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Reich served under President Clinton from 1993 to 1997. He opens his new memoir, Coming Up Short, with an apology on behalf of the Baby Boom generation for failing to build a more just society.

The flip foldable, releasing in China, includes a limited edition model co-designed by Jimmy Choo.

• AI Mode can now find you dinner reservation options based on your preferences
• It'll soon be able to find you concert tickets too
• US users can get even more personalized results

Google has given its AI Mode a major upgrade by giving it agentic capabilities that will help you find a restaurant table – and I’m more than impressed with how well it works.

When Google added AI Overviews to search you could almost hear a collective sigh of “Why?” go out around the world. There seemed to be a consensus that there was too much AI in everything, and we didn't need it, especially in search.

But over time AI Overviews – a kind of summary of answers to whatever you asked – have started to prove more and more useful, and these days I quite often get something good from the AI Overview without having to scroll down the list of search results.

Next came AI Mode, a full-on AI search engine that occupies the first of the tabs on the Google search page, and is similar to ChatGPT Search and Perplexity. It uses AI to search the web, so if you want to do natural language searching, rather than keyword-based searching as you do in a normal Google search, it’s much more catered to your needs.

Now Google has gone even further and given its AI Mode agentic qualities specifically for finding available restaurant slots for you, so it can do a little bit more digging, and get better results, than a standard AI Mode search would.

Bon appétit

So, if you enter AI Mode in Google then ask about getting a dinner reservation for four, name a date, time and location and, of course, the type of restaurant or food you’re interested in, AI Mode can now speed up the process, giving you a list of options for restaurants that meet your specific needs and which have free reservation slots.

There are limitations: AI Mode can’t go as far as booking the table for you just yet, but it will link you directly to the booking page, so it puts the decision right into your hands.

I’ve tried it out for restaurants in my local area, and it worked very well. I even doubted that one of the very good restaurants would have a free table at that time, but I was wrong!

AI Mode even told me that there was no point in trying to book at my preferred venue since it was closed on a Sunday evening, and recommended some other options.

Tickets soon

Google says it’s working with OpenTable, Resy, Tock, Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek, Booksy and many more to make this experience possible, which means that concert tickets could be the next thing AI Mode is able to help you reserve.

Users in the US who have opted into the AI Mode experiment in Labs will get even more personalized results, which will use your previous conversations along with places you’ve searched or tapped on in Maps. So, if you ask, “I’ve got half an hour for lunch, where should I go?”, it will use this information to recommend somewhere that fits your preferences.

While AI being integrated into Google search may have started off as an annoyance, it’s slowly becoming a set of really helpful tools that might even start to turn the tables and get ChatGPT-maker OpenAI worried.

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Conservative Christian leader James Dobson, who founded Focus on the Family and was once called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader," died Thursday.

(Image credit: Jeff Fusco)

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One of the goals of controversial wolf hunts in the Western U.S. is to help reduce the burden on ranchers, who lose livestock to wolves every year. A new study finds that those hunts have had a measurable, but small effect on livestock depredations.

(Image credit: Raimund Linke)

• Apple fixes CVE-2025-43300, an out-of-bounds write bug in iOS and iPadOS
• The bug allowed threat actors to run remote code execution attacks
• There is evidence of abuse in the wild, so users should be on their guard

Apple has fixed a bug in iOS and iPadOS which was apparently being used in “an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals”.

In a security advisory, Apple said it fixed an out-of-bounds write issue it found in the ImageIO framework, which lets apps open, save, and work with image files efficiently, including reading details like EXIF data, or creating thumbnails.

An out-of-bounds bug happens when software mistakenly writes data beyond the memory area it was supposed to. This can corrupt memory, crash apps, and even allow threat actors to run malicious code, remotely.

Hiding the details from the crooks

Since the bug was found in ImageIO, it allowed specially crafted images to overflow memory checks and overwrite adjacent data when processed. A threat actor could send a malicious image in an email, a message, or a webpage. If the vulnerable device were to try and render it, the out-of-bounds write might let the attacker crash the system, or even run malware.

The bug is tracked as CVE-2025-43300, and doesn’t yet have a severity score. Apple did not discuss the findings further, in order to give everyone enough time to patch, without giving other threat actors knowledge on how to abuse it.

Devices affected by this flaw include iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.

Apple fixed it by improving boundary checks, in versions iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2, iPadOS 17.7.10, macOS Sequoia 15.6.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.8, and macOS Ventura 13.7.8.

This is the sixth zero-day vulnerability Apple fixed since the start of 2025, BleepingComputer reports, including CVE-2025-24085 (January), CVE-2025-24200 (February), CVE-2025-24201 (March), and two in April, CVE-2025-31200 and CVE-2025-31201.

Via BleepingComputer

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Announced in 2019, Team Cherry's follow-up is coming sooner than expected, and it's on Game Pass on Day 1.

When is the next Assassin's Creed coming out?

