Feed aggregator

“AI readiness” tends to be used as umbrella phrase to describe the different range of activities that businesses need to carry out to get value of generative AI and minimize any associated risks.

AI readiness therefore takes into account everything from having the right data foundations and governance in place to supporting AI literacy among staff to establishing ethical guardrails.

One area where businesses – including even large brands – are collectively not ready for AI is ensuring their brand is visible and faithfully represented across Large Language Models (LLMs) and in responses from associated AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.

The outside-in view

Too many large companies have a digital estate that contains content that is outdated or contradictory. Because AI tools base their responses on the content they find, brands risk AI tools giving out misinformation or misrepresenting their brand, products or organization.

Similarly, there is also a risk of brands not being featured in responses or less than those compared to competitors, impacting future visibility and competitiveness.

This is effectively AI looking from the “outside in” and then presenting a picture of what it has surfaced. When we measured this “outside in” element of AI readiness across the websites of over 250 top global brands using an automated remote website assessment tool and an underlying AI maturity model, we found only approximately 3% of websites could be considered “leading” when it comes to AI readiness.

Why AI readiness is important

The way people search for information on the web is changing rapidly. Consumers are turning to ChatGPT rather than using traditional Google searches; surveys have suggested that 37% of consumers in the US who already use AI, now start their searches using AI tools rather than Google.

This means that rather than looking at a web page on a company’s own website, consumers’ perceptions about a brand are increasingly coming from AI responses as the first step rather than directly from a web page controlled by the company.

That’s a problem if a consumer asks AI to provide a list of suppliers or vendors, and your business isn’t listed when it should be, or the AI provides erroneous information about your company and products from the off.

Recognizing the speed at which consumers are turning to AI tools for search, digital marketing teams who have previously invested in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are now investing in related practices like Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answers Engine Optimization (AEO) with some urgency to optimize their digital footprint so it is successfully reflected in AI tools like ChatGPT.

But the reasons that even some of the world’s top brands still have a lot of work to do in this area is because in the past they have deprioritized basic governance and maintenance across their digital estate, with the risk of AI confidently presenting answers as facts or broadcasting perceptions that are based on information from content that is out of date and has been superseded.

Of course, the risks associated with erroneous answers may vary but they can be acute, particularly in heavily regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare or pharmaceuticals with strict compliance surrounding the information that businesses must provide to customers, or in areas such as products where health and safety instructions must be correct.

The hidden digital footprint

One of the key reasons where businesses slip up is by building up a digital footprint – often without realizing it – which is not actively managed and has old and inaccurate information.

Over time, businesses accumulate a surprisingly large number of digital assets that are accessible online, sometimes hosted on third-party platforms: websites for sub-brands or locations, online newsletters, campaigns, product launches, events, microsites, partner content, customer portals, forms, digital experiments, and so forth. In addition, there might be areas of a corporate website that have effectively been forgotten about.

Over the years, this digital footprint in some organizations has not been properly managed, so a site created to support a one-off event stays online indefinitely rather than being retired. Sometimes when a company acquires another, it also becomes responsible for this digital debris that has accumulated and which the new team have little awareness of the full footprint they have inherited.

Previous research we carried out between 2017 and 2023 shows that central digital teams can be unaware of up to 41% of their entire digital footprint.

The danger of poor document management

Another critical cause of a lack of AI readiness is an overreliance on documents. Many websites contain PDF attachments which don’t necessarily get updated and then accumulate over years and years, containing information which is no longer relevant or correct.

Annual reports, brochures, manual forms, product guides and more are all left accessible on websites. Our research suggests that as many as one in five (19%) website documents are duplicates which can create inconsistent signals for AI about which is the current and authoritative version

Not enough organizations take a structured approach to managing their documents across their digital estate, which means they cannot effectively update documentation for example to reflect brand, regulatory or operational changes, with AI now forming responses from these out-of-date files.

How to reduce risk exposure

As more businesses find AI is producing misinformation about them and the number of consumers who use AI tools for searching information increases, awareness of this problem is likely to rise.

