Screening feature from the iPhone.

3. Better battery management

Everyone is keen to get better battery life on their iPhones, and iOS 26 should deliver it. Among the battery-related improvements included in the update, we've got an Adaptive Power option that applies small optimizations to extend battery life, and a more detailed battery information screen. These features are the favorites for 8.9% of our readers.

(Image credit: Future)2. Call Screening

We just mentioned CarPlay Call Screening, and you'll be able to use call screening on your iPhone too: with incoming calls for unknown numbers, the Phone app asks those callers to give a reason for ringing. You can then see a transcript of the response on screen, and decide whether or not to take the call, and 10.9% of you rank it as the most exciting feature.

1. Liquid Glass redesign

The huge new Liquid Glass redesign is the most noticeable new feature coming with iOS 26, and it's the most exciting feature in the update for almost 49% of our readers. The visual overhaul leans heavily on frosted glass and translucent effects, and it's rolling out across Apple's various other software platforms too, including macOS 26.

And there you have it: almost half of you are most excited about the biggest visual revamp for iOS in many a year. No doubt there are more features to discover, and more features that Apple will add as the beta testing continues, and here at TechRadar we'll keep you updated every step of the way.

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• Google’s new Portraits experiment lets users chat with AI avatars modeled on real experts.
• The project's first Portrait is Radical Candor author Kim Scott.
• The avatar delivers advice based on Scott’s actual content and was developed with her direct involvement.

Google is testing out a tool to connect people with all kinds of experts, or at least their AI equivalents.

The new Portraits feature, available in Google Labs, lets you chat one‑on‑one with AI avatars modeled after real‑life experts and built with their input. The initial Portrait is an AI facsimile of Radical Candor author Kim Scott.

Think of it like a Zoom call with a life coach who's recently given a successful TED Talk (and yes, the name is more than a little suggestive of the Harry Potter magic paintings).

If you are in the US, you can sign up for Portraits through Google Labs, and, once approved, talk to Kim Scott right now. You'll hear her voice (or an AI clone of her voice) say hello, and you can chat right back. Her expertise is around leadership and management, so her Portrait will focus on those topics.

So, if you aren't sure how to give feedback to your boss, navigate complex work relationships, or overcome imposter syndrome, she's your digital muse. The responses are built on her actual work, filtered through Google’s Gemini AI model.

Importantly, the Portrait was developed with Scott's feedback and insight. This means the ideas, way of speaking, and even her tone, are all consistent with how she would actually behave in a real conversation.

The AI doesn’t actually know you, but the responses (wich it can say, or write) feel more tailored than a blog post and more personal than a YouTube video.

Talking to the AI Kim Scott with Google Portraits, I was impressed with the realism of the voice and the language choices in how the AI spoke; it definitely sounded like a real person unless I listened closely.

On the other hand, the Portrait is, of necessity, limited in what it will discuss. It feels like when, as a kid, you are talking to a teacher who is laser-focused on the lesson plan and will not be distracted by any attempt to go off-topic.

Personal Portraits

Google hasn't hinted at any specific plans for other people becoming Portraits, but it's easy to imagine a whole stable of AI avatars providing all kinds of expertise and with the seal of approval from the human behind the faces and voices.

You could talk to Neil deGrasse Tyson about space, or Dolly Parton on how to write songs and put on a show. Unlike other ways to mimic people with AI, like clever prompts to ChatGPT or the collection available from Character AI, you could rely on these digital mentors to say things the real person would.

That’s the bet Google seems to be making. Not that AI will replace human mentors, but that it might distribute their knowledge more evenly and make it more accessible. You don’t need to agree with everything the AI says to appreciate the potential here.

And at least now you can say Kim Scott told you how to be "a more kick-ass leader without losing your humanity."

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• Hackers are abusing a legitimate tool to target Entra ID accounts
• The password spraying attack targeted some 80,000 accounts
• Attackers managed to take over some accounts, accessing Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Outlook data

Cybercriminals have been spotted abusing a legitimate penetration testing tool to target people’s Entra ID user accounts with password-spraying attacks, experts hgave warned.

In an in-depth analysis shared with TechRadar Pro, cybersecurity researchers from Proofpoint claimed tens of thousands of accounts were targeted, and a few were compromised.

The researchers said unnamed threat actors engaged in a large-scale attack they dubbed UNK_SneakyStrike.

"Several" accounts compromised

In this campaign, the attackers used a legitimate pentesting tool called TeamFiltration.

This tool was created by a threat researcher in early 2021 and publicly released at DefCon30. It helps automate several tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used in modern ATO attack chains.

“As with many security tools that are originally created and released for legitimate uses, such as penetration testing and risk evaluation, TeamFiltration was also leveraged in malicious activity,” Proofpoint explained.

