Feed aggregator

The Los Angeles Press Club says law enforcement officers have violated press freedoms of reporters covering anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles more than three dozen times.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The hearing on whether to indefinitely block President Trump's June 4th proclamation on Harvard's international students is scheduled in federal court in Boston.

(Image credit: Scott Eisen)

Even though the billionaire is no longer leading the Department of Government Efficiency effort, many key staffers — and DOGE ideas — are now more permanently embedded in the federal government.

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

The Trump administration's immigration enforcement mostly left farms and meat packing plants alone, until coordinated raids last week. Now, President Trump is signaling continued support for farmers.

(Image credit: John Moore)

AI may be redefining cyberattacks and defenses, but the real security battleground is data. In an environment where information flows freely between SaaS platforms, personal devices, and remote endpoints, preventing data leakage is a strategic imperative critical to company performance.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) has become the cornerstone of digital trust, especially as organizations automate more of their operations and employees leverage AI platforms in their day-to-day work. Modern DLP tools need to support expanded functionality and new layers of context to truly integrate into broader access and identity policies in the quest to safeguard and futureproof business.

Inside your business, the need for DLP continues to evolve

Employees do things they aren’t supposed to. That isn’t a new phenomenon, but it presents big challenges for DLP efforts. The rise of content-hungry tools such as ChatGPT and increased reliance on shared data repositories in the cloud – Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. – create more opportunities for workers to move or exfiltrate sensitive customer data in ways they shouldn’t.

Alongside company-provided solutions, the 2025 Netskope Cloud and Threat Report found that 88% of people use personal cloud apps at work. Shadow IT, where users quietly implement SaaS apps without IT’s knowledge, means your business may have numerous undiscovered apps floating around that put your data at risk.

Even the sanctioned use of large language models (LLMs) is frequently hampered by insufficient governance and oversight to ensure employees don’t run afoul of data boundaries. Companies struggle to identify and stop data leakage because there’s scant visibility into what the LLM is ingesting, what data it’s storing, where its outputs go, who’s using those outputs, and how. Unfortunately, legacy DLP platforms often can’t monitor and control AI-powered SaaS apps, leaving sensitive data potentially unprotected.

External threats amp up the value of DLP

When threat actors get onto a network, they’re typically looking to steal sensitive data or encrypt files for a future ransom. Those two risks have enterprises on high alert, and while robust ransomware prevention tools can help with the latter, DLP is key to protecting against the former.

The right DLP platform can prevent sensitive data from leaving your network, no matter how the attacker entered or where their search for content takes them. Anytime somebody tries to touch, access, or move data you’ve earmarked as sensitive, you’re going to know who’s trying to access it and what they’re trying to do with it.

Used in conjunction with a capable ransomware protection service to manage against attacks, DLP can stop external threat actors from accessing and moving your sensitive data.

Integrations solve DLP challenges in modern architectures

There are a few core capabilities to consider that make a big difference in a DLP solution’s effectiveness and usability. Historically, some primary complaints have been the lack of integrations and limited ability to stop employees from getting around established parameters.

Modern DLP tools can integrate with tens of thousands of web applications used by employees, from email to Slack, Salesforce, Teams, and others. A DLP solution designed for today’s infrastructure can also keep an eye on what users are submitting to LLMs.

Custom rules enable you to scan LLM inputs for discrete data types, such as credit card numbers, customer records, valuable source code, and even confidential keywords that may denote a highly sensitive project or pending business deal. If you can define it, an integrated DLP can watch for it and prevent unauthorized actions.

Context and customizations are key to quick response and efficient alert triage

Every threat is not created equal. Leading DLP tools offer flexibility in customizing rules and responses to suit nearly every scenario. To achieve the best results, your security team must begin by finding and defining your sensitive data, which may be different from one company to the next. CRM lists, source code, customer data—it’s up to you to decide what you want to monitor.

An advanced DLP can then use your unique content definitions to drive tailored response actions. What if a user tries to exfiltrate sensitive customer data? Your DLP may automatically block the action and immediately notify your security team. Alternatively, a less risky action might trigger a pop-up window that provides active coaching and policy reminders to help change user behavior. The DLP could allow an action after confirming the user’s identity through an additional authentication prompt, or allow an action but automatically redact sensitive data, such as patient names or payment card numbers.