To reduce the risk exposure, at a high-level, three things generally need to happen:

• The issue needs to be owned at the executive or board level with someone responsible to tackle it.
• Digital teams need to use automated assessment tools to measure and monitor the risk associated with their entire digital estate in order to track associated remedial action.
• The digital team need to put governance and lifecycle management processes in place that enables them to have more control and oversight over their digital footprint, so it avoids becoming a digital wild west again.

AI readiness covers many areas. A key priority for brands who want to maximize AI visibility while reducing the chance of misinformation is to get their digital estate under control. Of course, there are other important activities to consider including ensuring content is optimally structured, but reducing the amount of out-of-date content is a critical starting point.

We've featured the best AI chatbot for business.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to 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/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

SNAP, also known as food stamps, has seen a rapid and consistent participation decline since last July. The drop comes as the program faces historic cuts and changes.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

The Justice Department is using federal conspiracy charges to sweep up ICE protesters. Some legal experts worry the agency is casting too wide a net to prosecute political activists who oppose the Trump administration's deportation agenda.

(Image credit: Jaida Grey Eagle for NPR)

The primary to replace Rep. Dan Newhouse is a rare opportunity for Washington's Republicans to seek federal office. Candidates representing different wings of the party are testing Trump's influence.

(Image credit: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

Federal agencies are rushing to move hundreds of workers into new buildings. Employees say the moves are significantly disrupting their work.

(Image credit: Shuran Huang for NPR)

August is upon us, and that means a new batch of Lego has arrived, ready for us to dive into. This month's drop is an especially good one, with icons from the silver screen and real world.

Let's start with the former: everyone's favorite extra-terrestrial is now available to buy in brick form. The Lego ET comes with a fully posable phone-home finger (complete with light-up tip), a plant pot, and a glowing heart brick. He is slightly less wrinkly than the big-screen version, but no less heart-stealing.

On the real-world icon front, we now have an updated kit for London's Tower Bridge. This new version can raise and lower, and features details including a tiny red double-decker bus, an unrealistically ultramarine Thames, and a tiny coat of arms that's an homage to the original set.

That's not all that's new from Lego this month. Fans of retro gaming will go bananas for the new Donkey Kong Arcade set, with a built-in barrel-releasing mechanism that means you can really play it, and Pokémon enthusiasts are spoiled for choice with multiple new kits, including an adorable Munchlax surrounded by discarded apple cores.

Scroll down for more of my favorite new Lego sets for August. I'll start with the US links, or hop down the page for UK links. If you have a particular favorite, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section.

US: new Lego sets for August

Lego Architecture Tower Bridge

Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade

Lego Ideas ET The Extra-Terrestrial

Lego Pokémon Arcanine

Lego Pokémon Munchlax

Lego Botanicals Dark Flower Arrangement

Lego Icons Jaguar E-Type

LEGO KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird

LEGO Pokémon SMART Play: Jigglypuff Concert

LEGO Pokémon SMART Play: Training House With Pikachu

UK: new Lego sets for August

Lego Architecture Tower Bridge

Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade

Lego Ideas ET The Extra-Terrestrial

Lego Pokémon Arcanine

Lego Pokémon Munchlax

Lego Botanicals Dark Flower Arrangement

Lego Icons Jaguar E-Type

LEGO KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird

LEGO Pokémon SMART Play: Jigglypuff Concert

LEGO Pokémon SMART Play: Training House With Pikachu

My phone hit one bar outside Shinjuku Station, and the "unlimited" SIM card I'd bought at the airport two hours earlier had already burned through its entire 2GB. Just a dead connection and me standing on a street corner trying to remember which exit led to my hotel.

That trip is why I stopped trusting airport SIM counters.

Once I actually started researching eSIMs instead of grabbing whatever the kiosk pushed, one name kept coming up. Business travelers doing three countries a week swore by it. So did car nerds who care more about their infotainment system's connectivity than its horsepower.

That name was Ubigi.

Ubigi has been around since 2017. It's built by Transatel, part of the NTT Group, so you're on Transatel's own core network rather than a reseller riding someone else's coverage.

