TechRadar News

• We may finally know more about the SoC in the Nintendo Switch 2
• It delivers a significant CPU and GPU upgrade
• Highlights include a much higher clock speed and DLSS support

Although Nintendo has kept concrete details under wraps, we finally have a better idea about the new system-on-chip (SoC) that powers the Nintendo Switch 2.

That's according to a detailed report by Digital Foundry , which digs into the exact specs for the forthcoming console and which seems to line up with many previous leaks.

The SoC is reportedly extensively customized, in contrast to the more stock Nvidia Tegra X1 found in the original Nintendo Switch.

Digital Foundry claims it features an eight-core ARM Cortex A78C CPU, with a clock speed of 998MHz while docked or 1101MHz in handheld mode. It's also capable of a max 1.7GHz clock speed, though it's unclear whether this would be reached in use.

The fact that the CPU seemingly runs at a higher clock speed in handheld mode is also quite unusual. Traditionally, CPU performance is throttled in mobile systems when they're running off battery power, in order to reduce power consumption.

Digital Foundry speculates that it may be designed to make up for the memory bandwidth, which drops from a docked 102GB/s to just 68GB/s in handheld mode.

Two of the CPU cores are reportedly reserved for system features, with six available for developers to use.

The GPU then features Nvidia's Ampere microarchitecture, which is also used in RTX 30 Series cards. The microarchitecture just turned four years old today, so is slightly older than the 2014 Nvidia Maxwell architecture used in the Tegra X1 was when the original Switch released in 2017.

The GPU offers 1,546 CUDE cores, a massive increase on the 256 of the Tegra X1. Its clock speed is also boosted, at 1,007Mhz docked or 516MHz in handheld mode, with a maximum speed of 1.4GHz.

Throw in the confirmed Nvidia DLSS support, and this SoC should be able to deliver a significant increase in graphical power.

In terms of RAM, the console has 12GB of LDPPDR5X memory in the form of two 6GB modules. 3GB is reserved for the system, while 9GB is available for developers.

Digital Foundry also states that there is no support for VRR over HDMI, which is a little weird given that it is supported by the system's built-in 7.9 inch, 120Hz and 1080p screen.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch globally on June 5, 2025. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live, with the console coming in at $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World.

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• Intel just teased a new Battlemage Arc GPU, asking gaming fans to 'stay tuned'
• It's expected to be revealed at Computex 2025 alongside new Arc Pro and AI GPUs
• It could be a great opportunity for Team Blue to catch up to its rivals, with a more powerful, higher-end GPU compared to the Arc B570 and B580

With Computex 2025 now upon us, it's nearly time for plenty of tech reveals from handheld gaming PCs, processors, and GPUs – and Intel has hinted at a few big reveals to challenge its rivals, Nvidia and AMD.

In a post on X, Intel announced that it will be revealing new Arc Pro and AI GPUs at Computex; most importantly, it's just hinted at a new Battlemage GPU, with 'stay tuned' replies to users who flooded the replies with requests for the GPU purported as the 'Arc B770' for gamers.

Multiple rumors have been widespread regarding Team Blue potentially releasing a higher-end GPU as an upgrade from its previous GPUs (reported by VideoCardz), after its Arc B570 and Arc B580 GPUs launched late last year.

One in particular seemingly revealed Intel's plans for a new Arc B580 with 24GB of VRAM, which is a significant upgrade from the current model's 12GB. It's also expected to come alongside other 24GB Pro GPUs for workstations.

Thanks to Intel's new teasers, these rumors now have more credibility, although it's not exactly clear if it will be unveiling both a new Arc B580 24GB GPU and an entirely new Arc B770, or just the latter alone. However, one clear thing is that gamers will be getting a new Battlemage GPU, and one that is more powerful than any of Team Blue's previous offerings – and a Computex 2025 reveal looks imminent.

(Image credit: Acer, Intel) Intel has an opportunity to bridge the gap and catch up to Nvidia and AMD

It's no secret that despite the successes and impressive gaming performance from both the Intel Arc B580 and Arc B570, Team Blue still has some catching up to do with Nvidia and AMD. Fortunately, this rumored GPU sounds like it might be the start of that.

Both of its recent Battlemage GPUs aren't high-tier GPUs, but still manage to provide great performance results at 1080p and 1440p resolutions as budget options – but now, it sounds like Intel is making an effort in providing GPUs that are closer to middle or high tier (or at the very least more powerful GPUs than what is available).

While nothing is guaranteed, I'm hoping this is indeed the case because affordable GPUs need a greater focus for budget gamers; AMD's Radeon RX 9070 and 9060 series are a prime example of this (despite the inflation issues of partner cards).

I'm still keeping my expectations low, as I'm anticipating that there won't be any 'high-end' GPUs like the rumored Arc B580 24GB might suggest; at least, I don't see any of Intel's new GPUs matching or competing against the likes of an RTX 5070 Ti.

However, the rumors indicate that Intel is potentially cooking something that will make gamers take it more seriously when it comes to the GPU market – and I'm hoping it's a major surprise.

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• Philips Fixables opens the door to DIY repairs with a program built around 3D printing files
• One tiny 3D printed part might mark a big shift in how repairs are done
• Don’t get too excited, only one part is available, and it’s not widely accessible yet

Philips has launched an initiative called Philips Fixables, a program that allows customers to download and 3D print replacement parts for certain products.

According to Tom's Hardware, this is an early-stage effort with a limited rollout so far, but one that signals broader changes in how tech companies may begin supporting product longevity.

The project is currently being piloted in the Czech Republic, where Philips is collaborating with Prusa Research and LePub.

A rare move toward open-source repair

At present, the program includes just one part - a 3mm comb attachment for a Philips shaver - but the company says additional components will be added over time.

To print a compatible part, customers will download the corresponding file from Printables.com, a platform widely used by hobbyists and makers.

While the best 3D printers can replicate intricate parts with impressive accuracy, successful results will depend heavily on users following Philips’s recommended print settings. The company warns that deviations, such as reducing infill to save time or filament, could result in weaker or unusable parts.

As with any new idea, it remains to be seen whether this will succeed in practice. Users may end up printing inferior parts that repeatedly fail, leading to frustration rather than effective repairs.

It’s also unclear how quickly Philips will expand the program or what types of components will be included next.

The Philips Fixables website allows customers to request specific parts. If approved, Philips says it will notify users when those parts become available for download.

However, there’s currently no public timeline for turnaround, nor are there transparent criteria for determining which parts will be accepted. That may limit the program’s usefulness in its early form.

