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Automation is becoming increasingly common in the cybersecurity space, but some industries and organizations continue to lag when it comes to adopting modern security tools. Recent research from Cymulate revealed that nearly two-thirds of security leaders report missing exposures due to the limitations of manual penetration testing and 67% say infrequent testing has left worrying gaps in their security assessments.

That’s a real problem—and it highlights the growing danger posed by inefficient and outdated manual security processes. Cybercriminals are embracing automation to enhance their attack patterns, and security teams that fail to do the same are putting themselves at unnecessary risk.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Practices like exposure management and security controls validation have become increasingly common, with many organizations now engaged in continuous monitoring and validation of potential threats.

With attackers using AI and other automated solutions to enhance and upscale their efforts, defenders need tools capable of matching the speed, volume and sophistication of modern attack tactics.

Today’s advanced security solutions are helping security professionals improve both their detection and remediation capabilities, allowing them to continuously and automatically test their defenses against new and emerging threats while keeping their systems and data secure.

Manual Processes Are Holding Security Teams Back

There is a reason many security teams have come to rely on manual processes: up to this point, they have generally worked. As with any industry, there will always be resistance to change, and “this is just the way we’ve always done it” can be a powerful argument. Of course, it helps that practices like manual penetration testing do still produce valuable results—but the issue is that attackers don’t update their tactics on an annual or quarterly basis.

They are continuously poking and prodding around the edges of systems and networks, looking for a way in. If your last penetration test was three months ago, that means attackers have had three months to find new vulnerabilities, new exposures, and new ways to evade your defenses. In today’s threat landscape, that’s not acceptable.

Unfortunately, it just isn’t possible for human beings to engage in penetration testing or security controls validation on a continuous basis. Today’s digital environments are more complex than ever, and an organization might have thousands of potential vulnerabilities to monitor—more than even the most dedicated security professionals can manage on their own.

Thankfully, today’s organizations have no resources at their fingertips, with modern exposure management and security validation solutions helping to not only automate the testing process, but identify which exposures represent the most pressing danger and prioritize remediation accordingly.

Why Automation Is More Critical than Ever

According to Cymulate’s research, a staggering 65% of security leaders say they know they are missing exposures due to manual penetration testing, while 67% say challenges like scope limitations and infrequent penetration testing are leaving identifiable gaps in their assessments. In today’s threat environment, that’s a serious concern—because if security leaders are aware of those gaps, cybercriminals almost certainly are, too.

At a time when the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. is more than $9 million, businesses cannot afford to let their exposures and vulnerabilities go unaddressed. Cybersecurity is inherently asymmetrical: attackers only need to succeed once to cause significant damage. You may not be able to stop every attack—but you can avoid becoming an easy target.

That starts with testing. Security leaders who use automated validation solutions say they are able to conduct more than 200x as many tests as those relying on manual processes, helping them stay one step ahead of attackers even when they are leveraging the latest tactics and techniques.

In fact, organizations that have implemented AI-based automation into their exposure validation process report that it takes an average of 24 fewer hours to test their defenses against newly identified cyber threats. That can make a significant difference, especially at a time when attackers are identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities more quickly than ever.

Organizations can’t wait weeks or months to manually test new attack tactics—they need to know whether they can defend against these threats, and they need to know now.

Reducing Manual Processes Should Be a Top Priority

Cymulate’s findings reveal that 97% of organizations with automated security control validation processes in place have seen a positive impact since implementation, and those that run exposure validation processes at least once per month report a 20% reduction in breaches alongside improved mean time to detection.

The message is simple: organizations that test and validate their security capabilities on a regular (or continuous) basis have a higher degree of success detecting attackers, preventing breaches, and keeping their digital environments secure. Better still, eliminating cumbersome manual processes and automating a significant portion of the testing, prioritization, and remediation processes frees up security teams to focus more pressing tasks.

Automation doesn’t just improve security—it heightens job satisfaction and ensure organizations are getting the most out of their highly skilled employees. Reducing the manual processes that lead to both employee burnout and unnecessary exposures should be a top priority for businesses across every industry.

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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

I feel I owe my Bose QuietComfort Headphones an apology after I allowed myself to be led astray by the allure of a pretty pink pair of Edifier ES850NB over-ears. This was but a brief hiatus, however, as despite my new pair being so aesthetically pleasing, something just wasn’t sitting quite right.

Available in black, pink, ivory or brown, the Edifier ES850NB headphones are available right now in the US at a list price of $169.99 (so around £132 or AU$262, give or take), and are due to be released in the UK at the end of June 2025.

It should come as no surprise that because the Edifiers are one third of the cost of my beloved Bose cans, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by the audio quality. This is especially true considering I was directly comparing them to my Bose QuietComfort Headphones, which – despite being somewhat lowlier than their higher-spec sibling, the Bose QuietComfort Ultras (in our pick of the best over-ear headphones) – are a fantastic-sounding pair of headphones with great noise cancelling.

I must say that the Edifier ES850NB headphones do sound good for the price. This was the case straight out of the box, which makes a nice change, as cheaper options can often be a bit heavy on the bass in an attempt to sound fun and zealous – ie. to compensate for weaker sonic elements.

Upon first inspecting the Edifier ES850NBs, I noted the super-padded ear cups and soft and spongy headband. This made me wonder if this added plushness would make them even comfier than my QuietComfort, but they actually felt about the same, which was fortunate, as I was a little worried I’d really feel the difference when switching back.

We’ll be publishing a full review soon, but for now, here are three reasons why I won’t be retiring my trusty Bose QuietComforts in favor of the Edifier ES850NB headphones.

1. Knock knock…

With their leather-like texture and metallic details, the Edifier ES850NB headphones do have a classy finish. I like how they look on, too, but I’m a little confused by their design choices where the headband meets the ear cups. The two components are connected by a bendy arm, similar to that of the outstanding Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, though not as well executed. I say this because Edifier has carved into the outside of the ear cup to allow the headband to sit flush when the headphones are being worn.

I’m not saying this looks bad aesthetically – it does look good, but this format seemed to cause an issue I’ve not experienced with other over-ears: an audible knocking sound. I encountered this issue a few times when out walking, finding that one ear cup would rock slightly, causing the little post at the bottom of the headband to knock against the ear cup.

It looks like Edifier made an attempt to negate this problem by placing a little rectangle of black silicone to provide some cushioning, but it appears to be too thin and small to be efficient. It’s worth mentioning that this may not be the case for everyone, though, as this problem may be exacerbated by the fact that I’m a relatively petite female, and so the headphones may be a little more prone to movement when I’m wearing them out and about.

(Image credit: Future)2. A pressing issue

This could all be down to personal preference, but I don’t find the Edifier ES850NB controls as intuitive or easy to use as the ones on my pair of Bose QuietComfort Headphones. There’s a small slider switch on the outer surface of the right earcup on my pair of Bose, which also doubles as the Bluetooth pairing trigger when kept pulled forward. Then there are the volume and play/pause buttons on the back edge, and an action button on the back edge of the left ear cup that cycles through the different ANC modes, amongst other things.

In contrast, the Edifier ES850NB has fewer buttons. There’s a run of three buttons consisting of two volume buttons, separated by a power button, and a Bluetooth button, which also cycles through the different listening modes. The power button is identifiable by the raised tag, which, although fairly easy to recognise, feels somewhat rough and unpleasant under my fingertips.

Though I appreciate the color coordination of the buttons on the pale pink model I have, I have concerns that the silicone material used means they’re likely to discolor far quicker than a smoother, harder material would. This may be less of an issue for the darker-colored models, but I’d advise caution if you happen to be a person who wears makeup, as any foundation transferred from your fingertips would be a nightmare to clean off the textured surface here.

