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As demand for AI and cloud computing soars, pundits are suggesting that the world is teetering on the edge of a potential data center crunch—where capacity can’t keep up with the digital load. Concerns and the hype have led to plummeting vacancy rates: in Northern Virginia, the world's largest data center market, for example, vacancy rates have fallen below 1%.Echoing past fears of "peak oil" and "peak food," the spotlight now turns to "peak data." But rather than stall, the industry is evolving—adopting modular builds, renewable energy, and AI-optimized systems to redefine how tomorrow’s data centers will power an increasingly digital world.1. Shift Toward Modular and Edge Data CentersFuture data centers will increasingly move away from massive centralized facilities alone, embracing smaller, modular, and edge-based data centers. The sector is already splitting out in hyperscale data centers one end and smaller, edge-oriented facilities on the other.Smaller, modular and edge data centers can be built in a few months and tend to be located closer to end users to reduce latency. Unlike the huge campuses of hyperscale with facilities often covering millions of square feet these smaller data centers are sometimes built into repurposed buildings such as abandoned shopping malls, empty office towers, and factories in disuse, helping requalify ex-industrial brownfield areas.Leaner centers can be rapidly deployed, located closer to end users for reduced latency, and tailored to specific workloads such as autonomous vehicles and AR.2. Integration with Renewable and On-Site Power SourcesTo address energy demands and grid constraints, future data centers will increasingly be co-located with power generation facilities, such as nuclear or renewable plants. This reduces reliance on strained grid infrastructure and improves energy stability. Some companies are investing in nuclear power. Nuclear power provides massive, always-on power that is also free of carbon emissions. Modular reactors are being considered to overcome grid bottlenecks, long wait times for power delivery, and local utility limits.Similarly, they will be increasingly built in areas where the climate reduces operational strain. Lower cooling costs and access to water enables the use of energy-efficient liquid-cooling systems instead of air-cooling. We will be seeing more data centers pop up in places like Scandinavia and the Pacific Northwest.3. Operational OptimizationArtificial intelligence will play a major role in managing and optimizing data center operations, particularly for cooling and energy use. For instance, reinforcement learning algorithms are being used to cut energy use by optimizing cooling systems, achieving up to 21% energy savings.Similarly, fixes like replacing legacy servers with more energy-efficient machines, with newer chips or thermal design, can significantly expand compute capacity, without requiring new premises.4. Hardware Density and Efficiency ImprovementsInstead of only building new facilities, future capacity will be expanded by refreshing hardware with newer, denser, and more energy-efficient servers. This allows for more compute power in the same footprint, enabling quick scaling to meet surges in demand, particularly for AI workloads. These power-hungry centers are also putting a strain on electricity grids.Future data centers will leverage new solutions such as load shifting to optimize energy efficiency. Google is already partnering with PJM Interconnection, the largest electrical grid operator in North America, to leverage AI to automate tasks such as viability assessments of connection applications, thus enhancing grid efficiency.Issues are typically not due to lack of energy but insufficient transmission capacity.In addition to this, fortunately, data centers are usually running well below full capacity specifically to accommodate future growth. This added capacity will prove useful as facilities accommodate unexpected traffic spikes, and rapid scaling needs without requiring new constructions.5. Geographically and Politically Responsive SitingFuture data center locations will be chosen based on climate efficiency, grid access, and political zoning policies but also availability of AI-skilled workforce. Data centers aren’t server rooms—they’re among the most complex IT infrastructure projects in existence, requiring seamless power, cooling, high-speed networking, and top-tier security.Building them involves a wide range of experts, from engineers to logistics teams, coordinating everything from semiconductors to industrial HVAC systems. Data centers will thus drive up the demand for high-performance networking, thermal, power redundancy, and advanced cooling engineers.Looking to the futureIt’s clear that the recent surge in infrastructure demand to power GPUs and high-performance computing, for example, is being driven primarily by AI. In fact, training massive models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Google’s Gemini requires immense computational resources, consuming GPU cycles at an astonishing rate. These training runs often last weeks and involve thousands of specialized chips, drawing on power and cooling infrastructure.But the story doesn’t end there: even when a model is trained, running these models in real-time to generate responses, make predictions, or process user inputs (so-called AI inference) adds a new layer of energy demand. While not as intense as training, inference must happen at scale and with low latency, which means it’s placing a steady, ongoing load on cloud infrastructure.However, here’s a nuance that’s frequently glossed over in much of the hype: AI workloads don’t scale in a straight-forward, linear fashion: doubling the number of GPUs or increasing the size of a model will not always lead to proportionally better results. Experience has shown that as models grow in size, the performance gains actually may taper off or introduce new challenges, such as brittleness, hallucination, or the need for more careful fine-tuning.In shortIn short, the current AI boom is real, but it may not be boundless. Understanding the limitations of scale and the nonlinear nature of progress is crucial for policymakers, investors, and businesses alike as they plan for data center demand that is shaped by AI exponential growth.The data center industry therefore stands at a pivotal crossroads. Far from buckling under the weight of AI tools and cloud-driven demand, however, it’s adapting at speed through smarter design, greener power, and more efficient hardware.From modular builds in repurposed buildings to AI-optimized cooling systems and co-location with power plants, the future of data infrastructure will be leaner, more distributed, and strategically sited. As data becomes the world’s most valuable resource, the facilities that store, process, and protect it are becoming smarter, greener, and more essential than ever.We list the best colocation providers.