Does Microsoft know something we don't? Tech giant cools down on AI data center investment as another report claims company pullbacks

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• Bloomberg reports Microsoft won't go ahead with multiple data center projects worldwide
• It's the third report claiming Microsoft's more cautious approach to its data center projects
• There are indications that we're on the verge of seeing a global capacity glut when it comes to data centers

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Global stock markets are in turmoil right now as President Donald Trump’s tariffs begin to come into effect - but that’s not the only problem facing the big tech firms.

Microsoft is now the focus of a third Bloomberg report detailing pullbacks on its AI data center plans, raising fresh questions about how committed the American tech giant remains to its current level of investment in AI infrastructure.

While Microsoft maintains it will spend around $80 billion on data centers in this fiscal year, it has acknowledged that growth will slow after that. Future focus will shift from new construction to outfitting existing infrastructure with servers and AI equipment.

Still on track to spend $80 billion

Bloomberg claims Microsoft has exited or paused data center projects in multiple regions.

In the UK, it stepped away from a potential lease near Cambridge that was marketed for hosting advanced Nvidia chips.

In Indonesia, parts of a data center campus an hour outside Jakarta have been put on hold.

In North Dakota, talks dragged on so long with a potential tenant that Microsoft lost exclusivity, and expansion has also slowed in Wisconsin, where the company had already spent $262 million on construction, including nearly $40 million on concrete.

Microsoft also recently pulled out of a plan to lease an additional $12 billion of data center capacity from CoreWeave. OpenAI stepped in to plug that gap, but since Microsoft is OpenAI’s biggest funder, it likely used Microsoft’s own money to do it.

Some of the caution may come from signs that AI workloads are becoming less compute-intensive than expected, thanks in no small part to the “DeepSeek effect,” where the Chinese AI startup demonstrated performance comparable to OpenAI with far fewer resources. This has led some investors to question whether the current rate of buildout can be justified.

Meanwhile, a separate report from MIT Technology Review shows the scale of overcapacity in China.

The government there fast-tracked more than 500 data center construction projects, with at least 150 completed by the end of 2024, but an estimated 80% of these new AI data center resources are unused.

Together, these developments suggest that big tech's data center ambitions may be outpacing the current demand for AI services, at least for now, which is starting to prompt caution among investors and industry insiders.

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I laughed about Signalgate until I made my own massive privacy mistake

Raise your hand if you have accidentally sent personal or sensitive information to the wrong person. I see you out there, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and, if I'm being honest, I'm raising my hand right along with you.

By now, we all know the embarrassing tale of military action plans accidentally sent to an Atlantic editor who was somehow added to a secure Signal chat. It was embarrassing, but now it sounds like it might have been a shockingly relatable mistake and one we can all learn from – including me.

Essentially, a new report claims that Atlantic EIC Jeffry Goldberg's phone number was listed as an alternate contact number for a National Security spokesperson. That's possibly how Goldberg ended up in the incredibly sensitive chat. Waltz selected his spokesperson to add, but the number chosen was Goldberg's.

When I read this I had a shudder of recognition. Our contact systems are smart, fluid, and maybe a bit too fleet-footed at times. Allow me to unburden myself.

What did I just do?

A few weeks back, I was working on some personal and rather sensitive documents that I then wanted to send to my wife. I quickly compiled what I needed, opened Gmail, typed in the recipient, attached the documents, and hit send. I didn't think much of it until my wife quizzed me about the whereabouts of said documents.

I knew I sent them, but I wondered if they'd gotten stuck in the outbox – a rare occurrence that would usually indicate a network issue. Nope, the email showed up in Sent – and then I noticed something horrifying. I had not sent the documents to my wife. Instead, they went to a random business contact whose name and email address also started with "L."

Gmail had autocompleted the address with the first matching email address, and I never looked twice. It was a whopper of a mistake – not national security level, but still big in my world. It was too late to recall the message, so I sent a follow-up to the contact, begging them not to open the doc and delete the email.

It was not my best moment, and I again had a twinge of empathy for Waltz.

Slow down, dude

The reality is that our social media, communications, and email systems are not there to ensure that you use the right phone numbers, handles, and email addresses.

Instead, they go for speed and, in email, autocompleted addresses, which can help you find long or forgotten ones, can be quite useful. But they're also a little dangerous.