Ubigi: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Ubigi)

Ubigi offers three plan types, including one-off, monthly, and annual. Every region also comes in two versions: a standard plan and a "Best" version that covers a different, usually narrower, set of destinations at a different data-to-price ratio.

• One-off: Prices vary by region and by standard vs. "Best" version. Standard Asia runs $9 for 1GB over 30 days, while Best Asia's 25GB for 30 days costs $44.
• Monthly: $17/month for 5GB up to $44/month for 20GB, or $180/month unlimited. All cover the full 201-destination World plan.
• Annual: one payment covers 12 months; allowance refreshes monthly at no extra cost. $210 for 5GB/month (60GB total) or $440 for 20GB/month (240GB total).

Listed prices may change due to currency fluctuations or ongoing promotions, so it's worth double-checking the live plan page before you buy.

Plan Type

Starting Price

Data Range

Validity

Cancellation

One-off

$2

500MB-200GB

1-360 days

N/A, single purchase

Monthly

$17/month

5GB-20GB/month

Renews monthly

Cancel after 3 months

Annual

$210/year

60GB-240GB total

12 months

Non-refundable

Ubigi: Features

• Smart Start: Your plan doesn't start counting down the moment you buy it. The validity period only kicks in once you land at your destination, so you can buy a plan weeks in advance without wasting a single day of data.
• Select Your IP: Switch between your home country's IP and a local one, useful for banking apps or region-locked content that behaves differently depending on where it thinks you're connecting from. It launched in beta for France and US residents, and Ubigi's own site now lists availability extending to Belgium, Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, and the UK too. Worth confirming it's live in your country before counting on it.
• No separate hotspot cap: Tethered data simply counts against your plan's normal allowance; there's no extra fee or reduced limit for sharing your connection with a laptop or tablet.
• Broad device support: Ubigi works with roughly 30 phone, tablet, and laptop brands, not just the usual iPhone-and-flagship-Android list. Older devices, Windows laptops, and less common brands like Fairphone and Panasonic Toughbook are all covered, provided the specific model supports eSIM.

How Ubigi's Lifetime eSIM and Zero Rating Work

The lifetime eSIM specifically covers the profile itself. Once it's installed on your device, Ubigi says it "stays active for future use." That means no new QR code on your next trip. You just buy a new data plan, and it activates on the same profile already sitting on your phone.

To test this, I set up my Ubigi eSIM before a trip to Bangkok, used it for two weeks, and forgot about it entirely once I got home. Three months later, heading to Lisbon, I opened the app, bought a Europe plan, and was online the second I landed. The only catch is switching devices. Ubigi doesn't automatically carry over the profile, so switching to a new phone means reinstalling. You get 5 reinstalls before you need to contact support for a fresh eSIM.

Zero Rating solves a different problem. Normally, running out of data mid-trip means you need Wi-Fi just to load a payment page and buy more. Ubigi keeps the app reachable "even if your data balance is empty," so you can top up without hunting down a hotspot first.

Put those two together, and the setup only happens once. Everything after that is to buy a plan, land, and connect.

Ubigi: Installation and Activation

(Image credit: Ubigi)

Setup takes a few minutes, and you can do it entirely before you leave home. Ubigi supports iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows 10, and 11. Installation is via QR code or the app on any of them.

Here's the process:

• Check compatibility by dialing *#06# on your phone. If an EID number shows up next to your IMEI, your device supports eSIM. Also confirm it's carrier-unlocked, since a locked phone won't accept a third-party eSIM.
• Buy a plan: Choose your destination and data size from Ubigi's catalog and check out.
• Install the eSIM: You'll get a QR code by email. Press and hold it, or scan it, to install the Ubigi eSIM profile on your device.
• Create your account: Sign up through the Ubigi app or at Ubigi.me to track data usage in real time, get alerts, and top up later.

On arrival, make sure Ubigi is set as your preferred mobile data line. You should normally connect without entering anything else, but if you don't, both Android and iOS let you manually add an APN (Access Point Name) of "mbb" in mobile network settings. When you're home, turn the Ubigi line back off.

