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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to attack Iran for decades, but the U.S. and his own security chiefs deterred him. Now he's basking in the moment.

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In modern enterprise environments, networks are in a constant state of flux. Devices are provisioned, policies adjusted, architectures refactored. Configuration drift is inevitable. Yet while change is essential, unmanaged change is a liability. Misconfigurations are one of the most persistent sources of security incidents, and even well-intentioned modifications can disrupt operations when made without a proper structure in place.

Configuration and network change management, when treated as a formal discipline rather than a background process, provides the guardrails needed to maintain security, reliability and scalability. In this way, mistakes can be avoided, but more importantly, repeatability, accountability and operational confidence is embedded into the network evolution process.

Establishing centralized control

Effective change management begins with control, and that control requires visibility. Distributed tools and team silos lead to inconsistencies and blind spots. A centralized system for configuration management creates a single, authoritative source of truth. This allows teams to baseline the current state of devices, track changes in real time, and identify deviations from expected configurations as they occur.

Centralization also enables correlation. Rather than reviewing logs in isolation, teams can compare device states across the network, identify systemic drift, and trace issues back to specific change events. In the event of an outage or a security incident, this traceability shortens the path from diagnosis to recovery. Rollbacks are faster because configurations are versioned and controlled. Post-change validation becomes an inherent part of the process, not an afterthought.

Driving consistency through automation

As infrastructure grows more distributed, manual processes become harder to manage and more prone to error. Inconsistent configurations, drift, and undocumented changes create operational risk—and make regulatory compliance more difficult to sustain. Automation introduces the structure needed to scale securely.

Automated configuration management enforces standard baselines, identifies deviations, and applies corrective actions with consistency. It reduces reliance on manual intervention while enhancing auditability—ensuring that every change is recorded, traceable, and aligned to policy.

This level of control is essential in regulated environments. Automation tools can continuously validate device configurations against defined security standards, surfacing non-compliant states and triggering remediation workflows. Instead of preparing for audits in bursts, teams maintain a steady state of compliance readiness.

Automation ensures that network changes are not only executed consistently but documented in a way that satisfies both operational and regulatory expectations.

Enforcing security through access governance

In many organizations, configuration access remains too broad, poorly segmented, or loosely monitored. This exposes the network not just to external threats, but to accidental misconfigurations and insider risk. Restricting access to configuration interfaces must be non-negotiable.

Granular, role-based access control frameworks are essential. Users should only be able to modify the devices or parameters relevant to their responsibilities, with every action logged and tied to an identity.

When change is linked to identity, and identity is controlled through policy, the risk of unauthorized or unintended changes is substantially reduced.

How misconfigurations undermine network security

Once a change is deployed, the assumption is often that the hardest part is over. But without the right controls and safeguards, even routine configuration updates can introduce risk. In practice, many of the most damaging security incidents stem not from sophisticated threats—but from small, avoidable errors in configuration.

A single misstep—whether it’s a rule applied too broadly, a service left exposed, or a default setting left unchanged—can compromise an otherwise secure environment. These errors often go unnoticed because they don't trigger alarms or immediately disrupt functionality. But they quietly weaken the network's security posture.

Misconfigurations can lead to unauthorized access, where internal systems become reachable from outside the network or from unintended internal segments. They can create gaps in firewall enforcement, allowing traffic that should be blocked. And they can expose sensitive services to external discovery, widening the organization's attack surface.

Crucially, these issues don’t always stem from a lack of knowledge. In many cases, they result from an absence of process: missing validation steps, inconsistent application of policies, or a lack of visibility into the cumulative effect of changes over time. In distributed environments, small deviations quickly add up. Without a clear baseline or continuous oversight, it becomes increasingly difficult to verify that the intended state of the network matches the actual state on the ground.

Discipline that delivers

When change management is poorly implemented, problems compound. Downtime increases. Vulnerabilities persist. Teams lose confidence in their tools and processes. Business units lose confidence in IT.

But when treated as a structured, technical discipline, configuration and change management becomes a force multiplier. By embedding controls that catch drift early, by enforcing consistency across environments, and by building in opportunities for validation and rollback, organizations can reduce the risk that misconfiguration becomes the root cause of a major incident.

Networks aren’t fragile because of change. They’re fragile because they change without structure.

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

The technology sector has reached a crossroads. While innovations like AI and cloud computing promise transformative business benefits, a shadow looms over their adoption, namely uncertainty and concern about their environmental impact.