Unless you're a salesperson with a customer relationship management (CRM) system, you probably don't spend much time managing the details of any contact.

You might only have an email address. Maybe only a first name. Your contacts may have duplicates with different and old email addresses and phone numbers (the startup Sunshine Contacts is supposed to address some of this).

You might get a new number for a contact and add that. On my iPhone, when I add or update a contact's info, there is a moment of trepidation as I try to figure out if this is a new contact or details for one I already have on my iPhone.

We don't spend enough time, I think, making sure our contact databases on our iPhones and mail systems are up to date, and perhaps we're not being careful enough about our contacts across all our systems.

Caught in a random loop

Think about how many times a random number pops up on your phone with a text or call. Usually, it has no name attached, and your phone is of little use in helping you ferret out if this is a known or unknown person.

For instance, my iPhone sometimes indicates that something is potential SPAM, but it does not do this often enough.

Perhaps because I talk to so many people through Slack or text, I barely know anyone's phone number by heart (I'm even worse with email addresses). It's no wonder I don't know the difference between known and unknown numbers.

I also have way too many email addresses in my system and need a smarter way of cleaning and managing them. I cannot afford to (again 🤦🏼‍♂️) accidentally send sensitive info to the wrong place.

AI to the rescue?

Here's a place where AI can help. If Google Gemini knows I'm sending personal documents, it'll also know not to randomly slide in a business contact's email address. Instead, the list of potential recipients would be narrowed to just my personal contacts and maybe only those identified as family members.

I could always add in others I need, but I do it without Gmail helpfully autocompleting them. And if Siri and Apple Intelligence ever get as smart as promised, it might be able to know that the Signal or Whatsapp chat you're about to start is too sensitive to include "Jeffrey" from the Atlantic.

The lesson, if there is one, is that we all need to verify every number and email address we include in a thread or group chat. Compile the list, double-check it against your contact database, and then check it again.

You think it can't happen to you until you create that WhatsApp chat group to trash-talk your job and realize that someone accidentally added the boss. Or you send a private email to someone who should never receive it.

Take it from me: don't assume it can't happen to you, and do all you can to make sure it never does.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 to Reportedly Come With Android 16-Based One UI 8

Samsung’s rollout of its Android 15-based One UI 7 operating system (OS) is yet to reach completion but the company is said to already have plans for an early launch of its next iteration. According to a report, One UI 8 based on Android 16 will be offered out-of-the-box with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 foldables.

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Poco M7 5G Review: Familiar Territory

Poco M7 5G was recently launched in India as an entry-level phone priced under Rs. 10,000. It features a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC, runs on Android 14 , and offers 128GB of inbuilt storage, and a 50-megapixel camera. Is it the best budget smartphone with 5G connectivity you can purchase in India? Find out in our Poco M7 5G review.

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China has spent billions of dollars building far too many data centers for AI and compute - could it lead to a huge market crash?

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• DeepSeek is just one of the many reasons China's AI growth simply didn't materialize
• Up to 80% of new data center capacity hasn't been used according to local sources
• Should this capacity hit the wider market, it could cause a major headache to data center developers

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China’s AI infrastructure boom is faltering, as according to a report in MIT Technology Review, the country built hundreds of data centers to support its AI ambitions, but many are now sitting unused.

Billions were invested by both state and private entities in 2023 and 2024, with the expectation that demand for GPU rentals would keep growing, but uptake has in fact dropped off, and as a result many operators are now struggling to survive.

Much of the early momentum was driven by hype. The government, keen for China to become a global leader in AI, encouraged local officials to fast-track data center construction with the result that more than 500 projects were announced nationwide, and at least 150 were completed by the end of 2024, according to state-affiliated sources. However, MIT Technology Review says local publications are reporting that up to 80% of this new computing capacity remains idle.

Selling off GPUs

Location is also a problem, MIT Technology Review notes. Facilities built in central and western China, where electricity is cheap, now face issues meeting latency requirements. In cities like Zhengzhou, operators are reportedly even giving away free compute vouchers in an attempt to lure users.

In some regions, developers began selling off GPUs after failing to secure long-term clients.

Xiao Li, a data center project manager who spoke with MIT Technology Review, said many WeChat groups that once boasted about Nvidia chip deals have gone quiet. “It seems like everyone is selling, but few are buying,” he noted.

