TechRadar News

• New images claim to show the iPhone 17 Air’s battery
• It looks to be about half the width of the iPhone 17 Pro’s battery
• Apple is reportedly working on advanced battery tech for the device

The iPhone 17 Air could be one of the best iPhones in many years, and with just a month until Apple is expected to unveil it, details and specifications have started to leak out. The latest rumor concerns the phone’s battery, and it raises some important questions about Apple’s slimline device.

As the name suggests, the iPhone 17 Air is tipped to be the thinnest iPhone in recent memory. That means it’s going to need a super-svelte battery on the inside, and that’s exactly what new images from Korean blog site Naver appear to detail.

There, leaker yeux1122 posted two images showing what they purport to be the iPhone 17 Air’s battery. In the first picture, the leaked battery is compared to one from the iPhone 17 Pro, with yeux1122 claiming that the former is just 2.49mm thick. Judging it by eye, it looks to be about half the width of the iPhone 17 Pro’s battery, which itself was leaked just a few days ago.

Battery capacity versus battery life

(Image credit: yeux1122)

Clearly, cutting down the battery dimensions is necessary in a phone as slim as the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be. But that’s not the only consideration for Apple: it will need to ensure that the longevity of the battery is not negatively impacted by its size.

A previous leak from yeux1122 claimed that the iPhone 17 Air’s battery would have a 2,800mAh capacity. That’s notably less than the 3,582mAh battery in the iPhone 16 Pro and well below the 4,685mAh battery you’ll find in the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the iPhone 17 Air will have poor battery life – after all, much of it comes down to how demanding the hardware and software are, and Apple is traditionally very good at optimizing these to eke out more battery life – something it’s rumored to be doing in iOS 26.

Also, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed that Apple will use a “high-density” battery, while other rumors have pointed towards Apple using a new kind of advanced battery tech in the iPhone 17 Air.

Right now, this is all hearsay, and we won’t know for sure how well the iPhone 17 Air’s battery will perform until the device goes on sale in September. Despite its supposedly ultra-thin dimensions, it might still post respectable battery numbers – but all we can do for now is wait for further news and leaks to emerge.

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• Google just showed off its forthcoming Pixel 10 in a fresh teaser
• The 30-second advertisement not-so-subtly takes aim at Apple delaying the new Siri
• It tells the viewer to "Ask more of your phone."

We’re just 16 days away from Google showing off its Pixel 10 family alongside some other devices, and a new teaser gave us a fresh look at the smartphone, but also a reminder from the tech giant.

Alongside some sneaky shots of the left and right side as well as a nearly full reveal of the rear of a Pixel 10, including the fact that the ‘camera bar’ is sticking around whether you like it or not, Google writes, “Ask more of your phone.”

It’s a common theme of the teaser advertisement dubbed “Google Pixel 10 | Soon” and not so casually calls out Apple over its delay in rolling out the AI-powered Siri. While the advertisement doesn’t mention Apple, the narration kicks things off by saying, “If you buy a new phone because of a feature that’s coming soon…” It goes on to remind the viewer that if you’re still waiting over a year for it, how you define ‘soon’ could very well change.

And on Instagram, where Google shared it from several handles, it invites us to "Get outside your comfort phone". It's clever, I'll give them that.

Google is likely hoping that you’ll get the hint swiftly and switch to a Pixel 10 or one of its other new devices. Not so subtly, the backing track to this 30-second teaser is an instrumental version of “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre.

Of course, it highlights that the most recent Pixel 9 family – 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold – all came with a bounty of AI software and features available out of the box. These devices, which all feature Google’s Gemini AI models, let you take group photos with fewer hands, and all come bundled with a very capable assistant. These phones can also search what’s on your screen – Circle to Search – and have a new tool called Pixel Screenshots.

(Image credit: Google)

Apple originally announced all of its AI features under the Apple Intelligence umbrella in June of 2024, shipped the iPhone 16 family, which was built for Apple Intelligence, in September of 2024, and then launched the first set of those features back in October of 2025.

In the Spring of 2025, Apple announced a delay in the AI-powered Siri. In an interview with TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, Apple’s Craig Federighi explained the delay, noting that it was taking a bit longer and was expected to be resolved next year.

Apple has since been a little more transparent on this, with Tim Cook noting on the Q4 earnings call that the teams are making good progress and that it should be set to ship next year, in 2026. Even so, that’s a long wait for the AI-powered Siri, one that many were hoping to get their hands on – myself and many of my colleagues included.

(Image credit: Google)

With Google setting the stage for its device unveil on August 20, 2025, which is likely several weeks before Apple sets a ‘special event’ to show off the iPhone 17 family, it seems that team Pixel just wants to get ahead and poke some fun at the same time.

Google is set to unveil these new devices – we’re expecting the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL – just weeks after Samsung dropped the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. According to leaked pricing, though, Google might be holding steadfast without increasing the cost for its main phones – that’ll be a delight to our wallets.

We’re also not expecting a drastic redesign for the Pixel 10 family, maybe a few new colors, but the modern look that Google ushered in with the Pixel 9 is likely here to stay, with this teaser basically confirming it. Even so, though, it’s likely Google has a new silicon Tensor processor powering these and some impressive AI features in the pipeline.

Considering there’s still over two weeks before Google’s event, I’d be surprised if we don’t see some more teasers. Let’s just see how direct they get, and if Google opts for a change in artist for the music accompanying them.

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• Micron 9650 SSD reaches 28GB/s, but it’s strictly for data centers, not consumers
• Liquid cooling in SSDs is no longer hypothetical, and Micron just made it standard
• The 7600 SSD delivers ultra-low latency, yet it still depends on how workloads behave in reality

Micron has introduced what it describes as, “the world’s first PCIe Gen6 data center SSD,” with claims of as-yet-unmatched performance tailored for modern AI workloads.

The 9650 SSD reportedly hits sequential read speeds of up to 28 GB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 14 GB/s.

However, it comes in industrial-grade E3.S and E1.S form factors, making it incompatible with standard desktop PCs, limiting its direct accessibility to broader consumer markets.

Designed for performance but constrained by form factor

This new model targets high-intensity AI environments, offering 5.5 million IOPS in random read performance and up to 900K IOPS for random writes.

