TechRadar News

• TPG Telecom confirmed a cyberattack with the country's securities exchange agency
• Unidentified crooks stole an employee's account login and used it to exfiltrate sensitive data
• Customers of its iiNet sub-brand were affected

TPG Telecom, a major Australian telecommunications provider, suffered what it described as a “limited” cyberattack - however, judging by the amount of personal information stolen, that “limited” comes with quite large quotation marks.

The company issued a statement with the Australian Securities Exchange in which it reported currently investigating a cybersecurity incident when an unauthorized third party accessed its iiNet order management system - internal software tool used within the iiNet brand to create, manage, and track customer service orders.

The incident was spotted on Saturday, August 16, with the preliminary investigation showing that the origin of the breach were stolen employee account credentials. The company described the attack as “limited” since the system that was breached does not contain extensive data. However, that data still includes iiNet email addresses for some customers, iiNet landline phone numbers, contact names, contact numbers and residential addresses “for a smaller group of customers”.

Names, addresses, and phone numbers

What the iiNet order management system does not contain are copies or details of identity documents, or credit card and banking information.

The number of affected individuals is in the hundreds of thousands: 280,000 active iiNet email addresses, around 20,000 active iiNet landline phone numbers, around 10,000 iiNet user names, street addresses and phone numbers, and around 1,700 modem set-up passwords, all stolen.

This could trigger a wave of highly convincing phishing emails, voice scams, and malware / ransomware deployments through vulnerable modems. Phishing emails can lead to the compromise of banking accounts, social media accounts, and other services, and could result in identity theft, wire fraud, and more.

“We unreservedly apologise to our iiNet customers impacted by this incident,” TPG Telecom said in the announcement.

“We will be taking immediate steps to contact impacted iiNet customers, advise of any actions they should take and offer our assistance. We will also contact all non-impacted iiNet customers to confirm they have not been affected.”

There is currently no evidence of abuse in the wild.

Via The Register

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When Hisense announced its 116-inch RGB mini-LED TV at CES 2025, the TV world took notice.

RGB panel technology had already been realized in LG’s new Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel, with the promise of bolder, richer colors than had previously been seen in a TV. But combining that with a super-bright mini-LED backlight in a cinema-sized screen was an equally exciting prospect.

Hisense makes some of the best TVs, with the new Hisense U8QG scoring highly in our Hisense U8QG review and finding its place on several of our best-of lists. But the new 116UX is mini-LED TV tech taken to the next level.

I got the chance to test the Hisense 110UXN in December 2024, and it earned four out of 5 stars in my Hisense 110UXN review. Its color and brightness were two highlights, but the $15,000 / £20,000 price was tough to overlook, especially given the TV’s backlight blooming and screen uniformity issues.

The major difference between the Hisense 110UX and the 116UX is the latter’s RGB mini-LED backlight (the 110UX uses a standard mini-LED backlight). My colleague Matthew Murray, Head of Testing for Future, did his own hands-on test of the 116UX. But I got to spend more time with it doing real-world testing.

A new world of color and detail

Color is where the Hisense 116UX really shines, shown here with Elemental in Dolby Vision IQ. (Image credit: Disney / Future)

From the minute I streamed Elemental, one of my movie choices for testing color, on Disney+, it was clear that the TV’s RGB LEDs (all 20,000 of them) added another layer to the experience. Even with the TV in Dolby Vision Dark mode, colors looked spectacular. The oranges, reds and purples of Ember’s flames and the glass vase were displayed with a real vibrancy. Switching to Dolby Vision IQ made colors look even brighter and bolder, but I preferred the more natural picture with Dolby Vision Dark.

I next moved to Wicked on 4K Blu-ray, again in Dolby Vision Dark mode. As Elphaba stood under a tree with pink flowers, the flowers looked rich and bright, with bold highlights, and Elphaba’s green skin was vivid. This was hardly surprising since in our measurements, we found that the 116UX covered a staggering 99.4% of the UHDA-P3 color gamut, matching the color performance even of the best OLED TVs of this year, such as the LG G5 and Samsung S95F.

Watching demo footage on the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray in HDR10 format, a field of red flowers had an eye-popping punch and plenty of depth. A parrot’s yellow and blue feathers shimmered, looking vibrant and colorful.

This footage uses the BT.2020 color space, and when we measured the 116UX, its BT.2020 color gamut coverage was 92.64% – a phenomenal result and the highest we’ve ever recorded for a TV. Once again, it’s no wonder the 116UX’s color looks so good.

Throughout my testing, I also noticed that textures and details were incredibly realistic, which gave people, objects, and landscapes depth, clarity and a real lifelike presence. Close-up shots of faces, such as those in The Batman and No Time to Die, revealed every pore, hair, and scar with a staggering level of detail. Even the 116UX’s upscaling was impressive, with the textures in an HD stream of Fight Club on Disney+ getting a real uplift.

Room for improvementImage 1 of 2

While the Hisense 116UX displayed deep black levels in some cases (1), it struggled with real-world content such as Alien: Romulus, where clouding was apparent (2). (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios / Future )

The 116UX had seriously impressed me with its color and detail, but it was now time to move on to darker movie scenes, something mini-LED TVs can struggle with. Watching the same Spears & Munsil demo footage, but focusing on studio sequences with objects against dark black backgrounds and night scenes, the 116UX displayed deep, rich blacks. They did look slightly raised in places, but they were still impressive for a mini-LED TV, especially one this bright. I did see some blooming around bright objects, which was more apparent when viewing from an off-center position, but the TV’s performance here was pretty good overall.

So all good news, right? Not quite. Watching other dark scenes in Dolby Vision Dark mode revealed some screen uniformity issues with the massive 116UX. In Alien: Romulus, a scene with an alien nest in a tunnel showed significantly raised black levels along with a clouding effect.

The same was true for The Batman. In the opening crime scene sequence, black levels looked raised, and there was the same blooming around characters and bright objects. Also, the clouding effect I saw in Alien: Romulus could be seen here.

Admittedly, The Batman is an extremely challenging movie for TVs due to its low mastered brightness (400 nits compared to the standard 1,000 nits). And the clouding effect wasn’t as bad with Alien: Romulus, but it was still present. For a TV at this price, I’d expected it to do a better job. The 116UX won’t be beating the best OLED TVs any time soon.

A big price to pay

(Image credit: Future)

The Hisense 116UX is set to launch in September for $24,999 / AU$39,999 / €28,999 (roughly £25,000 based on the European price). That price is going to outstretch almost everyone’s budget.

