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The pace of change in AI has felt bewilderingly fast over the past 12 months, with new technologies emerging and seemingly being usurped on a weekly basis. For decision-makers, this can be a daunting challenge. However, the encouraging news is that AI development is largely iterative, each new tool builds on the foundations laid by its predecessors.

This has brought us to the next phase of the AI revolution, Agentic AI. This latest development describes the development and implementation of autonomous software agents, grounded in Generative AI, that can make decisions and take action independently of human input. According to Gartner, by 2028, 33% of enterprise software applications will include AI agents, and 15% of work decisions will be made autonomously. Forward-thinking organizations are already using AI agents to uncover business value and achieve goals such as accelerating software development.

Yet, just as Generative AI needs training data to be truly effective, AI agents need a clear understanding of business context. How can leaders ensure that AI agents comprehend how their businesses operate? The answer lies in Process Intelligence (PI). PI takes data from systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to track how events progress within an organization. It creates a dynamic, living digital twin of business operations, offering a holistic view of how work gets done. This makes it a foundational tool for implementing AI in ways that actually deliver value.

Why AI agents?

Agentic AI refers to autonomous ‘agents’ that can handle complex tasks independently. Many agents are armed with access to Large Language Models (LLMs), along with access to business-specific data (for instance, knowledge base articles or the order information). Employees can interact with many of them using natural language, asking them to then rapidly analyze business data to work out what the next step of a process should be, and even take follow on actions automatically.

AI agents are not, however, a one-size-fits-all technology panacea that can solve every business problem right out of the box. For AI agents to succeed, they must be built to solve specific problems and they need insight into how the business really functions.

This is where PI plays a critical role. It gathers together fragmented data from across dozens or hundreds of business processes, offering AI agents a ‘common language’ to understand events such as invoicing and shipping, and offering high-quality, timely data which can enable AI agents to make better decisions.

With a ‘digital twin’ of business operations in hand, AI agents can analyze how processes truly impact each other across the whole business, and uncover opportunities to drive efficiency.

Putting AI agents to work

Businesses are already creating AI agents built to harness the power of PI and seeing tangible results. One customer has worked with Celonis to develop an AI-driven inventory to track parts and materials. Within two months the AI tools had identified that many purchase orders were raised for spare parts that were already in stock as well as highlighting that a significant portion of spare parts were over eight years old.

An additional AI Agent uses the inventory to optimize spare part availability for plant engineers, with users able to describe the parts they need using technical descriptions or common industry terms, eliminating the need for exact part numbers.

In another case, PI and Agentic AI helped a company double the speed of software delivery by improving predictability and cutting stage waiting times by 30–40%. AI-driven tools pinpointed bottlenecks, offered predictive alerts, and suggested mitigations ranked by potential impact. Leaders could ask simple, natural-language questions to uncover delays and risks, using an AI copilot that translated complex data into clear, actionable insights.

Why AI needs PI

Agentic AI holds the potential to revolutionize enterprise operations, but its effectiveness depends on the quality of data agents have access to. PI ‘bridges the gap’ to provide AI with the input it needs, offering oversight of the totality of the business’s processes. PI is thus a vital tool for optimizing enterprise processes.

Enterprise customers who try to improve their processes using AI without the vital insights from PI all too often fail. In fact 89% of business leaders globally we surveyed recently said that giving AI the context of how their business runs is crucial if it is going to deliver meaningful results.

That is why we believe there can be no effective enterprise AI without PI. Process intelligence is integrated into live systems, so even when systems change, it offers AI agents real time access to the current state of processes. Think of it like the mapping data for a GPS.

Without a map, you’re just following a line on a blank screen. You won’t know why you were turning left and it would be all too easy to take a wrong turn. Similarly, Process Intelligence gives AI agents the essential context to navigate business complexity reliably.

A smarter future

Agentic AI is set to become increasingly central to enterprise success. But its impact depends on access to timely, accurate, and contextual data. Process Intelligence provides this foundation—enabling AI agents to drive meaningful change across business functions, from software development to finance.

The message is clear: Agentic AI needs the right data, and the right context. That’s exactly what Process Intelligence delivers.

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

• The Texas Department of Transportation confirmed suffering a cyberattack
• A threat actor used compromised credentials to access the system
• Hundreds of thousands of names, addresses, and PII, were exposed

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), a government agency responsible for overseeing the construction, maintenance, and operation of the state's transportation system, suffered a cyberattack and lost sensitive personal records.

The agency confirmed the news in a brief notification published on its website earlier this week.

According to the announcement, a threat actor used a compromised government account to access TxDOT’s systems. After spotting “unusual activity” in the Crash Records Information System (CRIS), the agency investigated further, and found that the attacker accessed, and downloaded, nearly 300,000 crash reports.

The data stolen in the breach includes full names, postal addresses, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, car insurance policy numbers, and other information (such as sustained injuries or crash description).