Micron’s 9650 improves on Gen5 SSDs with up to 25% and 67% greater energy efficiency for random writes and reads.

It also incorporates liquid cooling options for dense server configurations, and its reduced power draw and emissions support both performance gains and sustainability efforts in data centers.

“With the industry’s first PCIe Gen6 SSD, industry-leading capacities and the lowest latency mainstream SSD - all powered by our first-to-market G9 NAND—Micron is not just setting the pace; we are redefining the frontier of data center innovation,” said Jeremy Werner, senior vice president and general manager of Micron’s Core Data Center Business Unit.

While these specifications may sound impressive on paper, the real test will be in sustained, real-world workloads under diverse operating conditions.

Several vendors have highlighted its potential in supporting inference pipelines and retrieval-augmented generation, suggesting the 9650 could serve as a key infrastructure component for GPU-based servers.

Still, wider adoption will likely hinge on pricing, reliability, and actual ecosystem integration.

Alongside the 9650, Micron also unveiled its 7600 SSD based on PCIe Gen5 and the Micron 6600 ION SSD, which focuses on capacity.

The 7600 claims to deliver sub-1 millisecond latency on demanding database applications like RocksDB.

With read speeds reaching 12 GB/s, the 7600 outperforms existing Gen5 SSDs in metrics such as random writes and energy efficiency.

But the claims of having the fastest SSD must be balanced against actual deployment flexibility and sustained workload performance.

“Micron’s cutting-edge storage technologies showcase the importance of fast, efficient storage as AI workloads continue to redefine infrastructure requirements,” said Raghu Nambiar, corporate vice president, Data Center Ecosystems and Solutions, AMD.

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• A leaked render of the DJI Mini 5 Pro seems to reveal the drone's design
• A separate image of the box may have also revealed its specs
• The leaks hint at a 1-inch sensor and LiDAR-powered autofocus

The DJI Mini 5 Pro seems unlikely to hit its previously-rumored August 7 launch date, but fans of tiny drones have at least been given some solace in the form of two big leaks – and they hint at a little flying camera that could be worth waiting a little longer for.

Firstly, a render of the rumored successor to one of the world's best drones was shared on the Discord channel for Drone-Hacks, giving us what could be our first look at the drone.

If the image is correct, the Mini 5 Pro will look very similar to its Mini 4 Pro predecessor, aside from a larger camera module and the inclusion of two forward-facing LiDAR sensors for improved obstacle avoidance.

That LiDAR-powered feature has previously appeared on the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and DJI Air 3S, but this would be the first time we've seen it on a Mini series drone – and it could be particularly useful if you fly in low light.

Mini 5 Pro leaked render! The leak didn’t come from our team, some beta tester shared a picture on the public Discord. Thanks for the credit tho! #Mini5Pro https://t.co/LV1eQJCYKDAugust 3, 2025

Even more revealing is the potential list of specs, shared by @JasperEllens and DroneXL. According to some leaked packaging, the DJI Mini 5 Pro will have a 1-inch image sensor – up from the 1/1.3-inch chip on the Mini 4 Pro – and be capable of shooting 4K/120fps footage, another slight boost from its predecessor's 4K/100fps mode.

Elsewhere, there's the promise of a "high quality 48mm med-tele mode", which will presumably be similar to the one that recently arrived on the DJI Pocket 3, thanks to a firmware update. This is effectively a 'lossless' crop mode that can be handy if you need a bit more reach.

The leak also promises a 36-minute flight time, which would be a slight boost on the claimed 34 minutes managed by the Mini 4 Pro (or 45 minutes, if you shell out for the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, which isn't available in the EU).

The big question

(Image credit: DJI)

While those Mini 5 Pro specs sound very promising indeed – and could make me consider upgrading my Mini 3 Pro drone – there is one slightly worrying omission from the box and specs sheet.

Usually, there's a "less than 249g" tag accompanying the "ultra-light and foldable" description on a Mini series box. That isn't there this time, at least not on the leaked packaging.

Does this mean the Mini 5 Pro could be the first in the series to exceed that crucial weight? In many regions, including the US and UK, a sub-250g weight is a selling point because flying regulations are more relaxed. For example, in the Open A1 category in the UK, you can fly over strangers (but not crowds) without needing any extra permission.

There is a chance that the Mini 5 Pro's new tech (bigger camera, LiDAR sensors, perhaps new motors) have pushed it over the weight limit, but I'd be surprised if that was the case.

The whole selling point of the Mini series has been that they offer advanced camera tech in a bundle that's barely bigger than a camera lens, and also ducks under that crucial weight barrier. I love my DJI Mini 3 Pro for all of those reasons, so a new model that doesn't tick all of the same boxes wouldn't have the same appeal.

Unfortunately, it appears the Mini 5 Pro has been postponed from its previously rumored launch date, so we may have to wait a while longer to see it – and to find out if it'll actually go on sale in the US.

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• Areas of Russia are experiencing mobile internet blackouts
• These are said to be necessary to combat Ukrainian drone attacks
• Many believe the blackouts may be a crack down on digital rights

Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, technology has been a crucial point of leverage for both sides, with technological infrastructure like telecoms and mobile internet services targeted in disruptive offensives aimed at weakening the other side - even leading to Russia shutting down its own internet services in the name of national security.

A new report by non-profit Russian Internet Protection Society has outlined a record breaking 2,000 mobile internet service shutdowns in July, pointing to a dramatic increase in digital restrictions - and rights groups say that many of the blackouts don’t appear to be related to any threat.

Russian authorities have blocked the advertising of VPNs and Cloudflare subnets in a large-scale crackdown on digital rights. Platforms like Twitch, TikTok, YouTube, and even Duolingo are all inaccessible without a VPN.

Drone attacks blamed

These blackouts have a serious impact on life in parts of Russia and cut off access to things like maps, banking applications, buying fuel, or even communicating with loved ones - with talks of blocking WhatsApp suggesting the state pushing citizens onto highly monitored, government controlled messaging services.

Russia has cited a need to prevent and defend against Ukrainian drone attacks, but not everyone is convinced by this explanation. The economic losses from these disruptions are estimated by watchdogs to be around 26 billion rubles ($290 million) in July alone - and rural areas are left isolated.