The ability to customize your DLP strategy by choosing the automated response based on the severity of the threat enables a faster and more effective response to every event. By adding context to surface the most pressing risks, you also reduce the non-critical alerts sent to your security and IT teams and preserve their time for high-priority situations that require their attention.

Data loss prevention is a priority for enterprises navigating the AI age. Managing and protecting data moving through the organization requires integrated tools that can act as a traffic light to stop risky actions, encourage users to adopt preferred behaviors, and apply automated rules to free your security and IT teams to focus on critical threats. Innovative solutions empower security and IT teams to effectively prevent data leakage even in highly fluid environments.

We list the best data recovery service.

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

• BT could save £3 billion by cutting up to 55,000 workers, AI could end even more contracts
• If share prices don't rise, BT might have to spin off Openreach
• Group revenue was down 2% year-over-year

BT CEO Allison Kirkby has indicated the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence could lead to even deeper cuts beyond current plans to trim the company's workforce.

Kirkby confirmed plans, which are hoped to save £3 billion by 2030, to cut 40,000-55,000 jobs by the end of the decade.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Kirkby stated: "Depending on what we learn from AI... there may be an opportunity for BT to be even smaller by the end of the decade."

BT CEO blames AI for further job cuts

Kirkby took over BT in 2024, replacing former CEO Philip Jansen, and has led several saving exercises, including selling off non-core assets like the company's Italian and Irish units.

The FT also noted that BT had spun off its international business last month, citing sources familiar with the matter, suggesting that it could be open to offers on it.

However, the CEO believes that BT's current share price (£186.45) does not reflect the true value of Openreach – its broadband network arm. If this perceived undervaluation continues, BT could consider spinning off Openreach after the fibre rollout is complete, however Kirkby said she would prefer the share price to improve rather than having to resort to yet another spinoff.

Speaking about BT's latest full fiscal year, which ended on March 31, Kirkby said the company had realized "over £900m of annualized cost savings." She blamed "lower international sales and handsets" on the 2% dip in revenue, to £20.4 billion.

BT's reach across the UK could be about to get even stronger, with The Guardian revealing that the company could have entered initial discussions to buy out TalkTalk, a smaller broadband provider that has struggled financially.

However, such an acquisition, together with BT's ownership of mobile network provider EE, could spell out great domination over UK networks, potentially sparking an antitrust investigation.

The recently-completed merger of Three and Vodafone was subject to an in-depth investigation before eventually approved by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

You might also like

• Openreach declares aim to accelerate UK high-speed broadband rollout
• Want to maximize your signal? These are the best mesh Wi-Fi systems
• We've listed the best eSIMs for international travel

• We have a release date for the smaller 43mm OnePlus Watch 3
• It will begin rolling out on July 8
• It's said to be "packed with specs that rival the full-sized version"

When I reviewed the OnePlus Watch 3 two months ago (at the time of writing), I said it was already a contender for the best Android smartwatch of 2025. I loved the stainless steel, classic aesthetic and excellent battery life, but my biggest gripe was a style one: it was a big, heavy metal watch, and only came in one size.

As a sports watch, that's a major downside. One of the reasons the best Apple Watches are so popular is that they offer watch faces of different sizes, allowing people with smaller and larger wrists to find a watch that feels like it belongs on their arm.

Having reviewed fitness tech for many years, I know search terms like 'smallest Apple Watch' and 'best smartwatch for women' are popular on Google. Customers who don't want to wear big, chunky timepieces, whether that's due to aesthetics or comfort, are sadly limited in choice.

Thankfully, OnePlus listened to our complaints. In my OnePlus Watch 3 review, I wrote: "My main gripe is the watch’s size: at the time of writing the initial early review, I said I would have loved to see OnePlus bring out a second, smaller model for those with smaller wrists. Many people, including a lot of women, will find it’s just too big and heavy for daily wear.

"However, during my testing, OnePlus published the news there would be a second, smaller size along with LTE capabilities for future models, and my fears were dispelled."

(Image credit: OnePlus)

OnePlus had already revealed a smaller size was coming, but not when, nor did we have any other details about it. Would it have the same specs as the larger model? What about battery life? Would it still be a OnePLus Watch 3, or something closer to an Apple-style 'SE' model? For months, we had no answers to these burning questions.

Published today in an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Celina Shi – Chief Marketing Officer at OnePlus Europe – finally spilled the beans on the new watch's release date, and even provided an image – the picture above. At first glance, the 43mm looks a lot more Pixel Watch-y than the full-size 47mm Watch 3.