GTA, Minecraft, CoD, Sims all hit

TxDOT said it immediately disabled access from the compromised account, and notified affected individuals. They have been warned to be wary of potential phishing and social engineering attacks, themed around car crashes. It also said it was implementing “additional security measures for accounts” to prevent similar incidents in the future, but did not detail what these measures are.

This type of information is quite useful for cybercriminals. They can use it to send personalized phishing emails, themed around something the victim is familiar with and has interacted with in the past. Such phishing attacks are more successful than random, generic ones, and can lead to identity theft, wire fraud, malware attacks, or even ransomware.

Government agencies are a popular target, mostly since they often hold sensitive citizen information. In early April 2025, Florida Department of State suffered a data breach that may have exposed information of 500,000 people, and in August 2024, National Public Data confirmed it was hit by data breach — and that millions of users were at risk.

At press time, no threat actors claimed responsibility for this attack.

Via BleepingComputer

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The new model could allow robots to grasp concepts like gravity and object permanence while relying less on large amounts of video or training data.

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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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, June 11 (game #465).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Gone fishing

NYT Strands today (game #466) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• WISE
• CLONE
• BEEN
• SCENE
• BONES
• KERB

NYT Strands today (game #466) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #466) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #466) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #466, are…

• HOOK
• REEL
• LURE
• SWIVEL
• SCALE
• SINKER
• BOBBER
• SPANGRAM: TACKLE BOX

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I love the use of the phrase “gone fishing” instead of just saying I’m unavailable. It harks back to the golden days when absent people really had packed up shop and gone fishing. I use it on my office email when I go on vacation and people always ask me how my fishing trip was. 

There was no second guessing with today’s search, which was very much “it is what it says on the tin”, complete with every angling word you’d expect. My search for words began by finding "box" and then "tackle", which I put together to become today's spangram TACKLE BOX. 

And from there? Well, it was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel – which is not technically fishing. Or advisable. Where’s Bob today? Oh he’s gone shooting fish. 

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 11, game #465)

• REVIVAL
• DECO
• BAROQUE
• BRUTALIST
• CLASSICAL
• SPANGRAM: ARCHITECTURE

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.

• Apple has unveiled the official trailer for Foundation season 3
• The show's latest teaser puts its new, incredibly dangerous villain front and center
• His arrival in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series will cause two former foes to join forces

Foundation season 3's official trailer has made its debut online – and it not only reveals the show's new villain in all his terrifying glory, but also indicates that two former foes are about to form an unexpected alliance.

The Apple TV Original returns to our screens on Friday, July 11, and with exactly one month to go (at the time of publication) until it does so, a new teaser for one of its best Apple TV+ sci-fi shows around has certainly raised my excitement levels for its next installment.

So, what does the latest trailer for Foundation's third season tell us about its story? It tells us that The Mule, one of the most famous antagonists in Isaac Asimov's book series namesake, will be the primary villain of this season's 10-episode arc.

That won't come as a shock to fans of the critically-acclaimed program. Indeed, The Mule's arrival was teased in last season's finale – read my Foundation season 2 ending explained article for more details. He's also a hugely significant character in Foundation & Empire and Second Foundation, i.e., the second and third Foundation novels penned by Asimov, which have inspired the plot for seasons 2 and 3. So, The Mule needed to show up in one of the best Apple TV+ shows sooner rather than later.

Regardless, his live-action debut is set to put the proverbial cat among the pigeons. As this trailer and Foundation season 3's first teaser suggest, the threat posed by The Mule is so great that it'll force The Foundation and The Empire to form an uneasy alliance.

The Empire's Cleonic dynasty will need to ally themselves with The Foundation (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Given that the series' two main factions have been at each other's throats throughout the show, it's clear that it would have taken something (or, rather, someone) especially alarming to make them do the unthinkable and join forces. Expect these frenemies to set aside their differences – albeit temporarily – to tackle a common foe in The Mule.

For more story-based details, check out the official blurb for this season: "Set 152 years after the events of season 2, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled.

"As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as The Mule, whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force, as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess."

Gaal Dornick will be integral to the story that plays out in season 3 (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Season 3 will see the return of key cast members in Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, and Terrence Mann. Joining them on the main cast roster is Game of Thrones alumnus Pilou Asbaek, who replaced Mikael Persbrandt as The Mule last March as part of a Foundation season 3 cast shake-up.

That's not the only major adjustment to the show's cast and crew. In February 2024, Foundation showrunner David S. Goyer apparently stepped back from its production amid reported concerns about the Apple TV+ show's budget and filming schedule. Bill Bost is said to have replaced Goyer as its temporary showrunner to complete work on season 3.

Foundation's third season will launch with a one-episode premiere on Apple TV+, aka one of the world's best streaming services. New episodes will air weekly every Friday until its finale is released on September 12.

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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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, June 11 (game #1234).

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 #1235) - 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 #1235) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1235) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1235) - 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 0.