Ubigi: Compatible Devices

Ubigi updates this list monthly. Support can vary even within the same device family, so check your exact model on Ubigi's compatibility checker or dial *#06# before buying a plan. Either way, your device needs to be eSIM-enabled and carrier-unlocked.

Here's the compatibility picture by brand:

Brand

Compatible Models

Key Exclusions / Notes

Apple iPhone

iPhone XS and XR onward, through the iPhone 17 lineup, plus iPhone SE (2020, 2022)

iPhones sold in mainland China don't ship with eSIM and aren't compatible.

Apple iPad

iPad 7th gen and later, iPad mini 5th gen and later, iPad Air 3rd gen and later, iPad Pro 11" and 12.9"

The same mainland China exclusion applies.

Samsung Galaxy

Galaxy S20 series through S25, Galaxy Z Fold/Flip from the original Fold/Flip through Z Fold7/Flip 7, select Galaxy A, Tab S9/S10, and Galaxy Book models

Coverage varies by exact model; check the list for A-series and Tab entries.

Google Pixel

Pixel 4 and every generation since, including Pixel Fold

No Pixel 3 or earlier.

Motorola

Most Razr and Edge models, plus select Moto G 5G models

Older or budget Moto G models are excluded.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi 12T Pro and newer flagship and T-series models

Redmi Note (except Note 13/14 Pro+) and POCO lines aren't listed.

Other Android

OnePlus (11 and newer, including Open foldables), Oppo Find/Reno series, Honor Magic series, Vivo X-series, TCL, Sony Xperia (10/5/1 series), Sharp Aquos, Nokia (G60/X30/XR21), Fairphone 4+, Crosscall, Rakuten, Revvl, Nuu, myPhone

Support varies significantly by model and region.

Windows laptops

Dell Latitude, HP Spectre/Elite/Probook/Zbook, Lenovo ThinkPad and Yoga, Acer Swift/TravelMate, Asus, Microsoft Surface (Pro, Go, Duo), Panasonic Toughbook

Needs a cellular-capable chipset and Windows 10/11.

Ubigi: Support

(Image credit: Ubigi)

Support starts with a live chat widget on Ubigi's website, staffed by an AI assistant called "Ubi." Ubi handles the easy stuff fine. But anything more complex gets kicked into a support ticket instead of a real back-and-forth, so it acts more like an async help desk than actual live chat. There's no phone line, and you can't reach support inside the app either, only through the website.

Response times depend entirely on when you show up. Reviewers report replies in 10-15 minutes during support hours, but that can stretch to an hour outside them. Worth remembering if your eSIM refuses to activate at 2 am in a country you've never visited.

The help center is where Ubigi actually pulls its weight. Dozens of troubleshooting articles cover iOS, Android, and Windows, from APN settings to moving a profile after you restore a new phone. Between that and the compatibility checker, most setup problems already have a documented fix. You'll rarely need to talk to anyone at all.

Ubigi: Final verdict

For most travelers who fly the same routes repeatedly, Ubigi lands in a strong position. Plans are priced fairly relative to the competition, and the two features covered earlier solve real, specific problems rather than serving as marketing checkboxes.

Where Ubigi asks for a trade-off is in response speed. Support is available via chat and a help center, but it's built around eventual resolution rather than instant back-and-forth; replies can take anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour, depending on when you reach out.

That's fine if something goes wrong with time to spare, and less fine if you're standing at an airport gate needing an answer in the next five minutes. If real-time support matters more to you than price, easySim or Airalo are worth comparing. For everyone else, Ubigi's own network and the two features above make it one of the more dependable picks in the category.

Ubigi: FAQsWhat is Ubigi?

Ubigi is a Transatel brand, part of Japan's NTT Group. Beyond the travel product most people encounter, Ubigi also runs a separate business-focused version for company-issued devices, allowing IT teams to manage eSIM plans across a fleet of employee phones from a single account rather than juggling individual SIMs.

Is Ubigi cheaper than carrier roaming?

Yes, Ubigi is cheaper than carrier roaming, usually by a wide margin. Ubigi's Europe plan makes a strong case. A full 30 days of 3GB costs $7 total. Most carriers charge more than that for a single week of roaming, and that plan doesn't expire the moment your trip ends either.

