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The star of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Tati Gabrielle, says game director Neil Druckmann has been preparing her for online hateThe actress says she is aware of the hate the The Last of Us: Part 2 cast receivedGabrielle says she received hate after the first Intergalactic trailer was released for "being a woman, me being a woman of color, me having my head shaved..."

Tati Gabrielle, the star of Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, has revealed that director Neil Druckmann has been "bootcomp-ing me" for online hate.Speaking in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gabrielle shared that she is aware of the hate The Last of Us: Part 2 cast members, like Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker, received back in 2020 for their roles in the game, and that Druckmann has been preparing her for a similar situation."Neil's been bootcamp-ing me," Gabrielle said. "I know Troy's experience, I know Ashley's experience… I know Laura Bailey's experience."When The Last of Us: Part 2 was released, Bailey received online hate and death threats against herself and her newborn son for playing the character Abby, who kills Joel Miller. After Intergalactic was officially announced last year alongside a trailer that revealed Gabrielle's character, Jordan A Mun, the actress said she also received hate, including racist and misogynistic comments, for her role."I got a lot of love," Gabrielle said, "but there was a lot of hate over me being a woman, me being a woman of color, me having my head shaved, all these things that I didn't even actually initially see — I'm out of the social media zeitgeist for that reason — but once I did, Neil was like, 'Ignore it. No matter what, me and you, we're going to make something beautiful. We're going to make something that we're proud of.'"Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is Gabrielle's first video game role, and she explained that she is preparing herself for the new venture."This is a world — video games — that I've never stepped into before. So I don't want to put one thing in my mind of expecting it's going to be this way and then it's not, and then I'm unprepared or take it too lightlyEarlier this year, Druckmann revealed that Naughty Dog's new game is "a game about faith and religion". Gabrielle also discussed these themes in her interview with EW, but said it might not be what players expect."The question of faith is not black and white," Gabrielle said. "When you initially think of faith, you think of religion, which is a part of it, but there's also faith in oneself. There's faith in your environment or your community. All that faith means is, 'What are your beliefs? What are the things that you hope for? Faith sounds flowery, but we all experience it day in and day out. What is your reason for waking up?'"Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has no release date yet, but we can expect the game to launch on PS5.

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Ecovacs has unveiled the new Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuumIt features self-cleaning Ozmo roller mop and lifting brush rollsIt also introduces an innovative 'Blast' suction system

Ecovacs' new Deebot X9 Pro Omni is a hybrid robot vacuum and mop that looks like it could solve my hard-floor cleaning woes for good – I regularly test robovacs in my role as Homes Editor at TechRadar, and I've yet to find one that does a good job of scrubbing my hard floors.A big issue with traditional robovac mopping systems is that because the mops are only cleaned at the end of the job (either by the dock or by hand) they tend to spread spillages around the floor rather than clearing them away.Ecovacs' answer is the Ozmo roller mop. Most of today's best robot vacuums have either a fixed, D-shaped mop pad or two spinning discs, but the newest Deebot robovacs use a mop-wrapped roller.The roller applies pressure as it rotates, and is able to extend out to the side to clean close to the edges of rooms. The really ingenious part is that there's a scraper that constantly siphons off the dirty water and any debris as the roller rotates, and the roller is then fed with clean water ready to continue mopping.

(Image credit: Ecovacs)

It's a relatively simple idea – inspired by today's best wet and dry vacuums – but it could make a massive difference to how effectively this robot vacuum can deal with spillages. The system was introduced in the Deebot X8 Pro Omni, which was launched at the start of 2025, and appears in the newly unveiled Deebot X9 Pro Omni and another new sister model, the T80 Omni.

While the idea of roller mops is still very new, Ecovacs isn't the only brand to explore this design – it also appears in the Eureka J20 and Narwal Flow. Where the X9 Pro Omni takes things a step further is that it combines the Ozmo mop with a brush roll that can lift up, solving another of my bug-bears with hybrid robovacs.Having the brush roll down while the bot mops means the bristles quickly get damp and gunked up – dust and grime plus water is not a pleasant combination. Here, the roller is tucked up and out of the way, meaning I won't need to worry about mop mess finding its way onto my carpets next time I set the bot on a vacuuming run.

3, 2, 1, blast off

Another interesting addition with the X9 Pro Omni is a new 'BLAST' ('Boosted Large-Airflow Suction Technology') system, designed to offer better suction with less outright power.“With the BLAST system, we didn’t just boost suction – we redesigned the entire airflow from the ground up," Michelle Jones, US associate brand marketing director at Ecovacs told TechRadar."Most robot vacuums rely on increasing motor wattage alone to improve suction, which can create more noise and drain battery life. BLAST takes a smarter, more efficient approach – starting with our new SuperBoost battery, continuing through a larger air inlet, optimized air ducts, and newly engineered fan blades. This system moves more air with less resistance, delivering consistently strong suction with less noise."She added that BLAST could represent "a major step forward in both performance and everyday usability – especially for homes with pets, rugs, or heavy foot traffic.” The proof will be in the testing, and we'll report back once we've had a chance to review this model properly.

(Image credit: Ecovacs)

The Deebot X9 Pro Omni is available to buy now, at a list price of $1,599 but with an early bird deal that takes it down to $1,299.99. You can purchase it directly from Ecovacs or pick one up via Amazon. Ecovacs hasn't confirmed if or when Deebot X9 Pro Omni will be available outside the US.It has been launched alongside another new robot vacuum – the T80 Omni, which still has the Ozmo roller mop, but doesn't feature lifting brushroll or the new Blast suction system. That model is a little cheaper (although still firmly in the premium price bracket) at $1,199.99 down to $1,079.99 at Ecovacs or Amazon.

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Spotify AI DJ just got a huge upgrade, and now it can take your requests just by listening to your voice This new feature is designed for users to have more of a say in their listening experiences, while interacting more with their personal AI DJThe feature is being rolled out today in over 60 markets for Premium users

Spotify’s AI DJ tool has divided users since it was introduced in 2023, and now the platform’s resident maestro has just received its first major upgrade. As of today, your AI DJ will be able to take your requests in English, launching in more than 60 markets for Premium users.That’s right, as well as curating a personalized listening experience based on your music habits, you can feed AI DJ voice prompts, and from there, it will use your request to update your listening session based on the music you want to hear at that moment.For example, you can use the prompt 'Surprise me with some indie tracks I’ve never heard before' to discover new indie artists, or even “Play me some electronic beats for a midday run” so that DJ can motivate you during times of hard work.

(Image credit: Spotify)

For a while, Spotify users have been asking for more ways to interact with their AI DJs and have more say in what they play during their listening sessions. The DJ tool’s new ability to take requests from users is definitely a much-needed upgrade for the feature.But despite this big change, Spotify has made it clear that it will continue to honor AI DJ’s original ethos of bringing you closer to new music, as well as reacquainting you with old favorites with "insights from (its) global editorial experts".It’s no secret that Spotify’s AI DJ hasn’t been able to grab my attention, and that’s down to my preference for its Daylist feature, however, its new requests function is really tempting me to dip my toe back into AI DJ. I just hope I can get past its slightly jarring commentary this time.

How to use AI DJ’s request function

(Image credit: Spotify)

As of today AI DJ will be able to take your voice requests and vamp up your listening session in ways it hasn’t before, and one of the greatest things about it is that it’s very simple to use.

1. Go to Spotify's search tab and search for 'DJ'

Press to start a standard AI DJ- curated listening session.

2. Press and hold the DJ button to ask a request

In the right-hand corner, you'll find the DJ button. Press and hold until you hear a beep, and that means DJ is ready to take your request. From there, you can use your voice to ask DJ to play a specific kind of music, for example, 'Play me some music to soundtrack my life as a movie', or 'Play modern country songs for my cowboy era'.

