Feed aggregator

• ChatGPT now leads AI referral traffic worldwide, leaving Google’s Gemini far behind in usage
• DeepSeek’s domination in China reveals how tight control can forge domestic AI superpowers fast
• StatCounter confirms ChatGPT is now the default gateway to websites in most global markets

New research claims ChatGPT is dominating AI chatbot referral traffic globally, with a commanding 79.8% share.

Figures from Statcounter says OpenAI's platform leads in all G20 nations except China, where Deepseek has emerged as the unexpected frontrunner.

Despite ChatGPT’s widespread influence, it has struggled to make inroads into China’s tightly regulated digital ecosystem, which now stands as a rare blind spot in its global push.

DeepSeek rules China - while ChatGPT takes the rest of the world

ChatGPT's global influence is evident in its significant lead over competitors like Perplexity (11.8%), Microsoft Copilot (5.2%), and Google Gemini (2%).

This dominance suggests users are increasingly turning to AI chatbots not just for answers, but as gateways to the wider web, effectively reshaping the traffic model long dominated by traditional search engines.

“We are already moving into a new era from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO),” said Aodhan Cullen, CEO of Statcounter.

This shift could pose a substantial threat to traditional search models, particularly for Google, whose AI-based search tools lag in referrals.

While ChatGPT continues to function as a leading driver of traffic and arguably the best SEO tool in most of the world, its inability to penetrate China reveals a distinct limitation.

There, Deepseek holds a staggering 89.3% market share. Although globally it commands only 0.8% of referrals, Deepseek has effectively capitalized on its domestic environment to exclude foreign competitors.

When it launched, Deepseek garnered significant attention, becoming the world’s most popular AI term for a day.

It surpassed ChatGPT by becoming the most downloaded free app in the US and UK and recorded 12 million downloads in 2 days, even faster than OpenAI.

In China, it is an indigenous alternative to OpenAI's tools, partly due to its early alignment with government AI policy, and was banned or investigated by several nations.

Google, meanwhile, finds itself in an awkward position. Despite developing much of the foundational AI technology, it is now trailing in adoption and impact.

Cullen likens Google’s current struggle to that of “traditional on-premise software providers at the birth of cloud computing.”

There are now rumors about Apple potentially introducing AI search capabilities in Safari, which would further intensify the pressure on Google’s search business.

Statcounter’s findings are based on over 3.8 billion monthly page views, and it offers a real-time look at the shifting balance of power.

Still, the picture is not fully complete. Grok, another major chatbot, was excluded from the rankings due to its lack of header referral data, leaving a small blind spot in the broader market analysis.

You might also like

• Take a look at our guide to the best endpoint protection
• These are the best business VPNs you can get right now
• AI firms from China skirt around US chip restrictions by moving petabytes of data on good ol' hard drives

As Israel and Iran continue missile attacks against one another, we look at how countries in the Middle East are viewing the conflict. Whether that war could spread and if other powers in the region are bracing for a wider conflict. And we hear from some residents of Tehran weighing the decision of fleeing the Iranian capital as President Trump commanded or staying and taking their chances.

For many Americans, high humidity will make it feel in the triple digits. The National Weather Service is urging people to prepare to protect themselves from the dangers of extreme heat.

(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

Trump's Truth Social comments came as a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that would continue blocking the president's efforts to bar international students from attending Harvard.

(Image credit: Rick Friedman)

Since his first term, Trump has promised action on everything from tax legislation to health care within a fortnight — only for his announcements to materialize months later or not at all.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Police say Trenton Abston, 25, came to Mayor Paul Young's home armed with a Taser. Officers allegedly found rope and duct tape in his car.

(Image credit: Shelby County Sheriff Office)

You can now create 5-second AI videos with Midjourney's new video generator for $10 per month.

It's possible that Social Security numbers may have ben compromised. It's unclear how many people may have been affected.

• TP-Link’s EAP772-Outdoor survives immersion, but the signal won’t follow it into the water
• Built to endure harsh elements, but not the hype surrounding underwater wireless capabilities
• Enterprise users might love it, but it feels like overkill for your average Wi-Fi needs

TP-Link has announced a new Wi-Fi 7 access point that not only supports the latest wireless standard, but also boasts an IP68 rating which allows it to withstand full water immersion.

On paper, this rugged Wi-Fi 7 access point looks great, with tri-band wireless speeds up to 9.3Gbps, support for over 380 connected devices, and 2.5Gbps Power over Ethernet (PoE) for streamlined setup.

However, the decision to highlight full immersion capabilities invites a more skeptical look, especially considering the known limitations of wireless communication in water.

How relevant is the IP68 rating?