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

We'd expect the next Assassin's Creed game to be Assassin's Creed Jade, though development on that has gone quiet since late last year. Beyond that, there's Assassin's Creed Hexe, which we've only seen a brief teaser for. The first major expansion for Assassin's Creed Shadows, Claws of Awaji, arrives September 16.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe is probably the most mysterious and intriguing of all the Assassin's Creed projects that Ubisoft has in the works right now. We've only had the smallest of glimpses into it, so it's certainly a project that we still have heaps of questions about.

As one of the many upcoming games from Ubisoft, there’s a huge amount of speculation regarding the release of Hexe, and we’ve pulled together what we can to help inform us all of what it could look like.

We reckon that Assassin’s Creed Hexe could bring with it an experience never seen before in the Assassin’s Creed series, and with a lot of players already speculating themes and settings - it's looking likely that it'll cover witchcraft in some way. We'll have to wait and see whether it'll rank highly on our best Assassin’s Creed games list or not. For now, here’s everything we know so far.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe - cut to the chase 

• What is it? An upcoming addition to the Assassin’s Creed game series
• When can I play it? TBC
• What can I play it on? TBC
• Who makes it? Ubisoft (specifically Ubisoft Montreal)

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe trailers

We've received just one trailer for Codename Hexe, and it’s pretty short. The thirty-second reveal trailer introduces us to a shadowy, spooky woodland before the camera pans through tree branches and lands on what looks like a talisman over a fire that takes the classic form of the Assassin’s Creed logo. Although the trailer doesn’t offer us a release date or any information about the platforms the game will be available on, there’s still a little more to dissect.

At first, the logo made out of sticks and twine doesn’t look too out of the ordinary, but the end card places the same structure on an inverted pentacle, which is traditionally used in relation to the occult. An alphabet surrounds the symbol, and letters within the pentacle also offer clues about the game which might be missed unless you can figure out the translation.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do said translation yourself, as many eager-eyed players have already started dissecting any clues embedded within the trailer. As explained by community stalwarts Access the Animus in a detailed YouTube video, the exterior of the symbol translates from the alphabet of the Magi directly to German, and states “Wir arbaiten im dem twnckel um dem licht zu dienen” which when translated to English, says “we work in the night to serve the light”. As said by Ezio in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, that has since become a 'catchphrase' of the series.

But this isn’t the only information to dissect. In the center of the symbol, the same alphabet can be used to broadly translate the interior sections. In the exterior ring, the word “Mephisto” is spelled out, which is a demon from German folklore, followed by “Rache” meaning 'avenge', and “Hwsa” meaning 'house' or 'family'. When put together, the phrase “Mephisto avenge the house/family” is what we are left with, heavily leaning toward Hexe being themed around Germanic mythology and the occult.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe story and setting prediction

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Following on from the information that can be drawn from the reveal trailer, we can start to piece together some information about the story, theme, and setting of Hexe. The first major clue is within the codename title, Hexe, (Hek-sa) which simply translates to 'Witch' in German. This alone has been enough to lead a lot of players to believe that the setting of the game will be Germany between the early-1620s and the mid-1630s, and paired with the translation from the end of the reveal trailer, there are more than enough clues to suggest the setting will be Germany.

Due to its speculated setting and the dark imagery of the trailer, alongside the use of the Alphabet of the Magi, we expect the story of the game to revolve heavily around the Witch Trials held by the Holy Roman Empire within this time period. The setting, trials, and a healthy dose of the occult and mystery - and magic? - could create a fairly dark experience in comparison to other Assassin’s Creed games.

Marc-Alexis Cote has stated that Hexe will be “a very different type of Assassin’s Creed game.” But what this means is incredibly open for interpretation right now - though we do know it'll be the next 'flagship' in the series now that Assassin's Creed Shadows is out, and that it's being developed by the team behind Valhalla. A lot of fans expect the heavily implied occult aspects to provide a fresh horror take on the franchise, and depending on how this is implemented, there’s a chance Hexe and its new direction could fall among even the best horror games, if it nails the landing that is.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe will not be an RPG

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Even though we can dissect the reveal trailer to find clues about the story and setting of the game, how exactly it plays out still remains largely a big mystery. Although we expect the standard stealth and infiltration alongside intricate combat of Assassin’s Creed games to continue in some form, there are a few things worth noting about the game which could shake up the traditional AC formula.

In an interview with IGN, Cote states that Hexe “will not be an RPG” in an attempt to “bring more diversity to the places we choose to visit and to how we choose to represent those periods.” So, we know for sure that the game will not play in a similar way to Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Odyssey, or Origins. But the genre and length of Hexe still remain a mystery.

With RPG elements stripped out, there are a lot of potential routes the game could take, which leads us to believe that a more survival horror adventure game could be likely - if it also doesn't follow the old-school stealth routes the Mirage is brought back, too.

