TechRadar News

• The first images for the Asus Xbox handheld have been leaked
• Asus is developing two versions of the ROG Ally 2 that will come in white and black
• The black Xbox edition will sport a dedicated Xbox button

Images of Microsoft's long-rumored Xbox handheld made by Asus have leaked online, offering the first look at the partnered device.

As reported by VideoCardz, the photos were mistakenly leaked by the United States FCC, which inadvertently revealed two versions of the ROG Ally 2, including the Xbox-branded device codenamed "Project Kennan".

One model is white, but the other, Project Kennan, is all-black and features what appears to be a dedicated Xbox button in the top left of the device.

It's said that Microsoft will officially reveal Project Kennan in the coming months, likely before the end of 2025, which means we could see an announcement during its annual summer showcase in June or July.

Both models offer a large screen, analogue sticks, D pad, and X, Y, B, and A buttons. Notably, they also sport handles that are fashioned after a controller, offering what looks like a more chunky grip.

They look a lot like the first ROG Ally handheld PC, which, to be honest, is quite underwhelming. Focusing just on the Xbox version, I expected a lot more in the design department aside from a barely visible branded button; nothing about it screams "Xbox gaming handheld" to me.

Project Keenan was leaked in March and was reported to be a partner device with some sort of Xbox branding, green highlights, and an Xbox Guide Button. The latest images do seem to corroborate these newly leaked images, but they are clearly a work in progress, so hopefully the design will get updated before its release.

It also appears that this new partnered device is not the Xbox handheld that Microsoft's gaming CEO Phil Spencer said is years away from release. In November 2024, Spencer confirmed that the company is working on handheld prototypes and said that he had asked his team to look at the current market to develop its vision of a handheld based on what it learns.

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• The Galaxy G Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7 could share some features
• Hinges, speakers, and flatness may match across both handsets
• We're expecting to see both these phones show up during July

We shouldn't have to wait too much longer for the launch of the Samsung tri-fold phone – quite possibly called the Samsung G Fold – and a new leak suggests it's going to borrow significantly from another upcoming handset, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

According to well-known tipster @PandaFlashPro (via Wccftech), the speakers and the way they're incorporated into the chassis will be the same across both foldables. Presumably, this won't be too different from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 either.

What's more, the hinge mechanism is apparently going to be similar on both handsets, and both should feature a "full-flat body" – we're assuming that means the bumps and creases will be minimal, which is something that's already been rumored.

No doubt this is going to save some money for Samsung, because they can use more of the same components across the Galaxy G Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, even though the former is going to have an extra hinge and a third screen panel.

What we think we know

Samsung Tri-Fold "Confirmed"The Speakers Drivers are the Exact Same as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and have the Same Design Cut-Outs.Hing Mechanism also Similar as New Hing of Upcoming Z Fold 7.Full-Flat Body Like Z Fold 7.May 7, 2025

Samsung has previously teased a tri-fold handset, so we know it's on the way, but we don't know much else about it, officially. Brightness and wired charging speeds seem set to match the current models, at 2,600 nits and 25W respectively.

Unlike the Huawei Mate XT, the Samsung tri-fold is rumored to fold inwards, which means an outer screen is needed as well as the main display. The displays are apparently going to measure 6.49 inches (outer) and 9.96 inches (inner), corner to corner.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 are widely expected to launch sometime in July, and it seems the Galaxy G Fold will be fully unveiled at the same time. However, it may not go on sale until later in the year – and availability could be limited.

Whenever it shows up, don't expect it to be cheap. It'll certainly be more expensive than the standard Galaxy Z Fold model, and as our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review will tell you, that phone launched at a starting price of $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749.

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• Three new Galaxy Watch features coming with One UI 8 Watch have leaked
• They include Gemini AI, a Shortcuts app, and One UI 7's Now Bar
• Galaxy Watch will purportedly skip One UI Watch 7 to synchronize branding with its phone software

Samsung Galaxy Watches will get a major upgrade with the advent of One UI 8 Watch – which we could see as soon as June or July – which looks set to include Google Gemini, a Shortcuts app, and Samsung's Now Bar.

Following reports that Samsung will skip One UI 7 Watch in favor of One UI 8 Watch – a move that will align the branding of Samsung's watch software with its best Samsung phones – One UI 8 APKs have leaked, giving us a look at the new features coming to Galaxy wearables.

As reported by Android Authority, Gemini AI is indeed coming to Samsung watches as well as its own Pixel lineup, with some exciting new features in tow. Findings indicate new 'Gemini Actions' will bring many of the same great Gemini features for Android phones to your wrist, with code strings hinting at several exciting actions.

References include Gemini Actions that can move your meetings, summarize emails, and tell you the weather, as well as an input that can quickly mute Gemini AI with a simple tap of your screen.

One UI 8 Watch: What else is new?

We reckon Samsung One UI 7's Now Bar is one of its best features (Image credit: Future)

As noted in a separate report, AA has also uncovered a new Watch app dubbed Shortcuts, which will let you add apps to your Galaxy Watch home screen as either 2 x 1 or 2 x 2 tiles, making them much more easily accessible.

Finally, the outlet reports that Samsung is bringing One UI 7's Now Bar and Now Brief to the Galaxy Watch. Samsung's Now Bar displays information, including live notifications, music, and more, on your Galaxy smartphone's home screen. According to AA, users will be able to choose between a simple icon and a larger display with an icon and text.

Users will also reportedly be able to double-pinch to open the Now Bar, and enable other actions if there's no content in the bar.

"Essentially, the Now Bar on Galaxy Watches will serve as a widget system, surfacing contextually relevant data without needing to navigate away from the watch face," the report explains, specifically noting contextual suggestions, maps, media controls, Now Brief, tips, and Sports on Google (live sports scores).

There are no doubt other big features hidden under the surface that will come to light as we move towards the official release of One UI 8 Watch. Suffice it to say, customers can expect a pretty hefty software upgrade on devices like the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.

Naturally, these changes will also feature on the expected Galaxy Watch 8, expected later this year.