I also found during my testing that while its built-in sound system is impressive, with plenty of bass rumble, the sound felt constrained to the screen. A screen like this deserves sound to match, so you’ll need to take the price of one of the best soundbars into account, too.

While you can’t get an OLED TV at this size, you can buy a 97-inch LG G4 or LG G5 OLED for roughly the same price at $24,999 / £24,999. You can also get a top-end 4K projector, such as the JVC DLA-NZ800, with a decent screen and sound system to match for a similar price. When you consider that, the 116UX suddenly looks a little pricey.

The 116UX isn’t a perfect TV, but it is an impressive step forward for mini-LED tech. Despite its shortcomings, its color, brightness and upscaling are all superb. With improved local dimming and a more reasonable price tag, RGB mini-LED could become a real threat to OLED TVs.

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When we look back over the summer months, Netflix has been on top form, bringing us one gripping title after the next – and it's keeping up that momentum for its wave of September 2025 movies and shows.

There are plenty of Netflix Original movies and shows to choose from over the coming weeks. Indeed, we're excited for the second part of Wednesday season 2 to arrive on September 3, but the new drama series House of Guinness has also caught our eye, which follows the family behind the world's best pint.

It's always difficult to let go of the summer months, but when the best streaming service pulls through with a stacked list of movies, it makes it easier to adjust to the colder seasons. So, if you're stuck with what to add to your fall watchlist, look no further than the new Netflix titles below.

Everything new on Netflix in September 2025

Arriving on September 1

8 Mile (movie)
A Thousand Tomorrows season 1 (TV show)
The Amazing Spider-Man (movie)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (movie)
Billy Madison (movie)
The Boy Next Door (movie)
Boyz n the Hood (movie)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (movie)
Bridesmaids (movie)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie)
Chicken Run (movie)
Dennis the Menace (movie)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (movie)
Edge of Tomorrow (movie)
Escape Room (movie)
Good Advice (movie)
The Four Seasons (movie)
Franklin & Bash seasons 1-4 (TV show)
Hot Shots! (movie)
Hot Shots! Part Deux (movie)
Inglourious Basterds (movie)
Inside Man (movie)
Inside Man: Most Wanted (movie)
Knocked Up (movie)
La La Land (movie)
The Land Before Time (movie)
Liar Liar (movie)
Limitless (movie)
Long Shot (movie)
Money Talks (movie)
Orphan Black seasons 1-5 (TV show)
Paddington (movie)
Phantom Thread (movie)
Puss in Boots (movie)
The Rookie (movie)
The Running Man (movie)
Shark Tale (movie)
Sherlock Holmes (movie)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (movie)
Shrek (movie)
Shrek 2 (movie)
Shrek Forever After (movie)
Shrek the Third (movie)
Stand by Me (movie)
We're the Millers (movie)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (movie)

Arriving on September 3

Wednesday season 2 part 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving September 4

Countdown: Canelo v Crawford (Netflix original series)
Pokémon Concierge season 1 part 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 5

Inspector Zende (Netflix original movie)
Love Con Revenge (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 7

The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 8

Stolen: Heist of the Century (Netflix original documentary)

Arriving on September 9

Daddy's Home (movie)
Daddy's Home 2 (movie)
Jordan Jensen: Take Me With You (Netflix comedy special)
Kiss or Die (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 10

aka Charlie Sheen (Netflix original documentary)
The Dead Girls (Netflix original series)
Love Is Blind: Brazil: Season 5 (Netflix original series)
Love is Blind: France (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 11

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (movie)
Diary of a Ditched Girl (Netflix original series)
Kontrabida Academy (Netflix original series)
Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black season 2 (Netflix original series)
Wolf King season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 12

Beauty and the Bester (Netflix original documentary)
Maledictions (Netflix original series)
Ratu Ratu Queens: The Series (Netflix original series)
The Wrong Paris (Netflix original movie)
You and Everything Else (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 13

Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford (Netflix live event)

Arriving on September 14

Ancient Aliens season 11 (TV show)
Moving On (movie)

Arriving on September 15

Call the Midwife season 14 (TV show)
Nashville seasons 1-6 (TV show)
S.W.A.T. season 8 (TV show)

Arriving on September 17

1670 season 2 (Netflix original series)
Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen (Netflix original documentary)
Next Gen Chef (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 18

The BA***DS of Bollywood (Netflix original series)
Black Rabbit (Netflix original series)
Platonic: Blue Moon Hotel (Netflix original series)
Same Day with Someone (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on September 19

Billionaires' Bunker (Netflix original series)
Cobweb (movie)
Haunted Hotel (Netflix original series)
She Said Maybe (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on September 22

Blippi's Job Show season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 23

Cristela Alonzo: Upper Classy (Netflix comedy special)
Spartacus seasons 1-4 (TV show)

Arriving on September 24

The Guest (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 25

Alice in Borderland season 3 (Netflix original series)
House of Guinness (Netflix original series)
Wayward (Netflix original series)

Arriving on September 26

Ángela: Limited Series (Netflix original series)
French Lover (Netflix original movie)
Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua Part 4 (Netflix original series)
Ruth & Boaz (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on September 28

10 Things I Hate About You (movie)
Idiocracy (movie)
Sweet Home Alabama (movie)

Arriving on September 30

Earthquake: Joke Telling Business (Netflix comedy special)
Interview with the Vampire season 2 (TV show)
Nightmares of Nature: Cabin in the Woods (Netflix original documentary)

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Gemini is coming to Google Home, and during yesterday’s Made by Google event, we saw our first glimpse of an unreleased Google Nest speaker - a roughly spherical device with a colored light at the base, seen sitting on a table beside F1 driver Lando Norris.

It’s about time too, given it’s been four years since Google’s last home hub, the 2nd-gen Nest Hub, launched in 2021. The question is, after such a long and rocky road, will anyone want it?

First of all, I find it interesting that Google has given us a peek at a speaker, not a smart display. It suggests that Google is taking a different approach to Amazon (which released two new Echo Show hubs late last year, and those are now the primary interface for its new subscription-tier Alexa+ service), and Apple (which is rumored to be announcing a new Apple Intelligence-powered display in September).

The Gemini presentation certainly didn’t tease a new Pixel Tablet – Google’s semi-portable smart home hub, which you can detach from its base and carry from room to room – though perhaps it’s keeping that up its sleeve for later in the year.

There was no sign of an updated Google Pixel Tablet to compete with the new Amazon Echo Show devices (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Despite its lack of a screen, the new Nest will need a serious silicon upgrade to keep pace with its rivals. The Echo Show 15 and 21 both sport Amazon’s new AZ2 processor, which the company claims will let them run an LLM locally with no latency, so the Nest will need a complete internal overhaul to compete, with a brand new chipset and more RAM.

