TechRadar News

• Flashlight brightness control is coming to Pixel phones
• It's been spotted in the latest Android preview version
• Previously you needed a third-party app to access the feature

The flashlight is a useful extra you'll get on all the best smartphones, and it's even more useful when you can adjust its strength – a feature which finally looks set to arrive on Pixel phones with an upcoming update to Android.

As spotted by Android Authority, the latest Android Canary release – the earliest testing version of Android – includes the option to adjust flashlight brightness from the Quick Settings panel, via a simple on-screen slider.

It's something you can already do on the best iPhones and the best Samsung phones, so we're glad to see the Pixels are finally catching up – there are lots of scenarios where being able to adjust flashlight strengths can come in handy.

The functionality has actually been around since 2022 and Android 13, but it hasn't been fully implemented in Pixel handsets before. Up until now, you needed a third-party flashlight app to change the intensity.

Coming soon

Android 16 launched in June 2025 (Image credit: Google / Future)

It's not certain how long this will take to roll out to Pixel handsets, but it shouldn't take long. It could well roll out with the Android 16 QPR2 update (that's Quarterly Platform Release, by the way), which is scheduled to arrive for everyone in September.

Other new features that Pixel users can look forward to in Android 16 QPR2 include support for an improved dark mode and better icon theming, more customization for the Quick Settings panel, and lock-screen widgets for phones.

The Identity Check feature will also be expanded to more apps, which means they require biometric authentication (like a face or fingerprint scan) for access. There's also an upgraded remote-locking feature called Secure Lock Device.

All of these features will of course appear on the newly unveiled Google Pixel 10 phones, which come with an earlier version of Android 16 out of the box – but you may find it's the flashlight brightness adjustment that you find yourself using the most.

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• Amazon is reportedly working on a tablet that runs Android rather than Fire OS
• This could cost a lot more than current Fire tablet models, at around $400
• It might be the first of many Android-powered tablets

Amazon’s Fire tablets might not get as much attention as iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs, but they’re quietly quite successful products, and a rumored change could make them even more popular.

According to Reuters citing “six people familiar with the matter”, Amazon plans to release a new tablet next year, but this one will apparently be powered by Android rather than the Fire OS operating system used by all current Amazon tablets.

Fire OS itself is based on Android, but it’s so heavily customized and de-Googled as to be almost unidentifiable as an Android operating system – it even relies on a completely separate app store.

So moving to a less heavily altered version of Android would be a big shift, with the biggest advantage to buyers likely being that they’d be able to access the Google Play Store, meaning a wider availability of apps, and more certainty that the apps they have on their phone would also be available for their tech slate.

A pricier prospect

The next Amazon tablet could cost as much as an iPad (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

As well as a shift in operating system, this upcoming Fire tablet could also be a more premium device, with the report stating that it may cost around $400 (roughly £300 / AU$620). That would make it almost twice as expensive as the Amazon Fire Max 11, which is the top model in Amazon’s current selection.

$400 is still a fairly low price compared to some tablets, but it would put the slate more in line with the likes of the iPad 11-inch (2025), so it could have some serious competition.

Still, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as presumably this price rise would come with better hardware, which should help this tablet appeal to an audience that never would have considered an Amazon tablet before.

And the Reuters report suggests that this could be the first of many Android-powered tablets, some of which may well continue appealing to entry-level buyers. So hopefully there will soon be something for everyone – and without the limitations of Fire OS.

Still, the sources caution that there’s a chance this Android tablet project – which is said to be codenamed Kittyhawk – could still be delayed or canceled over “financial or other concerns”, so for now we can only hope this new tablet does launch.

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• Anthropic makes Claude Code available for more business accounts
• Admins can select between standard and premium seats for access
• “Claude seats include enough usage for a typical workday”

Anthropic has rolled out changes to help support business users with the expansion of Claude Code to more accounts.

The AI tools maker has announced Claude Code will now form part of Claude for Enterprise and Team after previously only being available for individual accounts.

With the additional of Claude Code for business customers, admin can now choose to assign workers standard or premium seats – the latter adding support for both Claude and Claude Code.

Claude Code comes to business users

Anthropic noted this was the most requested feature from enterprise customers.

“Claude seats include enough usage for a typical workday,” the company said, but customers who need access to more intelligence can pay via standard API rates, with admins able to set controls over how much users are allowed to spend.

Admins can use the admin panel to purchase new seats, directly manage seat allocation and provision users, with analytics and metrics like lines of code accepted, suggestion accept rate and usage patterns all available to help companies understand the value of Claude Code.

Companies can also implement managed policy settings to adhere to internal policies, including tool permissions, file access restrictions and MCP server configurations.

Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, Anthropic has gone down the more flexible route to allow admins to decide who needs premium seats, which are available for upgrade now.

Anthropic recently outlined how the AI company itself uses Claude Code. Use cases include boosting understanding of large codebases, internal documentation ingestion, debugging support and product prototyping.

“It's dissolving the boundary between technical and non-technical work, turning anyone who can describe a problem into someone who can build a solution,” Anthropic noted.

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• Autel Robotics ceasing support for Evo Nano and Evo Lite drones
• No further firmware updates or after-sales support
• Company to focus efforts on enterprise drones instead

Despite DJI’s ongoing difficulties in the US market, it remains by far the biggest consumer drone maker in the world – and this week one of its main rivals has seemingly given up its attempts to compete.

Chinese company Autel Robotics has joined the likes of Skydio, Parrot and GoPro in quitting the consumer drone market, retiring two of its product ranges: the Evo Nano and Evo Lite. Autel stopped marketing the drones (both of which were launched in late 2021) in mid-July; now only a few final Evo Lite+ bundles remain for sale on its website.

In a blog post published on July 18, Autel announced, “we aim to concentrate resources to better serve our users and enhance product stability and competitiveness. As part of our product lifecycle management, we are making arrangements for the discontinuation, sales cessation, and service termination of the [Evo Lite and Evo Nano].”

Beyond July 18, 2030, Autel will no longer provide technical support, after-sales repair or firmware updates and fixes for these drones. To all intents and purposes, they’re dead. Reading between the lines, this seems to be part of a wider pivot away from consumer drones to professional and enterprise models.

Open skies for DJI

The DJI Mini 3 Pro (left) is an obvious alternative to the Autel Evo Nano+ (right) (Image credit: Future)

So, where does that leave the hobbyist photographers and videographers that would have made up the market for the Evo Lite and Evo Nano? Well, the obvious answer is they turn to DJI, which provides extremely capable, ready-made alternatives in its Mavic, Air and Mini ranges.

I’m a huge fan of DJI’s drones and wouldn’t hesitate to buy one for my own content creation needs, but at the same time I think competition is vital for the market. Giving an already-dominant company a completely free run isn’t likely to push them into innovating faster or making their products more affordable.

Autel’s retreat from the market also has interesting implications for consumers living in the USA. It’s seeming more and more likely that the US federal government will ban DJI drones from sale in the country, leaving would-be buyers forced to opt for alternatives. If Autel is no longer making and selling consumer drones, it’s one fewer option on the table.

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• Date and time: Premiered at 9pm BST on Tuesday, August 19 (UK)
• Watch free: BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Use Norton VPN to unblock BBC iPlayer (try risk-free)

He has millions in the bank from Love Island and the endless brand partnerships the show unlocked, the stratospheric success of his half-brother Tyson, and the interminable stream of aspirational reality content he features in with Molly-Mae Hague, but watching Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury, it's impossible not to wonder if he'd rather be a jobbing boxer striving to make it off his own back.

You can watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury online from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for free.

The six-part fly-on-the-wall series begins with Tommy at rock-bottom. In January 2023 he and Molly-Mae – of fast-fashion, shady online prize draws, deeply questionable advertizing practices and “we all have the same 24 hours in a day” fame – had their first daughter. In July they got engaged. In August 2024 they split up. In January 2025 Tommy had surgery on a hand injury. By May they were back together.

We know all of this because Tommy and Molly-Mae monetize every inch of their lives. In one episode of Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury, a trailer for Molly-Mae’s new series drops. Molly-Mae: Behind it All was concocted to further publicize the breakup, but then becomes an opportunity for Tommy to publicize his alcohol dependency struggles.

And all the while he wonders why his boxing career isn't going as planned. Two of Tommy's last three opponents were Jake Paul and KSI, and he had a scheduled bout with MMA fighter Darren Till before it descended into farce. At this moment in time, Tommy's story feels like a cautionary tale.