Should this capacity hit the wider market, it could cause a major headache to data center developers, flooding an already soft sector with even more supply and pushing prices down further.

One reason for the drop in demand is the rise of DeepSeek, which upended the global tech economy when it launched in January 2025.

Its open source reasoning model, R1, matches the performance of ChatGPT o1 but at a lower cost, shifting interest away from model training and toward inference - the real-time use of AI models, which requires different infrastructure.

Many of the data centers built during the rush were designed for large-scale training, not the low-latency demands of real-time reasoning.

Despite the oversupply, the Chinese government reportedly remains committed. Central authorities held an AI symposium in early 2025, and firms like Alibaba and TikTok owner ByteDance have announced major investments.

For many early data center investors however, expectations have collapsed. The infrastructure was built, but the demand it was meant to supply simply hasn’t arrived.

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'We weren't able to do it': A Minecraft Movie's Jared Hess explains why one of its funniest scenes isn't in the final cut

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• One of A Minecraft Movie's funniest scenes was left out of the final film
• Its director has explained why the sequence didn't get used
• Jared Hess has also revealed what his favorite Easter eggs are in Minecraft's movie adaptation

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A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess has opened up on the "really hilarious" scene he was disappointed to leave out of the film's final cut.

Ahead of the movie's April 4 release, I sat down with Hess to discuss his latest feature film. And, while A Minecraft Movie clocks isn't exactly on the long side for a family-friendly movie – it runs for one hour and 40 minutes, FYI – Hess admitted it would've been a few minutes longer if he'd successfully *ahem* mined it for more material.

There's one particular scene that Hess was most upset to leave out, too. Indeed, when I asked if there was anything that was considered off-limits by Minecraft creator Mojang Studios for the film adaptation, Hess said yes. His answer was an unexpected one, though, because it had nothing to do with Mojang telling him what he couldn't use in the Warner Bros-distributed flick.

Spoilers immediately follow for A Minecraft Movie.

The film's crew made sure that everything that appears on the screen could actually be made in Minecraft (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

"Yeah, there were a ton of fun sequences we wanted to do," Hess said. "[Popular Minecraft YouTuber] Mumbo Jumbo, who's a Redstone genius, was working on a great scene that we just couldn't do.

"We had a sequence that involved a giant Piglin robot, which was a Trojan horse-type thing that worked via Redstone," Hess continued. "I storyboarded it, we had full animatics of it, and it was a really hilarious scene. But, we just weren't able to do it.

"Everything we designed for the film, we wanted to make sure that you could actually go and make in the game," he added. "So, even Steve's Lava Chicken Shack and all of those things, we'd be like 'Gosh, are we sure we can do this? Does it work? Okay, let's go to the game and build it right now. Right, it checks out. It's bulletproof.'

"It would've been super fun to have that Mumbo Jumbo-designed sequence, but ultimately it didn't work out. He also designed a bunch of crazy booby traps for us as well, but we couldn't make those work in the confines of our movie, too."

'There are some really special Easter eggs in our movie'

There's a seemingly infinite number of Minecraft secrets and references hidden within A Minecraft Movie (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

Disappointed though Hess is about that sequence's absence, there are plenty of Minecraft Easter eggs and wider video game references that he was able to include in one of 2025's new movies.

From real in-game physics and genuine item and food crafting recipes, to a whole host of blink and you'll miss them objects, Hess and company made sure to populate the flick with as many gaming Easter eggs as possible. There are so many secrets, in fact, that Minecraft devotees and fanatical gamers will need to watch A Minecraft Movie numerous times to spot them all.

There are a couple of surprise additions above all others, though, that Hess was more proud than most to include.

Did you spot every Easter egg in your screening of A Minecraft Movie? (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

"There are some really special ones," he told me. "We've got some really amazing Minecrafters that have mini cameos like Mumbo Jumbo, DanTDM, and Aphmau.

"There are a bunch of others that I'm missing, but there are some funny Easter eggs that I think die-ahrd Minecrafters and members of the community will notice. There's a really special Easter egg that Sebastian Hansen, who plays Henry, came up with. There's a nod to a really amazing Minecrafter in the film that you'll just have to check out, but I won't say who it is!"