(Image credit: Future)3. Red light, blue light

When it comes to sticking my headphones on charge, I prefer the larger slot-like indicator light on my pair of Edifiers, as it’s easier to see when it turns red to confirm that they're charging. Having said this, it’s far easier to tell whether my QuietComforts are switched on at a glance, either from the position of the power switch or the small but steady white indicator light.

The reason it’s trickier with the Edifiers is because the power is indicated by a blue light that double-flashes every five seconds, which feels like a surprisingly long time when I’m used to getting instant confirmation of the power status. I also found it oddly irritating, both because the flashing blue light can be distracting when in eyeshot, and because it looks like the headphones are always in pairing mode when I’ve not got them on. The light does at least stop flashing once I’ve got music playing, not that I’d be able to see it even if it were.

Say what you want about Apple in 2025, but I truly believe that iOS still represents the very best of mobile software design.

It's intuitive, with a great design language that permeates throughout the OS, and it’s just really fun to use. But if there’s one area that hangs like a lifeless limb from iOS' otherwise muscular frame, it’s Apple Intelligence.

I can’t blame Apple for wanting to go all-in with its own take on artificial intelligence. After all, AI features are becoming key USPs of today's flagship (and even not-so-flagship) devices – from Galaxy AI on the best Samsung phones to Google’s in-house AI systems on the best Pixel phones. To not join in with the current AI revolution is to run the risk of being seen as old-fashioned.

Despite Apple's best intentions, though, Apple Intelligence – in its current form, at least – is a dud.

Of course, it’s tricky to know exactly where Apple Intelligence has gone wrong if you’re accustomed to Apple’s way of doing things. That's why, over the last week, I’ve been using AI on the OnePlus Open to see what I’ve been missing. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but now the experience has shown me just how much ground Apple has given up to the competition.

Google Gemini is just on a whole other level

(Image credit: Future)

To give Siri some credit, when it comes to setting timers, calling contacts, or setting reminders, it can do the job just fine, and if your requests stay within those confines, then you won’t have an issue. It's when you go beyond those parameters that it starts to fall apart.

Somewhat laughably for a man in his early thirties, I’m now finally making an attempt to get into football after feeling like too much of a social outcast whenever conversations turn to last night’s match, and I’ve been trying to use AI to keep me in the loop with everything that’s going on.

For example, instead of scrolling through a timetable of upcoming fixtures, I instead decided to simply ask Siri when the next Liverpool match was set for. The assistant responded in kind, but when I asked if it could then add that match as an event in my calendar, it hadn’t the faintest idea what I was talking about.

Moving over to Google Gemini and following through the same set of questions, it did exactly what I asked of it in next to no time.

Dropping it down a tad and giving Siri a lowball that I thought it would knock out of the park, when asking who the current Liverpool manager is, it couldn't respond without asking if I wanted the results via a Google search or a ChatGPT request. I can understand Apple wanting to give me that option if I’d asked Siri something about theoretical physics, but not for something so basic, and I don’t understand why it's unable to differentiate between the two.

These are the features I want to use AI for: simple requests that make my day just that little bit easier. I do at least have some hope that Apple can catch up at this level. Where the real uphill battle lies is in Apple's fight to compete with Gemini Live.

Living with a true digital assistant

(Image credit: Google)

Using Gemini Live for the first time, I felt a kinship with those who must have marveled at the very first consumer-grade computers as they started to recognize all of the possibilities on the horizon.

This feature lets you talk to Gemini in the style of free-flowing conversation – there’s no need to type or press any buttons, just speak what’s on your mind, and Gemini will respond much like a normal person.

Gemini Live feels like the full realization of what having a digital assistant is supposed to be.

If you ask Gemini for a realistic schedule that lets you juggle both your full-time job and your side hustle, then it’ll create one for you. For when you want advice on how to talk to a friend who is struggling with their mental health, Gemini can be surprisingly insightful. At one point, it even mentioned that it could pick up on the nuances and tone of my voice to recognize whether I’d said something in anger or jubilation. This feels like the full realization of what having a digital assistant is supposed to be, and Siri (in its current form) doesn’t compare in the slightest.

The disparity is so cavernous here that I do wonder whether Apple should change tact and invest its resources in changes that make sense. For example, OnePlus is one of the few companies that hasn’t changed its entire outlook to focus on AI, but it has included meaningful AI features that are available (like AI summaries of web pages) on the OnePlus 13, but never thrown in your face.

Thankfully, with the introduction of Call Screening and Live Translation in iOS 26, it seems as though Apple is trying to gain back some ground where functional AI features are concerned, and that’s great.

Beyond that, I think it might be time for Apple to abandon any plans of getting Siri to compete – after what I’ve seen from Google, I’m going to assign the Gemini app to my Action button anyway.

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• Midjourney has launched its first AI video model, V1.
• The model lets users animate images into five-second motion clips.
• The tool is relatively affordable and a possible rival for Google Veo or OpenAI’s Sora.

Midjourney has long been a popular AI image wizard, but now the company is making moves and movies with its first-ever video model, simply named V1.

This image-to-video tool is now available to Midjourney's 20 million-strong community, who want to see five-second clips based on their images, and up to 20 seconds of them extended in five-second increments.

Despite being a brand new venture for Midjourney, the V1 model has enough going on to at least draw comparisons to rival models like OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 3, especially when you consider the price.

For now, Midjourney V1 is in web beta, where you can spend credits to animate any image you create on the platform or upload yourself.

To make a video, you simply generate an image in Midjourney like usual, hit “Animate,” choose your motion settings, and let the AI go to work.

The same goes with uploading an image; you just have to mark it as the start frame and type in a custom motion prompt.

You can let the AI decide how to move it, or you can take the reins and describe how you want the motion to play out. You can pick between low motion or high motion depending on whether you want a calm movement or a more frenetic scene, respectively.

The results I've seen certainly fit into the current moment in AI video production, both good and bad. The uncanny valley is always waiting to ensnare users, but there are some surprisingly good examples from both Midjourney and initial users.

AI video battlesMidjourney video is really fun from r/midjourney

Midjourney isn’t trying to compete head-on with Sora or Veo in terms of technical horsepower. Those models are rendering cinematic-quality 4K footage with photorealistic lighting and long-form narratives based solely on text. They’re trained on terabytes of data and emphasize frame consistency and temporal stability that Midjourney is not claiming to offer.

Midjourney’s video tool isn’t pretending to be Hollywood’s next CGI pipeline. The pitch is more about being easy and fun to use for independent artists or tinkerers in AI media.

And it really does come out as pretty cheap. According to Midjourney, one video job costs about the same as upscaling, or one image’s worth of cost per second of video.

That’s 25 times cheaper than most AI video services on the market, according to Midjourney and a cursory examination of other alternatives.

That's probably for the best since a lot of Hollywood is going after Midjourney in court. The company is currently facing a high-stakes lawsuit from several Disney, Universal, and other studios over claims it trained its models on copyrighted content.

For now, Midjourney's AI generators for images and video remain active, and the company has plans to expand its video production capabilities. Midjourney is teasing long-term plans for full 3D rendering, scene control, and even immersive world exploration. This first version is just a stepping stone.

Advocates for Sora and Veo probably don't have to panic just yet, but maybe they should be keeping an eye on Midjourney's plans, because while they’re busy building the AI version of a studio camera crew, Midjourney just handed a magic flipbook to anyone with a little cash for its credits.

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• James Gunn has confirmed Superman's full cast hasn't been revealed yet
• The co-CEO of DC Studios won't say who else might appear
• I'm convinced that another superhero will show up, albeit in a cameo role

Superman is less than a month away from flying into theaters and, according to James Gunn, the superhero movie's full cast still hasn't been revealed yet.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Gunn confirmed that there are characters in the DC Universe (DCU) film, which arrives on July 11, whose identities haven't been publicly revealed. Asked if there are individuals who'll appear in Superman who haven't been announced yet, the DC Studios co-chief simply replied: "Yes."