Unusually, we also haven’t seen the assassin or protagonist for the game - not even an outline or silhouette. With the game being potentially set within the witch trials of the Holy Roman Emperor, taking the role of someone being trialed or hunted would be an incredibly interesting take on the game.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe developer

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The precise Ubisoft studio behind Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe is Ubisoft Montreal. This is significant in two ways. Firstly, this is the studio that began the series back in 2007 with the first game, and secondly, this is the team behind the largest RPG-style entry of them all in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. For what it's worth, it's also the studio behind Far Cry 5 and Far Cry New Dawn, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Watch Dogs 2 (to name but a few).

In terms of personnel, Clint Hocking is onboard as creative director, whose credits include some of the above games - some of the most expansive from Ubisoft.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe news

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake rumors
Rumors about a Black Flag remake have been circulating for a good while, but now Matt Ryan, the actor behind the game's protagonist Edward Kenway, has hinted at its potential release once again.

During a recent convention meet-and-greet, Ryan asked a fan if they'd beaten the Black Flag, and when the fan said they had, the actor gave the most obvious hint that the game is on the way (via IGN).

Assassin’s Creed Hexe will leave a “lasting mark on the franchise” according to a LinkedIn post
According to a LinkedIn post shared by Ubisoft Motreal’s Talent Acquisition Specialist, Yara Tabbara, Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe will “leave a lasting mark on the franchise.” The details of what this means for the game are unknown and we still have a huge amount to learn, including a genre, concrete setting, and release date, but it’s still exciting enough to know that Hexe could shake up Assassin’s Creed as we know it.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe announced as part of Ubisoft Forward 2022
The first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe was shown at Ubisoft Forward 2022, offering a look at a shadowed woodland and an all-new look for the logo, before placing it on a pentacle and ending the trailer. With such an extreme lack of information to go off, the trailer leaves the door open to interpretation for players, and there’s a lot of speculation already circulating about what this game will offer and how it will separate itself from the traditional franchise.

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Erik and Lyle Menendez will get their first-ever parole hearings on Thursday and Friday, after spending more than three decades in prison for their parents' murders. Here's what to expect.

(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian)

• Hollow Knight: Silksong officially launches on September 4, 2025
• Team Cherry made the long-awaited announcement during a special broadcast today
• The game will be available on PC and consoles, including Nintendo Switch 2

The moment has finally arrived! Team Cherry has announced that Hollow Knight: Silksong will officially launch on September 4, 2025.

The long-awaited announcement comes from a special developer broadcast today, where we were also treated to a full-length gameplay trailer showing playable protagonist Hornet platforming through new lands and battling hordes of bugs and beasts.

Silksong will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, and ROG Xbox Ally X.

It's also confirmed that the Metroidvania indie game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2.

Gamescom 2025 is currently underway, where lucky attendees can play the game on Switch 2.

It's been a long time coming. The Hollow Knight sequel was announced way back in 2019, and we've only seen brief appearances of the game over the year at various events, including Opening Night Live 2025 and the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this year.

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Israel gave final approval for a settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, which Palestinians say could dash hopes for a future Palestinian state.

(Image credit: Nasser Nasser)

In 2025, organizations operate amid escalating geopolitical tensions, data sovereignty restrictions, and stricter artificial intelligence (AI) regulations like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act. These challenges disrupt supply chains and limit access to real-world data, while AI advances rapidly, offering powerful opportunities but also increasing operational risks for those unprepared.

Traditional decision-making, reliant on static reports and siloed data, can’t keep pace with today’s speed and complexity. Organizations must build resilience through systems that anticipate disruptions, make autonomous decisions, and adapt continuously.

This resilience is grounded in three interconnected trends: synthetic data, AI agents, and executive AI literacy. Synthetic data addresses data scarcity and privacy constraints by providing safe, diverse datasets essential for AI training and testing. AI agents leverage this data to automate and augment decisions in real time, from logistics to cybersecurity.

Executive AI literacy equips business and IT leaders with the strategic insight to use, govern and manage AI responsibly, ensure regulatory compliance, and align AI initiatives with business goals.

Together, these trends create organizations that don’t just improve decision-making; they become adaptive, proactive, and capable of thriving amid uncertainty. Here’s how they interweave to meet the demands of 2025.

AI agents: The engine of adaptive action

In a world where disruptions, such as supply chain bottlenecks or cyberattacks, strike without warning, AI agents are transforming how organizations respond. These software systems analyze vast datasets, recommend actions, and execute tasks autonomously within defined parameters. In logistics, AI agents can instantly reroute shipments based on geopolitical events, minimizing delays. In cybersecurity, they detect and neutralize threats by analyzing global network patterns, reducing response times from hours to seconds.

This capability is critical today because the speed and complexity of 2025’s challenges demand automation beyond human capacity. For example, a retailer facing sudden trade restrictions can deploy AI agents to optimize inventory across regions, balancing cost and availability in real time. However, AI agents are only as effective as the data they receive and the rules guiding them. Without robust inputs and proper oversight, they risk amplifying errors or acting on incomplete information. This highlights the essential roles of synthetic data and executive AI literacy.