3. Experiment to your heart's content

You can mix things up by holding the DJ button and asking it to switch up the vibe of your listening session and make new requests. If you don’t have a specific request but want to change the vibe, you can tap the DJ button to quickly skip to the next section.

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xMEMS has launched the Sycamore-W, which it claims is the "world’s thinnest speaker designed specifically for wrist-worn wearables." The Sycamore-W is only 1 mm thin and weighs only 150 mg, making it approximately 70 percent smaller than the speakers typically used for smart watches. xMEMS took the micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology used in cell phones' microphones and developed drivers based on it for use in earphones instead. Last year, it launched the Sycamore speakers, based on the same platform as its original product, for open-fit earbuds, smart glasses and smart watches.

While the original Sycamore could already be used in smartwatches, the Sycamore-W was engineered specifically for wrist-based wearables. Since it's very thin, companies can fit larger batteries or more biometric sensors into their products. The speakers are also water, dust and shock-resistant. "Sycamore-W redefines audio for smart watches, combining compact design with robust performance to meet the demands of next-generation wearables," said Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development. "As the wrist becomes a key interface for ears-free, hands-free AI interactions, Sycamore-W empowers manufacturers to deliver premium audio in smaller, lighter, more durable devices."

The company is planning to start volume production for the Sycamore-W in the second quarter of 2026, so we won't be seeing products that use the component until sometime next year. xMEMS will continue producing the original Sycamore speakers for smart glasses, open-fit earbuds and laptops, but it will announce more models for more specific applications in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/xmems-launches-a-tiny-speaker-for-smartwatches-130026711.html?src=rss

Notion is coming for Otter.ai. On Tuesday, the company announced an update for Notion AI, the suite of generative AI features available through its popular note-taking app. Among the new tools included in the package is AI Meeting Notes, a feature that can transcribe and summarize any conversation directly within Notion. No need to turn to dedicated software like the aforementioned Otter.ai.

If you use Notion Calendar, your meeting notifications will include the option to start an AI Meeting Note page. Alternatively, you can write "/meeting" to add a transcription block to an existing note. Any conversation Notion AI transcribes for you is searchable through the app, and you can add what you get to any of your projects.

Notion

Speaking of search, you can now use Notion AI to comb through a number of different productivity apps, including Slack, Google Workspace and Github. As long as you've connected those platforms to Notion, the app can resolve natural language queries, like, "What's the latest on our upcoming brand campaign?" and sort results by source.

Separately, Notion is adding a Research Mode. Similar to Deep Research modes from Google and OpenAI, you can ask Notion's built-in AI to write reports for you. The difference here being that Notion AI will pull information from your projects, in addition to what it finds online. The company is pitching this as a real time-saver. "Create project updates, research reports, and internal best practices in minutes with one prompt," Notion says. "We've already seen this save days worth of time."

Last but not least, if you would rather prompt with GPT-4.1 or Claude 3.7 than Notion's own chatbot, you can now do that directly within the app courtesy of a new model picker. OpenAI and Anthropic's models won't have access to your workspace data, but they're there for users who prefer their responses for general questions and in case you want to turn to a reasoning system in the form of Claude 3.7 Sonnet.

As part of today's announcement, Notion is changing how it bills for its AI features. Instead of a separate $10 per month plan, unlimited access to Notion AI is now part of the company's Business plan, which is increasing from $15 per month and per member to $30 per month and per member. Notion's justification for the increase is that it's giving users access to several different tools, including GPT-4.1 and Claude 3.7, for the price of an all-in-one package. Of course, it's not quite a one-to-one comparison. For example, if you decide to skip out on ChatGPT Plus, you miss out on expanded limits on Advanced Voice mode and Deep Research. Still, for Notion users that might be a tradeoff well worth making.

If you're a current Notion AI subscriber, you'll keep access to all the AI features you had before today's announcement. For Free and Plus users, you get limited trial access to all the new features. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/notion-ai-can-transcribe-conversations-and-write-reports-but-itll-cost-you-130018464.html?src=rss

Spotify's AI DJ is taking requests. Starting on Tuesday, Premium subscribers can ask it to play something that fits the mood. Although the company added a Spanish-speaking version last year, requests are only available in English at launch.

The AI DJ will respond to verbal requests for a specific artist, genre, mood or something that fits an activity. Spotify suggests phrases like "DJ, morning motivation needed ASAP," "Surprise me with some indie tracks" or "Play me something with a Y2K vibe."

You can find it by heading to the search tab and entering "DJ." After it starts spinning, press and hold the DJ button in the lower right-hand corner. Once you hear a beep, you can tell your synthetic disc jockey about your insatiable thirst for A Flock of Seagulls deep cuts.

Spotify's AI DJ launched in 2023, aiming to strike a balance between today's ultra-personalized streaming algorithms and old-school radio. The company says none of its dialog is pre-recorded. It's all generated on the fly via OpenAI.

Whether you love or hate the DJ, it can make for unintentional comedy as it butchers names and falls prey to AI's inevitable awkwardness. When I tried it with a classic blues mix, it consistently pronounced Howlin' Wolf as "Hole-in' Wolf." Some gems from a 2024 Reddit thread include "Blink One Hundred Eighty-Two" and "Here are some of your typical Sunday morning vibes, starting off with Shitfucker."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/spotifys-ai-dj-now-takes-requests-130005706.html?src=rss

YouTuber and leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead claims the next PSSR update is "substantial" and will offer improvements to resolution scalingIt's said the next iteration of PSSR will offer 4K at 120 FPS and 8K at 60 FPSSupport for wider resolutions, like 1440p and 1080p, will also be added

Sony is reportedly developing the next major PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) update for the PS5 Pro that will offer major improvements to resolution scaling.That's according to YouTuber 'Moore’s Law Is Dead', known for his accurate PS5 Pro and spec leaks, who claims that Sony is currently working on the next iteration of the console's AI-powered upscaling tech.Even though PlayStation lead system architect Mark Cerny has confirmed that a new PSSR update is coming in 2026, Moore's doesn't know if it will be called a new version, but is classifying it as "PSSR 2" due to how "substantial" it is."I don't know if Sony will brand it, I don't know if they'll say anything," the leaker said, "In fact, to my memory, from what I've seen, there's been at least three or more versions of PSSR updated behind the scenes."As for what this PSSR 2 update will feature, he claims that Sony is aiming to offer 4K at 120 FPS and 8K at 60 FPS, as well as support for wider resolutions, including 1440p and 1080p locked at 120 FPS.

Additionally, the update could also have the capability of upscaling from lower resolutions, including 720p, 540p, and 360p, which would allow developers to target higher performance."Sony has determined that the image quality they can achieve with PSSR looks pretty bad if you're upscaling from a base resolution lower than 864p, and so they want to improve that."Moore's Law is Dead also claimed that he saw evidence that Sony is working on MFSR, which was the internal acronym for PSSR, to upscale for higher frame rates and make it an alternative to TAA to offer better image quality."They're also working to make this an alternative to TAA for pretty much any game enhanced for PS5 Pro, meaning even if you don't want to turn on, for higher frame-rates, PSSR, they want the image quality to be higher in any game that uses TAA," the YouTube explained.

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A security researcher discovered a major flaw in ASUS DriverHubThe flaw allows users to run malicious code remotelyA patch was already released

DriverHub, ASUS’ official driver management tool, was carrying a critical vulnerability that allowed threat actors to execute malicious code on affected devices, remotely. It was recently discovered, and a patch was released, so users are urged to apply it as soon as possible to mitigate potential risks.ASUS DriverHub is a piece of software that automatically downloads and installs the latest drivers for ASUS devices including laptops, motherboards, and peripherals. Its goal is to keep the devices updated at all times, without needing too much manual intervention. According to BleepingComputer, DriverHub comes preinstalled on some devices, and constantly runs in the background (which makes sense if it is to keep software updated at all times).Now, a security researcher with the alias MrBruh said that DriverHub suffered from poor validation of commands. This allowed him to chain together two vulnerabilities, now tracked as CVE-2025-3462, and CVE-2025-3463, and get the tool to run malicious software.

