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The next iOS update gives you more options to customize your lock screen than ever before.

Get ready to dive into Netflix's epic fantasy library.

Even years after an arm is amputated, the brain maintains a detailed map of the limb and tries to interact with this phantom appendage.

(Image credit: Westend61)

A few years in, a CDC drowning prevention program was ready to share its findings on how to mitigate the leading cause of death among young children. Then the administration terminated that staff.

• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a camera island
• This is apparently necessary due to upgrades to the main and telephoto cameras
• However its battery capacity might not be increased

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be a mixed bag of big upgrades and completely unchanged specs, if the latest leaks are anything to go by, but let’s start with the rumored upgrades.

According to South Korean site Newsis (via SamMobile), the Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a camera island. That’s a camera design we haven’t seen on this line of phones since the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, with subsequent models having lenses that protrude directly out of the back instead.

According to this report, the move to a camera island on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a necessary change to accommodate upgrades to the phone's main and telephoto cameras.

The source doesn't specify what these upgrades are, mind, but we’ve previously heard multiple times that the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera might have a wider aperture, allowing it to capture more light. The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s telephoto camera might also have a wider aperture, so those could be the upgrades referred to here.

Today’s report also doesn’t detail what shape the camera island will be, so it’s unclear whether this will be a return to the design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or something different. But either way, it should make the phone look very different from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from the back.

No battery boost

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Now for the less good news – SamMobile has spotted a Chinese certification for a new Samsung battery that the site believes is intended for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and it has a 5,000mAh capacity, just like the battery in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

While that isn’t small, it is a lower capacity than many rival handsets, and it’s a capacity that Samsung seems very reluctant to go beyond.

Still, even if this battery does end up in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the phone might have better battery life anyway thanks to a more efficient chipset, and reports have also suggested it might offer faster 65W charging.

We’re not expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra until January, though, so there’s plenty of time for other leaks to emerge and contradict these ones.

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• Adobe reveals addition of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image to Firefly and Express
• Firefly models are already supported by models from Google, OpenAI and more
• Gemini 2.5 Flash Image promises better performance

Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is now available in Adobe Firefly for text-to-image functionality and Adobe Express.

Gemini 2.5 Flash Image allows Adobe users to generate stylized graphics in Firefly, then animate, resize, add captions and publish via Adobe Express, making the whole end-to-end process even slicker.

Other use cases include campaign asset changes for marketers (such as swapping backgrounds and creating variations), and prototyping product concepts for designers.

Adobe Firefly and Express get Gemini 2.5 Flash Image

Although many of these features were previously available using Adobe’s own Firefly models, Google’s Gemini model improves the experience with better context and knowledge, consistency and performance.

Adobe also uses other partner models from companies like OpenAI, Black Forest Labs, Runway, Pika, Ideogram, Lume AI, Moonvalley and more to give users the choice. By not restricting them to in-house models and giving them more flexibility, it ultimately means customers are more likely to stay subscribed to Adobe’s platform.

For a limited time, Adobe is offering paid customers unlimited generations with Gemini 2.5 Flash Image as a welcome promotion. Even free Firefly users will be able to access up to 20 generations to test the newly added model.

Regardless of model selection, though, Adobe stressed that user-generated content and uploads will not be used to train generative AI models.

“This has always been the case for Adobe Firefly generative AI models, and it’s a requirement in all our partnership agreements,” VP of New GenAI Business Ventures Hannah Elsakr wrote in a blog post.

“With today’s addition of Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image in Adobe Firefly and Adobe Express, people have even greater flexibility to explore their ideas with industry-leading generative AI models and create stunning content with ease,” Elsakr added.

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• Tbps-scale DDoS attacks have shifted from rare anomalies to constant threats
• Hacktivist groups weaponize automation and botnets to destabilize fragile infrastructure
• Political disputes increasingly spill online, triggering destructive waves of cyber aggression

The first half of 2025 marked another MAJOR escalation in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) activity, with new NetScout research documenting more than eight million attacks worldwide in these six months.

More than three million attacks were recorded across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, underscoring the regional strain.

It also noted terabit-per-second scale strikes, once rare anomalies, have become almost routine, with peaks reaching 3.12Tbps in the Netherlands and 1.5Gbps in the United States.

Political conflict drives digital aggression

These findings suggest DDoS attacks are no longer an occasional disruption, but an entrenched method of destabilizing essential networks, as geopolitical tensions remain a key trigger for major attack campaigns.