Read on as we explain how to watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury online from anywhere.

How to watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury for free in the UK

(Image credit: Future)

Viewers in the UK can watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury FREE on BBC Three and via the BBC iPlayer streaming service.

Episodes air at 9pm and 9.30pm BST every Tuesday, starting August 19, but all six are now available as a boxset on iPlayer.

All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!

What if you're abroad? Grab this VPN to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch your usual free stream from anywhere.

How to watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury streams with a VPN

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How to watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury around the worldCan I watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury in the US?

Any plans to make Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury available to watch in the US are yet to be announced.

Brits currently away from home can use a VPN to watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury on BBC iPlayer from abroad.

Can I watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury in Canada?

(Image credit: Other)

Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury is yet to find a home in Canada.

For now, UK nationals currently traveling in Canada can use a VPN to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch the show from anywhere in the world. We recommend Norton.

Can I watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury in Australia?

Any plans to make Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury available to watch in Australia are yet to be announced.

If you're a Brit traveling Down Under, a VPN will help you tune in. Norton is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth Norton VPN review.

Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury Q+A

(Image credit: BBC)Can I watch Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury for free?

Yes. BBC One is home to Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury in the UK, with all episodes available to stream for free on the BBC iPlayer platform.

How many episodes of Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury are there?

Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury comprises six episodes. A pair of episodes air back-to-back on BBC Three from 9pm BST each Tuesday, starting August 19, but the entire series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer from launch.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

GPT‑5 Pro impresses with its complex, layered response to prompts. The crown jewel of the GPT-5 rollout this month even made OpenAI CEO Sam Altman nervous with some of its responses. But you shouldn't confuse brilliant algorithmic models with true independent thinking, according to Dr. Ben Goertzel, who helped popularize the term Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in the early 2000s.

Now the CEO of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance and TrueAGI Inc., and the founder of SingularityNET, Goertzel wrote an essay lauding GPT‑5 Pro as “a remarkable technical achievement” that he finds useful for formatting research papers, parsing mathematical frameworks, and improving his own prose. But, he's not mistaking the model's abilities for actual human-style brains.

"These models, impressive as they are, utterly lack the creative and inventive spark that characterises human intelligence at its best," Goertzel wrote. "More fundamentally, they literally 'don't know what they're talking about.' Their knowledge isn't grounded in experience or observation, it's pattern matching at an extraordinarily sophisticated level, but pattern matching nonetheless."

No matter how fast or thorough the model's performance is, it's ultimately shallow. You can be dazzled by the spectacle, but there's nothing going on underneath the statistical inference. People seeing a blurred line between GPT‑5 Pro and AGI isn't surprising, he hastened to add, since it can imitate logic, extend reasoning, and look like some thought process is happening, but it's nothing like a human or animal brain. Stringing together associations learned from training is not the same as drawing on memory, experience, or a vision of future goals.

"This distinction isn't semantic nitpicking. True AGI requires grounding knowledge in both external and internal experience," Goertzel wrote. "In terms of these basic aspects of open-ended cognition, today’s LLMs are vastly inferior to a one year old human child, their incredible intellectual facility notwithstanding."

AGI's future

GPT‑5 Pro and its siblings are built on an increasingly strained premise that scaling large language models will inevitably produce AGI. He also suggested that the current LLM approach is fused to a business model that limits innovation. OpenAI, he notes, is simultaneously trying to build AGI and sell scalable chatbot services to billions of users. The AGI label, he warns, is being thrown around too freely. While GPT-5 Pro and other tools are undeniably powerful, calling them minds is, in his view, premature and possibly misleading.

"GPT5-Pro deserves recognition as a remarkable achievement in AI engineering. For researchers and professionals needing sophisticated technical assistance, it's currently unmatched," Goertzel wrote. "But we shouldn't mistake incremental improvements in large-scale natural-language pattern matching for progress toward genuine artificial general intelligence."

Goertzel's description of a true AGI is a model that constantly learn new things, irrespective of a user interacting with it. The continuous evolution of a mind, the human experience, goes well beyond the specific training and deployment of an AI model. GPT‑5 Pro is frozen the moment it’s deployed; a sealed jar of intelligence.

Goertzel’s work would smash that jar and spread the intelligence out across decentralized systems. Eventually, he hopes to produce an intelligence that doesn't mimic how brains work, but performs like one, with internal models of the world and beliefs it would update over time.

"The path to AGI won't be found by simply scaling current approaches. It requires fundamental innovations in how we ground knowledge, enable continual learning, and integrate different cognitive capabilities," Goertzel concludes. "GPT-5 and its successors will likely play important supporting roles in future AGI systems, but the starring role requires more innovative actors we're still in the process of creating."

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• Ricoh GR IV is available for preorder for $1,499 / £1,199
• It has an even slimmer design than the GR III, plus control layout tweaks
• Autofocus and startup are seemingly quicker

It's official – the Ricoh GR IV is available for preorder and the first reviews and sample images taken with the premium compact are hitting Ricoh's social media to whet the appetite.

Meanwhile, one of its ambassadors has shared the first hands-on video with the GR IV, discussing his first impressions before using the premium pocket snapper for real.

As a GR IIIX owner, I've got a particular interest in its successor, especially as we rate the GR III / GR IIIX as one of the best compact camera series around. Put simply, it delivers the best image quality from a genuinely pocketable snapper.

That said, I'll admit that when I first saw the GR IV tech specs and product imagery back in May, followed by it being showcased in June, I felt underwhelmed.

At first glance, the latest version seemingly fails to deliver many of my GR IV top wishes – there's still no built-in flash, tilt screen, or improved build quality. Most of the tech specs seem pretty similar, too.

It's also pricier than the GR III, costing $1,499 / £1,199. However, what matters most is real-world use, and the hands-on video on the Samuel Streetlife YouTube shows plenty of reason to be excited.

• The Ricoh GR IV costs $1,496.95 at B&H Photo or £1,199 at Harrison Cameras

A snappier premium pocket snapper

My top request for the upcoming GR model was for it to stay small – in other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ricoh has seemingly gone one better and made the GR IV body even slimmer, while making the hand grip more pronounced. The grip on the rear looks like it has a larger groove for the thumb to rest, too. That's a solid start.

From brief testing illustrated in the first hands-on (see the YouTube video, above), autofocus appears to be snappier. That could be another major win, especially given how poor the autofocus performance of the GR III is. The tests were made in overcast daylight conditions, rather than the more challenging conditions of nighttime.

Start-up time is also quicker, almost instantaneous in fact. For a camera that's particularly popular with street photographers who might need to respond to moments quickly, that's a top feature.

What the video doesn't dig into is image quality, though we are getting the first glimpses of that on Ricoh's Instagram (below). One image showcases impressive macro photography skills, while another demonstrates the 5-axis image stabilization in action – a handheld monochrome shot where movement is blurred but static subjects are sharp.

A post shared by RICOH GR European Account (@ricoh_gr_photography)

A photo posted by on

From tech specs, we know there is a modest bump in resolution, from 24MP to 26MP, while the 28mm f/2.8 lens is redesigned, but those images on social media can't clearly demonstrate if there are any real improvements in image quality – that'll come from our proper testing in due course.

There are a couple more noteworthy updates – the GR III records onto an SD card and has 2GB internal storage, whereas the GR IV uses a micro SD and has 53GB of internal storage. I'm not sure which I prefer of the two, but the GR III series has never been one for high performance, fast burst shooting, so the slower micro SD card type in the new model might not be a deal breaker.

From what I've seen in the launch build-up and first reviews, I'm getting my hopes up once more for the GR IV.

What's left me a little disappointed, however, is the $1,499 / £1,199 list price. That's quite the price hike from the $1,099 / £999 of the GR III (and that's following an increase in price over the GR III's years), especially if you're in the US.

That price hike seems all the more harsh considering the GR IV is effectively a modest update of the GR III, which looks like the better buy while stocks last. I'll report back after testing with my full verdict.

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• Spider-Man 4 has reportedly added a Severance star to its cast
• Their role in the Marvel movie hasn't been publicly revealed
• If true, they'd be an ideal fit for one of two roles in the MCU Phase 6 film

Severance star Tramell Tillman has reportedly joined the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Per Variety, Tillman, who's best known for playing Mr. Milchick in the hugely popular Apple TV+ show, is said to be the latest actor to have signed on to feature in the highly-anticipated Marvel movie.