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Releasing the patch

He reported his findings on April 8, and ASUS came back with a patch ten days later, on April 18. Although, the company says the disruptive potential of the flaw is somewhat limited: "This issue is limited to motherboards and does not affect laptops, desktop computers, or other endpoints," ASUS said, describing the CVE.It still “strongly recommended” users apply the patch. "This update includes important security updates and ASUS strongly recommends that users update their ASUS DriverHub installation to the latest version," the company said in a security advisory."The latest Software Update can be accessed by opening ASUS DriverHub, then clicking the "Update Now" button." Ironically enough, the tool that handles all driver installs automatically needs to be patched - manually.According to CyberInsider, the vulnerability window has been open for “an indeterminate period” but since there are no reports of abuse in the wild, it’s safe to assume that MrBruh was the first one to spot the bug.Via BleepingComputer

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Sony's smartphones probably haven't made much money in a long time, but they do provide a showcase for the company's latest camera and AV tech. A case in point is the new Xperia 1 VII flagship, a model that borrows Sony's Alpha camera and Bravia TV tricks and now features Walkman audio technology for the first time as well.

On the camera side, Sony introduced a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (16mm full-frame equivalent) with a good-sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, significantly improving the specs of the Xperia 1 VI's ultrawide. That's on top of the main 48MP 1/1.35-inch 24mm camera and 12MP 85-170mm telephoto zoom.

Another new camera feature is AI-powered Auto Framing. It lets you capture an entire scene with a wide angle, while automatically creating a closeup crop (vertical or horizontal) of a subject within the frame. That matches technology already available on Sony's Alpha camera lineup. Other key camera features include an improved Bokeh mode, real-time tracking and real-time eye autofocus, "telemacro" photography via the 120mm equivalent lens (with focus as close as 4cm), pro controls, a dedicated shutter button, live streaming and "low-light capability in line with full-frame cameras," Sony claims.

As for audio, Sony has upgraded the Xperia 1 VII considerably from the previous model. It now uses the high-end Walkman components in key areas like sound resistors. Unlike other smartphone makers, Sony has kept its headphone jack and improved wired sound via a premium-grade integrated circuit, while also improving its LDAC wireless audio quality. Plus, the Xperia 1 VII supports Sony's DSEE Ultimate AI sound upscaling technology, along with 360 Reality audio or Dolby Atmos formats.

The Xperia 1 VII is also taking a cue from Sony's Bravia displays with a new adaptive brightness feature for the 6.5-inch OLED display. It now has light sensors both front and back to better gauge environmental light levels and adjust brightness, contrast and color accordingly.

Other key features include a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (expandable to 2TB with microSD), WiFi 7, FPS gaming optimizer, two days of battery life via the new 5,000mAh battery, a vapour chamber cooler and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for environmental protection. Sony is even throwing in a free set of its top-end WH-1000XM5 headphones worth around $300.

Unfortunately there's no sign that the Xperia 1 VII is coming to the United States. It's now available to order in Europe and the UK for €1,499 and £1,399 respectively, or around $1,700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/sonys-new-xperia-1-vii-borrows-hi-fi-sound-tech-from-its-walkman-133017552.html?src=rss

The Paper is expected to arrive on Peacock in September A first-look image of Domhnall Gleeson has also been releasedOscar Nunez appears to be the only returning cast member from the original series

The Paper is Peacock's follow-up series to The Office, and we now known it's expected to arrive on one of the best streaming services in September 2025.Considering The Office is such a comedy staple, this new series has some seriously big shoes to fill. That's not to say it won't work, but considering the disastrous Prime Video series The Office Australia, I am feeling a little nervous about what's to come.While we don't have a trailer or a concrete release date, we do have the first look at Domhnall Gleeson (see above) standing on a desk with a very familiar face behind him. I recently reported that my favorite character from The Office was returning, and now we can see Oscar Nunez lurking in the background.

What do we know about The Paper?

The Paper is set in the same universe as The Office, and will once again be filmed in a mockumentary style. What connects the two shows is that it's the same documentary crew who followed Dunder Mifflin in the original series which, admittedly, is a fun way to go about it.This documentary crew is hungry for more, and this time, they're focusing on a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the publisher trying to revive it, so they've gone from a paper company to a newspaper – another nice connection.In terms of casting, it appears Oscar Nunez is the only returning cast member. He'll be reprising his role as Oscar Sanchez, who has clearly changed jobs since we last saw him!Joining him are Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key, with an array of upcoming guest stars too.I'll definitely be giving this one a go, I just hope it can reach the great heights of The Office, which I love dearly.

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It’s the final of a world sporting competition. A lot is at stake, including the need for highly reliable and scalable connectivity to provide the most enjoyable experience for attendees and viewers watching on televisions and other devices.How do you ensure that you can deliver on that? Digital twins.As a real-time virtual replica of a physical environment, digital twins can provide the ultimate testing ground to iron out connectivity issues long before any actual event gets underway.Pre-event network planning and simulation, including crowd behavior, test connectivity scenarios, issue detection, and identifying ‘dead’ zones where no data can be up or downloaded, is possible by harnessing a digital twin that is connected to real data streams from sensors, networks, and devices.With such utility, digital twins are emerging as a key decision support system to guide autonomous networks, reduce the risk of failures and improve outcomes in service operations. As the industry group, TM Forum, said recently: “Digital twin networks can help CSPs better understand the timeframes, processes and resources required for autonomous network implementation, risk of service interruption and reduce much of the uncertainty about the impact of AN use cases on the network.” (TM Forum, 2025)

Introducing the service digital twin

Though network digital twins at the domain level have been around for a while, emerging standards are ushering in the exploration of service digital twins.These are cross-domain and provide holistic models for understanding impacts on service performance, identifying potential issues due to changes in network behavior, and optimizing efficiency in operations. They offer a simulation environment for planning and operating networks while having a comprehensive view of network entities and their states, traffic, and interactions.Digital twins also boost business agility and enhance customer engagement by enabling operators to be more agile in responding to market demands. They can also be used to optimize operational processes, thereby lowering costs and managing risk.

Increasing autonomy in operations – is there a catch?

Automation as a concept is not new in operations, but the evolution towards autonomous networks takes automation and AI to the next level.AI in operations is about learning by leveraging data from different sources, analyzing what happened in the past to predict what might happen in the future, and using this in a preventative way to ensure that services never fail. While AI can predict the network behavior, it doesn’t predict the impact it will have on operations.Another key element for autonomy is the use of GenAI, which brings in the capabilities to drive more system-led operations, like copilots and assistants, to make it easier to manage networks, auto-generating recommendations to aid decision-making and autonomously deriving resolution actions to fix issues.While these enable higher levels of autonomy, some big questions still need to be answered around the control of autonomous network operations.While humans are taken out of the loop to minimize errors, what is the risk of adding AI and GenAI into the loop? More reliance on intelligence coming from GenAI-powered agents carries the risk of potentially biased decisions, erroneous recommendations, or inconsistent outcomes.Another big issue is AI maturity and how to ensure that the AI recommendations do not trigger adverse impacts on the network. With all these questions still open, there is a need to have a validation, or “watchdog” element, for autonomous networks.