Predictably, Gunn's one-word response set tongues wagging among DC comic book fans. Could Batman and/or Wonder Woman make unexpected yet crowd-pleasing cameos? What about other members of The Justice League, such as The Flash or Aquaman? Or how about Peacemaker, whose second season will launch on Max just over a month (August 21, to be exact) after Superman's theatrical release?

I don't think it'll be any of those metahumans. If Gunn is to be believed, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince haven't even been cast in their standalone DCU Chapter One projects yet. Meanwhile, The Flash and Aquaman haven't been mentioned by Gunn during his two and a half year stint (at the time of publication) as co-CEO of DC Studios. As for Peacemaker, I'd be very surprised if he makes his official DCU debut before Peacemaker season 2 is released. So, who could Gunn be referring to?

A not so cryptic Kryptonian cameo

Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El is my top pick for a Superman cameo (Image credit: James Gunn/Twitter)

In my opinion, there's only one individual that Gunn's reply applies to: Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El.

Think about it. Per DC Comics lore, Kara is the only other person who survived Krypton's destruction, is Kal-El/Superman's cousin, and was supposed to join her blood relative on Earth to not only help raise him, but protect him while he grew up. Unfortunately, according to DC literature, her ship was knocked off-course by Krypton's explosion and didn't make it to Earth for another 24 years. By then, Kal-El was, unsurprisingly, all grown-up, had adopted the alias Superman, and had become one of the planet's mightiest heroes.

Considering Kal-El is already operating as a superhero as soon as Superman's story begins, we won't see much, if any, of Kara's backstory in one of 2025's most eagerly awaited new movies. Nevertheless, a brief cameo from the Maiden of Might – either before Superman's end credits roll or in a post-credits scene – would be a fun way to introduce her to audiences and tease the familial dynamic she has with her younger cousin.

Supergirl's brief appearance in Superman would also pave the way for her own solo movie. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – it's now known by its simpler title Supergirl, which Gunn recently confirmed – will take flight on June 26, 2026 and, therefore, is the second DCU film that'll arrive in theaters. It would make perfect sense, then, for Milly Alcock's Supergirl to cameo in Superman ahead of the character's first feature film in over 40 years.

There's one more piece of evidence that's convinced me Kara Zor-El will show up in Gunn's Superman movie.

Supergirl takes its inspiration from the 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow' comic book series (Image credit: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Discovery)

Supergirl is heavily inspired by Tom King and Bilquis Eveley's 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow' comic book. In it, Krypto the Superdog joins Kara as she embarks on a mission to help a young warrior exact revenge on the man who killed the warrior's father. You can read more DC Studios' film adaptation of this graphic novel via my dedicated Supergirl movie guide.

As Superman's first trailer and subsequent follow-up teasers have revealed, Krypto is part of this film's roster. If he's also going to appear in next year's Supergirl film, there's no better way for Kal-El to pass him onto his only surviving relative than by Kara making a brief appearance in the Man of Steel's latest big-screen reboot.

Do you agree with me that Supergirl is all but confirmed to appear in Superman? If not here, who else could Gunn be referring to, in your view? Let me know in the comments.

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• Report claims mentions of "responsible AI" (and similar) are on the rise in job adverts
• Legal, education, mathematics and R&S are using the terms the most
• Regulatory pressure might not be influencing the trend – could it just be a keyword?

New data from Indeed claims that despite stronger regulations, corporate image and branding are primarily driving responsible AI mentions in job ads – not policy compliance.

The job platform's analysis – which searched for terms like “responsible AI," “ethical AI," “AI ethics," “AI governance” and “AI – found there was a weak correlation (0.21) between national AI regulation strength and responsible AI mentions in job postings.

Human-centered occupations in legal, education, mathematics and R&D were among the most likely sectors to be using such terms, with tech firms more likely to discuss AI more broadly.

Responsible AI is just a keyword

Although responsible AI terms are rising globally (from close to 0% in 2019), they still only account for less than 1% of related ads on average.

The Netherlands, the UK, Canada, the US and Australia lead the way, however Indeed noted high AI-regulation countries such as the UK and those within the European Union do not have significantly higher mentions of those keywords compared with lighter-regulated countries.

In fact, differences were more noticeable between job sectors rather than regions, with legal (6.5%) way above the average.

Indeed's further analysis of responsible AI mentions across job listings globally suggests that regulatory pressure alone could be insufficient to drive widespread keyword adoption, suggesting '"responsible AI" mentions are more likely to be part of market-based incentives and corporate responsibility strategies.

"This suggests that other factors, including reputational concerns or international business strategies, might be driving Responsible AI adoption as much, or more, than regulatory requirements," the researchers shared.

With rising public concern around AI risks, these terms may serve as signalling tools aimed at clients, investors and the wider market, rather than reflecting deep internal change and commitment.

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• TCS says none of its systems or users were affected in Marks and Spencer attack
• M&S was hit by a major cyberattack earlier in 2025
• TCS vowed an investigation, but has offered little information so far

The third-party supplier many have blamed for the major cyberattack against Marks and Spencer (M&S) has revealed its first findings of an internal investigation into its role in the incident.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has said none of its "systems or users were compromised" as part of the cyberattack.

"As no TCS systems or users were compromised, none of our other customers are impacted" independent director Keki Mistry told its annual shareholder meeting, Reuters reports.

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TCS role and investigation

M&S was apparently hit by the attack on April 22, revealing news of the incident several days later.

Following an initial probe, experts proposed that the attackers were able to break into its systems by compromising workers at TCS, which has provided third-party services to M&S for over a decade on Sparks, the retailer's customer reward scheme.

In 2023, TCS also reportedly secured a $1 billion contract to modernize M&S' legacy technology across its supply chain and omni-channel sales, aiming to boost online sales.

TCS, part of the massive Tata Group conglomerate, was reported to be carrying out a full investigation, but has remained quiet until this unexpected (and brief) mention.

M&S has forecast the attack could cost it around £300 million in lost operating profit in its financial year.

It was recently revealed the hackers contacted M&S CEO Stuart Machin in a mocking email the day after the attack, demanding payment for the attack.

This email was sent from the DragonForce hacking collective, which carries out such attacks in return for payment or reward from other parties in exchange for a cut of any ransom payments.

M&S has not confirmed whether it has paid a ransom to the hackers, but did admit some customer data was stolen in the attack. This did not include any passwords or card or payment details, but home addressess, phone numbers and dates of birth may have been affected.

Anyone concerned their data may have been taken, we recommend using a dark web monitoring service, or using a breach monitor such as Have I Been Pwned to check for potential exposures.

TCS has not yet responded to a TechRadar Pro request for comment.

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With each passing day, AI is becoming more intelligent, more sophisticated, and more valuable to businesses worldwide. The opportunities it presents are endless – but only if brands are willing to embrace the new tech-driven business landscape and keep pace with rapid change.

There are many ways AI tools can be leveraged to work smarter, save time, reduce costs, and unlock new opportunities. Here are some tips and tricks to get you started…

1. Use AI to Cut Through the Data Noise

Recent breakthroughs in machine learning, natural language processing, and IT automation mean businesses can now access vast amounts of valuable internal and external data. High-quality data is critical to understanding your audience, spotting unmet needs, and tailoring strategies that truly resonate, but simply having access to more data doesn’t automatically translate into better outcomes.

Businesses must find ways to sift through the noise - and that’s where AI becomes invaluable. By using AI-powered tools, companies can extract actionable insights faster, more accurately, and at a larger scale, providing business leaders with a clear understanding of the steps needed to drive growth within their sector.

2. Accelerate Decision-Making with AI Insights

When applied correctly, AI-powered insights can dramatically enhance decision-making. Machine learning algorithms can process extensive datasets in seconds, allowing businesses to swiftly adapt to market changes and optimize pricing strategies.