NetScout noted how disputes between India and Pakistan spurred extensive waves of hostile activity against Indian financial and governmental systems.

Similarly, during confrontations involving Iran and Israel, over 15,000 strikes targeted Iranian infrastructure in a matter of days, while fewer than 300 targeted Israel.

Even international forums were not spared, with events in Switzerland experiencing more than 1,400 incidents in a single week.

Much of this scale also relies on compromised devices operating as botnets.

In March 2025 alone, attackers launched an average of 880 botnet-driven incidents daily, with peaks of 1,600.

The compromised systems typically included routers, servers, and IoT devices, often relying on known flaws rather than undiscovered vulnerabilities.

Despite years of security warnings, these weaknesses remain consistently exploited, enabling short but impactful campaigns that disrupt dependent services.

For organizations relying only on basic antivirus or endpoint protection, such sustained botnet traffic presents challenges that overwhelm conventional safeguards.

Furthermore, the evolution of DDoS campaigns has been accelerated by automation and artificial intelligence.

Multi-vector strikes and carpet-bombing techniques now occur faster than defenders can respond, creating asymmetric pressure.

NetScout also pointed to the emergence of “rogue LLMs,” which provide hostile actors with accessible planning and evasion methods.

Combined with DDoS-for-hire platforms, these tools have significantly reduced the barriers for inexperienced attackers, enabling high-capacity strikes with minimal technical depth.

The outcome is that Tbps-scale incidents have shifted from rare spectacles to constant risks.

Among hacktivist collectives, NoName057(16) continues to execute the most frequent campaigns, far outpacing rivals.

In March, the group claimed more than 475 attacks, primarily directed at government portals in Spain, Taiwan, and Ukraine.

Their reliance on varied flooding techniques indicates both coordination and persistence, suggesting ideological motivations beyond opportunistic disruption.

While new players such as DieNet and Keymous+ entered the scene with dozens of attacks across multiple sectors, their activity still fell short compared with NoName057(16)’s scale.

“As hacktivist groups leverage more automation, shared infrastructure, and evolving tactics, organizations must recognize that traditional defenses are no longer sufficient,” stated Richard Hummel, director, threat intelligence, NetScout.

“The integration of AI assistants and the use of large language models (LLMs), such as WormGPT and FraudGPT, escalates that concern. And, while the recent takedown of NoName057(16) was successful in temporarily reducing the group’s DDoS botnet activities, preventing a future return to the top DDoS hacktivist threat is not guaranteed.”

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President Trump's executive order challenges a landmark Supreme Court decision, according to free speech attorneys.

(Image credit: AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

How did a word that simply referred to a millennia-old beverage come to be the latest iteration of "what's up?"

(Image credit: Hulton Archive)

After Hurricane Katrina, many New Orleans charter schools united in a mission to send more students to college. Today, some of those students, now adults, wish they'd been given more options.

(Image credit: Emily Kask)

The government's colossal failure to respond after Hurricane Katrina led to major reforms at the nation's top disaster agency. Now, the Trump administration has reversed some of those changes.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

Redistricting critics warn that efforts to redraw maps mid-decade risks fueling further gridlock in Congress, and ceding more power to the executive and judicial branches.

(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

From smart watches to smart supply chains, digital transformation is reshaping how we live, work and interact. But the true vision of an interconnected world – where billions of everyday items are embedded with intelligence – remains just out of reach.

That’s not because the ambition is too bold. In fact, it’s widely recognized. McKinsey estimates the Internet of Things (IoT) could deliver up to $12.5 trillion in global value by 2030. Extend that connectivity to low-cost everyday objects, and the potential increases dramatically.

So why hasn’t it happened yet?

The biggest roadblock is supply. A truly connected world needs a colossal volume of chips. But we’re not talking about the advanced processors that power smartphones or autonomous vehicles – we’re talking about simpler, highly distributed, low-cost chips that can be embedded into everyday items.

These so-called ‘legacy’ chips – typically manufactured on 28nm or larger nodes – are anything but outdated. They’re critical to modern electronics, supporting high-performance processors and underpinning countless devices across consumer, industrial and automotive markets.

We saw just how vital they are during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortages of these chips brought global manufacturing to a standstill, delaying everything from cars to home electronics. The ripple effects were felt across entire economies. As the number of smart devices scales, how to prevent a reoccurrence is an ever-present consideration.