I guess you'll all have to run out to watch the film to try and work out what that secret is, then! Before you do, be sure to read my review of A Minecraft Movie to see if it's worth watching. Then, read my A Minecraft Movie end credits piece to see if there are any and what they tell us about a potential sequel.

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Rumored Sigma telephoto prime could be world-first 200mm F1.8 for mirrorless, and it sounds like a next-level portrait lens

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• Sigma rumored to be working on a 200mm f/1.8 telephoto prime
• Full-frame lens could debut in L-mount and Sony E mount
• First of its kind for any mirrorless camera system

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Back in 1988, Canon introduced the EF 200mm f/1.8L USM – the world’s fastest 200mm telephoto lens. Made for Canon’s EF-mount DSLR cameras, it was discontinued in 2004. Nothing since then has come close to its unique combination of reach and speed. That might be about to change: according to online rumors, Sigma is working on a spiritual successor for the mirrorless era.

L-rumors, a source for L-mount camera system news, recently ran a story claiming that Sigma is developing a world-first 200mm f/1.8 L-mount lens for Sony E and L-mount (Leica, Sigma and Panasonic) full-frame cameras. It points out that the optical design for such a lens was patented by Sigma back in 2020. Sony Alpha Rumors carried the same story.

Neither site provides any concrete information on performance, pricing or release date, speculating only that the lens will form part of Sigma’s Sports series. Whatever the specifics, the lens – if real – would be unique among modern mirrorless glass.

No other optic offers the same pairing of prime telephoto reach and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture. It’s a recipe that promises sharp stills with beautiful background blur, giving it appeal for sports, portrait and landscape photographers alike.

Sigma's lens department regularly innovates – its 28-45mm lens (above) was the first F1.8 zoom lens for full-frame. (Image credit: Sigma)

Who would a 200mm f/1.8 lens be good for?

A 200mm telephoto prime might sound like a niche lens, but it’s one that has a lot to offer for sports and wildlife photographers. It gives a useful degree of magnification, bringing distant subjects significantly closer, but not so close that you can’t readily pan to follow the action from the sidelines.

It’s also a flattering focal length for portrait photography, creating an attractive compression effect where the background appears larger. That same effect gives it appeal for landscape photographers who want to create compositions which contrast specific details of foreground and background.

Prime optics famously offer faster maximum apertures than zoom lenses. This allows photographers to shoot at faster shutter speeds in low-light conditions. It also comes with the promise of soft bokeh and background blur. Both of those benefits will be maximized at an aperture of f/1.8.

As above, rumors suggest that the Sigma 200mm f/1.8 will be part of Sigma’s Sports line. That makes a lot of sense: at that aperture, sports photographers would be able to work at faster shutter speeds to freeze action indoors or under floodlights. Similarly, both wildlife and landscape photographers would be able to make use of all available light, even when shooting in dim settings.

Portrait photographers would naturally benefit, too. The lens promises to isolate subjects sharply against wonderfully defocused backgrounds. The Sigma 200mm f/1.8 would deliver the shallowest depth of field possible at that focal length for a modern mirrorless camera. That makes it a pretty compelling, if inevitably pricey and physically weighty, proposition.

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Japanese firm behind ubiquitous MSG is ramping up production of key material in semiconductor packaging

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• Ajinomoto is best known for MSG but it also makes semiconductor material
• It dominates production of the ABF insulating film used in GPUs and CPUs
• The company plans 50 percent capacity boost with more investment by 2030

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Ajinomoto is a Japanese company best known for producing MSG, or monosodium glutamate - the ubiquitous flavor enhancer commonly used in food, especially in Asian cuisine.

As one of the world’s largest MSG manufacturers, the company is often closely associated with the ingredient - the name "Ajinomoto" actually translates to "essence of taste" in Japanese.

Right about now, you’re probably wondering why this is on TechRadar Pro, right? Well, it’s because Ajinomoto is set to massively expand its investment in the semiconductor sector.

Increasing ABF production by 50%

A report from Nikkei Asia claims the Japanese food and biotech company plans to boost production of Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF), a key insulating material used in the packaging of advanced CPUs and GPUs, where it helps ensure thermal stability and electrical insulation.