AI can also analyze consumer behavior and competitor activity in real time, automatically adjusting pricing, marketing, and inventory strategies to maintain competitiveness - all while freeing your teams to focus on higher-value work that directly impacts profitability and operational efficiency.

3. Stay Ahead by Predicting Emerging Trends

One of AI’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to predict shifts before they happen. Traditional market research relies on historical data, while AI-powered research looks forward, identifying emerging trends early.

Businesses can monitor social media, search behavior, and purchasing patterns with AI to predict what’s coming next — whether that's the next retail craze or the next big opportunity in your sector.

Companies are already capitalizing on AI to help them do this. For example, fashion brands are using AI to forecast style trends from TikTok, while FMCG companies are tracking real-time sentiment to guide product innovation.

4. Personalize Customer Experiences at Scale

Personalization has become the gold standard in customer engagement, and AI is the ultimate engine behind it. Ecommerce platforms use AI-powered recommendation engines to suggest products based on past behavior. Streaming giants like Netflix and Spotify use it to curate content that keeps users coming back.

By tapping into consumer data, AI allows businesses to deliver highly personalized experiences - increasing customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, revenue. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants also ensure faster, more consistent customer support, minimizing human error while boosting brand connectivity.

5. Prioritize Ethical AI and Empower Your Workforce

As AI becomes central to operations, businesses must also prioritize responsible use. Machines are only as effective as the ethical frameworks behind them. Rather than replacing your workforce, AI should equip your employees with powerful tools to help them perform at their very best. Forward-thinking companies are investing in reskilling programs, ensuring their employees understand AI’s role and can work alongside it to create even greater value.

Meanwhile, AI companies must also stay at the cutting edge of innovation, continuously adapting our services to meet the changing needs of businesses operating in an increasingly complex, tech-driven world.

The Bottom Line

Intelligent application of AI is rapidly becoming the new foundation of business success. Companies that integrate AI into their strategy, decision-making, and customer engagement processes today will be the ones leading their industries tomorrow. Those who act now will gain a competitive edge: operating with greater agility, efficiency, and precision, freeing up valuable time and resources to focus on innovation and growth.

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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

I've tested a new coffee maker every month for the past year here at TechRadar, and there have been some real gems.

The Jura J10, for instance, is a fully automatic powerhouse for creating hot and cold beverages at the touch of a button, while the manual Smeg Mini Pro is frankly gorgeous, and excellent for consistency.

However, no matter how many other machines I try, there's still just one sitting on my kitchen counter at the end of the day: the Gaggia Classic Pro.

It's a very popular little manual espresso machine, and for good reason. It's a lot of fun to use, it's a tinkerer's dream – and at around $500 / £400 / AU$800 it's moderately priced, too.

There's a lot to like about this machine. In our Gaggia Classic Pro review, we stated that it's a "good-looking, well-built appliance" and that "it proved super-easy to brew intense, smooth espressos with very little experimentation required."

However, when new, Lady Gaggia (as we call her at home) isn't without her quirks.

For example, there's not masses of space between the portafilter and the drip tray, which means you can only fit small cups underneath (I usually use a shot glass with measures printed on the side). Plus, the tray is so narrow you can forget about putting a scale underneath to weigh the coffee as it drips out.

There's no PID controller to keep the temperature stable like you get in some premium coffee machines, either, and the Gaggia's small boiler means you might run out of steam (quite literally) before you've finished preparing your milk.

The upside is that there's a great community of hobbyists tinkering with this hugely popular little machine, sharing advice, and even selling kits that let you modify it to your heart's content – like the example in the Reddit post below.

Guys I finally made the upgrade to a PID from Barista Gadgets. from r/gaggiaclassic

For example, US-based Barista Gadgets and UK site Shades of Coffee sell longer drip trays that can accommodate a scale, and shallower trays so you can use a larger cup. There are also devices that continually add a small amount of water to the boiler, so you can keep steaming milk for longer without it running dry.

Shades of Coffee makes and sells heads for the machine's steam arm too, plus colored lighting kits to illuminate the water tank so you can see the level more easily (and that make it look like a gaming PC). And if your Gaggia still doesn't look cool enough, you can even pick up a wooden knob to replace the plastic one that controls the steam pressure.

Feeling really geeky? Take a look at Gaggiuino, which is an open source project that aims to make your machine as consistent as possible, letting you control the pressure, temperature, and flow of each shot.

Want to learn more? Take a look at the Gaggia Classic subreddit, where you'll find a whole community of friendly coffee-lovers sharing their tips for mods, maintenance and repairs, and generally having fun. If you're looking for a new hobby, this is the best coffee maker for you.

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• Despite the noise from new tools, report finds email still drives the most critical business communication
• Instant messaging is quick, but only email delivers structure, traceability, and professional clarity
• Most modern tools serve teams, but email still connects entire organizations reliably and securely

As companies continue to adopt the likes of AI, instant messaging, and cloud-based online collaboration platforms, one might expect email to fade into the background.

However, business email appears to be getting more indispensable, and it turns out that when accountability and structure matter, email still leads.

The recent State of Business Email 2025 report from Exclaimer, based on over 4,000 responses from global IT leaders has revealed while communication stacks are expanding, they are still anchored by email.

Why email remains a serious communication channel

Today’s workplace is more digitally connected than ever, yet paradoxically more fragmented, with tools like Notion, Asana, and monday.com are lauded for improving collaboration, and 89 percent of global IT leaders consider video conferencing crucial to operations.

However, these tools often fail to achieve company-wide standardization, as their adoption is typically uneven, influenced by department needs, company size, or maturity - and as a result, communication can become fractured across platforms.

This complexity forces many IT teams to fall back on email, which remains the most reliable means of ensuring continuity across teams and geographies.

According to the research, nearly half of all internal and external communications still run through email, more than any other tool. For sensitive or high-stakes messages, email is preferred because it offers traceability, permanence, and clarity.

“We’ve never had more ways to connect and collaborate at work, but email remains the backbone of business communication,” said Vicky Wills, Chief Technology Officer at Exclaimer.

“As new tools emerge, the challenge for IT leaders isn’t just picking platforms, it’s making sure they’re implemented strategically. That’s how we build communication environments that are clear, connected, and fit for the future.”

Departments like IT (56 percent), HR, customer success, and finance continue to rely on email, the study found, as these are roles that require precision, auditability, and structured messaging, features that instant messaging platforms often lack.

Instant messaging is undeniably a central part of modern business, and 89 percent of IT leaders rate it as important as email.

However, while instant messaging is used for speed and informal check-ins, email handles the tasks that must be reviewed, logged, and revisited.

For small and mid-sized businesses looking to streamline communication while maintaining oversight, email remains central.

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• Push notifications are now being used as malware delivery systems, and users are unknowingly subscribing to them
• Fake CAPTCHA prompts are now the gateway to persistent browser hijacks and phishing attacks
• WordPress sites are quietly hijacking users through invisible DNS commands and shared JavaScript payloads

Recent investigations have revealed a troubling alliance between WordPress hackers and commercial adtech companies, creating a vast infrastructure for distributing malware on a global scale.

Research from Infoblox Threat Intel found at the core of this operation is VexTrio, a traffic distribution system (TDS) responsible for rerouting web users through layers of fake ads, deceptive redirects, and fraudulent push notifications.

The report claims several commercial firms, including Los Pollos, Partners House, and RichAds, are entangled in this network, serving as both intermediaries and enablers.

Los Pollos connection and a failed shutdown

Infoblox initially tied Los Pollos to VexTrio when the former was implicated in Russian disinformation campaigns.

In response, Los Pollos claimed it would terminate its "push link monetization" model.