So why not just build more chip factories?

Traditional fabs can’t meet future needs

Scaling legacy chip production is incredibly difficult. The equipment is aging and hard to replace. New fabs cost tens of billions and take years to build. And since mature-node chips don’t deliver the same profit margins as cutting-edge silicon, there’s little financial incentive to invest.

Even worse, legacy fabs are environmentally demanding. They consume vast amounts of energy and water. While next-gen fabs are built for sustainability, retrofitting legacy fabs to reduce their carbon footprint is expensive and complex.

To unlock true scale, we need a fundamentally different approach: one that’s faster, affordable, more flexible – and designed for sustainable, high-volume production.

Enter FlexICs

Flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) are a new class of semiconductor: a chip that’s ultra-thin, physically flexible, and radically more sustainable.

Instead of traditional silicon wafers and high-temperature processing, FlexICs use thin-film technology and a low-energy manufacturing process. Think: less water, less energy, fewer harmful chemicals – and much faster turnaround.

This breakthrough unlocks a faster, more agile development cycle. Designs go from tape-out to volume production in weeks, not months. Costs are dramatically reduced. And it becomes viable to prototype, iterate and customize chips without the high stakes typically associated with silicon design.

Built for ubiquitous intelligence

This isn’t just a manufacturing story. It’s a transformation in how and where intelligence can be deployed.

FlexICs enable connectivity in places where traditional chips simply can’t go. Their ultra-thin, flexible form factor means they can be embedded directly into products or packaging, even on curved surfaces, delivering smarter, more connected experiences almost anywhere.

And they support standard communication protocols such as NFC, unlocking seamless, item-level intelligence for mass-market products – and the fastest digital connection between brands and their customers.

This embedded intelligence has multiple roles to play, from driving loyalty programs and exclusive content based on location or season, to product authentication, provenance information – or even facilitating improved reuse and recycling for a more circular economy.

It also offers a practical route for embedding real-time data collection into previously passive environments, whether that’s logistics chains, recycling systems, or agricultural operations.

Wherever you need intelligence, FlexICs bring it – sustainably, affordably, and at scale.

The future is flexible

But its goal isn’t about competing with silicon fabs. It’s about complementing them – addressing the unmet need for scalable, cost-effective, environmentally conscious production of the chips that will power the next wave of smart, connected systems.

We’re standing at the threshold of a hyperconnected future. But realizing that future depends on embedding intelligence at unprecedented scale. Flexible chips are the key to unlock that potential and make the vision of an interconnected world a reality.

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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

Earlier this month President Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India due its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the combined tariffs to 50%.

(Image credit: Manish Swarup)

Marvel Rivals patch notes arrive every couple of weeks or so, bringing bug fixes, Hero balancing changes, and more general updates. Sometimes, as is the case with the most recent patch, skins are added, and certain Heroes receive buffs or nerfs to better bring them in line with the ongoing meta.

Season 3.5s latest patch notes are now live, and they focus on adding in new skins. There's some new details on Season 3.5's Hero Balancing as well. These constant changes to Marvel Rivals help keep Competitive Mode fresh while providing a steady stream of reasons for players to check back in regularly. Since launch, Marvel Rivals has really proven itself as a worthy contender, landing on our list of the best free games and the best crossplay games.

Here are the latest Marvel Rivals patch notes. These add new skins and an event as part of Season 3.5.

Marvel Rivals next patch notes

(Image credit: NetEase)

The next Marvel Rivals patch arrives August 28, and adds a new skin for Scarlet Witch, as well as a new event. Here's what's been confirmed so far:

• New skin: Phoenix Chaos (Scarlet Witch)
• New event: Earn 2x Chrono Tokens from Weekly Missions, Challenges, and Season Missions with up to 2000 bonus Chrono Tokens. Available until September 12.

Marvel Rivals latest patch notes

(Image credit: NetEase)

The latest patch for Marvel Rivals launched August 21 UTC. It added the Klyntar: Throne of Knull map and mode.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 Hero balancing changes

(Image credit: NetEase Games)

Below, you'll find a list of the latest balancing changes (August 21) in Marvel Rivals, detailing the buffs and nerfs that've been applied to each character.