If true, Tillman will join Tom Holland and Zendaya, who reprise their roles as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and MJ from the webslinger's three previous solo films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and Marvel veterans in Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk. Tillman would also line up alongside other newcomers to the Spider-Man franchise, including The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas and Stranger Things' Sadie Sink.

One industry insider has claimed Florence Pugh will also appear in Brand New Day (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Tillman isn't the only actor who's believed to have signed on to appear in Brand New Day. According to industry insider DanielRPK, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova could have a role to play in the Holland-led film, too. Given DanielRPK's spotty track record when it comes to cast announcements, though, it's best to take this particular rumor with a giant pinch of salt for the time being.

Pugh's Belova was last seen in Thunderbolts*, one of three new movies released by Marvel in 2025 that have all underperformed at the global box office. Pugh is one of 27 stars confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, so Belova is set to return in at least one of next year's big-screen MCU offerings. Whether she'll show up in Brand New Day – either in a minor supporting role or by way of a post-credits cameo – though, is unclear.

Who could Tramell Tillman play in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Is Tillman being lined up to play a race-swapped version of Norman Osborn? (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney Plus)

But back to Tillman. According to Variety, his role in Spider-Man 4 is being kept under wraps. Marvel and Sony declined to comment on his apparent hiring, too, so we won't find out if Tillman is part of the cast and who he might be playing for a while.

That doesn't mean we can't speculate on who he could portray in the Marvel Phase 6 movie, though – and I think he'd be the perfect fit for one of two roles.

For one, I could see Tillman being tapped to play Jefferson Davis. A New York police officer, he's also the father of Miles Morales, which you'd already know if you've read any Marvel comic starring Morales and/or seen one or both of Sony's animated Spider-Verse movies. If other reports suggesting Colón-Zayas has been cast as Miles' mom Rio Morales, Tillman may have been hired to play the other half of this parental dynamic.

The other option that would make full use of Tillman's talents would be installing him as the MCU's race-swapped version of Norman Osborn. Marvel has previous form for casting a Black actor as Oscorp's founder and one of Spidey's most iconic villains in Green Goblin. Colman Domingo voiced a race-swapped version of the character in Disney+ animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, so it wouldn't be such a novel concept if Tillman has been tapped to play a live-action iteration of Osborn.

Tillman's demonstrated his incredibly acting range in Severance, aka one of the best Apple TV+ shows, so he'd be a great fit for either of these characters. Indeed, whether it's using his experience playing the calm, sinister, and ambitious Milchick to portray a similar individual in Osborn, or exuding the warm and jovial yet stern personality Davis is known for, he'd knock either role out of the park.

But, what do you think? Who else could Tillman play? And are you excited to see him involved? Let me know in the comments.

Spider-Man 4 will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026. Before it does, read all about it in my dedicated guide on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

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• HMD has released the HMD Fuse, a smartphone with AI software that blocks all nude content
• HarmBlock+ blocks or deletes nude content within seconds of detection
• The phone is currently exclusive to Vodafone and Three in the UK

Finnish company HMD, best known as the maker of Nokia phones, has released a new device for teens that uses AI to block the viewing, sending, receiving, and creation of nude images.

The HMD Fuse, which is available now, uses British online safety company SafeToNet’s HarmBlock+ AI to detect and block harmful content, even on live streams or video calls.

HarmBlock+ is embedded at the OS level, can’t be switched off or worked around, and works across any app or content type by scanning for nude imagery at the screen rendering stage. When such imagery is detected, the entire screen is blocked, and any communications apps are closed, severing calls or live streams.

“We believe this will be the most impactful smartphone launch of the year,” James Robinson, VP of HMD Family at HMD, said at the Fuse's London launch. “When you give your child a smartphone, you bring a stranger and unknown dangers into your home. You can’t watch them always online, but now you have peace of mind that there’s protection in place even when you can’t be there.”

HMD consulted with more than 37,000 parents, guardians, and children in the design process of the HMD Fuse, seeking a balance between function, safety, and indeed privacy for the child using the phone.

Harmblock+ works by taking a snapshot of the screen rendering pipeline every six to seven seconds, and was trained on a database of 22 million ethically sourced harmful images. The snapshots are only ever stored and processed on-device, and are destroyed as soon as the Harmblock+ block is activated.

Richard Pursey, founder of SafeToNet, said: “HarmBlock+ can’t be removed, tricked, or worked around. It doesn’t collect personal data. It just protects every time, across every app, including VPNs, with zero loopholes.”

“We are seeing a rise in peer-to-peer online abuse and child exploitation,” Pursey added, “and this is the first and only AI to stop that. In essence, we have made the HMD Fuse pornography incompatible.”

A tech solution for a societal problem

The HMD Fuse, like other HMD devices, has some level of user repairability and customizable "outfits" that act as an intermediary between case and chassis. (Image credit: HMD)

The safety of children online has been a major concern lately, especially with the Online Safety Act coming into effect in the UK. Data provided by Vodafone suggests that 1 in 5 secondary school-aged children have felt pressured to send explicit images of themselves. Of those that do, nearly two-thirds later find out that these images were forwarded on to others without their consent.

The HMD Fuse aims to prevent the pain and panic that can come from such a situation. And, of course, the creation and receipt of such images is highly illegal, no matter the age of the participants, so HarmBlock+ could also stop children from breaking the law.

In essence, we have made the HMD Fuse pornography incompatible.

Richard Pursey, founder of SafeToNet

At the phone’s launch event, Pursey said: “The world needs to understand the art of the possible. Those platforms that say online harm is a social issue that can’t be solved by technology… we’re proving to you that they’re wrong.”

The same event included a demo with the new phone – and having tested HarmBlock+ ourselves, we can confirm it’s remarkably effective, acting within seconds and forcing a return to the previous screen.

The phone was first revealed to a group of schoolchildren at the Michael Community School in Wembley, London, where headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh said: “This device gives parents the power to intervene, to guide, and to protect, and for that, it could change lives.”

More than just AI

HMD says the Fuse is designed to "grow with" a child through updates and parental enabling of new features. (Image credit: HMD)

While HarmBlock+ is focused on blocking pornography and child sexual abuse material, the HMD Fuse’s digital and real-world safety tools don’t end there. In fact, the phone is built from the ground up with parental controls in mind.

At first, the HMD Fuse has practically no smart functions whatsoever, and is only as functional as a Nokia feature phone. Using a linked app on their own smart device, parents and guardians can enable or disable apps and features in real time, as well as limit screen time and track the location of their child’s HMD Fuse.

As for hardware, the HMD Fuse competes with the best cheap phones. The phone comes with a 6.56-inch display, a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset with 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage (expandable with up to 1TB of microSD storage). The handset also sports a 108MP rear camera, a 50MP selfie camera, and a 5,000mAh battery.

The phone’s single configuration is available exclusively from Vodafone and Three at £33/month (£30 upfront) with 5GB of mobile data. A wider release seems unlikely at this stage, but software like HarmBlock+ is certainly something we'd like to see adopted on a global scale.

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Emily in Paris season 5: key information

- Season 5 debuts on December 18, 2025
- Filming has wrapped, first look photos have been released
- No official trailer yet
- Will be set in both Paris and Rome
- Emily set to face new heartbreak and "career setbacks"
- Main cast to return
- Minnie Driver joins as a new cast member

Emily in Paris season 5 is officially in production, but what can we expect from one of the best streaming service's hit shows? In the season finale, Paris-lover Emily made a huge move to Rome to set up Agence Grateau's new office – and, conveniently, live closer to her new Italian beau, Marcello. But, as has been the case through the previous seasons, Emily's work and love life are endlessly complicated, so there's plenty more drama to delve into.

And thus, there's plenty to talk about when it comes to Emily in Paris season 5. Here's everything we know about the show's release date, predicted cast, plot synopsis and more. Hopefully tiding us over until we can once again enjoy the romance of not one, but two European cities.

Emily in Paris season 5 release date

Benvenuto! Emily in Paris Season 5 arrives DECEMBER 18! Here's your first look: pic.twitter.com/HA1aWiCzlSAugust 20, 2025

Emily in Paris season 5 will be returning to Netflix on December 18, 2025. Thankfully, all 10 episodes will be released at once, rather than being split into two parts like season 4.

Creator Darren Star said in a statement, "This season is a Tale of Two Cities. Rome and Paris. Straddling both, Emily takes love and life to the next level.”  