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 #1235) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• B

• U

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1235) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1235, are…

• SCANT
• BATCH
• UNDER
• PARSE

Phew! I only just completed today’s puzzle after getting stuck on a word that I knew ended A-T-C-H, wasting two guesses before finally getting BATCH. 

This left me no margin for error with the remaining guesses, but I completed the mission thanks to a healthy smattering of letters in incorrect positions.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1235) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1235, are…

• SIREN
• FRISK
• DUMPY
• SLOSH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL
• Quordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVEL
• Quordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUME
• Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
• Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY
• Quordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCE
• Quordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPO
• Quordle #1226, Tuesday, 3 June: FUGUE, SYRUP, FLACK, WORST
• Quordle #1225, Monday, 2 June: THINK, BELLE, CRONE, BOULE
• Quordle #1224, Sunday, 1 June: POINT, MERIT, WHOOP, APHID
• Quordle #1223, Saturday, 31 May: CRUMB, ELFIN, DRIER, QUITE
• Quordle #1222, Friday, 30 May: RAJAH, CAUSE, BLACK, ETUDE
• Quordle #1221, Thursday, 29 May: CRIER, DRAPE, STRUT, NEIGH
• Quordle #1220, Wednesday, 28 May: HELLO, BEADY, VIGIL, PURER
• Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR
• Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP
• Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN
• Quordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLAR
• Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPER

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, June 11 (game #731).

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 #732) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BOWLING
• WRESTLING
• MISSING
• DISHING
• SPOONING
• SIRING
• BUZZING
• SEWING
• LORDING
• SPILLING
• HUGGING
• DOCTORING
• SNUGGLING
• ACUPUNCTURING
• WHISPERING
• CUDDLING

NYT Connections today (game #732) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Two become one
• GREEN: Tittle tattling 
• BLUE: Think words that rhyme with weedle and sin
• PURPLE: Begin with honorifics

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 #732) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: GETTING COZY 
• GREEN: GOSSIPING 
• BLUE: ENGAGING IN AN ACTIVITY WITH PINS OR NEEDLES 
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH TITLES 

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

NYT Connections today (game #732) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #732, are…

• YELLOW: GETTING COZY CUDDLING, HUGGING, SNUGGLING, SPOONING
• GREEN: GOSSIPING BUZZING, DISHING, SPILLING, WHISPERING
• BLUE: ENGAGING IN AN ACTIVITY WITH PINS OR NEEDLES ACUPUNCTURING, BOWLING, SEWING, WRESTLING
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH TITLES DOCTORING, LORDING, MISSING, SIRING

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

All of the _ING words in the grid made for a very baffling game today, but a couple of the groups were also designed to confuse.

GETTING COZY was elementary enough, but I struggled to put together the green group.

Correctly thinking it was about GOSSIPING, I included DOCTORING as I think of this as a phrase about making things up, which is what most gossip is (invented by PRs to benefit their client or by journalists to benefit their numbers).

On my second go at it I included BUZZING only because of the vaguely gossipy Buzzfeed website, not because I’d ever heard of the term buzzing. Every day’s a school day.

Next, I knew that ACUPUNCTURING and SEWING were linked and saw the connection with BOWLING pins, but it wasn’t until the game was long over that I realized why WRESTLING was part of the group, thanks to the many different types of pin moves from the Gannosuke Clutch to the Oklahoma Roll (yes, I am looking at Wikipedia).

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, June 11, game #731)

• YELLOW: BOAST BLUSTER, CROW, SHOW OFF, STRUT
• GREEN: ARC-SHAPED THINGS BANANA, EYEBROW, FLIGHT PATH, RAINBOW
• BLUE: CEREAL MASCOTS COUNT, ELVES, LEPRECHAUN, ROOSTER
• PURPLE: WAYS TO DENOTE A CITATION ASTERISK, DAGGER, NUMBER, PARENS

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.

Musk has quietly deleted some of his inflammatory tweets about Trump since last week. In a podcast episode released Wednesday, Trump said he was disappointed in Musk but had "no hard feelings."

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international correspondents share snapshots of moments from their lives and work around the world.

Consumer prices in May were up 2.4% from a year ago, but inflation eased on a monthly basis, according to the latest figures from the Labor Department

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

• US IT unemployment rates now stand at 5.5%, report claims
• Bosses could soon have to manage AI agents as well as humans
• Roles involving LLMs, blockchain and omnichannel models are most secure

Driven by widespread economic uncertainty and influenced by rapid AI adoption, new research has claimed the US IT job market could be declining.

Figures Janco highlighted a 5.5% unemployment rate among IT professionals in May 2025, compared with 4.6%, bringing unemployment within the sector above the national average for the fifth month in a row.

The report also highlights both regional shifts and the modernization of the IT sector, with legacy skill holders in smaller markets more likely to be affected than forward-thinking workers in major tech hubs.