The researchers said the campaign most likely started in December 2024. By abusing Microsoft Teams API and Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers located around the world, they were able to launch user-enumeration and password-spraying attacks, targeting some 80,000 user accounts across roughly 100 cloud tenants.

The three primary source geographies from which the attacks originated include the United States (42%), Ireland (11%), and Great Britain (8%).

Proofpoint said that in “several cases”, the attackers managed to take over the accounts, accessing valuable information in Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and other productivity tools.

There was no attribution, so we don’t know if any organized threat actor sits behind this campaign. The researchers focused mostly on the use of legitimate tools for illegitimate purposes, saying they can “easily be weaponized” in an attempt to compromise user accounts, exfiltrate sensitive data, and establish persistent footholds.

“Proofpoint anticipates that threat actors will increasingly adopt advanced intrusion tools and platforms, such as TeamFiltration, as they pivot away from less effective intrusion methods.”

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• Samsung's RGB-backlit TV is starting a production trial
• It's a larger size than Samsung originally discussed, at 115 inches
• RGB backlighting means better color and dimming zones

Samsung is starting to test the production line for its the RGB MicroLED TV range it unveiled at CES 2025 – but unfortunately the first TVs coming off the line will be for people with big spaces and bigger bank balances.

As The Elec reports, the first production run for this TV will be a 115-inch model, and at that size all bets are off regarding prices. While this won't be the price of 'real' microLED TVs (which tend to run to six figures), it still won't be cheap when it's this size.

What Samsung calls an RGB MicroLED TV is not a microLED TV. It's a mini-LED TV with a next-gen backlight with smaller LEDs that can product full RGB color, instead of being a single color. As The Elec says, technically it's an RGB mini-LED LCD TV – of a similar kind to a rival coming from Hisense, with TCL also announcing that it'll use the tech in a set.

It's an important distinction, because microLED TV, like the best OLED TVs, have a self-emitting light for every pixel; that is, each pixel produces its own light. Mini-LED TVs do not – they have a color-filtering pixel layer in front of backlight of LEDs. And it's that backlight that differentiates this Samsung RGB TV from the best mini-LED TVs available now.

Why RGB Mini-LED is going to be worth waiting for

The RGB bit is a big step forwards. It means that instead of a white backlight, the panel has red, green and blue LEDs. That enables it to deliver bright, rich colors without as many color filtering layers as are needed currently, which all absorb light. The end result will be more efficient TVs with more beautiful colors at the same time.

So how much will this TV cost? We don't know, but Samsung told TechRadar Managing Editor Matt Bolton at CES that it shouldn't cost much, if any, more than regular mini-LED TVs. In April, Hisense announced that its 116-inch RGB MiniLED TV would have a price of 99,999 yuan, which is about $14,000 – not a surprising price for a high-end mini-LED TV that's this large at all.

I mean, that's a lot. But at the same time, it's not: true microLEDs TV are frighteningly expensive. Samsung's own true microLED TVs start at $90,000 for 76 inches, while LG's Magnit microLED TV is $237,000 for 118 inches.

Last summer it was reported that Samsung has told suppliers that until production costs drop by a whopping 90%, microLED won't be ready for prime time. We've been told by manufacturers that even five years is optimistic – and that’s just for commercial viability. There's a big gulf between commercial viability and mass-market affordability.

For now, this is the next big TV tech on the horizon – and while it's only arriving at 115 inches, we expect this to take much less time to arrive in sizes that can fit in the average home. It just won't be this model…

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• The Document Foundation, which makes LibreOffice, is the latest to jump on the anti-Windows 11 bandwagon
• The organization argues that Windows 10 users should switch to Linux
• It outlines the strengths of Linux, which include being free, open, and transparent

More than a few big players on the Linux side of the fence are now weighing in with the anti-Microsoft sentiment, and another has just joined this club: The Document Foundation (TDF).

What is that, exactly? TDF is the creator of LibreOffice, an alternative to Microsoft Office for Linux (and other platforms), and the organization has a multi-pronged argument to try and persuade Windows 10 holdouts to try a Linux distro rather than migrating to Windows 11. (And of course, some folks can’t upgrade to the latter, anyway, due to Windows 11’s heftier system requirements).

As Neowin flagged up, TDF has a blog post entitled: “The end of Windows 10 is approaching, so it’s time to consider Linux and LibreOffice.”

That’s straight to the point, certainly, and TDF also makes it clear that it’s supporting the broader ‘End of 10’ project, also urging those facing the end of Windows 10 (in October 2025) to switch to Linux.