We quizzed UK business leaders about how they think emissions impact their plans and discovered that 62% of them fear a public backlash if their tech stack emissions are deemed too high. Even more worrying is that 43% admit they are reluctant to even measure their full digital carbon footprint.

The figures underlined what we already suspected, that there is a sustainability paradox that is fuelling a crisis for UK business leaders. They know they need to innovate, yet the fear of sustainability scrutiny is creating an impasse that threatens to stall progress across industries.

The transparency crisis in tech emissions

So how have we reached this juncture? Well, there may have been a media backlash in recent months against sustainability and strategies that aim for net zero carbon emissions. Yet for businesses across Europe sustainability remains very high on their agendas. They continue to face ongoing pressure from regulators, investors, and consumers to demonstrate environmental responsibility.

However, our 2025 Emissions Blindspots Report, which surveyed 1,200 European decision-makers, uncovered a troubling reality. We found that 47% of UK businesses distrust the emissions data provided by their tech vendors.

The main concern is over Scope 3 emissions, those that originate indirectly from value chain activities, like the emissions produced by a company’s technology infrastructure. While these often represent the largest portion of a company’s carbon profile, they are also the element of emissions that companies have least visibility over. Ultimately UK businesses rely on accurate and transparent data from their supplier. The irony is that there are still a significant number of UK businesses that believe they can not accurately measure these tech-related emissions.

As Archana Venkatraman of IDC notes, “Innovation is a top priority for leaders, but concerns about inconsistent sustainability data are directly impacting companies’ ability to invest confidently.”

This is not about compliance, it is about maintaining momentum and developing competitive advantages. Businesses attempting to harness AI or migrate to cloud infrastructure have a difficult choice to make. Do they move forward blindly and risk a sustainability backlash? Or should they delay adoption and potentially cede ground to competitors? At a time when bold innovation is most needed, neither option is ideal. Sustainability plays a key role in determining which tech suppliers businesses choose. They are hamstrung without reliable, accurate information.

The problem with inconsistent data

The heart of the issue lies in fragmented responsibility. There has been clear progress in recent years with most businesses now reporting improved emissions tracking. Yet that progress is undermined by inconsistent vendor data.

There are a whole host of reasons why companies are not getting the data they desperately need. Firstly, some companies are simply not tracking the data. They have not yet made the move to incorporate the wide range of tools that are available to help them, then those that are may not always be willing to release it for fear of backlash. There are also companies who argue that they do not have enough internal resources to capture and analyze the data to paint an accurate picture.

Even if companies do have the data there are still issues to overcome. In particular proprietary systems and unstandardized metrics make cross-platform comparisons nearly impossible, meaning that figures are often estimated rather than having hard data to hand.

Standards and transparency pledges

How then can businesses break this deadlock? Firstly, governments must collaborate with the corporate world to agree on industry-wide standards for tech emissions measurement. These should be easy to implement and quantify, perhaps similar to financial reporting requirements.

As we’ve seen with recent changes to the climate disclosure mandates from the EU’s CSRD regulation, enforcing emission measurements can be considered a burden if not well-considered. So, regulators and businesses must work together to find a framework that supports both sustainability progress and economic growth.

Once the standards are agreed businesses need to play their role in agreeing transparency pledges. Ideally these should be supported by enforceable accountability mechanisms.

Lastly technology has a role to play in creating ever more sophisticated and indeed simple tools to enable every company from startups to enterprises to easily track emissions across hybrid/multi-cloud environments.

As businesses balance growth mandates with sustainability goals, they deserve partners who provide clarity. For the sake of the planet, the cloud and AI revolutions must not come at the cost of environmental progress. By demanding and delivering transparent emissions data, the tech industry can turn sustainability from an innovation barrier into an accelerator.

The message from European businesses is clear. Measure accurately, report transparently, and innovate fearlessly. The vendors who embrace this challenge will power the next wave of progress, while those who do not will find themselves left behind.

We've featured the best productivity tool.

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

• Free cyber tools for US critical infrastructure are no longer available
• The project was initially set up after the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• A lack of uptake since then has resulted in the sunsetting of the project

A free cybersecurity service set up to help protect critical infrastructure in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has quietly shut down.

The Critical Infrastructure Defense Project was pioneered by Cloudflare, CrowdStrike and Ping Identity, and allowed organizations in “vulnerable sectors” could access four months of cybersecurity services for free, including a zero trust security model to help US hospitals and water and power utilities secure their networks, endpoints and identities.

The program also offered critical threat intelligence to cybersecurity teams likely to be targeted.

