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Experts are again warning against the EU's plans to weaken encryptionOn May 26, 2025, 89 signatories published a joint letter to urge the European Commission to "reframe its approach."Unveiled last April, ProtectEU aims to find a legal way to create a backdoor into encrypted communicationsThe EU plan to create a legal backdoor into encrypted communications keeps raising concerns.This time, 89 signatories coming from the tech industry – including civil society organizations, some of the best VPN and email providers, and cybersecurity experts – are warning against the privacy and security dangers of the Technology Roadmap on encryption included in the ProtectEU strategy.In a joint letter published on Monday, May 26, 2025, experts are now urging the European Commission to "reframe its approach" and protect strong encryption practices.The need for strong encryption"While we recognize the importance of elevating security efforts during moments of increased geopolitical instability, we are concerned by the framing of the technology roadmap," experts wrote.Encryption, the scrambling of data into an unreadable form to prevent unwanted access, is the backbone of how services like Signal, WhatsApp, and Proton Mail work. Yet, law enforcement has long argued that this technology is an obstacle to criminal investigations.As cyberattack incidents keep rising worldwide, though, even government bodies, like the FBI and CISA in the US, have started to encourage citizens to swicth to end-to-end encrypted services to fight back these threats.The European Commission itself previously acknowledged encryption as needed to protect the integrity of cyberspace, too.This is why, for the signatories, who include the likes of Proton, Surfshark, Tuta Mail, Mozilla, and Element, alongside leading cryptographers and digital rights groups, this technology remains a "key cybersecurity tool" that cannot be compromised."Undermining encryption weakens the very foundation of secure communications and systems, leaving individuals, businesses, and public institutions more vulnerable to attacks," they wrote.🔒 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 🔒Together with ~90 orgs & individuals, we've sent an open letter to the EU Commission to uphold strong encryption.No government can change the laws of math.Read the open letter ⤵️https://t.co/pdyoSEjoCH pic.twitter.com/CdP1WYjpyZMay 26, 2025ProtectEU comes as the first step in the EU Commission's plan to bolster the security of the European bloc in the years to come. While we don't know much at the time of writing, we do know the strategy includes finding a technical way to create encryption backdoors into software. That's exactly what most worries the tech benches.They wrote: "We are deeply concerned by the Commission’s continued focus on identifying ways to weaken or circumvent encryption. This undermines its own security objectives under the ProtectEU strategy."The European Commission has already tried to weaken encryption with its proposal to scan all citizens' communications to halt the spread of child sexual material, in fact. Deemed by critics as Chat Control, the bill has been failing to attract the needed majority since 2022.Along the way, the European Court of Human Rights even ruled "illegal break encryption," a hard blow for the supporters of client-side scanning technologies to monitor encrypted communications.Did you know?(Image credit: Vlad Yushinov/via Getty Images)While messaging apps and email providers are set to be the main target of lawmakers, an EU expert group explicitly recently referred to VPN services as "key challenges" to the investigative work of law enforcement agencies for the very first time, alongside encrypted devices, apps, and new communications operators.Now, experts believe that what lawmakers aim to do under the ProtectEU strategy will lead to the same security, human rights, and accountability issues.They then urge to reframe the Technology Roadmap on Encryption by taking into consideration also the industry concerns, not only those of law enforcement."Any future roadmap that aspires to be credible and balanced must consider the feasibility of any potential technological capabilities and their societal, technical, and legal impact," they conclude.This is the second time digital rights and tech experts have gotten together to call on the European Commission not to undermine encryption with the new ProtectEU plan since April 1, 2025, the day the plan was first unveiled. Also on that occasion, experts urged lawmakers to make them an active part of the process.TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than a minute to complete!To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpnYou might also likeUS lawmakers slam UK encryption backdoor order to AppleSecure encryption and online anonymity are now at risk in SwitzerlandIs it possible that quantum computing ends up saving encryption?

Sony's Days of Play celebration will begin on May 28 and run to June 11Offers for PS Plus members and discounts on PlayStation hardware, games, and accessories will be available during the eventA new PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 bundle has also been revealedSony's annual Days of Play celebration officially kicks off this week, bringing with it a plethora of promotional offers on games, PlayStation hardware, accessories, and exclusive bundles.Running from May 28 to June 11, Sony has announced it will start Days of Play by offering new PlayStation Plus content, starting with a new batch of games for PS Plus members for the month of June, including NBA 2K25, Alone in the Dark, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, and Destiny 2: The Final Shape.There will also be bonus titles for PS Plus Game Catalog and Classic Catalog, as well as new Game Trials across both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Starting with the Game Catalog, players can expect Another Crab’s Treasure, Skull and Bones, Destiny 2: Legacy Collection, and Grand Theft Auto 3.The Classics Catalog will receive Myst and Riven, meanwhile, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for PS5 and Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 will be added to Game Trials, starting May 28.In addition to new PS Plus games, from June 3 to June 11, players will be able to participate in the special PlayStation Tournaments for NBA 2K25. Competing in competitions each day will give players a chance to win prizes, including NBA 2K virtual currency and Days of Play-themed PlayStation Network avatars.(Image credit: Sony)For film fans, Sony will also be having a sale on PlayStation Productions movies throughout Days of Play on Sony Pictures Core. PS Plus members will also be able to enjoy 10% off movies store-wide on Sony Pictures Core as well as double discounts for limited-time Flash Sales dropping every few days throughout the celebration.If those offers sound good, Sony is also offering a discount on a new or upgraded PlayStation Plus membership.New members who join during Days of Play can save up to 33% on select 12-month memberships, and those who are currently subscribed to Essential or Extra can save 33% on the remainder of their membership when upgrading to PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra.Sony has also revealed promotions for its PlayStation consoles, games, accessories, and gear that will be available at PlayStation Direct, participating retailers, and on the PlayStation Store.There will also be a PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 bundle (Digital and Standard) available in the United States and Canada, starting at $399.99 / CAD$509.99, which will save buyers up to $119.99 / CAD$159.99 compared to buying the console and game separately.You can check out the discounts below for other hardware and PS5 accessories.$50 off PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle$30 off Pulse Explore wireless earbuds$30 off DualSense Edge wireless controller$20 off Access controller$20 off DualSense wireless controllerVarious discounts on PS5 games, including Astro Bot, MLB The Show 25, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and LEGO Horizon Adventures.You might also like...Best PS5 games 2025 - top PlayStation 5 titles to play right nowLeaker claims Sony is now working on a new PlayStation handheld consoleGhost of Yotei pre-orders live: Collector's Edition up in the US, Standard Edition retailers, and where to buy in the UK