TDF observes: “The countdown has begun. On 14 October 2025, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 … The good news? You don’t have to follow Microsoft’s upgrade path [to Windows 11]. There is a better option that puts control back in the hands of users, institutions, and public bodies: Linux and LibreOffice. Together, these two programmes offer a powerful, privacy-friendly and future-proof alternative to the Windows + Microsoft 365 ecosystem.”

The organization insists that sticking with Windows 11 limits the consumer in terms of fostering a continued dependence on Microsoft, and its “forcing” of the use of its various services, cloud integration (OneDrive), and of course the Microsoft account.

TDF points out that Microsoft is trying to drum up subscriptions (meaning Microsoft 365, for those who use Office – and indeed OneDrive), and reduce “control over how your computer works and how your data is managed.” That latter potshot is aimed at how Microsoft’s system of telemetry works, piping data from your Windows PC back to its servers (though how much, and what kind of data, depends on your settings).

The final shot echoes a lot of other worries out there: “Furthermore, new hardware requirements will render millions of perfectly good PCs obsolete.”

And that’s one of the main beefs when it comes to the Windows 11 upgrade. It’s not necessarily that people don’t want the newer OS – though some don’t – it’s just that due to security measures imposed with Windows 11, which rule out older CPUs (and PCs without TPM 2.0, a security feature), a lot of Windows 10 PCs simply can’t have it.

So, get Linux instead is the answer, and in the case of this particular sub-campaign, grab LibreOffice as well to replace Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

TDF emphasizes the free and open nature of both Linux and LibreOffice, and how they are overseen by foundations, rather than a company looking to turn a profit. And also that older Windows 10 PCs will have no trouble running a Linux distro (and there’s a wide choice of different flavors of desktop OS to pick from, of course).

Analysis: Free, open and trustworthy – but too steep a hill to climb for some?

(Image credit: MAYA LAB / Shutterstock)

There’s an increasing amount of momentum getting behind the ‘switch from Windows 10 to Linux’ campaign. Remember that recently, KDE (which makes a Linux desktop environment called Plasma) argued that Microsoft is guilty of enforcing a kind of ‘tech extortion’ on Windows 10 users, and while, as I noted at the time, that’s extreme language being used, I get where the sentiment is coming from.

TDF is to some extent picking up that ‘extortion’ theme here, particularly when it talks about Microsoft trying to lock folks into its various services. And it’s a fair observation in some ways: the Microsoft Account is very much being pushed by the software giant, and there’s persistent badgering in Windows 11 to use, say, OneDrive. Although this is nudging and veiled advertising more than it’s ‘forcing’ anything on anyone, granted, it’s still annoying to see this, and the various ads (some of them outright adverts) Microsoft peddles via Windows – a paid-for OS.

As TDF underlines, Microsoft is looking to make a profit, whereas Linux is free, open, and transparent, and therefore more trustworthy at a fundamental level.

I won’t retread the ground that I’ve already been over in my recent stories regarding the arguments of why Linux might be a tricky proposition for a good number of Windows 10 users, but I need to again point out some of the downsides in the interests of balance here.

The main issue is that in the case of less tech-savvy users, going from Windows 10 to Linux is quite an upheaval. There’s a whole new interface and way of working to learn, and there are bound to be apps that people have purchased that aren’t compatible with Linux, or games that won’t work properly (certainly those online games with anti-cheat protection).

In its blog post, TDF advises that: “Replacing Windows and Microsoft Office is not as difficult as it seems, either at an individual or corporate level.”

Then it suggests that a first step towards making the switch from Windows 10 to Linux is: “Start by testing Linux and LibreOffice on a second partition of your PC (for individuals) or in less critical departments (for companies).”

This is rather a case of ‘nail, meet hammerhead’ in terms of worries about less tech-savvy users making a transition like this to a whole new OS. There are doubtless massed ranks of Windows 10 users out there who wouldn’t have a clue how to set up Linux by using a partition on their drive. And yes, you can find out how – and the Linux community is, in general, undeniably super-helpful (as TDF touches on elsewhere) – but still, I think how far out of the comfort zone this is for a lot of PC owners is being underestimated here.

The crux in many ways is that Linux is more of an enthusiast proposition by its very nature – and that’s part of what makes it great, and why the community is tight-knit and so supportive. But for the average Windows 10 user, the migration to Linux may simply appear to be too steep an ascent, and the initial teething problems they may face, particularly with hardware or software compatibility, may make the climb feel perilously close to vertical.

Those who are mulling a move to Linux might want to peruse TechRadar’s roundup of the best Linux distros for beginners, or the distros that are similar to Windows, and so could help you feel more immediately at home.