IT jobs market is still seeing higher-than-average unemployment

Janco found many losses were concentrated in telecommunications, and other roles relating to reporting, monitoring and support. On the flip side, roles involve large language models, blockchain and omnichannel commerce looked to be the most secure.

"There continues to be uncertainty in the outlook for new IT job creation. For five consecutive months, the IT Unemployment rate has been greater than the national unemployment rate," Janco CEO M. Victor Janulaitis said.

Although roles relating to AI development are among the most secure, the figures suggest that AI could be replacing many entry-level IT jobs, particularly within the telecommunications sector.

The trend suggests a shift, rather than total worker displacement, however workers who fail to adapt to higher-skilled roles could risk being left behind.

Many businesses now report using AI agents to handle workflow tasks traditionally done by humans, including decision-making.

Looking ahead, Janco forecasts a continued IT job market decline for the third year in a row, with future roles potentially looking significantly different to traditional IT sector roles.

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• Dacora is the first female-founded and led automotive brand
• The debut model has been designed with Pininfarina Group
• Swappable upholstery is just one of many unique traits

Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Maybach… soon you’ll be able to add another, albeit far less recognizable, name to that list of the world’s most luxurious car makers. US start-up Dacora is here and wants a piece of the ultra-high-net-worth pie.

Founded in New York’s Hudson Valley by MIT-trained engineers Kristie and Eric D’Ambrosio-Correll, the fledgling brand is the first of its kind to be founded and led by a female CEO, as well as the first to have the confidence to command $500,000 (around £370,000 / AU$770,000) for a highly-personalized electric vehicle without hundreds of years worth of history to back it up.

The price point is set as such because Dacora claims each vehicle is “meticulously handmade” using American-sourced components and materials.

The 1930s-inspired design, produced in collaboration with Italy’s renowned Pininfarina Group, pays homage to the glamorous streamliners of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Long hoods, shapely fenders and the option to specify real metal and hardwood inlays on the exterior are just a few of the stylistic talking points.

Inside, you won’t find any nasty plastics or cheap scratchy surfaces, as Dacora is only turning to natural wood, leather and woven wool for its interiors.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Dacora)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Dacora)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Dacora)

In fact, the company says there will be twice-yearly ‘drops’ that will allow customers to completely swap out the interior fabrics with the changing seasons – wool for winter, linen for summer, for example.

The currently unnamed debut model will be available with anything from three- to seven-seat configurations, with each seat including its own independent lighting and climate controls.

Money No Object

We’re all about offering practical buying advice at TechRadar, giving our readers expert tips and insights on how to choose the right gadgets. But every so often, we also like to celebrate some of the more ridiculous tech on the market – the luxurious, high-end products that are simply fun to dream about buying. That’s the kind of kit we cover in our regular Money No Object column, which you can read more of here.

Dacora wants to take us back to a time when driving was a sensory experience, so has ditched today's screen-dominated cockpit, relying on just one, non-touchscreen display to take care of infotainment duties.

When not in use, this screen apparently disappears behind a semi-transparent wooden panel, while all controls are mechanical. Quite the analog move for two MIT-trained engineers.

As for performance, Dacora is yet to announce exact EV powertrain details, but says it is aiming for over 800hp and a projected 400-mile all-electric range. There will also be the option of a hybrid powertrain on request.

Analysis: keeping up with classy competition Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Dacora)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Dacora)

Co-founder and CEO Kristie D’Ambrosio-Correll was the former CTO of Mirror, a smart fitness product that proved a popular lifestyle product with the very wealthy.

Building on this blueprint, Dacora will open its 100-acre Hudson Valley Garage next year, complete with on-site production, design atelier and rooms for guests to stay. Every car will be a bespoke, personal commission, with the brand’s designer on-hand to guide them through the process.

Customers will also get to enjoy curated events, “immersive experiences” and all of the other lovely things rich people like to fill their spare time with.

Dacora will have to nail this side of things, because early images of the vehicle reveal divisive styling and half a million US dollars buys a lot of Rolls-Royce, which remains the final word in automotive opulence and the ultimate show of wealth.

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• The UK government is developing a new tech procurement platform
• The National Digital Exchange will connect public agencies with suppliers
• This hopes to save £1.2 billion per year

The Department for Science, Information, and Technology has announced a ‘first-of-it’s kind’ new platform for public sector procurement, which it claims will unlock £1.2 billion per year in savings, and modernise the public sector’s tech investments.

The National Digital Exchange will be a platform in which public sector agencies can rate and review tech products, service, and software, which will help schools, hospitals, and other departments choose the most reliable and appropriate tech - and also help let them know which to avoid.

By helping the public sector make faster and better informed procurement decisions, the platform will open up the market to more UK tech firms, and to boost small business involvement in government tech contracts by 40% within three years.

Faster, fairer, and focused

This platform is currently in development, and will be created under the Procurement Regulations, and is being developed alongside a "digital playbook” that will guide procurement officials towards responsible tech purchases.