Dmitry Gudkov, a former MP and co-founder of the Center for Analysis and Strategy in Europe told Le Monde that authorities are ‘gradually restricting freedoms’ through these outages;

"They are acclimating society to life without the internet. The day they need to cut the mobile network, for instance to stifle protests, they'll know they can do it."

Via: The Record

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• Samsung's Flip 7 went through an extreme durability test
• Its outer screen is hardy, but the inner screen is easily scratched and burnt
• It couldn't be snapped in half by hand, however

Our phone testing is very rigorous, but we focus on what a regular person would get out of the gadget and if it’s better or worse than the competition at the same price; we don’t routinely set fire to phone screens, bathe gadgets in dirt, or attempt to scratch every surface with a knife – but that’s what one tester has done to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.

In an extreme durability test, which you’ll find several of on his YouTube channel, JerryRigEverything seriously put Samsung’s new foldable through its paces – a follow-up to a similar video involving the Galaxy Z Fold 7 about a week earlier.

In the just under 9-minute video, Samsung’s phone is tortured, but we do learn some useful details.

The outer screen is pretty hardy, standing up to significantly harder materials than the inner screen – which a particularly forceful fingernail scratch is able to create grooves in – and also withstanding direct heat from a lighter’s flame. The inner screen is left with a couple of permanent green damage marks after about 15 seconds of fire exposure.

It then gets drenched in dirt, including getting a healthy heaping dropped straight into its hinge. Opening and closing the phone with dirt covered did allow some soil to enter the mechanism – you can hear it crunch when opening and closing after the fact – but at least during the video, no other permanent harm is noticeable.

Lastly, JerryRigEverything does his best to snap the phone in half with his hands, but it survives his attempts.

You should absolutely go watch the full video – especially if, like me, you’re too cautious with your tech to let the intrusive thoughts win – because it highlights the extreme lengths you have to go to actually tear these foldables apart.

Tougher than you think

Foldables are hardier than we give them credit for (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

I’ve used a foldable as my daily driver for about a year. I started with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and recently upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Because I get those phones through my job, I’m admittedly a bit more laissez-faire with how I treat them (meaning I’ll buy a cheap screen protector, but not a case), but both phones have been holding up very, very well.

The Z Fold 6 has a few bruises at the edges, but nothing serious, and my Z Fold 7 is close to immaculate. Neither has any issues with their hinges, and while you can see their creases, it’s not super noticeable on either phone when you’re using one.

This brings me to a point I made on our Samsung special podcast. While that IP48 dust and waterproof rating means the foldables can let fine dirt in (anything smaller than 1mm), and their inner screen isn’t as durable as a regular phone display, most normal people probably won’t have any serious issues.

I’ve been to a sandy beach two times in the past year, and visited one desert, without my foldable being affected. I was careful, sure, but no more so than I am with a non-foldable.

If you regularly work at the beach or in, say, a dusty woodwork shop, or in a super-harsh environment, a foldable might not be ideal. But for most folks, these extreme and my year-long tests prove they’re surprisingly durable if you’re kind to them. If durability was the reason you’ve been put off buying one, it might not be as big an issue as you imagine.

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• Kamala Harris says she won't use wireless headphones for security reasons
• Vulnerabilities have been found in many big-name products
• Security risk is very very low, but it's not zero

Everybody loves wireless headphones – but perhaps everyone shouldn't. That's what Kamala Harris suggests, and she knows more than most of us: speaking to Stephen Colbert last week, she explained why her preference for wired earbuds over wireless ones wasn't because she's old-fashioned.

"I know I've been teased about this," she said. "But I like these kinds of earpods that have [a cable] because I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee."

As she explained: "I have been in classified briefings and I'm telling you, don't be on the train using your earpods [she meant AirPods here] thinking someone can't listen to your conversation."

This isn't tinfoil hat territory

With very few exceptions, most wireless headphones connect via Bluetooth – and earlier this year, German IT security analysts identified vulnerabilities in a whole host of headphones from very big names including Bose, Jabra, JBL, Marshall and Sony. The system-on-a-chip manufacturer that those firms use has since updated its SDK to deal with the issue, though we'd be foolish to assume it's the only one.

The presence of a vulnerability in a chip doesn't mean it has been or is going to be exploited. But it's a possibility. Last year BlueSpy demonstrated how to take advantage of such a vulnerability to record audio from "a particular high-end headset". And this year it emerged that a Bluetooth vulnerability could enable eavesdropping on in-car calls.

The risks from wireless devices aren't just interception. For example, the UK's Ministry of Justice notes that Bluetooth devices can be used to track someone's location. It also tells staff that while Bluetooth is fine for people working with "Official"-level material, it may not be safe enough for "Official-Sensitive or higher material".

The likelihood of the average pair of headphones or earbuds being intercepted by anyone is vanishingly small. And that's probably just as well, because 3.5mm audio jacks are vanishing too – although of course you could always use a USB-C adapter or DAC to go wired. But most of the best headphones today are wireless ones, especially for wearing outdoors – and doubly so if you want active noise cancellation. Wired ANC earbuds are nearly extinct, frustratingly for the security

For the average listener like you or I, the security risk is virtually zero. But if like Kamala Harris you don't exactly have an average job, there are plenty of people willing to invest serious time, talent and tech in trying to eavesdrop on your communications. And that could mean that the best wired earbuds are the smart move – going wireless could be going reckless.

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• Sam Altman posts on X about new products over the next couple of months
• Warns of “capacity crunches” and that things “may be slightly choppy"
• ChatGPT-5 possibly delayed as it didn't launch at the start of the month

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has posted on X.com that, “we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months – new models, products, features, and more”, but so far there is no sign of the widely expected ChatGPT-5.

Many news outlets have predicted that ChatGPT-5 was going to arrive in August, and it was hotly tipped to be released at the start of the month. However, as the calendar flicked over to August, all we got was the tweet from the OpenAI CEO.

The start of the month would have been the ideal time to launch ChatGPT-5, and the fact that Altman mentions the “next couple of months” means we might have to wait a little while yet for the release of OpenAI’s most impressive model.

we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months--new models, products, features, and more.please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. although it may be slightly choppy, we think you'll really love what we've created for you!August 2, 2025

At the same time, Altman warned that ChatGPT users could be in for some disruptions over the next couple of months: “Please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. Although it may be slightly choppy, we think you'll really love what we've created for you!”, he said.