• Blade (Buff) - Increase Lifesteal gained during Bloodline Awakening from 60% to 65%. Reduce self-healing reduction from 40% to 35%
• Human Torch (Nerf) - Reduce Flame Field (right-click on terrain) Damage Over Time from 25/s to 20/s; Reduce Pyro-Prison Damage Over Time from 50/s to 40/s
• Loki (Nerf) - Reduce Mystical Missile damage dealt by Loki and his illusions to enemies from 30 to 25. (Healing for teammates remains unchanged.)

As you can see, the latest Marvel Rivals Hero balances apply to Duelists and Strategists, upping their damage, or making their abilities more useful. You can read the full details here.

As a Vanguard player, I'm very interested in the recent Doctor Strange buff. I played him as a main during Season 0, and Season 1. Since then, I've mostly been using Magneto, but the nerfs could mean he's not as viable this season.

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• Parallels Desktop 26 launches with support for macOS 26 Tahoe and Windows 11 25H2
• The software introduces Internet Speed Booster, new IT management tools, and updated compliance
• Parallels continues its subscription model without a perpetual license option for customers

Cross-platform working should now be a lot easier folllowing the release of Parallels Desktop 26, the latest version of the popular virtualization software for Mac.

The update introduces compatibility with macOS 26 Tahoe and Windows 11 25H2, as well as a range of tools aimed at individual users and IT teams.

Among its new features is Internet Speed Booster, a mysterious addition with few details available on what it actually does, but its presence may catch the attention of users who run bandwidth-heavy tasks inside virtual machines.

macOS 26 changes

“With Parallels Desktop 26, we’re delivering compatibility with Apple’s latest macOS, and powerful new tools for the IT teams and developers who rely on Parallels every day,” said Prashant Ketkar, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Parallels.

“This release reflects our ongoing commitment to Apple innovation and our focus on enabling enterprises and IT admins to securely manage and scale their Mac environments.”

Parallels Desktop 26 improves how Windows virtual machines read Mac disk space.

Microsoft’s OS can now display the storage actually available on the host Mac, reducing potential errors during large software installations or updates.

The software also takes into account how macOS 26 handles background processes, allowing features like Coherence Mode to continue to run without interruption.

The update also adds new centralized management options for enterprise users. Administrators will soon be able to apply policies that control settings such as shared folders, USB access, and clipboard sharing.

The software has renewed its SOC 2 Type II compliance, which supports companies that have to meet strict internal and external security standards.

There’s a new guide for deploying single Windows applications on Macs without requiring users to run a full Windows environment, and integration with Jamf Pro for monitoring and managing Windows updates within virtual machines.

Scripts provided by Parallels will allow IT teams to run scans or start installations remotely.

Parallels Desktop 26 is available in Standard, Pro, Business, and Enterprise editions, but it continues to be offered only as a subscription.

The lack of a perpetual license option will no doubt be a disappointment for many, especially long-term users.

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PDFs are everywhere in enterprise workflows – contracts, invoices, policy documents, audit trails. And yet, they’re rarely considered a security risk. That’s a problem.

Across industries, there remains a persistent belief that PDFs are static and inherently safe. This assumption creates a blind spot – one that’s increasingly at odds with how these documents are actually used.

PDFs today are often dynamic, shared across borders, embedded into automated processes, and packed with sensitive information.

Treating them as nothing more than electronic paper is not only outdated – it’s dangerous.

The Myth of the Safe PDF

In many organizations, document workflows haven’t kept pace with broader digital transformation efforts. While teams embrace AI, automation, and cloud services elsewhere, they often rely on legacy document management software that lacks visibility, auditability, and modern security features.

This complacency creates real risk. Sensitive data is moved, stored, and signed without appropriate controls. Metadata is overlooked. Documents are emailed instead of securely shared. And because PDFs don’t “feel” like a security threat, these behaviors often go unchallenged.

What’s more, compliance demands are tightening. Regulations such as GDPR, ISO 27001, and eIDAS 2.0, have raised the stakes, making poor document governance a potential legal liability. Inconsistent handling of digital files – even when unintentional – can result in significant exposure.

The Threat Landscape is Changing – Fast

In 2025, cyber threats are evolving faster than ever. Organizations now face average of over 560,000 new malware variants daily, with PDFs increasing being exploited as delivery mechanisms.

Meanwhile, AI-powered attacks have drastically reduced the time it takes for bad actors to move through an organization's systems. Many now breach, escalate, and extract data in under an hour. This accelerated threat landscape makes “invisible” gaps like unsecured PDFs even more dangerous.