The British Government has been pushing for tech development all round, with the introduction of the AI action plan, which is aimed at turbocharging the British AI sector.

This is a 50 point plan that includes initiatives like handing over public data to researchers, including anonymised NHS data, to train AI models, as well as introducing “AI Growth Zones” that speed up AI infrastructure - such as data centre building and access to the energy grid.

“We’ve all heard the stories — months of red tape, tech that doesn’t deliver, and money wasted. That’s not good enough for the people we serve,” said Feryal Clark, Minister for AI and Digital Government.

“The National Digital Exchange aims to change that. It will make it faster, fairer, and focused on what works — with real reviews, upfront pricing and smart AI to match buyers with the right suppliers in hours. It’s a clear example of our Plan for Change in action: cutting waste, boosting innovation, and backing British tech to deliver better public services.”

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• Researchers were able to access a now removed GitHub site plan
• The site showed plans for an AI website for the US Government
• It will also apparently contain a chatbot and implementation tools

An apparently leaked GitHub page has revealed the Trump administration is working on a website called ai.gov, set to launch on July 4 with the aim of trying to, “accelerate government innovation with AI”

The site was uncovered by 404Media researchers after an early version of the website was posted on GitHub by the General Services Administration (GSA), The Register reports.

Now taken down, the page was aimed at serving as a hub for government agencies to enable AI integration into their processes.

Tech spending

The GSA department responsible for the website looks to be the Technology Transformation Service (TTS).

Headed up by Thomas Shedd, a close associate of Elon Musk, the TTS will seemingly launch the AI website with three key components; a chatbot, an “all-in-one” API that enables connections between existing systems and AI models from Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI, and ‘CONSOLE’ - a "groundbreaking tool to analyze agency-wide implementation," according to the page.

The initial staging site suggests that the ai.gov site will serve AI models through Amazon Bedrock, and most of the models listed in the API documentation on the GitHub page are FedRAMP certified for government usage, the researchers confirmed.

However, they note that one model identified and listed from AI firm Cohere is not FedRamp certified.

The fact the US government is planning to leverage AI or increase its connections with AI companies probably won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone - with the Trump administration pushing hard for widespread government adoption.

Earlier in 2025 it was announced that the IRS could use AI to replace fired workers following mass layoffs at the hands of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Other departments like the SEC and VA are reportedly bracing for ‘restructuring’ as the department investigated whether AI can be used to replace human workers across a range of government departments.

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• watchOS 26 has removed several watch face designs
• They include the Gradient, Toy Story, and Vapor looks
• At the same time, there are no new faces to replace them

Typically, you expect big software updates to add features, not take them away. Yet sometimes a handful of things disappear in the process – and if you’re fond of a select few Apple Watch faces, you might be out of luck, as Apple is removing a number of well-known faces with the watchOS 26 update.

As spotted by Reddit user flogman12, Apple has ditched five faces in watchOS 26: the Fire and Water, Gradient, Liquid Metal, Toy Story, and Vapor designs.

It’s not known why these faces have been removed – Apple never gives a reason for removing faces or even announces that they’re gone – but they will likely be sorely missed by their fans. It’s possible that the faces were simply less popular than other options, and have been cleared out to make way for others.

Still, it’s not all bad news, as watchOS 26 has updated a bunch of new faces that are available for all of the best Apple Watches. While the company didn’t add any brand-new designs, it did bring its Liquid Glass visual style to a number of faces, bringing more translucency and light refraction to your Apple Watch.

Losing face

(Image credit: Future)

This isn't the first time Apple has cut a selection of faces from its watchOS operating system. It did so last year with watchOS 11. It’s not an unusual move for the company, and it often does this to make room for other additions when it releases a major new watchOS update.

This may also have been done simply to keep the list of watch faces at a manageable number. After all, if you’re faced with a daunting list of hundreds of different designs to choose from it might feel a tad overwhelming.

The fact that the Toy Story face has been dropped is interesting, as this was the first feature-length film released by Pixar while Apple founder Steve Jobs was Pixar CEO. You would think that would give this watch face a solid connection to Apple, but that wasn’t enough to save it from being axed.

While watchOS 26 hasn’t added any all-new options to the Watch face gallery, it has brought a bunch of new features in other areas. Be sure to check out our picks for the best watchOS 26 features to see what’s new.

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MSI Raider A18 HX: Two-minute review

The MSI Raider A18 HX is a high-end, premium gaming laptop with a price point to match. Featuring some of the absolute best specifications on offer on the market right now, there’s no need to worry about low frame rates or poor game quality when sporting this titan of a machine.

You do get absolutely brilliant gaming performance on the MSI Raider A18 HX, however this is the expectation when it comes to a laptop at this price point. This device is by no means an option for those who are budget-conscious, however, but you get gaming performance like no other, a stunning 4K display, and a laptop which is future-proofed for years to come.