Critical infrastructure protection shuts down

A Crowdstrike spokesperson explained that the project has shut down as its usage has tapered off from the initial threat levels experienced since early 2022.

The services offered by the trio of cybersecurity firms “aligned with a period of initial heightened threats and that its use has since subsided,” the spokesperson told Nextgov/FCW.

The end of the project couldn’t come at a worse time, with the reports suggesting that the Trump administration may have paused efforts to counter Russian cyber operations, and NATO warning Russia is again mapping critical infrastructure including subsea internet cables.

When trying to access the Critical Infrastructure Defense Project, the website now redirects you to the Cloudflare homepage.

Following the recent turmoil in the Middle East, there is a distinct possibility that Iran could ramp up its cyber operations against the US.

Iran has previously targeted critical infrastructure including US water treatment plants on several occasions, indicating that the need for a free cybersecurity program for US critical infrastructure could still remain.

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• The delayed Android 14 update is rolling out now to Chromecast with Google TV devices
• It's available to devices running Android 12 and the short-lived previous Android 14 update
• The largest download is 809MB

Back in March we reported that Chromecasts were getting a free update to Android 14 – and they were, for a while, until Google pulled the over-the-air update. But now the update is back! Back! BACK!

There are two versions of the update: a small one for anyone who downloaded the initial Android 14 update before it was pulled, and a larger one for anyone who didn't and whose device is still running Android 12.

The Chromecast with Google TV has been superseded by the Google TV Streamer (Image credit: Google)Chromecast with Google TV and Android 14: what's new?

The update includes the January 2025 security patch; Find My Remote and Customizable Button for the Google TV Streamer Voice Remote; various bug fixes; and system optimizations. But the most important thing is that it updates the operating system from Android 12 to Android 14.

According to Google that means "a snappier, more responsive TV experience".

The previous version of the update was pulled amid reports that external drives, some USB devices and some Ethernet adaptors weren't working properly but judging by reports on Reddit's r/Chromecast subreddit, the new update isn't causing similar – although it seems that some users are still encountering some minor glitches.

The new Android 14 update is rolling out to Chromecast with Google TV (4K) users now.

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• The iFi GO Pod Max cost £599 / $599 (about AU$1,254)
• They add aptX Lossless and K2HD support to wired IEMs
• Separate Bluetooth, DAC and amp stages for hi-fi audio

The downside of even the best wired IEMs is that, of course, they're not wireless: in the search for the ultimate audio experience, lossy Bluetooth just doesn't deliver. But what if you could get hi-res wireless audio into those IEMs without the cables? That's what the iFi GO Pod Max delivers.

The GO Pod Max is a new flagship for iFi, designed specifically for the most demanding IEM owners. And while they're not exactly cheap, the specification justifies the price tag.

(Image credit: iFi)iFi GO Pod Max: key features and pricing

The GO Pod Max are made from precision-machined aluminum and include the Qualcomm QCC5181 chipset, which streams CD-quality audio without data loss over aptX Lossless. It also supports LDAC and aptX Adaptive.

You already know about aptX and LDAC, but you might not be familiar with K2HD. Developed by JVCKENWOOD, it's an audio mastering technology that first appeared back in 2007 with the promise of improving the sound of music at CD quality, delivering an experience that comes closer to the original master recording at up to 96kHz throughput.

In addition to the aptX Lossless and K2HD, the GO Pod Max has automatic impedance matching at 16-ohm, 32-ohm, 64-ohm and 300-ohm, built-in mics for clear calls, UV lights to sanitize your IEMs, and separate Bluetooth, DAC (in this case, a Cirrus Logic MasterHIFI) and fully balanced amp stages to deliver the best audio quality.

The GO Pod Max promise seven hours of playback, plus another 28 from the aluminum charging case, and they're IPX5 rated for water and sweat resistance. The interchangeable ear loops have 2-pin and MMCX connectors to cater for most IEMs, and there are also options including T2, Pentaconn Ear and A2DC ear loops.

The iFi GO Pod Max is available now with a list price of £599 / $599 (about AU$1,254).

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• Marvel has released one final trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps
• The first MCU Phase 6 movie launches in theaters worldwide on July 25
• Its latest teaser hasn't eased my worries about the potential fate of one character

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is officially one month away (at the time of publication) from being released on July 25. And, to celebrate the countdown to launch, Marvel has debuted one final trailer that makes it look even more *ahem* fantastic than I already expected it to be.

