TechRadar News

• 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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• Apple fixes CVE-2025-43300, an out-of-bounds write bug in iOS and iPadOS
• The bug allowed threat actors to run remote code execution attacks
• There is evidence of abuse in the wild, so users should be on their guard

Apple has fixed a bug in iOS and iPadOS which was apparently being used in “an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals”.

In a security advisory, Apple said it fixed an out-of-bounds write issue it found in the ImageIO framework, which lets apps open, save, and work with image files efficiently, including reading details like EXIF data, or creating thumbnails.

An out-of-bounds bug happens when software mistakenly writes data beyond the memory area it was supposed to. This can corrupt memory, crash apps, and even allow threat actors to run malicious code, remotely.

Hiding the details from the crooks

Since the bug was found in ImageIO, it allowed specially crafted images to overflow memory checks and overwrite adjacent data when processed. A threat actor could send a malicious image in an email, a message, or a webpage. If the vulnerable device were to try and render it, the out-of-bounds write might let the attacker crash the system, or even run malware.

The bug is tracked as CVE-2025-43300, and doesn’t yet have a severity score. Apple did not discuss the findings further, in order to give everyone enough time to patch, without giving other threat actors knowledge on how to abuse it.

Devices affected by this flaw include iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.

Apple fixed it by improving boundary checks, in versions iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2, iPadOS 17.7.10, macOS Sequoia 15.6.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.8, and macOS Ventura 13.7.8.

This is the sixth zero-day vulnerability Apple fixed since the start of 2025, BleepingComputer reports, including CVE-2025-24085 (January), CVE-2025-24200 (February), CVE-2025-24201 (March), and two in April, CVE-2025-31200 and CVE-2025-31201.

Via BleepingComputer

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When is the next Assassin's Creed coming out?

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

We'd expect the next Assassin's Creed game to be Assassin's Creed Jade, though development on that has gone quiet since late last year. Beyond that, there's Assassin's Creed Hexe, which we've only seen a brief teaser for. The first major expansion for Assassin's Creed Shadows, Claws of Awaji, arrives September 16.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe is probably the most mysterious and intriguing of all the Assassin's Creed projects that Ubisoft has in the works right now. We've only had the smallest of glimpses into it, so it's certainly a project that we still have heaps of questions about.

As one of the many upcoming games from Ubisoft, there’s a huge amount of speculation regarding the release of Hexe, and we’ve pulled together what we can to help inform us all of what it could look like.

We reckon that Assassin’s Creed Hexe could bring with it an experience never seen before in the Assassin’s Creed series, and with a lot of players already speculating themes and settings - it's looking likely that it'll cover witchcraft in some way. We'll have to wait and see whether it'll rank highly on our best Assassin’s Creed games list or not. For now, here’s everything we know so far.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe - cut to the chase 

• What is it? An upcoming addition to the Assassin’s Creed game series
• When can I play it? TBC
• What can I play it on? TBC
• Who makes it? Ubisoft (specifically Ubisoft Montreal)

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe trailers

We've received just one trailer for Codename Hexe, and it’s pretty short. The thirty-second reveal trailer introduces us to a shadowy, spooky woodland before the camera pans through tree branches and lands on what looks like a talisman over a fire that takes the classic form of the Assassin’s Creed logo. Although the trailer doesn’t offer us a release date or any information about the platforms the game will be available on, there’s still a little more to dissect.

At first, the logo made out of sticks and twine doesn’t look too out of the ordinary, but the end card places the same structure on an inverted pentacle, which is traditionally used in relation to the occult. An alphabet surrounds the symbol, and letters within the pentacle also offer clues about the game which might be missed unless you can figure out the translation.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do said translation yourself, as many eager-eyed players have already started dissecting any clues embedded within the trailer. As explained by community stalwarts Access the Animus in a detailed YouTube video, the exterior of the symbol translates from the alphabet of the Magi directly to German, and states “Wir arbaiten im dem twnckel um dem licht zu dienen” which when translated to English, says “we work in the night to serve the light”. As said by Ezio in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, that has since become a 'catchphrase' of the series.