It does, however, come with some big flaws. Of course, you’d expect an 18-inch gaming laptop to be large, but this device really and truly is on another level in terms of both size and weight.

It’s a behemoth of a device which does have its perks, such as an immersive screen size and lots of ports, but on the other hand, it's so large to a point I wouldn’t necessarily consider it portable. It also only features a 2TB SSD, which despite sounding large, will easily be filled with the size of AAA titles in this day and age.

MSI Raider A18 HX: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $5,609.99 / £4,799
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? UK and US

The MSI Raider A18 HX is a top-of-the-line laptop in terms of performance and of course that comes with a matching price point. Coming in at over $5,000 for the highest specification edition of this laptop, this price point is not for the faint of heart. Considering the specifications of the laptop, the price point does make sense as similar options are around the same price point.

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, which also features a RTX 5090 graphics card and a larger SSD, will set you back $4,499.99 / £5,099.

You can currently get this laptop in the UK, US and other select regions across the world. However, it’s currently not available in Australia.

• Value: 4 /5

MSI Raider A18 HX: Specs

(Image credit: Future)MSI Raider A18 HX: Specs

Base configuration

Review configuration

Model

Raider A18 HX A9WIG-003

Raider A18 HX A9WJG-002

Price

$4,499.99 / £3,999

$5,609.99 / £4,799

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Processor

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Processor

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

RAM

64GB DDR5

64GB DDR5

Screen

Mini LED, 18inch, 3840 x 2400p, 120Hz refresh rate

Mini LED, 18inch, 3840 x 2400p, 120Hz refresh rate

Storage

2TB SSD

2TB SSD

Ports

3x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x SD Card reader, 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack

3x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x SD Card reader, 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Camera

HD Camera (30fps, 1080p)

HD Camera (30fps, 1080p)

Weight

3.6kg

3.6kg

Dimensions

404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm

404 x 307.5 x 24-32.05 mm

The MSI Raider A18 HX is a top-end gaming device where you can either opt for the Nvidia RTX 5090 or Nvidia RTX 5080 graphics cards. While both of these provide high-level graphics performance, if you really want the best of the best in terms of specifications then of course the Nvidia RTX 5090 is the clear option.

All the other specs between these two devices are identical, so no matter which option you pick up, you’ll be getting a mighty processor as well as an almost excessive amount of RAM with 64GB at your disposal.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future)MSI Raider A18 HX: Design

• Large and heavy
• 18-inch screen looks fantastic
• Plenty of ports

When first unboxing the MSI Raider A18 HX, all I could think was… woah. Weighing in at 3.6kg, this definitely isn’t the lightest of laptops, and pair this with the absolutely massive size measuring at 404 x 307.5 x 32.05 mm, this device is almost certainly too big for most laptop backpacks.

Being an avid collector of laptop bags, I tried it in a whole load of different bags, and the only thing I could fit this device in was a suitcase. This is definitely something to take note of if you’re planning to use a gaming laptop on the go.

Size aside, the laptop itself is very traditionally gamer-y in terms of style. You get red accents around the edge of the device as well as RGB on the logo and along the bottom bezel. Contributing to this aesthetic is the font of the keyboard, which is quite aggressive.

You get a stunning 18-inch screen with this laptop with a 3840 x 2400 resolution, perfect for playing AAA titles in 4K. However, for those who play competitive titles where frames win games - you also get a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring you have the best of both worlds with this display.

The MSI Raider A18 HX features 3 USB-A ports, 2 USB-C ports and a headphone jack. You also get an ethernet port and HDMI port on the back of the device. While this is more than enough ports for a standard set up of gaming peripherals, you’ll likely need extenders if you’re hoping to run a full streaming setup.

• Design: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future)MSI Raider A18 HX: Performance

• Can become unstable when battery drops too far
• Top-tier gaming performance
• Fans get loud

MSI Raider A18 HX: Benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 80877 ; Fire Strike: 42898 ; Time Spy: 18448
GeekBench 6: 2867 (single-core); 12285 (multi-core)
CrossMark: Overall: 1578 Productivity: 1532 Creativity: 1851 Responsiveness: 1067
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 203 ; (1080p, Low): 454
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 167 ; (1080p, Low): 198
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 306 ; (1080p, Low): 204
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 1hr 27mins
TechRadar movie test: 1hr 45mins

I did have some teething issues when first booting up the MSI Raider A18 HX. At first it was freezing frequently and at one point in the middle of benchmarking it completely froze and I needed to hold down the power button to shut it off. I realised the main issue was when the battery dropped below 10% - it became practically useless, even when I adjusted power saving settings to ensure the best performance.

I resorted to using the laptop plugged in the majority of the time because of the power draw, and risking dropping below 10% battery and having the entire system shut off was not a gamble I was willing to take - especially when playing online. However, when the laptop did work as intended, it was absolutely fantastic, I got top-tier performance from every single title I booted up in Ultra.