Digital twins offer the solution

The simple answer lies in finding a mechanism to check the validity of recommendations, assessing the impact of actions on the network without directly impacting the network itself, and understanding the “what if” when services are created or fail, new actions are performed, or certain changes take place.This is where digital twins come in by offering a simulation platform to accurately mimic the network, using intelligent models to assess the impact of network behavior, identify more efficient alternatives, and validate recommendations to achieve higher accuracy in network actions.The digital twin can simulate various situations, derive the impact, and analyze what might happen to complement the capabilities brought by AI and GenAI. It can help to assess network resilience in different scenarios to identify capacity bottlenecks and manage dynamic service level agreement (SLA) definitions by considering the network behavior patterns to improve efficiency and optimize service delivery.Most importantly, they offer a ‘production-network replica’ to validate insights, recommendations, and impacts on the network without having to use the network as the object of a trial-and-error experiment.

Real-world use cases of service digital twins

The service digital twin has several real-world applications, all of which contribute to achieving autonomous networks.The first is service planning. A significant challenge in delivering cross-domain services is checking the availability of diverse resources across multiple domains and technologies. What makes it more complex is that failure in one area can lead to having to roll back the entire service operations, which can be costly, in terms of effort and financially.Digital twins help predict service feasibility based on anticipated network behavior by leveraging AI-enabled prediction and service modeling capabilities.Digital twins can also assist with service maintenance. By testing the twin with different data inputs and simulating varying network states and conditions, an environment identical to the real network is formed. This environment can be used to assess the impacts of network changes and maintenance actions on network services and even the end-user experience.Finally, they can also assist with service operations.As service digital twins model the service itself and hold a real-time replica of the service state and performance, they can be tested with various inputs to optimize service delivery and performance. This also means that AI-driven recommendations can be validated first on the digital twin before being applied to the network to check for adverse impacts. This is referred to as a “twin-first” approach.

Solving the autonomous networks puzzle

Digital twins are a key piece of the jigsaw puzzle of autonomous networks, which aims to drive network monetization, optimize customer experience, and enhance efficiency while controlling costs.A “twin-first” approach allows operators to perform impact analysis and validate AI-driven actions before implementation, enhancing reliability and efficiency, and enabling zero-touch, zero-failure operations shaping the future of next-generation networks.

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The S1 II is the first Lumix camera with a partially stacked sensorIts design is identical to that of the pricier Lumix S1R IIIt's been announced alongside Lumix S1 IIE and new 24-60mm F2.8 lens

Panasonic has unveiled a trio of new products, headlined by the Lumix S1 II full-frame mirrorless camera, a video powerhouse that delivers a raft of upgrades over the Lumix S5 II / Lumix S5 IIX, which we currently rate as the best video camera for most people.Chief among those upgrades is a 24.1MP partially stacked sensor – it's the first of its kind for Lumix, but likely the same sensor chip as found in the Nikon Z6 III, and should deliver the speediest performance for any Lumix camera to date.The upshot includes 4K and 6K video recording up to 60fps from the full sensor area (open gate), a new 5.1K option, ProRes Raw internal recording, a Dynamic Range Boost mode, plus 70fps burst shooting with the option for 1.5 seconds pre-capture.Panasonic also says the Lumix S1 II's autofocus speed is 1.6x faster than the Lumix S5 II, plus it debuts an Urban Sports autofocus mode, which should recognise the likes of parkour and freestyle football – I'll start doing my warmups now.

The Lumix S1 II, which could feature in our best video cameras guide. (Image credit: Panasonic)

Design-wise, Panasonic has utilized the Lumix S1R II body, meaning the Lumix S1 II features a 5.76m-dot EVF, 1.84m-dot vari-angle touchscreen, and a durable body with generous handgrip – it's probably the best Lumix design to date for prosumers.The Lumix S1 II body is yours for $2,899 / £2,899 – that's a fraction cheaper than the Lumix S1 R II, but costlier than the Nikon Z6 III – and it's set to be available from June.The supporting cast features the cheaper Lumix S1 IIE – which again has a Lumix S1R II skin, but inside is the regular 24MP full-frame sensor like in the Lumix S5 II – plus a lightweight L-mount 24-60mm F2.8 lens that's much lighter and cheaper than the pro 24-70mm F2.8 lens.The Lumix S1 IIE body costs $2,499 / £2,399, while the lens is £899 in the UK. We've yet to see Australia pricing for all of the above, plus US pricing for the lens.

Did Lumix just get expensive?

Panasonic's line of full-frame cameras just got a little more crowded with the launch of the S1 II and S1 IIE – and pricier.There's natural separation between the new cameras and the Lumix S1R II with its higher-resolution 47MP sensor, despite an identical design, while the compact Lumix S9 is an altogether different proposition.The Lumix S1 II series are two more 24MP cameras that make the S5 series look somewhat redundant, even if latter is now a more cost-effective option.That said, while there's enough going for the pricer S1 II with its partially stacked sensor, the 'E' variant mostly packs S5 II tech into a S1R II body, plus it costs a fair whack more. I'm struggling to see a case for it.The new 24-60mm F2.8 lens, meanwhile, looks like a smart addition to the L-mount, balancing superbly with the latest Lumix full-frame cameras, as I discovered during a hands-on session ahead of launch. It's also much cheaper than the pro 24-70mm F2.8.

(Image credit: Panasonic)

I have a lot of experience with the Lumix S5 II cameras – they're highly functional video-first hybrids. The Lumix S1 II takes things up a notch, and will likely join our list of the best video cameras.However, the price increase this time around feels uncharacteristically steep for Lumix, a brand I historically think of as a budget choice, especially compared to Sony and Canon. That budget mantle could well be claimed by Nikon now – its Nikon Z6 III feels fairly similar to the Lumix S1 II, and is cheaper, and should give cost-conscious filmmakers pause for thought.I'm currently testing the Lumix S1 II, and there's no doubt that it's a powerful hybrid mirrorless camera with a comprehensive suite of video recording modes, top-drawer 8EV in-body image stabilization and crop-less electronic stabilization, plus the handy Lumix Lab app, which just got an update. I'll share more thoughts from my real-world testing soon.

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SteelSeries has revealed a limited-edition 'Glorange' variant of its Arctis GamebudsThey come in a bright, translucent orangeThey will launch on May 13, 2025, and cost $159.99 / £159.99 and will only be available directly from SteelSeries while supplies last

Gaming accessory brand SteelSeries has unveiled an 'ultra-limited-edition' of one of its very best products: the Arctis Gamebuds.The new 'Glorange' variant comes in a, well, 'Glorange' colorway - a translucent, almost glowing orange shade. It's bright and attractive and definitely stands out compared to the existing white and black variants.

Image 1 of 3(Image credit: SteelSeries)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: SteelSeries)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: SteelSeries)

I'm a big fan of translucent audio gear, relying on a 'Transparent Red' pair of Beats Solo Buds for most of my portable audio needs, which I mainly picked up because of the small size and cool translucent case.In terms of features, the 'Glorange' SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds seem to be identical to the existing PlayStation version. They're compatible with PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile, with an expansive selection of adjustable EQ presets selectable via the compatible Arctis app.This includes more than 200 game-specific presets tailored towards a wide range of titles. This is on top of full spatial audio support (including Tempest 3D audio on PS5) and active noise cancellation.The buds offer a battery life of more than 10 hours, plus an additional 30 hours via the charging case, plus fast-charging for three hours of play from just fifteen minutes of charge.We rated these earbuds extremely highly in our SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds review, where they scored a formidable four and a half out of five stars. We praised the model's superb audio quality, ergonomic design, premium build, and excellent companion app.They currently rank as the very best gaming earbuds overall in our eyes, so they are definitely the model to pick if you're after a pair.There is a bit of a catch if you're a fan of 'Glorange', however, as this limited-edition version could be quite hard to get your hands on. They will launch on May 13, 2025, and cost $159.99 / £159.99, but will apparently only be available in very, very limited quantities via the SteelSeries website - when they're gone, they're gone.