Still, the move is noteworthy. In an era where the best 3D printers and laser engravers are often restricted by proprietary ecosystems, offering open-source repair files, even in a limited capacity, is rare.

This initiative echoes recent efforts by other companies, such as Logitech’s partnership with iFixit, which also champions repair over replacement.

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• WiiM announces 3 new streaming audio products
• WiiM Sound is Hi-Res Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker
• WiiM Sub Pro subwoofer and Amp Ultra amp also unveiled

WiiM has just announced that it's making its first speakers. The company has previously released a range of well-received music streaming devices and amps, and had partnered with Audio Pro on WiiM-enabled versions of that company's speakers, but these are its first self-made speakers.

It's introducing a wireless speaker called the WiiM Sound, and a subwoofer called the WiiM Sub Pro – plus a new, powerful streaming amp called the WiiM Amp Ultra.

The WiiM Sound very much looks like a competitor to the Sonos Era 100, and features a similar speaker setup, packing in two tweeters and a four-inch woofer – and promising 100W total of speaker power.

This isn't much of a surprise – ever since Sonos' disastrous app launch last year, WiiM has been taking advantage of the situation and pitching itself as the heir apparent for people who want multi-room streaming and don't trust Sonos any more.

But that was hard to do when WiiM only made amps and add-ons – the simplicity of having a speaker that handles everything is key to Sonos' popularity. This could be the final step.

The WiiM Sound is a very similar size to the Sonos Era 100 at 5.7x5.7x7.5 inches (146x146x193mm), and has touch controls on top for play/pause and skipping tracks, again very much like a Sonos Era 100 or most of the best wireless speakers.

But it's got one nice design feature that Sonos doesn't have: a cool circular touchscreen on the front, which can display artwork, show what's coming up in the queue, display retro VU meters, and can control playback.

(Image credit: WiiM)

There's built-in room correction for the sound, and Hi-Res Audio streaming support up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

The WiiM app provides multi-room support, and you use it to stream audio to the Sound from over 20 different music services, including the likes of Qobuz, Amazon, Tidal and Spotify. You can also stream to it from other apps using Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect or DLNA.

You might notice a name and feature missing from what I've said so far: Apple Music and AirPlay 2. This is basically the only major wireless speaker that doesn't have AirPlay 2 built in, and Apple Music isn't supported in the WiiM Home app.

This will be a real knock to lots of people who make use of the Apple ecosystem, and puts WiiM at a major disadvantage over Sonos for them. However, there is Bluetooth support here to stream to it from just about anything.

You've got the ability to pair two WiiM Sound speakers in a stereo configuration, or it can even work as part of a 5.1-channel speaker system wirelessly, if you use a WiiM amp's HDMI connection. I'll be interested to dig more into this in the future.

You might see WiiM refer to this as a smart speaker, but I wouldn't class it that way – it can be controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant, but it doesn't have these services built-in with mics. You'd need to use another device to trigger them, such as an Echo Dot.

The other obvious missing feature here is a line-in port – there's no mention of this in WiiM's info. One nice feature of Sonos' current speakers is that you can plug one of the best turntables right into them, and get instant multi-room support for your vinyl. But you'll need one of WiiM's other streaming add-ons for that.

However, there's another catch to getting excited about this outside of the lack of Apple support: the price, or lack thereof. We don't know what it will be until closer to its release, which is said to be in "Q3 2025" – so somewhere between July and September. I suspect that this will be more expensive than the Sonos Era 100 given the addition of the touchscreen, but we'll find out later.

Subbing in

(Image credit: WiiM)

The WiiM Sub Pro is a subwoofer with 250W of Class-D amplification, and can work wirelessly with WiiM products, or wired to anything with a sub output via RCA.

There's an eight-inch driver, and it's a fairly compact sub at 15.7x11.8x12.7 inches, but still won't be that easy to hide away.

Because it's designed to pair with basically any speakers you want, whether WiiM or not, there are detailed adjustments for crossover tuning within the WiiM app, as well as EQ options and room correction.

Once again, there's no price, but again it's lined up for a Q3 release.

Amping up

(Image credit: WiiM)

WiiM also announced a powerful yet compact new streaming amp, called the WiiM Amp Ultra. It's capable of 200W of power per channel at 4 ohms, or 100W per channel at 8 ohms. It has connections for four speakers as a result, making it nice and flexible.

When it comes to inputs, you've got all of WiiM's streaming powers, including all major music streaming services and casting options – again, with the exception of Apple's services. Hi-Res streaming is supported at up to 24-bit/192kHz, however the ESS ES9039Q2M SABRE DAC inside is capable of decoding up to 32-bit/384kHz.

There are USB and Ethernet ports for these higher-quality files, and there's an RCA input, plus an HDMI ARC port to use it for home theater sound.

There also a touchscreen on the front for nice artwork and direct playback control, plus a volume dial, as you'd expect from any self-respecting powerful amp.

And once again, there's no price yet, and the release is promised in Q3.

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• Microsoft accused of unfair software licensing practices... again – this time in the UK
• Consumers, businesses, and the public sector are all affected
• Office and Windows licenses are central to the case

Microsoft is facing a multibillion-pound legal claim in the UK over alleged anticompetitive behavior – Redmond has been accused of unfair software licensing practices, a complaint it's all-too familiar with given recent lawsuits and investigations.

The claim accuses the company of abusing its market dominance to restrict competition between new and pre-owned software licenses, inflating prices for both.

In the case of this particular lawsuit in the UK, the focus is on Microsoft Office and Windows licenses sold since October 1, 2015, therefore spanning a period of a decade.

Microsoft is in trouble in the UK over software licensing practices

Stewarts, a UK-based law firm, is leading the litigation, representing UK consumers, businesses and public sector bodies who purchased affected licenses.

Heading the case, Kate Pollock explained (via The Register): "Microsoft's conduct has had a profound and costly impact on millions of individuals and private and public sector organizations that rely on its software for daily business operations."

"This claim seeks to hold Microsoft to account and to secure compensation for the many affected members of the class. With billions of pounds potentially at stake, this case is about ensuring fairness in the digital marketplace and ensuring even the largest tech companies play by the rules," Alex Wolfson, the proposed class representative, added.

It's not the first time Microsoft has been in the news over anticompetitive business practices. A 2020 complaint from Slack was recently resolved when the tech giant unbundled Teams from its software subscriptions. Microsoft was also in trouble in the UK last year over allegedly making it more expensive for Windows Server customers to use the software on rival cloud platforms.

CISPE, representing cloud providers across Europe, also filed a complaint in 2022, but withdrew it after reaching a settlement with the Windows maker.

TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft for a comment on the open UK case – any update will be posted here.

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• A new leak reveals a new MSI Claw handheld, with the model name 'MSI Claw 7 A2HM'
• It appears to be an upgrade from the original MSI Claw A1M
• Previous rumors suggested a new MSI Claw would use one of AMD's Ryzen Z2 processors

The biggest computing tech event of the year, Computex 2025, is fast approaching, which means that new handheld gaming PCs could be unveiled – and fortunately, a new leak suggests a new handheld from MSI may be one of them.

As reported by VideoCardz, a new MSI Claw has been spotted by a leaker on X (@94G8LA), based on MSI's hardware parts store. It appears to be a new variant of the original MSI Claw A1M, as it's labelled 'MSI Claw 7 A2HM', but is instead rumored to use one of AMD's Ryzen Z2 APUs or Intel's Arrow Lake processors.

This comes after speculation of MSI eventually releasing a new Claw handheld that could take advantage of Team Red's new APU lineup; while this should be taken with a grain of salt, this leak makes the previous rumors more plausible.

The purported new Claw won't be an 'AI+' handheld based on its leaked model name, so it may be safe to assume that it might not be as powerful as the Claw 8's Core Ultra 7 258V chip. However, it could likely be an upgrade from the original A1M model, which used the Core Ultra 5 155H processor (and that wasn't received well based on reviews).

Regardless, the question remains; if it does use one of AMD's Ryzen Z2 processors, will this be the Z2 Go (which we've seen on the Legion Go S), the Z2, or the Z2 Extreme? If the latter is the answer, then we could be in for a fantastic upgrade from MSI's original A1M handheld mishap.

(Image credit: Jouri Altorf) I'd absolutely love a Ryzen Z2 Extreme MSI Claw, but just not with a 7-inch screen...

The negative consensus surrounding the MSI Claw A1M is old news at this point; it was criticized due to its poor gaming performance and battery life, along with the inability to compete against other handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally.

Despite the massive improvements made with the Claw 8 AI+, MSI looks set to right its wrongs with the rumored Claw A2HM model (especially if it's using the Z2 Extreme APU) – but the only gripe I have is that it will be another 7-inch display.

It's not terrible by any means, as I've become accustomed to using my Asus ROG Ally's 7-inch screen, but it's definitely not ideal. A lot of potential screen space is already taken up by bezels, and this is why I've had the MSI Claw 8 AI+ on my wishlist, thanks to its 8-inch screen and powerful processor alongside it for great performance.

These are still just rumors, of course, but if MSI can launch an 8-inch A2HM as well, it would actually be great competition for the Claw 8 AI+ with more variety for its consumers.

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• M&S is still dealing with the fallout of the cyberattack that hit its digital services
• Online orders remain paused three weeks after the hack took place
• Customer data stolen includes contact details but no passwords or payment information

Three weeks after Marks & Spencer was hit by a cyberattack, the retailer is still working to restore full services.

Online orders remain suspended, and the company has now confirmed that some customer data was stolen during the breach. The information taken may include names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and order histories. According to the company, no account passwords or usable payment details were exposed.

The attack has had a visible impact on M&S. Its market capitalization has dropped by around £1 billion since the incident, and while in-store shopping and contactless payments have resumed, the website and app are still offline for ordering.

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Continued disruption

If you visit the site now, a message states, “As part of our proactive management of a cyber incident, we have made the decision to pause taking orders via our M&S.com websites, apps and over the phone. Our product range remains available to browse online. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience. Our stores are open to welcome customers.”

The hackers used a known cybercrime service called DragonForce, which provides tools for ransomware attacks. This group is associated with a method known as double extortion - stealing data and also encrypting it to pressure victims into paying a ransom.

M&S said it acted quickly to contain the breach, working with cybersecurity experts and notifying relevant authorities. Customers have been emailed about the incident and are being prompted to reset their passwords as a precaution.

So far, DragonForce’s darknet platform has not posted any leaked M&S data, but experts note there is still a risk of future exposure or sale.

The retailer has not confirmed how many individuals were affected, though its most recent annual report listed 9.4 million active online users.

Other UK retailers have also been targeted recently, including Co-op and Harrods. Co-op, which experienced a similar incident, is reportedly closer to resuming online operations for its suppliers.

M&S has apologized for the disruption and reassured customers that steps are being taken to secure systems. Despite this, it remains unclear when full online functionality will return.

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There are silent assassins stalking organizations, slashing profits with a thousand little cuts. Friction, bloat, sclerotic processes, shadow IT - and now more commonly - shadow AI, outdated manual toil… There are a myriad of small indignities an organization's IT operations can fall prey to. Time, business growth, staff turnover, and the actions of teams unfamiliar with the IT environment all add to the power of these assassins.

The good news however, is the slow and patient nature of these threats. None of the risks are too complicated or costly to manage - requiring merely care in business planning, tech investments, and team work management. And that’s a mercy, since they make IT budgets rise while increasing unplanned downtime, slow the efficiency of incident management, reduce profit margins, lower customer trust, and raise the risk of a regulatory penalty.

First - take down downtime

Downtime is not a welcome guest, it’s an obvious and costly profit killer. The causes can be relatively benign, but a website outage directly costs revenue just the same as a physical site work stoppage - whether from an unfortunate mishap or a cyberattack.

Taking down these threats requires action across a few areas.

Proactive monitoring: There are monitoring tools for the networking operations center (NOC) that can detect and resolve issues before they escalate into outages that cost megabucks. The right monitoring tools and a trained IT team is the first line of spotting potential incidents and stepping in to stop them escalating.

Plan disaster recovery: A strong recovery plan gets you out of the fire quicker. Understanding your assets, infrastructure, and procedures ensures that systems can be recovered faster to return the business to profitable activity.

Cybersecurity is critical: Cyberattacks are becoming frequent and costly. Strong cybersecurity protects organizations from technical risks including data breaches and service disruption, and all the consequent effects on users and the bottom line that these entail - reducing the risk of subsequent recovery costs and regulatory penalties.

Second - knock bloat on the head

NOCs are guilty in times past of becoming bloated, reactive, and resource intensive. Stripping back all that and adopting a leaner approach to streamline operations will reduce costs and ensure that systems remain optimized for performance and resilience above all.

Organizations have found staffing a perpetual issue. Staff turnover and recruitment are a morale, culture and budget drain. A repetitive, high-pressure role without the right management and cultural support creates a vicious cycle of hire, train, lose, repeat. Consequently, organizations often overstaff to offset these challenges. This merely treats the symptoms rather than the causes of the poor working experience and doesn’t help to trim their costs.