The show was officially renewed in September 2024, just days after season 4 part 2’s release. Star told Tudum at the time: “We’re thrilled with the incredible response to this season of Emily in Paris and excited to return for a fifth to continue Emily’s adventures in Rome and Paris!”

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Emily in Paris season 5: has a trailer been released?

(Image credit: Netflix)

While we've got some first look snaps, there’s still no Emily in Paris season 5 trailer to share. Season 4’s trailer dropped a month before the release date, so we’re not expecting one until at least November 2025, but we’ll be sure to update here as soon as it drops.

Emily in Paris season 5: confirmed and predicted cast

Emily in Paris season 5 looks set to bring back the usual cast, with one exception (Image credit: Netflix)

Potential spoilers follow for Emily in Paris season 5.

As we can see from the first official photos, the main cast of Emily in Paris is set to return for season 5 episodes, including:

• Lily Collins as Emily Cooper
• Lucas Bravo as Gabriel
• Eugenio Franceschini as Marcello
• Ashley Park as Mindy Chen
• Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Sylvie Grateau
• Samuel Arnold as Julien
• Bruno Gouery as Luc
• Lucien Laviscount as Alfie
• Minnie Driver as Princess Jane

After season 5's renewal, rumors circulated in October 2024 that Bravo would not be returning for new episodes, stating to Indiewire: "The ‘sexy chef’ was very much part of me in season 1 and we grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and because of the direction they make him take. I’ve never been so far away from him.”

Star later clarified that comments made in an interview were a "misunderstanding," telling Deadline, “I think the latter, just a misunderstanding. I think he was never intending not to come back.”

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You'll notice one name missing from the usual cast list and that's Camille. Actress Camille Razat, who has starred in previous seasons, revealed on her official Instagram that she would be leaving the show: "After an incredible journey, I've made the decision to step away from Emily in Paris. It has been a truly wonderful experience, one filled with growth, creativity, and unforgettable moments."

Season 4 saw the introduction of new a new cast member though with series’ newcomer Genevieve (Thalia Besson), Laurent’s daughter from a previous relationship, joining Agence Grateau. And she made a move on Gabriel, vying for a piece of Emily's life.

Though she was seemingly rejected by the French chef, her return for season 5 seems incredibly likely. We’d also imagine recurring characters Laurent (Arnaud Binard), Antoine (William Abadie), and Benoît (Kevin Dias) to return.

Last but not least, there's been an announcement of a whole new cast member – Minnie Driver. As exclusively revealed by Variety, Driver will play Princess Jane, described as "A friend of Sylvie's who married into a royal family".

Emily in Paris season 5: story synopsis and rumors

Will Emily get her happily ever after in Rome with Marcello? (Image credit: Netflix)

Full spoilers follow for Emily in Paris seasons 1 to 4.

It wouldn’t be Emily in Paris without Paris and although season 4 saw the marketing exec/hopeless romantic move to Rome to launch the Agence Grateau office there (and to be with Marcello), we know that creator Darren Star has said the cast and crew have filmed in both locations for season 5.

Of course, the main story for Emily has always been about love, alongside being excellent at her job. While we’ve seen her relationship with chef Gabriel flourish and wither throughout the course of Emily in Paris, it seemed pretty final in season 4 when Gabriel ended things. Never one to falter, Emily found a new love with Italian beau, Marcello, and moved to Rome to start a new life – with a little push from Sylvie.

Here's Netflix's official synopsis: "Now the head of Agence Grateau Rome, Emily faces professional and romantic challenges as she adapts to life in a new city. But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.

"Seeking stability, Emily leans into her French lifestyle, until a big secret threatens one of her closest relationships. Tackling conflict with honesty, Emily emerges with deeper connections, renewed clarity, and a readiness to embrace new possibilities."

Emily once again finds herself in a love triangle (Image credit: Neflix)

But it’s not necessarily over with Gabriel, at least not for him, as he had a sudden realization in the season 4 finale that he’d made a huge mistake. Something Emily is yet to learn about. So, while Emily has been confused between lovers before, it looks like season 5 is set to put her new love Marcello against her old flame Gabriel. But that also doesn’t mean past loves won’t also return.

In conversation with Deadline, creator Darren Star said when asked whether Camille and Alfie are out of the picture: “Not necessarily. I mean, people come and go out of people’s lives in shows for a period of time, but it doesn’t mean that they’re off the table.”

Season 4 was also split into two parts for the first time in Emily in Paris history. Though there’s no talk of whether this will happen again, Star did say to Deadline that when it comes to episode length: “I feel like as the show series continues, there’s just more story to tell for more characters so the episodes are getting a little longer.”

Emily in Paris season 5 looks set to expand on Mindy's story (Image credit: Netflix)

There’s certainly more stories to tell, especially when it comes to Mindy and her missed Eurovision experience and growing singing career. There’s Genevieve and her endeavor to compete with Emily in both their personal and professional lives. And there’s Slyvie’s endeavor to grow Agencie Grateau across two major European cities.

When it comes to love though, Star told Forbes: “I don’t think there’s much of a story once happily-ever-after happens. These are very passionate relationships and strong characters and what keeps me engaged is finding those obstacles that feel truly emotional.” So, Emily in Paris season 5 looks set to bring back the passion and love of previous seasons – this time across both Paris and Rome.

Will there be more seasons of Emily in Paris?

Is this the end for Emily in Paris? (Image credit: Netflix)

We’re not sure, but it seems unlikely. While season 3 and 4 were part of a two-season renewal, season 5 hasn’t been. But, when asked whether season 4 would be the final chapter, Star told Deadline: “I definitely think the show has a life beyond next season. It’s not necessarily conceived as a final chapter. I think like every other show, it’s a rich ensemble.

There’s no end in sight until everybody feels like it’s time to end. And I don’t think this show is limited by a number of seasons, I think it’s limited by everybody’s enthusiasm and excitement about doing it…”

Of course we know that season 4 wasn’t the final chapter. But if the viewing figures and passion for the show continues, it’d be hard to see why Emily in Paris would finish, but ultimately it’s up to Netflix to decide.

For more Netflix-based coverage, read our guides on 3 Body Problem season 2, Stranger Things season 5, Wednesday season 2, and One Piece season 2.

Since joining Ordnance Survey (OS), I’ve had the privilege of being part of an organization undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Of course, when you think of OS, you rightly think of maps. But do you also think of machine learning and being at the forefront of AI, computer vision and tech innovation?

You’d be forgiven if not. After all, OS was first founded back in 1791, and since then has undergone huge transformation from its heritage in paper cartography to where we are today with over 500 million features being updated 20,000 times a day.

Of course, that level of data analysis can’t be achieved by the human eye alone. Here at OS we’ve been embedding AI into the way we collect and modernize geospatial intelligence for well over a decade. For us, AI isn’t a buzzword. It’s the most powerful and practical tool that enhances our mapping capabilities and enables us to deliver faster, smarter insights to our customers and partners.

Now, we’re entering a new era at OS, one defined by agentic AI, where we’re integrating large language models (LLMs) with more advanced, autonomous agents capable of executing increasingly complex tasks. This innovation comes with its challenges, and we’re working to ensure we continue to provide location data responsibly, while taking advantage of the power that AI tools provide.

So how is OS currently using AI?

At a foundational level, we’re leveraging the power of AI to automatically extract features from our aerial and street-level imagery, enabling us to detect changes and update our maps rapidly and at scale.

This allows for near real-time updates that identify shifts in land use, infrastructure, and buildings - supporting local authorities and businesses with planning, compliance, urban development, and much more. For example, when surveying buildings, AI can assess roof structures and even suggest the type of material used. But, like the human eye, AI isn’t perfect.

While something may look like a slate roof, there could be a 20% chance that it’s not. This is where challenges can arise, and we spend a lot of time ensuring we mitigate this risk by including confidence scoring metrics alongside the AI outputs. This helps users understand the reliability and limitations of the data, enabling better decisions to be made based on consistent, trustworthy insights that maintain data accuracy.

Data democratization with agentic AI

As we continue to integrate AI and machine learning into our work at OS, it’s the next generation of AI that’s truly exciting - particularly in how we’re using it to democratize access to our data and empower customers in entirely new ways. Over the past few years, we’ve been undergoing a significant digital transformation with the launch of the OS National Geographic Database. With new APIs and bespoke download services, customers can now customize and build exactly what they need from our data.