That will mean a big price increase from previous Nest speakers - but will people be willing to pay? Google is currently facing an outcry from users who report that their existing Nest devices are throwing up error messages, or no longer recognizing commands. A US law firm has even announced that it has "begun investigating a possible class action" against Google because so many owners are reporting problems.

Device owners on the Google Home subreddit are certainly skeptical that the new speaker represents a fresh start for Google’s hardware.

“Not buying another Google Home product until they fix the thousand plus dollars worth of devices that I already bought and have been getting worse and worse with each passing week,” says the top-rated comment.

“Seriously I've never bought a tech product that literally got worse over time. It's insane. Why should I give Google [any more] money?”

A chilly reception

That’s not the only issue - users living outside North America (including me) might not ever be able to use the new Nest to its full potential. In its Gemini for Home announcement, Google explained that users can “conveniently issue multiple commands at once to control your home: 'Dim the lights, and set the temp to 72 degrees.'” But I won’t.

That’s because Google is ending support for its older smart thermostats in October, and won’t be selling any new ones in Europe - including the Fourth-Generation Nest Learning Thermostat that launched last year in the US and Canada. According to Google, this is because “heating systems in Europe are unique and have a variety of hardware and software requirements that make it challenging to build for the diverse set of homes.”

The Fourth-Gen Nest Learning Thermostat should work seamlessly with Gemini, but Google says it'll never be available in Europe (Image credit: Future)

That also means we’ll miss out on hot water control - a feature coming to Google Home very soon according to Android Authority, which secured confirmation from Google Nest and Home Chief Product Officer Anish Kattukaran.

I’m curious to learn more about the new Nest, but with Google’s current usability issues, a potentially high price tag, and a lack of commitment to customers in Europe, it’ll have to work hard to convince me it’s a good investment.

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• Stolen payment card data is fueling ghost tapping fraud worldwide
• Burner phones are turning identity theft into organized retail scams
• Luxury goods bought with ghost tapping are quickly resold online

Digital payment services have long promised speed and ease, but the same systems are increasingly being manipulated for fraud.

Recorded Future’s Insikt Group researchers are now warning a new wave of fraud known as “ghost-tapping” has been spreading quickly across Southeast Asia and beyond since 2020.

The method allows scammers to load stolen payment details onto burner phones, which are then used for retail fraud.

How ghost-tapping works

Ghost-tapping relies on stolen payment card data, often gathered through phishing, social engineering, or mobile malware.

Once the information is taken, criminals bypass security by intercepting one-time passwords sent to victims, and then upload the stolen data to mobile wallets linked to contactless services such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Syndicates can use burner phones to make purchases in stores or even withdraw money from ATMs.

The process shows parallels with identity theft, where personal and financial data is exploited for profit.

Recorded Future’s Insikt Group says it has observed organized groups distributing not only phones but also software that can relay card details across devices.

This enables a network of mules who present themselves as ordinary shoppers or tourists, purchasing high-value goods such as jewelry or mobile phones, which are later resold through underground Telegram channels.

After a security clampdown on Telegram channels, syndicates shifted operations to alternatives such as Xinbi Guarantee and Tudou Guarantee, which continue to facilitate ghost-tapping deals.

According to the researchers, the high volume of ads and mule recruitment on these platforms suggests that many goods circulating in these markets originate from ghost-tapping.

This campaign is persistent, and even after several arrests of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals in Singapore in 2024, the decentralized nature of Telegram-based trading makes disruption difficult.

Ghost-tapping has wide implications for retail, banks, and payment providers.

Because many stores lack strict Know-Your-Customer checks, fraud is difficult to spot at the point of sale.

Insurance companies are also exposed to the fallout of unauthorized transactions.

In Singapore alone, police recorded hundreds of incidents of phished card data tied to mobile wallets, leading to millions in losses.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has described ghost-tapping as part of a larger professionalization of scamming in the region.

“The convergence between the acceleration and professionalization of these operations on the one hand and their geographical expansion into new parts of the region and beyond on the other translates into a new intensity in the industry - one that governments need to be prepared to respond to,” Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC acting regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said at the time.

How to stay safe

• Implement multi-factor authentication to strengthen protection against unauthorized use of payment credentials.
• Rely on reputable security suites and properly configured firewalls to mitigate phishing and malware threats before data is stolen.
• Maintain vigilance when entering financial details online to avoid exposing sensitive information to fraudulent sites.

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I’ve been testing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for close to a month, and I’m convinced it might just be the best phone on the planet.

Before this, I relied on the Z Fold 7’s older sibling – Samsung’s Z Fold 6 – and I fell in love with that phone almost instantly thanks to its unique design that morphs between a phone and tablet whenever I need.

However even after 12 months of knowing how great the phone is, whenever I talked or wrote about the Z Fold 6, I always explained that I didn’t think it’s the right phone for most people – and if Samsung hadn’t sent us this phone for testing, I’d probably be using something like a Galaxy S25 or Google Pixel 9 because they offer better bang for your buck.

That’s not so much the case with the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Yes, it’s still a pricey beast. However, Samsung’s new foldable does a much better job of justifying its high price.

VS. Z Fold 6

The Z Fold 6 was my champion (Image credit: Future)

Samsung took my biggest Z Fold 6 frustrations and eliminated them with the 7.

The outer screen is now a 6.5-inch display instead of 6.3, but more importantly, the squashed aspect ratio of the Z Fold 6 has been changed to a standard 21 by 9. This means you no longer have to deal with compressed or poorly optimized apps that are cut off at the edges, since, when closed, the phone is practically indistinguishable from a standard flagship model.

When opened, you’ll unlock a larger inner screen now, too. I thought the screen on the 6 was great, but that extra space on the 7 is certainly handy for gaming, watching videos, or being productive.

This phone is also impressively slim.

At 8.9mm thick – when folded – the phone is just 0.7mm thicker than a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Despite my fiancée being used to seeing me open up my phone, she audibly gasped when I did it with the Z fold 7 for the first time, as until that moment, she thought I was testing a standard single-screen phone.

It might only be 3.2mm thinner than the Z Fold 6, and 24g lighter too, but these seemingly small savings make a world of difference in how easy the phone is to handle day in and day out.

The Z Fold 7 is bigger, and better (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The real world of change comes from the cameras.

While on paper its 12MP ultra wide and 10MP 3X optical zoom lenses don’t look to be any better than what the Galaxy Fold 6 gave us, Samsung says some other hardware tweaks have been made to improve their image quality, which does look to be the case.