It’s vital to look afresh at the NOC and set it up for success in this era - not the one when it was first designed.

Automate the toil: Automation can handle much of the management, all of the ticketing and system monitoring to reduce team workload. These increase efficiency and logging for compliance while making the role more pleasing to staff.

Layer AI to support incident: Modern AI solutions can help manage many first-level incidents, freeing staff from part of the resolution process and focusing their skills where needed.

Flex: Remote work and flexible scheduling are perfectly compatible with the modern NOC. It can reduce overheads and attract top talent.

Training and development add to the experience: Career development improves retention and allows staff to exercise more of their mental muscles, while improving the quality of service.

These suggestions can reduce staffing costs and poor working experiences as well as improve incident response, helping to future-proof the organization's IT operations over the long term.

Third - Shine a light on the shadowy costs of incident management

Every second involved in an ongoing incident is correlated to lost productivity, revenue, and customer satisfaction. By taking a proactive approach to incident management hidden costs can be uncovered and eliminated.

Mean time to resolution (MTTR) is a fearsome foe. But AI-driven tools can massively reduce it, minimising downtime.

Don’t defeat every foe one by one. Root cause analysis helps the team fix a repeated problem once and for all. With root cause analysis Ops can prevent recurring issues and reduce their long-term costs.

Call on allies. Incident response often involves multiple teams. With the right collaboration tools organizations improve response times and reduce friction and mistakes.

Moreover, learning from incidents, a post-incident analysis, is critical to improving processes for the next situation. Organizational improvement comes from both overcoming and also contextualizing incidents. This improves long-term planning, documentation, knowledge sharing, and processes. The ability to do this is one of the hallmarks of mature operations and signposts that Ops can overcome future incidents more readily.

A strong castle repels the enemy

When the silent assassins are disarmed the organization directly benefits. Leaner, modernized processes and functions like NOCs that strip out waste provide better value for their activity. Obviously better organizational - including digital - resilience reduces downtime, directly improving revenue and customer satisfaction.

Efficiency and resiliency are the moat and walls around that castle. Saving the time, money, and team morale that poor IT saps away requires running smarter, leaner, and with greater resilience in IT operations. Regardless of your industry, the principles of a lean and modern NOC, digital resilience, and efficient incident management all transform the bottom line. The assassins of inefficiency are a business risk that needn’t haunt the organization with the power they used to hold. Their time has passed.

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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

• US plans to drop the Biden-era diffusion rule
• The export restrictions were affecting allies as well as countries of concern
• Trump wants to "end past conflicts and forge new partnerships" including in the Middle East

According to a new report by the South China Morning Post, the Trump administration is planning to rescind the Biden-era diffusion rule, which was introduced to restrict the spread of AI chips abroad.

The announcement came from White House AI and crypto official David Sacks, who revealed the change during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh.

Sacks explained that Saudi Arabia is not considered to be a national security risk, calling for more open tech exports between trusted partners.

The US will open up tech exports to trusted countries

The diffusion rule was part of Biden's effort to block AI chip access to countries of concern, most notably China. China's military and AI capabilities were the primary cause for concern, with the White House previously worried that the country could use US-build semiconductors to advance its own technology.

However, Sacks explained that the rule has been affecting allies unnecessarily. Now that the US is seeking closer tech ties with Middle Eastern nations, accelerated by much lower tariffs than those imposed on China, export rules must change.

"The Trump administration has just announced that we will be rescinding what’s known as the Biden diffusion rule … it literally restricted the diffusion or proliferation of American technology all over the world," Sacks said.

Critics also argued that, with the export rules in place, countries were being forced to source tech from China due to the more favorable pricing and fewer restrictions.

"As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be very profound," Trump explained in an address at the event.

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• A new rumor suggests One UI 8 could add a narration feature to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series' Now Brief feature
• Tentatively titled Listen Brief, the feature applies a text-to-speech processor to the AI-generated news and update summary
• One UI 8 is without a release date at the time of writing.

Without a doubt, one of the coolest Samsung features to launch this year is Now Brief, the AI-powered daily summary that sits at the core of the Galaxy S25 series AI-focused platform.

As SammyGuru reports, the Now Brief feature seems to be exclusive to the Galaxy S25 series for now – the wider release of One UI 7 hasn’t brought the feature to older devices

That’s likely due to its reliance on the Knox security chip, which was introduced with Samsung’s latest flagships; but while older devices might miss out on Now Brief, it seems that Galaxy S25 users could see the feature quite substantially upgraded with the next version of One UI.

A new rumor suggests that One UI 8 could bring a new feature called Listen Brief, which is pretty much what it sounds like – an audio version of the Now Brief. The feature was uncovered in a look at unreleased code by Android Authority.

Now Brief is already a pretty convenient concept, packaging rolling news, updates, weather and more into a quickly digestible feed.

But for those who want an extra shot of convenience, Listen Brief would make getting your daily dose of personalized information even easier.

The findings suggest you’ll be able to choose between Samsung's and Google’s text-to-speech processing, which means this is likely a narration of the existing Now Brief text, rather than an AI assistant reading, processing, and then explaining the contents of the brief.

The Now Brief feature currently seems to be limited to the Galaxy S25 series (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Speaking personally, I’ve not been the keenest on AI – I have my issues with the generative side of things, and when it comes to time-saving stuff like transcription and email summaries I’ve rarely had a use for the tools on offer – but even I was impressed by Now Brief when it was revealed at this year’s first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked.

As for Listen Brief, I can see this being useful for a few types of people – first and foremost those with visual impairments or issues processing text. I’ll always welcome features that make tech more accessible to more people.

Listen Brief could also be a useful addition for commuters, parents with busy mornings, or those who just prefer listening to reading. It’s a neat potential addition to what was already a great idea.

We’re still quite a way away from seeing One UI 8, but I’m hoping that the best Samsung phones will receive their next major OS update in quicker fashion than the wobbly rollout of One UI 7. Let us know whether you’d use Listen Brief in the comments below.

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Every day, we read news of another business that has fallen foul of a cyber-attack, whether it be through phishing or nasty malware - no one is immune. Businesses are still battling against an onslaught of attacks and despite years of warnings many are failing to get to grips with good cyber hygiene. It's a huge concern as AI threats advance the spread, sophistication and believability of AI attacks, leaving businesses increasingly -and dangerously- exposed.

According to Howden’s research, half (52%) of UK businesses, representing 1.3 million private sector companies, have suffered at least one cyber attack in the past five years, equating to a whopping £44bn of lost revenue.

