Error message

  • Deprecated function: implode(): Passing glue string after array is deprecated. Swap the parameters in drupal_get_feeds() (line 394 of /home/cay45lq1/public_html/includes/common.inc).
  • Deprecated function: The each() function is deprecated. This message will be suppressed on further calls in menu_set_active_trail() (line 2405 of /home/cay45lq1/public_html/includes/menu.inc).

Feed aggregator

New forum topics

Everything You Need to Know About Superfoods

CNET News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 12:13
Superfoods are nutrient-dense foods that offer various health benefits. Here is everything you need to know about incorporating them into your diet.
Categories: Technology

A top VC firm says investor details were stolen in a data breach

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:53
  • Insight Partners confirms effects of January 2025 breach
  • VC firm reveals some sensitive data was stolen
  • No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack

Insight Partners, a major venture capital organization that invested in some of the biggest tech organizations around today, has confirmed suffering a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive data on employees and some of its partners.

In mid-February 2025, the company released a statement, informing that it suffered a cyberattack a month earlier.

“On January 16, 2025, Insight Partners detected that an unauthorized third-party accessed certain Insight information systems through a sophisticated social engineering attack,” the announcement reads. “As soon as this incident was detected, we moved quickly to contain, remediate, and start an investigation within a matter of hours. We notified stakeholders connected to Insight in January to alert them and encourage vigilance and tightened security protocols irrespective of having shared data compromised. We also notified law enforcement in relevant jurisdictions.”

Investor details compromised

The company said it didn’t find evidence of intrusions after January 16, and added that, since the attack was contained to a single day, it did not disrupt its day-to-day operations.

It recently updated the announcement, saying the breach was verified and confirming that some sensitive data was indeed lost, including fund information, management company information, portfolio company information, banking information, tax information, personal information of current and former employees, and information related to limited partners.

The company doesn’t know how many victims there are just yet, but said it would be notifying affected entities over the coming days. Finally, it urged everyone to keep a close eye on financial statements and credit reports.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the breach.

Insight Partners is a global venture capital and private equity firm that invests in high-growth technology, software, and Internet businesses.

The firm manages more than $90 billion in assets and has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide. Some of its more notable investments include cybersecurity firms like Armis and Wiz, as well as public-facing platforms such as monday.com and Wix.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like
Categories: Technology

Trump tightens control of independent agency overseeing nuclear safety

NPR News Headlines - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:46

NPR has learned that rules must now be vetted by the White House and that the administration is drafting an executive order that could loosen radiation limits.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Categories: News

A couple of weeks thoroughly testing the CMF Phone 2 Pro showed me it's not just a bargain, it's in a class of its own

TechRadar Reviews - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:42
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Two-minute review

With the CMF Phone 2 Pro, Nothing has delivered a truly remarkable bargain phone, treating you, the user with endearing respect, rather than sticking you with a watered-down version of the device you really want.

This phone has one of the most distinct and recognizable designs I’ve seen, but that design is also practical and extensible. I can’t imagine buying a CMF Phone 2 Pro without thinking of all the accessories I might make for it.

For less than $300 / £300 / AU$525 you can have a phone that isn’t just good, but special. The modular design, though a bit less adaptable than the first-generation CMF Phone, means you can make this phone your own in ways that Samsung Galaxy and iPhone owners can only dream of doing.

Even if you don’t want to create your own cases or accessories, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is still one of the best smartphones you can buy at this price. Its performance is solid – better than other bargain competitors, at least – and battery life is excellent.

It may not be quite as durable as a Samsung Galaxy A26 or Motorola Moto G Power 2025, but it’s more resilient than I expected. It has an IP54 rating against rain and splashing water, and Nothing also says the phone will survive in 25cm of water for 20 minutes, so you don't have to panic if it gets wet.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The CMF Phone 2 Pro certainly gives you one of the most distinctive versions of Android that you’ll find on a phone today, using the NothingOS interface as found on the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro. NothingOS is all about a minimalist, almost monochromatic aesthetic, so you get black-and-white icons on the home screen with no labels, and a set of matching widgets to complete the look.

Of course there are some AI features as well, and I honestly ignored them because they revolve around taking screenshots. I’m just not a screenshot type of user, but Nothing isn’t alone in this – the latest Google Pixel 9 also relies on screenshot-based AI tools. You can also use Google Gemini, but don’t expect the robust set of AI features that you might find on more expensive Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones.

With such a low price tag there are bound to be compromises. The cameras are not good, even compared to those on the cheapest Pixel, the Pixel 9a, although that phone costs almost twice as much as the CMF Phone 2 Pro. Performance also lags, and I experienced stuttering in the interface, and occasional delays as the system worked to catch up with whatever task I wanted to perform.

I used the CMF Phone 2 Pro as my primary phone for work, and I really enjoyed it. I like the style of NothingOS; it’s refreshing, with fewer distractions than my Galaxy phone. I committed to using the bright orange lanyard screwed into the back of the phone for my entire review period, and I now understand the appeal of being able to sling the phone over my shoulder and having it readily at hand.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The worst thing about the CMF Phone 2 Pro is how hard it might be to buy one – and then to buy all the accessories you want. In the US, you can only get the model with 256GB of storage as part of Nothing’s so-called 'Beta' program. I used the Phone 2 Pro on AT&T near New York City, and after an initial warning message from AT&T that my phone wouldn’t work properly, it worked just fine.

The phone is easier to buy in the UK, Australia, and the rest of the world, with an even cheaper 128GB version available. Still, comparable phones from Samsung and Motorola are available at your local carrier store, and you can surely get one for free if you sign a contract. The CMF Phone 2 Pro may be cheap, but you probably won’t find one for free.

Only a few accessories will be available for US buyers, and those won’t include the back cover that lets you use attachable macro and fisheye camera lenses, or the magnetic wallet stand. I’m not a fan of snap-on lenses for smartphones, so that’s no big loss, but I wish more of the unique accessories were available here. Since they’re not, I’ll just have to head to my library’s 3D printer and make my own.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • $279 / £249 / AU$509 for 256GB and 8GB of RAM
  • £219 / AU$449 for a 128GB model, not available in the US

The CMF Phone 2 Pro by Nothing is available directly from Nothing in two storage options: 128GB and 256GB. The smaller-capacity model is not being sold in the US, however, and neither is the light green color – the color of my review sample – but you can still get the phone in white, black, or a very bright orange.