Unveiled on June 25, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie's new trailer puts the titular team's efforts to save their world from the planet-devouring cosmic entity known as Galactus front and center. Check it out below:

Excited though I am for one of 2025's most anticipated new movies, it's only served to heighten my concerns about the possible fate of the group's strongest individual: Sue Storm.

Storm, aka The Invisible Woman, is considered to be one of the most powerful beings in Marvel Comics. If she's been adapted as authentically as possible for this flick, she'll be just as potent in the MCU, too.

Okay, but why would that mean she could die in First Steps? After all, Vanessa Kirby, who's playing Storm in the MCU, was among the 27-strong initial cast for Avengers: Doomsday, i.e. the next Marvel Phase 6 film that'll arrive after this movie. So, Storm must survive the events of First Steps to appear in that film, right?

Anybody else worried about what's going to happen to Sue Storm? (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Not necessarily. Given she's the matriarch of Marvel's First Family and the mother of Franklin Richards (the baby we see in the latest trailer) who, if rumors are to be believed, is who Galactus is after, she'll do what any mom would do and lay her body on the line to save her first-born.

It's possible, then, that Storm could sacrifice herself to not only protect Franklin and the rest of the team, but also defeat Galactus – or, at the very least, prevent him from taking Franklin. That could be a good way to set up part of Avengers: Doomsday's story, especially if Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom persuades Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic to help him if it means Richards gets his wife back. Hey, stranger things have happened!

#TheFantasticFour: First Steps Only in theaters July 25. Get tickets now: https://t.co/qy8qR71712 pic.twitter.com/nlsCfCUTHYJune 25, 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps' latest teaser is the fourth of its kind to be publicly unveiled ahead of the movie's release.

Indeed, First Steps' inaugural trailer achieved lift-off in early February and revealed first-looks at the group, as well as teasing the movie's Big Bad and John Malkovich's mystery character. It was followed by an official trailer in mid-April, which showed off Richards' stretchy powers and The Silver Surfer, and confirmed a big fan theory concerning Sue Storm, too. More recently, another First Steps trailer also verified two of the worst-kept secrets about the superhero flick.

The Fantastic Four's latest big-screen reboot – the group's previous films are available to stream on Disney+ – will aim to be Marvel Studios' biggest money-spinner since last year's Deadpool and Wolverine. The pressure is certainly on after poor box office runs for Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*.

Ahead of the comic titan's final movie release of 2025, read my ultimate guide on The Fantastic Four: First Steps for more on its cast, story, and potential MCU impact.

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• Leaked code suggests Grok is building a spreadsheet tool
• New service would allow users to work with Grok on spreadsheets
• No official confirmation, but xAI is keen to keep up with its rivals

Far from simply taking over the social media world, xAI is reportedly now building a new feature for its Grok model which would allow it to access and edit documents and files.

Leaked code has suggested xAI is developing an advanced file editor for Grok, with spreadsheet support taking center stage, as it looks to widen its appeal and draw in more users.

The move might mean users get more tools and features to tighten up their work, but at the risk of having files analyzed (and possibly uploaded to) Grok's systems, and even X itself.

Grok in your spreadsheets?

Reverse engineer Nima Owji, who leaked the findings on X, noted the tool will allow users to talk to Grok and ask it to assist them as they are editing the files.

It's not clear why only spreadsheets are involved, instead of documents, slideshows, or image creators - but the move looks to be part of a campaign from xAI to compete with much bigger rivals OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft - all of which have already embedded smart AI copilots into their productivity tools.

X owner Elon Musk has been publicly clear about his aims to turn the service into an "everything app" capable of handling a wide number of everyday tasks.

Recently, the company launched Grok Studio, which lets users collaborate with the service via a split-screen interface, allowing them to have help when generating documents, code, reports, and even games.

Similar to Google's Workspace online collaboration platform, xAI has also revealed users will be able to create specific Workspaces to keep and organize specific files and conversations in a single location.

Google Workspace users can currently communicate with the platform's Gemini AI assistant when creating documents, allowing them to get help or suggestions on specific areas or themes, as well as additional insights from other files or documents.

xAI has not commented on the leak, and has yet to respond to a request for comment from TechRadar Pro.

Via TechCrunch

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I've seen video descriptions like Ring's new security AI before, but this version looks particularly user-friendly.

From concept to completion, creating the character Oraxia presented unique challenges for developer Digital Extremes.

It's almost time for the games to end. Squid Game's third and final season will bring down the curtain on the most-watched Netflix TV Original of all-time on Friday, June 27. There's no time like the present, then, to find out when you can stream it.