Whether I was running lower-intensity titles or AAA games, which did send the fans of the laptop into orbit, I was able to get amazing quality graphics and high frames every time.

It’s worth noting that - as with a lot of gaming machines of this calibre - it did get very hot and very loud quite quickly, with fans going full throttle as soon as I would boot up a game in 4K.

The speakers on the laptop are pretty good, while they of course don’t match headset-level quality, they are perfectly fine for gaming with.

However, if you're looking for pinpoint-accurate directional audio, you won’t really find that from laptop speakers in general anyway, and should in vest in the best PC speakers.

• Performance: 4 / 5

MSI Raider A18 HX: Battery life

The battery life was the biggest let down of this laptop. Of course, most gaming laptops have a very high power draw since they contain some pretty intense components, but the MSI Raider A18 HX really was unbelievably low.

When playing AAA games at 4K, I got less than an hour out of the laptop before it would shut itself off. Considering the performance issue I experienced when reaching low battery levels, this rendered the device even more useless for portability.

In tune with the size of the laptop, you get an absolutely gigantic 400w charging brick which also contributes to the lack of portability. However, the perk of having such a big charging brick is that your laptop will charge back to full battery very quickly with mine going from 10% back to 100% in around an hour.

It’s clear that this laptop was designed to remain plugged in at all times, whether it's due to the size of the device itself, the size of the charger or just the battery life in general. While it is a gaming laptop, it’s clearly one intended to remain stationary.

• Battery life: 1 / 5

Should you buy the MSI Raider A18 HX?

(Image credit: Future)MSI Raider A18 HX: Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Value

Value

4 / 5

Priced appropriately based on specs, the one downside here is the lack of availability in certain territories

Design

3 / 5

Despite coming with a gorgeous chassis, it’s hard to look past just how big this laptop is which takes away from its portability.

Performance

4 / 5

You get fantastic performance here which is let down when you get to lower battery percentages.

Battery

1 / 5

The battery is a major letdown when it comes to this laptop to the point I wouldn’t even consider using it unplugged.

Average rating

3 / 5

The MSI Raider A18 HX is huge and chugs through its battery, but there's no faulting the level of performance for the price, even if it comes at the (literal) cost of everything else.

Buy it if...

You want top-of-the-line performance
The specifications of this laptop are some of the best on the market right now, which deliver top-tier performance

You want something with the traditional gamer aesthetic
You get a traditional gamer-y style with this laptop including RGB and aggressive font

You want a built-in 4K display
You get a stunning display on this laptop which makes for a beautiful gaming experienceView Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want a portable gaming solution
Despite being a laptop, this device is so large that it means portability is essentially non-existent.View Deal

You need something with good battery life
All that power comes at the cost of (expectedly) woeful battery life. You'll need to keep a wall socket handy for this oneView Deal

MSI Raider A18 HX: Also Consider

Razer Blade 14

If you’re looking for a powerful gaming laptop which provides you with immaculate performance regardless of if you’re looking for stunning visuals or high frame rates all packed into a compact and stunning chassis, then the Razer Blade 14 is a great option.

MSI Katana 15

The MSI Katana 15 is a great budget option for those who are looking for a powerful gaming laptop without having to fork out too much cash. You can pick it up at less than £1,000 and still get decent AAA performance in 1080p.

How I tested the MSI Raider A18 HX

I spent two weeks using the MSI Raider A18 HX as my everyday laptop for work and leisure. I was sure to use the device all day for my typical work day, and then also used it for gaming in the evening. I took it on the go with me to different locations where I needed to work to see how it would feel outside of my workstation. As well as using it every day I also benchmarked the laptop using a range of different benchmarking software.

• First reviewed: June 2025

• Apple’s Wallet app got a big iOS 26 update at WWDC 2025
• There are new features for travel, from passports to boarding passes
• Virtual car keys are coming to more vehicles, too

At its WWDC 2025 event earlier this week, Apple took the time to showcase some new features coming to its Wallet app in iOS 26. This could make it easier than ever to manage your passports, boarding passes and more, and there are also new additions coming to connected cars that use virtual car keys using Wallet.

For starters, Apple Wallet is adding the ability to store virtual passports. Apple says this “is not a replacement for a physical passport, and cannot be used for international travel and border crossing in lieu of a U.S. passport.” Still, it can be used at various TSA checkpoints “for identity verification purposes during domestic travel.” Right now, it’s unfortunately limited to US passports.

Speaking of travel, Wallet can now provide you with more information on your stored boarding passes. These include Live Activities that show your flight’s progress, maps to your assigned terminal and baggage checking point, and information on your arrival terminal, gate, baggage claim area, and more.

Wallet’s upgrades are not just limited to airline travel, as it’s now able to display driver’s licenses and state IDs to websites for age and identity verification. This currently works with services like Chime, Turo, Uber Eats and U.S. Bank, plus the Arizona MVD, Georgia DDS, and Maryland MVA.