Despite this, the underlying malicious activity continued as attackers shifted to a new TDS known as Help, which was eventually linked back to VexTrio.

WordPress vulnerabilities served as the entry point for multiple malware campaigns, as attackers compromised thousands of websites, embedding malicious redirection scripts. These scripts relied on DNS TXT records as a command-and-control mechanism, determining where to send web visitors.

Analysis of over 4.5 million DNS responses between August and December 2024 revealed that even though various malware strains appeared separate, they shared infrastructure, hosting, and behavioral patterns that all led to VexTrio or its proxies, including Help TDS and Disposable TDS.

JavaScript across these platforms exhibited the same functions, disabling browser navigation controls, forcing redirects, and luring users with fake sweepstakes.

Interestingly, these TDSs are embedded within commercial adtech platforms that present themselves as legitimate affiliate networks.

"These firms maintained exclusive relationships with 'publisher affiliates,' in this context, the hackers, and knew their identities," researchers noted.

Push notifications have emerged as a particularly potent threat vector. Users are tricked into turning on browser notifications by using fake CAPTCHA prompts.

Hackers then send phishing or malware links after a user subscribes, evading firewall settings and even the best antivirus programs.

Some campaigns route these messages through reliable services like Google Firebase, making detection significantly more difficult.

The overlap between adtech platforms, including BroPush, RichAds, and Partners House, further complicates attribution.

Misconfigured DNS systems and reused scripts suggest a common backend, possibly even a shared development environment.

To tackle the risk, users should avoid turning on suspicious browser alerts, use tools that offer zero-trust network access (ZTNA), and be cautious when using CAPTCHA prompts.

By updating WordPress and monitoring for DNS anomalies, site administrators can reduce the likelihood of compromise.

Adtech companies, however, might have the actual lever and the key to closing these operations if they choose to act.

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So far the summer months have been packed with fresh titles across a lot of the best streaming services. Now that July is near, it's Hulu turn to impress again.

Compared to last month's schedule, which saw the return of shows like FX's The Bear, Hulu is bringing even more new TV shows to its catalog – 82 to be exact! But out of all the new arrivals the return of the irreverent sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is coming back for a 17th season. Yep, it's still going strong.

There's no doubt that Hulu is one of the best streaming platforms for TV shows but that doesn't mean it's lacking in the movie department, and there'll be over 50 new movies on July 1 alone. I've got my eye on guilty pleasures Bride Wars (2009), Easy A (2010), and Dirty Dancing (1987).

Everything new on Hulu in July 2025

Arriving on June 1

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 2 reunion (TV show)
Lies Hidden In My Garden season 1 (TV show)
Adam (movie)
Alita: Battle Angel (movie)
Bride Wars (movie)
Bridesmaids (movie)
The Bounty Hunter (movie)
The Call (movie)
Catch and Release (movie)
The Comedian (movie)
Country Strong (movie)
Daddy Day Camp (movie)
The Day After Tomorrow (movie)
Dear White People (movie)
Demolition (movie)
Dirty Dancing (movie)
Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights (movie)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (movie)
Easy A (movie)
The Equalizer 3 (movie)
Flight Of The Phoenix (movie)
Ford v Ferrari (movie)
Friends With Benefits (movie)
Fruitvale Station (movie)
Garden State (movie)
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (movie)
Home Alone (movie)
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (movie)
Home Alone 3 (movie)
Honest Thief (movie)
The Internship (movie)
"I Love You, Man" (movie)
I Origins (movie)
I, Robot (movie)
I Saw the Light (movie)
King Arthur (movie)
Kingdom Come (movie)
Kingdom Of Heaven (movie)
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (movie)
The Longest Yard (movie)
The Man Who Knew Too Little (movie)
Mission To Mars (movie)
Pixels (movie)
The Pledge (movie)
Prometheus (movie)
Puss In Boots (movie)
Real Steel (movie)
Ruby Sparks (movie)
The Sandlot (movie)
Shanghai Knights (movie)
Shanghai Noon (movie)
Sisters (movie)
Sugar (movie)
Sunshine (movie)
Tammy (movie)
Taxi (movie)
Ted (movie)
Ted 2 (movie)
The Way Way Back (movie)
Wrath Of Man (movie)

Arriving on July 2

Dragon Ball DAIMA (TV show)

Arriving on July 3

The American Soldier season 1 (TV show)
Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol season 1 (TV show)
America The Story Of US season 1 (TV show)
America: Promised Land season 1 (TV show)
Barack Obama season 1 (TV show)
Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War season 1 (TV show)
Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution season 1 (TV show)
Codes and Conspiracies seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Community (TV show)
Dan Da Dan season 2 (TV show)
Days That Shaped America season 1 (TV show)
The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes season 3 (TV show)
The Proof Is Out There season 4 (TV show)
The Secret History of Air Force One season 1 (TV show)
The Secret History of the Civil War season 1 (TV show)
761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers season 1 (TV show)
Who is Luigi Mangione? season 1 (TV show)
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia (TV show)

Arriving on July 4

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (movie)
The Abyss (movie)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (movie)
In the Lost Lands (movie)

Arriving on July 5

Cold Case Files: The Grim Sleeper season 1 (TV show)
The Idaho College Murders season 1 (TV show)
The Lake Erie Murders seasons 1-2 (TV show)
The Perfect Murder seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Untitled Maxine Project season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on July 6

Cults and Extreme Belief season 1 (TV show)
Killer Cases season 6 (TV show)
Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on June 7

Such Brave Girls season 2 (TV show)
Deep Sea Detectives season 1 (TV show)
Travel Texas season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on July 8

Bachelor in Paradise season 10 (TV show)
Born to be Viral: The Real Lives of Kidfluencers (TV show)
Marked Men (movie)

Arriving on July 9

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 (TV show)
Ancient Aliens: Origins season 1 (TV show)
Insomnia (UK) season 1 (TV show)
Matched in Manhattan season 1 (TV show)
Team Players season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 10

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations seasons 5-6 (TV show)
Extreme Road Ragers season 1 (TV show)
Summer Baking Championship season 1 (TV show)
Suspicious Minds season 1 (TV show)
Parkland (movie)
Buffaloed (movie)

Arriving on June 11

Celebrity Family Feud season 11 (TV show)
Mountain Men season 13 (TV show)
Big Momma's House (movie)
Big Momma's House 2 (movie)
The Hot Chick (movie)
LOL Live with Chico Bean (comedy special)
LOL Live with Chinedu Unaka (comedy special)
Marmaduke (movie)
MR-9: Do or Die (movie)
Riff Raff (movie)

Arriving on June 12

90 Day Fiance season 6 (TV show)
90 Day Fiance UK season 3 (TV show)
Prison Wives Club season 1 (TV show)
A Quiet Place Part II (movie)

Arriving on June 13

Deep Sea Detectives season 2 (TV show)
Dumb Money (movie)

Arriving on June 14

Fugitives Caught on Tape season 1 (TV show)
Stags (UK) season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on July 15

Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit (TV show)
Rachael Ray's Holidays season 1 (TV show)
Get Away (movie)
SAS: Red Notice (movie)

Arriving on June 16

Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes season 2 (TV show)
Unexpected Loves season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 17

Baylen Out Loud season 1 (TV show)
Jake Makes It Easy season 1 (TV show)
My 600-lb Life season 3 (TV show)
My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? season 2 (TV show)
Polyfamily season 1 (TV show)
The Amateur (movie)
Snake Eyes G.I. Joe Origins (movie)

Arriving on July 18

High Rollers (movie)

Arriving on June 19

Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda seasons 6-7 (TV show)
The Assessment (movie)

Arriving on June 20

Smurfs: The Lost Village (movie)

Arriving on July 21

Trophy Wife: Murder on Safari (TV show)

Arriving on July 22

Red Eye (UK) seasons 1-2 (TV show)