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• The OttoKit plugin was vulnerable to a critical flaw that allows the creation of new admin accounts
• It was patched in late April 2025, so users should update now
• Threat actors are looking for exposed websites

OttoKit, a popular automation WordPress plugin, is vulnerable to a critical-severity flaw that allows threat actors to take over entire websites.

The bug is described as an incorrect privilege assignment flaw in Brainstorm Force that allows privilege escalation. It affects all older versions of the website builder plugin, up until version 1.0.83, which was released on April 21, 2025. It is tracked as CVE-2025-27007 and has a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical).

In theory, threat actors could send a crafted POST request to a vulnerable REST API endpoint exposed by OttoKit, containing automation data that mimics internal plugin logic. Due to missing validation, OttoKit would fail to properly authenticate the request, and since the automation logic runs with elevated privileges, the threat actors are ultimately allowed to create a new user account and assign it the administrator role.

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Chats leaked

OttoKit, formerly known as SureTriggers, is designed to connect websites with various third-party services and enable workflow automation without coding.

It supports integrations with platforms like WooCommerce, Mailchimp, Google Sheets, and CRMs, allowing users to run tasks such as sending emails, updating user roles, or syncing data across apps.

The plugin has more than 100,000 users, but most of them have applied the patch already. Still, security researchers Patchstack said they observed attacks in the wild, starting almost immediately after the flaw was publicly disclosed.

"It is strongly recommended to update your site as soon as possible if you are using the OttoKit plugin, and to review your logs and site settings for these indicators of attack and compromise," Patchstack said.

This is the second major vulnerability in OttoKit found this month, after CVE-2025-3102, another authentication bypass flaw, which was given a “high” severity score of 8.1/10.

Via BleepingComputer

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It is not unusual to bring some of your own tools to work. Most chefs want to use their own knives, musicians use their own instruments, and so it would not be unreasonable to expect knowledge workers to have the same predisposition when it comes to software. Regardless, enterprise IT departments take a dim view of rogue software, or Shadow IT as it is also known.

To be fair to enterprise IT departments, software works best when it is integrated although integration is itself a spectrum. As a rule suites of software (Adobe, Microsoft) will all work together but often picking a team means organizations are sacrificing the very best options. For example, Excel is the king of spreadsheets but Google Docs is quickly becoming more popular than word.

Pick and choose

Instead of having to pick and choose, organizations can work around the limitations of software suites and invest in composable solutions which can be pulled together from the best in class tools. The large software vendors despise this solution because it underlines their ability to capture large sections of the market but the tide is already turning with initiatives such as open office and open analytics.

Integrated solutions allow for sharing documents, deriving statistics for business analysis and so on; it also means that files are transferable and interoperable. Overall, it reduces friction for the organization, even if there is a learning curve at the user level. Aside from convenience, the vast increases in ransomware attacks and corporate targeted scams mean running a tight ship is essential for businesses that operate at any kind of scale.

Shadow IT

With that in mind, shadow IT remains a thorn in the side of enterprise, with ChatGPT being the number one offender. Locking down laptops to try and stop unauthorized tool use is a mistake because it tends to encourage users to be crafty. But here’s a revolutionary idea, but why not give users what they want?

Interestingly, outside of the most technical roles it isn't really the bones of apps that most users take exception to, it is the interface. Very few users wish their software was coded in Rust to prevent memory leaks, or is optimized to run on ARM vs x86 architecture. Instead, users want to be able to find the information they need and for the buttons to stay in roughly the same places between versions so at a critical moment they aren't rifling through menus trying to find a function.

This user focus on interfaces means there’s an opportunity for developers to build products that are ‘universal’ (or that at least appear that way to users). This requires leveraging AI features to amplify the user experience with deeper analytics and customizations rather than watering it down.

Most developers are already adhering to software design philosophies like MACH, and any SaaS vendor that expects to be successful will adopt headless architecture in places so the solution can integrate with the kind of large suppliers that tend to buy capabilities from smaller developers for their own platforms.

The puzzle of AI

The last part of this puzzle is AI. This is a little more sophisticated than a ChatGPT plugin, and as a result it creates more value for customers. This isn’t to talk down rudimentary AI plugins, adding a ChatGPT interface for some data management and natural language processing capability is an effective way for businesses to dip their toe into the AI pool. That is why almost every business has their own version, but it doesn’t deliver on the potential of the technology of AI tools and leaves a lot on the table.

In terms of customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX), this is especially true because it limits AI to a small section of the interface. Instead by integrating AI throughout the interface it can become something much more effective, even revolutionary because with AI as a composing layer and AI products on the backend you can quickly iterate and deliver on new features because the solutions can interoperate more effectively.

AI is capable of something we’re loosely calling hyperpersonalization. Current efforts to personalize apps are limited to user profiles, a night and day mode for the interface, and maybe some limited language naturalization, but it's all out of the box and fixed in the application. This customization isn’t just at the user level but the business level. Instead of buying the best CRM on the market, buy a CRM that feels like it was purpose built for your business, even if your industry has only existed for a few weeks. That’s how quickly AI accelerates the speed to market of products.

Even the basic features above are far from guaranteed. Night mode is a hugely popular feature because it mediates the brightness of modern displays and despite requiring minimal effort to implement, it still isn’t standard. With AI, vendors can configure the ‘last mile’ of the interface based on data collected and stored with an AI agent's memory, which can include feedback on what tools or data points the user might need.

Consequences

The consequence of this, is that the AI is customizing the UI in ways that simply aren’t possible with traditional tools. Programs can respond to user level and environmental requirements, factors like time of day, colloquializations and adapting visualizations to account for data literacy. Imagine how much easier it would be to get things done if your sales platform knew when it was reporting season and reconfigured to highlight the KPIs you needed for a report. It is these smaller changes that save a few minutes each day and which in aggregate make a big difference.

‘Enterprise’ used to mean something that was better than the basic, consumer-facing option. Consumer apps have massively upped their level and now pro tools need to play catch up by offering something more sophisticated and elegant. Taking risks in integrating AI to interfaces and analytics will change the way we interact with computers, creating applications that are better than the old ones and delivering on the promise of enterprise grade tooling is the path to killing shadow IT.