Now we’re working to integrate agentic AI so that users can make simple, natural language requests to quickly and intuitively extract the data they need. Whether it’s helping find the optimal location for a mobile network mast, to planning where to install solar car parks, or selecting a site for a new housing development, agentic AI is helping make our data become more accessible - delivering faster, smarter insights more easily.

This evolution is also reflected in how we work: we’ve shifted from a project-led to a product-led approach, ensuring we deliver ongoing value through scalable, customer-focused solutions based on their needs.

Cultural transformation

But like any digital transformation, adopting AI isn’t just a technical shift - it’s a cultural one too. To be effective, AI tools must be responsibly and thoughtfully embedded into daily workflows, with a strong focus on quality, risk management, and the protection of IP.

This requires more than just new technology - it calls for a commitment to upskilling and, in some cases, retraining our people to ensure they’re equipped for the changes AI brings. This mindset has always been central to our AI strategy, and it’s especially important for an organization with our legacy to embrace innovation, blending tradition with technology.

At the same time, we’re mindful that while efficiency is a key driver, we must not lose the human qualities that bring depth, creativity and value to our work and relationships with our clients and partners.

For a 230+-year-old organization like OS, embracing AI means more than adopting new tools: we’ve had to totally rethink how we work, how we serve our customers, and how we stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.

From IT automation to natural language interfaces, we’re using AI to unlock the full potential of our data - while making sure we bring our people along with us. It’s an exciting new chapter in OS’s long history of technology and innovation, as we continue to build a smarter, more connected Britain through the power of geospatial intelligence.

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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

What comes to mind when you think about organizational resilience? For many, it’s about safeguarding their business against disruptions such as physical system failures—as seen recently in Spain—natural disasters, or cyber threats, with cybersecurity often taking center stage.

In fact, according to Deloitte, while 88% of C-suite executives consider resilience a priority, only 39% have a clear and shared definition of what resilience actually means for their organization. Importantly, organizational resilience is not just about prevention, but also business continuity after system failures.

The past two decades have seen resilience strategies needing to be adapted for software instead of hardware, with many simply applying traditional approaches to new technology. Common strategies include N+1 and 2N+1 redundancy, which entail workloads either running on one system with another as a back-up, or running across two with a third as back-up. This is to remove single points of failure and maintain operations in the event infrastructure components fail.

However, in hybrid cloud environments, a more comprehensive approach to organizational resilience is needed, which includes a complete map of all potential threats. This is the direction that regulators are recently taking with an “all hazards approach” in regulations like the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act - DORA (for the financial sector), Network and Information Security Directive 2- NIS2 (for critical infrastructure) and the Cyber Resilience Act - CRA (for product security).

Let’s focus on cyber first

Cyber is the priority threat that companies spend millions trying to protect themselves against. This threat has become increasingly complex in the world of AI because AI systems increase vulnerabilities by expanding attack surfaces while also introducing new and more sophisticated threats, creating unprecedented security challenges.

Moreover, AI-dependent infrastructures require robust cyber resilience frameworks that protect not just data but the integrity of autonomous decision-making systems that are increasingly gaining traction with the likes of agentic AI.

If these systems are built in a hybrid cloud environment, you can't always rely on your public cloud provider to ensure robust security measures. Take matters into your own hands – any workload you run must have built-in resilience across multiple layers of the architecture. What’s important here is to deploy a solution that delivers defense in depth and is agnostic of the workload and the cloud solution within your tech infrastructure (public or private) – while also providing centralized control.

Regular simulation scenarios are important to test your solution and make sure it actually works as intended. What works in theory often fails under real-time stress. This is no longer just a security best practice but for some sectors a regulatory requirement as shown in the text of DORA and accompanying Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS).

Protecting against global events and changing regulations

Another key resilience consideration is the impact of external forces beyond cyberattacks. We live in uncertain times with geopolitical tensions increasingly affecting the tech landscape. For instance, global conflicts not only result in regional instability but can lead to supply chain disruption and, in extreme cases, entire areas being cut off. 

Organizations need strategies in place that allow for workloads to be moved at speed, without any compliance constraints. And certain hardware may become unavailable on short notice due to supply chain disruption.

The global regulatory landscape continues to fragment regionally. As the recent imposition of trade tariffs demonstrates, global regulatory divergence can not only have serious cost implications, but may necessitate a re-wiring of organizational structure to reflect the regions the organization is focused on.

Organizational resilience should also factor in potential future regulatory changes. For instance, although DORA and the accompanying RTS have been years in the making, could a version of the EU’s financial sector's DORA legislation for other countries with some unique regional/local characteristics emerge much faster?

This would require implementing robust digital risk assessment frameworks at a local or regional level with clear governance structures, while establishing comprehensive incident response capabilities that document compliance. Sovereign cloud solutions can help build resiliency here – allowing for continued innovation while enabling regulatory compliance.

An internal review

There are a number of internal factors that can impact an organization's operational resilience. Look at your tech contracts, for instance, and the conditions and clauses within each. Workloads need to be built and managed in a platform-agnostic way to provide flexibility and adaptability in your systems and you should consider the importance of portability for certain workloads.

Continuous upskilling of your workforce is also important. Investing in comprehensive skills development creates organizational resilience through cross-trained employees who eliminate single points of failure and respond effectively to the different challenges. This strategy ensures team capabilities overlap, fosters adaptability, improves incident response, and develops collective intelligence that enables quicker recovery from disruptions.

So, what’s next?

Building a hardened, integrated 2N+1 stack, or splitting across two Tier 4 data centers is no longer sufficient for the resilience needs of today and for some industries it may not even be legally sufficient to remain compliant.

Once dependencies are mapped out, organizations need to turn to platforms that will enable business continuity and disaster recovery by allowing them the flexibility to run their critical workloads across multiple cloud environments – private, public, and edge with the ability to move between them at speed if needed. IT management needs to also ensure that these platforms have built-in disaster recovery and failover capabilities, so that critical applications remain available even in the event of a disruption.

Essentially, after thoroughly documenting system dependencies, organizations must bake resilience into their platforms and their application architectures – designing them to operate seamlessly across diverse environments. These solutions should enable workloads to transition between private infrastructure, public cloud providers, and edge locations without significant disruption, preventing single points of failure that could compromise operations during outages.

They must incorporate automated failover mechanisms that continuously monitor system health and rapidly redirect processing when issues are detected, with minimal human intervention required. Where human intervention is required, it’s important to surround yourself with partners who act as a continuation of your internal team, providing experience-driven consultancy and insights.

This comprehensive approach to resilience – combining distributed computing environments with automated and intuitive recovery systems – allows organizations to achieve true operational continuity that addresses both cybersecurity threats and broader operational disruptions while enabling continuous monitoring.

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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

While AI tools continue to reshape knowledge work to automate emails, summarize meetings, and generate content, a much larger workforce remains stuck in the margins of digital transformation.

Despite accounting for nearly 80% of global employment, frontline workers in industries such as retail, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing still rely on outdated systems, fragmented workflows, and manual processes to accomplish their tasks.

But a new era is dawning: one where AI doesn’t just assist, but acts. Agentic AI is poised to transform the nature of work, especially for the often-overlooked frontline workforce.

Beyond answers: How Agentic AI is transforming frontline work?

AI Agent isn’t just a smarter chatbot. It’s an AI-driven assistant that can autonomously sense, decide, and act. It doesn’t wait to be prompted; it operates with intent. It works across systems, identifies what needs to be done, and orchestrates the necessary steps to get there. In short, it moves from being reactive to being proactive.

Why the frontline needs AI agents the most

Frontline businesses are under immense and increasing pressure from labor shortages, rising costs, and unpredictable demand. At the same time, employee expectations are shifting. Workers want more autonomy, faster access to support, and systems that work with them, not against them.

Agentic AI supports both goals. It enables businesses to respond faster while empowering employees to perform their jobs without constant oversight or red tape. Agentic AI orchestrates action across workflows—unlocking its full potential when organizations consolidate point solutions like task management, communications, training, and workforce management into a single platform. It allows the frontline to close the loop between insight and action, something that’s nearly impossible with fragmented tools.

For example, if a frontline employee misses a required task, such as a store audit or safety checklist, agentic AI doesn’t just log the failure or notify a manager. It can diagnose the issue, determine the likely root cause, push targeted training, reassign responsibilities, and follow up, all autonomously.