But where there’s no doubt that the Z Fold 7 is better with its 200MP main sensor, the same megapixel count you’ll get from Samsung’s S25 Ultra.

I’ll get back to this Ultra comparison in a minute, but know that the camera array on the Z Fold 7 is close to perfection for casual photographers like me.

Selecting this 200MP option allows the phone to produce high-resolution photos that you can crop as needed, or by using the 50 or 12MP options, I can snap a photo that uses pixel binning and other software tricks to enhance the clarity, contrast, and colors of my snaps.

The selfie cameras have been improved too, with the biggest change being that the inner selfie cam is now 10MP – replacing a 4MP under-display camera, and I can’t tell you how much of an upgrade this is.

And while it is now a hole punch, it’s never all that distracting.

The Z Fold 7 has better cameras (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Not every aspect has received a major update this time around however.

The battery size of the Z Fold 7 is the same as the Z Fold 6, though some efficiency improvements mean that Samsung says the 7 can squeeze out an extra hour in its tests – bringing it up to 24 hours of use.

This is still less than the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 31-hour battery life under the same Samsung testing conditions, and I’ve found from my real-world testing that the Fold 7 does usually need a top off towards the late afternoon or evening.

It also still only boasts the same IP48 rating as the Z Fold 6.

This isn’t ideal, though I have to admit that for my day-to-day usage, the IP48 rating is plenty.

I’ve visited three sandy beaches and spent a week in the desert this past year with my foldable as my daily driver, and while I was careful not to drop it in the sand, I didn't go overboard with a ziplock bag or anything, and my phone came away completely unscathed.

It's just superb (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)VS. S25 Ultra

Okay, I said I’d get back to the S25 Ultra, and here we are.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 was billed as an Ultra-level phone, and in many ways, that’s true.

If you get into the nitty gritty, the Ultra does still have some advantages – chiefly its battery, camera array, and display resolution (and that it supports the S Pen, though I’ve never used a stylus with the Z Fold 6 and frankly couldn’t care less if the Z Fold 7 supported one or not) – but the gap between the Fold 7 and the S25 Ultra in these areas has shrunk from where it was with the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

(Image credit: Future)

And with its massive tablet-like display, the foldable finally has enough of an edge on Samsung’s other phones for me.

I know cost will play the biggest part in deciding your next phone, but I would wholeheartedly recommend giving the Z Fold 7 some attention if your budget can comfortably stretch that far through deals or an affordable monthly contract.

Unlike the Z Fold 6, this feels like a phone you won’t regret buying. I know I’d go out and buy a Z Fold 7 – something I wasn’t able to say about the foldables that came before.

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• Nearly 700 counterfeit Seagate hard drives were seized in a major Malaysian raid
• Counterfeiters converted desktop HDDs into fake surveillance drives for profit
• Thousands of dollars were generated monthly through counterfeit hard drive sales

A large-scale raid in Malaysia has revealed the extent of manipulation in the hard drive market.

Seagate, working alongside the Ministry of Domestic Trade, traced suspicious online offers to a warehouse near Kuala Lumpur.

The raid uncovered a counterfeiting workshop that not only handled its own hard drives but also those from Western Digital and Toshiba.

Discovery of altered storage devices

This is not the first time old Seagate HDDs have been modified and sold as new. The Chia cryptocurrency case and other reports show Seagate drives are susceptible to counterfeiting.

In this latest case, nearly 700 Seagate units, some with capacities reaching 18TB, were seized.

Evidence suggests that devices were taken from the secondary market, scrubbed clean, fitted with new labels, and then sold as though they were fresh from the factory.

A striking case involved a desktop HDD being converted into a so-called "new" surveillance HDD, highlighting the deceptive practices being used.

The operation came to light when a sales manager noticed unusually low prices on e-commerce sites such as Lazada and Shopee.

Further investigation showed that the fraudsters reset SMART values to mask the age and use of the drives.

Reports indicate that the sales volume was large, with thousands of US dollars being generated each month.

Many of these products were listed as high-capacity options, making them attractive to customers seeking affordable storage, whether in desktop systems, portable HDD setups, or NAS HDD configurations.

Seagate believes the used equipment may have originated in China, although tracing the precise supply chain remains difficult.

The challenge now lies in finding out how large the network is and who is ultimately responsible for channeling used parts into counterfeit goods.

The raid demonstrates that organized groups are capable of reshaping the appearance of drives so effectively that unsuspecting buyers may only realize the problem once failures occur.

In response, Seagate has strengthened its partner program, demanding that distributors commit to sourcing exclusively from authorized suppliers.

Global Trade Screening is being emphasized as a mechanism to block purchases from companies that appear on sanctions lists.

These steps are designed to reduce the chances of counterfeit drives entering legitimate markets, although it remains to be seen whether this will make a lasting difference.

The discovery is not isolated. Other brands have been affected, as shown by counterfeit UnionSine external devices circulating on Amazon’s marketplace without effective intervention.

Despite alerts, sales continued, and this shows how porous the global distribution chain has become.

For buyers, the risks associated with unusually cheap listings remain, and unless enforcement intensifies, counterfeit devices may continue to slip through unchecked channels.

Via computerbase (originally in German)

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Large language models have an awkward history with telling the truth, especially if they can't provide a real answer. Hallucinations have been a hazard for AI chatbots since the technology debuted a few years ago. But ChatGPT 5 seems to be going for a new, more humble approach to not knowing answers; admitting it.

Though most AI chatbot responses are accurate, it's impossible to interact with an AI chatbot for long before it provides a partial or complete fabrication as an answer. The AI displays just as much confidence in its answers regardless of their accuracy. AI hallucinations have plagued users and even led to embarrassing moments for the developers during demonstrations.

OpenAI had hinted that the new version of ChatGPT would be willing to plead ignorance over making up an answer, and a viral X post by Kol Tregaskes has drawn attention to the groundbreaking concept of ChatGPT saying, “I don’t know – and I can’t reliably find out.”

GPT-5 says 'I don't know'.Love this, thank you. pic.twitter.com/k6SNFKqZbgAugust 18, 2025

Technically, hallucinations are baked into how these models work. They’re not retrieving facts from a database, even if it looks that way; they're predicting the next most likely word based on patterns in language. When you ask about something obscure or complicated, the AI is guessing the right words to answer it, not doing a classic search engine hunt. Hence, the appearance of entirely made-up sources, statistics, or quotes.

But GPT-5’s ability to stop and say, “I don’t know,” reflects an evolution in how AI models deal with their limitations in terms of their responses, at least. A candid admission of ignorance replaces fictional filler. It may seem anticlimactic, but it's more significant for making the AI seem more trustworthy.