Capacity cruches

As if on cue, a ChatGPT user has complained that the service has started to cap the number of image uploads that can be done a day to 30, without any notice.

User Rhizopus_Nigrians says, “This cripples the workflow for serious users. And I am one. I’ve paid for Plus since the beginning. I love it. I’ve promoted this tool to friends, peers, even students”, he posted.

Most of the other Reddit users on the thread point out that this is probably just a temporary bug, rather than an actual policy change by OpenAI. To test his theory I uploaded 40 images today, and there was no problem, however that doesn’t rule out that it could also be part of the “capacity crunches” or “hiccups” that Altman warned about in his tweet.

When will ChatGPT-5 arrive?

ChatGPT 5 is expected to be the first OpenAI model that will automatically route your request to its most appropriate model version, or research method, instead of you having to choose which confusingly-named model version to use. It’s also reported to have key improvements in accuracy, speed, and resource efficiency.

While it’s frustrating that OpenAI has missed the start of the month for a release of ChatGPT 5, there’s still plenty of time left in the month for an August release. What will be interesting to see is whether the release is only for Plus users or if free ChatGPT users will also get access to the new model.

When ChatGPT 5 is released, demand to use it will likely be at an all-time high, especially if it contains any improvements to the image generator, which is why I think Altman is keen to warn people that we may be in for some disruption now.

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She might be the executive producer of new Hallmark+ miniseries Providence Falls, but when we think of JoAnna Garcia Swisher, we think of Sweet Magnolias. Season 4 dropped on Netflix in February this year, and from the looks of the last episode, everything could be about to change in the fictional town of Serenity. Well, that’s if everyone actually chooses to stay there, with our lead trio’s storylines pulling them in different directions.

For Maddie (Swisher), that means leaving Serenity entirely. She’s been offered a marketing job in New York she just can’t say no to, meaning her weekly margarita nights with Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) and Helen (Heather Hadley) can be no more. Of course, we don’t actually know if Maddie will really follow through with her relocation, but that’s not the narrative most fans currently have on their minds.

Thanks to an interview with US Weekly, Swisher suggested Maddie could be pregnant in future episodes, sending fans spiraling about whether her family with Cal Maddox (Justin Bruening) could be expanding. "I actually just talked about this yesterday with Justin because I’m like, 'we never got a honeymoon,'" she told the outlet. "I don’t know if that will involve a little bun in the oven – or at least an opportunity.” But is there truth to this? I asked Swisher outright, and there definitely won’t be babies in Sweet Magnolias season 5 by her account.

It’s official: Maddie won’t be pregnant in Sweet Magnolias season 5

The cast of Sweet Magnolias, where nobody is pregnant. (Image credit: Netflix)

“I'm not wearing a pregnancy suit this season,” Swisher clarifies when I ask her about the pregnancy chatter online. “But there is so much that happens, and there's a lot of beginnings and new possibilities that are just like I am glowing about.”

But she doesn’t stop there. “There's also endings to things that are maybe unexpected. But they lead to very exciting things.

“I'm directing for Sweet Magnolias and to wear both hats at the same time [as Providence Falls], it takes a lot of brain power. So, I have a lot of support right now at Sweet Magnolias.”

As Swisher is a dual actor and director for Sweet Magnolias, she really could be talking about anyone. “Endings” could refer to Maddie’s time in Serenity (although this seems too obvious), Dana Sue’s potential investor for her cooking kitchen, or Helen accepting Erik’s (Dion Johnstone) proposal.

This could even extend to the possible end of Ty (Carson Rowland) and Annie’s (Anneliese Judge) relationship if Annie accepts an offer from an out-of-state college, which is probably going to see its struggles regardless of what Swisher means with her ominous response.

Sweet Magnolias season 5 doesn’t have a release date yet, meaning the earliest we’ll likely see it on Netflix is February 2026. Maddie and Cal’s future together is likely still unwritten at this stage, but boy is it going to be worth tuning in for.

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• Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 launches on August 13
• Hysilens joins the game to bring the DoT archetype back from the dead
• Cerydra is also coming in 3.5, as well as new story, events, and more

When I started playing Honkai: Star Rail, one of the first teams I put together focused on the DoT (damage over time) archetype. But in the last year or so, that composition dramatically fell out of favor. But now, we’re so back.

The Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 update – ominously-titled ‘Before Their Deaths’ – will launch on August 13, introducing new story content, two new playable characters, a new map, a new boss, and several new events.

The main highlight, at least for me, is the introduction of Hysilens. As a five-star Physical character following the path of Nihility, her kit looks set to revive the struggling DoT archetype.

Her kit includes an ability that generates a zone in combat, which reduces the attack and defense of all enemies – but, more importantly, each instance of DoT on targets in the zone triggers additional DoT from her.

Add on top that all of her abilities have a chance to apply a random DoT effect to targets and you can see why all the signs point towards her being the saviour of my favorite playstyle.

Whether that is how things turn out in practice remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful that her introduction to the game should at least go some way to pick up the fortunes of DoT and its fellow enjoyers like me.

Image 1 of 5

Hysilens has a lot of abilities to improve DoT damage and apply more DoT effects in battle. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 5

Cerydra is a clear hyper-carry support for characters such as Phainon. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 5

The new area of Styxia, the City of Infinite Revelry, is added in version 3.5. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 4 of 5

It's like we're going back to the early flash game era with the latest restaurant management mini-game. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 5 of 5

The drink mixing returns for another round of colorful concoctions. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Anyway, there is more than this happening in the update. The second half will add Cerydra to the game: a five-star Wind element character who follows the path of Harmony.

Developer Hoyoverse has leaned heavily into the chess theming with this strategist and support character. As well as buffing the damage of your team in various ways, her main gimmick is the ability to duplicate the skill of an ally after she builds up enough charges. Naturally, players are keen to pair her with Phainon, but there’s clearly a lot of potential for experimentation in other team compositions that rely on skills.

The re-run banners for 3.5 have also been confirmed: the first half will feature Kafka and Silver Wolf will return in the second half. Both of these make sense considering they have both recently received buffs, while Kafka is the perfect partner to Hysilens in what will likely be the premium DoT team.

Perhaps time for me to invest in an eidolon, hmm?