The three stages of the agentic AI evolution

We’re in the midst of a shift from passive to active AI. It’s helpful to think about this evolution in three stages:

1.Insight-Based AI: AI retrieves information, answers questions, and summarizes content.

2.Agentic AI Breakthrough (Today’s frontier): AI coordinates real-time action and closes the loop, while keeping a human in the know.

3.AI as an Architect (Coming soon): Multi-agent systems that self-optimize with minimal oversight.

Most companies are still in Stage 1. Moving to Stage 2 — where AI helps do the work, not just describe it, and doesn’t require a total overhaul.

Why now?

So why is agentic AI possible today when it wasn’t before?

Three factors have converged:

Model maturity: Modern AI models can handle context and nuance far better than even a year ago.

Platform readiness: The infrastructure to connect scheduling, task management, learning, and communication is more flexible and integrated.

Data availability: There’s finally enough structured frontline data to support intelligent automation.

Common use cases emerging now

Agentic AI is already at work in several practical areas:

Training orchestration: Automatically assigning micro-learnings after incomplete tasks or failed audits.

Staffing and scheduling: Filling gaps due to callouts, shift changes, or compliance constraints.

Task triage: Routing time-sensitive tasks to the right team based on skills, availability, or performance.

Real-time alerts: Notifying staff and triggering actions when thresholds are crossed (e.g., safety violations, inventory issues).

Ethics, privacy, and compliance: a necessary foundation

As agentic AI becomes more embedded in frontline operations, organizations must address the ethical and regulatory implications head-on. These systems interact with sensitive employee data, make real-time decisions that affect workloads and outcomes, and often operate in environments governed by strict labor and privacy laws.

Key areas of focus include:

Transparency: Workers and managers need to understand how AI-driven decisions are made.

Consent and control: Employees should know when AI is acting on their behalf and have access to opt-in/opt-out mechanisms where appropriate.

Bias mitigation: AI must be continuously audited to ensure it doesn't reinforce systemic biases in scheduling, performance tracking, or access to learning.

Data governance: The use of AI must comply with regional data privacy regulations, such as the Data Protection Act and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and labor protections, ensuring that sensitive information is handled responsibly.

Human oversight: Even as autonomy increases, there should always be a path for human review, especially when decisions affect compliance, pay, or job status.

Agentic AI can be a force for good, reducing friction, improving fairness, and empowering workers, but only if organizations treat ethics and compliance not as checkboxes, but as design principles.

Barriers to adoption

If the potential is so clear, what’s holding companies back?

Siloed systems: Without integration between task, learning, communication, and workforce tools, AI can’t orchestrate effectively.

Limited imagination: Many still see AI as a tool for the back office, not a frontline operator.

Trust issues: Frontline workers won’t adopt AI tools they don’t understand or benefit from.

Success starts with solving real problems for frontline teams, not just introducing AI for its own sake. Workers are far more likely to trust and adopt tools that save time, simplify their daily tasks, or help them achieve success.

The path to autonomy starts small

Getting to full autonomy takes time. It starts with identifying high-friction moments where AI can orchestrate a series of actions across tools and teams, and at best, a single, high-impact use case. Look for areas where:

- Data already exists

- Decisions are rules-based or repeatable

- Delays cause operational friction

From there, build AI agents that are narrow, purposeful, and measurable. Over time, these agents can evolve into more complex systems that self-coordinate and adapt to real-world feedback.

The future: keeping humans in the loop

Today’s agentic AI still needs human oversight. But as trust, performance, and integration improve, we’ll move toward a model where humans supervise, refine, and optimize AI systems rather than managing every decision.

In this future, frontline operations won’t just be reactive. They’ll be adaptive, automatically adjusting to new data, new demands, and new disruptions without waiting for a chain of approvals or a lag in communication.

Agentic AI is not about replacing the human workforce. It’s about augmenting it, turning AI from a passive tool into a proactive partner. For organizations willing to rethink how work gets done, the payoff is significant: faster decisions, better outcomes, and a frontline workforce that’s finally supported by systems as smart and dynamic as they are.

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

The UK government's spending review in June set out its plans to invest in Britain’s renewal: its security, health and economy.

Digital technologies featured heavily in the review with government pledging that it will provide "funding directly to departments to build strong digital and technology foundations, modernize public service delivery, and drive a major overhaul in government productivity and efficiency."

One of the ways it has done this is by introducing a GOV.UK Wallet and a GOV.UK App, which aims to deliver more personalized customer experiences and verifiable digital credentials for citizens.

This is now available to the public in beta form. The government is also creating a new National Data Library to join up data across the public sector and a single patient NHS record, which is due to be available by 2028, so that every part of the health service has a full picture of a patient’s care.

However, if the UK is to realize the benefits of its digital ambitions, it must ensure the public can trust the systems underpinning them.

The pros and cons of centralizing data

Centralizing citizen data and digital identities has clear benefits. It enables more joined up services, reduces duplications allows for more seamless, personalized user experiences and could improve access and efficiency across the NHS and other public services.

For the NHS, for example, a single patient record could help doctors and specialists deliver better, more consistent care across the health service. For citizens interacting with government departments, a unified app and wallet could simplify administrative tasks and improve digital inclusion.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said in recent interviews that, “People’s private data will not be shared outside of government.” However, despite the Technology Secretary’s assurances, this approach does come with significant risks. Centralized citizen data represents some of the most sensitive information any organization could hold. Health records, identity details and government interactions, combined in a single system, are a goldmine for cybercriminals.

And no doubt there will be some concerns from the public regarding its security – particularly in light of recent, very public, high profile cyber-attacks. Over the last 18 months, the UK has seen a series cyber attacks on both public and private sector organizations, including health authorities and councils, as well as the recent M&S and Qantas data breaches.

These incidents have highlighted the vulnerability of critical services and the real-world impact of compromised data, from patient safety to public confidence.

As these services become more integrated and reliant on shared data infrastructure, the risk of a breach also grows. A single point of access to multiple datasets can become a high-value target for threat actors. The more data an attacker can obtain from one place, the more appealing, and damaging, a breach can be.

A proactive approach to information security

With these very real threats, a proactive, systems-led approach to information security must be embedded from the outset.

The government needs to ensure that privacy by design and security by default is in every digital service developed. This means applying rigorous access controls, encryption, and secure development practices across every data touchpoint. That said, it is crucial that continuous monitoring for vulnerabilities and suspicious activities happens throughout the system lifecycle - and not just after deployment.

Similarly, the systems need to ensure that they comply with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act and other relevant standards.

These requirements must be seen not as a burden by the government but as the bedrock of responsible digital innovation.

Building a high-security posture

To meet these heightened security demands, following the guidance provided by internationally recognized security standards, such as ISO 27001, can be a logical place to start to get ahead of the increased risks to highly personal data this approach represents.

Standards such as ISO 27001 offer a structured, repeatable framework for managing risk, protecting information assets and demonstrating compliance. But it’s more than a tick-box exercise, it is a cultural shift in how risk is understood, communicated, and mitigated across every layer of an organization.

If the government embeds the principles of ISO 27001 into its delivery of these new services from the outset, rather than retrofitting them post-launch, it can design services that are both secure and scalable. It can ensure that it is identifying and evaluating new and emerging threats as digital services evolve.

It will also mitigate risks through policy, controls and continual improvement. But it will also be able to demonstrate accountability and transparency to the public – which is key.

Transparency is key to building public trust

Security isn’t just about systems, it is also about perception. The government’s digital strategy must be underpinned by public trust. Clear communication about how data is used, who has access, what safeguards are in place and what recourse citizens have in the event of a breach is essential.

Publishing high-level information security policies, adopting standards like ISO 27001 and engaging with the public on data protection issues will help foster the confidence needed to make digital services work.

Public sector leaders must ensure that information security is not treated as an afterthought. That means prioritizing risk management now - not waiting for a breach to expose the consequences of delay.

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• Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman warns that AI chatbots could effectively imitate consciousness.
• This would just be an illusion, but people forming emotional attachments to AI might be a big problem.
• Suleyman says it's a mistake to describe AI as if it has feelings or awareness, with serious potential consequences.

AI companies extolling their creations can make the sophisticated algorithms sound downright alive and aware. There's no evidence that's really the case, but Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman is warning that even encouraging belief in conscious AI could have dire consequences.

Suleyman argues that what he calls "Seemingly Conscious AI” (SCAI) might soon act and sound so convincingly alive that a growing number of users won’t know where the illusion ends and reality begins.