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Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #436).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Boogie woogie woogie

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #2 - clue words

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

MACENOSEFOESMOONTIDESFEUD

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 4th columnLast side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #437) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #437, are…

HUSTLEMACARENAFOOTLOOSEWOBBLELOCOMOTIONSPANGRAM: LINE DANCE

My rating: ModerateMy score: 1 hint

There was no doubt that today’s theme was dance-based, with the spangram narrowing the search down even further – not that I have heard of WOBBLE.As someone with appalling co-ordination, I live in fear of the LINE DANCE. They are much easier to avoid these days. But when I was younger any kind of family event would involve everyone being corralled onto the dancefloor to perform the Cha-Cha Slide or Superman.My favorite group dance was to The Gap Band’s Oops Upside Your Head and if memory serves it included everyone crouching down and pretending to row a canoe.None of this horror can compare to 1990s Spanish language hit MACARENA, a terrifying ear worm that was popular with children who years later realized they were performing a fun dance to a song about adultery.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 13, game #436)

LASTENDURESURVIVEABIDEPERSISTPERSEVERESPANGRAM: STAY STRONG

What is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #702).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #703) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

BABEPSYCHEDRAWNEOMNEMONICBOLTKNEEWICKTEDHYPERPULLGNOMEKILODUMBOMETASUCK

NYT Connections today (game #703) - hint #1 - group hints

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

YELLOW: Soak it in GREEN: Start of words in ancient languageBLUE: Anthropomorphic movie starsPURPLE: Can’t hear the first letter

Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #703) - hint #2 - group answers

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

YELLOW: ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION GREEN: GREEK PREFIXES BLUE: TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM PURPLE: STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS

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

NYT Connections today (game #703) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #703, are…

YELLOW: ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION DRAW, PULL, SUCK, WICKGREEN: GREEK PREFIXES HYPER, KILO, META, NEOBLUE: TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM BABE, BOLT, DUMBO, TEDPURPLE: STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS GNOME, KNEE, MNEMONIC, PSYCHE

My rating: ModerateMy score: Perfect

Despite making no mistakes I was unsure about every group today.With TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM I thought that NEO sounded like that could be a character too and was uncertain if potty-mouthed TED belonged in such child-friendly company.For ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION it was suction I had in mind and picked WICK as a total guess. And for GREEK PREFIXES, I thought we were looking for tech companies but still managed to get it right somehow.I may have got the group STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS, but I wasn’t looking for verbal commonalities – maybe I should think of a MNEMONIC to help me to remember to look for wordplay next time.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, May 13, game #702)

YELLOW: PLACES TO SHOP BAZAAR, FAIR, MARKET, OUTLETGREEN: KINDS OF PIZZA HAWAIIAN, PLAIN, SUPREME, VEGGIEBLUE: ENDING WITH COLORS EVERGREEN, INFRARED, MARIGOLD, QUICKSILVERPURPLE: ____ CLEANER BATHROOM, DRY, PIPE, VACUUM

What is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #1205).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1206) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1206) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1206) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1206 - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1206) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• F• M• P• M

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

Quordle today (game #1206) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1206, are…

FAVORMETERPICKYMAKER

Today’s Quordle posed an extra challenge for players who use British English rather than American English, with a word that's spelled differently depending on where you’re based in the world – FAVOR, which is FAVOUR in the UK.Sometimes trying to think American can trip you up, but today it was a wild gamble, rather than second-guessing US spelling, that led to my error of entering RAZOR instead of FAVOR. Sometimes hunches about rare letters pay off, some days it’s better to go for the more obvious choice.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1206) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1206, are…

ROBOTLABELGREATLEVER

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARNQuordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READYQuordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUEQuordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATINQuordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAINQuordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITEQuordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVEQuordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCHQuordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUEQuordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNYQuordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDOQuordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELTQuordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPEQuordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWNQuordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSEQuordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNTQuordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDEQuordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICKQuordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPHQuordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN

Google's annual I/O developer conference is kicking off on May 20, and for the first time, the company is hosting a dedicated showcase a week earlier on May 13, which indicates it might have too much news for its typical hours-long keynote at I/O. The Android Show: I/O Edition, a dedicated showcase for the Android ecosystem, takes place today and we're liveblogging it right here.

The event will start at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and it'll stream at that time on Google's Android YouTube channel. Since it appears to be pre-recorded, we've embedded it below, so you can watch it right here. Or, if you don't like watching a video while you work, our text-and-image-based liveblog is below, so scroll right down.

Android is developed partially in the open, so there's already some indication of what could be coming with Android 16. So far, that's a visual redesign of some of the operating system's core features, like the notification shade, a take on Apple's Live Activities for tracking ongoing events and possibly a Samsung DeX-like "Desktop Mode" for Android phones. Google even appeared to accidentally publish its own blog post detailing its research around user interfaces and Material 3 Expressive, only to take it down quickly after. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Android enthusiasts), the internet never forgets.

Before we forget, I/O 2025 starts on May 20 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT with Google's keynote, typically a series of updates on Android, Search, Google Workspace and Gemini. It's worth noting: Google typically doesn't set aside separate time for Android announcements. The company said there will be some Android news at I/O, but the safe bet is that Gemini will be the star. We expect Google to share Gemini updates, along with Android XR news and maybe further demonstrations of experimental projects like Project Astra.

Google's I/O keynote will be available to watch on Google's YouTube channel and right here on Engadget once the livestream is up on May 20 at 1PM ET.

Update, May 8 2025, 10:30PM ET: This story has been updated to include information on Engadget's liveblog of the Android Show, as well as additional information on what we expect to be announced based on leaks around Material 3 Expressive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/android-show-2025-live-updates-material-3-expressive-gemini-and-more-from-google-ahead-of-io-213327320.html?src=rss

After dropping a rare photography-oriented camera recently with the S1R II, Panasonic is going back to its creator roots. The company just unveiled the S1 II, a 24-megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera with a partially-stacked sensor (like the Nikon Z6 III) that can capture 6K ProRes RAW video internally with minimal rolling shutter wobble. At the same time, Panasonic is pitching it as a relative value next to full stacked sensor cameras.

With the same body as the S1R II, the S1 II is considerably smaller and lighter than the original S1 while still offering a large grip and full complement of manual controls. It also comes with a display that both tilts and flips out, a high-resolution 5.76 million-dot electronic viewfinder, CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II card slots and optional support for Panasonic's 32-bit float audio.

Steve Dent for Engadget

Photographers get up to 70 fps burst shooting speeds in electronic shutter mode and 10 fps with the mechanical shutter (along with 1.5s pre-burst capture). They can also take 96MP high resolution shots (with no tripod needed), along with live view composites, multiple exposures and timelapse animations. Autofocus is via Panasonic's latest AI Phase Hybrid AF with Eye/Face AF, AF tracking and detection of animals, vehicles and a new category, "urban sports" (ie breakdancing).

On paper, though, this is more of a video-oriented camera camera. You can shoot ProRes and ProRes RAW video at up to 5.8K and 3:2 "open-gate" video at 5,952 x 3,968 resolution, along with 4K at 120 fps. It supports V-Log / V-Gamut capture with dual native ISO at 640/5000 and up to 15 stops of dynamic range. In addition, you get anamorphic video modes plus external RAW HDMI recording in either ProRes or Blackmagic formats.

Panasonic boosted in-body stabilization to 8.0 stops via it's Dual I.S.2 system, while also offering the cropless IBS mode introduced on the S1R II. Optical smoothing can can be enhanced with electronic stabilization when more aggressive smoothing is required for walking or quick camera movements.

Panasonic

Other key features include video monitoring tools like false color and exposure review, live streaming, wired webcam supports via USB-UVC/UAC (a first for Panasonic) and support for the Lumix Flow app that lets you do things like creator storyboards and shot lists for quicker editing. And as with other recent models, the S1 II supports real time LUTs and the Lumix Lab app, letting you download creator designed film looks that can be baked in to your video or added later in post. Panasonic will also introduce ARRI LogC3 so that the S1 II, S1R II and S1 IIE can be used in conjunction with ARRI digital cinema cameras.