Synthetic data: The fuel for smarter, safer AI

AI agents rely on high-quality, diverse data to function effectively, but real-world data is often messy, restricted by privacy laws, or limited by geopolitical data sovereignty demands. Synthetic data, artificially generated to mimic real-world patterns, provides scalable, privacy-compliant datasets that overcome these challenges. In healthcare, synthetic patient data trains diagnostic AI models without compromising privacy. In finance, it enables stress-testing of fraud detection systems without exposing sensitive transactions, fostering innovation within tightly regulated sectors.

The urgency of synthetic data in 2025 arises from escalating regulations like GDPR and the Cyber Resilience Act, which require strict compliance without hindering progress. However, risks remain. Poorly managed synthetic data can produce inaccurate models or lead to compliance failures. Effective metadata management—tracking data lineage, assumptions, and usage—is essential to maintaining reliability. This is where executive AI literacy plays a crucial role, ensuring leaders understand how to manage, govern and use synthetic data responsibly to unlock its potential while mitigating risks.

Executive AI literacy: The strategic compass

As AI agents and synthetic data reshape operations, leaders must evolve from passive adopters to active strategists. Executive AI literacy, a deep understanding of AI’s opportunities, risks, and trade-offs, enables decision-makers to align AI initiatives to support and build long-term organizational resilience. Leaders fluent in AI can critically assess whether supply chain recommendations from AI agents account for geopolitical volatility or whether synthetic data practices comply with regional regulations. This ensures innovation is both effective and secure.

In 2025, experiential upskilling programs are gaining momentum, allowing executives to engage directly with AI through use-case-specific prototypes. A manufacturing leader, for instance, might test an AI agent for predictive maintenance, gaining hands-on insight into its strengths and limitations. This grounded approach transforms AI from a conceptual tool into a tangible business asset, sharpening leaders’ ability to prioritize investments and manage emerging risks.

A unified vision: Building resilience for 2025 and beyond

The convergence of AI agents, synthetic data, and executive AI literacy is more than a technical shift. It’s a blueprint for resilience. AI agents act as the operational core, turning data into action with speed and precision. Synthetic data fuels this core, enabling innovation while navigating regulatory and privacy constraints. Executive literacy ensures these tools are wielded strategically, aligning them with organizational goals and fostering trust.

This matters now because 2025’s challenges—geopolitical instability, regulatory complexity, and technological disruption—demand systems that can anticipate and adapt. A retailer using AI agents to reroute supply chains, powered by synthetic data to simulate market shifts, and guided by AI-literate executives doesn’t just survive disruptions; it gains a competitive edge. These trends create organizations that are increasingly proactive, turning volatility into opportunity.

The path forward

Business and IT leaders must act now to build this resilience. Deploy AI agents to automate and augment critical processes, ensuring robust governance. Invest in synthetic data to unlock AI’s potential, prioritizing metadata to manage risks. Commit to executive AI literacy through hands-on programs that align AI with your organization's unique challenges.

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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

• A free Android VPN app with 1M+ downloads was caught hosting its service on Windscribe-stolen VPN servers
• JetVPN allegedly began using Private Internet Access (PIA) servers after Windscribe blocked its access
• According to Windscribe, this incident is a symptom of wider issues with Google Play

A free VPN, ranking among the most downloaded free apps in the Google Play Store with 1M+ downloads, was caught seemingly stealing from Windscribe.

Rated as one of the best VPN providers on the market by TechRadar's reviewers, Windscribe first realized that JetVPN – a new name in the industry – was using Windscribe-owned servers to host its VPN service at the end of July.

After blocking it, JetVPN allegedly turned to Private Internet Access (PIA) servers to keep hosting its service.

A JetVPN spokesperson told TechRadar that the team was completely unaware of the situation until Windscribe reached out. A third-party firm offering a "white-label VPN" solution allegedly provided JetVPN with Windscribe and PIA servers without the company knowing.

"This whole thing is basically scammers scamming other scammers," commented Windscribe's CEO, Yegor Sak, adding that, "it is not the first time this happened," suggesting this signals a wider problem with how Google deals with quality control on new applications.

Stolen VPN servers – how did it happen?

Windscribe and PIA are among a handful of VPN providers offering unlimited device connections. This means that once you subscribe to one of these services, you can use your VPN app on all of your devices simultaneously.

While everyday users may take advantage of this policy to protect their families and friends by paying only for one subscription, malicious developers can also abuse it to host their own virtual private network (VPN) software at no cost.

"How they do it is very simple: they buy a bunch of Windscribe accounts, and then mass-share them using their own app by distributing OpenVPN credentials," Sak told TechRadar.

Nothing to worry about if you have a Windscribe or PIA account, though. As Sak explains: "This does not affect any other Windscribe users, since they're just abusing their own accounts, which they paid for."

PIA also confirmed to TechRadar that the team was aware that a third party took advantage of its unlimited device offering.