Apple Intelligence and car keys

(Image credit: Apple)

Thirdly, Wallet has also been refreshed with Apple Intelligence, which can now be used to identify, summarize and show order tracking info that it finds in your emails. The iOS 26 update also means you can pay in installments or with rewards when making in-store purchases using the Wallet app.

The Wallet app isn’t just used for purchases and travel, though – it can also store virtual car keys that unlock a connected vehicle using your phone. With iOS 26, that’s coming to more manufacturers, as spotted by 9to5Mac.

At the moment, virtual car keys work with 20 vehicle brands, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, and Volvo. At WWDC 2025, Apple said 13 more brands would be adding the feature soon, with manufacturers like Cadillac, GMC, and Porsche on the list (scroll down for the full list). We don’t yet know when these brands will add support, but with Apple teasing them as coming soon, hopefully we won’t have long to wait.

That all means that Apple’s Wallet app is going to be a lot more capable when iOS 26 launches this fall (although you can already try it out by downloading the iOS 26 developer beta).

Whether you’re traveling or paying for something on the go, it could be a great option, and with Apple agreeing to let users choose different payment apps in the EU, we could see some of these features come to rival iOS apps as well.

• Acura
• Cadillac
• Chery
• Chevrolet
• GMC
• Hongqi
• Lucid
• Porsche
• Rivian
• Smart
• Tata
• Voyah
• WEY

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• OpenAI brings Google Cloud on board for cloud computing infrastructure
• Microsoft is no longer OpenAI's sole provider after a shakeup
• Google shares are up, Microsoft shares down

Despite having a long history with Microsoft, OpenAI is believed to have signed a deal with Google Cloud to help it meet rising demands for cloud computing services.

Reuters reports the deal was finalized in May 2025 after months of negotiating, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter.

The finer details of its Google Cloud deal are unknown, but the move reflects OpenAI's effort to reduce its reliance on a single vendor – in this case, Microsoft – having recently announced its own $500 billion Stargate Project earlier in 2025.

OpenAI agreement with Google Cloud

Although Microsoft has fuelled much of OpenAI's growth with cloud infrastructure throughout a period of rapid expansion, the company stopped being its sole partner in March 2025, when OpenAI brought CoreWeave on board in a deal worth around $12 billion.

Now, Google Cloud will also provide resources to help OpenAI train and run its AI models.

During its first quarter of 2025, Google Cloud generated $12.3 billion in revenue, or nearly 14% of Google's total revenue. A deal with OpenAI could significantly increase the cloud division's revenue.

However, ChatGPT's success has allowed OpenAI to explore in-house opportunities.

Besides the Stargate Project, in collaboration with SoftBank and Oracle, OpenAI is also working on its own AI chip, which could spell disaster for Nvidia, which has once again taken prime position as the world's most valuable company, with a market cap of $3.510 trillion.

Sceptics are also uncertain about how Google Cloud's deal with OpenAI could impact its existing operations and customers, with the cloud hyperscaler already struggling to meet demand on occasions.

Google shares rose 2.1% after the news, with Microsoft shares dipping 0.6%, pulling it into second position with a market cap of $3.500 trillion.

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• OpenAI brings Google Cloud on board for cloud computing infrastructure
• Microsoft is no longer OpenAI's sole provider after a shakeup
• Google shares are up, Microsoft shares down

Despite having a long history with Microsoft, OpenAI is believed to have signed a deal with Google Cloud to help it meet rising demands for cloud computing services.

Reuters reports the deal was finalized in May 2025 after months of negotiating, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter.

The finer details of its Google Cloud deal are unknown, but the move reflects OpenAI's effort to reduce its reliance on a single vendor – in this case, Microsoft – having recently announced its own $500 billion Stargate Project earlier in 2025.

OpenAI agreement with Google Cloud

Although Microsoft has fuelled much of OpenAI's growth with cloud infrastructure throughout a period of rapid expansion, the company stopped being its sole partner in March 2025, when OpenAI brought CoreWeave on board in a deal worth around $12 billion.

Now, Google Cloud will also provide resources to help OpenAI train and run its AI models.

During its first quarter of 2025, Google Cloud generated $12.3 billion in revenue, or nearly 14% of Google's total revenue. A deal with OpenAI could significantly increase the cloud division's revenue.

However, ChatGPT's success has allowed OpenAI to explore in-house opportunities.

Besides the Stargate Project, in collaboration with SoftBank and Oracle, OpenAI is also working on its own AI chip, which could spell disaster for Nvidia, which has once again taken prime position as the world's most valuable company, with a market cap of $3.510 trillion.

Sceptics are also uncertain about how Google Cloud's deal with OpenAI could impact its existing operations and customers, with the cloud hyperscaler already struggling to meet demand on occasions.

Google shares rose 2.1% after the news, with Microsoft shares dipping 0.6%, pulling it into second position with a market cap of $3.500 trillion.

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