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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

Many organizations are finding it difficult to move Generative AI projects beyond the pilot stage into full-scale production, largely due to concerns around privacy, quality, and cost. As a result, there is a growing shift towards ‘AI agent systems’; a trend that is set to accelerate this year.

An AI agent system enables businesses to build and operationalize an AI agent (an intelligent application designed to automate and enhance human productivity) or set of AI agents that can perform complex tasks by combining multiple interacting components.

An AI agent system goes beyond using a single, stand-alone model to integrate a myriad of components, such as large language models (LLMs), classical machine learning (ML) models and business data and tools, to achieve very specific goals more efficiently.

The rising interest in AI agent systems is no coincidence. Businesses require more than just general intelligence. They need ‘data intelligence’: a new standard of relevance, governance, precision, and trust in their data.

The rise of AI agent systems to deliver tailored solutions

Unlike general-purpose AI models that aim to answer everything (and sometimes miss the mark), AI agent systems rely on multiple underlying components to deliver a better performance for users, allowing them to simplify or entirely automate very specific tasks and objectives.

The AI agents in the system have a distinct role and are created using specialized LLMs and pre-configured functions. For example, a customer support agent can collaborate with a financial forecasting agent within the same system, but each of them is performing optimally because they’re purpose-built for their domains.

This approach ensures enterprises get solutions tailored to their workflows, customers, and industries—something general models struggle to deliver well. With AI agent systems, it’s not about being ‘all-knowing’; it’s about ‘exactly knowing’.

Eliminating AI uncertainty

Many UK businesses may still fear rolling out new AI projects because of errors, bias, or unpredictable outputs. AI agent systems tackle this head-on by integrating human oversight and AI-based validation mechanisms. Many organizations opt for ‘human in the loop’ grading systems combined with tools that evaluate, cross-check, and refine AI outputs before they’re deployed.

These layers of validation create more trust. For enterprises, this means smoother adoption, greater confidence, and better outcomes.

Laying the groundwork for AI

To build such trusted systems, a robust data foundation is essential. Data is the lifeblood of any AI agent system - we hear this time and again. Enterprises today are racing to become data and AI companies, but the journey isn’t without challenges.

There is pressure to adopt AI, with all stakeholders wanting ‘in’ but few knowing where to start. Data is everywhere, and with fragmented datasets, unifying assets becomes a headache. And lastly, governance and security become paramount as more data can often equate to greater risks.

But despite these challenges, organizations are making strides, often starting with pilot projects that demonstrate ROI before scaling. This iterative approach is a strategic way to build the people, processes, and technology needed to sustain long-term AI transformations.

A key part of successful AI transformations is bringing data intelligence to the forefront. Organizations can do this through modern data architectures—such as data intelligence platforms—which unify, govern, and operationalize data in one place.

With natural language interfaces and private data integration, organizations can build custom models that truly understand their specific needs. These systems empower non-technical employees to more easily interact with data, democratizing AI and accelerating adoption across teams.

In fact, in a recent Economist Impact report, almost 60% of those surveyed anticipate that, within three years, natural language will become the primary or sole method for non-technical employees to engage with complex datasets.

The future of AI is agentic

The future of Enterprise AI lies in building integrated systems of specialized AI agents rather than simply developing ever-larger, standalone models. This shift towards a more interconnected approach enables organizations to address complex challenges with greater trust and precision.

With the right data platform, businesses can design AI agent systems tailored to their specific needs. By leveraging their own data, organizations can create domain-specific AI solutions that deliver reliable, high-quality results. This is made possible through the integration of key technologies, such as vector databases for precise data retrieval, fine-tuning and prompting for specialized reasoning, and monitoring frameworks to ensure safety and compliance.

The AI industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with AI agent systems redefining what’s possible. These systems go beyond solving problems; they enhance confidence, create value, and expand AI’s potential. For businesses ready to embrace this transformation, the future of AI is not just about ‘general intelligence’ but a new era of ‘data intelligence’.

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

• Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked is a virtual-only affair on May 12, 2025
• The invite teases an ultra-thin phone with the text "Beyond slim"
• All signs are pointing to a formal reveal of the Galaxy S25 Edge, which will feature a 200MP wide lens

Ever since Samsung teased its ultra-slim variant of the Galaxy S25 family at its January 2025 Unpacked, and since then brought the Galaxy S25 Edge on a bit of a world tour with a stop at MWC, we’ve all been wondering when the tech giant would share more. Well, now we know.

Samsung’s just dropped invites for its next Galaxy Unpacked, and it’s an entirely virtual affair with a clear focus – the Galaxy S25 Edge. Even with its ultra-thin design that will land at under the Galaxy S25's 7.2-milimeters, it's still poking its way through the center of the invite.

The invite image reveals, under a cloth of some kind, the super slim silhouette. It’s accompanied by “Beyond slim” on the left and “May 12, 2025 Live on samsung.com” on the right.

That basically gives it away, and Samsung will stream this Galaxy Unpacked at 8pm ET/5pm PT/1am BST/ (10am AEST on May 13, 2025 in Australia) live on its site and on YouTube.

(Image credit: Samsung)

A shared blog post from Samsung details much more on this addition to the Galaxy S lineup and actually names the Galaxy S25 Edge, writing, “This is more than a slim smartphone.” It teases that the Galaxy S25 Edge will offer flagship-level performance with ‘superior portability’ without compromising on any of it, seemingly.

It also confirms a key spec for the Edge that’s been rummored alongside many others. “Even with its slim form, Galaxy S25 Edge’s 200MP wide lens continues Galaxy’s iconic camera experience, delivering pro-grade capabilities to intuitively capture the world around you,” thus confirming the ultra-slim phone will have a very sharp main shooter. It will also match the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which has the same sensor for the primary lens.

Samsung’s really highlighting that it took a lot of engineering work to make the Galaxy S25 Edge a reality and that it didn’t have any shortcomings that would have dropped it from the mainline Galaxy S family of phones. Much of the May 12 Galaxy Unpacked will likely delve into how this device came to be.

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

We still expect the Galaxy S25 Edge to arrive at a premium price, somewhere above $999 / £999 / AU$1,699. It should feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy inside, considering that’s powering the rest of the lineup. We also expect it to match 12GB of RAM, which should make it a speedy and efficient phone, but we also don’t yet know what size battery Samsung’s been able to squeeze inside the svelte frame.

The latest rumors point to the Galaxy S25 Edge having a titanium frame, weighing only 163 grams, and only 5.85 millimeters thick. That same report claims the Galaxy S25 Edge will have a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which aligns with previous reports.

The best news is that we’re just days away from this being official and Samsung telling us all about the Galaxy S25 Edge. It’s also the start of a new category of sorts – ultra-slim, premium smartphones for the masses, and Samsung will, in turn, be beating Apple to the punch before the much-rumored iPhone 17 Air sees the light of day.

Now, if you’re already sold on the Galaxy S25 Edge – maybe you’ve been holding out on getting an S25, S25 Plus, or S25 Ultra – Samsung is rolling out an early offer. You can sign up to reserve the next Galaxy, with no commitment to purchasing or strings attached, and score a $50 Samsung Credit towards the S25 Edge.

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• Aoostar GT37 mini PC delivers 12-core performance, 80 TOPS of AI, and it still fits in your hand
• The powerful Radeon 890M GPU will surprise you
• Add an external GPU, and it becomes a desktop killer with real bite

The Aoostar GT37 is a compact mini PC powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX-370 processor, designed to handle demanding workloads in professional, creative, and gaming contexts.

Built on a 4nm process, the CPU features 12 cores - four high-performance Zen 5 and eight efficiency-focused Zen 5C cores - alongside a dedicated AI engine capable of up to 80 TOPS.

It reaches peak speeds of 5.1GHz and supports 16 threads, making it a capable option for users who need consistent multi-core performance.

AI performance in a small form factor

Housed in a frame not much larger than a drink coaster, the GT37 makes a strong case as one of the best in its class, particularly for those seeking workstation-level power in a small, affordable form factor.

Graphics are handled by the integrated Radeon 890M GPU based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, featuring 16 compute units and clock speeds up to 2.9GHz. It offers solid performance for gaming and graphics-heavy applications.

For users needing more GPU power, the front-facing OCuLINK port supports external GPUs at up to 64Gbps, extending the GT37’s use cases from compact gaming to professional content creation.

The GT37 comes with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM at 8000MHz in a dual-channel configuration. The memory is soldered to the board and paired with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, upgradable to 4TB.

A dedicated fan cools the storage, helping to maintain performance during sustained workloads.

Despite its small size (4.41 x 2.36 x 4.41 inches), the device includes extensive I/O: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, dual 2.5G Ethernet ports, USB4, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, USB-A 3.2 and 2.0 ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

It supports up to three displays, including 8K at 60Hz with HDR.

The mini PC ships with Windows 11 Pro but also supports Linux. A VESA mount is included for easy attachment to monitors or walls. The system is priced at $829 and includes a 12-month warranty.

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• Google’s new Simplify tool for iOS explains dense and confusing text on the web
• Simplify uses Gemini AI to translate the text into plain, readable language without leaving the page
• Users can highlight confusing content and tap the “Simplify” button to unravel the jargon

Reading an article on a technical or particularly complex subject sometimes feels like navigating a maze rather than following a narrative. Google's iOS app has a new solution if you come across a scientific paper or an article written by someone a little too fond of being obtuse. The new Simplify feature for Google's mobile app rewrites any jargon-filled internet text into language that doesn't require a specialty dictionary, and without leaving the app.

To use Simplify, you'll need to browse the web from the Google app. When you hit a wall of needlessly complicated text, you can highlight it, and a little Simplify button will appear. Tapping the button will rework that highlighted paragraph into something far more comprehensible to the average person.

Simplify is essentially a shortcut for Google's Gemini AI. Google Research designed a prompt-optimization process that asks Gemini to transform the text into something easier to understand behind the scenes, activating when you tap the Simplify button.

The Simplify button won't utterly change your life or redefine how you engage with content online, but it could cut down on the need for new tabs or at least remove the need to copy and paste opaque text into Gemini or ChatGPT every time you run up against a linguistic roadblock.

Simple AI

According to the developers of the Simplify tool, the AI translation not only made dense content easier to parse, but it also helped them remember what they read. It's of a piece with other AI tools rolled out by Google to streamline tedious or annoying bits of people's experiences online.

It matches neatly with features like Google Gemini widgets or the anticipated Power Up button for improving your prompts. The Simplify feature also falls under the AI enhancement of the browsing experience that Google has deployed (with occasional pratfalls), like the Search Generative Experience and AI Overviews for Search. Simplify feels more directly pitched to individuals, though, since you have to choose to use it.

For now, Simplify is iOS-only, and it's not going to be perfect every time. Like any AI tool, it might make a mistake or oversimplify its response and lose some of the nuance found in the original text. That's a tradeoff common to any translation, however. It may also be a tradeoff most users will be happy to make, especially when the alternative is drowning in multisyllabic nonsense about blockchain governance protocols.

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• Apple is reportedly looking to make AI tools the default search option for Safari
• Google is the current default search engine for Safari in a $20B-a-year deal
• Apple sees the AI as possibly more appealing to users for search purposes

Apple is flirting with the idea of making AI tools the default search option for Safari instead of Google. As first reported by Bloomberg, Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue revealed during testimony this week in the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust trial against Google that Apple is “actively looking at” bringing AI-powered search engines as a Google replacement.

Apple and Google currently have a mutually beneficial and lucrative deal where Google pays Apple around $20 billion a year to remain the default search engine across all Apple devices. That deal was part of the antitrust scrutiny, which led to the revelation of Apple's interest in alternatives.