As well as the next part of the Trailiblaze story in a new part of Styxia, the big event for Version 3.5 is the Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant. Yep, we’re getting a restaurant management game. Looking like a cross between Farmville and Diner Dash, you grow and serve food while renovating the restaurant to give customers the best experience possible..

On a similar theme, the Old Brews & New Friends event takes us back to the Dreamjolt Hostelry, where we’ll be mixing up and serving fancy drinks to new and familiar faces. Sounds great, gimme them Stellar Jades.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 launches on August 13. The free-to-play RPG is available now on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5.

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Spoilers for The Gilded Age season 3 episode 7 ahead.

The Gilded Age is carrying the mantle of televised period drama greatness set up by Downton Abbey over a decade ago, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Instead of soap opera sensationalism, tension and high stakes comes in the form of complicated relationships, intellectual manipulation and ever-changing social dynamics. Nobody’s getting involved in nefarious love triangles that make no sense, or having punch-ups on the street simply because there’s nothing better to do. Each step is a calculated one, and it works.

But has The Gilded Age season 3 changed all that? Across episodes 6 and 7, the action has been teetering towards the over-produced. We’ve seen the fandom come alive over Larian’s engagement, a double-crossing at the Haymarket with Oscar (Blake Ritson) left as the victim, and two death scares that have seemingly come out of nowhere.

It’s the second of these scares that now hangs a huge question mark over The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8, and it’s got the power to change how we see the HBO Max show going forward. It’s clear that each new season is trying to do something different than the last, and now that season 4 has been officially renewed, following through with the threat of death seems like the perfect way to elevate The Gilded Age all over again.

Sorry, but George has got to go for good in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8

Yep, that’s right. For reasons currently unknown to us, George’s (Morgan Spector) life hangs in the balance in the closing scene of season 3 episode 7. He’d previously won out against Clay (Patrick Page) and Mr. Sage (Peter McRobbie), getting the business back on track in spite of their rivalry. However, this comes at a price. A courier soon visited George’s office, pulling a gun on his secretary before aiming it straight at George himself. The gun goes off, the screen goes black and we’ve got no idea whether he’s alive or died.

As far as The Gilded Age goes, this is a much more stereotypical cliffhanger than the show usually opts for. But it’s a signal that once again, it’s looking to change. Just like Carrie Coon told TV Line: “It started with how we kicked things off in the Wild West [in the season premiere]. It was signaling to the audience that this is not Season 2. We’re doing new things.”

So, what if season 3 is signaling not to expect the same again from season 4? The best way to keep things fresh is to do something completely unexpected, even if it goes against the structural fabric of what’s come before. If anything, George dying could serve as a total reset in The Gilded Age’s timeline, and who knows what could come from that. A time jump? Flashbacks? A hidden past?

If we can overlook the fact the HBO Max show has the potential to be sensationalized in season 4 (and fingers crossed it won’t be), such a brutal shift in tone could actually be really exciting. Sure, we lose George as collateral damage and poor John Adams (Claybourne Elder) was taken out in a freak carriage accident the week before. But the training wheels are off for what is and isn’t possible in this version of 1800s New York. Besides, even Spector himself is enthused by it.

“[It] just didn’t feel like the kind of thing that would happen on The Gilded Age,” he explained to TV Line, despite the historical accuracy compared to the real-life 1872 murder of Jim Fisk. “I’m thrilled the more we get to expand the world… [it’s] adding colors to our palette.”

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• Researchers have identified vulnerabilities in China's Great Firewall
• The firewall attempts to block QUIC connections
• Blocking attempts leave the state exposed

Upgrades to China’s Great Firewall (GFW) have not gone as planned, and the resulting ‘critical flaw’ reduces the effectiveness of the firewall in moderating traffic loads, researchers have found. Attempts by China to censor a specific type of internet traffic in the country have left the state at risk and vulnerable to attack;

‘We [..] demonstrate that this censorship mechanism can be weaponized to block UDP traffic between arbitrary hosts in China and the rest of the world. We collaborate with various open-source communities to integrate circumvention strategies into Mozilla Firefox, the quic-go library, and all major QUIC-based circumvention tools.’

The paper was written by researchers from activist group Great Firewall Report, as well as Stanford University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Colorado Boulder - and is titled ‘Exposing and Circumventing SNI-based QUIC Censorship of the Great Firewall of China’.

Internet censorship

The vulnerabilities stem from China’s attempts to block Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) - a transport layer network protocol that is designed to replace Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) because of its built in security, flexibility, and fewer performance issues.

QUIC was invented by workers at Google back in 2012, and at least 10% of sites use the protocol - with many Google and Meta sites included. Both of these organizations are blocked by the GFW, so blocking QUIC connections seems to be an extension of this, although researchers note that not all QUIC traffic is blocked successfully.

The mechanism used to block QUIC connections is vulnerable to attacks that could block all open or root DNS resolvers outside of China from access from within the state, resulting in widespread DNS failures;

“Defending against this attack while still censoring is difficult due to the stateless nature and ease of spoofing UDP packets,” the paper explains. “Careful engineering will be needed to allow censors to apply targeted blocks in QUIC, while simultaneously preventing availability attacks.”

Via; The Register

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Just a few weeks before the rollout of the truly excellent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, I ran into an old friend who inexplicably had a Galaxy Z Fold 4. In all my years covering Samsung's folding phone efforts, I'd rarely seen one in the wild (outside of South Korea, where they are everywhere), let alone someone I knew carrying one.

In the 43 years we've known each other, I'd never known my friend to be an early adopter, but there he was with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, unfolding it, checking work email, looking at stocks, basically using it as his primary device. I looked at it and noted how the protective covering on the flexible screen was bubbled along the crease and in other areas.

This Z Fold 4 has been abused and loved in equal measure. I was just days away from the Samsung Unpacked event, where I expected to see the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Ultra. My friend and I chuckled about the sorry state of his folding phone, and he started asking me about what he should get next. I recommended he at least wait to see what this "Fold Ultra" is all about.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I could not wait to show him the Galaxy Z Fold 7 I'd been carrying. The tech introduction would have to wait, though, because we were all gathering on the beach. As you may recall, the Z Fold 7, like most of the other most recent Folds, is rated IP48 for fresh water resistance but essentially has zero dust and sand capabilities.