Security Must Be Built into the Workflow

The answer isn’t just to bolt on security – it’s to embed it. Document protection should start at the point of creation and extend across the entire lifecycle. That means using tools and processes that allow for encryption, permissions control, version tracking, secure collaboration, and verifiable digital signatures as standard.

It also means making compliance easy, not optional. Security shouldn’t be something users have to remember – it should be part of how they work. The goal is to integrate protection in a way that supports productivity, rather than hindering it.

There’s a growing role here for AI and automation. From summarizing content and redacting sensitive fields to powering intelligent search and flagging anomalies, modern technologies can help organizations manage documents faster – and more safely.

The Opportunity for Partners and Providers

This shift has major implications for the channel. We’re moving into an era where partners are no longer just selling software licenses – they’re becoming workflow consultants and risk advisers. The organizations that stand out will be those that help clients reassess document handling as a core part of their cybersecurity and compliance strategies.

That means understanding sector-specific regulations. It means recommending secure-by-design tools that don’t rely on user vigilance alone. And it means being able to demonstrate how good document practices reduce liability, speed up processes, and build long-term resilience.

For partners who get this right, the rewards are clear - deeper client relationships, stronger value propositions, and a chance to lead in an area that many are still overlooking.

It’s Time to Bring PDFs into the Security Conversation

Too many enterprises still treat documents as an afterthought – something to deal with after the “real” cybersecurity work is done. But in reality, documents are where business happens. They’re where data is agreed, signed, stored, and exchanged.

And in today’s environment, where compliance burdens are increasing, AI is supercharging attacks, and breaches can escalate in minutes, PDFs simply can’t be left out of the equation.

If your organization is modernizing its infrastructure, reviewing its compliance position, or assessing security posture, then document workflows need to be part of that conversation.

Because if your PDFs aren’t secure, your business isn’t either.

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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

In the age of artificial intelligence, speed and automation are the key pillars of any system, yet they are no longer enough. Today’s customer demands both digital efficiency and emotional intelligence. They expect support that aligns with their needs in real time but also reflects a sense of humanity and care.

Customer experience (CX) leaders need to realign their vision with the changing dynamics of customer behavior. The challenge is no longer whether to implement automation, but how to design intelligent experiences that drive meaningful engagement. Seamless interactions are now expected everywhere, and personalization is not a differentiator - it is a must.

The customer has changed. Has your CX architecture evolved with them?

Consumer expectations have rapidly outpaced the capabilities of many legacy systems. Our recent report has found that 60 per cent of customers now prioritize minimal wait times, and 59 per cent say their preferred channels shift depending on context.

Customers interact across multiple touchpoints and are increasingly guided by emotion. They want convenience for routine tasks, but in moments of stress or urgency, they turn to human support. So much so, that 50 per cent of customers will abandon a brand entirely after just one negative interaction. That makes CX not just a service function, it is a business-critical risk factor.

Human Connection Remains Irreplaceable

Empathy cannot be automated. It is what transforms a customer support interaction from transactional to experiential. Today, customers specifically prioritize human connection over response speed, particularly in complex or emotionally charged scenarios. No artificial intelligence (AI) model, no matter how advanced, can replicate the emotional nuance of a live agent in those critical moments.

Voice support remains dominant for a reason. It is not only familiar but also effective, especially when digital channels fall short. It continues to be the preferred channel across demographics, particularly for Baby Boomers and Gen X. That preference spikes when the issue is sensitive, urgent or high value.

AI can enhance, but not replace, the human layer. The report found that 72 per cent of consumers are open to AI-driven interactions, but only when escalation to a human is easily available. This signals a need for thoughtful orchestration, not a wholesale automation agenda.

Trust remains the core barrier to adoption. While AI capabilities are evolving rapidly, public trust is still catching up. As with digital banking, full adoption will take time, and likely a generational shift.

Let users self-select into chatbot interactions when convenient. But make the path to human assistance frictionless and visible. Only a symbiotic relationship between machine intelligence and human empathy can produce the kind of experience that sustains long-term loyalty.

Personalization Is the New Loyalty Driver

Customers expect to be known, understood and remembered. In an age of data ubiquity, they view personalization not as a value-add, but as an obligation. With so much behavioral and transactional data at their disposal, brands have the tools to deliver tailored, predictive support. Yet, it is important to use it wisely.

Millennials, in particular, are willing to share personal data in exchange for better outcomes. That opens the door for proactive service and adaptive support strategies that evolve with the customer lifecycle.