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• Nvidia’s RTX 5050 desktop GPU is rumored to have 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, slower than the rest of the Blackwell range
• In theory, it’ll run at the same speed as the GDDR6 in AMD’s RDNA 4 GPUs
• Whatever the video memory spec turns out to be, Nvidia can still have a winning budget GPU if the price is pitched right

We’re again hearing that Nvidia’s RTX 5050 desktop graphics card is nearing launch, and will be using slower video RAM than the rest of the Blackwell GPU range.

In fact, according to a new rumor aired on X that VideoCardz noticed, the RTX 5050 will employ GDDR6 video RAM (rather than GDDR7 as seen elsewhere with Blackwell) running at a speed of 20Gbps. As per previous chatter, it’ll run with 8GB of this VRAM.

By the way, Desktop RTX5050 uses 20Gbps GDDR6, the same as the RDNA4 family. https://t.co/Va2Qj7ZRIeJune 13, 2025

This is from leaker MEGAsizeGPU, who is generally regarded as a reliable source, and further notes that this is the same speed of VRAM as seen in AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards (meaning the likes of the RX 9070 XT).

If the grapevine is right, the RTX 5050 desktop will launch in the near future, maybe as soon as July, and it’ll probably arrive alongside the mobile variant for budget gaming laptops, too.

Analysis: Pricing is key, as ever

(Image credit: Pexels)

At this point, the volume of RTX 5050 leaks has been pretty hefty, so much so that it’d be a surprise if Nvidia didn’t have this GPU inbound. Rumors must be carefully seasoned, naturally, but when enough of them are consistently floating around, it’s difficult to deny that they’re likely to come to pass.

What’s odd about the speculation around the RTX 5050, both laptop and desktop versions, is that the various sources can’t seem to decide on the type of VRAM used. Some laptop rumors still insist the RTX 5050 mobile may get the faster GDDR7 video RAM used in other Blackwell GPUs, while the desktop theories have plumped for GDDR6. Indeed, recent laptop listings that have leaked the RTX 5050 mobile have shown both GDDR6 and GDDR7 video memory.

Is it possible we could see both types of VRAM used in laptops? That seems highly unlikely, as it would be seriously confusing for consumers (not that Nvidia hasn’t done that before). We might see GDDR7 for laptops, and GDDR6 for the desktop RTX 5050; that’s certainly possible.

But what I think is more likely is that Nvidia intended to use GDDR7 at some point, but changed to GDDR6, and this is what we’ll get for all models of the RTX 5050, laptop and desktop.

Whatever the case, the RTX 5050 is sure to pack 8GB, as that’s the leanest amount Nvidia could possibly get away with. And while there has been a lot of complaining about 8GB being an insufficient pool of video RAM for modern gaming, remember, this is very much a budget GPU, so it’ll have a configuration oriented towards making it cheap.

That is, of course, the key. While there’s been disappointment that the RTX 5050’s rumored specs make it look rather weak sauce – and this latest nugget from X hasn’t helped – if Nvidia frames that spec with attractive enough pricing, then we’ll have a winner. It really is that simple.

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• AMD looks like it’s losing the GPU war based on new Steam survey, with Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti proving itself to be popular already
• Rumored Nvidia RTX 5080 Super specs disappoint some gamers, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with this GPU
• AMD could be working on a faster RX 9070 Extreme graphics card

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, June 13 (game #1236).

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1237) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1237) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1237) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1237) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1237) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• F

• T

• I

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

Quordle today (game #1237) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1237, are…

• STICK
• FERRY
• THESE
• IONIC

I thought I was being very clever, deducing that my second word had to end E-R-R-Y, but faced with a choice between berry, perry and FERRY I opted for the wrong one. 

I still feel clever, even though it’s just an illusion – when the possibilities are limited, finding the right words comes a lot easier.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1237) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1237, are…

• MAMBO
• HENCE
• CREAK
• CRUSH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY
• Quordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSE
• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL
• Quordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVEL
• Quordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUME
• Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
• Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY
• Quordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCE
• Quordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPO
• Quordle #1226, Tuesday, 3 June: FUGUE, SYRUP, FLACK, WORST
• Quordle #1225, Monday, 2 June: THINK, BELLE, CRONE, BOULE
• Quordle #1224, Sunday, 1 June: POINT, MERIT, WHOOP, APHID
• Quordle #1223, Saturday, 31 May: CRUMB, ELFIN, DRIER, QUITE
• Quordle #1222, Friday, 30 May: RAJAH, CAUSE, BLACK, ETUDE
• Quordle #1221, Thursday, 29 May: CRIER, DRAPE, STRUT, NEIGH
• Quordle #1220, Wednesday, 28 May: HELLO, BEADY, VIGIL, PURER
• Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR
• Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP
• Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN