FiiO launches new Jade Audio headphones and BR15 receiver for budget hi-fi fans
FiiO is adding three new products to its entry level audio line -- the Jade Audio JT7 and JT3 headphones and the BR15 desktop Bluetooth receiver, giving listeners a way to explore hi fi sound without blowing the budget.
The JT7 (pictured above) is an open back planar magnetic model developed in house by FiiO. It uses a 95 by 86 mm planar driver supported by a push pull magnetic layout. The structure places high density magnets on both sides of the diaphragm for a more even drive.
Opera and Spotify team up on new Sonic Theme for Opera One
Opera has added a new way for users to enjoy music inside its desktop browser, introducing a theme that reacts to whatever's playing through the built in Music Player. The feature was made in conjunction with Spotify and turns the browser’s Start page into an animated display that moves in sync with streaming audio.
The Sonic Theme is available in Opera One and uses shader based effects to create a pattern that moves with the playing track. The theme is intended to resemble sound waves passing through a thin layer of sand. When music starts, the animation breaks into small particles that move across the screen in real time.
Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 18 launches with Safe Folder and wider malware protection
IObit released Advanced SystemCare 19 back in October, and it's now launching Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 18. The version numbers may look out of order, but that's because the two products are actually quite different. While Advanced SystemCare 19 focuses on cleanup and performance, Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 18 includes full antivirus protection.
The biggest addition to the new software is Safe Folder, a feature that allows users to place sensitive files behind a protective barrier. This folder blocks unauthorized access, which includes potential ransomware attempts. The antivirus database has also been expanded and targets a broader mix of malware to reduce the number of threats that reach a system.
Google Calendar can now include schedule tasks
Sometimes, it is small changes that make a big difference, and this is something Google has just demonstrated perfectly with a relatively minor tweak to Google Calendar. There has been some integration and interaction between Google Tasks and Google Calendar for a little while now, but the latest change is a really useful one.
Users of Google Calendar now have the option to include entries for a Task in their Calendar. Put another way, Google now lets you set aside time in your Calendar to spend working on a Task.
Google wants you to plan your next trip with AI
The AI-with-everything trend continues, with Google very much at the forefront. Latching on to the holiday season and the increase in travel the period sees, the company is pushing its new AI tools as a way of planning your next trip.
The tools that Google is highlighting can all be accessed from Search, and while the company is using the holiday season as a hook, these are not seasonal tools – they can be used at any time for any sort of travel plans. There are various options here, so let’s take a look at what Google has to offer.
Meta launches Facebook content protection to stop Reel reuse
Creators on all social media platforms have a lot to worry about, but the theft or reuse of content must be near the top of the list. To help combat this, Meta has launched Facebook content protection to help prevent Reels from being stolen.
The automated tool can warn Facebook creators when their Reels are detected being reused on either Facebook or Instagram. If reuse is detected, creators have a number of options available to them, including blocking anything being used without consent.
Google boosts AI to provide more accurate weather forecasts
That artificial intelligence is used in weather forecasting is to be expected, but Google has just announced WeatherNext 2. Self-described as its “most advanced and efficient forecasting model”, this last incarnation improves not only accuracy, but also speed.
Forecast generation can be up to eight times faster, and Google is already using the data produced by WeatherNext 2 – this is not something that is coming, it is here now. After heavy research work, Google is ready to give the tool to users.
Organizations overconfident in dealing with cybersecurity incidents
New research from Immersive Labs reveals a widening gap between confidence and capability in cybersecurity.
While nearly every organization (94 percent) believes it can handle a major incident, the data tells a different story. According to Immersive’s analysis, average decision accuracy is just 22 percent, and the average containment time is 29 hours.
Google to use Android developer verification to allow safe app sideloading
Like Apple, Google has gradually made it more difficult to install apps from outside its own store. But the company is aware that neither users nor developers necessarily want to be tied to just the Play Store – this is why it has come up with the Android developer verification program.
The idea is that Google will check and verify developers so the users know they can be trusted. Now the company has an update based on early feedback it has received.
Apple Digital ID is a passport-based identity document on iPhone and Apple Watch
Apple has launched Digital ID, a new Apple Wallet-store identity document for US users that is accepted at airports and other locations.
Digital ID is created from information from a US passport, and it can be used as a travel document as well as a way of proving age. Although the company is making much of the system, it concedes that there are numerous limitations.
diVine is Vine back from the dead, thanks (in part) to Jack Dorsey
Cast your mind back a few years – well, several, actually – and you may well remember Vine. The social network focused on short-form videos, and it was killed off nearly 10 years ago. Now, re-entering a very busy social arena, Vine is back.
This time, the platform is going by the name diVine, and it is partly funded by one of Jack Dorsey’s ventures. This is not just a relaunch of the old video sharing platform; there is an attempt to resurrect as much of the original content as possible.
What do you need more -- a chief AI officer or better data? [Q&A]
According to recent research nearly half of FTSE 100 companies now have a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) -- with 42 percent of those hires made in just the past year.
Companies are clearly rushing to signal their AI credentials at board level, but is this a meaningful shift, or simply another wave of hype-led decision making? We spoke to Francisco Mateo-Sidron, SVP and head of EMEA at Cloudera, who believes that a CAIO alone can’t drive real results if enterprises don’t have data that’s built on solid foundations.
Google will now warn about battery-hungry Android apps
There are many things to consider when installing apps, particularly if there are several similar titles vying for attention. As well as things like range of features, looks and performance speed, power usage is also important to users – and Google agrees.
The company is looking to help improve the overall experience for Android users by warning about apps which can be a drain on a device’s battery. More than this, Google is working to help developers to create apps which are more power-efficient.
Modern workforce integration -- why AI agents need the same oversight as their human counterparts [Q&A]
Agentic AI is rapidly moving from concept to reality, prompting organizations globally to rethink how they integrate these technologies into their business operations. The use of AI agents in daily workflows is set to rise dramatically in the coming years, raising questions over what organizations need to do to manage them effectively, and what might happen if they fail to do so.
We spoke with Ann Maya, EMEA CTO at Boomi, about the evolution of AI agents, the steps businesses should be taking ahead of deployment, and why the principles of human workforce management may hold the key to responsible use.
Mobile threats increase ahead of holiday shopping season
New research from the Zimperium zLabs team reveals a sharp rise in mobile threats tied to the holiday shopping season.
The report shows that mishing (mobile phishing) remains the most widespread and effective mobile attack vector. Smishing messages and fake delivery alerts impersonating trusted retail and logistics brands surged up to fourfold during the 2024 holiday shopping period, with attackers using urgency-driven messages like ‘Your package is delayed, click here’ to trick users into revealing credentials or downloading malicious apps.