Arriving on June 23

Washington Black season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on July 24

Match Game season 6 (TV show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire season 4 (TV show)
Bakeaway Camp with Martha Stewart season 1 (TV show)
Mad About You seasons 1-7 (TV show)
Summer Baking Championship season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on July 26

BBQ Brawl seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Chopped season 61 (TV show)
Tournament Of Champions season 6 (TV show)
Tournament of Champions VI: The Qualifiers season 6 (TV show)
Ultimate Summer Cook-Off season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on July 28

The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball season 1 (TV show)
Operation Fortune (movie)

Arriving on July 29

Dope Girls (UK) season 1 (TV show)
Memoir of a Snail (movie)
Mr & Mrs Murder (TV show)

Arriving on June 30

The Bachelor (Australia) seasons 3-5 (TV show)
The Bachelorette (Australia) seasons 3-4 (TV show)

Arriving on July 31

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives season 5 (TV show)
Guy's Grocery Games seasons 21, 22 & 38 (TV show)
Mad About You (TV show)

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• Future AI memory chips could demand more power than entire industrial zones combined
• 6TB of memory in one GPU sounds amazing until you see the power draw
• HBM8 stacks are impressive in theory, but terrifying in practice for any energy-conscious enterprise

The relentless drive to expand AI processing power is ushering in a new era for memory technology, but it comes at a cost that raises practical and environmental concerns, experts have warned.

Research by Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) and Terabyte Interconnection and Package Laboratory (TERA) suggests by 2035, AI GPU accelerators equipped with 6TB of HBM could become a reality.

These developments, while technically impressive, also highlight the steep power demands and increasing complexity involved in pushing the boundaries of AI infrastructure.

Rise in AI GPU memory capacity brings huge power consumption

The roadmap reveals the evolution from HBM4 to HBM8 will deliver major gains in bandwidth, memory stacking, and cooling techniques.

Starting in 2026 with HBM4, Nvidia's Rubin and AMD’s Instinct MI400 platforms will incorporate up to 432GB of memory, with bandwidths reaching nearly 20TB/s.

This memory type employs direct-to-chip liquid cooling and custom packaging methods to handle power densities around 75 to 80W per stack.

HBM5, projected for 2029, doubles the input/output lanes and moves toward immersion cooling, with up to 80GB per stack consuming 100W.

However, the power requirements will continue to climb with HBM6, anticipated by 2032, which pushes bandwidth to 8TB/s and stack capacity to 120GB, each drawing up to 120W.

These figures quickly add up when considering full GPU packages expected to consume up to 5,920W per chip, assuming 16 HBM6 stacks in a system.

By the time HBM7 and HBM8 arrive, the numbers stretch into previously unimaginable territory.

HBM7, expected around 2035, triples bandwidth to 24TB/s and enables up to 192GB per stack. The architecture supports 32 memory stacks, pushing total memory capacity beyond 6TB, but the power demand reaches 15,360W per package.

The estimated 15,360W power consumption marks a dramatic increase, representing a sevenfold rise in just nine years.

This means that a million of these in a data center would consume 15.36GW, a figure that roughly equals the UK’s entire onshore wind generation capacity in 2024.

HBM8, projected for 2038, further expands capacity and bandwidth with 64TB/s per stack and up to 240GB capacity, using 16,384 I/O and 32Gbps speeds.

It also features coaxial TSV, embedded cooling, and double-sided interposers.

The growing demands of AI and large language model (LLM) inference have driven researchers to introduce concepts like HBF (High-Bandwidth Flash) and HBM-centric computing.

These designs propose integrating NAND flash and LPDDR memory into the HBM stack, relying on new cooling methods and interconnects, but their feasibility and real-world efficiency remain to be proven.

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Some shows appear and disappear almost overnight; others become institutions. Modern Family is in the latter category: more than five years after it finished it's still one of the most watched shows on Disney+ globally.

Modern Family ran from 2009 to early 2020, and like any show with so many seasons it's fair to say that it lost some of its freshness over time: where season 1 has a stellar 100% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the final season – season 11 – only reached 80%. But that's still a much higher rating than many rival sitcoms, and there's still lots to praise.

Here's why Modern Family is a modern classic and one of the best Disney+ shows – or best Hulu shows if you're in the US – of all time.

Why this family is worth getting to know

The first season set up the premise for the show. An unidentified (to us) film crew is following the Dunphys around to make a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the extended family: mom and dad Claire and Phil and their three children; Claire's dad Jay and his much younger wife Gloria; Jay's son Mitchell, his partner Cameron and their adopted daughter.

As you can see, the setup justifies the title: this is a thoroughly modern family, multi-generational, multi-racial and inclusive of all. And if that's all the show was about it would probably have been a disaster, preachy and worthy rather than punchy and hilarious. But the writing team is incredibly sharp, the dialog and set-pieces are often hilariously funny and the cast is spectacular. And I think its warmth and big heart really resonate with people whose screens increasingly seem to be blasting them with bad news.

The core cast is brilliant, and while some of the characterization comes close to stereotyping – the camp Cameron, the cantankerous Jay, the fiery Gloria – I don't think it ever crossed over from affectionate to problematic.

(Image credit: ABC)

You get the real feeling that the writers care about and love the entire cast – and what a cast it is. Ed O'Neill as Jay, Sofia Vergara as Gloria, Ty Burrell as Phil, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Julie Bowen as Claire and Eric Stonestreet as Cameron are all delightful. And with the show lasting so long – almost a lifetime for its youngest stars, most of whom were grown adults by the final seasons – everybody was given lots of time to grow.

The characters are all favorites for me but I think the show was most often stolen by Rico Rodriguez as Manny, the oldest young man ever to exist (and someone who I can't separate from What We Do In The Shadows' similarly entertaining Guillermo, played by Harvey Guillén).

NPR put it very well, describing season 1: "Good acting. Great writing. Human characters played by amazing actors. That might be the one twist network TV hasn't tried often enough."

Writing in Salon, Heather Havrilesky urged us not to touch that remote. "Between the snappy writing, great comedic directing, and remarkable timing of all of the actors involved, "Modern Family" is one of those rare comedies that never feels awkward or corny as it's winding up to a punch line... laughter and families? Those two haven't come together on TV in a long, long time. But once they do? It's like science: You can't fight it." And Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly loved it too. "Modern Family is unique in the way it juggles so many players so deftly and makes every member of the cast a vivid, complex character," he wrote. "Oh, and it's really funny, too."

All 250 episodes of Modern Family are available to stream on Hulu and Peacock in the US, and Disney+ in the UK and Australia.

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Disney+ Standard with Ads plan: was £4.99 per month now £1.99 at Hulu and Disney+ in the UK
This limited-time deal represents a saving of 60% compared to the normal monthly price for the Disney+ Standard with Ads plan. Taking advantage of this promotional offer will get you access to some of the best movies and shows around, including numerous offerings from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. But, be quick! It's only available between June 11 and June 30. This deal only offers for four months, too, so note that you'll automatically be enrolled on the Standard with Ads plan's usual £4.99 per month cost once your four-month window has expired. This is only available to those in the UK. View Deal

• Zimperium spots new version of Godfather among Turkish Android users
• New version creates virtualized versions of legitimate banking apps in a sandbox
• It can exfiltrate login credentials, PIN codes, and unlock patterns

The notorious Godfather malware for Android phones is back with a vengeance, experts have warned, targeting victims with an upgraded build which makes it more dangerous than ever.

Cybersecurity researchers Zimperium claim to have seen an updated version of the infamous malware in the wild, and this one is even more dangerous as it simplifies things while evading detection even better.

Godfather is a banking trojan, used to steal money out of people’s bank accounts. Earlier variants worked as an overlay - placing an invisible layer on top of legitimate banking apps. Therefore, when victims bring up their apps and start typing in their login credentials, these would be picked up by the overlay and sent to the attackers, who would later log into the app and make cash withdrawals.