The Light Green is available in the UK, but not Australia, and all the other colors are available globally. That’s too bad, I like this light green very much, and it looks cool with the bright orange lanyard attached.

Don’t get too attached to the lanyard if you're in the US, though, because the accessories are only available in the UK and Europe, and Nothing says quantities may be limited.

The 128GB model has an incredibly low price for a phone this good, and if you use cloud storage services there isn’t a pressing need to buy the larger capacity.

Even so, the 256GB model is also an incredible bargain. For around the same price – $300 / £299 / AU$499 – you'll get a Samsung Galaxy A26 or Motorola Moto G Power with 128GB of storage. Both of those phones are a bit more durable, though, with true IP67 and IP68 ratings for water resistance, respectively. Otherwise, there are no significant benefits in terms of specs and hardware, and the CMF Phone 2 Pro has a slight edge in performance.

  • Value score: 5/5
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Specs

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a MediaTek 7300 Pro 5G chipset inside, which is a bit faster than the Exynos 1380 you’ll find in a Galaxy A26 or the MediaTek 6300 in the Moto G Power 2025. The phone ships with 8GB of RAM, which is adequate for a bargain phone, and there's a microSD card slot behind the SIM tray if you need more storage space.

The camera specs are impressive for a phone in this price range, even if, as mentioned, the images aren’t noteworthy. The main camera uses a 0.63-inch sensor, which is much larger than the sensors you’ll find in competing Samsung and Motorola phones. There's a real 2x optical zoom, in addition to a third lens for ultra-wide shots and macro photos.

As with most phones at this price there’s no wireless charging, but you do get slightly faster charging speeds if you buy a 33W charger.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Exposed screws and removable bits
  • More durable than before, even water resistant

The CMF Phone 2 Pro design is a whole choice. Like its big-sibling Nothing Phones, the CMF Phone stands out; it looks, er, nothing like other phones you’ve seen. The back of the phone is punctuated by exposed screws, a removable circular plate, and cameras that look like internal components laid bare.

I like it. It doesn’t feel haphazard – it’s clear that there's thought and design behind the asymmetry. You can't remove the whole back cover of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, as you could with the original CMF Phone, but there is still the small circular screw that you can remove to screw in accessories like the lanyard (or just the lanyard holder, which can also be a loop for dangling charms).

The CMF Phone 2 Pro only comes with an IP54 rating, which means it's protected against dust, but when it comes to water it can only handle rain or splashing, not a full dunk.

However, Nothing has tested the phone itself, and claims it can be submerged in 25cm of water for 20 minutes – so I wouldn’t wash this phone in the sink, but I also wouldn’t worry if you drop it into the toilet by accident.

That’s a huge improvement over last year’s CMF Phone, likely thanks to that new back panel that doesn’t come off as easily. Still, the Samsung Galaxy A26 is IP67 rated for longer dips underwater, and the Moto G Power 2025 is fully military MIL-STD 810H rated, so it can take a serious beating.

My phone came in a lovely light green color that is becoming popular this year – the Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in the same hue as a Samsung online-exclusive color. Unfortunately, you can’t buy this color in the US; you can only get the black, white, or orange versions. I haven’t seen the orange in person, but if it’s as bright as the matching lanyard I got, be aware that it could stop traffic.

  • Design score: 4/5
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Display

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Brighter than competitors at this price
  • Colorful and durable with Panda Glass

The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a very nice display for a phone at this price. It was brighter and more colorful in our labs tests than the Samsung Galaxy A26, a solid win for Nothing since Samsung is usually known for its superlative displays.

Does it get to 3,000 nits at peak brightness? Not that we could see, but it was bright enough in my review time for me to take photos in outdoor light, and to use the phone in a variety of lighting conditions. My content always looked great on the display, whether I was watching movies or perusing my photo albums.

This is one area where spending more will get you better technology, however. The Pixel 9a costs a bit more, but it has a much brighter display that's easier to see in bright, outdoor light. Even paying just a bit more for the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro will get you brighter displays than what you'll see on the CMF Phone.

If I were going to pay to upgrade any feature, it would be this, because more expensive phones have displays that are brighter and easier to use in bright sunlight. I’d also like a stronger glass panel, though the CMF Phone 2 Pro is no slouch here.

The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a screen that's durable and should stand up to mild abuse. The phone uses Panda Glass from Chinese glass maker Tengshu, and it offers many of the same physical qualities as Corning’s Gorilla Glass. I didn’t see any scuffs or scratches after an intense week using the phone as my primary device.

  • Display score: 3/5
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Software

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • NothingOS on top of Android 15 for a signature style
  • For folks who want fewer distractions, not more features

If you want a smartphone with helpful display-edge software panels, tons of features, and customizations galore, buy a Samsung with One UI. If you want to minimize distractions with a signature look and feel that's different from any other smartphone, you should check out NothingOS on the CMF Phone 2 Pro (and other Nothing phones).

That doesn’t mean Nothing gives you nothing on top of Android 15. In fact, Nothing offers a plethora of cool widgets to enhance your home screen, all in Nothing’s signature monochromatic style.

At startup, you can choose between a Nothing interface and a standard Android home screen. Go with Nothing and you’ll see fewer colors, fewer labels on app icons and settings, and presumably fewer distractions. I actually like the NothingOS design, especially with its home screen widgets and monochromatic wallpapers, so I stuck with it for my review period.

There is some AI on board, but frankly I never used it. Just like with the latest Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro, you get a so-called Essentials key, which is a glorified screenshot button. Press the button to take a screenshot that saves to Nothing’s Essential Space. Hold the button to take a screenshot and add a voice memo.

Essential Space is an AI tool that scans whatever you save so it can offer answers later. Unfortunately, I don’t screenshot very much. I don’t save every bit of useful information as a screenshot. I don’t screenshot my emails, text messages, or calendar invitations, since those already live in their own app.

So I didn’t get much value out of Essential Space. If you screenshot everything, or if you’re willing to change your behavior, you may find this more useful. I, on the other hand, did not feel the CMF Phone 2 Pro was missing anything when I skipped these AI features.

  • Software score: 3/5
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Cameras

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Lots of megapixels and big sensors don’t equal great photos
  • If photos matter, you’ll need to spend more (or get a camera)

The CMF Phone 2 Pro's cameras offer plentiful examples of pretty much every way smartphone cameras can go wrong. There’s a lack of detail in most shots, and evidence of strong digital sharpening that makes photos look more like still frames from a low-quality video camera. Backgrounds are frequently over-sharpened, leaving dark edges around objects. In even my most simple shots it can be so hard to tell what I was photographing.