In this guide, I'll tell you when Squid Game season 3 will be released globally on the world's best streaming service. You'll also find out if all six episodes will launch at the same time and if more chapters will air in the weeks ahead. So, throw on your pink or dark blue jumpsuit and let's dive in.

What time can I watch Squid Game season 3 on Netflix?

Front Man is always watching... (Image credit: Netflix)

As I mentioned above, Squid Game season 3 will launch worldwide on June 27. That means you'll be able to stream one of the best Netflix shows' final installment on that date, regardless of where you live.

Considering the number of time zones that exist, season 3 will make its Netflix debut at different times. So, if you want to watch it as soon as it's released – I wouldn't blame you if you do because, well, spoilers – read on to see what time that'll be (NB: if your nation isn't listed below, use one of the US release times to work out when you can stream it):

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Brazil – 4am BRT
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Japan – 4pm JST
• South Korea – 4pm KST
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST

How many episodes are there in Squid Game season 3?

No, there won't be 222 episodes in Squid Game season 3! (Image credit: Netflix)

Squid Game season 3, which is essentially Squid Game season 2 part 2 because its story picks up in the immediate aftermath of last season's finale, contains six episodes.

They'll all launch on June 27, too, so you can watch the most popular Netflix series' final round of episodes back-to-back if you want.

When will new episodes of Squid Game season 3 arrive?

Once Squid Game's final six episodes are out, that's your lot, everyone (Image credit: Netflix)

They won't. Once the survival drama's next six episodes air on Netflix, that's it.

There are more projects that'll be part of the Squid Game franchise. A second season of reality series Squid Game: The Challenge is in post-production, while franchise creator Hwang Dong-hyuk is making a satire that's based on his quest to get Squid Game made. Additionally, Hwang has discussed making a spin-off that focuses on some characters in the main show, which could be set between seasons 1 and 2.

As far the the mainline series is concerned, Squid Game season 3 marks the end of the road for Gi-hun's story. So, there won't be a season 3 part 2 or season 4 to look forward to.

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• The Ring app now sends notifications with AI-generated text descriptions
• Each alert tells you what's happening in the video before you watch it
• The feature is rolling out to Ring Premium users in the US and Canada today

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If you've got a Ring security camera or doorbell, there's good news - you can now get AI-generated notifications on your phone, describing exactly what's happening before you've watched the video.

Each notification will include a brief snippet of text describing what triggered the motion detection, so you can decide whether it needs your attention or not at a glance before you tap through and open the app.

The notifications are designed to be as succinct as possible, focusing on the person, animal, or object that's moving, and what they're doing.

Video descriptions work with all Ring video doorbells and cameras, and are rolling out to Ring Premium subscribers in the US and Canada from today (international release dates are yet to be announced). For more details about Ring memberships and pricing, take a look at our full guide to Ring subscriptions.

This isn't the first time Ring has used AI to describe what's going on in your video clips. Earlier this year, the company launched Smart Video Search, which lets you use natural language to look for specific events recorded by your doorbell or camera, so you don't have to spend time scrubbing through footage to find a particular moment.

Did you see something?

Ring's Video Descriptions (as the feature is officially known) sound like a welcome addition to the company's best video doorbells and best home security cameras, and I'm looking forward to testing them myself to see how accurate they are.

Back in 2023, my colleague Lance Ulanoff tested a security camera that promised to deliver AI-generated notifications based on analysis of a single frame of video. The Psync Camera Genie S is compact and cute-looking, with features including object-tracking, but its Chat GPT-powered descriptions were often wide of the mark.

During testing, the camera produced a deluge of notifications, which were often comically inaccurate. While it could usually detect people, it would often say they were carrying something that they weren't, and once the camera claimed an entire family was sitting around an empty dining room table. Psync's software also hallucinated a motorcycle visible in a closed shed, and a child playing in a deserted yard.

Two years is a long time in tech, so I'm cautiously optimistic that Ring's smart descriptions will be much more accurate than that.

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• JBL Endurance Zone will hit shelves in July
• The buds feature PulseDry to dry themselves off after a dunking (IP68 rated)
• They will arrive in five different colorways

JBL just unveiled its ‘first ever’ open earbuds like the disappointing 2022-issue Tune Flex never existed. And I get it – I imagine JBL sort of wishes that its dual fit, choose-between-open-ear-or-closed-fit budget offering hadn't made it to market.

To give the usually excellent US audio specialist its flowers (after all, the company makes some of the best Bluetooth speakers we've ever tested – and I adored the JBL Live Pro 2 and more recent JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds), JBL Endurance Zone are the company's first dedicated sports-specific open earbuds.