But this isn’t the only information to dissect. In the center of the symbol, the same alphabet can be used to broadly translate the interior sections. In the exterior ring, the word “Mephisto” is spelled out, which is a demon from German folklore, followed by “Rache” meaning 'avenge', and “Hwsa” meaning 'house' or 'family'. When put together, the phrase “Mephisto avenge the house/family” is what we are left with, heavily leaning toward Hexe being themed around Germanic mythology and the occult.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe story and setting prediction

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Following on from the information that can be drawn from the reveal trailer, we can start to piece together some information about the story, theme, and setting of Hexe. The first major clue is within the codename title, Hexe, (Hek-sa) which simply translates to 'Witch' in German. This alone has been enough to lead a lot of players to believe that the setting of the game will be Germany between the early-1620s and the mid-1630s, and paired with the translation from the end of the reveal trailer, there are more than enough clues to suggest the setting will be Germany.

Due to its speculated setting and the dark imagery of the trailer, alongside the use of the Alphabet of the Magi, we expect the story of the game to revolve heavily around the Witch Trials held by the Holy Roman Empire within this time period. The setting, trials, and a healthy dose of the occult and mystery - and magic? - could create a fairly dark experience in comparison to other Assassin’s Creed games.

Marc-Alexis Cote has stated that Hexe will be “a very different type of Assassin’s Creed game.” But what this means is incredibly open for interpretation right now - though we do know it'll be the next 'flagship' in the series now that Assassin's Creed Shadows is out, and that it's being developed by the team behind Valhalla. A lot of fans expect the heavily implied occult aspects to provide a fresh horror take on the franchise, and depending on how this is implemented, there’s a chance Hexe and its new direction could fall among even the best horror games, if it nails the landing that is.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe will not be an RPG

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Even though we can dissect the reveal trailer to find clues about the story and setting of the game, how exactly it plays out still remains largely a big mystery. Although we expect the standard stealth and infiltration alongside intricate combat of Assassin’s Creed games to continue in some form, there are a few things worth noting about the game which could shake up the traditional AC formula.

In an interview with IGN, Cote states that Hexe “will not be an RPG” in an attempt to “bring more diversity to the places we choose to visit and to how we choose to represent those periods.” So, we know for sure that the game will not play in a similar way to Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Odyssey, or Origins. But the genre and length of Hexe still remain a mystery.

With RPG elements stripped out, there are a lot of potential routes the game could take, which leads us to believe that a more survival horror adventure game could be likely - if it also doesn't follow the old-school stealth routes the Mirage is brought back, too.

Unusually, we also haven’t seen the assassin or protagonist for the game - not even an outline or silhouette. With the game being potentially set within the witch trials of the Holy Roman Emperor, taking the role of someone being trialed or hunted would be an incredibly interesting take on the game.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe developer

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The precise Ubisoft studio behind Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe is Ubisoft Montreal. This is significant in two ways. Firstly, this is the studio that began the series back in 2007 with the first game, and secondly, this is the team behind the largest RPG-style entry of them all in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. For what it's worth, it's also the studio behind Far Cry 5 and Far Cry New Dawn, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Watch Dogs 2 (to name but a few).

In terms of personnel, Clint Hocking is onboard as creative director, whose credits include some of the above games - some of the most expansive from Ubisoft.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe news

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake rumors
Rumors about a Black Flag remake have been circulating for a good while, but now Matt Ryan, the actor behind the game's protagonist Edward Kenway, has hinted at its potential release once again.

During a recent convention meet-and-greet, Ryan asked a fan if they'd beaten the Black Flag, and when the fan said they had, the actor gave the most obvious hint that the game is on the way (via IGN).

Assassin’s Creed Hexe will leave a “lasting mark on the franchise” according to a LinkedIn post
According to a LinkedIn post shared by Ubisoft Motreal’s Talent Acquisition Specialist, Yara Tabbara, Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe will “leave a lasting mark on the franchise.” The details of what this means for the game are unknown and we still have a huge amount to learn, including a genre, concrete setting, and release date, but it’s still exciting enough to know that Hexe could shake up Assassin’s Creed as we know it.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe announced as part of Ubisoft Forward 2022
The first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe was shown at Ubisoft Forward 2022, offering a look at a shadowed woodland and an all-new look for the logo, before placing it on a pentacle and ending the trailer. With such an extreme lack of information to go off, the trailer leaves the door open to interpretation for players, and there’s a lot of speculation already circulating about what this game will offer and how it will separate itself from the traditional franchise.

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• Hollow Knight: Silksong officially launches on September 4, 2025
• Team Cherry made the long-awaited announcement during a special broadcast today
• The game will be available on PC and consoles, including Nintendo Switch 2

The moment has finally arrived! Team Cherry has announced that Hollow Knight: Silksong will officially launch on September 4, 2025.