"In line with our Terms of Service, we closed the offending accounts promptly," a PIA spokesperson told us.

When approached by TechRadar, JetVPN said the team promptly stopped using Windscribe and PIA servers as soon as the provider got in touch, removed them from its application, and moved to an infrastructure fully under the company's control.

"We want to emphasize that JetVPN never engaged in any intentional or unauthorized use of their infrastructure – the overlap came solely from the same third-party provider," said a JetVPN spokesperson.

A Google Play issue?

(Image credit: Google Play)

At the time of writing, JetVPN is unavailable on the Google Play Store. Until Friday, August 15, 2025, it was and amassed a 5-star rating within a couple of months. The VPN was never available for download on the Apple App Store.

Asked about this, JetVPN told TechRadar that the removal isn't directly related to this matter.

"We are currently in the process of updating and improving our service, and we look forward to making it available again in due course," said a JetVPN spokesperson, adding that it was the company's decision to launch the app solely on Android at first.

That said, the JetVPN saga is only the latest of such incidents, where unverified VPN apps managed to get into the top ranks on Google Play.

Google even launched a "Verified" badge last February to help users download only secure and trustworthy services. Yet this popular free Google Chrome VPN extension has recently been found to spy on its 100k users, despite having obtained such a security badge.

All in all, Sak told TechRadar: "Google has a serious problem on their hands with quality control, as well as obvious use of bots to mass-install and mass-review shady apps to get them into the top 10 lists. This is quite obvious, since this app [JetVPN] has a 5.0 rating, with 5k+ votes and zero written reviews."

As a rule of thumb, you should always avoid downloading unsecured freebies if you care about your privacy and security. If you're looking for a trustworthy application, we recommend checking our best free VPN guide – Privado VPN, Proton VPN, and Windscribe Free are today's top picks.

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Sometimes it feels like we are in the middle of a scam epidemic. From bogus investment schemes to phishing attacks, online fraud is becoming more frequent, more sophisticated, and more emotionally exploitative.

In the midst of it all, one type of fraud is grabbing more headlines than the rest: romance scams. Victims of these schemes are not only left financially devastated, but emotionally manipulated, tricked into believing they were in a real, meaningful relationship that turned out to be part of the elaborate scam.

The latest data from the City of London Police reveals that in 2024 alone, over £106 million was lost to romance scams, with victims losing an average of £11,222 each. And the problem is showing no signs of slowing down, with Barclays reporting a 20% increase year-on-year.

However, romance fraud is just the tip of the iceberg. Fraudsters are constantly changing their tactics, using new tools and strategies to deceive thousands of social media users into handing over substantial sums of money.

Evolving techniques

Romance scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, now turning to AI-generated deepfakes to make their stories more believable. They create hyper-realistic videos and audio, impersonating celebrities or trusted individuals to manipulate victims, by using easily accessible AI tools.

That’s what happened earlier this year in France, when a woman was scammed out of €830,000 by individuals who impersonated Brad Pitt using AI-generated images and videos.

In cases like these, scammers are particularly effective because they adopt a “slow-burn” approach, carefully nurturing online relationships over weeks or even months before making their move.

When the time is right, the ask for money is usually linked to a fake medical emergency, a golden investment opportunity, or a sudden family crisis.

While romance scams have grabbed the most headlines when it comes to social media scams, they’re just one example of a much bigger problem.

The tip of the iceberg

Stolen identities, deepfakes and other AI-generated techniques are driving fraud across social media. They are not used only for romance scams but also phishing campaigns, impersonation attacks, and social engineering.

Specifically, there has been a significant increase in scams using synthetic identities, where fraudsters create entirely fake personas using a mix of real, stolen, and fabricated personal details. These techniques are not just common to perpetrate romance scams, but are often used to secure loans with no intention to repay them as well as in money laundering schemes.

The use of deepfakes or synthetic identities is also on the rise in social engineering scams, where fraudsters impersonate trusted organizations or individuals to trick victims into revealing personal details, financial information or even transferring money. These tactics allow scammers to build up credibility with their victims, leading them to believe they are interacting with, and even giving money to, a credible entity.

Deepfake videos of celebrities are increasingly used to promote investment scams, tricking victims into handing over money for fake investments, promising high returns that never materialize. According to Hargreaves Lansdown, losses from investment scams rose by more than a third in 2024, reaching £144.4 million.

In one recent case, an organized network based in Georgia defrauded thousands of savers across the UK, Europe, and Canada out of $35 million (£27 million). The scammers used deepfake videos and fake news reports featuring money expert Martin Lewis to promote bogus cryptocurrency and investment schemes.

Tackling online fraud

Something that most scams have in common is their origin point. Three quarters of scams (75%) start online, whether that be on dating sites, social media or digital platforms.

Thanks to pre-built fraud kits that can be bought ‘off the shelf’ on the dark web, the entry barrier to fraud no longer exists, and being an expert has become irrelevant.