While cybercriminals may have their sights set on large enterprises with a treasure trove of data to shield, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are the most vulnerable to malware attacks. And this comes at a considerable cost. Analysis from Vodafone Business shows that small businesses across the UK are losing £3.4 billion a year thanks to inadequate cybersecurity measures. So, with the stakes so high, what's holding back organizations from getting their cyber hygiene in order?

Why SMBs are easy targets

For starters, an SMB’s entry point might not be as closely guarded as larger counterparts, and many don’t have robust enough security postures to mitigate malware attacks. Furthermore, when they do face a threat, many lack awareness of what a malware attack looks like or aren’t armed with the best knowledge to mitigate or remediate the issue. Limited budgets play a huge part, with many IT teams doing their best to plate-spin with limited resources.

A study, commissioned by GoTo, finds that 58% of IT decision-makers are experiencing burnout and struggling with soaring workloads amid increasing digital demands. With an ever-demanding job and without being armed with the right tools, they are not being set up for success when battling cybercriminals' seemingly endless box of tricks.

Human error entry points are the primary way criminals get the upper hand. Some small businesses may offer less training on security best practices for employees, leaving cybercriminals to exploit human errors, such as employees clicking on malicious links and using weak passwords to breach systems. Easy mistakes can have a big impact.

The average cost of a cyber breach for SMEs in the UK is estimated at £8,460. The power of AI will only make matters worse, with advancements expected to fuel sophisticated multichannel attacks. Not included in this is the cost of reputational harm and potential loss of business.

Being on the pulse of evolving attack strategies

We’re seeing new players emerge every day with sophisticated strategies. The most common threat types are phishing, social engineering attacks and malware but hackers are always looking to sharpen their tactics by leaning into new technology and exploiting new wrinkles on old threats. Ransomware as a service (RaaS) makes accessibility of these tools to small-time crooks even easier.

Across these threat types, there are specialist players. Opentext’s Nastiest Malware report found that the worst malware offender last year was ransomware group LockBit. Known for its resilience and relentless pursuit of critical targets, LockBit has successfully dodged multiple law enforcement crackdowns.

According to the FBI's Internet Crime report, LockBit was reported in 175 attacks on critical infrastructure, underscoring its staying power and adaptability. The caliber of these threats is high, and unfortunately, LockBit is on a long list of other prolific offenders.

Experts also identified the most relentless and adaptive malware trends impacting industries worldwide, with ransomware aimed at critical infrastructure coming out on top. In response, organizations were projected to increase their cybersecurity investments by 14.3% last year, reaching more than $215 billion.

It’s not just businesses turning to AI to help with efficiencies. Cybercriminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to develop highly personalized threats and we’re seeing new tactics such as deepfake technology come into play, endangering a lot of businesses. Education and upskilling on these threats is vital.

The recipe for cybersecurity success

Prevention plays an important role in safeguarding SMBs. Although it may seem basic to some, proactive cybersecurity measures, such as regular updates, multi-factor authentication, data backups, and penetration testing, are all key parts of the puzzle.

Companies also need to ensure that they have defined security policies and procedures to avoid any leak of information. This is where employee education comes in. As the gatekeepers of information, their cybersecurity literacy and awareness of policies can determine the success of your strategy. Engaging and realistic attack simulations and scenario-based training can be used to identify those who need upskilling while simultaneously flagging any training gaps.

As IT Leaders, you need to test and adapt your strategies. Test your incident response plans and refine them as required. This should be constantly evolving just like threat strategies. Deploying the 3-2-1 backup rule (where you have three copies of your data, stored on two different types of media, with one copy kept off-site) will help to ensure continuity if you are a target. Finally, working with a cybersecurity partner can support IT professionals to plan, and execute comprehensive safety measures.

While headlines on cyber attacks can cause alarm, there is a silver lining. The ongoing media attention on ransomware and cybersecurity raises awareness. It pushes more organizations to proactively prioritize cybersecurity investments. Not only does this commitment protect their data and people, but it also ensures they aren’t the next victim featured on the front page.

We've featured the best malware removal.

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, May 14 (game #437).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

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

NYT Strands today (game #438) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Animal drives

NYT Strands today (game #438) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• BILE
• MUSE
• STAGE
• BOOT
• POEM
• PEEL

NYT Strands today (game #438) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #438) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #438) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #438, are…

• BEETLE
• BRONCO
• MUSTANG
• RABBIT
• IMPALA
• JAGUAR
• SPANGRAM: AUTOMOBILES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

It took me a while to get going today and the word my hint gave me – BEETLE – didn’t help much, as Beetle Drive is a game. Fortunately, another hint set me on my way: there’s no game called BRONCO Drive.

From the Chevrolet IMPALA to the Ford MUSTANG, American car manufacturers love naming their AUTOMOBILES after members of the animal kingdom, particularly land animals or sleek aerodynamic creatures like the Baracuda or Falcon.

This is not the case in Europe, where they like giving their different models letters and numbers, winds or made-up word-sounds containing the letter Q. The exception, is of course, the Beetle, which was originally called the Volkswagen Type 1 until its nickname stuck.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, May 14, game #437)

• HUSTLE
• MACARENA
• FOOTLOOSE
• WOBBLE
• LOCOMOTION
• SPANGRAM: LINE DANCE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, May 14 (game #1206).

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1207) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

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

Quordle today (game #1207) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1207) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1207 - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

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

Quordle today (game #1207) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• C

• P

• F

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

Quordle today (game #1207) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1207, are…

• PAINT
• CROUP
• PEDAL
• FLUKE

Another case of right-letters-wrong-order again for me today, and a silly mistake using a letter I already knew was correct but in the wrong position.

One of the joys of Quordle is keeping your eyes across four columns, but it can also mean that you sometimes miss the obvious things – thus I guessed PLEAD instead of PEDAL and took eight turns instead of seven to complete the puzzle.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1207) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1207, are…

• HAPPY
• SNIFF
• GROVE
• RAMEN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, May 14 (game #703).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #704) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FLUTE
• MADRID
• GROUNDS
• ICE
• ESTATE
• POWDER
• SEVILLE
• FOUNDATION
• BUTTERFLY
• WORLD
• REASON
• CRUST
• SLUSH
• BASIS
• BESS
• DEAL

NYT Connections today (game #704) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Trust the process
• GREEN: It covers mountains
• BLUE: Partial names of famous scores 
• PURPLE: Precede with word that rhymes with “meal”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #704) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: RATIONALE 
• GREEN: TYPES OF SNOW 
• BLUE: LAST WORDS OF FAMOUS OPERA TITLES 
• PURPLE: REAL ___ 

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

NYT Connections today (game #704) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #704, are…

• YELLOW: RATIONALE BASIS, FOUNDATION, GROUNDS, REASON
• GREEN: TYPES OF SNOW CRUST, ICE, POWDER, SLUSH
• BLUE: LAST WORDS OF FAMOUS OPERA TITLES BESS, BUTTERFLY, FLUTE, SEVILLE
• PURPLE: REAL ___ DEAL, ESTATE, MADRID, WORLD

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

Seeing two Spanish cities in the grid of 16 words immediately threw me and it wasn’t until the final two groups that I dismissed the possibility of them being part of the same group – even though the Connections spider senses knew that they weren’t.