The device is equipped with two 4 dBi antennas for the 2.4GHz band and two 6dBi antennas each for the 5GHz and 6GHz bands.

It operates across the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, offering maximum theoretical speeds of up to 688Mbps, 2.88Gbps, and 5.76Gbps, respectively, and supports a coverage area of around 300 square meters and a five-year warranty by the company.

So, while the router might physically survive immersion, the idea of underwater Wi-Fi remains questionable.

Standard Wi-Fi is inherently ineffective underwater. Radio frequencies, especially at 2.4GHz and above, are quickly absorbed by water, leaving little room for practical transmission beyond a few feet.

Water blocks the very signals the device is designed to emit, raising doubts about how the LAN port would even be protected from moisture once submerged.

If we momentarily entertain the concept of underwater wireless use, the practical applications are narrow and not well served by conventional Wi-Fi.

Divers, for instance, would benefit from the ability to send data or communicate without relying on hand signals or physical boards.

Real-time image sharing or sensor readings from underwater drones to surface computers could be useful in scientific or military operations.

However, these needs are already being addressed by emerging technologies like Aqua-Fi, which uses LED, laser, or acoustic waves for underwater data transmission, none of which involve standard Wi-Fi frequencies.

TP-Link has not suggested any integration with such systems, nor has it indicated that the EAP772-Outdoor is intended for submerged deployment beyond mere survivability.

That raises the question of why the waterproof feature is being emphasized at all. For outdoor venues, where rain, dust, and heat are threats, weatherproofing makes sense.

But full immersion? Unless the router is accidentally dropped in a pond or installed in a highly flood-prone area, it’s difficult to see the value.

For users seeking the best Wi-Fi router, the EAP772-Outdoor may excel in terms of outdoor reliability.

Enterprise clients needing tough gear for open-air deployment might also make sense out of this device, but for anyone shopping for a mobile hotspot or switch for home or office use, this might seem more like overengineering.

The TP-Link EAP772 is expected to retail around $565 when it launches in June 2025.

Via Guru3d

You might also like

• These are the best firewalls at the moment
• Take a look at the best antivirus for your protection
• Smartwatches could potentially be used to steal data from or launch attacks on air-gapped systems

The Trump administration is slashing jobs at Voice of America's parent agency by 85%. Journalists who have risked their freedom to report for the broadcaster wonder what happens next.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum)

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle No. 271, for Saturday, June 21.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,463 for June 21.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the NYT Connections puzzle for June 21, #741.

Here are hints -- and answers -- for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 475 for June 21.

• An act passed by Congress requires security review by December
• DJI says it's willing to co-operate, but no agency has started the process
• If the audit is not completed, a ban on DJI drones will come into force

DJI drones are the most popular flying cameras in the US. Both its consumer and professional quadcopters sell in huge numbers, and they also rank among the best drones you can buy. Yet a huge question mark still looms over their immediate future. By the end of 2025, DJI drones could be banned in the US – and that's prompted the Chinese giant to raise the alarm bells about the obstacles it's flying into.

We have reached out to the relevant agencies to fulfill this obligation set out by Congress. However, more than six months have passed, and that process still hasn’t begun.

DJI spokesperson

Talk of a ban on DJI drones has been circulating for more than year, as the Countering CCP Drones Act made its way through the halls of US Congress. It’s motivated by national security concerns and specifically targets drones made by Chinese companies, including DJI.

The risk of a ban came closer to reality late last year, when Congress passed an act which legally mandated a review of DJI drones. If that fails to happen by December 2025, customers in the US might no longer be able to buy the best DJI drones. How likely is that? We’ve unpacked DJI's latest statement on the subject and all of the details below.

What the law says

At the center of the issue is the FY25 National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), passed by Congress in December 2024. Section 1709 requires an “appropriate national security agency” to assess whether drones manufactured in China – which includes drones made by DJI – pose an “unacceptable risk” to US national security. This must be completed within a year.

Crucially, the legislation doesn’t specify which agency must undertake the required assessment. If no agency takes up the mantle and completes that audit by the end of 2025, DJI drones could be added to the FCC’s “Covered List”. This would automatically restrict future DJI product approvals in the US.

In practical terms, that could mean:

• No new DJI drones sold in the US
• No FCC certification for updated models
• Potential disruption to support for existing customers.

And so far, more than six months since the act was passed, no agency has started the review.

What DJI says

(Image credit: James Abbott)

DJI has become increasingly vocal on the issue, warning that the clock is ticking to avoid a US ban on DJI drones.

In an official statement shared with TechRadar, the company said: “DJI has repeatedly said publicly that we welcome and embrace the opportunity to demonstrate our privacy controls and security features. We stand ready to cooperate with any rulemaking processes or investigations.”