I'm talking about the shell shape with a driver housing at one end of their ergonomic curve (that hovers over your concha but leaves your ear canal alone) and a battery pack at the other (that slips behind your ear, close to the lobe).

So, Endurance Zone is the first effort from JBL that adopt the now-ubiquitous design adopted by most – though not all – of the best open earbuds we've tested to date. And this is a great decision, because according to rival firm Huawei back in February, open ear headphones were the fastest growing product in the audio industry, with a 600% growth rate from last year to this.

What else is new? Let's dig in…

(Image credit: JBL)How is JBL going to take you to the Endurance Zone?

Gonna take you right into… the Endurance Zone (and thank you forever, Kenny Loggins). The Endurance Zone features JBL's new 'OpenSound' technology, boasting "punchy, dynamic sound while keeping you aware of your surroundings".

There's also commendable IP68 protection against sweat, rain, or dust (so they can actually be immersed in water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes and survive), plus JBL's Adaptive Bass Boost to automatically adjust the low end depending on your music's volume for precise tuning. A potentially great addition, because in open-fit designs such as these, bass clout is often the first audio casualty.

Just finished an intense workout? JBL actually suggests rinsing JBL Endurance Zone so they’re ready for another day, and you can activate JBL PulseDry in the JBL Headphones App to clear any remaining moisture – yep, they'll even dry themselves off!

Aside from this USP, their 32 combined hours of battery (8 in the earbuds and 24 hours in the case) is good, easily equal to some of the best earbuds currently on the market. Running out of juice ahead of a morning 10k? Fast charging gives you three extra hours of listening from a 10-minute charge.

JBL Endurance Zone will be available from July, for £119.99 (which is around $163 or AU$250, although those prices are guesses) in your choice of Black/Gray, Black/Lime, Purple/Grape, Blue/White and White/Orange – as you can see from the main image here, I like the purple pair. And I cannot wait to give them a whirl.

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• AI energy demands could be lowered by large single-wafer chips
• Researchers say these can overcome the limitations faced by GPUs
• Cerebras and Tesla already use these huge chips, with special cooling systems to manage heat

Engineers at the University of California Riverside are exploring a new approach to artificial intelligence hardware that could tackle both performance and sustainability.

In a peer-reviewed paper, published in the journal Device, the team investigated the potential of wafer-scale accelerators - giant computer chips that operate on entire silicon wafers rather than the small chips used in today’s GPUs.

“Wafer-scale technology represents a major leap forward,” said Mihri Ozkan, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCR and lead author of the paper. “It enables AI models with trillions of parameters to run faster and more efficiently than traditional systems.”

Like monorails

These chips, like Cerebras’ Wafer-Scale Engine 3 (WSE-3), which we’ve covered previously, contain up to 4 trillion transistors and 900,000 AI-focused cores on a single unit. Another wafer-scale processor, Tesla’s Dojo D1, houses 1.25 trillion transistors and close to 9,000 cores per module.

The processors remove the delays and energy losses common in systems where data travels between multiple chips.

“By keeping everything on one wafer, you avoid the delays and power losses from chip-to-chip communication,” Ozkan said.

Traditional GPUs are still important due to their lower cost and modularity, but as AI models grow in size and complexity, the chips begin to encounter performance and energy barriers.

“AI computing isn’t just about speed anymore,” Ozkan explained. “It’s about designing systems that can move massive amounts of data without overheating or consuming excessive electricity.”

Wafer-scale systems have important environmental benefits too. Cerebras’ WSE-3, for example, can perform up to 125 quadrillion operations per second, while using far less energy than GPU setups.

“Think of GPUs as busy highways - effective, but traffic jams waste energy,” Ozkan said. “Wafer-scale engines are more like monorails: direct, efficient, and less polluting.”

One major challenge still remains however - the age-old issue of heat. Wafer-scale chips can consume up to 10,000 watts of power, nearly all of which turns into heat, requiring advanced cooling systems to prevent overheating and maintain performance.

Cerebras uses a glycol-based cooling loop built into the chip, while Tesla has a liquid system that spreads coolant evenly over the chip’s surface.

Via Tech Xplore

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Some brilliant movies have landed on streaming platforms this year but many come with a catch. They’re only available to rent or they disappear from one service just as they pop up on another, which makes them harder to recommend depending on which service you’re subscribed to or where you live.