Clarity over hallucinations

Trust is crucial for AI chatbots. Why would you use them if you don't trust the answers? ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have warnings built into them about not relying too much on their answers because of hallucinations, but there are always stories of people ignoring that warning and getting into hot water. If the AI just says it can't answer a question, people might be more inclined to trust the answers it does provide.

Of course, there's still a risk that users will interpret the model's self-doubt as failure. The phrase “I don’t know” might come off as a bug, not a feature, if you don't realize the alternative is a hallucination, not the correct answer. Admitting uncertainty isn't how the all-knowing AI some imagine ChatGPT would behave.

But it's arguably the most human thing ChatGPT could do in this instance. OpenAI's proclaimed goal is artificial general intelligence, AI that can perform any intellectual task a human can. But one of the ironies of AGI is that mimicking human thinking includes uncertainties as well as capabilities.

Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is to say you don't know something. You can't learn if you refuse to admit there are things you don't know. And, at least it avoids the spectacle of an AI telling you to eat rocks for your health.

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• Apple started with almost no Swift examples and achieved surprising results
• StarChat-Beta was pushed into uncharted territory without clear guidance
• Nearly one million working SwiftUI programs emerged after repeated iterations

Apple researchers recently revealed an experiment in which an AI model was trained to generate user interface code in SwiftUI, even though almost no SwiftUI examples were present in the original data.

The study began with StarChat-Beta, an open source model designed for coding. Its training sources, including TheStack and other collections, contained almost no Swift code.

This absence meant the model did not have the advantage of existing examples to guide its responses, which made the results surprising when a stronger system eventually emerged.

Creating a loop of self-improvement

The team’s solution was to create a feedback cycle. They gave StarChat-Beta a set of interface descriptions and asked it to generate SwiftUI programs from those prompts.

Each generated program was compiled to ensure it actually ran. Interfaces that worked were then compared with the original descriptions using another model, GPT-4V, which judged whether the output matched the request.

Only those that passed both stages remained in the dataset. This cycle was repeated five times, and with every round, the cleaner dataset was fed back into the next model.

By the end of the process, the researchers had nearly one million working SwiftUI samples and a model they called UICoder.

The model was then measured against both automated tests and human evaluation, where results showed it not only performed better than its base model, but also achieved a compilation success rate higher than GPT-4.

One of the striking aspects of the study is that Swift code had been almost entirely excluded from the initial training data.

According to the team, this happened by accident when TheStack dataset was created, leaving only scattered examples found on web pages.

This oversight rules out the idea that UICoder merely recycled code it had already seen - instead, its improvement came from the iterative cycle of generating, filtering, and retraining on its own outputs.

While the results centered on SwiftUI, the researchers suggested the approach “would likely generalize to other languages and UI toolkits.”

If so, this could open paths for more models to be trained in specialized domains where training data is limited.

The prospect raises questions about reliability, sustainability, and whether synthetic datasets can continue to scale without introducing hidden flaws.

UICoder was also trained under carefully controlled conditions, and its success in wider settings is not guaranteed.

Via 9to5mac

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• AWS CEO Matt Garman says younger workers are the most engaged with AI
• They’re also cheap to train up with skills for the future
• Workers need to be prepared to learn, and for change

Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman has called the idea of firing junior workers because AI can do their jobs “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard”.

Speaking in a YouTube interview with Matthew Berman, Garman backed up his position by arguing junior staff are usually the least expensive, but also the most engaged with AI tools, therefore they’re best set up to feel the boost of AI in their workflows - rather than be replaced by it.

Taking a longer-term look at the scenario, Garman added without junior employees gaining experience, companies will have no skilled workforce in the future.

AWS CEO doesn’t see AI replacing human roles

Consequentially, Garman advocated for the continued hiring of graduates to teach them core software and problem-solving skills to futureproof against future workplace challenges, like today’s skills shortages.

He still encourages the use of AI tools, but to assist rather than replace junior talent.

When asked about how much of AWS’s code is now AI-written (we know that at least a third of Google, Meta and Microsoft’s code is now AI-generated), Garman described the notion as a “silly metric,” but acknowledged over 80% of the company’s developers now use AI in their workflows across code generation and more.

Garman indicated “curious” workers will get the most out of AI – combining their own desire to learn more with Amazon training initiatives.

He added workers should “be flexible, be willing to learn, and be willing to accept that their job may be a little bit different,” noting that this is a time of transition.

Broadly positive for the future of jobs, Garman’s thoughts align with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s thoughts on AI’s impact on the workforce.

In June 2025, ex-AWS CEO Jassy acknowledged that AI will ultimately end up replacing some human workers, but it would free up other jobs to avoid a net loss of roles.

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• Apple Watch fans are due to get the blood oxygen feature back on certain watches, after a lawsuit by health tech company Masimo
• The feature now involves a slight workaround, in which the measurement can only be displayed on an iPhone
• Masimo is suing the U.S. Customs Department for allowing the workaround to go ahead

Apple Watch users in the US are finally about to get a health feature back, as the watchOS 26 public beta launched with access to the blood oxygen feature – sort of.

The feature was removed for US fans after health technology company Masimo sued Apple, claiming it willfully violated Masimo's intellectual property by way of its patented blood oxygen feature. As a result, the feature was temporarily disabled on the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

However, a workaround meant that the Apple Watch was able to add the feature back in via its new watchOS 26 software, and it's already arrived on some watches participating in the Apple public beta program.

The workaround is that while the Apple Watch can record blood oxygen, it can only present that information in the Health app on an iPhone.

Masimo doesn't like this and has filed another lawsuit – this time targeting US Customs, rather than Apple itself. Masimo is suing the US government for (according to the lawsuit via this BGR report), "unlawfully let[ting] Apple Inc. reactivate a blood-oxygen tracking feature on Apple Watches that infringes patents for the technology".

Will I get blood oxygen tracking on my Apple Watch?

We don't know. At the moment, if you're signed up to the public beta program, you should already have the feature.

Whether it will survive until the wider rollout in September, or whether the US government will feel pressured by this suit to take action and ban the workaround, remains to be seen.

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• Apple TV+ has announced an immediate price increase of 30%
• Existing subscribers will be impacted within 30 days of their next renewal date
• Currently, Apple TV+ is the only major streaming service without an ad-supported tier

Apple TV+ has shocked subscribers today (August 21) with an immediate price hike that will see subscription costs jumping from $9.99 to $12.99 in the US.

The 30% increase will be applied immediately for new subscribers, with existing ones getting more leeway. They will see the higher price within 30 days of their next renewal date.