First developed using the company’s expertise in amino acid chemistry (you can read the whole history here), ABF is now essential for high-performance semiconductor substrates and Ajinomoto holds over 95% market share in its category.

Nikkei Asia says Ajinomoto has already spent 25 billion yen over the past two years to expand production at its facilities in Gunma, northwest of Tokyo, and in Kawasaki, but it is now looking to increase ABF production capacity by 50%.

"We will invest the same amount or more by 2030 as demand increases," President Shigeo Nakamura, who took on the role in February 2025, said in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

"We are also exploring establishing new bases," he added, although this expansion is expected to remain within Japan.

Ajinomoto's ramping up of ABF isn’t a surprise, given that Nakamura previously worked in research and played a key role in the development of the company’s electronics materials division.

"We expect sales of electronics materials, mainly ABF, to grow at an annual rate of more than 10% through 2030," Nakamura told the news site.

"We will continue to meet needs by evolving ABF to a more highly functional form that supports high-performance semiconductors in the long term."

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Microsoft Copilot is putting eyes on your screen, and I don't mind it – as long as it stays private

Microsoft followed at least one part of my wishlist for its Copilot event when it announced Copilot Vision will be embedded in Windows 11 and the mobile app.

Copilot Vision will let the AI actually see what’s on your screen and the world around you. Microsoft first toyed with the idea in Edge, where Copilot could peek at the browser and offer help. But now it’s going system-wide, across apps, websites, and even what your smartphone camera shows on your screen.

The idea is to offer a proactive AI assistant that can scan an Excel sheet, summarize a PDF, suggest how to adjust your settings, or identify the wild berry you're not sure is edible or poisonous.

The appeal is obvious, even when compared to tools with similar features like ChatGPT and Gemini. Those tools can be great on a desktop or laptop, but they don’t have the luxury of being built directly into your operating system.

Copilot has a home-field advantage on Windows 11. Vision leverages that advantage. It doesn’t have to wait for a prompt; it can see what you’re doing and offer context-relevant help.

Copilot Vision caution

Microsoft clearly anticipates some trepidation over Copilot Vision's expansion based on how eager the company is to highlight the feature's privacy aspects. Microsoft says Copilot Vision only works when you grant access. Still, there’s no denying the privacy weirdness. The digital equivalent of someone looking over your shoulder sounds creepy out of context.

Of course, it's not like we haven't all been handing over swaths of data to the cloud to get slightly better movie recommendations or similar benefits. But I can understand why letting AI literally read your screen as you do the same might feel intimate in a disconcerting way.

Control and trust might make the difference in Copilot Vision's success. If Microsoft starts making Copilot Vision default-on or hides the permission settings in some deeply buried system menu, more people might turn away from Copilot entirely and turn to another option with the same abilities but with the user controlling it more.

I still think it will be a genuinely useful addition to Copilot, especially on the surprisingly well-designed Copilot mobile app. You'll want to keep track of what permissions you give and when Copilot Vision is active. I'd encourage trying it out, but keep your eyes open when the AI is doing the same.

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‘Possible, but not probable': analysts react to rumors of a $2,300 iPhone after Trump tariffs

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• Donald Trump has announced sweeping tariffs on imports from major US trading partners like the EU and China
• Speculators have suggested that the price of the iPhone could hit $2,300 due to the tariffs
• We checked in with industry analysts for a balanced perspective

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Donald Trump has announced that the US will levy sweeping tariffs on international trade that will likely affect the tech industry – with some projections suggesting a $2,300 iPhone could be on the cards.

Trump's proposed tariffs, announced on April 3, will affect imports from a long list of countries including allies like Canada and the European Union as well as major manufacturing economies like China and Vietnam.

Across the tech industry, commentators and consumers are examining what this could mean for them, and as one might expect the news media and internet have lit up with speculation.

According to Reuters, projections from Rosenblatt Securities suggest that the price of a “high-end” iPhone could rise to $2,300 (approximately £1,800 / AU$3,800).

That’s a hefty price rise indeed, but it comes with a few very important caveats. That estimate seems to be based on the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB of storage, which at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,149 is already the most expensive phone Apple sells. To attain a price of $2,300, Apple would have to pass on the entirety of the proposed 54% tariff levied against China to consumers.