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The official runtime for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has reportedly been confirmedMarvel's next big-screen offering will be the longest movie since Guardians of the Galaxy 3The reveal comes as major story spoilers seemingly leak onlineThe Fantastic Four: First Steps' official runtime has apparently been revealed, but that's not the only information about the forthcoming Marvel movie that's circulating online.According to US movie chain AMC Theaters, the group's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut clocks in at two hours and 10 minutes. That would make it the longest superhero film Marvel has made since 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, which ran for two hours and 29 minutes.As I said, though, this isn't the only detail that's recently emerged online about the Marvel Phase 6 flick. It also appears that potentially huge spoilers about First Steps' story have hit the internet.According to X/Twitter user ViewerAnon, Marvel never holds preview screenings in Los Angeles (Image credit: ViewerAnon/X/Twitter)According to those in the know, including industry insiders ViewerAnon (see above) and Jeff Sneider, a preview screening of one of 2025's most anticipated new movies was held in Los Angeles on May 28. The chances are that those in attendance would have had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that bars them from discussing the film, but it appears that one individual has ignored that and revealed some major plot details anyway.You won't find links and/or sources to the alleged leak here, nor will I describe what I've read about The Fantastic Four's next silver-screen adventure. This is more of a public service announcement to forewarn you that, as of yesterday (May 29), massive story spoilers are doing the rounds online.So, if you want to watch the latest film to star Marvel's First Family without prior knowledge of what happens in it, I'd advise you to mute certain words and hashtags on social media regarding First Steps. It might be worth staying away from certain Reddit pages and other online forums for the time being until discussions about said leak die down, too.Everything we officially know so far about The Fantastic Four: First StepsThe Fantastic Four: First Steps will open in theaters worldwide in late July (Image credit: Marvel Studios)Thankfully, there's a wealth of concrete and spoiler-free information about The Fantastic Four: First Steps that you can read about instead.Let's start with that all-important release date, and the actors who'll play the titular team. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will arrive in theaters worldwide on July 25, 2025. The iconic quartet will be played by Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Stormy/The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing), too.Joining them on the cast roster are Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as The Silver Surfer, with the British duo playing the film's primary and secondary antagonists. Rounding out the cast are John Malkovich and Paul Walter Houser in roles that haven't been revealed publicly yet, and Natasha Lyonne, who's similarly been cast in an undisclosed role.On the official story revelation front, back in February The Fantastic Four: First Steps' poster confirmed that this movie won't be set in the MCU. A few months later, Marvel president Kevin Feige revealed that it would be a period piece that's set in an alternate dimension to Earth-616, aka the main universe at the center of the MCU.The Fantastic Four: First Steps is getting a prequel comic that acts as the superteam's origins story (Image credit: Marvel Comics)As mentioned, Galactus is set to be the movie's villain-in-chief. First Steps' main villain was all but confirmed via a Marvel.com article in April 2024, but it wasn't until a year later that a leaked Lego set revealed our first look at Galactus.While the initial trailer for First Steps unveiled the first official look at The Fantastic Four and other characters who'll populate the film, it only briefly teased what the celestial being known as the 'Devourer of Worlds' would look like.More recently, First Steps' official trailer finally introduced us to Garner's Silver Surfer and showed off Mister Fantastic's stretchy powers. Prior to the latter's public release, a CinemaCon teaser confirmed a big fan theory about Sue Storm, too.Lastly, the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, the latest MCU film to hit theaters, dropped a big hint about how The Fantastic Four will wind up in the MCU. Check out my Thunderbolts* ending explained article for spoiler-filled details on what was shown.You might also likeAfter Thunderbolts*, Marvel has the perfect opportunity to do the unthinkable with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: DoomsdayAvengers: Doomsday could spell the end for another original Avenger as Marvel actor's thank you video sparks MCU exit rumorsFind out how to watch the Marvel movies in order