Does Ubigi support hotspot and tethering?

Yes. Every plan includes tethering at no extra fee, and tethered data is pulled from your existing allowance. The one catch is on unlimited plans. Speed drops once you cross a destination-specific data threshold, so heavy tethering there hits that ceiling faster than regular browsing would.

Does Ubigi work with an iPhone?

Yes, from the iPhone XS and XR through the current 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, plus both the SE (2020) and the SE (2022). Your phone just needs to be carrier-unlocked. The one hard exclusion is iPhones sold in mainland China. Those ship with eSIM hardware disabled, so no Ubigi plan will work regardless of model or iOS version.

Does Ubigi have a mobile app?

Yes, on both iOS and Android, and most of the same functionality is mirrored on the website or at Ubigi.me. Buy a plan on your phone, check usage from a browser later, and your account stays in sync without logging in twice.

• Vodafone confirms £4.3 billion buyout of CK Hutchison from VodafoneThree
• Plan was announced in May 2026, and the deal has moved fast
• Vodafone and Three merged in June 2025, with network expansion alreayd underway

Vodafone has officially taken full ownership of its UK mega-network with a billion-pound deal.

The company revealed it has spent £4.3 billion (€4.9 billion) for the remaining 49% of VodafoneThree it did not already own following its merger with fellow UK network Three back in June 2025.

The news comes shortly after Vodafone confirmed its plans to take full ownership in May 2026, as it looks to boost the company's mobile and broadband networks across the UK.

Vodafone control

“With full ownership and control, we’ll have the ability to move faster in the next phase of building one of Europe’s leading networks," noted Margherita Della Valle, Chief Executive of Vodafone Group.

"This best-in-class infrastructure will deliver better connectivity for our customers up and down the country, help drive the UK's digital economy, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”

The company noted that the deal was fully funded from existing Vodafone Group cash resources, and should help it reach targets including £700 million of annual cost and capital expenditure synergies by its FY30.

It also hopes acquiring full ownership will allow it, "to move at an even faster pace and capture the significant benefits created through our £11 billion network investment plan."

VodafoneThree says it plans to host an Investor Briefing in October 2026 which will outline the company's strategy, growth ambitions and "the significant value creation we expect to deliver over the coming years, as we focus on building the UK’s best network."

President Trump announced a proposed disarmament deal with Hamas last week. Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday evening killed at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza.

(Image credit: Jehad Alshrafi)

South Korea is moving away from its policy of prioritizing the immediate denuclearization of North Korea. But despite that shift, experts doubt Pyongyang will return to the negotiating table.

(Image credit: KCNA/KNS)

The U.S. dollar weakened sharply Monday against the Japanese yen after U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan's finance minister confirmed both sides had intervened in markets.

(Image credit: Eugene Hoshiko)

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order late Sunday terminating President Donald Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" to compensate his political allies.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

Here are hints and the answers for today’s Connections for Monday, Aug. 3.

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Aug. 3, No. 679.

An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people has caught fire in waters off Madura island, killing at least five people and leaving 41 others unaccounted for, authorities said

(Image credit: BASARNAS)

When you’re thinking about buying a new pair of headphones, I’d wager that a pair from Sony will undoubtedly come to mind. The tech giant is known for making some of the best headphones we’ve seen heard in the past decade.

In fact, Sony released the uber-premium 1000X The Collexion in May this year to celebrate that decade of being at the top of its audio game, while also giving it an uber-premium price tag to match. Roughly three months since their launch, they’ve received their first discount, bringing them down to a slightly more manageable AU$849 (down from AU$999) for a limited time.

Yes, that’s still a lotta money to throw at a set of headphones, but when Apple’s AirPods Max 2 — the Sony’s main rival — continue to prove popular and cost similar money, then there’s very much a case to be made for a pair from a company that’s been producing top-rated audio kit for over 75 years.