Virtualization attacks

The new version, however, ditches the overlay approach for something even more sinister - creating a virtualized version of the app.

On the compromised devices, the malware would launch a virtual instance of the banking app inside a sandbox. That way, the malware doesn’t even need to ask for excessive permissions in order to conduct wire fraud, and means victims may not even trust the legitimate apps they have installed.

When the victim gets infected, the malware first analyzes the installed apps and looks for a banking one that fits.

If it finds one, it creates a virtualized version that launches whenever the victim tries to bring up the legitimate one.

Besides stealing login credentials, Godfather can exfiltrate PIN codes and unlock patterns, and can remotely control the device during off-hours (in the middle of the night, for example), making wire transfers while the victim is asleep.

Zimperium says it has only observed Godfather among Turkish Android users so far, but it warned that the malware operators can pivot towards the West at any time, so banking users everywhere should be on their guard.

Via InfoSecurity

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I'm not someone who cries when I watch a highly emotive movie or TV series. Sure, I get teary-eyed but, in the vast majority of cases, I never find myself reaching for a box of tissues to stem the flow of tears cascading down my face after a particularly devastating scene or sequence.

So far in 2025, though, three different shows have somehow cracked my steely resolve and turned me into a blubbering wreck. Is it because I'm getting older and therefore more susceptible to emotionally-loaded productions? Are their stories so well designed that they tug harder at the ol' heartstrings? Or is it simply a big coincidence that three of the most soul-destroying projects have all launched on the world's best streaming services this year? Who's to say.

Regardless, I don't want to be the only softie around here, so here are the trio of TV Originals that have revived my cold, dead heart in the first six months of the year.

Adolescence (Netflix)

Adolescence dominated the news cycle for weeks after its Netflix launch in March (Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: March 13
Episode count: 4
Main cast: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty, Amelie Pease, and Owen Cooper
Director: Phil Barantini
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) critics score: 99%

Netflix's biggest TV hit of 2025 so far and, at the time of publication, the second most-watched English language TV Original in the streamer's history (take that, Stranger Things season 4!) is an unmissable miniseries.

A story whose individual chapters are all shot as one continuous, long take – a highly-technical process known as a 'oner' – Adolescence tells the tale 13 -year-old Jamie (Cooper) who's arrested on suspicion of murdering a female student at his school. Each episode focuses on different characters during and after the police investigation, too, with the immediate and long-reaching impact of the alleged crime felt keenly by all of those involved.

Hailed by fans and critics alike for its writing, directing, cinematography, tone, and individual and collective cast performances, Adolescence is an emotional powerhouse that deserves a permanent spot on our best Netflix shows list. Its impact has been so great, in fact, that it's sparked multiple nationwide discussions in the UK about youth knife crime, the alarming rise of misogynistic views among male teens, and systemic failures and local and national government levels. A heart-breaking program that'll leave a lasting impression on you long after its final credits sequence has rolled.

Andor season 2 (Disney+)

Andor season 2 episode 8 is one of the most heart-wrenching things I've watched on TV this year (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Release date: April 22
Episode count: 12
Main cast: Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Genevieve O'Reilly Stellan Skarsgard, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Forest Whitaker, Faye Marsay, and Alan Tudyk
Directors: Ariel Kleinman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios
RT critics score: 97%

Star Wars is a family-friendly franchise. Sure, it's occasionally pushed the boundaries of what's appropriate for younger members of its worldwide fanbase but, by and large, it hasn't gone out of its way to alienate parts of its global community.

Andor is the one project that dared to be different. A live-action, adult-oriented Disney+ series, it threw out the traditional Star Wars playbook in favor of telling a political and spy thriller-oriented story that not only stars a whole host of morally gray characters, but also tackles difficult topics of conversation around fascism, sexual assault, the human cost of conflict, and the moral complications that arise from revolution.

I really enjoyed Andor season 1 but, whether it's down to its hard-hitting narratives, the show's much more confident second and final season, or a combination of both, season 2 is a whole other beast. You can read more about why it's such a paradoxically entertaining yet heavy watch in my Andor season 2 review, or go and stream one of the best Disney+ shows in its entirety right now. It'll be worth it once you reach Andor season 2 episode 8, i.e. the gut-punch of a chapter that made me sob my heart out.

The Last of Us season 2 (Max)

The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 hit viewers like a freight train (Image credit: HBO)

Release date: April 13
Episode count: 7
Main cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, and Kaitlyn Dever
Directors: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Kate Herron, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, and Nina Lopez-Corrado
RT critics score: 92%

The Last of Us season 2 was a slight step down in quality compared to its more lauded forebear, but the popular HBO and Max TV Original still had the capacity to emotionally wreck viewers on multiple occasions.

I don't think anyone's gotten over last season's harrowing second or sixth episodes yet, either. I include myself among that contingent, too – and that's as someone who's played The Last of Us Part II, aka the second game in Naughty Dog's video game namesake that The Last of Us TV show's sophomore outing is based on.

With The Last of Us season 3 in early development, there'll be many more distressing moments to come in one of the best Max shows. It might be best to stockpile tissues now, then, before The Last of Us' third installment makes its TV bow and potentially rips out our heart like its predecessors did.

What TV episodes and/or full shows have had you wiping away tears from your eyes? Let me know in the comments!

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The Nintendo Switch 2 has periodically taken the handheld gaming spotlight, with its early June launch leading to high sales – to be specific, it's already sold over 3.5 million units worldwide. However, if it wasn't clear enough already from my previous articles, I don't recommend the device for many reasons.

The $80 price tag for first-party games, the lack of freedom and ownership issues, alongside its price against other handheld gaming PCs and consoles, all play a significant factor in my decision not to buy one.

Amazon's Prime Day is also on the horizon – but if you had any hopes of major Switch 2 price drops, there likely won't be any worth noting, because it's still far too early post-launch. This means looking at alternatives – you could still purchase the original Nintendo Switch, but that would leave you behind a generation in terms of performance.

That opens the gateway to handheld gaming PCs, and since I've used a handful of them, there's a few that I would recommend if you're out for a Switch 2 alternative.

1. Asus ROG Ally

(Image credit: Future)

Having used both the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go for a long time (mostly the former), I can tell you that they're the best handhelds you can get in the same price region as the Switch 2.

Both use AMD's Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, which utilizes 8 cores and 16 threads, along with 12 RDNA 3 GPU cores – and that's ideal for a 1080p game resolution.

It has the benefit of VRR (variable refresh rate) to ensure the screen's refresh rate syncs with your game's frame rate, eliminating screen tearing in the process – a game-changing tool the Switch 2 doesn't have, while docked.

I've gone as far as installing Bazzite on the Asus ROG Ally, and it's made the handheld gaming experience much easier and more streamlined. It's no secret that Windows 11 has a significant impact on gaming performance, as we've seen that SteamOS performance shines in several games in comparison.

Most importantly, though, the ROG Ally has a faster processor, more RAM at 16GB vs the Switch 2's 12GB, with access to a greater library of games (since it's a PC, after all). Its price at launch was $699 / £699 / AU$1,299, but that's dropped down to $649 / £522 on Amazon. Already on Amazon in the UK, it's available at £449 on sale, in the same price region as the Switch 2's Mario Kart World bundle – and since Prime Day is on the horizon, expect it to drop even lower.

2. Lenovo Legion Go

(Image credit: Future)

The same applies to the Lenovo Legion Go; you're getting great performance across a variety of games with the Z1 Extreme chip, and a 144Hz refresh rate. If anything, this is a direct competitor to the Switch 2, with its detachable controllers allowing you to replicate the Joy-Con experience.