"In February this year, we launched our latest flagship wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3. It was highly popular due to its huge battery life, accurate GPS and health and wellbeing metrics," said Celina. "We're bringing a smaller iteration of this device that's perfect for those with smaller wrists – but don't underestimate it.

"It's packed with specs that rival the full-sized version, as well as exclusive monitoring features not found on any other device – and will be available in sleek Silver Steel!"

It sounds like it's getting at least one exclusive feature, although we don't know any more details on it. It'll also pack specifications that match the 47mm version of the watch.

The best part? It's launching on July 8, mere weeks away, along with a bevy of other OnePlus devices such as the OnePlus Nord 5, the OnePlus Buds 4 and the OnePlus Pad Lite.

You might also like...

• Your Wear OS smartwatch can now warn you about imminent earthquakes
• Garmin Venu X1 revealed – meet the surprise new Apple Watch Ultra 2 rival with Garmin’s biggest display yet
• I wore the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 for 2 weeks, and it's impressively cheap for the sheer amount of features it packs

• OnePlus revealed the OnePlus Buds 4 exclusively to TechRadar
• Landing July 8, alongside Nord 5 Series phones, Pad Lite and Watch 3 43mm
• LHDC 5.0 support listed and given price of the older Buds 3, I'm stoked

OnePlus is a formidable name in portable tech, although not necessarily one celebrated for its crystal-clear naming strategies.

It's hardly alone in that respect, given Apple's decision to skip straight to iOS 26 (from iOS 18) and Samsung seemingly set to bypass the Buds 2 FE to go straight to the Buds 3 FE, but anyway, 2025 is not looking any different for the Chinese tech giant.

Today (Monday, June 16) the company has exclusively revealed to TechRadar its five newest products: the OnePlus Nord 5 Series (comprising two smartphones: the OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus CE5), the OnePlus Buds 4, the OnePlus Pad Lite and a new, smaller OnePlus Watch 3 – it's got a 43mm dial.

Important things to note on the Buds 4? Firstly, there's no 'Nord' prefix, which typically denotes OnePlus' mid-range propositions. So while the incoming phones might sit within the brand's more affordable handsets, it's flagship territory where its earbuds are concerned.

All of the OnePlus newness…  (Image credit: OnePlus)OnePlus Buds 4: specs and everything we know so far

You'd be forgiven for experiencing a modicum of confusion when gazing upon OnePlus' current earbuds lineup – so allow me.

A quick look on the OnePlus website reveals a trio consisting of the newest OnePlus Buds Pro 3 (which launched in August 2024), the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro (which arrived in July 2024 and despite our best efforts, we never managed to source a set for review) and the January 2024-issue OnePlus Buds 3.

If you really want to get granular on their respective spec sheets or you're thinking of snapping up a deal on the outgoing model when the Buds 4 hit shelves (clever), our OnePlus Buds Pro 3 vs OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro explainer can help.

But this changes everything! OnePlus Buds 4 – so simple. So stylish. I don't have too much information on the design or colorway options, but the case echoes the design language of the Buds 3 Pro, rather than the Buds 3, which is a good thing since I found it much more secure.

OnePlus tells me the Buds 4 feature dual drivers and dual DACs (read: the kind of audio architecture that ought to promote much-better-than-average audio quality), LHDC 5.0 (a higher-resolution audio codec similar to LDAC in that it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution) and OnePlus' 3D Audio software, which we really liked in the OnePlus Buds 3 because it'll even level up Spotify's lossy files, making them more immersive.

For gamers, the OnePlus Buds 4 also offer 47ms ultra-low latency in Game Mode and while I'm no avid gamer, the Buds Pro 3 included the perk and we liked it a lot, so it's good to see it included in non-Pro Buds.

(Image credit: OnePlus)

Anything missing here? Well, there's no mention yet of noise cancellation which, if that plays out, might be a deal-breaker for some buyers. Again, this is an early exclusive (we've no concrete information on pricing either) so there are plenty of details still to come, but it's worth mentioning.

Thus far, OnePlus has yet to really make a dent in our roundup of the best earbuds – but perhaps that's set to change. We'll be giving them a full-fat review, so watch this space…

You may also like

• Need audiophile-grade sound? Check out our pick of the best wired earbuds
• …and also the best wired headphones
• Want to stay wire-free? See our feature on hi-res audio and how to get it

CNET explores the best home internet in Centennial, including the best ISPs for speed, coverage and overall value.