Eddy Cue mentioned several major AI chatbot developers as potential new search partners for Apple, including OpenAI, Perplexity, Anthropic, and xAI. Cue told the court that searches on Safari actually declined last month for the first time in recent memory, and his theory is that people are starting to swap out standard search engines for AI tools. Instead of typing in “how does Wi-Fi work?” into a search bar, users are asking ChatGPT to explain it like they’re five.

Cue wasn’t exactly subtle in hinting that Apple thinks traditional search might be on the way out. "The only way you truly have true competition is when you have technology shifts," he said. “AI is a new technology shift, and it’s creating new opportunities for new entrants.”

Apple AI search

Apple’s already dipped its toes into AI search, linking Siri to ChatGPT and supposedly planning to do the same with Google Gemini. Cue also noted that Apple’s open to adding multiple AI search options directly into Safari, though no decision about a new default was mentioned.

AI search tools have some good points, but they come with glaring weaknesses. In particular, they can respond with incomplete, inaccurate, or downright hallucinatory information. Whether those issues are worth the advantages of AI search tools is debatable, but Apple clearly thinks it might be a worthwhile change to make. After all, if people are okay switching from Google to AI tools because they're easier, and despite their errors, that's the direction any company would want to follow.

And there's a reason Google has been willing to pay so much for its status on Apple devices. That user base is crucial to its search dominance. Just hinting that it might not be the case forever sent Google’s stock dropping nearly 9% after Cue’s testimony. Apple shares slipped too, but much more modestly.

None of this may matter if Apple decides it has a good thing with Google as a company and makes Gemini its default search tool with a similar deal. And while AI still can’t quite be trusted to write a college essay or navigate the DMV website, it's already reshaping how we expect to interact with information. That means the tools we use to access that information are going to evolve in a way they haven't since perhaps the widespread adoption of mobile versions of websites.

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• Backblaze B2 Overdrive delivers up to 1 Tbps for AI without sky-high pricing headaches
• Backblaze includes egress, read, and write in one price
• Designed for AI and HPC, B2 Overdrive redefines performance at petabyte scale

American cloud storage company Backblaze has launched a new B2 Overdrive tier designed to support AI, HPC, and other high-bandwidth workloads.

With prices starting at $15 per terabyte and sustained network throughput of up to 1Tbps, the service positions itself as an affordable option for businesses handling massive data volumes.

B2 Overdrive includes storage, read (Get), write (Put), and egress at a single price point. This contrasts with the tiered and often unpredictable pricing models used by competitors.

Takes aim at AWS with a bold alternative

The service is available immediately to customers with multi-petabyte workloads. It complements Backblaze’s existing B2 cloud storage tier, priced at $6 per terabyte per month.

That basic tier includes features like object lock immutability and a 99.9% uptime SLA and is often listed among the best cloud backup services for small businesses or individual users.

B2 Overdrive, by contrast, is aimed at organizations working at scale. According to Backblaze, it delivers 100% performance at roughly one-fifth the cost of AWS S3 and includes free egress up to three times the average monthly storage amount, with additional egress priced at $0.01 per GB.

The tier is built on disk-based infrastructure and connects directly to customer environments via secure private networking. It enables data to move freely to GPU clouds or high-performance compute clusters without incurring egress charges.

Backblaze says B2 Overdrive is intended for use cases such as AI and machine learning training, inference, large-scale analytics, media processing, and research computing.

Unlike most public cloud storage providers that emphasize latency, Backblaze focuses on sustained throughput.

Among major US providers - AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and Oracle - Backblaze is the only one to publish throughput numbers directly.

Though not a general-purpose solution, B2 Overdrive may appeal to businesses seeking performance and pricing transparency.

While not commonly used for photo management, its affordability and expandable storage could make it a contender for archival photo storage as well.

“With B2 Overdrive, we’re challenging the industry’s assumption that organizations must pay colossal prices for colossal performance. We’ve engineered a solution that delivers the sustained high-throughput organizations need, without the egress fees and complex pricing tiers that are pervasive among legacy providers,” said Backblaze CEO Gleb Budman.

Via Blocksandfiles

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• Spotify has announced some new app features, including a 'Snooze' button
• This lets you ban a track from your recommendations for 30 days
• It, along with other new features, is being tested with Premium users

Spotify has been busy making small tweaks to its mobile app, like finally giving you the option to disable its Smart Shuffle feature – and it's just announced several more, including a potential godsend addition called '30-day Snooze'.

While Spotify's music algorithm is one of the things that's kept me with the music streaming service for over a decade, it also has infuriating blind spots, like continually recommending the same song across automated playlists like Discover Weekly or Smart Shuffle.

The new '30-Day Snooze' button is designed to fix this, letting you temporarily remove a track from your recommendations (without completely eradicating it from your musical life). Unfortunately, Spotify is only "starting to test this for Premium users" but says it's "planning to bring it to more listeners soon".

30-Day Snooze will be a bonus option among the tracks that you've chosen to 'hide' from playlists – this is done by tapping the three dots next to a song and hitting 'Hide in this playlist'. The 'Snooze' feature will give you a "don't suggest this song anywhere for 30 days" option, which will apply to all personalized playlists.

If the feature hasn't rolled out to you yet, Spotify has pushed out some other new tweaks to keep you happy while you wait. The Queue button (the three lines in the bottom-right of the 'Now Playing' view) now gives you handy shortcuts to Shuffle, Smart Shuffle, Repeat, and Sleep Timer.

In a tweak related to 30-Day Snooze, Spotify will also now show you the recommended songs it plans to play at the end of your queue, so you can eject any unwanted ones in advance. Spotify's 'Hide' button is also now more powerful – when you tap it, the song will be hidden from that playlist across all your devices, not just the one you're listening on.

Training the algorithm

For Premium subscribers, the Queue section in the 'Now Playing' view (above) now has shortcuts to Shuffle, Smart Shuffle, Repeat and the Sleep Timer. (Image credit: Spotify)

These changes are an admission from Spotify that its algorithms don't always get everything right, and I can definitely see myself using 30-Day Snooze when it eventually reaches my Premium account.