They may have a silly name but there’s nothing silly about the performance of these talented cans, as they deliver a wonderfully wide, spacious soundstage and perform particularly well with hi-res audio. They also look and feel every bit the premium product they are, combining faux leather with real metal detailing.View Deal

If you’re familiar with Sony’s other headphone exploits, such as the WH-1000XM6 that currently sit atop my guide to the best headphones in Australia, then I must stress that the 1000X Collexion are absolutely not the same pair in a new-look aesthetic.

Sony has gone to great lengths to ensure its latest pair justify their price tag, and that they do more than enough to compete with the AirPods Max 2, with an immediate win for being device-agnostic compared to Apple’s over-ears.

Elsewhere they sport impeccable touch controls, a 10-band custom equaliser and DSEE Ultimate technology for upscaling lower-quality song files up to 96kHz and 32-bit. This technology has previously only been found in Sony’s high-end portable music players, so it’s a big deal that it’s finally made its way into a pair of headphones. Noise cancellation is also excellent, as the Collexion uses the same 12-mic system found in the XM6 over-ears.

No product is perfect, mind you, and as our tester noted in his Sony 1000X The Collexion review that “there are some downsides, such as lower battery life, as well as the underwhelming 360 Upmix modes”.

On those two latter points: battery life is rated at 24 hours, which is down from the 30 hours of the XM6, but still more than the AirPods Max 2’s 20 hours, while the 360 Upmix mode — essentially spatial audio — seemed to have a negative effect on sound quality during our testing.

Listening experience is personal, however and, all things considered, the Collexion are still a fantastic set of headphones that I personally wouldn’t mind spending my own money on if I didn’t already use the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless. I can’t be sure how long this limited-time discount will last, so if you’ve been keen to invest in Sony’s best, don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

• Military balloons now launch reusable drones directly from the stratosphere
• Solar-powered Apollo-R remains airborne for weeks after balloon deployment at altitude
• Thunderhead balloon carries multiple drones during a single high-altitude deployment mission

High-altitude balloons are moving beyond surveillance roles as military developers explore using them as airborne launch platforms for long-endurance unmanned drones.

According to Aerostar, its Lightning balloon, paired with the solar-powered Apollo-R drone from Icarus, has now demonstrated a workable path toward stratospheric drone carriers.

Recent testing reportedly showed the balloon successfully releasing a single high-endurance uncrewed aircraft while cruising high in the open stratosphere.

Lightning and Thunderhead offer different endurance profiles

The Lightning platform operates for up to three days at altitudes between 50,000 and 78,000 feet, carrying payloads of up to 45 pounds.

Aerostar's larger Thunderhead balloon covers a similar altitude band, between 55,000 and 75,000 feet, but stays aloft for 60 days or more.

The company claims that its Thunderhead can carry payloads weighing up to 200 pounds, allowing it to launch several Apollo-R drones per mission.

"Our larger Aerostar Thunderhead platform can serve as a mothership, carrying multiple Apollo-R's," said Russ Van Der Werff, Aerostar's Vice President of Stratospheric Solutions.

The Apollo-R itself flies under its own power after separation, reaching altitudes near 60,000 feet and remaining airborne for weeks.

Unlike a one-way munition, it is designed for recovery, landing at a designated point so the airframe can be reflown on later missions.

Aerostar's balloons also carry mesh-networking radios that offer line-of-sight data links beyond 100 miles, with throughput up to 40 Mbps.

Military interest extends beyond a single program

The U.S. Army has outlined plans for a persistent, all-domain sensor architecture built partly around high-altitude balloons across the Indo-Pacific theater.

Andrew Evans of the Army's G-2 office described the goal as demonstrating autonomous swarming that sustains a cost-effective stratospheric presence.

Apollo-R has already flown from a competing Urban Sky balloon during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, showing multiple companies now pursue similar concepts.

Balloon-launched drones are gaining traction in Ukraine while China has invested heavily in comparable swarm capabilities of its own.

Similarly, Russia is equipping its stratospheric balloons with relay networks to counter Starlink restrictions.

Van Der Werff argued that balloons offer survivability advantages over aircraft like the Global Hawk or Reaper, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

This low cost of individual balloons allows militaries to distribute many across a theater, creating sensing networks resilient to losing any single node.