Whichever way you slice it, OnePlus is enjoying a fruitful 2025. Just a few months after the OnePlus 13 sailed onto our list of the best phones money can buy, the OnePlus Watch 3 became one of the best Android smartwatches around, and the newly announced OnePlus Pad 3 looks set to feature prominently in our guide to the best Android tablets.

All three of those products are flagships in their respective categories, but OnePlus is now gearing up for its annual swipe at the mid-range tech market.

In an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Celina Shi, Chief Marketing Officer at OnePlus Europe, revealed the names and details of five new mid-range OnePlus products heading to stores in July – specifically the OnePlus Nord 5, OnePlus Nord CE5, OnePlus Buds 4, OnePlus Pad Lite, and OnePlus Watch 3 43mm.

TechRadar: What do you see as the key USP of the OnePlus Nord series in 2025, in terms of both its place in the OnePlus portfolio and the wider mid-range smartphone market?

Celina Shi: The OnePlus Nord Series is our mid-range smartphone series designed to offer a balance of flagship features at an affordable price. It’s become much-loved by a significant number of our community who enjoy its fun and more playful tone. The OnePlus Nord Series is bolder in color and style than our flagship Series and offers a real opportunity for people to demonstrate their personal identity through the devices and its brand.

In July this year, I'm pleased to announce that OnePlus will launch two new devices in the OnePlus Nord series: the OnePlus Nord 5 and the OnePlus Nord CE5. The latest series is a performance powerhouse that offers endless endurance, allowing you to play and create all day and night.

The OnePlus Nord 5 (left) and OnePlus Nord CE5 (right) (Image credit: OnePlus)

TR: What, specifically, makes the OnePlus Nord 5 a “performance powerhouse”?

CS: The new OnePlus Nord 5 is what we're calling a double-punch – it has an exceptional camera and an exceptional chipset.

While you'll have to wait to find out about the camera, I can confirm that the OnePlus Nord 5 will include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, an unfairly high-spec chipset for the mid-range market.

The OnePlus Nord 5 is equipped with LPDDR5X RAM and an advanced 7,300mm² CryoFlex Liquid Cooling System, ensuring consistently smooth performance even under pressure.

The new OnePlus Nord 5 is what we're calling a double-punch – it has an exceptional camera and an exceptional chipset.

Celina Shi, OnePlus

For the gamers, OnePlus Nord 5 will also support Battlegrounds Mobile India at native 90 frames per second to 144fps with frame rate interpolation, meaning smooth gaming and less lag.

We've included all of these features as our core OnePlus Nord audience wants a fast and smooth experience, since they use their smartphones for creating, gaming, and multitasking. As these types of activities get more complex with more processing load, we've doubled down on our chipset to ensure we deliver the signature fast and smooth experience that we've become famous for.

TR: Both new Nord models feature a vertical camera array. Why the move back to this orientation on the flagship model this year?

CS: With any smartphone, there is always negotiation between aesthetic design and what's physically possible within those parameters. As tech components evolve, so too will our design to make the best-looking products that function optimally.

The camera module is vertical in the latest OnePlus Nord Series as this layout optimizes space within the device, allowing us to include a best-in-class chipset, battery, and screen within.

TR: And similarly, what can you tell us about the rear panel design?

CS: While I can't reveal specifics about the OnePlus Nord 5 Series materials just yet, I can say that it won't be in a metal frame this year.

Our design concept for all of our devices is grounded in consumer insight. Following a global survey conducted across Europe, North America, India, and China, we found that our target audience places strong emphasis on practicality in design.

The camera module is vertical in the latest OnePlus Nord Series as this layout optimizes space within the device.

Celina Shi, OnePlus

They consistently prefer styles that are brief, simple, and elegant. In response to this, in the OnePlus Nord Series this year, we are offering a Nordic-inspired design that reflects these values and resonates with our consumers globally.

With that in mind, I'll exclusively reveal to you one color each for the OnePlus Nord 5 and the OnePlus Nord CE, which will launch in Europe on July 8: the OnePlus Nord 5 will launch in Dry Ice, and the OnePlus Nord CE 5 in Marble Mist.

TR: Are you confident that users will embrace the new Plus Key and Plus Mind interface on the Nord 5 series?