For some reason, Spotify has persistently recommended Yo La Tengo's 'Autumn Sweater' across all of my automated playlists. Despite it being the least offensive song ever committed to recorded music, the opening drums now send me into a mild fit of rage, even though it's a perfectly pleasant track.

It's my prime candidate for a 30-Day Snooze, and others on the TechRadar team have enthusiastically submitted theirs, including Mk.gee's 'Are You Looking Up' after an unfortunate incident where our team's shared playlist was remotely co-opted by our cameras editor's son.

One other new feature I'll likely use to escape the algorithm is a tweak to 'Liked Songs'. It's now possible to use this to build playlists: tap on a genre in the 'Liked Songs' playlist, and you'll now see a new 'Make this a playlist' option.

We may still not have Spotify HiFi (will it ever arrive?), while both price hikes and optional add-ons are seemingly on the cards – but at least Spotify is still making small, free improvements to save us from persistent earworms.

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• Shazam is launching a new global playlist and a version for 42 nations
• 'Viral Chart' will update daily with tracks that are on the rise from Shazam's unique sources
• It'll include the tracks that users are identifying with Shazam

Shazam already offers several different charts to track popular songs and the most discovered ones for many countries across the globe. And yes, many of those tracks are likely ones that users – maybe even you – have identified with Shazam on your phone.

I mean, we’ve all been there, when we’re out and a song hits, that we can’t quite remember the name of, but we really need to know what it is. That’s where Shazam still hits as an excellent music recognition app.

Now, though, it wants to do a better job tracking the music of the moment and the various feeds that could mean a new number-one hit is coming. The Shazam Viral Charts are launching today and are available right now on Shazam’s site and as a playlist on Apple Music.

(Image credit: Future)

The collection will consist of an updated daily ‘Global’ playlist with 50 tracks and 42 national charts with 25 songs each. Shazam’s twist here is that it will use unique signals, which likely include what people are recognizing with the app, to highlight and recognize popular, up-and-coming, or classic songs that are on the rise.

Shazam is a bit cheeky in the Viral Chart description, noting that it’s not just what is trending on TikTok but taking a full view of the landscape. It says that it will track and identify the songs that are gaining popularity across “streaming, social, and TV placements,” but also tracks that are played in spaces like bars and restaurants.

That’s a lot to track—but then again, it’s likely using data that Shazam already has. It also suggests that Shazam’s Viral Charts will feature a mixture of old and new songs across all genres.

If you’re keen to listen to a wide variety of music or curious about what songs might be gaining streams in a specific location, Shazam’s Viral Charts are likely worth a try.

You can view and listen to song previews on the platform’s site under ‘charts,’ but considering Apple owns Shazam, it’s also no surprise that these are integrated as playlists you can follow on the music streaming platform.

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Qualcomm's trio of new commercials humously take on Intel-based laptops and make a seemingly salient point: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Series chips will run at max performance even unplugged, while Intel-based systems will only operate at 55%. But there's some nuance in there that makes these claims somewhat less than clear-cut.

While two of the ads, "The Max Performance You Deserve," and "Office Tripped," lean heavily into humor to make their case, the first ad, "What's the Intel?", is more pointed and uses the line, “Here’s a little intel on what’s really inside"

Clever, right? Qualcomm squeezed the brand name and the "Intel Inside" marketing campaign into one well-crafted dig.

It's in this ad where Qualcomm clearly lays out its core premise, stating that the SnapDragon X Elite PC "runs at max performance when it's unplugged." The ad then shows the Intel-based system and says, "that PC drops to as little as 55%".

Another ad, "The Max Performance You Deserve," focuses on the humor of asking people in various situations to "give 55%" of performance of love, of a bonus, of devotion to a country. The video does close with a Qualcomm rep telling a consumer, "Yup, PCs powered by Intel can cut performance up to 55% when unplugged, but with Snapdragon X Series, max performance when unplugged."

The last ad, "Office Tripped," shows how "when PC's powered by Intel perform at 55% when unplugged, it's like your whole team does." The ad comically depicts employees half-dressed, tables with half their legs gone, and signage half-lit. You get the idea.

A measure of what?

Of course, at no point in any of these ads does Qualcomm say that 55% of Intel's performance is worse than Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series max performance. In fact, based on the systems they used to come up with those numbers, I'm not sure they could.

In the fine print, Qualcomm explains the numbers came from a Cinebench 2024 Multi Core benchmark run in Windows 11. The Qualcomm system was a Dell XPS 13 with a Snapdragon Elite running at 3.8Hz (unless it's been overclocked to 4.3GHz). It's compared against a Dell XPS 13 running an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, which is Intel's top-of-the-line Ultra processor running at 5.1 GHz.

Considering Qualcomm chose a system running Intel's most powerful Ultra processor, it might be difficult to draw direct comparisons to the Snapdragon X Elite chip.

Of course, that's not really what Qualcomm did here. There are no direct performance comparisons. Instead, this is just a measure of how the systems, or rather the CPUs, perform when unplugged. The Intel system slows down its high-end Core Ultra 9 to, I bet, Core Ultra 5 processor-level performance.

I would be curious to see what sort of performance hit an Intel Core Ultra 5 (245T) takes when unplugged. It might perform at something far higher than 55%, if not "max" performance.

Sure, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Series ads are cutting and funny, but I'm not sure they're entirely fair to Intel. I want my laptops to maintain as much performance as possible when unplugged, but I also want them to maintain battery life.

Higher performing chips will draw more power, and the system, depending on how Intel and OEMs configure it, knows enough to reduce that power draw when you unplug the laptop.

Snapdragon X Series CPUs were built with mobile in mind. They run at a lower GHz than the fastest-performing X86 chips, and with a lower power draw, of course, they do a better job of maintaining max power.

In general, I love the mobile chip in laptops and desktops revolution that was kicked off by Apple Silicon. These mobile SoCs (system on chips) have transformed mobile computing and are a net positive for consumers and the industry, but let's not cloud the issue with ads that seem to make a direct comparison when, in fact, they really don't.