So if you are an existing customer, you might want to make the most of the best Apple TV+ shows and best Apple TV+ movies before the change happens.

Apple TV+ is home to acclaimed shows like Severance, which was recently renewed for season 3. We have also seen significant hype for Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and his new series, Pluribus, which has a creepy number you can call. But the buzz around these two shows might not be enough to convince subscribers to stay.

Everything we know about Apple TV+'s price hike

Severance is Apple TV+'s most popular show. (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

It's not just the US that is affected by the change. Apple TV+'s increase will also affect global customers, and we have an outline of the price changes below, which appear to vary by territory.

Country

Old price

New price

US

$9.99

$12.99

UK

£8.99

£9.99

Australia

$12.99

$15.99

Unsurprisingly, subscribers have reacted badly to the news, and some have already canceled. This does make me worry about Apple TV+'s future, and it comes as a disappointment after we crowned the service Streaming Service of the Year in 2024.

With many of the best streaming services offering ad-supported tiers as a cheaper option, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple TV+ is forced to follow suit.

According to Variety, "In justifying the price hike, Apple noted that it has launched a slew of TV shows and movies and that the service doesn’t include any ads. Indeed, Apple TV+ remains the only major streaming service that does not offer a price-reduced ad-supported plan."

But this decision hasn't gone down well. Here are some of the annoyed responses after Apple's announcement.

Apple TV is great quality but the price isn’t justifiable… no huge back catalog. this is just greed. If they had somewhat of a bigger back catalog then I’d be more open to paying but sorry gonna cancel.August 21, 2025

I may have to cancel this when I finish the shows I like. They have much less content than the other services. Apple TV Plus Raises Price on Monthly Plan - CNET https://t.co/0Y3oyEdHapAugust 21, 2025

I was just thinking I should cancel apple tv. This will do it for me.August 21, 2025

Right now, Apple TV+ seems to have no intentions of adding ads, but further backlash may change things in the future.

I like a lot of the shows on there, personally, but I'm not sure I'll be keeping my subscription if prices continue to go up.

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• Blackview Active 12 Pro rugged tablet has a built-in projector and 108MP camera
• Tablet includes detachable kickstand, plus 400 lumen LED camping light on rear
• Tablet’s huge 30,000mAh battery supports extended use in the field

Blackview has launched the Active 12 Pro, a rugged Android tablet which combines an 11-inch screen with unusual extras, including a built-in projector, camping light, and a 108-megapixel camera sensor.

PCWatch reviewed the device, and called it one of the boldest tablets Blackview has ever produced.

The Active 12 Pro runs Android 15 on a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

Big battery

We’ve seen a good number of rugged tablets with integrated projectors in recent years, including the 8849 TANK Pad, and the one in this tablet is capable of displaying a full HD image up to 120 inches.

With 200 lumens of brightness, autofocus, and keystone correction, it’s designed for entertainment and small presentations.

The tablet has a huge 30,000mAh battery, which in PCWatch’s testing supported extended video playback without rapid drain. Unlike many portable projectors, the image remained bright and usable in a dimly lit room.

The rugged tablet is IP68 and IP69K rated for water and dust resistance and meets MIL-STD-810H standards for durability.

At over 1.5kg it is far heavier than most 11-inch devices, but the tradeoff is a chassis that can withstand drops, pressure, and temperature extremes.

A detachable kickstand and optional straps give it flexibility for outdoor or field use.

The display itself is a 1920x1200 IPS panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. Alongside the 108-megapixel Samsung rear camera, a 50-megapixel front camera is included for video calls and photography.

The rear is also home to a large LED camping light with up to 400 lumens of brightness, further adding to the Active 12 Pro’s outdoor credentials.

In PCWatch’s performance benchmarks, the tablet handled demanding mobile games at medium settings without slowdown, aided by advanced cooling with heat pipes and a built-in fan.

Despite its slightly unusual design, the device delivered a credible mix of performance and versatility.

Pricing for the Active 12 Pro starts at around $768 for the 12GB/256GB model or $826 for the 16GB/1TB version on AliExpress, with discounts available.

While it is perhaps not aimed at casual users, the Active 12 Pro shows how rugged tablets are evolving into multi-purpose devices.

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• Pixel 10 will not have physical SIM cards slots, Google confirms
• Buyers can transfer eSIMs from Apple to Android and vice-versa
• However eSIM adoption is uneven and can pose a risk for unprepared travelers

Google has confirmed eSIMs will replace physical SIM card slots in its new Pixel 10 smartphone range.

Reports from Android Authority claim Google's implementation may also support bi-directional transfers, meaning users can transfer an eSIM from an Apple device to an Android device or vice versa.

For now, this change appears to apply only to US models, but come after Apple made a similar move with iPhone 14, and now Google is following suit, further indicating eSIMs are revolutionizing the industry in a significant way.

What does this mean for travelers?

eSIMs for international travel have already become the go-to solution for many and now Google's latest move suggests the beginning of a new era.

If major firms like Apple and Google are committing to eSIM-only devices and other tech giants like NordVPN and IPVanish are entering the eSIM market, then it is safe to say that eSIMs have become the norm.

On iPhones, the process could be handled through the “Transfer to Android” option in settings, while Pixel 10 devices may rely on the Android Switch app, either by scanning a QR code or initiating a manual connection session.

Android Authority also reports that the feature may only be supported in iOS 26, expected to launch alongside the iPhone 17 in September 2025. However, these details remain speculative for now, and we will have to wait for the official rollout to see what holds true.

“Going eSIM-only makes it faster and easier to connect to a network. You can download a plan in minutes without fiddling with a tiny SIM card, which is a huge win for convenience", says Sarah McGarr CEO of Sim Local.

For travelers, this shift means getting comfortable with digital connectivity is no longer optional. As physical SIM slots disappear, checking for compatability, understanding how to activate, transfer, and manage eSIMs will be essential for staying connected seamlessly across borders.

"Check the best local eSIM plans, pick the best deal, and be online in minutes. Google’s eSIM move will only make more people expect this kind of convenience, and it’s up to the industry to make sure travelers can always find easy and affordable ways to stay connected", adds McGarr.

However, the biggest challenge to this revolution is that adoption is uneven. The ability to use an eSIM doesn’t just depend on owning a compatible device, it also hinges on whether local carriers support the technology and what plans they offer.

Travelers need to be prepared and do their research on carrier compatibility before flying and keep a global eSIM app as backup.

"The ability to use an eSIM is not so much country-dependent as it is device-dependent and network-dependent. That means a traveler could land somewhere only to find that their mobile network doesn’t yet support eSIM, or that their plan options are limited. In those cases, people may end up paying more in roaming fees or have fewer choices than they expected", concludes McGarr.