The long-awaited announcement comes from a special developer broadcast today, where we were also treated to a full-length gameplay trailer showing playable protagonist Hornet platforming through new lands and battling hordes of bugs and beasts.

Silksong will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, and ROG Xbox Ally X.

It's also confirmed that the Metroidvania indie game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2.

Gamescom 2025 is currently underway, where lucky attendees can play the game on Switch 2.

It's been a long time coming. The Hollow Knight sequel was announced way back in 2019, and we've only seen brief appearances of the game over the year at various events, including Opening Night Live 2025 and the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this year.

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In 2025, organizations operate amid escalating geopolitical tensions, data sovereignty restrictions, and stricter artificial intelligence (AI) regulations like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act. These challenges disrupt supply chains and limit access to real-world data, while AI advances rapidly, offering powerful opportunities but also increasing operational risks for those unprepared.

Traditional decision-making, reliant on static reports and siloed data, can’t keep pace with today’s speed and complexity. Organizations must build resilience through systems that anticipate disruptions, make autonomous decisions, and adapt continuously.

This resilience is grounded in three interconnected trends: synthetic data, AI agents, and executive AI literacy. Synthetic data addresses data scarcity and privacy constraints by providing safe, diverse datasets essential for AI training and testing. AI agents leverage this data to automate and augment decisions in real time, from logistics to cybersecurity.

Executive AI literacy equips business and IT leaders with the strategic insight to use, govern and manage AI responsibly, ensure regulatory compliance, and align AI initiatives with business goals.

Together, these trends create organizations that don’t just improve decision-making; they become adaptive, proactive, and capable of thriving amid uncertainty. Here’s how they interweave to meet the demands of 2025.

AI agents: The engine of adaptive action

In a world where disruptions, such as supply chain bottlenecks or cyberattacks, strike without warning, AI agents are transforming how organizations respond. These software systems analyze vast datasets, recommend actions, and execute tasks autonomously within defined parameters. In logistics, AI agents can instantly reroute shipments based on geopolitical events, minimizing delays. In cybersecurity, they detect and neutralize threats by analyzing global network patterns, reducing response times from hours to seconds.

This capability is critical today because the speed and complexity of 2025’s challenges demand automation beyond human capacity. For example, a retailer facing sudden trade restrictions can deploy AI agents to optimize inventory across regions, balancing cost and availability in real time. However, AI agents are only as effective as the data they receive and the rules guiding them. Without robust inputs and proper oversight, they risk amplifying errors or acting on incomplete information. This highlights the essential roles of synthetic data and executive AI literacy.

Synthetic data: The fuel for smarter, safer AI

AI agents rely on high-quality, diverse data to function effectively, but real-world data is often messy, restricted by privacy laws, or limited by geopolitical data sovereignty demands. Synthetic data, artificially generated to mimic real-world patterns, provides scalable, privacy-compliant datasets that overcome these challenges. In healthcare, synthetic patient data trains diagnostic AI models without compromising privacy. In finance, it enables stress-testing of fraud detection systems without exposing sensitive transactions, fostering innovation within tightly regulated sectors.

The urgency of synthetic data in 2025 arises from escalating regulations like GDPR and the Cyber Resilience Act, which require strict compliance without hindering progress. However, risks remain. Poorly managed synthetic data can produce inaccurate models or lead to compliance failures. Effective metadata management—tracking data lineage, assumptions, and usage—is essential to maintaining reliability. This is where executive AI literacy plays a crucial role, ensuring leaders understand how to manage, govern and use synthetic data responsibly to unlock its potential while mitigating risks.

Executive AI literacy: The strategic compass

As AI agents and synthetic data reshape operations, leaders must evolve from passive adopters to active strategists. Executive AI literacy, a deep understanding of AI’s opportunities, risks, and trade-offs, enables decision-makers to align AI initiatives to support and build long-term organizational resilience. Leaders fluent in AI can critically assess whether supply chain recommendations from AI agents account for geopolitical volatility or whether synthetic data practices comply with regional regulations. This ensures innovation is both effective and secure.

In 2025, experiential upskilling programs are gaining momentum, allowing executives to engage directly with AI through use-case-specific prototypes. A manufacturing leader, for instance, might test an AI agent for predictive maintenance, gaining hands-on insight into its strengths and limitations. This grounded approach transforms AI from a conceptual tool into a tangible business asset, sharpening leaders’ ability to prioritize investments and manage emerging risks.