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• beWanted, a major European job seeker platform, kept an open Google database online
• Database contained more than 1.1 million records, mostly CVs and resumes
• Data belonged to people all over the world, and could now be at risk

A major European employment platform was reportedly leaking sensitive data from as many as a million users, researchers have claimed

Cybernews has revealed its researchers discovered an unprotected Google Cloud Storage (GCS) bucket belonging to beWanted, described as “one of the largest employment platforms in Europe”.

The bucket contained more than 1.1 million files, mostly CVs and resumes belonging to job seekers, from people all over the world, including Spain, Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, and more.

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That being said, anyone that might have found the database beforehand would obtain people’s full names, phone numbers, email addresses, postal addresses, dates of birth, national ID numbers, nationalities, places of birth, social media links, employment history, and educational background.

This is more than enough information to run bespoke phishing, identity theft, or wire fraud attacks. Job openings are often the topic in phishing emails, and knowing the identities of people looking for a new position presents a unique opportunity for cybercriminals to create convincing phishing emails.

Through those, they could deliver malware, steal login credentials, break into their current employers’ IT network, and more.

Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, with offices in Mexico, Germany, and the UK, beWanted is described as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) enabled business, connecting job seekers with potential employers.

Cybernews’ researchers said they tried contacting beWanted and getting the company to lock the database down, but the firm never responded to any of their inquiries. As a result, “the data remains publicly accessible,” they said.

The team discovered the unprotected GCS bucket in November 2024, so it’s been sitting wide open on the internet for at least half a year now.

Anyone who knew where to look (by using specialized search engines like, for example, Shodan) could have found it already. However, without forensic analysis, it’s impossible to determine if that already happened or not.

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• Anker announces Soundcore Liberty 5 wireless earbuds
• They launched today: May 7, 2025
• They cost $129.99 / £99.99 / AU$169.99 but boast premium features

Anker has just launched a brand new pair of affordable wireless earbuds: the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5, and just like their predecessors they look like a cheap way to access premium features.

The Liberty 5 buds boast some useful features including active noise cancellation, an 12-hour battery life with active noise-cancellation (ANC), which can be extended up to 32 more hours with their charging case.

The new buds also offer improved bass performance thanks to dual bass-enhancing tubes that amplify the low frequencies resonance while increasing air flow, which according to Anker leads to more powerful, yet balanced, bass reproduction.

What’s more if you’re using an Android device you can access higher quality audio transmission via LDAC – so you should find your audio sounds more complete than it does on non-LDAC earbuds.

If you like the sound of these new earbuds they’re available to buy right now on Amazon.com, Soundcore.com, and from select retailers for $129.99 / £99.99 / AU$169.99.

(Image credit: Anker)

This means the buds aren’t quite as affordable as other recent cheap wireless earbuds like Panasonic’s new RB-F10 over-ear headphones, but with a premium suite of features a higher price is to be expected.

We haven’t been able to test these earbuds yet, but previous Anker audio products scored well; we gave the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro three-and-a-half stars, and the older Anker Soundcore Liberty Air buds earned four stars – though both could have been better.

The more recent Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 buds (which we haven’t tested) appeared to score well with reviewers, though you may find you’ll want to wait and see how well the latest Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 buds fare before you buy them – or maybe wait for a discount to make their $129.99 / £99.99 / AU$169.99 asking price is even more affordable.

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• Google's Android 16 beta includes new battery health tools
• It has seemingly confimed they'll be exclusive to Pixel 8 and newer devices
• We might learn more at Google I/O on May 20, 2025

One of the most useful features coming to devices with Android 16 will be new battery health tools found in your Pixel phone’s settings app – and we now know which devices will get them when they launch for everyone.

Android 16 will likely get detailed at Google I/O, but before then some software betas are cluing us into some of its features.

This includes new battery health capabilities.

The main tool is a stat at the top of the battery health page, which represents your phone’s current max battery capacity as a percentage of what a new standard battery’s capacity would be. For example, if it reads 93% that’s Google saying that your phone’s 100% charge is equivalent to a new battery (that is otherwise identical) being 93% charged.

It also highlights if your phone’s battery health is normal or not – all batteries degrade over time, but you’ll know if it’s degrading faster than it should be – as well as links to articles which could improve your battery health.

Better battery, better life

Android 16 should be detailed soon (Image credit: Google / Future)

It doesn’t necessarily add new protective measures – like the Google Pixel 9a’s Battery Health assistance – but it should nevertheless be a handy tool for contextualising why battery health measures are useful, and offer you useful tips if you are struggling to look after your phone’s battery.

So it’s a shame to discover that, according to Google in an Android 16 beta bug report (via, the feature which is currently “supported in Beta 3 on Pixel 8a and Pixel 9 products including 9 Pro Fold” won’t be coming to older Pixel devices due to “product limitations.”

Google’s phrasing strongly suggests only Pixel 8 phones and newer will get the latest battery health tools – it does leave open the door for it to come to older devices when Android 16 launches in full, though we aren’t holding our breath.

(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

Battery health is one of the least flashy but most useful tools software updates can provide.

Whether you replace your phone every two years or every five, knowing your device will be as reliable as possible for as long as possible is something we all appreciate. Afterall, no one likes those moments of terror as your phone’s battery ticks down at the worst possible time.

Alongside battery changes Android 16 will include a major visual refresh, a new and improved desktop mode, and USB hack protections.

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• Huawei is preparing to test its most advanced AI chip to date
• Reports says Ascend 910D aims to challenge Nvidia H100 in AI performance
• Analysts are skeptical, due to software gaps and ecosystem disadvantages

Huawei has been stepping up its ambitions to be seen as the Chinese rival to Nvidia in recent weeks - first, launching a new AI infrastructure architecture set, the CloudMatrix 384 Supernode, to rival the U.S. chip giant’s NVL72 system.

Then, a day after the United States announced plans to further tighten restrictions on AI chip exports to China - including Nvidia's H20 processor - Huawei revealed the Ascend 920, its next-generation AI chip, set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025.