Beach fumble

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 compared to Z Fold 4 on the right (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

My friend arrived on the beach, and I watched as he took out his Z Fold 4, and then gasped as it slipped from his hands and dropped onto the sand.

"Buddy, that's not sand-resistant," I told him.

Gingerly picking it up, he started frantically shaking and blowing it, "I know!" He added that he usually brings it in a Ziplock bag (I've done the same with the Z Fold 6), but he also never goes to the beach anyway – except for today, that is.

While he inspected the hinge and ports, I, in an extreme example of 'things you do not need to hear in the moment,' told him how sand could completely destroy the hinge mechanism.

Attempting a mop-up of my faux pas, I excitedly told him I had something to show him: the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

He looked at me quizzically and chided, "Hey, you told me to wait for the Ultra."

"I know," I shrugged," This is basically that phone, they added 'Ultra' features like the 200MP sensor, but it's not called that."

I could tell that the nomenclature switch or misdirection threw him.

Cozying to the Fold 7

Comparing the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (left) to the old Galaxy Z Fold 4 (right). (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Later, when we were far from the beach, I collected the Z Fold 7 and showed it to him. His eyes widened. Then I handed the phone to him.

"Wow," he said as he turned the two-in-one device over in his hands. He marveled at the thinness (4.2mm) and weight, and then struggled a bit to open it. I think the magnets in this Z Fold 7, which help hold the foldable phone closed, are considerably stronger than on his Z Fold 4.

He pulled out his Z Fold 4 and opened it, looking at its puckered screen. We talked a bit about the protective covering and how the Z Fold 7 has the same thing, though I would hope it does better in the long run.

"Are the screens the same size?" he asked me, and then he placed his Z Fold 4 on top of my Z Fold 7. The size difference was obvious to him, even as I said, "No, the Z Fold 7 is an 8-inch flexible display."

I noticed that his rather thick case has an empty slot for a stylus (not sure if it was an S Pen), but I recalled that he said he initially had a case that didn't even fit his pen. While I wasn't sure of just how much my friend used a stylus (the two times I saw him with the Z Fold 4, he was without it), I shared the bad news that the Z Fold 7 lost the digitizing label and no longer supports the S Pen, though he could use a dumb capacitive stylus. He didn't say anything but nodded knowingly.

We also talked a bit about the cameras as I took a photo with the 200MM camera and then zoomed in on the photo to show him how much information that sensor can collect.

Hefting the phone like his hand was a scale, my friend smiled as I told him the Z Fold 7 is, at 215 grams, lighter than a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Still holding the Z Fold 7, he said, "Yeah, but I have to pay $2,300, right?" I corrected him, "$2,000." He considered this, but I could tell he was already convinced that the Z Fold 7 would be his next phone.

Throughout that evening, I let other old friends hold the phone. Every single one of them was surprised at the size and weight. I don't know if they, like my friend, would give up their iPhones for it, but for a devoted Z Fold owner, there may be no better upgrade, even with the loss of S Pen support and that price.

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• Einhaus Group dwindled from 170 employees and €70 million in revenue to just eight workers
• The German phone company met its fate after months of battle
• The Bitcoin ransom was recovered but never returned

German mobile phone insurance, repair and logistics company Einhaus Group has revealed the financial extent of a 2023 ransomware attack on the company.

At its peak, Einhaus operated in over 5,000 German retail stores, partnering with major telecommunication companies like Deutsche Telekom and 1&1, generating units to €70 million in annual revenue.

Then, in 2023, a ransomware group by the name of 'Royal' infiltrated systems and encrypted critical data including contracts, billing, and communications, leaving the company battling to make up losses thereafter.

Germany's Einhaus effectively taken down by one ransomware attack

The attackers left messages via office printers warning that the company had been hacked (via WA), bringing operations to a halt with systems locked. In the months that followed, the company lost millions in revenue and operational delays, bringing total damages into the mid-seven-figure range.

The company also reportedly paid a large €200,000 ransom in Bitcoin to regain access to critical data.

German cybercrime investigators have since identified three suspects, and while public prosecutors seized the ransom-paid crypto, it never got returned to the Einhaus, which blocked the company from making a fuller recovery.

Since the ransomware attack, Einhaus has been forced to cut headcount down from a peak of around 170 to just eight, selling off property and investments to make up some losses.

Three companies under Einhaus Group, including 24logistics, have now filed for insolvency, and mobile phone repair services have been discontinued.

With cyberattacks not only becoming more common, but often more costly, Einhaus Group forms part of a growing list of companies forced to shut down as a result of ransomware attacks, including the UK's Knights of Old transport company, Stoli USA and Finland's Vastaamo.

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• Ascendo Immersive Audio launches new 64-inch and 100-inch subs
• "The largest subwoofers in the world for home cinema"
• Expect a six-figure price tag

If, like me, you think your hi-fi or home theater system's subwoofer is pretty hot stuff, prepare to feel very small indeed. The new subwoofer from German audio firm Ascendo Immersive Audio is probably 10 times bigger than yours, and 12 times bigger than mine.

My idea of a big subwoofer is 15 inches, like the biggest KEF Kube: my own Cambridge Audio sub is a perfectly decent eight inches, and that delivers more than enough boom to fill my room. But Ascendo's new sub is so big that it'll fill any room before you turn it on. It's a whopping 100 inches in diameter, making it over 7,800 square inches of surface area.

Who's going to buy a 100-inch sub?

The new 100 Sub is designed for a very particular kind of customer: the kind who looked at the prior model, the 80 Sub (yes. that was 80 inches), and thought "oh, that's far too small and quiet". The driver alone weighs over 570lbs (260kg).

The 100 Sub moves as much air as 40 normal 18-inch subwoofers, the firm says, and there's a slightly smaller 64-inch model too. "These two new subwoofers are the largest in the world for home cinema, and are incredibly powerful, efficient and fast," Ascendo's Geoffrey Heinzel says.

Despite the ridiculous power, these aren't designed to be total brutes. There's a shallower curve than the previous 80-inch model for improved performance, optimized quad suspension for greater movement, and "advanced" materials for noise-free operation. The cabinets have been redesigned too, with a reported boost to the low-end frequency response and improved damping to reduce resonance.

The price is firmly in the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" territory and hasn't been officially announced, but the 80 Sub was well into six figures.