Meta is known for offering many apps, but not many of them support the iPad. That is changing now, though, at least for one that makes messaging and voice calls across the globe a breeze.That’s right – WhatsApp is now full-sized on the iPad as the most recent build that hit Apple’s App Store brings support for Apple's tablet. It’s been a long time coming, and WhatsApp is even beating Instagram to the punch.While the release notes for the latest build, 25.16.81, don’t mention anything special, this fresh piece of code does enable support for the iPad. Once you’ve updated, it’ll stretch and fill the screen appropriately on an entry-level iPad, the iPad mini, or both sizes of the iPad Pro or iPad Air.You'll be able to respond to messages, share your iPadOS screen on a call, and video chat with up to 32 other folks. WhatsApp even released a blog post detailing the anticipated arrival.(Image credit: Meta)It’s still the classic messaging experience that WhatsApp has offered, but there is one key change from the iPhone version. WhatsApp now features a two-column layout, allowing you to view contacts' names and group chats on the left and the messages for the selected chat on the right. So, it's quite similar to how Apple’s own Messages app utilizes the larger screen real estate.Perhaps even better news for iPad fans, the team at Meta has baked in support for multitasking on the iPad. This way, you can split the screen to have WhatsApp on one side or have it be the floating third app. That should make it easier to respond to messages and keep an eye on larger group chats.The app also works with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil, allowing you to use the latter to scribble a message and send it within WhatsApp.Now, a WhatsApp app for iPad has been rumored for quite some time, but the anticipation built up earlier this week when the app responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) with a set of looking eyes. Less than a day later, the app is here, and it has us wondering what Meta might drop on the iPad next.Arguably, Instagram is another app within Meta's wheelhouse that iPad users want support for, so WhatsApp gaining support hopefully shows that it's also in the works.The WhatsApp team also promises that this is just the start of its journey on iPad, and is looking forward to feedback from users.You might also likeThis new PopSockets Kick-Out Grip & Stand solves iPhone videographers' biggest PopSocket problem12 super-useful new tools from Google I/O 2025 you can actually try right nowOpenAI Operator is getting bigger brains to control the AI agent’s virtual hands

Dolby's automatic speaker calibration tech FlexConnect finally comes to market via TCL's 2025 QD-Mini LED TVs. The company had originally announced the technology back in 2023, and was set to debut it with TCL's 2024 TV lineup.

FlexConnect lets users place wireless speakers anywhere in a room without worrying about perfect configuration. The surround sound will then be optimized automatically based on the layout of the room and the position of the speakers.

The first audio device to support this tech will be TCL's Z100 smart speaker, which is designed to pair with TCL's FlexConnect-enabled TVs. TCL's Precise Dimming Series, which includes the QM6K, QM7K and the newly announced QM8K, will all be FlexConnect-compatible.

Users will be able to pair up to four Z100 speakers with their TCL TVs, which will work in concert with the TV's built-in speakers to deliver intelligently calibrated Dolby Atmos sound. This innovation allows for immersive spatial sound without the need for a perfectly symmetrical speaker setup.

In today's joint press release, John Couling, Senior VP of Entertainment at Dolby Labs, said “With Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, consumers can unlock even more flexibility and adaptability in how they design their home entertainment systems, while removing the stress of whether their speakers are in the right location to get an incredible Dolby Atmos experience.”

In the same release, TCL said the Z100 speakers are expected this summer. The Z100 and the TCL Precise Dimming Series represent the first FlexConnect products launched in the United States. Along with the QM8K launch, TCL also announced its first model of party speakers, as well as the Q65H, its latest Dolby Atmos soundbar.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/tcls-newest-tvs-will-automatically-calibrate-wireless-speakers-163907846.html?src=rss

The wait is (finally) over. There's an official WhatsApp release for Apple iPads. It only took 16 years, as WhatsApp first entered the scene all the way back in 2009. As a matter of fact, the messaging platform predates the iPad itself, which launched in 2010.

The iPad offers much more screen real estate than a smartphone, and Meta seems to have made good use of the extra space. The app takes advantage of the tablet's multitasking features like Split View and Slide Over, so users can view multiple apps at once. This lets folks, for instance, browse the web as they chat with a friend.

The iPad version of the app also works with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, which should speed up conversations. It allows for video and audio calls with up to 32 people, and integrates with both the front and rear cameras. Just like other versions of WhatsApp, chats sync across devices. WhatsApp for iPad is available right now via the App Store.

One down, one to go. We are still waiting for Meta to make a dedicated Instagram app for iPad tablets. Recent reports indicate that the company is actually working on it, after a long 15 years in which we all have had to use a resized iPhone app and pretend we were enjoying ourselves.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-finally-launches-an-official-version-for-ipads-165608577.html?src=rss