Don’t take photos of anything red, because the cheap sensors on this phone can’t handle the hue, and flowers become a garbled mess, even in bright, outdoor light that should have made for the best results. I was equally unimpressed with the zoom lens, which took photos of birds that were so muddy I couldn’t tell if the water fowl were covered in feathers or plastic.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The wide-angle lens produces a lot of barrel distortion, so buildings will look rounded and weird. I saw plenty of chromatic aberration along high-contrast edges, and the camera falls apart when asked to shoot in low-light near darkness.

It’s hard to find a good camera on a phone this cheap, but the Samsung Galaxy A26 will certainly produce better results in most situations. If photos truly matter, though, you’ll need to step up at least to a Pixel 9a, or perhaps look for a cheap digital camera to carry alongside your phone. I carried an older point-and-shoot camera during my review time, and I barely thought about the CMF Phone 2 Pro for my photography needs.

  • Camera score: 2/5
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Camera samples Image 1 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 2 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 3 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 4 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 5 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 6 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Performance

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Budget-level performance means delays
  • Still very usable, and lags weren't noticeable in lighter usage

The CMF Phone 2 Pro uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chipset, which is a slight step up from the Dimensity 7300 5G in last year’s CMF Phone. In Future Labs tests, the CMF Phone 2 Pro edged out the competition, including Samsung Exynos 1380-equipped Galaxy A26 and Motorola’s Dimensity 6300-driven Moto G Power 2025. In pure benchmark terms, this phone performs about as well as the Galaxy A36, a more expensive phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 inside.

In the real world, performance could be very laggy as I navigated the interface and performed advanced tasks. If I tried to select more than a dozen or so apps to download all at once, the phone came to a halt and stopped registering my taps. When I tried to add six-dozen photos to a single photo album, the phone flatly refused to move so many images at once. I got an error message that I could never defeat.

For most of my daily tasks, however, I didn’t notice any slowdown. Network speeds were fine on AT&T’s network near New York City, and web pages loaded slowly but steadily. All of my messages came through, and I was able to hold video chat meetings.

This isn’t a powerhouse phone, but it gets the job done, even for professional work. The phone handled TechRadar's AirTable content management system with no trouble, and it loaded up the over-complicated AirTable app to show me behind-the-scenes planning.

Any step up in price will get you a phone with more power, but I would pay more for better cameras and a better display before I worried about much faster CPU performance. As long as you’re not a hardcore gamer you might just need a little more patience, so maybe just stare at the cool design while you wait for your phone to catch up.

  • Performance score: 2/5
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Battery

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Excellent battery life, among top performers overall
  • Charging could be faster; no charger included

The CMF Phone 2 Pro delivered excellent battery life, both in the real world and in our Future Labs testing. During my review time the phone always lasted through a full day of use, although it probably helped that I didn’t play many games and didn’t use the cameras very much. In any case, I could forget to charge this phone overnight and still have enough juice to get me through to lunchtime the next day.

In our Future Labs battery rundown test the CMF Phone 2 Pro was a top performer, managing to last just over 16 hours. In the same test, the Samsung Galaxy A26 lated around 10 hours, and the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e (the cheapest iPhone right now) both lasted just over 12 hours.

Much of this longevity is down to how you’ll use the phone. With a slower processor on board, you’ll use less battery power; the Moto G Power 2025 is even slower, and that phone lasted slightly longer in our lab tests. You also won’t use the cameras on the CMF Phone 2 Pro as often as you might with one of the best camera phones.

That said, bargain phones offer great battery life, just like cheaper cars usually get better gas mileage. It’s a benefit of saving money, and I’m happy to take it.

For juicing up, the CMF Phone 2 Pro can charge up to 33W, but there’s no charger in the box (except in India). There's also no wireless charging, but that feature is a rarity at this price point.

  • Battery score: 3/5
Should you buy the CMF Phone 2 Pro?

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) Buy it if...

You have a 3D printer and want to make phone accessories
The CMF Phone 2 Pro offers creative types unique options to make accessories that enhance the phone’s capabilities more than any other device.

You want more than just a cheap version of another phone
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is unique. It doesn’t try to look like a more expensive model, and it stands out with its own design that’s like nothing else.

You want a distinctive look that minimizes distractions
With NothingOS you can dial down the colors and distractions from all the apps on your phone that suck you in like candy.

Don't buy it if...

You need great cameras, or even very good cameras
It’s got megapixels, but that doesn’t equate to great photos, and the pics I got from the CMF Phone 2 Pro were disappointing in every way.

You want to play a lot of games with serious graphics
This phone performs better than most other phones you’ll find at this price, but you’ll notice lag on normal apps, and intense games are out of the question.

You plan on beating this phone up
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is more durable than the last CMF phone, but if you’re going to beat up on a phone, get something more durable.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy A26
The Samsung Galaxy A26 has Samsung’s OneUI software with more AI features, as well as a water-resistant build that can take a serious dunk.

Motorola Moto G Power 2025
The Moto G Power 2025 isn’t the most powerful (ironic), but it is the most durable phone you’ll find at this price, and it comes in some great Pantone-approved colors

How I tested the CMF Phone 2 Pro

I used the CMF Phone 2 Pro for almost two weeks. I tested the phone on AT&T’s network in the greater New York area, throughout the city and suburbs. I used the CMF Phone 2 Pro as my primary work phone with all of my work accounts and apps, and as my personal phone for photos and gaming.

I tested the CMF Phone 2 Pro with a Pixel Watch 3 and CMF Buds Plus. I connected the phone to my car and tested Android Auto. I connected an Xbox wireless controller for gaming, and connected to a Bluetooth speaker for audio.

I tested the CMF Phone 2 Pro camera against the Nothing Phone 3a, among numerous other phones, in Future Labs.

Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.

For battery testing, we have proprietary rundown tests that are the same for every phone, and which measure how long it takes for the battery to run down.

Read more about how we test

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

First reviewed April 2025

Categories: Reviews

IRS could use AI to replace workers after mass layoffs

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:38
  • The IRS plans to use AI to supplement its workforce
  • The organization has laid off 25% of its staff
  • More cuts are likely to follow, report claim

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to use AI to replace workers having made extensive cuts to its workforce.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the budget proposal in a House Appropriations Committee hearing, with reports confirming the IRS has lost almost a third of its tax auditors since the start of the second Trump administration - with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) trimming the workforce through layoffs and ‘deferred resignations’.

Bessent argued further proposed reductions and plans to push further layoffs would not affect the agency’s tax collection abilities thanks to the “current AI boom” - although he didn’t explain exactly how the agency will be deploying the tech.

Slash and burn

The ramifications of personnel reductions will not result in a loss of capability, despite the majority of those fired being revenue agents, with 31% of the IRS’s revenue agent workforce laid off.

"I believe through smarter IT, through this AI boom, that we can use that to enhance collections and I would expect that collections would continue to be very robust as they were this year," Besset said.

The 25% reduction in workforce for the IRS could lead to potential delays in tax refunds for American taxpayers, but it seems the cuts are likely to continue.

Musk’s DOGE department has also cancelled multiple government contracts in the name of cost-cutting, including with IBM, Deloitte, and Gartner - to name just a few.

Over half of UK businesses who replaced workers with AI now report regretting their decision, and there’s huge amounts of uncertainty - with 38% of leaders not fully understanding AI’s impact in their business, and 25% unsure of which roles are most at risk.

Tech giants including IBM, CrowdStrike, and, most recently Google, have been cutting staff in recent months, with many are planning to replace these jobs with AI.

Via The Register

You might also like
Categories: Technology

Americans still dream about factory jobs. Can they be brought back?

NPR News Headlines - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:22

Trump's administration said they want tariffs to boost US manufacturing, and most Americans want more factory jobs here. But what makes us nostalgic for factory work?

(Image credit: Martin/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Categories: News

Popular employee monitoring software hijacked to launch ransomware attacks

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:21
  • Hackers are using backdoors to drop Kickidler, a legitimate employee monitoring tool
  • The tool is used to obtain login credentials and deploy an encryptor
  • VMwaare's ESXi servers are being targeted

Kickidler, a popular employee monitoring tool, is being abused in ransomware attacks, multiple security researchers have warned.

The software was designed for businesses, allowing them to oversee their employees’ productivity, ensure compliance, and detect insider threats. Some of its key features are real-time screen viewing, keystroke logging, and time tracking, with the former two being particularly interesting to cybercriminals.

Researchers from Varonis and Synacktiv, who claim to have seen the attacks in the wild, say it all starts with a poisoned ad purchased on the Google Ads network. The ad is displayed to people searching for RVTools, a free Windows-based utility that connects to VMware vCenter or ESXi hosts. The ad leads to a trojanized version of the program, which deploys a backdoor called SMOKEDHAM.

Cloud backups in the crosshairs

With the help of the backdoor, threat actors deploy Kickidler, specifically targeting enterprise administrators and many of the login credentials they use every day. The goal is to infiltrate into every corner of the network and ultimately deploy the encryptor.

The two groups seen using Kickidler are Qilin and Hunters International, which seem focused on cloud backups, but seem to have hit a roadblock, Varonis said.

"Given the increased targeting of backup solutions by attackers in recent years, defenders are decoupling backup system authentication from Windows domains. This measure prevents attackers from accessing backups even if they gain high-level Windows credentials," Varonis told BleepingComputer.

"Kickidler addresses this issue by capturing keystrokes and web pages from an administrator's workstation. This enables attackers to identify off-site cloud backups and obtain the necessary passwords to access them. This is done without dumping memory or other high-risk tactics that are more likely to be detected."

The payloads targeted VMware ESXi infrastructure, the researchers added, encrypting VMDK virtual hard drives. Hunters International used VMware PowerCLI and WinSCP Automation to enable SSH, drop the ransomware, and run it on ESXi servers.

You might also like
Categories: Technology

What is the release date and time for The Last of Us season 2 episode 5?

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 11:00

The Last of Us season 2 is shuffling towards its endgame, and it won't be long before the hugely successful HBO TV Original leaves our screens once more.

But there are still three more episodes to gorge yourself on before this season ends, and that includes this season's fifth entry, which will be out in the US, UK, and Australia in a few days' time.

Below, I've outlined when and where you can watch The Last of Us TV show's latest installment. I've included a full episode release schedule for the remaining episodes, too, so be sure to check that out before you close this article.

What time does The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 come out in the US?

Ellie and Dina got themselves into a real mess in this season's fourth episode (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The Last of Us' next episode will make its streaming debut at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Sunday, May 11.

Like every installment before it, you've got two places you can watch it. If you're a Max subscriber, you can tune into that platform to stream it. Alternatively, if you have access to US cable network HBO, you can watch it on that channel.

When will The Last of Us season 2's fifth episode launch in the UK?

Washington Liberation Front chief Isaac, reporting for duty (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The Bella Ramsey-starring dystopian survival drama will return to UK screens on Monday, May 12 at 2am BST.

There are two options available to British fans of the hit TV series. You can watch this season's fifth entry on Sky Atlantic or Now TV.

Where can I watch episode 5 of The Last of Us season 2 in Australia?

How will Dina view Ellie from now on after that big reveal? (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Aussie fans can stream episode 5 in one of two places: Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services, and Foxtel.

As for when it'll be released Down Under, this season's next chapter will debut on both services on Monday, May 12 at 11am AEST.

When do new episodes of The Last of Us season 2 come out?

Stop hiding, Ellie – episode 5 will be out soon! (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

One of the best Max shows (in nations where Warner Bros Discovery's super streamer is available, anyway) will be back on small screens globally for two more weeks after this one. Here's when you can catch new episodes:

  • Episode 1 – out now
  • Episode 2 – out now
  • Episode 3 – out now
  • Episode 4 – out now
  • Episode 5 – May 11 (US); May 12 (UK and Australia)
  • Episode 6 – May 18 (US); May 19 (UK and Australia)
  • Episode 7 – May 25 (US); May 26 (UK and Australia)
You might also like
Categories: Technology

As Nvidia struggles with RTX 5060 Ti stock, AMD’s RX 9060 XT GPU could sweep in and score a mid-range win with plentiful supply

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 10:53
  • AMD’s RX 9060 XT is rumored to launch mid-May, although the GPU may not go on sale until June
  • A well-known YouTube leaker believes the 9060 XT will be well-stocked when it does arrive
  • Expect similar quantities to the RX 9070 XT launch, and that could be a problem for Nvidia, which is struggling to get RTX 5060 Ti models out there

AMD’s RX 9060 XT graphics card – which is still only rumored to be next in line for the RDNA 4 family – is supposedly going to have healthy stock levels when it arrives.

That’s the conclusion of Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID), a leaker on YouTube who regularly provides GPU and CPU-related chatter.