But if you have a subscription to one of the best streaming services, there are many you can just hit play on, whenever you want and wherever you are. These are known as originals. The movies made by the platforms themselves. They can be hit or miss, but 2025 has quietly delivered a handful of gems so far – just look at our rankings of the best Netflix movies and best Disney+ movies for an idea.

From dreamy animation and gripping crime dramas to skin-crawling body horror and breathtaking documentaries, this list spans genres and moods. All of these picks are available right now on Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu in the US, UK and Australia. No cinema trips or rental fees necessary. Just excellent films ready to stream.

1. Control Freak

Where to watch: Disney+ (AU, UK), Hulu (US)
Release date: 2025
Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%
Length: 104 minutes
Director: Shal Ngo
Main cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Miles Robbins, Toan Le, Kiều Chinh
Age rating: Not rated (AU, UK), R (US)

This skin-crawling Hulu original (which you can also watch on Disney+ in Australia and the UK) is a very strange, slow-burn horror with a standout central performance from Kelly Marie Tran (who most people will recognize from Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi).

Control Freak follows Valerie “Val” Nguyen (played by Tran), a successful motivational speaker whose life begins to unravel when she develops an unbearable itch on the back of her head. But what starts as a small inconvenience spirals into grotesque body horror, vivid hallucinations and a descent into her family’s haunted past. This is a dark story with a folklore horror-esque vibe that weaves together themes of generational trauma, cultural expectations and the supernatural.

It’s a little messy in places – the pacing drags and some of the characters feel underdeveloped – but Tran is magnetic throughout with a lot of intensity and vulnerability. I also found the sound design to be especially effective, making some scenes physically uncomfortable in the best way. It’s not the best horror film you’ll ever watch but it has enough tension and originality to make it well worth your time. Especially if you’re in the mood for something weird, thoughtful and a bit gross.

2. Lost in Starlight

Where to watch: Netflix (AU, UK, US)
Release date: 2025
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Length: 96 minutes
Director: Han Ji-Won
Main cast: Kim Tae-Ri, Hong Kyung, Kang Goo-Han, Ahn Yeongmi
Age rating: PG

Lost in Starlight is a charming, animated Netflix original that I'd recommend as the perfect lazy Sunday watch. It’s part sci‑fi romance, part dream-like adventure. It’s set in a near‑future, neon‑lit Seoul and follows astronaut‑in‑training Nan‑Young, whose mother vanished on a mission to Mars 20 years earlier. She meets Jay, a former musician turned repairman, and their worlds collide when Jay fixes Nan‑Young’s old record player, sparking a star‑crossed connection that’s cute and, at times, a little sickly sweet.

Visually, Lost in Starlight is really stunning. Its animation is rich with soft, vibrant colors that shift to match emotional beats, from Seoul’s bustling streets to the vastness of space. The voice performances also feel warm and genuine, capturing the characters’ messy emotions.

At its heart, Lost in Starlight explores how love can survive across millions of miles. So if you're in the mood for a heartfelt, beautifully animated tale about love and space-spanning emotions, then it'll hit all the right notes.

3. Revelations

Where to watch: Netflix (AU, UK, US)
Release date: 2025
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
Length: 100 minutes
Director: Yeon Sang-Ho
Main cast: Ryu Jun-yeol, Shin Hyun-been, Shin Min-jae
Age rating: Not rated (AU, UK), R (US)

Revelations is a dark, psychological thriller from director Yeon Sang‑ho, probably most famous for zombie action movie Train to Busan. The story follows Pastor Sung Min‑chan, who becomes fixated on the idea that ex-convict Kwon Yang‑rae is involved in the disappearance of a young girl from his church. At the same time, Detective Lee Yeon‑hee is haunted by visions of her dead sister.

What begins as a slow-burn mystery spirals into a frantic exploration of guilt, faith and who gets the right to exact vengeance. The lines between justice and obsession blur and Revelations forces you to sit with uncomfortable questions, like what happens when belief overrides reason? And who gets to decide who’s guilty?

With strong performances and a tense atmosphere, Revelations is more than just a whodunit. It feels like a deeper look at moral ambiguity and the darkness we all carry. If you're drawn to slow-building, emotionally charged thrillers that challenge your perspective, then Revelations is well worth watching.

4. Ocean With David Attenborough

Where to watch: Disney+ (AU, UK, US)
Release date: 2025
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Length: 95 minutes
Director: Toby Nowlan, Colin Butfield, Keith Scholey
Main cast: David Attenborough
Age rating: PG

Ocean with David Attenborough is a breathtaking feature-length documentary movie. And at 99, Sir David has never sounded more urgent or passionate about his mission.