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• King of Meat launches on October 7, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC
• The four-player co-op platformer will have a Standard and Deluxe Edition, which are now available for pre-order
• A King of Meat Technical Test will also be available to play this weekend

Amazon Games and Glowmade have announced that King of Meat will officially launch on October 7, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC via Steam.

King of Meat is a four-player co-op party platformer featuring hack-and-slash mechanics and over 100 dungeons filled with puzzles, challenges, and hordes of monsters to defeat.

The online game, which also got a brand new gameplay trailer, was announced last year, but pre-orders for the Standard and Deluxe Editions are now available.

The King of Meat: Standard Edition will cost £23.95 (around $32.24) while the Deluxe Edition will cost £39.95 ($53.78), and both will include the Venerable Defender Legendary Costume, a samurai-style outfit with matching sword, shield, and stickers, as well as five days of early access to King of Meat from October 2.

The King of Meat: Deluxe Edition also features the Tapeboard Betsy and Emerson Shard Character Sets, "for players to enter the dungeons at launch with style and flair."

Ahead of release, Glowmade has also announced that a King of Meat Technical Test will be available to play this weekend, on August 23 at 10 AM PT / 6 PM BST until August 24 at 10 AM PT / 6PM BST.

The test will be playable for free on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, giving players an early look at the game and an opportunity to provide feedback to the developers.

Fans can also tune in to a partnered Twitch channel for 30 minutes during the Technical Test to claim their Beta Rewards Top, which will carry over into the live game.

King of Meat is also expected to come to Nintendo Switch, although there is no release date for that version at this time.

Glowmade has also confirmed earlier this year that King of Meat will offer both quality and performance options across PC and consoles, including PS5 Pro, that players can customize.

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• Security researchers found that a popular free Chrome VPN extension has been stealthily taking screenshots of every website its users visit
• FreeVPN.One boasts over 100,000 downloads and Google's "Verified" and "Featured" badges
• Once limited to VPN functionality, the extension's later updates were designed not for privacy, but to evade detection

A popular Chrome VPN extension has been found to spy on its over 100,000 users.

Koi Security published an extensive report, warning users that instead of protecting their data as the best VPN apps should do, FreeVPN.One takes screenshots of every single website they visit.

FreeVPN.One is a free VPN extension that managed to obtain two badges from the Google Chrome Store, supposedly to further assure users of its security. Unfortunately, those badges might have been mistakenly awarded.

A trustworthy VPN extension turned into a privacy nightmare

(Image credit: Google)

FreeVPN.One looks legitimate at a glance. With over 100,000 downloads and Google's endorsement, it seems like a secure alternative to paid VPN services. However, according to Koi Security, there's a sinister reality hiding just underneath the surface.

The extension was marketed as a free, unlimited VPN service, and according to researchers, for a while, it did just that. However, future updates introduced a worrying development.

Koi Security reports that just seconds after any page loads, a background trigger grabs a screenshot of it. This means that every website you visit with the extension enabled is captured, including private photos, banking sites, medical records, and all kinds of other sensitive information.

The screenshots are then sent to an external source, with scripts running to ensure the quality of data capture.

Even private pictures were sent to FreeVPN.One’s backend, as per Koi Security findings (Image credit: Koi Security)

Another feature in FreeVPN.One, called "AI Threat Detection," also takes screenshots and uploads them for server-side analysis, but at least this one discloses that it does that, whereas the rest of the app does not.

A few of the most recent updates to FreeVPN.One appears to have made things worse for user privacy. The spyware, screenshots, and location tracking allegedly started in July of this year. Later that same month, Koi Security reported, the developer upped the security to evade detection, all the while the screenshots continued being collected.

Koi Security reached out to the developer, who claims that screenshots are only taken if the domain appears suspicious. However, even websites like Google Photos are recorded, which doesn't line up with that claim. The dev also says that the screenshots are not stored anywhere, but this is a difficult claim to verify. They eventually allegedly stopped responding to Koi Security's requests for comment.

How to stay safe?

This situation outlines a larger problem with certain free VPNs, as well as the ease with which certain developers can upload malicious apps into web stores and gain user trust. Just recently, a VexTrio Viper, a group of cybercriminals, successfully shared a long list of malicious apps through popular app stores. This included a free VPN, ad blocker, and even an online dating service.

FreeVPN.One scored Google Play Store's "Verified" badge, which should have meant it was definitely secure, but it sounds rather like "it's best avoided."

If you used the FreeVPN.One extension, we recommend that you uninstall it immediately. Consider downloading one of the best antivirus programs to give your PC a thorough scan, too.

Next, it's time to change your passwords to just about every website you may have accessed while using the extension. Better to be safe than sorry.

This highlights just how important it is not to take chances when using a VPN service, which, by default, often has pretty hefty permissions when it comes to monitoring what you do. If you aren't willing to get a premium service, turn to some of the best free VPN services to ensure they have been thoroughly tested in order to protect your data.

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• The FBI has warned of Russian hackers abusing CVE-2018-0171
• Configuration files from "thousands" of Cisco devices were already stolen
• The bug affects many outdated endpoints, so patch now

Russian state-sponsored threat actors are abusing a years-old Cisco vulnerability to spy on organizations in the West, the FBI is warning.

In a public service announcement posted on the IC3 website, the FBI said it saw Center 16 - a threat actor linked to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) - exploiting Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and a vulnerability in Cisco Smart Install (SMI) instances that reached end-of-life status.

The goal, the agency says, is to “broadly target entities in the United States and globally”.

End of life

The vulnerability being exploited here is tracked as CVE-2018-0171. Discovered roughly seven years ago, this improper validation of packet data flaw in the Smart Install feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software allows unauthenticated, remote adversaries, to trigger a reload of an affected device, resulting in either arbitrary code execution, or a denial of service (DoS) condition.

The bug affected a wide range of Cisco Catalyst switches, including models from the Catalyst 2000, 3000, 3650, 3850, 4500, and 9000 series.

Cisco Industrial Ethernet switches, as well as some Nexus data center switches that had Smart Install enabled by default, were also affected.

Many of the older devices (Catalyst 2960, 3560, 3750, 4500E) have reached end-of-life, meaning they were never patched for this bug and remain vulnerable. Cisco advises users to replace them with newer models, such as those from the Catalyst 9000 series, which remain active product lines.

Over the past year, the FBI saw Center 16 collect configuration files for “thousands” of networking devices from US entities, mostly in the critical infrastructure sector.