Apple does manufacture iPhones in other south-east Asian and south Asian countries like Vietnam and India, though both of these countries have been hit with steep proposed tariffs too: Vietnam at 46% and India at 26%.

The reality: what industry experts are saying

The tariffs were announced on April 3 by US President Donald Trump (Image credit: Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

So, are we likely to see a massive price hike for the iPhone? We checked in with industry analysts to get a balanced view.

Kate Leaman, chief market analyst at AvaTrade, told TechRadar: “The idea of a $2,300 iPhone grabs headlines, but it’s more worst-case than real-world. Yes, a 54% tariff on a $1,599 iPhone 16 Pro Max could technically push retail prices north of $2,400 – but Apple isn’t likely to pass the full cost to consumers.”

Leaman continued: “Apple typically absorbs 10-15% of shocks through margin compression and supply chain efficiencies. That means actual price increases might be closer to 20-25%. So we’re likely looking at a top-end iPhone maxing out around $1,900 by year-end.”

Leaman also notes that Apple’s pledged $500 billion investment in the US may lead the company to push for exemptions: “Apple is already shifting production to India and Vietnam, and with $500 billion invested in the U.S., it's expected to push harder on ‘Made in America’ exemptions. So, a $2,300 iPhone is possible, but not probable."

Nick Rakovsky, CEO of DataDocks, offers another balanced take, calling the prospect of a $2,300 iPhone “unlikely”.

Rakovsky told TechRadar: Unless we’re talking about broader inflationary pressure across the economy, Apple has every reason to avoid passing such a dramatic cost increase directly onto consumers.”

Continuing, Rakovsky said: “That said, all companies will feel some level of pain from these new tariffs – Apple included. The interesting question is how well each company can absorb or adapt to that impact. Apple, like the other tech giants, has been working to diversify its supply chain and make it more resilient for years now.”

Rakovsky also notes that Apple is keen to retain its market share and protect its brand perception, adding: “It comes down to pricing strategy, and few do that better than Apple”.

Noted Apple analyst and social media tipster Ming-Chi Kuo has also joined the conversation, noting in a post to X (formerly Twitter) that “85-90% of Apple’s hardware is assembled in China”.

China, as mentioned, has been hit with the heaviest tariffs at 54%, and Kuo adds that China is unlikely to be successful in negotiating this rate.

Kuo added: “India and Vietnam are far more likely than China to secure US tariff exemptions. Though the timeline is unclear, this would speed up Apple’s shift of assembly orders away from China until non-Chinese production can satisfy most US demand”.

Additionally, Kuo mentioned that high-end consumers may be more accepting of price increases.

The verdict: what this all means

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Overall, the common threads from multiple analysts suggest that a price rise for the iPhone can’t be ruled out, but Apple’s efficient supply chain and ability to accept a smaller profit margin may be able to insulate consumers from the full effects of the tariffs.

This all means that a $2,300 iPhone seems like a fairly unlikely prospect at the time of writing.

Many other devices sold by Apple and other manufacturers are made in countries that are due to be hit by tariffs, but for now we haven’t seen much analysis focusing on these products and can’t comment on any potential pricing impacts.

If you want a refresher on the handsets in question, be sure to check out our iPhone 16 Pro Max review and guide to the best iPhones. We’ll have the latest iPhone news as we hear it via our dedicated iPhone coverage.

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ChatGPT-5 is on hold as OpenAI changes plans and releases new o3 and o4-mini models

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• ChatGPT-5 is delayed by a few months
• The time will allow OpenAI to better integrate the new model
• New o3 and o4-mini models to come in a couple of weeks

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OpenAI has changed its plans and is set to put ChatGPT-5 on hold while releasing new o3 and o4-mini models in the next couple of weeks instead.

The news broke today in a tweet by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in which he revealed why the plans were changing:

“There are a bunch of reasons for this”, wrote Altman, “but the most exciting one is that we are going to be able to make GPT-5 much better than we originally thought.

"We also found it harder than we thought it was going to be to smoothly integrate everything, and we want to make sure we have enough capacity to support what we expect to be unprecedented demand.”