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• 14 ex-Huawei workers have been sentenced to jail over secret theft
• Former engineers went on to work at Wi-Fi chip startup Zunpai
• Huawei has been on both sides of the IP legal fence

A Shanghai court has sentenced 14 former Huawei employees to jail for stealing chip-related business secrets, sending ripples across the industry not just in China but also globally.

The employees worked for Zunpai Communication Technology – a startup founded be engineers from HiSilicon, a Huawei unit.

The court issued jail terms of up to six years and imposed further financial penalties in a July 28 ruling which landed in Huawei's favor.

Shanghai court jails former Huawei engineers over secret stealing

After leaving Huawei in 2019, Zhang Kun, a former researcher at HiSilicon, founded Zunpai in 2021 and hired former coworkers. The startup was accused of using proprietary information by Huawei, despite the fact that the company developed Wi-Fi communication chips.

According to court documents from August 2023, the Huawei subsidiary requested that the Shanghai Intellectual Property court freeze assets under Zunpai and its subsidiaries valued at 95 million yuan.

The court's decision has not been made public online, and Huawei has not made any public remarks regarding the case. According to a South China Morning Post report, the engineers may still have grounds to challenge the decision.

More broadly, it reflect a growing commitment in China toward protecting IP, with China's Supreme People's Procuratorate stating that 21,000 people were criminally prosecuted for IP crimes in 2024 alone, including a nine-year sentence for criminal copyright infringement of Lego bricks (via National Law Review).

For Huawai, though, it represents a reversal of roles. In 2019, the Shenzhen tech giant was indicted on ten counts of stealing Western technology, attempting to steal secrets, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice.

TechRadar Pro has contacted Huawei for a comment, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• From mid-July 2025, there's been an uptick in malicious logins
• Researchers speculate criminals found a zero-day
• Users are advised to strengthen their cybersecurity posture

There is a chance SonicWall SSL VPN devices are carrying a zero-day vulnerability that Akira’s cybercriminals discovered, and are now using in the wild.

As of mid-July this year, cybersecurity researchers Arctic Wolf Labs observed an uptick in malicious logins, all coming through SonicWall SSL VPN instances. Since some of the endpoints were fully patched at the time of the intrusion, the researchers speculate that they might contain a zero-day flaw.

However, they haven’t ruled out the possibility that the attackers just obtained a set of active login credentials from somewhere and used them to gain access.

On the FBI's radar

In any case, organizations that suffered these malicious logins also got infected with the Akira ransomware soon after.

"A short interval was observed between initial SSL VPN account access and ransomware encryption," the researchers explained. "In contrast with legitimate VPN logins which typically originate from networks operated by broadband internet service providers, ransomware groups often use Virtual Private Server hosting for VPN authentication in compromised environments."

Until SonicWall comes forward with a patch, or at least an explanation, businesses using these VPNs are advised to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), delete inactive and unused firewall accounts, and make sure their passwords are fresh, strong, and unique.

Akira is a ransomware strain that first appeared in March 2023, targeting businesses across various sectors. It is known for gaining the initial foothold through compromised VPN credentials and exposed services.

The group targets both Windows and Linux systems, and is known for dismantling backups to hinder recovery. As of mid-2025, Akira has been responsible for attacks on hundreds of organizations globally, including Stanford University, Nissan Australia, and Tietoevry. The group usually directs its victims to contact them via a Tor-based website.

The FBI and CISA have issued warnings about its activity, urging organizations to implement stronger network defenses and multifactor authentication.

Via The Hacker News

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We live in a time of great flux, and, true to form, the cybersecurity industry keeps growing in complexity and scope. The AI revolution of the past 2 years has seen many enterprises scrambling to equip security leaders with the tools required to combat an increasingly borderless attack surface, not to mention growing governance and regulatory requirements demanding significant attention.

Few would envy CISOs faced with these circumstances. Still, while change can be challenging to navigate, the current security climate feels like the perfect time to embrace measures that will improve software quality and reduce risk for years to come.

I work with some of the most talented, resilient security professionals on the planet, and many of them are reinforcing their security programs to flex with the contemporary threat landscape, with their development cohorts positioned as the heart of risk reduction and vulnerability elimination.

Here is what they do differently, time and time again.

Developers have precision guidance and the right tools to prioritize security

One aspect of cybersecurity rarely discussed in depth, is the notion that code-level vulnerabilities are, at their core, a human-driven issue. They are so often perpetuated by poor coding patterns and bad habits that developers have picked up throughout their careers, and these shortcuts can have devastating consequences

Make no mistake: The blame does not lie with the development teams in any organization; it is indeed the fault of the industry as a whole, and our lack of suitable response to their upskilling need.

Bug bounties and security champion programs do go some way in creating security culture pillars within an enterprise, but this is rarely enough on its own. Every day I work with CISOs who are rising above the status quo, and they prioritize an approach that takes developers on the security journey, typically with executive buy-in for these internal programs.

Their developers thrive in an environment where Just-in-Time, relevant learning pathways are emphasized, as are tools complementary to their tech stacks. This helps to break down the significant barriers developers face in contributing meaningfully to organizational security goals, and paves the way for fair security-related KPI outcomes, as well.

They are assessed on security readiness and incentivized to improve

It is rather alarming that today, we live in a world that is essentially powered by software. The recent CrowdStrike outage proved just how easily a bug can bring critical infrastructure to its knees. Despite this, developers do not have a formal security certification or verification process that clears them to work on these vital and often precarious systems the same way an architect or mechanical engineer might.

Security leaders within organizations that are committing to a higher standard of software security resilience are taking steps not just to upskill the development cohort but routinely assess their security readiness. Perhaps a Java developer has proven themselves security-confident, but they want to be deployed on a Ruby-on-Rails project, where the skills may not necessarily translate.

A modernized security program can assess the individual, identify knowledge gaps, and pair that developer with the upskilling required to be successful, ultimately allowing them to expand their career horizons on the job, leading to higher job satisfaction and better security outcomes.

We must get to a place where data-driven insights inform rapid, high-impact company decisions; after all, the cybersecurity industry doesn’t sleep, and threat actors already have an unfair advantage over security leaders struggling with everything from the skills shortage to code monoliths that are an increasing burden within the codebase.

There is an organization-wide focus on software security and quality

One of the biggest pushes towards higher software security standards has come from CISA’s Secure-by-Design guidelines. This global movement was formed across multiple world governments, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany.