With AI tools to create deepfakes available online, and synthetic identities up for sale, anyone with an internet connection and bad intentions can now manufacture trust at scale to commit fraud, making digital environments an increasingly dangerous place.

To stem the tide of fraud, digital platforms and social media sites need to take proactive steps to prevent bad actors from operating on their sites.

Integrating technology that detects fraud before a conversation even begins would be a critical step in that direction. AI-powered digital footprint analysis and OSINT tools offer powerful ways to verify whether there’s a real person behind an account, not just whether the account looks real.

These technologies can instantly check whether a user's email or phone number matches the name they provided at sign-up and flag suspicious location mismatches. They can even detect AI-generated images or celebrity photos being used as profile pictures, as well as flag the use of disposable phone numbers or newly created email addresses.

These are simple yet highly effective measures that can make a huge difference in preventing not only romance scams but also investment scams, social engineering, phishing, and more.

Big Tech needs to step up its game

So why are we seeing a rise in scams across the board, when there is technology that could prevent them? In short, these tools are not being used to their full potential.

In recent years, some social media sites have introduced additional voluntary safeguards to verify users' identities and protect against scams, but there’s still more to be done.

If Big Tech can personalise ads with near-perfect accuracy, it should also be able to detect and disrupt romance scams and other forms of fraud. The reality is this simply hasn’t been made a priority.

Until it is, criminal exploitation scams will continue to massively proliferate on social media and other digital platforms.

The tools and resources to prevent scams are there. What we need now is the will to use them.

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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

• A YouTuber has shared a new concept video of 'Windows 12.2'
• This is a follow-up to their previous vision of Windows 12, and refines the concept
• There are some smart ideas, but Microsoft is likely to be thinking very differently about it's next-gen OS

Windows concept videos are quite popular these days, as it's intriguing to take a glance at what might be if Microsoft took a different tack with its OS - and another one just popped up showcasing 'Windows 12.2' no less.

BetaNews spotted this latest concept video from 'AR 4789', a YouTuber who regularly posts these kinds of visions of how Microsoft could spin Windows. If you're wondering why it's called Windows 12.2, this is because the YouTuber already posted a take on Windows 12 a few months back - so this is a refinement.

At any rate, have a watch of the video below and see what you make of the concept, remembering that it is just that - this isn't a mod, there are no installation files, and it isn't based on leaks within Microsoft or anything remotely official.

It's simply an alternate vision of how Windows 12 could look, so click play - maybe skip the beginning which is just the mock setup of the operating system, head to 3:20 if you want to miss that - then afterwards, I'll give you my thoughts on this idea (if you'll indulge me).

Analysis: a smart concept - but the future of Windows will probably look very different

Overall, the YouTuber's take on the Windows 12 interface looks really clean and streamlined, and I like that vibe. There's a cheeky reference to Apple's Liquid Glass design, as well, with the Aero (transparency) effect from Windows Vista in evidence (recall the whole Apple copied Microsoft battle of barbs, though as I've said before, I don't feel that's a very fair stance - and arguably, Apple did sneak in first with the Aqua design in the interface of OS X 10 at the turn of the millennium).

Indeed, the Windows 7 theme applied in the video looks tasty, too, and I also really like some of the nuances, such as the choice of taskbar implementations (two smaller versions, plus floating or docked taskbars, or even options for a Windows 7 or 10-style bar). The Start menu gets a similar treatment and a smart level of customization overall.

I wish Microsoft would adopt some of these ideas, but let's face it - the likelihood of that is remote-to-non-existent (and that's a charitable assessment).

Indeed, I'd argue that the likelihood of Windows 12 appearing in the near(ish) future is also low in the probability stakes. Why? While rumors of Windows 12 have continued to circulate here and there, I'm thinking that whatever step Microsoft takes with the next incarnation of Windows - whatever it might be called - is going to need to be a big stride forward.

This is because Windows 11 was seen as a reskin of Windows 10 when it arrived, and there's definitely some truth there. Under the fresh paint job, many of the features and core workings of Windows 11 remained much the same as Windows 10 (even though a lot was changed under the hood - even more so with Windows 11 24H2 - but you don't see that, despite there being benefits such as better security, for example).

And even today, there's a feeling that I see commonly when reading various online forums that Windows 11 really isn't much different to Windows 10 - so why upgrade? There's no major pressing reason to do so (and many of the shiniest new Windows 11 features are for Copilot+ PCs only, anyway).

Okay, so you have to upgrade soon, of course, with Windows 10's End of Life in sight - unless you sign up for extended updates, and I think there's a good argument for doing just that (as you can get an extra year of security updates for free).

Where am I going with all this? Well, if Windows 12 arrives relatively soon in the OS deployment timeframe, it's not going to be all that much different to Windows 11. Much like the concept we see here, it'll remain largely the same - though we can hope for design and customization innovations along the lines of what the YouTuber suggests.