CS: We're really excited about the new Plus Key, the extension of OnePlus' personalized AI experience. The Plus Key is not a removal of our Alert Slider, it's a natural evolution to allow it to be more capable, more intuitive to use, and now highly customizable. The Plus Key is a customizable button programmable for various actions like switching sound profiles, launching the camera, initiating translation, or starting recordings.

(Image credit: OnePlus)

The Plus Mind interface sits perfectly alongside our Plus Key and is the first step to building a truly personalized smartphone experience with AI. Users can simply press the Plus Key to recognize screen content and add it as a 'memory'. This includes actions like saving on-screen content, suggesting schedules to be added into a calendar, storing on-screen content into Mind Space, and searching with a conversational prompt via AI Search.

Beyond simple screen capture, AI Plus Mind leverages AI to analyze content contextually. For instance, it can extract schedule details from an image or text and add them directly to the user's calendar. AI Search, integrated with AI Plus Mind, supports natural language queries for easy retrieval of saved content.

TR: With mid-range smartphones improving in quality every year, how does OnePlus distinguish between mid-range and flagship in 2025?

CS: At OnePlus, our vision is to empower the world through better technology. We launched the OnePlus Nord series to make cutting-edge technology, including the OnePlus Fast & Smooth experience, accessible to more people. Therefore, when we look at the OnePlus Nord Series offering, we try to balance flagship technology with an affordable price.

But the identity of the OnePlus Nord Series is quite different to that of our flagship series. It's more playful, colourful, and bolder in style.

The OnePlus Nord 4 is still one of the best mid-range Android phones (Image credit: Future)

People who buy our OnePlus Nord Series are different to those buying flagships. For our flagship products, like the OnePlus 13 series, we target power users. These are tech enthusiasts that place high demands on their devices, and expect bleeding-edge hardware and frictionless, performance-focused software.

Our OnePlus Nord products are a way for us to take our flagship technology and make it more accessible to a wider range of users. These are value-aware consumers that expect a Fast & Smooth experience at a price point that allows more people to join our community.

At OnePlus, the flagship line and Nord line play equally important roles in our product and brand strategy. On one hand, we will continue building flagship devices that integrate the most advanced technologies to deliver cutting-edge experiences in the premium and ultra-premium tiers. In parallel, we are also committed to making the OnePlus experience and quality more accessible to more users with the Nord product line.

TR: Moving away from smartphones for a moment, what else is OnePlus planning to launch next month?

CS: This summer, on July 8, we are focusing on building our product portfolio across different categories and price segments. Alongside our OnePlus Nord Series devices, I'm pleased to announce that we will be launching three new products: a new wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm, our latest flagship headphones, the OnePlus Buds 4, and a new tablet, the OnePlus Pad Lite.

In February this year, we launched our latest flagship wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3. It was highly popular due to its huge battery life, accurate GPS, and health and wellbeing metrics.

We're bringing a smaller iteration of this device that's perfect for those with smaller wrists – but don't underestimate it! It's packed with specs that rival the full-sized version, as well as exclusive monitoring features not found on any other device – and will be available in sleek Silver Steel!

We are deepening our roots into broader consumer electronics sectors to become a premium 'Android Builder'.

Celina Shi, OnePlus

Hot off the heels of the OnePlus Pad 3 launch in June, we've found that a strong section of our Community is looking to OnePlus for an affordable tablet that works seamlessly with their other OnePlus devices. We're delighted to bring this to them this summer. The OnePlus Pad Lite will be available in Europe in Aero Blue.

For OnePlus Buds 4, you can expect a flagship sound experience, with Dual Drivers, Dual DACs, Hi-Res LHDC 5.0, and 3D Audio. For gamers, the OnePlus Buds 4 also offer 47ms ultra-low latency in Game Mode, ensuring audio syncs perfectly with on-screen action for a competitive edge.

As with all OnePlus products, style has been front and centre of the design process [for our new earbuds]. This year, the OnePlus Buds 4 are available in two colour options: Zen Green and Storm Gray.

The OnePlus Buds 4 in Storm Gray and Zen Green (Image credit: OnePlus)

TR: And lastly, looking ahead, what’s the overarching product strategy for OnePlus in 2025?

CS: Our journey started in 2014 with the release of our first smartphone, the OnePlus One, which shared great technology with the world and challenged the industry status quo. While our ambition remains to deliver exceptional value to our smartphone users, we are deepening our roots into broader consumer electronics sectors to become a premium 'Android Builder'. Today, we offer a broad portfolio of devices across four main categories: smartphone, tablet, audio, and wearables.