MLID cites multiple sources, the first of which is based outside of the US and reckons there will be a ‘pretty good supply’ of RX 9060 XT GPUs, albeit no firm numbers are given (by any of these sources, I should add).

A second source at a major online retailer in the US claims that launch stock for this AMD graphics card is feeling "very optimistic" and another source (also in the US) backs that up.

This feels somewhat more vague than the YouTuber normally is, but nonetheless, there’s clearly a positive vibe around how much stock AMD is likely to muster for the RX 9060 XT. Indeed, MLID underlines that this should be a similar launch to the RX 9070 XT, which arrived in decent numbers as you might recall. (Although due to demand, the GPU still sold through very quickly, or at least models at or near MSRP did).

The caveat MLID adds is that the US may be slightly less well-supplied for the 9060 XT than other countries, or at least that’s a possibility.

Another point addressed here is that the 9060 XT won’t likely affect the stock of AMD’s 9070 XT in the near future, according to the YouTuber’s best guess.

Analysis: Should Nvidia be worried? It looks that way

It certainly makes sense to me that RX 9070 XT (or vanilla 9070) stock wouldn’t suffer due to the launch of this third RDNA 4 GPU (not counting the GRE, which is Asia-only, for now anyway). That’s because the two existing graphics cards use the Navi 48 chip, whereas the 9060 XT is built around a different engine, the Navi 44 GPU.

So, the latter chip won’t cannibalize the former (not directly, anyway). And also because there’s more profit to be made on the pricier 9070 models – the XT in particular – it doesn’t make sense that AMD would want to miss out on that (by sacrificing any 9070 production in favor of the 9060 XT).

If AMD can indeed supply the RX 9060 XT in a decent quantity, as suggested here, that’s going to be trouble for Nvidia, which is struggling to get its RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards – which Team Red’s inbound RDNA 4 GPU should rival – onto shelves in any real number.

Yes, you can find RTX 5060 Ti models on sale, and there are a couple of flavors of the 8GB version around in the US currently. However, that’s more a reflection of the general unpopularity of this GPU – and even then, the cheapest you’ll get is still 10% over the MSRP. With the better-received RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, I could only spot one in the US (all of this is at the time of writing), but this time it’s 15% over the recommended price, so you’re paying a premium.

What we still don’t know is the MSRP of the RX 9060 XT, of course. Indeed, as noted at the outset, this GPU isn’t even officially confirmed yet, let alone the price. All we know is that there’s some kind of new RDNA 4 graphics card coming this quarter, though with the weight of the rumors at this point, it’s pretty certain to be the 9060 XT.

Pricing will be key, of course, and MLID believes that AMD is going to pitch the RX 9060 XT somewhere between $329 to $379 in the US (and in line elsewhere). That’s for the rumored 16GB version of the graphics card, too, not the 8GB variant (which will be launched alongside it, at least according to some speculation). At the lower end of that pricing scale, this could be a killer blow to Nvidia in the lower-mid-range space (again, depending on exactly how performance pans out).

There are too many unknowns to get overly excited yet, and looking at the overall picture – and where Nvidia is with its RTX 5060 models – I worry there’s not much of a driving force for AMD to have to pitch its new entrant to the GPU scene towards the more compelling end of the rumored range.

What Nvidia has in its favor right now is that while the grapevine expects AMD to launch the RX 9060 XT very soon – on May 21, in fact – these graphics cards may not actually be on shelves before June. As ever, load up the seasoning with all this. What we do know is that Nvidia’s RTX 5060 (non-Ti) goes on sale come May 19, though again, its 8GB of VRAM loadout (across the board) is proving controversial, just as with that version of the RTX 5060 Ti currently.

You might also like...
Categories: Technology

Palworld Developer Has Removed Game Features Due to Nintendo Legal Pressure

CNET News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 10:49
Pocketpair says it's continuing to evolve its monster-collecting game, even as it strips out features that may be too similar to the Pokemon franchise it parodies.
Categories: Technology

PowerSchool hackers return, and may not have deleted stolen data as promised

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 10:05
  • A hack on school software provider PowerSchool has put staff and students at risk
  • Individual schools are now being targeted using the same data
  • PowerSchool did pay the ransom, but the data was not wiped

The hackers which struck PowerSchool in 2024 are now reportedly targeting individual schools and extorting them for ransom, threatening to release previously stolen student and staff information.

“PowerSchool is aware that a threat actor has reached out to multiple school district customers in an attempt to extort them using data from the previously reported December 2024 incident,” the organization confirmed.

PowerSchool is a top education software platform with over 17,000 customers spanning 90 countries, and supporting over 50 million students. A cyberattack in December of 2024 led to the personal data of 62 million students and 9 million teachers exfiltrated by attackers, with over 6,500 school districts in the US and Canada affected.

Save up to 68% for TechRadar readers!

TechRadar editors praise Aura's upfront pricing and simplicity. Aura also includes a password manager, VPN, and antivirus to make its security solution an even more compelling deal.

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

Students at risk

PowerSchool paid the ransom to the cybercriminals in hopes they would wipe the data stolen, but since these recent incidents are using information matching that which was stolen in the December hack, it seems quite clear that this was not the case.

“It was a difficult decision, and one which our leadership team did not make lightly," the company said.

"But we thought it was the best option for preventing the data from being made public, and we felt it was our duty to take that action. As is always the case with these situations, there was a risk that the bad actors would not delete the data they stole, despite assurances and evidence that were provided to us.”

The exfiltrated data includes personally identifiable information like Social Security Numbers, names, addresses, and even medical information.

As such, the firm recommends anyone affected take advantage of the two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection software to mitigate the risks posed by the stolen information.

PowerSchool apologized for the threats posed by the breach, and has confirmed it will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to mitigate the damages and respond to the extortion attempts.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like
Categories: Technology

Factor Meals Review: Hits, Misses and the Must-Try Dishes

CNET News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 10:00
See how Factor's prepared meal delivery fared in a taste test at our New York office.
Categories: Technology

Forget GTA 6, Mafia: The Old Country launches in August and it will be cheaper than you might think

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:58
  • Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games have announced a $49.99 price tag and August release date for Mafia: The Old Country
  • It comes amid Nintendo and Microsoft's moves towards $80 games
  • This raises questions over Grand Theft Auto 6's price when it launches in 2026

While Rockstar Games' highly anticipated title, Grand Theft Auto 6, is on the radar of most gamers with its recent delay announcement and trailer release, another title that is also under Take-Two Interactive's umbrella finally has a release date - and its more affordable price tag may come as a surprise.