Now, a report in The Wall Street Journal claims Huawei is preparing to test its most advanced AI chip to date, the Ascend 910D, and has approached several Chinese tech companies to begin technical evaluations. Sample batches are expected to be available as soon as late May 2025.

Sights set on Nvidia's H100

The Ascend 910D is the latest iteration of Huawei's AI processors, building on the existing 910B and 910C models. While the chip is not yet commercially available, Huawei reportedly hopes it can match - or even exceed - the performance of Nvidia's H100.

Independent analysts are, naturally, skeptical that Huawei will be able to close the performance and ecosystem gap between itself and Nvidia anytime soon.

HPCwire reports Neil Shah, VP at Counterpoint Research, as saying: “From an overall system-level design - compute, memory integration, networking scalability, and, crucially, software orchestration - Nvidia remains three generations ahead.”

That gap is partly due to Nvidia’s established software stack, notably CUDA, which plays a major role in accelerating and managing AI workloads. Huawei, by contrast, lacks a similarly mature software platform, making it harder to optimize across GPUs or scale across complex AI infrastructures.

Despite these hurdles, Huawei continues to ship its 910C chips in volume to Chinese data centers and research labs and the move to test the 910D suggests the company is doubling down on efforts to build a self-sufficient AI hardware ecosystem.

Whether the 910D becomes a true rival to Nvidia's H100, or remains a “good enough” option for domestic use, it signals a continuing shift in global AI hardware competition.

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• New earbuds have 11mm dynamic drivers in a super-light open design
• They offer up to 28 hours of battery life and quick-charging from flat
• Accentum Open cost $130 / £70 (or about AU$145)

It's official: as we reported last month, Sennheiser has a new set of open earbuds called the Accentum Open – and they're cheaper than previous reports predicted, unless you live in the US.

The new Accentum Open are available in a choice of cream and black with a recommended retail price of £69.99 / €89.90 / or about AU$145. Unfortunately, US pricing is somewhat steeper at $129.95. Ouch.

If you're not familiar with open-style earbud designs, this means you're not plugging a tip into your ear canal and sealing yourself from the outside world. Unlike many of the best open earbuds, the Accentum Opens are similar to the AirPods 4 in offering a stem-like design that sits outside your ear canal.

And despite lacking ANC (active noise cancellation), they could be a fine alternative to the AirPods 4 (which cost $129 / £129 / AU$219), depending on where you live...

Sennheiser Open earbuds: key features

(Image credit: Sennheiser)

The Sennheiser Open look very like the AirPods 4, with a long stem containing touch controls and a fairly AirPods-esque charging case. Each bud is just 4.4g, roughly the same as a single playing card, and battery life is 6.5 hours per bud and 28 hours with the charging case. Ten minutes of USB charging delivers up to 1.5 hours of listening time.

Inside each earbud there's an 11mm dynamic transducer that sits just outside your ear canal, enabling you to listen to music and podcasts in comfort without blocking out the outside world.

Sennheiser didn't go into more details, but the product listing on the Thomann retail site says the frequency range is 25Hz to 15,000Hz and that the supported codecs are SBC and AAC.

The earbuds have Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint and there are dual beamforming microphones for clear calling. Overall, a compelling bundle then, particularly if they match the rest of the Accentum line during our testing – though that US price could make them less enticing if you live there.

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• LG’s innovative display has been designed for automotive use
• Company says a display and buttons can merge seamlessly into one
• The tech is just a concept, but we could see it in cars soon

The argument surrounding physical buttons in modern vehicles continues to rage, with some vocal sectors (arguably led by journalists) calling for a reduction in potentially distracting touchscreens and more easily locatable switches when driving.

But LG may have come up with an intriguing solution, as it's revealed a Stretchable automotive display ahead of SID Display Week in California – arguably the CES of the screen world.

The company says that its unique display, which sees a curved touchscreen miraculously come to life with a physical dial and buttons, has been designed to turn every interior space into a display… but one with physical buttons built into it.

There’s scant information about the inner workings of the innovation, but LG claims the display can expand by up to 50% while maintaining a high resolution of 100 ppi (pixels per inch) and full RGB color, comparable to that of a standard monitor.

In a video demo (below), the company shows how a dial rises out of the touchscreen surface when activated, allowing the user to increase or decrease volume or other settings with a twirl of a finger.

(Image credit: LG)

Similarly, a further two buttons rise out of the display below the main dial, which allow the user to more easily navigate menu screens.

LG points out that a conventional automotive fascia requires a separate automotive display and physical buttons, whereas this doesn't. Although it seems to have ignored the fact that many automakers tend to remove the physical buttons entirely, anyway.

As a result, LG thinks its expandable display, complete with protruding touch buttons, offers the best of both worlds that is "easy to operate even while driving".

Alongside the Stretchable display, the South Korean tech giant is also showcasing the world’s largest pillar-to-pillar 57-inch automotive display, as well as an 18-inch Slidable OLED display that can be rolled up and hidden in a vehicle’s interior headliner.

Analysis: One touch too many

(Image credit: LG)

While LG’s display technology is mightily impressive, looking like something hailing directly from an alien aircraft, it doesn’t really solve the issue of driver distraction when behind the wheel.

The beauty of physical buttons is that they remain static, easy to locate and the sort of thing drivers can operate with muscle memory alone, negating the need to take eyes off the road.

LG’s demonstration reveals that the unit has to be tapped a number of times before the physical buttons appear, often via very small and possibly quite fiddly parts of the screen.

It’s almost like a futuristic BMW iDrive system, but with additional steps required to reveal the physical dials and buttons that made the German marque’s system so easy to use... although the new version has controversially dispatched of buttons.

While a stretchable display might not be the best solution for drivers, it could be an ultra-luxurious system for those traveling in the rear – allowing designers the freedom to keep spaces looking clean and minimal, while offering a bit of drama when occupants decide they want to enjoy some Netflix on the 18-inch Slidable OLED display that’s tucked away in the roof.

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