In this scenario, though, Windows 10 kind of clatters into Windows 11 which sort of bumbles into Windows 12 - they're all much of a muchness, as they say. And yes, sure, maybe Microsoft will plump for more modest iterative upgrades for its desktop OS in the nearer-term in this vein. However, this isn't a great look in terms of innovation - and I think the software giant is looking to make a big splash with AI. Indeed, the company's execs are pretty much telling us this already.

Which is why Microsoft might simply not bother with Windows 12 - and just keep Windows 11 rolling on down the road on annual updates - while it works to make a big entrance with Windows AI, or Windows Copilot, or whatever a much more tightly AI-focused operating system ends up being called (it won't be Windows 12, I don't think - again, it'll be a statement of some kind).

If Microsoft really wants to sell AI - and I think there's an abundance of evidence of that, including key chatter from top execs - the next take on Windows will have Copilot's tentacles snaking into a lot more corners, and will push all kinds of new AI-related tricks on us.

As a result, next-gen Windows will probably look very different to the concept we see here - but I hope that Microsoft might take at least some inspiration from the ideas aired on YouTube here, as I'm a fan.

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It’s no secret that the use of AI has surged exponentially in recent years. New research found 96% of global organizations have deployed AI models and the technology is transforming business initiatives unlike anything we have experienced before. Despite this, concerns and frustrations persist for many organizations trying to unlock its full potential.

The pressure to deliver faster, more secure and more efficient applications is intense. Yet complexity, legacy practices and misalignment are undermining AI’s full scope of abilities. To stay competitive, organizations must align strategies across security, automation and deployment or risk digital transformation efforts becoming stagnated.

Legacy operations blocking AI adoption

The industry is laser focused on how AI and automation will transform everything, yet many IT teams still rely on manual steps. Although AI promises automated tasks like traffic optimization, nearly 29% of teams are still mired in scriptwriting and 56% rely on human operators to kick off processes, which often require multiple manual approvals and ticketing.

Legacy methods and manual interventions choke the pipeline. Even the most advanced AI can’t deliver results if the infrastructure relies on time-consuming, error-prone manual steps. This not only delays deployments but also saps team morale. 

Traditional deployment practices, such as reliance on human operators and cumbersome ticketing systems, cause significant delays, with 23% of IT leaders citing ticketing integration as a primary automation roadblock. Modern continuous integration and deployment pipelines are built for speed, but outdated processes slow them to a crawl. If companies aim for continuous delivery yet still depend on manual approvals, agile deployment becomes redundant.

AI fuels hybrid cloud adoption

As AI continues to gain traction, so too does the shift towards hybrid cloud architectures. Today, 94% of organizations deploy applications across multiple cloud environments, driven by the need for scalability, cost-efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The hybrid approach allows organizations to tailor their infrastructure to the specific needs of different workloads and business demands.

As 91% of IT decision-makers have identified adaptability to evolving business demands as a top advantage of hybrid cloud strategies. This adaptability is especially important for AI workloads, where data locality, latency, and cost control are key considerations.

Notably, more than half of organizations plan to run AI models across both cloud and on-premises infrastructure in the foreseeable future. Interestingly, a growing number of organizations are also reevaluating their public cloud strategies.

Approximately 79% have recently moved at least one application from the public cloud back to an on-premises or co-location setup. The reasons for this shift are varied, but commonly include the need for better cost management, enhanced security and increased predictability.

However, this hybrid model is not without its challenges. Fragmented security policies, inconsistent delivery policies, and operational silos can complicate AI deployment across environments. Misalignment across teams and platforms, whether due to differing security standards, outdated workflows or uncoordinated strategies, remains one of the biggest hurdles.

While AI can help optimize existing processes, it cannot compensate for fundamental strategic misalignment. To truly move forward, organizations must go beyond simply adopting new tools. They need to rethink whether their current workflows are still fit for purpose in the age of AI.

The path towards AI’s full potential

To fully harness AI’s potential, businesses need to commit to building modern, programmable IT environments. These environments should not only support automation but also standardize application delivery and security practices. By creating a more consistent and scalable foundation, organizations can eliminate many of the inefficiencies that currently limit AI’s impact.

By 2026, AI is expected to move beyond isolated task automation to orchestrating comprehensive, end-to-end IT operations. With platforms that feature natural language processing and programmable interfaces, traditional management consoles will give way to more intuitive, AI-driven control systems. This evolution will bring unprecedented accuracy, speed, and agility to IT operations.

In this context, flexibility and automation are no longer optional, but essential. Organizations that successfully modernize their infrastructure and align their strategies will be better positioned to unlock AI’s full capabilities. They will not only enhance operational efficiency but also deliver superior customer experiences and drive meaningful digital transformation, at scale.

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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

It's the latest streaming service to implement a price hike in 2025.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, August 21 (game #536).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Whodunit?