Through our ecosystem of devices, we want to elevate the digital life of our community with products that seamlessly connect and improve their lifestyle through better technology. We host Open Ears Forums for our community, where we get invaluable feedback from our users. In 2025, we have doubled down on that effort through regular community catch-ups through one-on-one sessions where we carefully listen and understand their needs.

On the product side, we will continue to enhance our hardware and software offering with features we've become famous for, like long battery life, [unique] design and [powerful] performance; but also integrate newer technologies, like upgraded OxygenOS, OpenCanvas, and AI, to ensure the OnePlus product experience across all categories and all devices is faster and smoother than ever.

So there you have it, folks – the OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus Nord CE5 will launch in the UK and Europe on July 8, along with the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm, OnePlus Buds 4, and OnePlus Pad Lite. We’ll be getting all five new products in for testing over the coming weeks, so stay tuned to TechRadar for our full verdicts on OnePlus’ latest mid-range devices.

Which of the newly announced OnePlus products is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

You might also like

• Best OnePlus phones: top flagship and budget models
• ‘The key is to build a bridge with iOS’: OnePlus has a plan to tackle Apple's smartphone industry dominance
• ‘It will take time for foldables to become mainstream’: OnePlus defends decision to delay the OnePlus Open 2 and bow out of the foldable phones race in 2025

This MetLife Stadium clash sees the two Group A favorites go toe-to-toe.

One of the biggest differences between being rich and poor is having people to do things for you. When a person moves from being poor to the middle class, they might get a cleaner or take their clothes to a dry cleaner; when they become rich, they might get a driver, a private chef – an entire entourage devoted to making their lives easier.

There’s growing excitement about the rise of AI-powered agents that act on behalf of consumers - not just during product discovery, but right through to purchase. Search-like queries on ChatGPT might only represent 1% of those on Google, but 1% of the colossal global search market is a huge number of searches, with potentially millions in revenue.

Originally conceived as digital concierges to simplify search, these agents are now making actual purchases, and they’re doing it without ever handing control back to the shopper.

Large payments players are laying the groundwork for AI-based commerce. Visa recently launched a Digital Credential Innovation Hub to explore new identity models for agent-based transactions, while Stripe confirmed it is developing secure transaction capabilities for AI agents. And just yesterday, Google revealed plans for an AI agentic checkout for shopping — a move that confirms this shift is no longer speculative, but imminent.

But beyond the optimistic headlines lies a more complicated picture. What happens when an AI agent makes a purchase for you? And more importantly, what can go wrong?

What’s Really Going On Behind the Scenes (Usually)

Let’s be clear: there’s no single “standard” for how agentic shopping works – the process is still evolving, and different platforms take different approaches. That said, here’s a common flow we’ve observed in early implementations.

When a consumer uses an AI agent to shop, the process is superficially simple, but technically intricate. First, the user saves their payment card details — including full PAN, CVV, expiry, billing, and delivery addresses — with their chosen AI platform.

Shoppers are unlikely to be buying very inexpensive items like a pizza or very expensive items like a new car. They probably won’t be using it for goods with a heavy visual emphasis, where part of the enjoyment is browsing until something hits you – clothing being the best example. They are likely, at first, to use agentic AI to help them decide between relatively expensive products that are difficult for non-experts to understand: let’s use a good pair of Bluetooth headphones as an example.

The agent, which could be powered by ChatGPT, Google, TikTok Shop, or Amazon’s AI initiatives, uses natural language to respond to a shopper’s request. Just like a shop clerk, it will ask questions to refine results: how much do you want to spend? Do you want over-ear or in-ear headphones? Are there any features like noise cancelling or waterproofing that you need? It can then refine results and present purchase options.

Once the shopper decides a payment process begins that will be mostly invisible to the shopper:

• The shopper stays in the AI interface and never visits the merchant’s site.
• A “Buy” command within the agent UI triggers the agent to autofill the checkout form on the merchant’s site.
• The merchant receives the full card details as if a human shopper were typing them.
• The agent submits the order, and confirmation is sent via both the agent and the merchant.

Critically, the merchant is unlikely to know that they’re dealing with an agent rather than a human. This introduces risks, because if anything goes wrong — an incorrect item, a delivery mix-up, or pricing error - the shopper must resolve it directly with the merchant, even though they never interacted with the merchant’s website themselves.