The mention of 'capacity to support unprecedented demand' is clearly a reference to the recent outages that ChatGPT has been experiencing as millions of new users signed up to try out the new image generation abilities of ChatGPT-4o.

change of plans: we are going to release o3 and o4-mini after all, probably in a couple of weeks, and then do GPT-5 in a few months.there are a bunch of reasons for this, but the most exciting one is that we are going to be able to make GPT-5 much better than we originally…April 4, 2025

The next evolution of AI

ChatGPT-5 is the next big evolution of the popular ChatGPT LLM and will be a major development in the future of AI.

Its simpler name was also supposed to represent an alignment shift in OpenAI’s somewhat confusing product-naming conventions that will now soon feature both an o4 and an 4o model in the line-up simultaneously.

Rather than the user having to decide if they wanted to use a smaller, lighter model, such as 4o-mini or a deeper reasoning model, like o4, for their tasks, ChatGPT-5 will decide for you which type of model to use, based on your query.

So far, OpenAI has confirmed that even users on the free tier will have some access to ChatGPT-5 when it comes out, but users on the Pro and Plus tiers will get more. The only word on a release date we’ve been given before was “soon”.

Now it looks like we’ll have to wait a little bit longer for that integration of everything into one model, with Altman stating that ChatGPT-5 would now appear “in a few months”.

ChatGPT-o3 improvements

Commenting on the new o3 model, Altman also stated that, “We were able to really improve on what we previewed for o3 in many ways; I think people will be happy…”

Replying to a user on X who asked if there would also be an o3 Pro model, Altman gave a one-word reply – “coming!” – which would seem to confirm that a pro version of o3 is also in the works.

As to when we will see the o3 and o4-mini models, Altman stated, “in a couple of weeks, and then do GPT-5 in a few months”.

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I tried the latest update to NotebookLM and it’s never been easier to make an AI podcast out of other people’s articles, for better or worse

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• Google has updated NotebookLM once more
• It can now search the web and find sources for you
• It's easier than ever to create an AI podcast

---

Google has updated NotebookLM, its handy learning tool and AI podcast creator, so that it’s easier than ever to add sources. Now you can “search on the web” for sources of information that it turns into an AI podcast, mind map, or which it can answer questions about.

NotebookLM is designed to help you learn anything by breaking down large volumes of information into easily accessible reports and podcasts.

It doesn’t take a genius, however, to realize that its podcasts are so good they could easily replace real podcast hosts talking about literally any subject, and that’s where the new feature from Google leaves me in a bit of a moral quandary.

State your sources

Since I run a tai chi podcast I decided to try out the new feature by asking NotebookLM to see what sources it would find on the subject of tai chi, and I was quite surprised at the articles it found.

There were some academic articles on tai chi in there, as I'd expect, along with articles from various tai chi websites, but also a Reddit discussion offering various perspectives on tai chi’s spirituality, and a YouTube video.

NotebookLM takes all these sources and produces various media for you, including an Audio Overview (it’s basically a podcast) that takes a deep dive into your subject.

It made me ponder whether all those article writers and Reddit commentators were happy that I was using their thoughts as fuel for an AI-generated podcast.

Credit where it's due

It’s not like Google has added any new abilities to NotebookLM – you could always add any source you wanted – but at least you had to add it manually.

Making it actively scour the web to find a curated list of sources for you, without really asking the permission of any of these sources, then turning them into other types of media, does feel a little bit questionable.

If you are using NotebookLM purely as intended - i.e., to learn about a subject I don’t see a problem, but if those AI podcasts that are based on other people’s work, for example, get used in other ways, perhaps as income-generating podcasts, then that doesn’t always feel justified.

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Businesses still haven’t stopped using weak passwords, and it’s getting super risky

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• Businesses still haven't stopped using easily crackable passwords
• Germany, the US, and China suffer the most password breaches
• 123456, password, and qwerty are still being used in 2025

---

Many businesses are still using weak passwords that can be cracked in less than a second in the event of a brute force attack to secure their accounts, new research from one of the best password managers, NordPass, has found.

Passwords such as ‘123456’, ‘secret’, and even ‘password’ are being used by thousands of businesses across the world, resulting in easy picking for hackers.

The research also found Germany was top in the world for password breaches, with 582,067 incidents, closely followed by the US with 502,435, and China at 448,375.

The password is ‘password’

NordPass’ research used a 2.5 terabyte database compiled from numerous publicly available data sets, including some from the dark web that covered 11 industries.