A unified vision: Building resilience for 2025 and beyond

The convergence of AI agents, synthetic data, and executive AI literacy is more than a technical shift. It’s a blueprint for resilience. AI agents act as the operational core, turning data into action with speed and precision. Synthetic data fuels this core, enabling innovation while navigating regulatory and privacy constraints. Executive literacy ensures these tools are wielded strategically, aligning them with organizational goals and fostering trust.

This matters now because 2025’s challenges—geopolitical instability, regulatory complexity, and technological disruption—demand systems that can anticipate and adapt. A retailer using AI agents to reroute supply chains, powered by synthetic data to simulate market shifts, and guided by AI-literate executives doesn’t just survive disruptions; it gains a competitive edge. These trends create organizations that are increasingly proactive, turning volatility into opportunity.

The path forward

Business and IT leaders must act now to build this resilience. Deploy AI agents to automate and augment critical processes, ensuring robust governance. Invest in synthetic data to unlock AI’s potential, prioritizing metadata to manage risks. Commit to executive AI literacy through hands-on programs that align AI with your organization's unique challenges.

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

• A free Android VPN app with 1M+ downloads was caught hosting its service on Windscribe-stolen VPN servers
• JetVPN allegedly began using Private Internet Access (PIA) servers after Windscribe blocked its access
• According to Windscribe, this incident is a symptom of wider issues with Google Play

A free VPN, ranking among the most downloaded free apps in the Google Play Store with 1M+ downloads, was caught seemingly stealing from Windscribe.

Rated as one of the best VPN providers on the market by TechRadar's reviewers, Windscribe first realized that JetVPN – a new name in the industry – was using Windscribe-owned servers to host its VPN service at the end of July.

After blocking it, JetVPN allegedly turned to Private Internet Access (PIA) servers to keep hosting its service.

A JetVPN spokesperson told TechRadar that the team was completely unaware of the situation until Windscribe reached out. A third-party firm offering a "white-label VPN" solution allegedly provided JetVPN with Windscribe and PIA servers without the company knowing.

"This whole thing is basically scammers scamming other scammers," commented Windscribe's CEO, Yegor Sak, adding that, "it is not the first time this happened," suggesting this signals a wider problem with how Google deals with quality control on new applications.

Stolen VPN servers – how did it happen?

Windscribe and PIA are among a handful of VPN providers offering unlimited device connections. This means that once you subscribe to one of these services, you can use your VPN app on all of your devices simultaneously.

While everyday users may take advantage of this policy to protect their families and friends by paying only for one subscription, malicious developers can also abuse it to host their own virtual private network (VPN) software at no cost.

"How they do it is very simple: they buy a bunch of Windscribe accounts, and then mass-share them using their own app by distributing OpenVPN credentials," Sak told TechRadar.

Nothing to worry about if you have a Windscribe or PIA account, though. As Sak explains: "This does not affect any other Windscribe users, since they're just abusing their own accounts, which they paid for."

PIA also confirmed to TechRadar that the team was aware that a third party took advantage of its unlimited device offering.

"In line with our Terms of Service, we closed the offending accounts promptly," a PIA spokesperson told us.

When approached by TechRadar, JetVPN said the team promptly stopped using Windscribe and PIA servers as soon as the provider got in touch, removed them from its application, and moved to an infrastructure fully under the company's control.

"We want to emphasize that JetVPN never engaged in any intentional or unauthorized use of their infrastructure – the overlap came solely from the same third-party provider," said a JetVPN spokesperson.

A Google Play issue?

(Image credit: Google Play)

At the time of writing, JetVPN is unavailable on the Google Play Store. Until Friday, August 15, 2025, it was and amassed a 5-star rating within a couple of months. The VPN was never available for download on the Apple App Store.

Asked about this, JetVPN told TechRadar that the removal isn't directly related to this matter.

"We are currently in the process of updating and improving our service, and we look forward to making it available again in due course," said a JetVPN spokesperson, adding that it was the company's decision to launch the app solely on Android at first.

That said, the JetVPN saga is only the latest of such incidents, where unverified VPN apps managed to get into the top ranks on Google Play.

Google even launched a "Verified" badge last February to help users download only secure and trustworthy services. Yet this popular free Google Chrome VPN extension has recently been found to spy on its 100k users, despite having obtained such a security badge.