In other words: don’t talk to me – talk to my agent.

Known Risks (So Far)

There are several emerging pitfalls already evident:

Security vulnerabilities: In January 2025, Chinese AI platform DeepSeek was hacked, exposing users' stored credentials. The centralization of payment data in AI agents makes them lucrative targets.

Susceptibility to scams: Fraudsters may design sites specifically to trick agents into completing fake checkouts.

Ambiguity in liability: If an agent misplaces an order or inputs incorrect details, it’s unclear whether the AI provider or the consumer bears responsibility.

Poor compatibility:

• It may not support alternative payment types like PayPal, digital wallets or bank transfers (which account for roughly 45% of eCommerce volume in the EU).
• It can’t easily handle additional checkout steps (e.g. seat selection, delivery slots).
• Struggles with card declines, especially in international transactions, where decline rates can be anywhere from 5 to 30%.

In markets like the EU or Japan, legal requirements around Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) mean that consumers must approve each card transaction, making AI-led flows problematic or non-compliant.

The Bigger Picture: Are We Witnessing a Commerce Revolution?

Beyond the immediate risks and logistics, the rise of agents raises fundamental questions about the structure of digital commerce.

Will this model gain traction with consumers? It could fizzle like voice commerce and Amazon’s Dash buttons, which failed to take off due to trust and usability issues. Or it could explode, much like the rise of marketplaces or in-app mobile buying. The answer depends on how much value consumers place on convenience, and how well AI agents can overcome trust and control issues.

If AI agents become the preferred interface for eCommerce, the web as we know it may fragment. Why visit a merchant site at all, when your agent can do the work? This shift could drive the development of Model Context Protocols (MCPs) - AI-optimized data layers that replace websites altogether. Some merchants may respond by blocking known agent IPs or designing checkout flows that frustrate automated systems to force direct interaction. Industries like marketing would fundamentally change as it becomes more important to engage with AI agents than human beings.

Meanwhile, platforms like ChatGPT will need to find ways to monetize their newfound influence. That might mean charging merchants referral fees, sparking the emergence of a new SEO-for-AI ecosystem. But such monetization introduces new questions about trust: if your agent is taking commission from merchants, how unbiased are its recommendations?

As we stand on the edge of this transformation, one thing is certain: the infrastructure of digital payments is being rewritten. The question now is whether consumers - and merchants - are ready to follow their agents into this new era.

And I, for one, will be watching closely - either directly, or via my agent.

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 tourists who were targeted by water blasts laughed it off. Cities like Barcelona and the island of Mallorca have seen housing costs skyrocket as homes are diverted to the short-term rental market.

(Image credit: Pau Venteo)

Also looming over the meeting are President Trump's inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

A 33-mile trip from one protest in Annapolis, Md., to the parade grandstand in front of the White House was like a journey between two different countries.

(Image credit: Andrew Leyden)

Looking to improve your internet connection throughout the house? Here are CNET's top picks for Wi-Fi extenders.

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 266, for June 16.

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 16.

We’ve known that Cyberpunk 2077 is eventually coming to the Mac, and developers CD Projekt Red (CDPR) have been hard at work – and still are – at getting the title fit to run on any Apple Silicon-powered device. That means the massive AAA title, which has been frequently used to benchmark systems, will be able to run on the M1 chip or newer.

It was reconfirmed at WWDC 2025 – Apple’s week-long developer conference – that it would be arriving later this year, and back with the launch of the new Mac Studio, TechRadar saw a demo of it running on that super-powered computer.

Now, though, I had the chance to get another demo of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition – a newer version of the in-development title – on a 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip and 128GB of RAM.

It was on ‘Ultra’ settings with a buttery smooth and excellently rendered 120 frames per second. And yes, this performance is derived from Apple’s M4 Max chip – no discrete GPU required. Further, this was fully taking advantage of Apple's Metal 4, coming later this year, including MetalFX Frame Interpolation.

It looked fantastic and was responsive, but that had me thinking about the plans to launch this on any Apple Silicon Mac.

I was curious about performance on less powerful chips within Apple’s lineup, as the requirement for the title is expected to be Apple Silicon, meaning it should run base M1, M2, M3, or M4 chips as well as the more powerful creations.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

I asked Pawel Sasko, Associate Game Director of CD Projekt Red, about what performance might look like on other Macs with different levels of performance from various chips, like even a MacBook Air.