Beyond the Army, the Marine Corps, special operations units, and other branches are also pursuing balloon-based systems for varied missions.

The Naval Research Laboratory previously tested drones launched from balloons during the 2010s under a project called CICADA, short for Close-in Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft.

This technology is getting attention globally, and it is expected to progress beyond the testing phase.

However, stratospheric balloons have one downside — they are vulnerable to high-altitude winds, causing them to drift away from their intended operating area.

Via TWZ

• Chinese Zhipu AI GLM-5.2 succeeded where leading American models failed woefully
• Hugging Face breach reignited Washington's battle over open-weight artificial intelligence
• Safety guardrails unexpectedly complicated defensive cybersecurity work during a real incident

The recent cybersecurity incident involving Hugging Face has unexpectedly placed a Chinese open source AI model at the centre of an intensifying United States policy debate over open-weight AI.

The episode emerged after an autonomous agent built with OpenAI technology reportedly escaped containment and behaved like a rogue actor.

The incident occurred as Washington is considering whether broader restrictions on Chinese open-weight AI models could affect American developers and startups.

Use code TECHRADAR10 for 10% off

NordStellar provides businesses of all sizes with a comprehensive threat exposure management platform to bolster your cybersecurity. NordStellar actively monitors for data breaches and exposed credentials to prevent hackers gaining easy access, while simultaneously implementing a range of cybersecurity tools to keep employees and company data safe.

Use coupon code TECHRADAR10 for an additional 10% off.View Deal

Chinese open source model enters an unexpected cybersecurity role

According to Hugging Face, engineers relied on Zhipu AI's GLM-5.2 model to examine information generated during the incident after leading American models declined the requests.

American AI models could not distinguish legitimate defensive investigations from malicious hacking attempts because of built-in safety restrictions and protective guardrails.

Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 reportedly reroutes cybersecurity questions to an older, less capable model rather than allowing direct engagement with such tasks.

OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol carries similar protections meant to stop the system from being used for hacking-related work of any kind.

OpenAI later revealed that it has a Trusted Access programme that grants privileged, elevated capabilities to a select group of vetted teams, allowing them to use its models more fully to strengthen their own defenses.

Hugging Face was brought into this restricted tier following the breach, gaining deeper access than is normally available.

"We're all learning that secrecy is ⁠not the answer & that all defenders (not just a few selected ones) everywhere need more powerful models without restrictions, especially open ones!" said Hugging Face co-founder ​Clement Delangue.

"A ⁠safety regime that restricts legitimate defenders, while capable models remain available for attackers, creates an asymmetric disadvantage," said Lukasz Olejnik, visiting senior research fellow at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.

"This gap will only widen as open-source models become increasingly powerful while lacking guardrails or restrictions."

Washington weighs restrictions while startups urge caution

Nearly 200 Silicon Valley companies are opposing possible restrictions on Chinese open-weight AI models, warning that the move would raise costs for smaller developers.

Members of the newly formed Little Tech Association say banning downloads would not curb proliferation but would leave American startups weaker.

"There'll be hundreds of companies that instantly die," founder Suhail Doshi warned.

He argued that sweeping restrictions would disproportionately benefit larger American providers with the resources to absorb such a shift.

The U.S. is still scrutinizing Chinese developers over allegations involving model distillation and export control violations

White House officials maintained that any future policy decisions would come directly from the administration itself.

Analysts have also cautioned against treating the Hugging Face incident as justification for weakening the cybersecurity safeguards protecting advanced American systems.

"The answer is not simply to remove them," Shrenik Kothari of Robert W. Baird said, arguing that companies should refine their access controls rather than abandon safety measures altogether.

He suggested a more selective approach to capability allocation could balance legitimate security needs with the practical demands of cybersecurity research.

Via Reuters

When I got engaged a couple of years ago my wife asked if there was anything I’d want in return to symbolize it: she gets to wear a ring, would I want a new accessory or piece of jewellery to match her. My immediate answer was a watch, with the plan that it’d be the one I wear on our wedding day.

I’d need something smart and sophisticated. Something that I wouldn’t regret seeing immortalized in our wedding photos for decades to come, and something I’d want to wear often.