All in all, Sak told TechRadar: "Google has a serious problem on their hands with quality control, as well as obvious use of bots to mass-install and mass-review shady apps to get them into the top 10 lists. This is quite obvious, since this app [JetVPN] has a 5.0 rating, with 5k+ votes and zero written reviews."

As a rule of thumb, you should always avoid downloading unsecured freebies if you care about your privacy and security. If you're looking for a trustworthy application, we recommend checking our best free VPN guide – Privado VPN, Proton VPN, and Windscribe Free are today's top picks.

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Sometimes it feels like we are in the middle of a scam epidemic. From bogus investment schemes to phishing attacks, online fraud is becoming more frequent, more sophisticated, and more emotionally exploitative.

In the midst of it all, one type of fraud is grabbing more headlines than the rest: romance scams. Victims of these schemes are not only left financially devastated, but emotionally manipulated, tricked into believing they were in a real, meaningful relationship that turned out to be part of the elaborate scam.

The latest data from the City of London Police reveals that in 2024 alone, over £106 million was lost to romance scams, with victims losing an average of £11,222 each. And the problem is showing no signs of slowing down, with Barclays reporting a 20% increase year-on-year.

However, romance fraud is just the tip of the iceberg. Fraudsters are constantly changing their tactics, using new tools and strategies to deceive thousands of social media users into handing over substantial sums of money.

Evolving techniques

Romance scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, now turning to AI-generated deepfakes to make their stories more believable. They create hyper-realistic videos and audio, impersonating celebrities or trusted individuals to manipulate victims, by using easily accessible AI tools.

That’s what happened earlier this year in France, when a woman was scammed out of €830,000 by individuals who impersonated Brad Pitt using AI-generated images and videos.

In cases like these, scammers are particularly effective because they adopt a “slow-burn” approach, carefully nurturing online relationships over weeks or even months before making their move.

When the time is right, the ask for money is usually linked to a fake medical emergency, a golden investment opportunity, or a sudden family crisis.

While romance scams have grabbed the most headlines when it comes to social media scams, they’re just one example of a much bigger problem.

The tip of the iceberg

Stolen identities, deepfakes and other AI-generated techniques are driving fraud across social media. They are not used only for romance scams but also phishing campaigns, impersonation attacks, and social engineering.

Specifically, there has been a significant increase in scams using synthetic identities, where fraudsters create entirely fake personas using a mix of real, stolen, and fabricated personal details. These techniques are not just common to perpetrate romance scams, but are often used to secure loans with no intention to repay them as well as in money laundering schemes.

The use of deepfakes or synthetic identities is also on the rise in social engineering scams, where fraudsters impersonate trusted organizations or individuals to trick victims into revealing personal details, financial information or even transferring money. These tactics allow scammers to build up credibility with their victims, leading them to believe they are interacting with, and even giving money to, a credible entity.

Deepfake videos of celebrities are increasingly used to promote investment scams, tricking victims into handing over money for fake investments, promising high returns that never materialize. According to Hargreaves Lansdown, losses from investment scams rose by more than a third in 2024, reaching £144.4 million.

In one recent case, an organized network based in Georgia defrauded thousands of savers across the UK, Europe, and Canada out of $35 million (£27 million). The scammers used deepfake videos and fake news reports featuring money expert Martin Lewis to promote bogus cryptocurrency and investment schemes.

Tackling online fraud

Something that most scams have in common is their origin point. Three quarters of scams (75%) start online, whether that be on dating sites, social media or digital platforms.

Thanks to pre-built fraud kits that can be bought ‘off the shelf’ on the dark web, the entry barrier to fraud no longer exists, and being an expert has become irrelevant.

With AI tools to create deepfakes available online, and synthetic identities up for sale, anyone with an internet connection and bad intentions can now manufacture trust at scale to commit fraud, making digital environments an increasingly dangerous place.

To stem the tide of fraud, digital platforms and social media sites need to take proactive steps to prevent bad actors from operating on their sites.

Integrating technology that detects fraud before a conversation even begins would be a critical step in that direction. AI-powered digital footprint analysis and OSINT tools offer powerful ways to verify whether there’s a real person behind an account, not just whether the account looks real.

These technologies can instantly check whether a user's email or phone number matches the name they provided at sign-up and flag suspicious location mismatches. They can even detect AI-generated images or celebrity photos being used as profile pictures, as well as flag the use of disposable phone numbers or newly created email addresses.