For RATIONALE, I thought we were looking for construction terms, but I was happy to get the right four words regardless.

TYPES OF SNOW was easier, but I will admit that although I knew SEVILLE, BUTTERFLY and FLUTE were all LAST WORDS OF FAMOUS OPERA TITLES (Barber of Seville, Madame Butterfly and Magic Flute) I wasn’t thinking about Porgy when I added BESS.

I am annoyed that I didn’t get REAL ____, especially as it included Spanish football team Real Madrid – the REAL in their case meaning Royal rather than genuine.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, May 14, game #703)

• YELLOW: ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION DRAW, PULL, SUCK, WICK
• GREEN: GREEK PREFIXES HYPER, KILO, META, NEO
• BLUE: TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM BABE, BOLT, DUMBO, TED
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS GNOME, KNEE, MNEMONIC, PSYCHE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is here, and with it being priced between the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra, the slimmest ever Galaxy S phone carves out a peculiar spot in Samsung’s mobile lineup.

In some ways, it’s a blend of both its big-screen siblings – the Edge has 12GB of RAM and a titanium chassis reminiscent of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but at just 5.8mm and 163g, it's slimmer and lighter than the Galaxy S25 Plus it most closely resembles.

Having gone hands-on with the Galaxy S25 Edge myself, I can confidently say it’s an impressive device, both as a stylishly designed product and a fabulous piece of engineering. Tapping out a Google search feels like typing on nothing, and the phone simply disappears into my pocket. Overall, I'm very impressed.

With that said, there is one aspect of this new hybrid smartphone that feels a little more confused than composite.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge gets the 200MP main camera from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s camera system finds itself in an interesting position. The phone has the same excellent 200MP main camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, alongside the 12MP ultra-wide found on the vanilla Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus.

That’s a heck of a contrast – the prized snapper from one of the best camera phones around next to an ultra-wide lens, the likes of which I’ve always found to be rather unnecessary.

During my hands-on experience with the Galaxy S25 Edge, I was able to briefly try out the camera app, and while resolution is rarely the full story with mobile cameras, there is a noticeable change in quality when switching between the two lenses.

There’s also the fact that the Galaxy S25 Edge is the only model in the Galaxy S25 lineup to not feature a telephoto camera with some level of optical zoom. Samsung has long stood out from its main competitors like Apple and Google by offering telephoto cameras all the way through its flagship lineup, not just on more expensive models.

At a starting price of $1,099.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,850, the Galaxy S25 Edge is no budget device. It’s a little awkward to have the second-most expensive phone in the lineup missing a key feature sported by its less expensive siblings.

Still, a form factor like this demands some sacrifices. Speculatively, I imagine some of the increased cost of the Galaxy S25 Edge has gone into designing a phone that can actually function while remaining so thin.

(Image credit: Jamie Richards / Future)

I felt a similar way when putting together our Oppo Find N5 review – the world’s thinnest book-style foldable also evidenced some compromises with its camera system to achieve its form factor.

As with the Oppo Find N5, I respect why Samsung may have made the choice to equip the Galaxy S25 Edge with a less powerful camera system – but to be honest, I’d rather have seen the Korean tech giant go all out by ditching the second camera altogether, and either cutting the price or investing those resources elsewhere.

Even so, the Galaxy S25 Edge will hopefully be easy to recommend to photographers. That main camera is no joke – the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the best camera phones money can buy, and to have that same camera on a cheaper (if still pricey) handset is something that deserves serious consideration.

More importantly, though, the Galaxy S25 Edge is svelte and light enough to go absolutely anywhere, making it all the easier to pick up the phone and capture moments. Any recommendation will naturally depend on the phone’s battery life and long-term performance – be sure to keep up with our Samsung Galaxy Phones coverage for the results of our testing.

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The best Disney+ shows and best Hulu shows have been on showcase at the glitzy Disney Upfront 2025.

Among the highlights were a dance number from the Manning brothers and Jimmy Kimmel’s annual roast, along with appearances from the likes of Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds.

Even Disney CEO Bob Iger took to the stage after last year’s debut, being introduced by a pair of Super Bowl winners in Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley. Cast members from The Bear season 4, Alien: Earth and Daredevil: Born Again season 2 delivered scoops on their respective shows and there was plenty of news to get stuck into throughout the event.

Of all the announcements though, a handful stood out, so read on for the seven announcements in particular that pique my interest – we’ve got everything from Marvel mania to live sports streaming.

1. Wonder Man and MCU shows

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

There was plenty of news for fans of Marvel’s TV offering to be excited about. Perhaps most exciting was the news that Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones is set to return after a lengthy absence, making her debut in the MCU proper in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

The other big story was the announcement that the upcoming Wonder Man mini-series, co-produced by Onyx Collective, will comprise eight half hour episodes when it lands in December of this year. Set to be a meta exploration of Hollywood, the show will star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams/Wonder Man, a character that James Gunn already attempted to add to the MCU with Nathan Fillion in the role, though those scenes were ultimately cut from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

It seems that 2025 is set to be somewhat of a transitional year for Marvel Television, with the current backlog of announced shows being pushed out, before settling in to a pattern of one to two shows a year going forward. There’s also set to be less synergy between the TV and cinematic offerings in the future, with the shows still set in the same universe, but pitched as stand-alone stories.

2. Trailers for The Bear season 4 and Alien: Earth

Attendees were shown new trailers for The Bear season 4 and Alien: Earth, with both shows seeing their release dates confirmed.

When we last saw Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), he had just got word that the dreaded review he’d been waiting for had gone live, and as we watched the chef read the verdict on his phone, the show dropped an almighty cliffhanger on us. But it won’t be long until we find out whether the critics' words were good, bad or indifferent, with the series set to return on June 26.

Alien: Earth, meanwhile, is set to invade on August 13. Created by Noah Hawley, the latest installment in the Xenemorph saga sees a corporate war over cyborg technology one-hundred years in the future interrupted when a research ship full of hostile alien life forms crash lands on Earth. Starring Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther and Adrian Edmondson, the show is set to bring all manner of extraterrestrial chaos right back home.

