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Google has introduced Whisk, a new generative AI tool designed to make image creation more interactive and creative. Unlike traditional AI tools that rely heavily on lengthy text prompts, Whisk allows users to start with images. Simply drag and drop images into the interface, and Whisk lets you generate unique creations by combining these visuals in novel ways.

Whisk enables users to input up to three images: one for the subject, one for the scene, and another for the style. This approach gives users the flexibility to create anything from digital plushies to enamel pins or stickers. Some early examples from Whisk include a fantastical fish, a whimsical walrus, and even a glazed doughnut reimagined as an enamel pin.

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Automations empowered by artificial intelligence are reshaping the business landscape. They give companies the capability to connect with, guide, and care for customers in more efficient ways, resulting in streamlined processes that are less costly to support.

However, AI-powered automations also have a dark side. The same capabilities they provide for improving legitimate operations can also be used by criminals intent on identity theft. The rise of low-cost AI and its use in automations has empowered scammers to widen their nets and increase their effectiveness, leading to a drastic increase in identity theft scenarios.

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As we navigate an increasingly digital landscape, the threats posed by cybercriminals are evolving at an alarming pace. The latest predictions highlight a future where AI-driven technologies, particularly deep fakes, will become more sophisticated, making it challenging for individuals and organizations to distinguish between genuine and malicious entities.

This article explores three critical predictions regarding the future of cyber threats: the rise of hyper-realistic deep fakes, the escalation of browser-based ransomware attacks targeting essential infrastructure, and the growing risk of insider threats in remote work environments. Understanding these trends is crucial for developing effective strategies to safeguard against the next wave of cybercrime.

Sophisticated AI-Driven Deepfakes Will Bypass Traditional Security Measures

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The lightweight Linux distribution PorteuX has launched version 1.8, delivering huge updates across multiple desktop environments and a modern alternative to Windows 11. The release introduces the newly released Xfce 4.20, a sleek and efficient desktop environment, alongside updates to Cinnamon 6.4.2, GNOME 47.2, KDE 6.2.4, and LXQt 2.1.0, offering users a customizable and resource-friendly experience without the performance trade-offs often associated with Windows 11.

PorteuX 1.8 upgrades its kernel to version 6.12.5, ensuring better hardware compatibility and security. For AMD users who encounter upstream performance regressions, the kernel from version 1.7 remains available. Unlike Windows 11, which can struggle with older hardware and system requirements, PorteuX maintains its lightweight design, running smoothly even on less powerful machines.

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The banking and finance sector has already seen some major changes in technology use in recent years. These show no signs of slowing down but newer developments like AI are starting to have an impact too.

Here are some expert views on what may be in store for the fintech sector in the year to come.

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Could the strange lights, glowing orbs, and supposed UFO sightings in the night sky actually have a simple explanation? With the launch of the T-Mobile Starlink beta program, it’s possible that what people think are mysterious flying objects are, possibly, Starlink satellites being deployed to make mobile dead zones a thing of the past.

Elon Musk’s Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has been rapidly expanding its satellite constellation as part of its partnership with T-Mobile to bring direct-to-cell satellite coverage across the United States. These satellites, designed to function like cell towers in space, are now at the center of a beta program that promises to connect customers in areas where traditional infrastructure can’t reach.

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New research shows 88 percent of security leaders believe machine identities, specifically access tokens and their connected service accounts, are the next big target for attackers.

The survey from Venafi of 800 security and IT decision-makers from large organizations across the US, UK, France and Germany, finds 56 percent have experienced a security incident related to machine identities using service accounts in the last year.

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Social media has seen a 335 percent boom in new scams using deepfake videos and company-branded posts to lure victims into fraudulent investment schemes.

The latest threat report from ESET tracks these as HTML/Nomani, the countries with the most detections being Japan, Slovakia, Canada, Spain, and Czechia.

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One of the changes in Windows 11 that continues to generate lots of complaining is the removal of a vertical taskbar option. Microsoft decided that it wanted everyone to have their taskbar anchored to the bottom of the screen, and that was the end of that.

But not anymore. Now there is a way to vertically align your taskbar in Windows 11, giving you the chance to make better use of a widescreen/ultra-widescreen monitor’s available space. It doesn’t matter whether your preference is for the left or the right -- both are possible.

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With the increasing importance of observability in digital operations, businesses need to ensure the reliability and relevance of their telemetry data in order to maintain system and application performance, debug, troubleshoot, respond to incidents and keep their systems secure.

We spoke to Tucker Callaway, CEO of Mezmo, to discuss the strategic considerations and concerns enterprises face in managing and optimizing their telemetry data.

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The Xfce team has officially dropped version 4.20 after nearly two years of development, bringing a host of updates and experimental Wayland support to the popular lightweight desktop environment. It’s clear a lot of work went into this release, but the version number might also make you wonder -- did the developers celebrate a little too hard when naming it?

One of the headline features is experimental support for Wayland. Thanks to the new “libxfce4windowing” library, many Xfce components can now run natively on Wayland without relying on XWayland. However, this feature is far from perfect. Critical elements like workspace support and components such as Xfwm4 and Xfce4-screensaver still lack full Wayland functionality. If you’re feeling adventurous -- or maybe a bit “chill” -- you can give Wayland a try, but the team advises caution. Bugs and missing features are part of the deal for now.

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As 2024 comes to an end, we expect to see a new year of innovation and greater adoption of new technologies and an increase in cybersecurity vulnerabilities for businesses. As such the sophistication of cyber security threats will likely rise in 2025 and the proliferation of technologies such as AI will make organizations more prone to falling victim to threat actors.

This is set to be impacted by the cyber skill shortage of 2024 which has been a challenging year with budget cutbacks and layoffs. Other trends that we expect to see are highlighted below.  

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Introduced a couple of years ago, the Suggested Actions feature of Windows 11 was designed to make life easier, simplifying dealing with information encountered on websites, in documents and so on. Now the feature is being ditched.

Microsoft introduced Suggested Actions as a productivity-enhancer that worked across all aspects of Windows. While the company has said nothing about why it is killing off what is ostensibly a useful tool, the answer can probably be summed up in two letters: AI.

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You close out one year, looking for a fresh start on the next. But old content doesn’t just disappear when you hang up a new calendar. There’s always a chance of something in previous data reemerging to challenge the plans you have for the upcoming year. While nothing can completely counter that possibility, enterprise search can help keep tabs on all information, past and present, to mitigate such a risk.

Enterprise search enables instant concurrent searching across terabytes after first indexing the data. A single index can hold up to a terabyte, and there are no limits on the number of indexes enterprise search can create and end-users simultaneously query.

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As we close out 2024, we Linux enthusiasts are once again looking ahead to what the future holds. While Linux has long been the unsung hero of technology, powering servers, supercomputers, and the cloud, it’s also a dominant force in the consumer space, even if many don’t realize it. With Android leading the way as the most widely used Linux-based operating system, 2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the open source world.

First and foremost, Linux will continue to dominate the enterprise sector. Businesses have realized the cost and flexibility benefits of moving away from proprietary systems. Linux already powers most cloud infrastructure, and as organizations look to tighten budgets, more companies will opt for open source solutions to run their operations. With major providers like AWS and Google Cloud leaning heavily on Linux, its role in the corporate world is only growing stronger.

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