Intelligent CRM systems and AI-infused agent assist tools can surface relevant context and enable personalized interactions at scale. Conversation histories can be retained across channels. Agents can be empowered in real time with insights into intent, sentiment and journey stage. The result is a frictionless handoff, even in an omnichannel environment.

The New CX Must Be Hybrid

The future of customer experience lies in hybrid orchestration. That means deploying advanced technology to handle high-frequency tasks, while preserving human bandwidth for high-emotion or high-value interactions. It is not about replacing people, it is about making them more effective. It is no AI that will replace people, it is people who use AI.

Here are five strategic imperatives for CX leaders navigating this transformation:

• Deploy AI to augment agent performance with real-time context, behavioral cues and next-best-action guidance.
• Ensure seamless fallback to human support is available at all digital entry points.
• Invest in empathy training for support staff, supported by full access to customer history and intent signals.
• Prioritize intuitive self-service design, but always offer a human escape hatch.
• Monitor journey satisfaction and emotional cues, and not just resolution time or deflection rate.

Winning in CX today is not about choosing between human and machine. It is about designing for both and orchestrating the handoff with precision. Empathy and intelligence must co-exist across the customer journey.

This is not just about keeping up with digital trends. It is about building a support model that earns trust, delivers value and strengthens customer relationships with every interaction.

This is how leaders stay ahead.

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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

We've all had those health moments when we're just feeling… meh. Nothing's exactly wrong, but you know you're not feeling your best and that you can do better – you just can't find the gumption to do so.

That was me after a recent bout of the flu completely ruined my routine. I wasn't eating great, I'd stopped reading as much as I'd like to, and I found myself choosing to stay up late rather than doing the smart thing and heading to bed. This, of course, created a snowball effect where I'd then be too tired to get up early to walk the dog or make a proper lunch.

I needed a little help and, in my experience, there are few better motivators than spending money. That was the reason I bought my first fitness tracker (the Fitbit Flex 2, back in 2017), which put me on a journey of smartwatches and trackers that eventually landed me with the Apple Watch SE in 2023.

But, after not too long, my SE was starting to feel stale. I’m not too taken by the smartwatch features on offer, I don't love the 'ring' fitness system and I've found myself increasingly annoyed with daily charging. And, personally, I can't wear a regular timepiece on one wrist and my Apple Watch on the other.

I was intrigued, then, when I discovered the Whoop band, which looked like it would address a lot of those gripes quite specifically. It's a screen-free, low-profile device that focuses on health and fitness, and has a multi-day battery. It also comes with a month-long free trial of its Peak membership which includes the Whoop 5.0 device itself (with a 14-day battery) and advanced tracking like Healthspan – which calculates the age your body is performing at (compared to your actual age) and gives you the data you need to improve.

I was slightly intimidated, because this class of fitness device is also usually attached to multi-million-dollar athletes and Olympians. But if you don't love the device during this trial period, all you have to do is pay the shipping cost to return it; which I had little doubt I'd be doing.

Whoop's states its mission is "to unlock human performance and healthspan", so it's for athletes like Virgil Van Dyke, James Tedesco, Michael Phelps, Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo trying to maximize their potential – not me.

But then I strapped one on my wrist.

The real cost of a personal trainer

The Whoop 5.0 has overtaken the Apple Watch SE as my daily wearable (Image credit: Max Delaney / TechRadar)

Other than thinking it was too health and fitness focused for me, one of the biggest reasons I thought Whoop wasn't for me is its price. Whoop is a subscription service and without an active membership the band itself is useless.

You can subscribe to any of three different subscription options – One, Peak and Life. If you’re on the fence about whether Whoop is for you (don't worry, I certainly was), you can get a 1-month free trial of the Peak plan when buying direct from Whoop – which is what I did.

The Peak membership includes all the benefits of the more basic One tier. This includes the Whoop 5.0 band – which now boasts an improved 14+ day battery over the Whoop 4.0 – sleep/strain/recovery insights, personalized coaching, heart-rate tracking and women's hormonal insights, plus advanced features like Healthspan and a Real-Time Stress Monitor that analyzes how much you've been stressed based on your heart rate outside of physical activity and offers reasons why.

You also have the option to pick up Whoop on Amazon – starting at $199 / £169 / AU$299 – where you can buy the device and a 12-month membership.

So, after a month of testing, what convinced me to continue?