It has been revealed that Mafia: The Old Country will launch on August 8, 2025, and is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. It will launch with a Standard Edition that comes in at $49.99 and a Deluxe Edition for $59.99, both of which are available for pre-order now.

This comes after Nintendo and Microsoft began raising the prices of some games to the $80 mark. It's worth noting that the new game prices for Microsoft won't come into effect until the start of this Holiday season, and we're still waiting to see whether Sony follows suit.

However, the $49.99 price tag for Mafia: The Old Country appears to be much less about Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games not following the $80 trend, and more about the game's shorter length and linear presentation. 2K president David Ismailer, said: "We think there's a large audience for compelling stories that don't require massive time commitments," which hints at The Old Country having a short runtime.

Borderlands 4 also launches a month after, on September 12, but there isn't any pre-order or price information on that title yet. There's no doubt that the upcoming Mafia game's price will have gamers wondering what this means for the looter-shooter and GTA 6.

(Image credit: 2K Games) Take-Two Interactive has the opportunity to embarass Nintendo, Microsoft, and any other company charging $80, but I don't think it will...

To say I detest $80, even $70 game prices, is an understatement and it's been sad to see Nintendo and Microsoft kickstart the trend. It's only a matter of time until Sony joins the party and for the large majority of game publishers to follow.

I'm desperately hoping Take-Two Interactive don't budge but it seems unlikely. Gamers have been waiting for GTA 6 for twelve years, going on thirteen now due to its 2026 delay - and it's safe to say that a large majority of gamers are willing to pay over $80 for it.

Considering the rumors of the game's $2 billion budget, a higher price tag might be justified but if Take-Two Interactive were to charge $70 (or even lower) for the highly anticipated title, it would reflect poorly on Microsoft and Nintendo and help it fly off the shelves and smash even more records than it already likely will.

The reasoning is simple - it's GTA 6, arguably the most anticipated game of all-time. Rockstar Games is in a league of its own when it comes to size, scope, and attention to detail and if I were going to choose between Mario Kart World at $80 and GTA 6 with the latter being cheaper, it's an easy decision.

You may also like...
Categories: Technology

Cisco has patched a worrying flaw which could have let attackers hijack devices

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:44
  • Cisco has patched a 10/10 flaw in IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers
  • The flaw was due to hardcoded tokens
  • There is no evidence of abuse in the wild (yet)

Cisco has released a patch for a maximum-severity flaw found in its IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers which could have allowed threat actors to take over vulnerable endpoints.

The flaw is yet another case of hardcoded credentials, this time in the form of a JSON Web Token (JWT). “An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTPS requests to the AP image download interface,” it is explained in the NVD website. “A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload files, perform path traversal, and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.”

The vulnerability is now tracked as CVE-2025-20188, and has the maximum security score - 10/10 (critical).

No mitigations

It was also noted that the vulnerability can only be exploited on devices that have the Out-of-Band Image Download feature enabled which, on default settings, is not the case.

According to BleepingComputer, this is a feature that allows access points to download OS images via HTTPS instead of CAPWAP, which is a somewhat more flexible and direct way of getting firmware onto access points.

The publication says that while it’s off by default, some large-scale or automated enterprise deployments have turned it on.

Unfortunately, there are no mitigations for the flaw. The best way to minimize the risk of exposure is to deploy the patch. A possible workaround is to disable the Out-of-Band Image Download feature, which could work well if the enterprise isn’t actually using it.

Cisco said it hasn’t seen evidence of in-the-wild abuse just yet, but users should still be on their guard.

Here is a list of vulnerable devices:

Catalyst 9800-CL Wireless Controllers for Cloud
Catalyst 9800 Embedded Wireless Controller for Catalyst 9300, 9400, and 9500 Series Switches
Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst APs

And here is a list of devices that are safe to use:

Cisco IOS (non-XE)
Cisco IOS XR
Cisco Meraki products
Cisco NX-OS
Cisco AireOS-based WLCs

You might also like
Categories: Technology

David Steiner of FedEx is tapped to be the U.S. Postal Service's new leader

NPR News Headlines - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:43

The U.S. Postal Service's governing board has named David Steiner, a board member of USPS competitor FedEx, to be the next postmaster general following the controversial term of Louis DeJoy.

(Image credit: Joshua Roberts)

Categories: News

2 men are convicted of cutting down beloved Sycamore Gap tree in England

NPR News Headlines - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:25

Prosecutors say that as news of the crime spread, the two men exchanged messages relishing the outrage and sadness they caused. The tree in northern England was believed to be about 200 years old.

(Image credit: Oli Scarff)

Categories: News

How to unlock AI's industrial value while managing its risks

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:19

Despite this enthusiasm, hurdles such as unstructured data, uncertain model accuracy, and gaps in governance are preventing many organizations from getting the full benefit of AI tools.

Firms that rely on large-scale, around-the-clock operations know the stakes are high. A system outage or an unforeseen failure can cost millions, disrupt the supply chain, and harm overall competitiveness. A study by Aberdeen Research found unplanned downtime in manufacturing can cost up to US$260,000 per hour.

Against this backdrop, AI can predict issues before they occur, helping companies repair equipment proactively and keep downtime to a minimum. Yet concerns linger around data reliability, potential algorithmic bias, and whether AI’s recommendations are truly explainable and safe. A carefully planned approach is key to overcoming these challenges, so that AI becomes a true value driver.

Identifying key risks and overcoming them

When setting up a new asset to work in the field, organizations will necessarily have no data to draw on. That’s where they can access learning from first principles models, coupled with simulation models to ensure a balanced set of data, availability of unlikely scenarios, and therefore enable extrapolation to new regimes of operation.

Data from the field can then be used to refine the model (close the simulation reality gap), or to predict future outcomes based on historical observations. With predictive maintenance technology, it is also possible to identify abnormalities by building models from normal modes of operation.

To enable this, companies need strong governance policies, as well as processes for labelling, storing, and updating data. While a sizable upfront investment may be needed, the payoff is significant: well-organized data fuels accurate models that deliver meaningful results.

Another challenge involves explainability. Some AI-generated recommendations can seem like a “black box” e.g., when models rely on complex neural networks. For day-to-day industrial operations, trust is crucial, as operators must be able to understand how and why decisions are made.

Including interpretable features and highlighting key decision drivers helps build that trust. When people know the rationale behind AI findings, they become more willing to follow them, improving adoption rates.