These are simple yet highly effective measures that can make a huge difference in preventing not only romance scams but also investment scams, social engineering, phishing, and more.

Big Tech needs to step up its game

So why are we seeing a rise in scams across the board, when there is technology that could prevent them? In short, these tools are not being used to their full potential.

In recent years, some social media sites have introduced additional voluntary safeguards to verify users' identities and protect against scams, but there’s still more to be done.

If Big Tech can personalise ads with near-perfect accuracy, it should also be able to detect and disrupt romance scams and other forms of fraud. The reality is this simply hasn’t been made a priority.

Until it is, criminal exploitation scams will continue to massively proliferate on social media and other digital platforms.

The tools and resources to prevent scams are there. What we need now is the will to use them.

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

• A YouTuber has shared a new concept video of 'Windows 12.2'
• This is a follow-up to their previous vision of Windows 12, and refines the concept
• There are some smart ideas, but Microsoft is likely to be thinking very differently about it's next-gen OS

Windows concept videos are quite popular these days, as it's intriguing to take a glance at what might be if Microsoft took a different tack with its OS - and another one just popped up showcasing 'Windows 12.2' no less.

BetaNews spotted this latest concept video from 'AR 4789', a YouTuber who regularly posts these kinds of visions of how Microsoft could spin Windows. If you're wondering why it's called Windows 12.2, this is because the YouTuber already posted a take on Windows 12 a few months back - so this is a refinement.

At any rate, have a watch of the video below and see what you make of the concept, remembering that it is just that - this isn't a mod, there are no installation files, and it isn't based on leaks within Microsoft or anything remotely official.

It's simply an alternate vision of how Windows 12 could look, so click play - maybe skip the beginning which is just the mock setup of the operating system, head to 3:20 if you want to miss that - then afterwards, I'll give you my thoughts on this idea (if you'll indulge me).

Analysis: a smart concept - but the future of Windows will probably look very different

Overall, the YouTuber's take on the Windows 12 interface looks really clean and streamlined, and I like that vibe. There's a cheeky reference to Apple's Liquid Glass design, as well, with the Aero (transparency) effect from Windows Vista in evidence (recall the whole Apple copied Microsoft battle of barbs, though as I've said before, I don't feel that's a very fair stance - and arguably, Apple did sneak in first with the Aqua design in the interface of OS X 10 at the turn of the millennium).

Indeed, the Windows 7 theme applied in the video looks tasty, too, and I also really like some of the nuances, such as the choice of taskbar implementations (two smaller versions, plus floating or docked taskbars, or even options for a Windows 7 or 10-style bar). The Start menu gets a similar treatment and a smart level of customization overall.

I wish Microsoft would adopt some of these ideas, but let's face it - the likelihood of that is remote-to-non-existent (and that's a charitable assessment).

Indeed, I'd argue that the likelihood of Windows 12 appearing in the near(ish) future is also low in the probability stakes. Why? While rumors of Windows 12 have continued to circulate here and there, I'm thinking that whatever step Microsoft takes with the next incarnation of Windows - whatever it might be called - is going to need to be a big stride forward.

This is because Windows 11 was seen as a reskin of Windows 10 when it arrived, and there's definitely some truth there. Under the fresh paint job, many of the features and core workings of Windows 11 remained much the same as Windows 10 (even though a lot was changed under the hood - even more so with Windows 11 24H2 - but you don't see that, despite there being benefits such as better security, for example).

And even today, there's a feeling that I see commonly when reading various online forums that Windows 11 really isn't much different to Windows 10 - so why upgrade? There's no major pressing reason to do so (and many of the shiniest new Windows 11 features are for Copilot+ PCs only, anyway).

Okay, so you have to upgrade soon, of course, with Windows 10's End of Life in sight - unless you sign up for extended updates, and I think there's a good argument for doing just that (as you can get an extra year of security updates for free).

Where am I going with all this? Well, if Windows 12 arrives relatively soon in the OS deployment timeframe, it's not going to be all that much different to Windows 11. Much like the concept we see here, it'll remain largely the same - though we can hope for design and customization innovations along the lines of what the YouTuber suggests.

In this scenario, though, Windows 10 kind of clatters into Windows 11 which sort of bumbles into Windows 12 - they're all much of a muchness, as they say. And yes, sure, maybe Microsoft will plump for more modest iterative upgrades for its desktop OS in the nearer-term in this vein. However, this isn't a great look in terms of innovation - and I think the software giant is looking to make a big splash with AI. Indeed, the company's execs are pretty much telling us this already.