3. Ryan Murphy is back

Ryan Murphy continues to be one of the busiest showrunners in Hollywood with two new series showcased at the Disney Upfront.

All’s Fair, which you can watch the trailer for above, features an all-star cast in what’s set to be a gripping legal drama. Murphy regular Sarah Paulson features, alongside recent American Horror Story star Kim Kardashian, Naiomi Watts and Glenn Close.

The Beauty, meanwhile, is an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name and is set to star Evan Peters and Ashton Kutcher in a tale of an STD that makes those affected beautiful, but eventually kills its host. Suspected of being a government plot, the story follows two detectives trying to uncover the truth in a sea of corruption and cover ups.

4. Glen Powell's Chad Powers premiere date

(Image credit: Hulu)

Glen Powell both created and stars in Chad Powers, an upcoming comedy series based on an idea from Eli Manning.

Powell plays Russ Holliday, a disgraced college quarterback who happens upon an idea to disguise himself as Chad Powers and join a struggling southern football team to revive his career.

Sounding like an NFL take on Ted Lasso with a bit of Adam Sandler wackiness thrown in, and with one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars in the lead role, Chad Powers could prove a smash hit when it arrives on September 30.

5. Chris O'Donnell stars in 911: Nashville teaser

We’ve got our first glimpse of new spin-off 911: Nashville. Despite the recent cancellation of 911: Lone Star, the universe continues to expand, with executive producer Ryan Murphy (again) delivering a new installment following the lives of emergency responders in the titular city.

Starring Chris O’Donnell as firefighter and former rodeo rider Don Shrape, the show revolves around the Nashville firehouse he leads with his son. Details are thin on the ground at the moment, but with LeAnn Rimes also in the cast, the show is definitely hitting that Music City vibe.

6. High Potential among most streamed Hulu shows

Disney also discussed some of the most streamed Hulu shows, with High Potential breaking records on the platform.

Originally airing on ABC, High Potential stars Katlin Olson as Morgan, a police station cleaning lady who gets brought on board as a consultant when her gifted intellect sees her solving cases out of hours.

Available to stream on Hulu after broadcast, the show proved a smash hit, gaining a huge following and racking up over 13 million streaming viewers for its finale, becoming ABC’s best drama episode ever on the streamer.

7. ESPN launches new streaming service

(Image credit: rafapress / Shutterstock)

Finally, the most exciting piece of news for sports fans was the announcement that ESPN will be launching a new streaming service in latter half of this year.

The service – not be confused with ESPN+, which costs $11.99 per month, and will be rebranded as ESPN Select – will have a completely new redesigned app to house all of the broadcaster's live content.

The big change comes with the ‘Unlimited’ plan, which will cost $29.99 per month and deliver all things ESPN, including ESPN 2 and ESPN 3 alongside more niche offerings and a new slate of college sports-focused networks.

With executives promising an immersive new experience, it’s game on for live sports streaming.

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• The first trailer for Ironheart has been released
• Marvel's next live-action TV show will make its Disney+ debut in late June
• There are rumors it'll have a unique albeit worrisome episodic release format

Marvel has released the first trailer for its long-overdue Ironheart TV show – but, while it looks like a fun time, I'm more concerned about the conjecture surrounding its rumored episodic release schedule.

The teaser, which you can view below, arrives just over a month before Ironheart lands on Disney+. We previously learned of Ironheart's official launch date in October 2024, with the series set to air on June 24 in the US, and June 25 in the UK and Australia (NB: Ironheart will also launch on these dates in other nations and territories).

The trailer confirms a couple of rumors that have circulated online over the last few months. The main one, though, is that Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams will initially team up with The Hood, an antagonistic dark-magic wielder played by Anthony Ramos, to help her create an "iconic" super-suit to rival that of Tony Stark's Iron Man.

However, given The Hood's morally questionable antics, which are teased throughout the footage, it seems as though Williams will eventually square off against him and his cronies. It appears she'll get more than a helping hand from Alden Ehrenreich's Joe McGillicuddy, which has to be a fake name, right? Nobody would walk around the streets of Chicago with a surname like that.

Before the trailer's unveiling, the only footage we'd seen came courtesy of Marvel's 85th birthday celebration video last August and an Ironheart behind-the-scenes featurette that was released yesterday (May 13) to build excitement for the official trailer's arrival.

Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is among Ironheart's executive producing team, which includes Marvel's Head of Television Brad Winderbaum. Snowpiercer's Chinaka Hodge serves as head writer, showrunner, and executive producer.

Why I'm worried about Ironheart's reportedly unique episodic release structure

Ironheart's standalone MCU project has been a long time coming (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Intriguing as Ironheart's science versus magic-based story looks and sounds, I am concerned about speculation concerning how its episodes will be released.

Yesterday, Marvel revealed that Ironheart would receive a three-episode premiere, which would ordinarily be surprising in its own right. No other Marvel TV series has launched on Disney+, aka on one of the world's best streaming services, with three episodes before. In fact, Andor season 2, the critically-acclaimed Star Wars TV show whose two season run ended today (May 14), is the only other show I can think of that's made its Disney+ debut with a three-episode drop.

My main concern, though, relates to the release of Ironheart's three other chapters.

Per industry insiders Nexus Point News, which has previous form for revealing factual information ahead of time, this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show's fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes won't be released individually on a week-to-week basis. Indeed, the outlet suggests they'll be released on the same day one week after Ironheart's premiere. For example, that's July 1 in the US, and July 2 in the UK and Australia.

Anthony Ramos' The Hood is expected to be one of the TV series' primary antagonists (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Disney and Marvel haven't confirmed this will be the case yet, so Ironheart's final three entries could arrive weekly following its debut.

If Nexus Point News' report proves correct, though, why would Disney and Marvel want to rush Ironheart out of the door? It can't be because other highly anticipated shows, such as Alien: Earth, are launching at the same time. That aforementioned series doesn't arrive until August 13. Meanwhile, The Bear season 4 is dropping in full on June 26, so it likely won't cannibalize Ironheart's viewership.

For me, there are two potential factors at play. The first is that Ironheart doesn't meet Disney and Marvel's expectations. If they're unhappy with its quality and/or concerned about how it'll perform, releasing all six episodes close together would ensure the show doesn't suffer huge weekly audience drop-offs. If they're that worried, though, why not just release the whole series in one go, like they did with Echo?