These guidelines promote the importance of shipping secure software from the start, and seek to establish ultimate ownership of security with software vendors, as opposed to their end-users. This is a significant break from the status quo, but, if executed well, it will assist in reducing cyber risk across the board.

The best security leaders are heeding this call, and pledging their commitment to higher software standards. For most enterprises, success will require a cultural shift that prioritizes role-based security awareness, and ongoing, hands-on support for the development cohort. However, there is no better time to get serious about uplifting internal security programs, and the sooner we do, the sooner we can point to meaningful improvements.

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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

• Attackers can build bigger campaigns faster with generative AI
• They're also attacking enterprise agentic AI tools
• Humans are still a major weak point

New research from CrowdStrike confirms that hackers are exploiting AI to help them deliver more aggressive attacks in less time, with the tech also democratizing lesser-skilled hackers to more advanced code.

However, besides this, they're also exploiting the same AI systems that are being used by enterprises – according to CrowdStrike, hackers are targeting the tools used to build AI agents, allowing them to gain access, steal credentials, and deploy malware.

CrowdStrike is most worried about agentic AI systems, suggesting that they've now become a "core part of the enterprise attack surface."

Attackers are honing in on enterprise AI

The security company says it observed "multiple" hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the tools used to build AI agents, which marks a major shift from patterns of old. Until now, humans have almost always been the primary entry point into a company, but now, CrowdStrike is worried that "autonomous workflows and non-human identities [are] the next frontier of adversary exploitation."

"We’re seeing threat actors use GenAI to scale social engineering, accelerate operations, and lower the barrier to entry for hands-on-keyboard intrusions," Head of Counter Adversary Operations Adam Meyers explained.

Funklocker and SparkCat are two examples of GenAI-built malware in the real world, while DPRK-nexus Famous Chollima has also been observed using generative AI to automate its insider attack program across all phases. Scattered Spider, a group believed to consist of UK and US nationals, even managed to deploy ransomware within 24 hours of accessing systems.

"Adversaries are treating these agents like infrastructure, attacking them the same way they target SaaS platforms, cloud consoles, and privileged accounts," Meyers added.

Still, even though technologies like AI are playing an increasing role in speeding up attacks, CrowdStrike found that four in five (81%) interactive intrusions were malware-free – relying on human hands on keyboards to stay undetected.

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There’s growing interest in making AI more practical, especially through techniques like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). And it’s not just AI developers or enterprise tech teams who see the value. Anyone working with large volumes of information benefits from systems that quickly surface the right reference points.

By retrieving real, relevant information, RAG helps AI stay accurate, current, and context-aware. AWS, for example, highlights RAG as a key way to enrich GenAI with the latest research, data, and updates.

There’s a lot of potential here. But from a mainstream business perspective, even the most advanced RAG-powered systems are often disconnected from the true core of enterprise knowledge: internal documents, workflows, and operational content.

To be truly enterprise-grade, AI must connect directly to the materials that power day-to-day work—contracts, invoices, business reports, onboarding docs, customer records. In other words: your document management (DM) platform.

Analyst momentum

Industry leaders agree that robust document management is foundational for successful enterprise GenAI. Gartner recently noted that GenAI outcomes rely on “relevant, high-quality, and secure information for grounding,” all of which hinge on strong enterprise content foundations.

Bain & Company echoed the point at Nvidia’s 2025 AI Developer Conference, declaring that in every successful AI deployment, “data remains the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity.” The message is clear: without enterprise-grade content, there is no enterprise-grade AI.

Anyone familiar with enterprise content management (ECM) won’t be surprised. While much of the GenAI conversation focuses on model selection, the real game-changer lies in the data layer—and increasingly, document management is the backbone of that layer.

Modern document management isn’t just about storing or indexing files. It’s about maintaining a live, contextualized, and navigable knowledge graph of an organization’s operational memory. Enterprises have long archived, tagged, and secured content—but today, the documents themselves are more dynamic, and the tools interpreting them are more intelligent and deeply integrated.

Modern DM lets the AI query your data

That’s because modern business documents can be structured or semi-structured or unstructured, come in multiple formats, and are scattered across diverse systems like ERP, CRM, legal systems, HR systems and email platforms. This complexity demands smarter, more connected approaches to unlock their true value.

This is exactly where AI shines, but only if your documents are accessible, integrated, and well-managed. Strong document management isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation for successful and responsible GenAI deployment.

Techniques like RAG deliver the most value when paired with a robust document management system. In fact, RAG is at its most powerful when layered with metadata search, giving users a precise way to drill into their organization’s information space.

No large language model (LLM) is trained on your company’s unique documents, so it can’t deliver truly domain-specific answers on its own. But when you pair RAG with a modern document management platform, AI can query your internal data directly, cite the exact sources, and explain how it arrived at its conclusions. That’s something generic ChatGPT-style systems simply can’t do.

Better context through DM

That’s because RAG combines the generative power of an LLM with real, enterprise-specific data; in this case, your documents, to create a “superhuman search.” Instead of relying solely on pre-trained knowledge, RAG retrieves relevant content from your own knowledge base and injects it into the AI’s response in real time.

The result? Sharper accuracy, fewer hallucinations, and, most importantly, answers grounded in your business reality, not internet generalities. The more organized, contextualized, and accessible your enterprise content is, the more effective your RAG implementation will be. But that value only materializes if your documents are in good shape to begin with.

That’s why mature document management is essential. Rather than chasing monolithic AI platforms, leading enterprises are building modular AI pipelines—combining various AI algorithms for intelligent document understanding with document intelligence, document automation, document collaboration and of course, RAG—anchored by a strong document management foundation.

In this model, document management isn’t a back-office utility. It’s what enables the shift to this superhuman search, where any business user can ask, What are the payment terms on our top five vendor contracts from last year? and get a precise, contextualized answer in seconds.

But none of this works without good data. And in today’s enterprise, that starts with good document management.

AI isn’t wizardry—it depends on strong content foundations. It can’t fix what’s disorganized or hidden. But with the right structure in place, techniques like RAG unlock real value, turning static files into dynamic, intelligent conversations.

In today’s information-saturated world, the ability to transform enterprise content into intelligent conversation is what enables AI to deliver real strategic advantage.

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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