Which is why Microsoft might simply not bother with Windows 12 - and just keep Windows 11 rolling on down the road on annual updates - while it works to make a big entrance with Windows AI, or Windows Copilot, or whatever a much more tightly AI-focused operating system ends up being called (it won't be Windows 12, I don't think - again, it'll be a statement of some kind).

If Microsoft really wants to sell AI - and I think there's an abundance of evidence of that, including key chatter from top execs - the next take on Windows will have Copilot's tentacles snaking into a lot more corners, and will push all kinds of new AI-related tricks on us.

As a result, next-gen Windows will probably look very different to the concept we see here - but I hope that Microsoft might take at least some inspiration from the ideas aired on YouTube here, as I'm a fan.

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It’s no secret that the use of AI has surged exponentially in recent years. New research found 96% of global organizations have deployed AI models and the technology is transforming business initiatives unlike anything we have experienced before. Despite this, concerns and frustrations persist for many organizations trying to unlock its full potential.

The pressure to deliver faster, more secure and more efficient applications is intense. Yet complexity, legacy practices and misalignment are undermining AI’s full scope of abilities. To stay competitive, organizations must align strategies across security, automation and deployment or risk digital transformation efforts becoming stagnated.

Legacy operations blocking AI adoption

The industry is laser focused on how AI and automation will transform everything, yet many IT teams still rely on manual steps. Although AI promises automated tasks like traffic optimization, nearly 29% of teams are still mired in scriptwriting and 56% rely on human operators to kick off processes, which often require multiple manual approvals and ticketing.

Legacy methods and manual interventions choke the pipeline. Even the most advanced AI can’t deliver results if the infrastructure relies on time-consuming, error-prone manual steps. This not only delays deployments but also saps team morale. 

Traditional deployment practices, such as reliance on human operators and cumbersome ticketing systems, cause significant delays, with 23% of IT leaders citing ticketing integration as a primary automation roadblock. Modern continuous integration and deployment pipelines are built for speed, but outdated processes slow them to a crawl. If companies aim for continuous delivery yet still depend on manual approvals, agile deployment becomes redundant.

AI fuels hybrid cloud adoption

As AI continues to gain traction, so too does the shift towards hybrid cloud architectures. Today, 94% of organizations deploy applications across multiple cloud environments, driven by the need for scalability, cost-efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The hybrid approach allows organizations to tailor their infrastructure to the specific needs of different workloads and business demands.

As 91% of IT decision-makers have identified adaptability to evolving business demands as a top advantage of hybrid cloud strategies. This adaptability is especially important for AI workloads, where data locality, latency, and cost control are key considerations.

Notably, more than half of organizations plan to run AI models across both cloud and on-premises infrastructure in the foreseeable future. Interestingly, a growing number of organizations are also reevaluating their public cloud strategies.

Approximately 79% have recently moved at least one application from the public cloud back to an on-premises or co-location setup. The reasons for this shift are varied, but commonly include the need for better cost management, enhanced security and increased predictability.

However, this hybrid model is not without its challenges. Fragmented security policies, inconsistent delivery policies, and operational silos can complicate AI deployment across environments. Misalignment across teams and platforms, whether due to differing security standards, outdated workflows or uncoordinated strategies, remains one of the biggest hurdles.

While AI can help optimize existing processes, it cannot compensate for fundamental strategic misalignment. To truly move forward, organizations must go beyond simply adopting new tools. They need to rethink whether their current workflows are still fit for purpose in the age of AI.

The path towards AI’s full potential

To fully harness AI’s potential, businesses need to commit to building modern, programmable IT environments. These environments should not only support automation but also standardize application delivery and security practices. By creating a more consistent and scalable foundation, organizations can eliminate many of the inefficiencies that currently limit AI’s impact.

By 2026, AI is expected to move beyond isolated task automation to orchestrating comprehensive, end-to-end IT operations. With platforms that feature natural language processing and programmable interfaces, traditional management consoles will give way to more intuitive, AI-driven control systems. This evolution will bring unprecedented accuracy, speed, and agility to IT operations.

In this context, flexibility and automation are no longer optional, but essential. Organizations that successfully modernize their infrastructure and align their strategies will be better positioned to unlock AI’s full capabilities. They will not only enhance operational efficiency but also deliver superior customer experiences and drive meaningful digital transformation, at scale.

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