Marvel Television's all-new series #Ironheart launches with a 3-episode premiere June 24 at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/ZGRhMf33fFMay 14, 2025

The other possibility concerns how long Ironheart has been in development.

Initially conceived as a movie, it was retooled as a TV show ahead of Thorne's Williams making her live-action debut in 2022's Wakanda Forever. To take advantage of her potential popularity off the back of that film, Ironheart would be made with the aim of releasing soon after Black Panther 2.

With two and half years passing since Wakanda Forever's arrival, that clearly didn't happen. Given the apparent development issues it's had, Ironheart's two-part release appears to be Disney and Marvel's way of getting it in front of Disney+ subscribers ASAP. Again, though, why not release it in full if that's the intended aim?

Whatever the rationale may be (again, if Nexus' sources can be believed), the fact that Ironheart might be rushed out is a big worry for me. I hope my assumptions about the final Marvel Phase 5 project are wrong. But, if Marvel confirms that the other three episodes will air on the same day, I'd be incredibly suspicious of Ironheart's truncated release format, and I wouldn't be able to shake the feeling that the show is proverbially being thrown to the wolves.

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• Microsoft set to enact its biggest layoffs in over two years
• 3% will lose their jobs, or 6,000 to 7,000 workers
• Middle managers are at risk

Microsoft has announced significant layoffs, impacting an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 workers globally, or 3% of its current headcount.

It's believed that the job cuts will affect various departments and regions, including LinkedIn, Xbox, and software engineering teams, with nearly 2,000 roles set to be eliminated from Washington State alone (via CNBC).

As part of the significant shakeup, Microsoft is primarily targeting middle management roles within an initiative to flatten organisational structures – a trend that we're beginning to see adopted by rival companies as well.

Microsoft streamlines operations with 3% headcount reduction

"We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace," a company spokesperson added.

Like the rest of the tech sector, redundancies continue to plague Microsoft, which has made smaller-scale announcements already this year. In 2024, it made a series of mid-sized announcements, including 650, 1,000 and 1,900 workers in three separate instances (via layoffs.fyi), but nothing has quite met the scale of the company's biggest post-pandemic round of layoffs when, in January 2023, 10,000 workers (5% of the workforce) were sent packing.

Despite strong financial performance, with a revenue of $70.1 billion in the company's most recent quarter, the landscape is shifting. Microsoft must prepare to prioritize investments in AI and cloud computing, which means other departments are likely to suffer.

CFO Amy Hood also noted that the headcount was already 2% higher than the year previously during the Q3 2025 earnings call. Alluding to the continued growth of AI, Nadella added to the April call: "We processed over 100 trillion tokens this quarter, up 5X year-over-year – including a record 50 trillion tokens last month alone."

TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft to share more about its decision, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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In a racy bit of cross-pollination, Apple is unveiling a set of Apple Maps updates designed, in part, to coincide with the release of its Brad Pitt feature film F1.

Starting this week, Apple Maps users can view F1 and Grand Prix-related features in the Monaco maps.

More than a decade after a memorably rough start, Apple Maps is now a rich and reliable navigation system that’s seen numerous updates. Apple recently added AR-guided walking directions and detailed city experiences that add skins to landmarks like Radio City Music Hall in New York and the London Tower Bridge, along with numerous city details.

Apple will use many of these updates to enhance its Monaco maps for the upcoming Grand Prix race, which runs from May 23 to May 25.

Among the F1- and Grand Prix-related enhancements are visual updates that leverage Apple Maps Detailed City Experience. These add a temporary racetrack, for instance, as well as viewing stands, car garages, and even some Formula 1 race cars (they’re small and not particularly detailed).

Apple is also adding 3D updates to Monaco landmarks, including the Casino de Monte-Carlo, Fairmont Monte Carlo, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, and the F1 Paddock Club.

Some elements of the Monaco update will remain after the race, but the track, which includes markers for each of the race’s 19 turns, will disappear when the Grand Prix ends. During the run of the race, Apple Maps will include real-time updates on detours and road closures relating to the race, as well as all footbridges built for spectators.

Mapping the big movie

(Image credit: Apple)

There will also be some F1 iconography relating to the Brad Pitt film, which is about a former driver returning to the races. F1 opens internationally on June 25 and in North America on June 27. As you might’ve guessed, it’s an Apple Original Film and will eventually stream on Apple TV Plus. Apple Maps users will also find a new, special guide to some of the racetracks featured in the upcoming film.

This isn’t the first time Apple updated its Apple Maps experience for a special event; it's even worked with Formula 1 before. For last year’s Formula 1 race in Las Vegas, Apple added the track and viewing stands to Apple Maps and then removed all the non-permanent structures after the race.

For all that Apple is adding to Apple Maps for the Grand Prix and F1, we noticed that there’s no tiny Brad Pitt, unless he’s been squirreled away inside the Monaco map, and you’re supposed to search for him like a race-movie-themed game of “Where’s Waldo?”

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• EnergyWeaponUser advertised a new archive on the dark web
• They claim it holds phone numbers and OTP codes for Steam
• Some researchers claim the archive came from Twilio, but the company denied having been breached

EnergyWeaponUser, a known cybercriminal and leaker, is selling a new database which, they claim, holds more than 89 million Steam user records, phone numbers, and one-time access codes.

Steam is a digital games distribution platform developed by Valve. It has more than 130 million monthly active users, which use the platform to buy, download, and play computer games.

Recently, a new thread in an underground forum appeared where the hacker offered the database for $5,000. BleepingComputer was among those who analyzed the records, and claims it holds “historic SMS text message with one-time passcodes for Steam, including the recipient’s phone number”.

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Was it Twilio?

However, it is unclear where EnergyWeaponUser picked the archives up. Valve is being silent for the moment. An independent games journalist MellowOnline1 believes the theft is the result of a supply chain attack, with Twilio being the most likely victim.

Twilio is a cloud communications platform that allows devs to integrate different messaging, voice, and video features. Among other things, it provides SMS and MMS messaging, which many companies use for one-time passcodes and 2FA.

However, the company told BleepingComputer that it investigated the claims and found no evidence of compromise.

"There is no evidence to suggest that Twilio was breached,” a spokesperson for the company told the publication. “We have reviewed a sampling of the data found online, and see no indication that this data was obtained from Twilio."

Another possible explanation is that an intermediary SMS provider could have been breached. At press time, the actual victim was not yet confirmed. EnergyWeaponUser’s claims could not be verified at this time. However, the leaker is rather infamous, as they were previously linked with Cisco, Ford, and HPE breaches.

Steam is warning users to enable Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator and keep an eye on account activity.

Via BleepingComputer

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