Well-designed dashboards that map input factors to recommend outputs have their part to play here. However, they will be not sufficient in themselves in achieving trust. Organizations should ensure that they select the right tool for the job in hand.

A complex model can be necessary for complex nonlinear behavior. However, while a complex model can address simple use cases, this comes at a cost, for example explainability, challenges with extrapolation, risk of overfitting, large data requirements etc. It is therefore important to select the right tool for the job. Generally, the simplest approach that solves the problem is preferable.

Trust can be further assured by the use of first principles guardrails that provide peace of mind and highlight that a provider has a thoughtful approach to AI.

In addition, there is the question of bias. Historical data sometimes reflects outdated practices or inconsistent recording methods, and if this data is used without scrutiny, algorithms may carry forward biases into their predictions.

Regular auditing of model performance, along with diverse data sets and ongoing feedback from subject matter experts, can mitigate these risks. Proactively revisiting the data strategy and staying aware of evolving regulations also helps organizations stay one step ahead.

Finally, AI’s integration with existing workflows demands attention. Even the most advanced algorithms will struggle if they fail to mesh with established processes. For instance, if plant operators need to switch between multiple tools or can’t easily act on an AI-driven alert, the system’s value quickly diminishes. Seamless product integration, visualizing AI insights, training operators on new procedures, and ensuring IT infrastructure can handle added data loads are often a make-or-break factor for success.

Practical steps to harness industrial AI

A strategic roadmap for AI adoption starts with identifying use cases that promise strong returns. Many companies find early success in areas like predictive maintenance, where AI models spot signals of potential future breakdowns and enable timely fixes. Another example are hybrid models that allow the creation and sustainment of models from data in the field.

This accelerates the model building for complex processes and improves the representation for design optimization or control, thus supporting efficiency and sustainability improvements. Another best practice is merging automation with human expertise. While AI excels at e.g., sorting through large data sets to pinpoint trends or anomalies, seasoned operators understand the practical nuances of running a plant.

Collaboration between people and technology ensures that strategic decisions blend intuitive knowledge with data-driven recommendations. By keeping humans in the loop, organizations lessen the odds of unexpected failures and maintain trust among the workforce.

To secure buy-in across management levels, pilot programs need to show quick, tangible benefits. If a narrow project using AI for quality checks significantly reduces scrap in a factory, the cost savings and improved customer satisfaction help support broader initiatives. Documenting these early gains and calculating the return on investment helps justify scaling AI across multiple sites, which often involves more complex budgeting and approvals.

As expansion proceeds, robust model governance becomes essential. Models must be monitored for “drift,” when real-world conditions change. Deploying self-adapting AI technology or regular checkpoints with engineering and data science teams helps ensure the technology performs as expected.

Enterprises can also set up review boards or specialized groups to vet new AI solutions, confirm compliance with regulations, and measure alignment with corporate targets such as safety or sustainability.

Lastly, organizations should build long-term expertise within their teams. Successful AI adoption isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continuous journey of refinement, learning, and adaptation. Training employees to understand AI fundamentals, interpret analytics, and collaborate with data scientists goes a long way toward embedding AI into the corporate culture. This level of internal capability also positions companies to pivot faster as new technologies emerge.

We've featured the best AI chatbot for business.

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

Categories: Technology

India ordered X to block 8,000 accounts – here's what we know so far

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:10
  • India has ordered X to block over 8,000 accounts, the social media company said on May 8, 2025
  • X deemed India's orders as censorship and urged account holders to legally challenge the blocks
  • Both India and Pakistan have intensified internet censorship as the conflict between the two countries continues to escalate

India has issued executive orders to X, asking the social media company to block over 8,000 accounts across the country. The targets, X explains, include accounts belonging to international news organizations and prominent X users.

X's Global Government Affairs team disclosed the details in a lengthy tweet on Thursday, May 8, 2025, deeming these requests as "censorship" and urging account holders based in India to legally challenge the blocks.

"Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech," wrote X.

X disagrees but it's "restricted by Indian law"

"To comply with the orders, we will withhold the specified accounts in India alone. We have begun that process," wrote X, adding that the company disagrees with the Indian government’s demands.

This means, however, that blocked account holders may be able to keep accessing the platform by using one of the best VPN services to spoof their IP address location.

"X is exploring all possible legal avenues available to the company. Unlike users located in India, X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders," the company added, while encouraging all users impacted to seek appropriate relief from the courts.

The social media company even shared a list of legal aid organizations that could help people challenging these blocking orders, and asserted that it had notified those impacted by these actions.

X's Global Government Affairs account was temporarily withheld in India, as reported by Indian technology journalist Adit Agrawal on her LinkedIn account.

The account was restored on Friday morning. According to a person aware of the matter, Agrawal reported, X blocked the account without an official order after authorities asked the company about the tweet.

"Now MeitY has issued an order to X to NOT block it, as per this person," wrote Agrawal.

India/Pakistan information crackdown

X's blocking orders coincide with a spike in internet censorship across the country as the conflict with the neighboring Pakistan intensifies.

On Wednesday, May 7, Meta also blocked a major Muslim news page on Instagram at the authorities' request, as reported by The Guardian.

On Thursday, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also issued an advisory urging all media companies, streaming services, and online platforms to block all content originating from Pakistan.

On his side, Pakistan has resumed access to X on Wednesday after a 15-month-long ban.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also blocked access to at least 16 YouTube news channels and 32 websites from India on the same day, for allegedly spreading misinformation and anti-Pakistan propaganda.

As reported by the BBC, India and Pakistan blame each other for escalating military tensions and have both been launching a series of missiles and drone strikes since Wednesday. This represents a major escalation of existing tensions over the disputed area of Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed countries.

TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than a minute to complete!

To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpn

You might also like
Categories: Technology

Adobe offers US Government discounted software following DOGE review

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:05
  • Adobe will discount certain software subscriptions by 70% for the US Government
  • Eliminating paper-based processes could significantly boost productivity
  • Savings available for several months

Adobe is preparing to offer its software to the US Government at a whopping 70% discount, with the considerable savings available on contract signups until November 2025.

The partnership was confirmed in a statement by the US General Services Administration, which noted, "Adobe will offer a comprehensive Paperless Government Solution at a 70% discount off the current GSA list price through November 30, 2025."

Not only does the discount address the US Government's ongoing cost-cutting efforts, driven by Elon Musk's DOGE, but it's also designed to streamline operations between departments by cutting out legacy systems and physical copies in favor of online versions.