The Panasonic S1 II is now available for pre-order at $3,199 (body only) with shipping set to start on June 16th. That price is high next to its main competition, the Nikon Z6 III, which retails for $2,497 and is often on sale.

Panasonic

Panasonic does have an answer to that: the $2,499 S1 IIE that has the body and features of the S1 II but lacks the stacked sensor and high-speed photo bursts. Panasonic also introduced an interesting lens, the Lumix S 24-60mm f/2.8. It offers the features and most of the range of its $2,000 Lumix S 24-70mm f/2.8 lens but in a smaller and lighter size and at a lower $1,200 price tag. I've had the S1 II for a short time now and have been impressed so far with its speed and capabilities, so stay tuned for a full review with final firmware.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/panasonics-s1-ii-is-its-most-powerful-creator-camera-yet-140039445.html?src=rss

When the first Open Source Security and Risk Analysis (OSSRA) report was published in 2015, the software landscape looked very different. Security teams were just beginning to grasp the implications of open source vulnerabilities, spurred by high-profile ones like the Heartbleed bug in OpenSSL which hit the front pages in 2014.Developers, meanwhile, were continuing to use more and more open source to accelerate innovation, often without formal processes or visibility in place while their employers were just catching on and trying to get their arms around the issue.A decade later, and really since the beginning, the OSSRA report has become a widely referenced benchmark for understanding how open source is used, where risks emerge, and how the industry is evolving. The 2025 edition marks its 10th anniversary with a deep dive into thousands of codebases across industries, highlighting trends reflecting progress and persistent challenges.

Open source: from niche to norm

One of the most dramatic shifts revealed by a decade of data is just how central open source has become to modern software development. As of 2015, the portion of open source code in the average audited application had grown to 35 percent. That number has since doubled to 70%. While the percentage has plateaued in recent years, the volume of open source components used has surged along with application complexity.Ten years ago, a typical application might contain around 100 open source components. This year’s figure has climbed to 981 per codebase on average, an almost tenfold increase. This reflects in part the rise of package managers like NPM and PyPI, which make it easier to import third-party code, a fundamental change in how software is assembled.The average application now includes hundreds of dependencies, direct and indirect (where one open source component utilizes another) each with its own potential for vulnerabilities, outdated versions, or licensing complications. This increased complexity has made open source management a central issue for development and security teams alike.

License compliance: some progress, some gaps

Early OSSRA reports showed a greater prevalence of license compliance issues, as few organizations were set up to effectively manage the legal obligations associated with open source use. In 2015, three-quarters of audited codebases included license conflicts, situations where software was used in ways that violated open source license terms.That figure has improved, now standing at 56%, indicating more corporate awareness and policies and better oversight and tooling. The shift to cloud and SaaS delivery models has also played a role, sidestepping some distribution-triggered license requirements. SaaS applications are not immune from license conflicts but the risk is less. Yet compliance remains a challenge, particularly for organizations without robust governance processes.Notably, the 2025 report finds that 30% of applications include code with no clear license or any explicit permission for use. Copyright law says that using software in any way requires the permissions afforded by a license and most lawyers caution against using unlicensed code.Misuse of third-party code can lead to significant legal exposure, and often becomes a discussion point during M&A due diligence as acquirers assess their target’s code vis a vis their own corporate policies and standards.

Vulnerabilities: volume Is outpacing control

While license issues remain a concern, security continues to dominate headlines, and OSSRA data shows how open source contributes to the risk. In 2015, 67% of applications contained at least one known open source vulnerability. A decade later, that number has ramped to 86%. Even more striking is the average number of vulnerabilities per application, which has increased from 22 to 154. Part of this can be explained by the ballooning size of codebases, but the report demonstrates that organizations still struggle to manage known risks effectively.One key challenge for companies incorporating open source into the code estate is to keep up with the latest version as patches. The 2025 OSSRA shows that 90% of codebases contain components that are more than four years out of date. This lag gives attackers a wide window of opportunity, as many of these components are known to be exploitable and patches, in most cases, already exist. In the well-publicized Equifax breach, they were only a few months behind, applying a security patch to Apache Struts, but that was enough for a hacker to purloin the personal information of over 100 million people.There has been some progress. A decade ago, the average vulnerability found in code was five years old. That number has dropped to 2.8 years, indicating faster response times and better awareness. However, that’s still a lifetime with respect to application security and given the scale and complexity of today’s software, the overall risk surface has grown.

Data-driven decisions

OSSRA’s impact lies in making these patterns visible. Before its first publication, discussions around open source use were largely theoretical and anecdotal. The report continues to raise eyebrows over how much open source is being used. It has helped shift the conversation from “What problems could using open source cause?” to “Wow, how do we effectively manage this?”That shift has only grown more urgent with the rising focus on software supply chains and increased regulatory scrutiny. Open source is no longer a few obscure pieces of an application; it is the very foundation. And while tools and awareness have improved, many organizations are still playing catch-up when it comes to continuous monitoring, patching, and licensing oversight.

Looking ahead: AI, automation, and a more complex landscape

As the software ecosystem and development processes evolve, the next decade of OSSRA reports will likely track a new set of challenges. Use of package managers will continue to allow development teams to build ever larger, more complex systems. The increasing use of generative AI in software development too will escalate and introduce new forms of open source integration. Developers are already incorporating code suggestions from AI assistants, many of which are trained on public codebases, mostly open source and which raise questions of copyright and licensing.At the same time, open source large language models are being embedded into applications, raising fresh questions about attribution, governance, and security.Meanwhile, AI-powered tools may offer hope, helping developers and security teams to manage software development in general and specifically identify and remediate vulnerabilities faster.The common thread? Complexity. Whether it’s AI-generated code, containerized environments, or sprawling dependency trees, managing open source effectively demands deliberate attention. As part of software due diligence in an M&A transaction, a one-time audit by a trusted third party fits the bill. For an organization to comprehensively manage open sources risks in its own software, demands ongoing diligence, transparency, and a recognition that open source, while free to use, comes with real responsibilities.Ten years of OSSRA data paints a clear picture: open source is indispensable but far from risk-free. Security and legal risks remain widespread and thus requires managing those issues to be a core part of modern software development. As the ecosystem grows in size and complexity, the OSSRA and reports like it are more essential than ever in helping organizations benchmark their practices and plan and evolve their defenses.

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Last week, Anonymous defaced GlobalX's websiteThe hacktivists said GlobalX was targeted for deporting illegal aliensThe company now reported the breach to the SEC

GlobalX, an American airline involved in the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal aliens from the US into El Salvador, Venezuela, and elsewhere, confirmed suffering a cyberattack earlier this month.In a new 8-K form filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), GlobalX said it “learned of unauthorized activity within its computer networks and systems supporting portions of its business applications,” on May 5, 2025. The company responded by activating its incident response protocol and bringing in third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment and mitigation. It also started investigating the nature and scope of the incident, and “took actions” to contain and isolate the affected servers. The police were notified, as well.GlobalX says it’s currently still investigating the attack, but believes that none of its operations were disrupted or otherwise negatively impacted. The company does not expect the incident to have a material effect, it concluded.