I had ideas for the watch I'd get, but as wedding costs grew the idea of splashing out on a pricey timepiece felt less and less sensible. Even less so when I was also considering grabbing a smartwatch — as my pre-wedding fitness regime kicked into high gear and a more sophisticated tracker than my smart ring was feeling increasingly essential.

That’s when my eyes settled on a gadget that I thought might be both: a classic I could wear to the gym and on my wedding day. My wife was skeptical, but after seeing it in person she agreed that it did look the part.

So she let me wear a Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic to our wedding. It might be my current favorite gadget, and I can’t understand why there isn’t a Galaxy Watch 9 Classic.

A winning design

The Classic doesn’t look like your basic utilitarian smartwatch. It dodges the simplistic look of the regular Watch 8, the Pixel Watch, or Apple Watch, and also the overly sporty designs of a Garmin or similar running companion.

Besides offering a larger screen size — 46mm vs the base model’s 40 or 44mm options — the Classic boasts a chunkier design than the regular Watch 8, and comes with a rotating metal bezel controller which provides some extra detailing and also a smoother way to navigate watch menus besides swiping.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic in white (Image credit: Future)

Coupled with its band — the Hybrid which combines durable rubber with faux leather — and a watch face with moving hands you could very easily confuse the Classic for an analogue timepiece at a glance. And frankly, I just love how it looks and feels on my wrist (it puts my aged Fitbit to shame).

The design doesn’t just look impeccable, it can handle so many different scenarios too.

Besides wearing it for formal occasions I’ve taken the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic everywhere I go. To the office, on a 5K run, on hiking treks, to the gym, when I jump in the pool, and so much more. I even wear it in bed to track my sleep.

While the weight and size can be a little strange at first, after my first night sleeping with it I’ve had no complaints, and the trade off for the bulk is the Watch feels very usable and looks stylish.

Useful but not distracting

(Image credit: Future)

A similar effect could have been achieved with a smart ring and an analogue watch, wearing both to match the health tracking utility and sophisticated packaging. However I’ve been steadily growing frustrated with even the best smart rings.

The main draw of a ring is how simple it is: slip it onto your finger and it’ll follow your health and fitness metrics for days between charges. This simplicity falls apart, unfortunately, as soon as you want to access your data.

The apps of various rings I’ve tried have started to feel a little messy, and because I constantly have to check my phone to start workouts or understand my ring’s data I find I’m easily distracted by the plethora of other software and notifications I brush past on the way to my ring’s app. When I’m ready to run or hit the weights I want to focus, not succumb to a last-minute distraction.

With a watch I can start my tracking from my wrist at the press of a button. I can also see essential performance stats on the 46mm display, or (because it pairs nicely with my Samsung foldable) as part of the morning Now Brief on my phone.

I also love the non-fitness apps integration. I don’t text from my watch much, but I do often rely on wrist-based music controls and Google Maps directions — I can have a digital map while my phone can stay safely in my pocket where would-be biker thieves can’t snatch it.

(Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

My only gripe is I wish I could change the long press control on the bottom button. It defaults to opening Samsung Wallet and cannot be changed. I’m a Google Wallet user and while I could maybe move a couple of cards over I’m a) a bit too lazy, and b) weirdly nervous about paying for things with my watch.

Where’s my Watch 9 Classic, Samsung??

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, Watch 8 Classic and Ultra 2 (Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

Given my Classic love I was hoping to see a Watch 9 Classic when Samsung debut its new lineup, but it was missing — replaced by a regular Watch 9 and a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

The Ultra 2 comes close to being a Classic — it adopts the bezel, though it doesn’t rotate — especially if you pick up the PeakForm Band, though it does also come at a more premium price.

And the lack of a rotating bezel is genuinely a major let down. You just have to trust me.

Though I doubt this means the end of the Classic. It has taken a break before to make room for the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, and I expect it’ll return next year as the Watch 10 Classic.

A defunct part of a Falcon 9 rocket could slam into the moon at more than 5,000 miles per hour, according to scientists.

(Image credit: John Raoux)