I'd love to proclaim a Rocky-esque training montage, but nothing much changed initially, despite the Whoop app recommending I do so – and therein lies the rub.

As popular fitness influencer and personal trainer (PT) James Smith once said, PTs should be a short-term answer that provide their clients with the tools to continue their fitness journey on their own.

That's how I came to view my Whoop band. While its yearly cost is steep, I can honestly say the Whoop made me look at my performance in a way that no previous fitness tracker has. And I think the way I now view my activity and sleep will continue even once I unsubscribe.

That's because, where Apple's fitness features revolve around rings, Whoop is all about Strain.

Whoop 5.0 helping powering me through a session with the Rogue Echobike (Image credit: Max Delaney / TechRadar)

Whoop's Strain is a measurement of cardiovascular and muscular exertion that quantifies the level of both physical and mental stress you’re putting on your body. It's tracked on a 0-21 scale, where light levels are for active recovery and high scores are where you make your fitness gains.

The crucial difference is that the score is completely individualized based on heart rate, meaning a 90-minute hike might give me a strain of 11, while someone fitter might get only five. It's about how hard my body– and mind – is working. Not just hitting numeric markers.

More Z's, less straining, better training

Whoop main pages for sleep performance, recovery and strain (Image credit: Max Delaney / TechRadar)

To consistently reach a high level of strain and nail your recovery, sleep is also of the utmost importance – and Whoop thankfully excels at sleep tracking.

While I’ll admit that I often ignore its advice, I can’t deny that Whoop has made me think about, and consider, my sleep more than ever before. Sure, it's resulted in some self-induced stress as I change my routine to prioritize my sleep over a morning walk with the pooch, but at least I'm making considered choices.

That's because Whoop's Sleep score sits alongside Recovery and Strain, and the three are intrinsically linked. If you sleep poorly, your recovery is impacted and your recommended amount of strain will be lower, as you aren't prepared to perform your best. Conversely, if you sleep well, you'll recover better and be prepared to hit the day with full gusto.

The sleep tracking doesn't just amount to 'sleep good, sleep bad'. It breaks it down by hours slept versus hours needed, sleep efficiency, consistency and stress. On top of that, the Whoop Coach, an AI tool powered by OpenAI tech (which I actually found to be one of the better uses of AI I've come across) provides daily recommendations and summaries of your performance. For example, today it told me I recovered well, lowered my recent resting heart rate and had a pretty average night sleep, reminding me of my step goal and recommending an additional workout.

Whoop coach's daily outlook, sleep analysis and recommendations, and alarm settings (Image credit: Max Delaney / TechRadar)

Plus, when you set an alarm within the app, you can set a sleep goal, whether it's hitting a certain percentage of your sleep need, or waking up only once you've hit 'the green' in recovery.

There's a lot of data on offer, and you can go as deep or shallow as you like. But the fact that the data is there, subtly influencing your decisions, is the point. I'm constantly checking in with my Whoop app, and that habit alone is nudging me towards healthier habits.

The Round-the-Clock Personal Trainer

I did miss the ability to quickly check the time on my wrist during a workout (Image credit: Max Delaney / TechRadar)

For many iPhone owners, an Apple Watch is probably the default (and easy) fitness tracker they’ll consider – and I'll admit its seamless phone integration and the ability to answer calls is handy. But personally, those aren’t the important features I’m looking for. I want a fitness tracker that… tracks my fitness.

Having upgraded to a Peak subscription after my free trial period, the Whoop Band 5.0 lasts 15 days without charging, which, in combination with Whoop's slide-on charger that lets you charge while wearing it – and is itself waterproof – means it never has to leave my wrist, and it hasn't.

While I came into my trial convinced that Whoop wasn't for me, the complete opposite turned out to be true. Like a memory foam pillow, the data offered by Whoop is unique to each wrist it sits on – making it suitable to a very broad range of users.

Or at least anyone who’s vaguely fitness-minded and is open to wearing a face-less, strange-looking little tracker on their wrist.

While I'm no athlete, I remain excited to see the changes it can help me make over the next 12 months, even if it is just to nudge me towards a more consistent (currently lacking at 74% consistency!) sleep schedule. I’m unsure if I'll be signing up for another 12 months once my current subscription ends, but I also didn't think I'd last more than a few weeks with it initially, so we'll have to wait and see. One thing's for sure, though – I won’t be going back to my Apple Watch SE.