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Anon strikes

Last week, 404 Media reported that GlobalX was attacked by hacktivists Anonymous, who defaced the company’s homepage and allegedly stole sensitive data. They left a message on the homepage, saying they “decided to enforce the Judge’s order since you and your sycophant staff ignore lawful orders that go against your fascist plans.”They were referring to multiple court rulings which confirmed that some of those on the flights should not have been deported to El Salvador, and which ordered the Trump administration to bring those people back.As for the stolen files, the media reported that Anonymous apparently grabbed flight records and passenger manifests for all customers, illegal immigrants included. This was not confirmed, though.The group shared the information with some members of the media on their own initiative, 404 Media added, also saying that the info could be used to provide “granular insight into who exactly has been deported on GlobalX flights, when, and to where.”Via The Register

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The second season of the Fallout TV series doesn't even have a concrete release date in December yet, but Amazon has already renewed the show for a third season. Amazon has announced that it has greenlit the new season at its annual presentation in New York City. The company said Fallout has had more than 100 million viewers since it dropped on Prime Video in April 2024 and remains one of its top-three most watched titles ever.

If you'll recall, the live adaptation was so well-received, Fallout 4 enjoyed a resurgence in sales nearly a decade after its release. Amazon also renewed the series for a second season just a few days after the first season debuted on its streaming service. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Fallout is set 200 years into the future after an apocalyptic event. In the story, the humans who survived the apocalypse hid in luxury fallout shelters where their descendants remained for hundreds of years. The show follows Lucy as she leaves her shelter after an attack by outsiders to find her father who'd been kidnapped. Along the way, she meets more characters, including a squire from the Brotherhood of Steel and a ghoul bounty hunter.

Amazon has yet to reveal season 3's story, which doesn't come as a surprise, seeing as the second season has yet to drop. But season 2 will pick up from where the first one had left off and will take viewers from the Mojave wastelands to New Vegas.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-renews-fallout-months-before-season-2s-premiere-143028657.html?src=rss

Organisations are spending more on cybersecurity, but that doesn't mean they're confident67% of firms experienced a data security breach in the last 24 monthsAlmost a third suffered a breach of data as a result

Most companies (67%) have experienced a data breach in the last 24 months, despite an increase in spending, new research from Pentera shows, with 24% experiencing a breach in the last 12 months, and 43% in the last 12 months.During these breaches, the most common disruption suffered was unplanned downtime, with 36% of breached organizations impacted. Many firms also suffered a breach of data (30%) and financial loss (28%), showing just how damaging security breaches can be.Of those who disclosed the impacts of the breach, a shocking 76% reported an impact on the confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability of their data - with only 24% reporting no significant impact.

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Low confidence

Confidence in cyber support for the private sector is low, with only 14% confident in their government’s cybersecurity support - with 64% of CISOs reporting that the government is giving aid to protect the private sector, but it’s not enough.US enterprises spent an average of $187,000 annually on penetration testing, or ‘pentesting’, simulating cyberattacks against their own systems to test for vulnerabilities - this amounts to just over 10% of the total IT security budgets, but over 50% of CISOs say they will increase this in 2025.Changes to company infrastructure, like added users, new configurations, and permission updates, are happening at a much faster rate than security validation, with 96% of US enterprises report making such changes “on at least a quarterly basis, yet only 30% are pentesting at the same frequency,” the report suggests.“The pace of change in enterprise environments has made traditional testing methods unsustainable,” said Jason Mar-Tang, Field CISO at Pentera.“96% of organizations are making changes to their IT environment at least quarterly. Without automation and technology-driven validation, it's nearly impossible to keep up. The report’s findings reinforce the need for scalable security validation strategies that meet the speed and complexity of today’s environments.”

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Nothing says "please, leave me alone" while you're in public like a good pair of over-ear, noise-canceling headphones. The Beats Studio Pro — which are, coincidentally, a good pair of over-ear, noise-canceling headphones — are on sale right now. You can snap up a pair for $170. That's a discount of 51 percent (or $180) and only $10 more than the lowest price we've seen to date for them.

The Beats Studio Pro arrived in 2023 and we gave them a score of 81 in our review. While they aren't among our top picks for the best wireless headphones or the best noise-canceling headphones, they're still a decent option — especially at this price.

Thanks in large part to Beats' second-gen chipset, the Beats Studio Pro deliver notably better audio quality than the brand's earlier over-ear headphones. Beats upgraded the active noise cancellation (ANC), while the addition of spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is welcome. So too is the USB-C wired mode if you'd like to listen to high-resolution and lossless audio.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds are also on sale. They can be yours for $200, which is $50 off and a record low price. We gave these a score of 79 in our review.

These are Apple's first earbuds with built-in sensors that can track your heart rate, making them an intriguing option for fitness enthusiasts. The Powerbeats Pro 2 have Apple's H2 chip, which enables them to offer many of the same features that you'd find on the AirPods Pro 2, such as Hearing Protection — but not the hearing aid or hearing test options. The earbuds are comfortable to wear (though the hook design may not be for everyone) and deliver generally solid audio including powerful, balanced performance on the low end. However, we felt the ANC performance was so-so.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-half-off-right-now-144737501.html?src=rss

Nothing has just announced that it's partnering with British hi-fi institution KEF on new audio products that are "the next step in expanding Nothing’s audio journey," according to Andrew Freshwater, Head of Smart Products Marketing at Nothing. The new products are due "later this year."This kind of partnership between electronics manufacturers and hi-fi firms has a long history, and is littered with plenty of disappointments as well as successes.I was never sure we got that much from LG and Meridian Audio working together, and Belkin's collaboration with Devialet (arguably not really a hi-fi company, but still) never produced anything I liked. But TCL's work with Onkyo on TV speakers was successful (and the company is now partnering with Bang & Olufsen), while the tie-in between Philips TVs and Bowers & Wilkins produced some stunning results.(Panasonic's long history of delivering sound tuned by Technics in its products doesn't count; it's cheating if you own the hi-fi company in question.)I'm optimistic about this collaboration, though, because Nothing has shown itself to be a lot more serious about good audio quality in the last year or so, and KEF has a history of making headphones that sound very fine, but couldn't compete on smart features.

(Image credit: Future)

We were blown away by how good the sound in the Nothing Ear (a) is for the price, and we still rate them as being among the best earbuds around today, with a five-star score.And the slightly more expensive Nothing Ear are crammed with smart features that work well, and are a strong value. If Nothing is thinking of going higher-end with new earbuds – or perhaps competing with the best over-ear headphones – KEF's a good partner to help ensure the sound is up to standard, while Nothing provides the features.Not that KEF has a terrible record in smart features – the wireless KEF LSX II LT speakers got a cool five stars in our review.

Let's get fantastical

I also wouldn't be surprised at all if Nothing gets into the world of the best Bluetooth speakers, which could be a real hit if they keep the company's cool see-through aesthetic – and KEF's experience with loudspeakers would obviously be a massive benefit.Although this is perhaps unlikely for a launch late in the year, since companies generally try to get Bluetooth speakers launched ready for spring/summer in the northern hemisphere.However, my dream product from this collaboration would be an affordable wireless speaker design that includes KEF's Uni-Q driver. This speaker design puts a tweeter speaker right in the center of the larger woofer dynamic driver, with the idea being that this helps to perfectly align their sound for one unified outcome with big dynamic range. It also gives KEF's speaker their awesome, simple looks.

The KEF Uni-Q driver (Image credit: Future)

I strongly suspect that either KEF would like to keep Uni-Q to itself, or that it would be too expensive to implement – or both.My money is on KEF doing sound tuning and design advice for Nothing's own designs – but that could be enough to make a big impact. The Nothing Ear (a) already kicked Sony off its perch as the king of value earbuds for us.Is there something coming for Sony's more premium headphones next, or JBL's portable speakers? Or both – Nothing's statement says that there are "several acoustically co-developed products already in progress".