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MEET
• DEVIL
• REVOLT
• RAID
• POEM
• STRICT

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #537) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #536, are…

• DETECTIVE
• STRANGER
• LOVER
• RIVAL
• SPOUSE
• HEIR
• SPANGRAM: ITS A MYSTERY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today we had all the usual suspects of a classic whodunnit? plus, of course, the investigator who will unravel the clues and reveal the killer.

The first word I spotted today was DETECTIVE and at this stage I was uncertain exactly what we were looking for. The word STRANGER helped and then I saw the long snaking spangram.

ITS A MYSTERY is also the name of a rather cheesy new wave song from the early 1980s by Toyah Wilcox, the chorus of which is ingrained into my brain, particularly the line “a shot in the dark, a big question mark”. I couldn’t stop thinking of it during today’s search – which was mercifully brief.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, August 21, game #536)

• HULK
• WOLVERINE
• STORM
• DAREDEVIL
• THING
• ROGUE
• SPANGRAM: SUPERHEROES

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, August 21 (game #1305).

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1306) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• S

• T

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1306, are…

• TROOP
• SCOPE
• TORSO
• BRINY

I decided to experiment today and play the Daily Classic as if I was playing Sequence and the Sequence as if I was playing Classic, with three starter words.

For the Classic it almost paid off: I was on track to get out in six turns. Then I floundered over a word with dozens of options, eventually getting BRINY but spoiling my score.

The Sequence really didn’t work using the Classic method. I still managed to get home after eight turns, but the thinking time was massively increased.

Daily Sequence today (game #1306) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1306, are…

• BIOME
• ELEGY
• BLUFF
• TERSE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1305, Thursday, 21 August: QUEST, SPARK, WHITE, ACUTE
• Quordle #1304, Wednesday, 20 August: DOLLY, MERRY, BUGLE, WORST
• Quordle #1303, Tuesday, 19 August: KNAVE, SMART, CARRY, MAMMA
• Quordle #1302, Monday, 18 August: FIBER, TRADE, RAYON, TEASE
• Quordle #1301, Sunday, 17 August: FUNGI, AMITY, DRIER, CHECK
• Quordle #1300, Saturday, 16 August: OWING, QUAKE, SLIDE, ELITE
• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, August 21 (game #802).

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

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

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

NYT Connections today (game #803) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LAS VEGAS
• STRIP
• AMY
• ADAMS
• TOM CRUISE
• WASHINGTON
• PRIVATE RYAN
• CHRISTOPH
• WALTZ
• JOHN
• MALKOVICH
• STUD
• GEOFFREY
• RUSH
• FORD
• ОМАНА
• GRANT
• DRAW
• CHEVY CHASE

NYT Connections today (game #803) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Four of the 45
• GREEN: Action surnames
• BLUE: Place your bets 
• PURPLE: Film names featuring verbs as nouns 

Need more clues?

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

NYT Connections today (game #803) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: U.S. PRESIDENTS 
• GREEN: ACTORS WHOSE LAST NAMES ARE ALSO VERBS 
• BLUE: KINDS OF POKER 
• PURPLE: PROPER NOUNS AFTER GERUNDS IN '90S MOVIE TITLES 

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

NYT Connections today (game #803) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #803, are…

• YELLOW: U.S. PRESIDENTS ADAMS, FORD, GRANT, WASHINGTON
• GREEN: ACTORS WHOSE LAST NAMES ARE ALSO VERBS CHEVY CHASE, CHRISTOPH WALTZ, GEOFFREY RUSH, TOM CRUISE
• BLUE: KINDS OF POKER DRAW, OMAHA, STRIP, STUD
• PURPLE: PROPER NOUNS AFTER GERUNDS IN '90S MOVIE TITLES AMY, JOHN MALKOVICH, LAS VEGAS, PRIVATE RYAN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Today’s purple group is one of those that will have people scratching their heads after the answer is revealed.

I had to do some Googling afterwards to learn that a gerund is a verb with an -ing ending that functions like a noun – like “saving’ for PRIVATE RYAN, “being” for JOHN MALKOVICH,  "leaving" for LAS VEGAS and “chasing” for AMY.

Thankfully, I’d already completed today’s puzzle, but not without several mistakes. The first was that AMY and WASHINGTON were linked by Whitehouse/White House along with STUD (surely there has to be White House stud farm) and LAS VEGAS (I was mistakenly thinking of the Little White Chapel).

I also put together the four actors who I guessed had won Oscars – I left CHEVY CHASE out of that group – before stopping and seeing the common link in their surnames.

Messy, but I got there in the end.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, August 21, game #802)

• YELLOW: BLUNDER BOO-BOO, FLUB, GAFFE, NO-NO
• GREEN: LANDS OF THE IMAGINATION DREAM, FANTASY, LA-LA, NEVER NEVER
• BLUE: THINGS WITH ANTENNA/E INSECT, RADIO TOWER, SATELLITE DISH, TELETUBBY
• PURPLE: ____ DOODLE CHEESE, DIPSY, GOOGLE, YANKEE

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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