Made by National Geographic and available on Disney Plus, the film takes us from vibrant coral reefs and kelp forests to the exposed seabeds devastated by industrial bottom trawling. Against this backdrop, Attenborough reflects on his lifetime of ocean discoveries and makes a heartfelt plea for better marine conservation.

Cinematographically, it's stunning. Expect sweeping underwater scenes that capture life in the ocean with incredible beauty, while sequences that expose destructive fishing techniques are heartbreakingly real.

If you want a beautifully-shot, emotionally charged documentary that marvels at the natural world and doesn't hold back from confronting our role in its decline, this is a powerful, must-watch film.

5. Havoc

Where to watch: Netflix (AU, UK, US)
Release date: 2025
Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%
Length: 107 minutes
Director: Gareth Evans
Main cast: Tom Hardy, Jessie Mei Li, Justin Cornwell, Quelin Sepulveda
Age rating: 18 (AU, UK), R (US)

Havoc is a grimy crime story from Gareth Evans, the director behind The Raid. It stars Tom Hardy as Walker, a morally dubious cop in a gritty, unnamed US city.

It begins with a drug deal that goes wrong and ends up involving the mayor’s estranged son in a deadly web of corruption, Walker begins a mission through gang-ridden streets to put things right. Which, as you can imagine, is the perfect fuel for Evans’ trademark violence.

Hardy anchors the chaos here with a brooding, intense and weathered presence – which we all know he’s very good at. The film’s late-night urban landscape adds a lot of atmosphere, pairing neon-lit rain-soaked alleyways with explosive and brutally choreographed fight scenes.

No, you’re not going to find the most intricate story here that you'll be thinking much about after the credits roll. But if you're craving relentless action, atmospheric grit and don’t mind a thin-ish plot in favor of stylish carnage, then it’ll get your adrenaline pumping.

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• United Airlines is rolling out a small, but key update that might just help you make your connection
• ConnectionSaver will now give you turn-by-turn directions to make your connecting flight at United's hubs
• It will also show relevant information in real-time in the app

Let’s be real, having to catch a connecting flight isn't the easiest, especially if the time between your first flight and the second becomes crazy tight as a result of a delay. It can be a very high-stress moment, but now United Airlines is trying to make it a little less stressful.

We’ve already seen United adopt Live Activities on the iPhone to make it easy to view key information without opening the app, and the airline has mapped many airports for easy navigation, as well as rolled out some surprisingly helpful features.

So now in time for peak summer travel season, United is updating its ConnectionSaver technology for those connecting within one of its hubs – Newark, NJ, Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Houston, TX, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, or Guam – to the effect that you’ll see flight status in real-time, tips, and a prominent notice if United’s ConnectionSaver is activated.

With this, using AI and United’s teams, they can hold the flight at the gate for a bit longer – and provide you with a countdown clock – without delaying the arrival to help you make the flight.

(Image credit: United Airlines)

Even better, though, United will also inform your in-flight crew if that’s the case and also provide turn-by-turn navigation directions. This way, you don’t have to scramble off the aircraft and run out of the gate, not knowing if you need to go left or right. In a shared video previewed by TechRadar, the app will provide turn-by-turn directions and even inform you if you need to take an escalator to a tunnel or hop on a tram to reach the gate.

Speaking to TechRadar, United’s Chief Customer Officer, David Kinzelman, told us that they’ve mapped all their facilities, and “we feel really good about the maps that we have and the times and the distances” to provide accurate real-time navigation.

I’m particularly excited about the real-time navigation paired with ConnectionSaver, as if you're lucky enough to have a stop through a hub with the first flight arriving late, these two features together could help you actually make the connection. That will need to be tested, of course, and you’ll need to be saved with ‘ConnectionSaver’. If the latter doesn’t come through, or if you get to the gate a bit too late, you can rebook via the United Airlines app and access customer service from there as well.

This update is rolling out now, and ConnectionSaver has already been live. If you’re keen to give it a try or at least access the turn-by-turn navigation, be sure to update the United Airlines app on your iPhone or Android device.

And if you’re a fan of the Live Activity on the iPhone, Kinzelman told us that they're exploring integrating this update into that experience and that “we will at some point link the two”.

The other big technology trend for United Airlines thus far in 2025 has been the start of its rollout of Starlink-powered Wi-Fi for gate-to-gate connectivity at no cost for members of its MileagePlus rewards program. It’s already on several United Express regional jets, and the airline says it will be on the entire fleet by the end of the year, with the process of installing it on its larger mainline jets to begin by the end of the year.

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