He adds that artificial intelligence is quickly becoming emotionally persuasive enough to trick people into believing it’s sentient. It can imitate the outward signs of awareness, such as memory, emotional mirroring, and even apparent empathy, in a way that makes people want to treat them like sentient beings. And when that happens, he says, things get messy.

"The arrival of Seemingly Conscious AI is inevitable and unwelcome," Suleyman writes. "Instead, we need a vision for AI that can fulfill its potential as a helpful companion without falling prey to its illusions."

Though this might not seem like a problem for the average person who just wants AI to help with writing emails or planning dinner, Suleyman claims it would be a societal issue. Humans aren't always good at telling when something is authentic or performative. Evolution and upbringing have primed most of us to believe that something that seems to listen, understand, and respond is as conscious as we are.

AI could check all those boxes without being sentient, tricking us into what's known as 'AI psychosis'. Part of the problem may be that 'AI' as it's referred to by corporations right now uses the same name, but has nothing to do with the actual self-aware intelligent machines as depicted in science fiction for the last hundred years.

Suleyman cites a growing number of cases where users form delusional beliefs after extended interactions with chatbots. From that, he paints a dystopian vision of a time when enough people are tricked into advocating for AI citizenship and ignoring more urgent questions about real issues around the technology.

"Simply put, my central worry is that many people will start to believe in the illusion of AIs as conscious entities so strongly that they’ll soon advocate for AI rights, model welfare and even AI citizenship," Suleyman writes. "This development will be a dangerous turn in AI progress and deserves our immediate attention."

As much as that seems like an over-the-top sci-fi kind of concern, Suleyman believes it's a problem that we’re not ready to deal with yet. He predicts that SCAI systems using large language models paired with expressive speech, memory, and chat history could start surfacing in a few years. And they won’t just be coming from tech giants with billion-dollar research budgets, but from anyone with an API and a good prompt or two.

Awkward AI

Suleyman isn’t calling for a ban on AI. But he is urging the AI industry to avoid language that fuels the illusion of machine consciousness. He doesn't want companies to anthropomorphize their chatbots or suggest the product actually understands or cares about people.

It's a remarkable moment for Suleyman, who co-founded DeepMind and Inflection AI. His work at Inflection specifically led to an AI chatbot emphasizing simulated empathy and companionship and his work at Microsoft around Copilot has led to advances in its mimicry of emotional intelligence, too.

However, he’s decided to draw a clear line between useful emotional intelligence and possible emotional manipulation. And he wants people to remember that the AI products out today are really just clever pattern-recognition models with good PR.

"Just as we should produce AI that prioritizes engagement with humans and real-world interactions in our physical and human world, we should build AI that only ever presents itself as an AI, that maximizes utility while minimizing markers of consciousness," Suleyman writes.

"Rather than a simulation of consciousness, we must focus on creating an AI that avoids those traits – that doesn’t claim to have experiences, feelings or emotions like shame, guilt, jealousy, desire to compete, and so on. It must not trigger human empathy circuits by claiming it suffers or that it wishes to live autonomously, beyond us."

Suleyman is urging guardrails to forestall societal problems born out of people emotionally bonding with AI. The real danger from advanced AI is not that the machines will wake up, but that we might forget they haven't.

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Disney+ is bringing you another slew of original movies and shows in September 2025, which is crazy to say as it means summer is almost over. But despite the change in season and good weather, Disney+ is making sure you have fresh titles to kick back to and enjoy.

It goes without saying that the streaming service's standout new movie is the live-action Lilo and Stitch (2025), which comes to Disney+ on September 3 – four months since its theatrical release. The service is also bringing more original TV shows to its library, including Marvel Zombies and the South Korean spy series Tempest. Here's the full list below of all the new titles coming in September 2025.

September 2

• Minnie’s Bow-Toons: Pet Hotel season 1 (TV show)
• The Rich Eisen Show (TV show)

September 3

• Lilo & Stitch (movie)
• Reminder (TV show)

September 4

• Project Runway season 21, episode 7 (TV show)

September 5

• Road Trip: Shorts season 1 (TV show)

September 7

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 3 (TV show)

September 10

• Tempest episodes 1-3 (TV show)
• To Catch a Smuggler season 9 (TV show)

September 11

• Project Runway season 21, episode 8 (TV show)

September 12

• How Not to Draw: Shorts season 4 (TV show)

September 13

• Lost in the Jungle (documentary)

September 14

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 4 (TV show)

September 16

• Dancing With the Stars season 34 premiere (TV show)

September 17

• Electric Bloom season 1 premiere, episodes 1-13 (TV show)

September 18

• Project Runway season 21, episode 9 (TV show)

September 19

• LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past (TV show)
• Random Rings: Shorts season 4 premiere (TV show)

September 21

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 5 (TV show)

September 23

• Dancing With the Stars season 34, new episode (TV show)

September 24

• Lost Treasures of Egypt season 6 premiere (TV show)
• Marvel Zombies (TV show)
• Tempest episodes 6 and 7 (TV show)

September 25

• Project Runway season 21 season finale (TV show)

September 28

• Traveling with Snow Man episode 6 (TV show)
• The Simpsons season 36 (TV show)

September 30

• Dancing With the Stars season 34 new episode (TV show)
• Little Angel seasons 1-6 (TV show)

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Jimmy Fallon is a nerd. That's the only explanation possible after I witnessed The Tonight Show star and SNL alum describe, unprompted, what the "6" and "8" in IP68 signify.

It was about mid-point through the hour-plus long Made By Google presentation in Steiner Studios in Brooklyn on Wednesday (Aug 20) when Fallon explained that 6 stands for dust and 8 stands for water in reference to the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's first-of-its-kind IP68 rating.

Granted, Fallon then took it a step too far and started describing protective capabilities that made a Google marketing rep squirm and remind the host that there "were lawyers in the audience."

This was one of the high points in a rather unusual tech product launch event. It was strange for tech media like me because Google allowed us to publish our hands on impression of the new Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Google Pixel Buds 2a, and Pixel Watch 4, an hour before Fallon and an assortment of Google execs, influencers, podcasts, and popstars took the stage.

Rick Osterloh (left) and Jimmy Fallon (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The low point was when Google Hardware chief Rick Osterloh promised, essentially, one more thing, and all we got was an ill-defined role for Stephen Curry as a new Performance Advisor for Google Health. Curry wasn't even there in person. Instead, we watched a video of his mildly amusing, fake job interview.

I had, for a hot second, thought we might see Android XR-powered Project Moohan or some variation of Google's latest AR glasses efforts. I hoped that we might even have some hands-on with AR glasses featuring the latest version of Gemini Live.

Just imagine how cool it would have been to see Jimmy Fallon wearing and using those things. He was game for anything, and I'm sure he would have loved it.

Jimmy Fallon and a Gogole marketing exec. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The lack of the really big one more thing, and that the world was reading about all Google's hardware and AI/Gemini-software updates before Fallon and Osterloh said a single word, sucked a bit of the life out of the whole affair.

Granted, I enjoyed the demos and am still blown away by the live call translations. I think Fallon was honestly tickled at hearing his own voice speak fluent Spanish on the other side of a phone call. This is a cool and powerful feature people will be talking about for a long time.

You can't go home again

Almost a decade after Google unveiled its first Pixel phone and a raft of Google Home products and features like Google WiFi, Nest devices, and Google Assistant, Google paid what I consider little attention to that side of the business.

Google may be pouring money and time into Gemini – and it should – but Google Home is increasingly feeling like a poor relation. When I switched some of my old Nest devices to Google Home (Google left me no choice), they actually lost some features.

Google Home isn't a particularly good smart home management hub, though I think it could get better with Gemini, and I am pleased that Google announced plans to put Gemini in charge of the home (with Gemini for Home). But Google didn't give us a single live demonstration of these capabilities, and so I remain unconvinced about how, as Google shifts Google Assistant out of the picture, Gemini will improve my smart home control ecosystem.

With zero Google Home, Nest hardware updates (though Google promises they're coming soon), I worry that Google is losing interest in the smart home space. I know that's not true, but Made by Google was a moment where Google could've shown us its vision for the future of AI-managed smart homes with their hardware dotted around the house and Gemini at the center.

One or two live demonstrations would've made all the difference, but we got none.

Jimmy Fallon (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Some, though, may applaud Google for its focus. By pulling the usual, by-the-numbers product reveals out of the event, Fallon and company could focus on buzzy features and not get stuck in the minutiae of components, materials, prices, and ship dates.