The statement continues, “We have also reached out to the relevant agencies to fulfill this obligation set out by Congress. However, more than six months have passed, and that process still hasn’t begun.”

On 13 June 2025, six months until the NDAA deadline, DJI published a blog post calling for action on the “overdue security review”. The post states that “America’s drone community deserves due process” and called on DJI operators to speak up.

It issued a rallying cry to the “thousands of businesses, public safety officials, farmers, entrepreneurs, and others” who “use DJI technology to serve your community, protect lives, grow your business, or deliver essential services.”

The post echoed an earlier article shared in December 2024, when the NDAA was first approved, which emphasized the risk that “DJI would be prevented from launching new products in the U.S. market through no fault of its own, but simply because no agency chose to take on the work of studying our products.”

Verdict: no ban yet – but the countdown is on

(Image credit: DJI)

For the time being, DJI drones are still legal to buy and fly in the US. But if no national security agency initiates and completes the audit required by law, expect to see a ban on new models in late 2025. Existing owners might still be able to use their drones, but support and future updates could be cut off.

The impact of that would be huge, both for DJI and its customers. Speaking to Rest Of World, Elsa Kania, a researcher at the Center for a New American Security, said “Among the downsides of a ban are the near-term impacts on a range of users and consumers, considering DJI’s comparative advantage relative to most competitors in price and performance.”

So the threat isn’t imaginary. Whether it comes to pass depends entirely on bureaucratic follow-through. With no guarantee of that happening, US drone users may need to advocate for action if they want to continue buying and flying DJI drones.

That’s exactly why DJI is asking its users to petition their elected representatives, via coalitions like the Drone Advocacy Alliance. But clock's ticking is now getting louder and time is running out ahead of DJI's potential US ban.

You might also like...

• Worried about the DJI drone ban? Fear not – here are the four best DJI alternatives
• DJI says it ‘welcomes’ imminent US drone ban review – here’s why
• Best DJI drone 2025: the finest flying cameras from its impressive range

I can't wait to see it for the umpteenth time.

The average payout could drop to $1,580 per month after 2034 -- a 19% drop from the current average retirement payout.

Let the scary movie marathon commence.

• Cybersecurity experts recommend we rethink the way we name attackers
• Names like Salt Typhoon and Fuzzy Bear are misleading, they argue
• Microsoft and CrowdStrike have agreed to align their naming conventions

A co-written article from former heads of the UK and USA cybersecurity agencies, Jen Easterly (CISA) and Ciaran Martin (NCSC), has called for the naming conventions of threat actors to be reconsidered, calling the current names ‘misleading’.

“These names aren’t just confusing—they’re misleading. They obscure attribution, mystify the public, and often glamorize dangerous adversaries,” the Just Security article urges.

“That’s why we welcome the news that cybersecurity leaders Microsoft and CrowdStrike are teaming up to better align how they name and categorize cyber threat actors.”

The latter sentence refers to a new strategic collaboration in which Microsoft and CrowdStrike will align in their threat actor taxonomies, which it hopes will help improve confidence in threat actor identification, ‘streamline correlation’ between reports, as well as ‘accelerate defender action in the face of active cyberthreats.’

Objectively ridiculous

Easterly and Martin believe while this collaboration will help, it won’t ‘fundamentally reform’ the naming convention in the way that’s needed.

“Here’s the problem: we still lack a shared, vendor-neutral, public taxonomy that enables global alignment and interoperability," they added.

“In the meantime, we’re still using names that sound more like comic book characters than what they really are: nation-state hackers and cybercriminals actively trying to disrupt hospitals, paralyze governments, and hold businesses hostage.”

The security experts believe that giving cybercriminals names like 'Scattered Spider' or 'Volt Typhoon' contribute to a sort of brand identity for the groups, running de-facto marketing campaigns for them and misleading the public on the severity of the threats.

The article calls for security experts to stop naming groups in ways that ‘mystify, glamorize, or sanitize their nefarious activities’, and even goes as far as to call it an ‘objectively ridiculous way to inform the public’ about dangerous organized crime gangs.

Organizations like Scattered Spider have done serious damage and have disrupted public life in a measurable way, as it did with the alleged ransomware attack targeting British retailers - and their name should reflect the danger they pose.

“These actors don’t deserve clever names," the article notes. "Calling them dirtbags would frankly be more appropriate, or if creative branding is aimed at making them more memorable, we’d suggest names like Scrawny Nuisance, Weak Weasel, Feeble Ferret, or Doofus Dingo.”

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best malware removal software around
• Check out our choice for antivirus software out there
• Worrying attack sees 10,000 records allegedly belonging to VirtualMacOSX leaked

European precision meets South American flair in this Group C clash in Miami.