“On some vulnerable devices, the actors modified configuration files to enable unauthorized access to those devices,” the FBI explained.

“The actors used the unauthorized access to conduct reconnaissance in the victim networks, which revealed their interest in protocols and applications commonly associated with industrial control systems.”

Via The Register

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• HoverAir's crowdfunding campaign for Aqua drone now underway
• Self-flying watersports drone available for an early bird price of $999
• Delivery of orders not expected until end of 2025

Zero Zero Robotics has today kicked off an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for its upcoming drone, the HoverAir Aqua, revealing new information about the fully waterproof flying camera.

The campaign will be the only way to pre-order the drone currently, with backers able be able to secure their Aqua at a reduced price of $999 (around £739 / AU$1,543) – a saving of 40% on the projected full price of $1,676.

There's bad news for watersports lovers itching to try out the self-flying waterproof camera, however: it won't be shipping until December 2025.

The self-flying HoverAir Aqua is designed primarily for watersports use. (Image credit: Zero Zero Robotics)

Zero Zero Robotics teased the Aqua a few weeks ago, revealing that the drone is not only fully waterproof (to what we now know is IP67 standards) but designed to take off from and land on the surface of rivers, lakes and the sea; it can even take off from an upside-down position.

With powerful wind resistance, a top speed of 34mph and a wide range of self-flying subject tracking flight modes, it's built to capture watersports like kayaking, paddle boarding and wake surfing. It's also under 249g in weight, making it subject to few restrictions in the UK and not required for FAA registration in the US.

More new information

The Lighthouse is a wearable remote control and "Virtual Tether" to keep the drone and the user linked at all times. (Image credit: Zero Zero Robotics)

Following the first product teaser, Zero Zero Robotics has today unloaded a haul of new information about the forthcoming drone, including a battery life of 23 minutes, up to 128GB of internal storage space, SmoothCapture 3.0 image stabilization and support for 12MP photos. The drone also features a unique on-board 1.6-inch AMOLED screen, allowing users to review footage and change settings without having to pull out a smartphone.

The company also revealed the Lighthouse accessory. Included in the box, it's a wearable remote control that acts as a "Virtual Tether", helping ensure you don't lose track of the drone while you're careening through the water on your preferred method of transport. You can set a distance for the tether, and once it's reached the drone will begin moving back towards the user.

The only bad side to today's announcement? There's still a fairly long wait until the HoverAir Aqua will be in buyers' hands. Zero Zero Robotics anticipates December 2025 for deliveries of drones pre-ordered via the campaign, and told us that review samples won't be available until Q4 2025.

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• Microsoft will no longer send threat proof of concepts to Chinese firms
• The alerts are part of the MAPP vulnerability alert system
• Many believe the Chinese government was involved in the recent SharePoint attack

Access to Microsoft’s early warning system for cybersecurity vulnerabilities will be reduced for some companies following a campaign of attacks which leveraged vulnerabilities in the company's SharePoint platform to target as many as 400 organizations.

Microsoft has restricted access for Chinese firms after suspicions that Beijing was involved in the attacks, with many believing there was a leak in Microsoft’s Active Protections Program (MAPP) - the system Microsoft uses to alert security firms of threats to help them pre-empt hacks and pro-actively defend against attackers.

These vulnerabilities have now been patched, but have previously been observed in the wild being used to deploy ransomware. The flaw allowed attackers to extract cryptographic keys from Microsoft client servers, in turn allowing them to install programmes onto the server, including backdoors or malware.

In the wrong hands

Experts believe the most likely scenario for the explosion of SharePoint attacks was thanks to a rogue member of the MAPP program - and as such, Microsoft will no longer send ‘proof of concept code’ to Chinese firms.

This refers to a demonstration of a concept that helps security teams prepare for an attack by adapting their systems.

TechRadar Pro has reached out to Microsoft to ask about any updates on its investigation, but the firm so far has not offered a comment.

On the other hand, if threat actors are alerted to the defender's plans, they get a head start and can evolve their tactics.

Microsoft identified the possibility in which attackers exploit the alert system; "which is why we take steps – both known and confidential – to prevent misuse”

“We continuously review participants and suspend or remove them if we find they violated their contract with us which includes a prohibition on participating in offensive attacks," the company confirmed.

Via Reuters

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• AI Mode can now find you dinner reservation options based on your preferences
• It'll soon be able to find you concert tickets too
• US users can get even more personalized results

Google has given its AI Mode a major upgrade by giving it agentic capabilities that will help you find a restaurant table – and I’m more than impressed with how well it works.

When Google added AI Overviews to search you could almost hear a collective sigh of “Why?” go out around the world. There seemed to be a consensus that there was too much AI in everything, and we didn't need it, especially in search.

But over time AI Overviews – a kind of summary of answers to whatever you asked – have started to prove more and more useful, and these days I quite often get something good from the AI Overview without having to scroll down the list of search results.

Next came AI Mode, a full-on AI search engine that occupies the first of the tabs on the Google search page, and is similar to ChatGPT Search and Perplexity. It uses AI to search the web, so if you want to do natural language searching, rather than keyword-based searching as you do in a normal Google search, it’s much more catered to your needs.

Now Google has gone even further and given its AI Mode agentic qualities specifically for finding available restaurant slots for you, so it can do a little bit more digging, and get better results, than a standard AI Mode search would.

Bon appétit

So, if you enter AI Mode in Google then ask about getting a dinner reservation for four, name a date, time and location and, of course, the type of restaurant or food you’re interested in, AI Mode can now speed up the process, giving you a list of options for restaurants that meet your specific needs and which have free reservation slots.

There are limitations: AI Mode can’t go as far as booking the table for you just yet, but it will link you directly to the booking page, so it puts the decision right into your hands.

I’ve tried it out for restaurants in my local area, and it worked very well. I even doubted that one of the very good restaurants would have a free table at that time, but I was wrong!

AI Mode even told me that there was no point in trying to book at my preferred venue since it was closed on a Sunday evening, and recommended some other options.

Tickets soon

Google says it’s working with OpenTable, Resy, Tock, Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek, Booksy and many more to make this experience possible, which means that concert tickets could be the next thing AI Mode is able to help you reserve.

Users in the US who have opted into the AI Mode experiment in Labs will get even more personalized results, which will use your previous conversations along with places you’ve searched or tapped on in Maps. So, if you ask, “I’ve got half an hour for lunch, where should I go?”, it will use this information to recommend somewhere that fits your preferences.

While AI being integrated into Google search may have started off as an annoyance, it’s slowly becoming a set of really helpful tools that might even start to turn the tables and get ChatGPT-maker OpenAI worried.

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