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If you’d told a room full of risk-averse insurance executives five years ago that nearly half of UK consumers would soon welcome health advice from AI, you’d have been met with serious skepticism, if not outright laughter.

Our latest report shows that 49% of UK respondents would take health recommendations from AI, with 36% open to financial advice and 40% willing to accept insurance suggestions.

The shift is a wake-up call.

To be clear, I’m not advocating for AI to replace doctors, advisers or brokers. But what the research has uncovered is more interesting: consumers are already crossing that line themselves. The trust threshold, that digital Rubicon, has been crossed. And it raises urgent questions for brands and regulators alike.

If people are prepared to make high-stakes decisions based on machine recommendations and AI tools, organizations must rethink how they communicate with transparency, accountability and humanity front and center.

A shift in expectation

Consumer behavior change in the last decade has been relentless, with high expectations set by the frictionless experiences of eCommerce giants and streaming platforms. Now, even in traditionally cautious sectors like healthcare and finance, people want the same speed, ease and responsiveness.

And they expect the communications to match the seamlessness and immediacy of the service. In other words: the way organizations communicate is now as important as what they deliver.

Research shows that nearly seven in ten insurance consumers would walk away from a brand if its communications fell short. That number has risen sharply, from 51% in 2023 to 67% in 2025.

The message is loud and clear: it’s how you talk to people that matters.

That includes AI. In 2024, 77% of consumers wanted clear disclosure when AI was involved in customer communications. A year later, that figure has plunged to just 37%.

On the surface, it looks like comfort is growing. But that drop says more about shifting expectations than confidence: consumers are getting used to AI being part of the conversation, but they still want reassurance that it’s being used responsibly.

Consider that while just under half of UK consumers say they’re actually willing to trust AI, and in financial services, nearly half of those respondents say AI-generated content should always be checked by a human.

That’s why clarity, control and human oversight are non-negotiable, for both compliance and trust in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Where trust gets tested

So how does this play out in reality?

This is where many organizations slip up. Not by using AI, but by using it in a way that feels impersonal: generic messaging, disconnected channels and clunky digital journeys. These things erode trust at the exact moment customers are willing to place more of it in your hands.

So, what can you do to grow trust?

From communication to conversation

The brands that will thrive in this AI-enabled future will be the ones who stay human, who treat communication as a conversation, not a transaction.

This starts with modernizing omnichannel experiences, how brands communicate across channels like email, web, mobile and more, in ways that feel seamless and connected. Data shows that only 54% of UK consumers are satisfied with how brands deliver across channels. Yet 60% say they would trust companies more if those experiences were consistent.

It’s not just a UX issue. It’s a trust issue.

AI, when used well, can be part of the solution. From intelligent data capture to personalized, real-time messaging, AI can help organizations move from one-way broadcasts to contextual, responsive conversations. But only if those experiences are designed with transparency, human oversight and consistent brand voice across every channel. That’s where trust is built and where the real value of AI begins.

But even the smartest communications strategy can fall apart if the most basic interactions, like submitting a form, are broken.

Don’t let bad forms break the journey

One of the most overlooked and most damaging elements of the customer journey is data intake. In insurance, 65% of customers say they’ll abandon an interaction if providing documentation is too difficult. Among Millennials and Gen Z, that number jumps to over 70%.

This isn’t a surprise. In a world of voice-responsive Gen-AI platforms and real-time chat, handing someone a PDF feels antiquated; Gen Z would tell you it’s an insult. Increasingly, we’re seeing younger generations turn to platforms like TikTok for financial guidance. These channels offer bite-sized, easily digestible content that fits their lifestyle far better than booking an appointment with a traditional financial advisor.

But the solution here isn’t just digital forms. It’s smarter, guided, mobile-friendly experiences that adapt to each unique context and channel. This is where AI can shine: streamlining processes without stripping away the human touch. It’s about using technology to reduce friction, not automating away relationships.

The moment of opportunity is now

Let’s be clear: AI isn’t a fix-all. Yes, it’s a powerful tool, but not a replacement for the emotional intelligence, empathy and judgement that define real communication and forge real bonds.

The moment we’re living in is rare: consumers are more open to AI than ever and their expectations are rapidly changing. The organizations that rise to meet these expectations, without overpromising or hiding behind the tech, stand to earn something that’s increasingly scarce: genuine, lasting trust.

If nearly half the country is ready to take life advice from AI, the question for brands isn’t should you evolve? It’s how fast you can evolve, and how human can you stay along the way?

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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