US government Adobe discount

"This agreement with Adobe is another example of GSA leading a transformative change in how the federal government buys goods and services, with a focus on commercial products. We’re moving away from outdated and fragmented agency-by-agency purchasing, towards strategic procurement decisions," GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian explained.

Adobe's Chief Revenue Officer, Stephen Frieder, added: “This agreement reflects our shared commitment with GSA to streamline procurement and support digitization efforts to help the government best serve the American people."

Among the bundles on offer at a 70% discount are Acrobat Premium for Enterprise, Acrobat Sign for Enterprise and Adobe Express for Enterprise.

In a separate announcement, Adobe added: "Today's announcement marks an opportunity for federal agencies to take meaningful strides in sustainable digital modernization."

The company stressed how its plans to support the US Government eliminate paper-based processes will boost productivity by eliminating the inefficiencies created by manual processes, increase responsiveness with user-friendly applications and speed up content creation.

You might also like
Categories: Technology

Earth to AI: why semantic analysis Is critical for AI tools to understand human data

TechRadar News - Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:02

With the vast amount of data that enterprises are generating and storing, leaders are continually reminded to get their data in order so they can generate business insight and prepare for AI initiatives. However, there is a reason why a majority of the enterprise’s human intelligence cannot be utilized to inform the business decisions being made today.

The main issue is that computers are unable to determine the meaning and context of unstructured text—and there is simply too much of it for humans to process. With the global market for AI technologies expected to grow to over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030, there is a clear business need for computers to understand the human language, or business leaders will fail to make the most of their AI investments.

However, there is a solution. In using semantic analysis, which has automated and assisted text classification and fact extraction processes, a business can use AI to understand the meaning of its enterprise data with accurate, consistent and transparent outcomes. With this meaning, they are able to unlock valuable insights, enhance user experience and drive smarter decisions.

The meaning of semantic analysis

Semantic analysis builds upon natural language processing (NLP) and focuses on understanding and processing the meaning of words and phrases that have multiple meanings. It works by using methods and tools that can efficiently categorize and process data, whilst seeing relationships within data sets. In so doing, computers can finally comprehend the human intent behind words, phrases and sentences.

Semantic analysis can answer questions like: “What does this text mean?”, and “How do these concepts relate to each another?” It also can extract specific information in the data like the age of a patient or the directors of a company. By revealing and encoding what the text really means, semantic analysis enables the most accurate information retrieval and improves communication between machines and humans. Put simply, it can understand business data to generate meaningful insights.

By interpreting communications with customers and gaining insights into habits and preferences, semantic analysis can enable businesses to power chatbots and deliver a new level of agility to the organization. By deriving new insight from communications with customers—helping train chatbots, for example—Semantic analysis can add a new level of agility to the organization.

Getting deeper meaning with text classification and fact extraction

Depending on what an organization is looking to achieve, semantic analysis can use two methods to extract information from text. These methods are text classification and fact extraction.

Text Classification

With this method, text is labelled based on insights you want to gain from the textual data. For example, Topic Classification can organize text within a particular category, for instance putting a school assignment into math, chemistry or physics. Intent Classification assesses the sender’s intent for a message, which can help the organization respond in the best way.

Fact Extraction

With Fact Extraction, organizations can identify and extract facts and relationships in their content to aid in the discovery of latent patterns and knowledge not previously known to their business. If organizations can make information easier to find within their content, it brings efficiency to the organization as it can reuse text for various use cases and audit it.

The Text Re-use feature can help leverage content in different contexts quickly and for different use cases. Text Auditing helps you stay ahead of your competition and fully access the volume of knowledge in your content. Text Creation allows teams to focus resources on creating missing content that fills gaps rather than recreating content that already exists.

Examples of semantic analysis

Here are six ways semantic analysis can add value and agility to an organization:

Intelligent search experience - It can help search engines understand the meaning of text to position it appropriately in results. It goes beyond repetition, improving the results through the richness of the semantic field. This results in an intelligent search experience that can understand user intent and context for better outcomes.

Customer feedback – Since it can understand the positive, negative or neutral context, semantic analysis can help machines better understand customer feedback from social networks, reviews and forums by detecting elements that denote dissatisfaction, discontent or impatience. Trends insight – Semantic analysis can help marketers get closer to their customers and keep on top of market trends by processing large volumes of textual data.

Customer experience – The overall elevated digital experience helps customers to find more relevant information faster and offsets problems before they can escalate.

Regulatory compliance - Semantic analysis can help an organization meet regulatory needs, mitigate risk and streamline processes. It helps apply metadata that organizations can use to implement information governance best practices.

Making your data AI ready – data agility is vital for successful AI applications. Semantic data analysis allows for efficient data integration, classification and contextualization, which will enable organizations to build more adaptable and responsive AI systems.

Benefits of semantic analysis

A well-executed semantic analysis methodology will bolster competitive advantage by elevating the customer experience and company performance, improving search relevance and providing valuable insights for new business initiatives. Some key advantages of semantic analysis include:

Build a customer-centric strategy: Semantic analysis contributes to the deployment of a customer-centric strategy, where each business decision is centered on the customer’s needs, boosting customer loyalty and retention.

Improve company performance: By automating data analysis, semantic analysis offers considerable time savings for teams across the organization, channeling resources to prioritize business-critical functions and improve the bottom line.

Enhance your SEO strategy: Semantic analysis can help uncover a user’s intent during the search process, enabling the organization to serve up more relevant content.

Bolster customer self-service solutions: Semantic analysis allows machines to detect human emotions to extract valuable information from unstructured data so more effective self-service options can be created. Support AI Strategy: When it comes to machine learning and AI, semantic analysis supports feature extraction and understanding relationships in data.

Smarter business decisions: Ultimately, semantic analysis extracts the meaningful information companies need to drive informed business decisions. Enable 360s: By providing a comprehensive view of all data, semantic analysis allows organizations to aggregate information effectively, enabling them to conduct more informed 360 reviews of products.

The value of data Is achieved through its analysis

With the advancement of AI and the rise of unstructured data, semantic analysis is essential for organizations in all sectors who are looking to embrace AI agents and data driven decisioning.

The introduction of semantic analysis marks a significant leap forward for machines to become not only viable but trusted in the business landscape. By harnessing the power of meaning, businesses can unlock valuable insights, enhance user experience and drive smarter decisions.

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

Categories: Technology

Pages

Subscribe to The Vortex aggregator