UK retailer Game has announced the cancelation of some Nintendo Switch 2 pre-ordersThe reasoning is unclear, but it's likely the company doesn't have enough stock to fulfil all ordersThe retailer took to social media to encourage those affected to visit its support pageIf you're in the UK and got a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order from high street retailer Game, then you may want to check your emails.That's because the retailer, as reported by Eurogamer, has confirmed that it has canceled an unspecified number of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders. The reason why is unclear, but it's usually down to a retailer fulfilling more orders than it realistically has stock for.In a post on X / Twitter, the official Game account released a statement regarding the cancelations. "We're currently working hard to reinstate as many affected pre-orders as possible," the statement reads. "If your order was impacted, please know that we're doing everything we can and will be in touch with further updates and next steps."You can see the full post below. Game also encourages those who have experienced a pre-order cancelation to visit its customer support page.Statement regarding Nintendo Switch 2 online pre-order cancellations.Contact GAME customer services here 🔗 https://t.co/i8BVxT31aE#GAME pic.twitter.com/BV0JtpeMuUMay 29, 2025The cancelation of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders has been a surprisingly common occurrence recently. Over in the US, customers who pre-ordered the console at Walmart, Target and GameStop have reported cancelations on social media sites like Reddit.It isn't all doom and gloom as some retailers, including CostCo in the US and Smyths Toys in the UK, are currently confirming they will have launch day stock and - in the case of the latter - a midnight launch for the Nintendo Switch 2.If you have been affected by Game's Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order cancelations, be sure to hit up the retailer's support page or visit our own how to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2 guide advice on what to do next.You might also like...Nintendo has updated its Switch 2 game compatibility page, identifying over 100 titles with 'start up issues' on the upcoming consolePokémon Legends: Z-A officially launches in October and will offer 'improved graphics and frame rates' on the Nintendo Switch 2 versionThe Nintendo Switch 2 will finally let players easily upload their screenshots and videos via the Switch app, and I couldn't be happier

Connectwise notified customers about a state-sponsored attackA "small number" of ScreenConnect customers were affectedThe company triggered its incident response plan and brought in third party expertsConnectWise has revealed it recently suffered a cyberattack, likely at the hands of a “sophisticated nation state actor.”In a short announcement published on its website, the company said it recently learned of “suspicious activity” within its environment, which affected a “very small number” of ScreenConnect customers.“We have launched an investigation with one of the leading forensic experts, Mandiant,” the announcement says. “We have contacted all affected customers and are coordinating with law enforcement. As part of our work with Mandiant, we implemented enhanced monitoring and hardening measures across our environment.”Multiple attacksOther than that, details are scarce. We don’t know which threat actor this is, how they managed to infiltrate ScreenConnect’s infrastructure, how long they dwelled, or what they were looking for.We also don’t know exactly how many customers were affected, or in which industries they operate.ScreenConnect did say that no further activity, “in any customer instances” were observed.“The security of our services is paramount to us, and we are closely monitoring the situation and will share additional information as we are able.”In this context, The Hacker News reported that the company patched two security flaws in 2024, which were used “by both cybercrime and nation-state threat actors”, including those from China, North Korea, and Russia.The two vulnerabilities are tracked as CVE-2024-1708, and CVE-2024-1709. It also said the company fixed a high severity vulnerability in ScreenConnect versions 25.2.3 and earlier, which could be exploited for ViewState code injection attacks using publicly disclosed ASP.NET machine keys. It doesn’t specifically state the criminals used these flaws in the attacks.As a popular remote support and access solution, ScreenConnect is widely adopted by Managed Service Providers (MSPs), internal IT teams, and technology resellers.Via The Hacker NewsYou might also likeLockBit ransomware still poses a major threat — ScreenConnect under attack from new malwareTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

Target will have Nintendo Switch 2 stock on launch day You will need to arrive ahead of store opening hoursA ticketing system will be in placeUS retail giant Target has confirmed that it will have Nintendo Switch 2 stock next week.In a recent press release, Target described the June 5 console launch as "a huge deal for gamers" and confirmed that the store's online Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders sold out in less than two hours when they went live on April 24.It also confirms that both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle will be available in Target stores on June 5. This is in addition to games, amiibo, and other accessories.The retailer has also outlined the process for buying a Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5.It suggests arriving ahead of store opening hours. Once you are there, you need to begin lining up at a "designated queuing location" near the entrance. Staff members will distribute tickets, which will reserve your product for purchase on opening.The tickets will be offered until they have all been claimed, or ten minutes before the store opens - so don't expect to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 if you rock up later in the day.To try and mitigate some of the demand, there will be a purchase limit of one Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle per customer.If you don't manage to make it on the day, more stock will be available via the Target website and app on June 6.You might also like...Check your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order ASAP, as some retailers are reportedly cancelling themUK retailer Game is canceling some Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, so you may want to check yoursCostco is the latest US retailer to confirm Nintendo Switch 2 stock