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The new owner of VPNSecure has cancelled all ongoing lifetime subscriptions, provoking a backlash among existing customers All lifetime deal accounts have been deactivated as of April 28, 2025, "to continue providing a secure and high-quality experience for all users"It isn't clear who's currently operating VPNSecure at the time of writing

Does a lifetime VPN subscription really last forever? Those purchased by VPNSecure users certainly didn't live up to their promise.The new owner of the virtual private network (VPN) provider recently decided to cancel all ongoing lifetime VPN subscriptions, provoking backlash among existing customers.VPNSecure deactivated all Lifetime Deal accounts on April 28, 2025. It did so, "to continue providing a secure and high-quality experience for all users," the provider explains in an email shared by an impacted account holder on Reddit, who claimed to have received it the day the account stopped working.

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The VPNSecure saga

As we can understand from the aforementioned email and public responses that the provider shared on Trustpilot, VPNSecure changed ownership in May 2023.As part of the transaction, the new company acquired the technology, the domain name, and the customer database – "but not the liabilities," the provider reiterates in almost all the communications seen by TechRadar."Unfortunately, the previous owner did not disclose that thousands of Lifetime Deals (LTDs) had been sold through platforms like StackSocial," reads the VPNSecure email, adding that the team discovered this only months after the acquisition.Interestingly, while a wave of angry customers inundated the provider's Trustpilot page with bad reviews since April 28 (the day VPNSecure allegedly axed all LTDs), some customers began lamenting that their lifetime VPN subscription stopped working way before that.TechRadar could see that the first of such complaints goes back to May 2023, when VPN Secure changed ownership. The new owner, however, replied to this and other comments only starting from April 28. See image below:

(Image credit: Future)

Another opaque point of the story concerns the current ownership of VPNSecure.TechRadar contacted InfiniteQuant Ltd, the company listed at the bottom of the VPNSecure website at the time of writing. The firm, however, replied by saying that it has no affiliation with VPNSecure. It said to have filed a formal complaint with the VPN provider, but has not received a response.Ars Technica, which first reported on the news, also received a similar response with the company pointing out that InfiniteQuant Ltd (the supposedly VPNSecure owner, based in the Bahamas) isn't the same company as InfiniteQuant Capital Ltd, based in the British Virgin Islands.We contacted the VPNSecure team by email, but we are still waiting for a response at the time of publication.What we do know, though, is that VPNSecure appears not to have offered any refunds so far, but only one-time exclusive deals on other VPN plans to those affected.If you're looking for an alternative VPN choice, I strongly recommend checking our best VPN page, with today's top recommendation being NordVPN. Proton VPN is also a great alternative if you aren't ready to give your money to another VPN company, as it offers a reliable free VPN service, too.

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Apple has partnered with brain-computer interface maker Synchron to develop tech that lets consumers control devices like iPhones with their thoughts, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. This is primarily intended to help people with medical conditions that limit hand use, such as spinal cord injuries or diseases like ALS.

Here's the gist. Synchron has been developing a stent-like implant that's placed in a vein on top of the brain's motor cortex. It's called the Stentrode and it reads brain signals before translating them into the selection of icons on a screen. People can use the implant to select icons on Apple devices thanks to software called switch control, which is a feature in Apple's OS that allows for the addition of new input devices.

Thoughts are now an input device.Today, @Apple announced its new BCI Human Interface Device (#HID) protocol—and Synchron is proud to be the first brain-computer interface company to achieve native integration with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro.That means:🧠 No touch.… pic.twitter.com/7prNC3uoau— Synchron (@synchroninc) May 13, 2025

Human trials of Stentrode have been successful and now the two companies are working to develop a new standard for the technology specifically for Apple devices. These implants are typically called brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and Apple looks forward to a day when this type of technology receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

That day, however, is likely years away, even if recent tests have shown a lot of promise. Apple does plan on releasing the new software standard for Synchron implants to third-party developers later this year.

An early tester used Apple's new software along with a Stentrode implant to control the Apple Vision Pro and other devices. The ALS patient was able to peer over a mountain in the Swiss Alps in VR and communicate with his iPhone and iPad. It's worth noting that the current tech has its limits. The tester couldn't use the implant to mimic navigating a touch screen with fingers or moving a cursor with a mouse. Still, there are over 150,000 people in the US who suffer from serious upper-limb impairments that could be candidates for a BCI.

Apple has long been at the forefront of accessibility tech. It launched similar connectivity software for hearing aids all the way back in 2014 that has since become an industry standard. More recently, the company brought its accessibility-focused Magnifier reader to Macs and enhanced its Braille Access toolset.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-has-teamed-up-with-synchron-to-develop-tech-that-lets-people-control-its-devices-with-thoughts-154018858.html?src=rss

Have you been wondering when Captain America: Brave New World would be available to stream on Disney+? Don't let that thought occupy your mind anymore, because the first Marvel film of the year has an official streaming release date: May 28, 2025.Until today (May 13), Marvel Studios hadn't given us any indication about the movie's launch on one of the world's best streaming services. Thankfully, that's changed now, so those of you who've been waiting for it to be available at home can soon catch it from the comfort of your living room.Want even more details on Sam Wilson's first big-screen outing as Captain America? Read on, superhero.

What time will Captain America: Brave New World be available on Disney+?

A post shared by Marvel Studios (@marvelstudios)A photo posted by on

Captain America 4 should be viewable on Wednesday, May 28 at 12am PT / 3am ET / 8am BST / 5pm AEST. That's the same time that previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies have been released on the platform, so there's no reason to suspect it'll be any different here.Is it worth loading up on Disney+, though? To get a definitive answer, you'll need to read my read my Captain America: Brave New World review.For even more details on the Anthony Mackie-starring flick, check out my Captain America: Brave New World hub and Captain America 4 cast and character guide, too.

What is Captain America: Brave New World's runtime?

Me and who running to our local theater to watch Captain America 4 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Captain America: Brave New World is one of the shortest MCU movies ever.Indeed, it clocks in at a zippy 1 hour 58 minutes. That's including its end credits sequence, plus its mid- and post-credits scenes. Speaking of which...

How does Captain America: Brave New World set up future Marvel movies and TV shows?

Does Sam Wilson's first big-screen outing as Captain America set up any plot threads for Avengers 5? (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

To answer that, allow me to direct you to my Captain America: Brave New World ending explained piece.In it, you'll find out how the Marvel Phase 5 movie ends, and whether its mid- and/or post-credits stingers lay the foundations for what's to come in future MCU projects, such as Avengers: Doomsday, which is currently slated to land in theaters next May.

Do I need a Disney Plus account to watch Captain America: Brave New World?

Don't Hulk out, but you'll need a Disney+ account to stream Captain America 4 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Yes. You'll need to sign up to Disney+ to watch Captain America 4. Check out our Disney+ price guide for more information on how to open an account, which subscription tier best suits your needs, and more.If and when you sign up, you'll not only gain access to Brave New World, but also the best Disney+ shows and best Disney+ movies around. Some of the best Marvel movies of all time appear on the latter list, too, including two of Chris Evans' three Captain America flicks.For more details on those films and the MCU as a whole, be sure to read my guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

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As first reported by CNBC, Microsoft will be laying off 3 percent of its global workforce in an aim to streamline its operations and thin out its management structure. The layoffs will be felt across all teams, levels and regions within the company and are not performance-based.

In a statement to CNBC, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace." This latest round of layoffs follows deep cuts in 2023, when Microsoft laid off over 10,000 employees.

Microsoft and other large tech companies are doing all they can lately to weather a shaky economic environment, made more challenging by on-and-off-again tariffs, a bevy of FTC anti-trust activity, and the demand to burn billions in cash vying for pole position in the AI race.

Huge layoffs have become a regular occurrence over the last few years as giant companies seek to right-size from pandemic-era overhiring. Microsoft also recently raised prices on its Xbox consoles and removed entry-level Surface laptops to drive more profits.

Last quarter, Microsoft reported earnings that outperformed expectations for both revenue and profit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-laying-off-3-percent-of-its-global-workforce-154755787.html?src=rss