While I'd still recommend the Asus ROG Ally for most gamers, the Lenovo Legion Go slightly widens the gap with a much bigger 8.8-inch 2560x1440 screen. However, it's important to note that this can be a detriment in a decent number of games – and that's because the Z1 Extreme is pushing above its weight with gaming at 1440p.

You may be able to get away with it in titles like Hades that don't require a lot of power to run well, but you'll definitely be tuning down the resolution in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil 4, or Hitman World of Assassination.

Don't let that deter you from purchasing, though, as you'll still be getting the same or better gaming performance as you would with the Switch 2 with a screen of higher quality (just note, that it doesn't have VRR).

As for its price, you can find it at $699 at Amazon in the US and Best Buy, but if you're in the UK, you can find it as low as £499. With Prime Day almost here, prices should drop significantly.

There's also a Lenovo Legion Go S, using a weaker Ryzen Z2 Go processor, but there's another variant using the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme; it knocks the resolution down to a more reasonable 1920x1200 on an 8-inch display with VRR.

3. MSI Claw 8 AI+

(Image credit: Future)

While the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the most expensive option compared to the Switch 2, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally (and by a significant margin) at $900 / £899 / AU$1,799, it's easily the best handheld gaming PC under $1,000.

Using Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor, gaming at low TDPs (power consumption) is the biggest highlight as it provides extensive battery life without a heavy compromise on frame rates.

It's the one handheld I recommend for anyone willing to spend more than they would for affordable handhelds, as you'll get the bang for your buck. I haven't had the opportunity to get hands-on yet, but based on performance results and Intel's driver improving performance, it's enough for me to say it's a better choice than the Switch 2.

The only potential downside is that I don't see any major discounts coming in for this one on Prime Day – and that could be a dealbreaker for anyone wincing at the price tag. It's still a fairly new handheld, and there is a lack of availability right now. So in reality, you'll likely find yourself choosing between the Legion Go and ROG Ally.

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• Facebook will soon roll out passkeys for Facebook on mobile devices
• Passkeys offer greater security and easier login than passwords
• Passkeys for Messenger will also soon be available

Meta has introduced passkey support for Facebook on mobile devices which will significantly decrease the chance of someone hacking into your account.

Rather than using a clumsy and easily guessed password to log in, you can now use a fingerprint, face or PIN to verify that you are logging in to your account.

Better still, passkeys are often faster to use than passwords, meaning your whole Facebook experience should be even easier.

Facebook gets passkeys

Passkeys for Facebook on iOS and Android mobile devices “will soon be available”, Meta said, with passkeys for Messenger also due to be released in the “coming months.”

Passkeys are a much more resilient alternative to passwords and one-time-codes as they cannot be stolen and are much less susceptible to malicious sites looking to steal your login details, such as typo-squatting domains. They can also be a good alternative to using a password manager that requires constant back-and-forth between apps in order to enter your password.

Your passkey is stored locally on your device, meaning Meta doesn’t have access to it. One unfortunate downside of passkeys is that if you lose your mobile device that stores your passkey, it can be a bit of a hassle getting back into your account and setting up a new passkey.

Meta also announced passkeys will also be used to verify payments through Meta Pay, and will soon also be used to protect your encrypted message backups once Passkeys for Messenger arrive.

(Image credit: Facebook)

To set up a passkey, head to the Settings menu on the Facebook app, and then click on Accounts Center → Password and security → Passkey. If passkeys are available, Facebook may even prompt you to set one up the next time you log in.

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• Check Point Research finds hundreds of malicious GitHub repositories
• These impersonate different mods or cheats for Minecraft
• The infostealers grab Minecraft data, as well as browser and crypto wallet information

Minecraft players are being actively targeted by a group of cybercriminals interested in their login credentials, authentication tokens, and crypto wallet information, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Check Point Research recently discovered the large-scale operation, run by a group called the Stargazers Ghost Network, a distribution-as-a-service (DaaS) operation active for a year now, distributing malware and infostealers on behalf of other cybercriminals.

In this campaign, the crooks abused the fact that Minecraft is one of the largest games in the world, with an active, thriving community of players and modders. Minecraft mods are player-built additions to the game and as per the researchers, there are more than a million modders out there.

Hundreds of repos

The attackers created malicious GitHub repositories, spoofing legitimate mods, and pretending to be cheats: Skyblock Extras, Polar Client, FunnyMap, Oringo, and Taunahi, are just some of the names making rounds.

CheckPoint says these have had thousands of views on Pastebin, suggesting that the campaign is rather successful.

To make matters worse, since these are custom-built to target Minecraft users, and since both the downloader and the malware are written in Java, they are currently going undetected by all antivirus engines.

"We have identified approximately 500 GitHub repositories, including those that are forked or copied, which were part of this operation aimed at Minecraft players," one of the researchers told BleepingComputer.

"We've also seen 700 stars produced by approximately 70 accounts." Stars are used to boost the legitimacy of the repositories, thus improving the chances of infection.

The attack is split into two phases. The first phase targets Minecraft account tokens, and user data from both the Minecraft launcher, and some third-party launchers. It also steals Discord and Telegram information.

The second stage deploys a more “traditional” infostealer called “44 Caliber”, which steals browser data, VPN information, crypto wallet data, and more.

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• AMD ships Pollara 400 AI NIC for open high-speed AI networking
• Supports Ultra Ethernet standard with RDMA and RCCL for efficient communication
• Future Vulcano 800G AI NIC targets PCIe Gen6 and rack-scale GPU clusters

AMD has begun shipping the Pensando Pollara 400 AI network card, part of the company's push for open, high-speed data center networking.

Designed for PCIe Gen5 systems, the card supports the Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC) standard, which aims to transform Ethernet for AI and HPC at scale.

The card offers RDMA support and is optimized for scale-out collective communication using RCCL, AMD’s alternative to NCCL.

Vulcano 800G AI NIC targeting a 2026 launch

AMD says Pollara delivers around 10% better RDMA performance than Nvidia’s ConnectX-7 and about 20% better than Broadcom’s Thor2. In GPU-heavy clusters, these gains help reduce idle time and improve workload efficiency.

The NIC uses a custom processor with support for flexible transport protocols, load balancing, and failover routing. It can reroute traffic during congestion and maintain GPU connectivity during failures.

The card features a half-height, half-length design and supports PCIe Gen5 x16, offering multiple port configurations including 1x400G, 2x200G, and 4x100G. It supports up to 400Gbps of bandwidth and integrates monitoring tools to improve cluster-level observability and reliability.

AMD claims performance boosts of up to 6x in large-scale deployments, especially when scaled to hundreds of thousands of processors.

For individual workloads, the company reports up to 15% faster AI job performance and up to 10% improved network reliability through features like fast failover, selective retransmission, and congestion management.

With UEC Specification 1.0 now finalized, the company is targeting hyperscalers. Oracle Cloud will be among the first to adopt the technology.

Looking to 2026, AMD says it intends to launch the Pensando Vulcano 800G AI NIC for PCIe Gen6 systems (Pollara and Vulcano are the names of two volcanoes in Italy).

That NIC will support both Ultra Ethernet and UALink to enable scale-out and scale-up networking for large AI workloads. Vulcano is part of AMD’s Helios rack-scale architecture, set for 2026.

AMD is positioning Vulcano as an open, multi-vendor alternative to Nvidia’s ConnectX-8. Its success may depend on how quickly the broader ecosystem can adapt to and support the new networking standards.

Writing about the two networking cards, Patrick Kennedy at ServeTheHome observes, ”At the end of the day, if you want to play in 2026 AI clusters, you need not just AI chips, but also the ability to scale up and scale out. AMD having a NIC may sound a lot like Nvidia’s playbook because that is needed. On the other hand supporting open standards is very different from what Nvidia is doing by leaning into multi-vendor and open standards.”

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