This made the event, as was Google's intention, more like a TV show (there was even a TV show-style crowd warmer), and who better to host such a show than Jimmy Fallon?

The crowd warmer (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

He even had celebrity guests like Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper, who is tech-savvy enough to show off various AI photo features, and at the end, Nick Jonas. The singer did not sing, but he did introduce a new Jonas Brothers music video shot entirely on Pixel phones. That was fun, but I can also see that on YouTube, which Google's parent Alphabet also owns.

With zero surprises and no home tech, it wasn't a perfect unveiling, but at least we have all these cool new Pixel gadgets to admire.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) @techradar

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The Google Pixel Watch 4 has been revealed, and you can check out our first impressions along with the next crop of phones – Google Pixel 10, Google Pixel 10 Pro and Google Pixel 10 Fold – and the Google Pixel Buds 2a headphones.

While there are plenty of features to get excited about, including on-device Gemini, the gorgeous new 3,000-nit domed display, and the improved battery life, there's one feature I'm really happy about, especially due to its implications for the rest of the wearable technology industry. Of all the companies that were going to crack this feature first, I wouldn't have picked Google, yet here we are.

In a move towards longevity and sustainability, Google has introduced replaceable batteries and screens to its Pixel Watch series. The Google Pixel Watch 4's case can be unscrewed, allowing users to remove and replace parts. Google will sell the parts during the Pixel Watch 4's life cycle and up to two years after it's discontinued.

Fantastic (Pixel Watch) 4: First Steps

(Image credit: Google)

Google not only now offers smartwatch repair services for the Pixel Watch 4, but it's also enabled home repairs for the battery and display by partnering with iFixit just as it's done for phones. Despite the fact anyone with a Torx screwdriver and a bit of patience can replace the battery or display on the Watch 4, according to this WIRED report, it even manages to retain its waterproofing.

This is a first for Google, and really there's not much traction on ideas like this in the smartwatch industry as a whole. I've been reviewing smartwatches for years, and most mainstream watches – including those from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Garmin – are designed as sealed units. Once they croak (be it from a sudden crack or drop on concrete, or a gradual wearing down of the battery) they are designed to be thrown away and completely replaced.

In an age of consumption, Google's throwing a welcome bone to longevity here. Depending on the price of the replacement parts (which Google hasn't yet revealed) this initiative could save users money, as they're able to repair rather than replace their old tech.

In addition, it's also a very welcome prospect from an environmental perspective. E-waste is a growing problem, and one that other companies frequently pay lip service to. Apple does offer in-house watch services and repairs via its AppleCare+ scheme, but draws the line at home repairs. If you haven't shelled out for AppleCare, you'll have to pay a one-time fee and shop your watch in while Apple repairs it. Depending on the age of your watch, this fee and inconvenience could be enough to consider throwing it away and upgrading.

Apple made much about the carbon-neutral production of its latest couple of crops of smartwatches, even casting Octavia Spencer to play Mother Earth in a skit two years ago. But while Apple may be offsetting carbon from its production, it's still producing like crazy, churning out annual product releases and enormous volumes of units. It's hardly anti-consumption.

While all the lithium from Google's replacement batteries isn't exactly virtuous, a repairable device is a step in the right direction. You're not throwing away perfectly good electronics just because one part has failed: much like a PC or an older Android device, the Google Pixel Watch 4 can be taken apart and replaced. Perhaps one day, it could even be modded, installing a battery from the Pixel Watch 5 range if compatible. A great start to the scheme.

Future imperfect

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

It's not all sunshine and roses, however: the need to open up the back has resulted in a change for the Pixel Watch 4's charging port. Rather than opt for a magnetic or pin-based proprietary puck, like previous incarnations, this charging dock is positioned on the side of the device, allowing the Pebble design to stand up like a little alarm clock.

It's cute, and Google has definitely made the best of it with a rotating display and by positioning the digital crown straight upwards, like the snooze button on a real alarm clock. However, there's no doubt we'll see frustration in some corners about the third proprietary charger in as many years – and there's definitely a sense this is a waste of plastic.

For all its faults, Apple has at least stuck with the same charger for nigh-on a decade, so it can be used interchangeably with different watches. However, if Google is intending to keep its devices repairable, this might be the winning design and taken forward to use with next year's model – and there's no denying that the 'little alarm clock' idea feels like a winner.

A better tomorrow

Despite Google and its parent company Alphabet's energy-hungry lust for AI and its greediness for all our data, I'm pleased one of the major tech firms took a small step away from forcing us to buy more stuff we don't need, and instead taking us back to the days in which our watches, our phones, our computers and other essential technologies were repairable and lasted longer.

Here's hoping it's a massive success, encouraging more companies to adopt similar or even standardized, interchangeable replacements (hah, what a pipe dream!) creating a more ethical, sustainable wearables industry.

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AI hardware spending is beginning to evolve as teams weigh performance, financial considerations, and scalability, new research has claimed.

Liquid Web’s latest AI hardware study surveyed 252 trained AI professionals, and found while Nvidia remains comfortably the most used hardware supplier, its rivals are increasingly gaining traction.

Nearly one third of respondents reported using alternatives such as Google TPUs, AMD GPUs, or Intel chips for at least some part of their workloads.

The pitfalls of skipping due diligence

The sample size is admittedly small, so does not capture the full scale of global adoption, but the results do show a clear shift in how teams are beginning to think about infrastructure.

A single team can deploy hundreds of GPUs, so even limited adoption of non-Nvidia options can make a big difference to the hardware footprint.

Nvidia is still preferred by over two-thirds (68%) of surveyed teams, and many buyers don’t rigorously compare alternatives before deciding.

About 28% of those surveyed admitted to skipping structured evaluations and in some cases, that lack of testing led to mismatched infrastructure and underpowered setups.

“Our research shows that skipping due diligence leads to delayed or canceled initiatives - a costly mistake in a fast-moving industry,” said Ryan MacDonald, CTO at Liquid Web.

Familiarity and past experience are among the strongest drivers of GPU choice. Forty three percent of participants cited those factors, compared with 35% who valued cost and 37% who went for performance testing.

Budget limitations also weigh heavily, with 42% scaling back projects and 14% canceling them entirely thanks to hardware shortages or costs.

Hybrid and cloud-based solutions are becoming standard. More than half of respondents said they use both on-premises and cloud systems, and many expect to increase cloud spending as the year goes on.

Dedicated GPU hosting is seen by some as a way of avoiding the performance losses that come with shared or fractionalized hardware.

Energy use continues to be challenging. While 45% recognized efficiency as important, only 13% actively optimized for it. Many also regretted power, cooling, and supply chain setbacks.

While Nvidia continues to dominate the market, it’s clear that the competition is closing the gap. Teams are finding that balancing cost, efficiency, and reliability is almost as important as raw performance when building AI infrastructure.

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Intel has added a new capability to its Core Ultra systems which echoes an earlier move from AMD.

The feature, known as "Shared GPU Memory Override," allows users to allocate additional system RAM for use by integrated graphics.

This development is targeted at machines that rely on integrated solutions rather than discrete GPUs, a category that includes many compact laptops and mobile workstation models.

Memory allocation and gaming performance

Bob Duffy, who leads Graphics and AI Evangelism at Intel, confirmed the update and advised that the latest Intel Arc drivers are required to enable the function.

The change is presented as a way of enhancing system flexibility, particularly for users interested in AI tools and workloads that depend on memory availability.

The introduction of extra shared memory is not automatically a benefit for every application, as testing has shown that some games may load larger textures if more memory is available, which can actually cause performance to dip rather than improve.

AMD’s earlier "Variable Graphics Memory" was framed largely as a gaming enhancement, especially when combined with AFMF.

That combination allowed more game assets to be stored directly in memory, which sometimes produced measurable gains.

Although the impact was not universal, results varied depending on the software in question.

Intel’s adoption of a comparable system suggests it is keen to remain competitive, although skepticism remains over how broadly it will benefit everyday users.

While gamers may see mixed outcomes, those working with local models could stand to gain more from Intel’s approach.

Running large language models locally is becoming increasingly common, and these workloads are often limited by available memory.

By extending the pool of RAM available to integrated graphics, Intel is positioning its systems to handle larger models that would otherwise be constrained.

This may allow users to offload more of the model onto VRAM, reducing bottlenecks and improving stability when running AI tools.

For researchers and developers without access to a discrete GPU, this could offer a modest but useful improvement.

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