He first explained that Cyberpunk 2077 is running on CDPR’s proprietary Red Engine Four, which is designed to be scalable. “It's trying to use everything that given platform provides,” Sasko explained and called out that the title is available on a variety of devices already, including the Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of its release on the Mac.

"Red engine is basically trying to check what hardware you have and squeeze out the max you can have,” he continued. Meaning that Cyberpunk 2077 will work to run and deliver the best performance based on the chip you have inside. Sasko couldn’t give a specific number yet based on the chip or a potential Mac SKU, but that’s because the game is still not finalized – CDPR is still working on it and polishing it.

Sasko even shared that they’ll work on optimizing performance until the very end, and recently CDPR figured out how to optimize cloth, also known as what a character is wearing, to make it look better.

Suffice to say, he shared that “We're trying to squeeze everything that given hardware gives us,” meaning it will run the best it possibly can on the Mac – which likely means that a more powerful chip, like an M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max, will deliver the best results.

And the good news is that we’re likely only a few months away from one of the biggest AAA titles arriving on the Mac – the CDPR team wouldn’t give an exact time frame, but Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will arrive in 2025.

I also got to see this demo of the title shortly after Apple unveiled macOS 26 Tahoe, which will introduce the Games app. Although CDPR hasn’t announced if it will be integrating with the new hub, it will work with the new ‘Game Overlay.’

This is a sidebar that can be brought to the top right-hand side of the screen, making it easy to enable game mode, adjust brightness or volume, and even switch controllers, as well as connect with friends. You can also opt to push your MacBook further with different energy modes.

You might also like

• Microsoft makes fun of macOS Tahoe’s Liquid Glass redesign for ripping off Windows Vista – but Apple could have the last laugh
• macOS Tahoe 26 finally adds a much-needed feature that means I may never use Windows 11 again
• Live from WWDC 2025 – TechRadar podcast unpacks that massive iPadOS update and looks through Liquid Glass

• Hostinger Reach promises powerful emails from a simple prompt, no tech skills required
• Built-in AI writes and designs professional emails in minutes, not hours
• Deliverability tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC come automatically configured with Hostinger domains

Hostinger, a company long recognized for its affordable web hosting services, has now entered the competitive field of email marketing.

With the launch of Hostinger Reach, the company has set its sights on established players like Mailchimp and Omnisend.

Email remains a highly active marketing channel, boasting a global user base of over 4.4 billion in 2024. Often praised for its return on investment, ranging from $36 to $45 per dollar spent, it’s clear success depends not just on tools, but on how they’re used.

A marketing platform baked into the ecosystem

Hostinger Reach is more than just a standalone app; it’s part of a broader ecosystem. Integrated tightly with Hostinger’s Website Builder, its key selling point lies in seamless syncing via hPanel.

The platform also offers built-in support for form synchronization and automatic domain configuration for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, aiming to improve email deliverability.

Hostinger says this should help users “land in inboxes, not spam”, though in practice, deliverability is influenced by many factors beyond DNS records.

At launch, the platform includes standard features such as contact management, campaign analytics, and compliance with GDPR and CAN-SPAM regulations.

It also introduces AI-powered tools for email creation and performance tracking, features typically found in top-tier email marketing software and social media marketing tools.

With AI assistance, Hostinger Reach claims users can go “from idea to inbox in minutes” simply by prompting the tool with a message theme.

The platform then generates a complete email, including layout suggestions and brand-aligned styling.

This could save significant time for solo entrepreneurs and small teams. However, skeptics may question whether AI-generated content can match the nuance and personalization seasoned marketers expect.

A free tier is available, allowing up to 200 monthly emails to 100 unique subscribers, sufficient for experimentation, but not for scaling.

Paid plans offer expanded capabilities, though pricing details remain unclear at this stage.

One notable limitation is the lack of deep third-party integration. While current Hostinger users benefit from smooth syncing with Website Builder forms, WordPress support is still “coming soon.”

This delay could be a drawback, especially given the widespread use of WordPress among small businesses.

Hostinger may offer one of the best web hosting services, but whether that reputation translates into a truly competitive email marketing platform remains to be seen.

You might also like

• Hostinger in 60 minutes: learn from these rookie mistakes
• These are the best ecommerce platforms you can use
• We listed the best secure email providers on the market