For enterprise, the most common password in the database was ‘123456789’ with 378,182 uses, followed by the much easier to remember ‘123456’ with 356,341 uses, and just to round it all out ‘12345678’ comes in third with 145,688 uses.

Small and medium businesses don’t fare much better, with ‘123456’ topping the list for both with a total of 852,861 across both business sizes. Other classic passwords such as ‘qwerty123’, ‘abc123’, and ‘iloveyou’ also appear on the list, taking less than one second to crack.

Interestingly, the 28th most used password in NordPass’ dataset was ‘TimeLord12’, possibly suggesting that an IT worker with a love for Peter Capaldi’s work as the twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who was in charge of creating over 30,447 accounts that were later exposed.

NordPass also found many users who didn’t use the most common passwords would often use their own email address as their password, making it fairly easy for an attacker to crack their accounts. Names were also a common inclusion in the database, suggesting that employees were using their own names as a password.

(Image credit: Passwork)

If you’ve seen your password somewhere in this article or in NordPass’ research, it might be time to change it to something more secure, lest you be responsible for a breach.

In order to better protect corporate accounts, businesses should put in place password creation rules that make it harder to use simple passwords that can be easily cracked. NordPass also offers a business password manager tier to help businesses generate and store passwords securely.

Businesses should also implement two-factor authentication when signing in to accounts to help verify that the person accessing the account is a legitimate user, and not a crook with stolen credentials. Businesses can also switch over to using passkeys, which use secure authentication to log in without the need to remember complex passwords.

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Samsung is being weirdly cagey about supporting Netflix's big HDR upgrade that's basically custom-made for its TVs

Remember last week, when Netflix added HDR10+ support in a move that looked like great news for Samsung TV owners? Well, I assumed that this would be an instant win for the best Samsung TVs across the board, but it seems that's not the case – and Samsung is surprisingly cagey about which of its existing TVs will see the benefit, and when.

Samsung released a statement saying that all of its 2025 TVs, including the Samsung S95F OLED TV, will support Netflix's HDR10+ implementation, as will its 2024 and 2025 HDR computer monitors – but no one owns the 2025 TVs yet, so what about current TVs?

Samsung says there will be "support for additional models in the future", but hasn't offered any further information so far. I've asked Samsung if it's able to share any more specific information for users of these TVs, and will update if I hear back.

My guess is that Samsung will actually bring support fairly broadly, and fairly quickly – but this cagey announcement feels like dropping the ball just seconds away from a touchdown.

The Samsung S95D, our TV of the Year 2024, may or may not get Netflix's HDR10+ support… (Image credit: Future)

HDR10+ is a more advanced kind of HDR, with scene-by-scene metadata, like Dolby Vision. In theory, it can help TVs better 'tone map' the levels of HDR brightness onto the capabilities of the TV's screen, meaning more detail is retained in the brightest and darkest areas of the image, even if your TV isn't great at going especially bright or dark.

Samsung's TVs support HDR10+, and don't support Dolby Vision – it's the only maker of the best TVs that has rejected Dolby's HDR format. And this has been a frustration, because Dolby Vision HDR is the advanced format used by most of the best streaming services.

The lack of Dolby Vision is the big complaint we hear from people when we post about Samsung TVs, and having HDR10+ support on the biggest streamers (Prime Video also supports it) helps mitigate that – so I would've expected Samsung to embrace this instantly. In fact, I just assumed Samsung would have everything prepped in advance for it, given how tied the company is to HDR10+ as a format.

But that's been changing over time, and Netflix supporting HDR10+ felt like a key shift to offer all Samsung TVs an instant boost… but only once Samsung supports it.

When Samsung confirms that it's supporting the Netflix update on more TVs, we'll let you know straight away, Samsung TV owners.

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JetKVM is an exciting, tiny open source KVM over IP module that sold almost 100,000 units and it even has a rare RJ11 port

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• JetKVM is a tiny KVM over IP product for full remote control of any computer
• It raised over $4 million in crowdfunding from more than 30,000 backers
• Device includes USB-C, Ethernet, HDMI Mini and RJ11 extension for add-ons

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Plenty of crowdfunded campaigns fail to draw enough pledges to turn a project into reality, but that isn’t the case with JetKVM, a $69 next-generation open source KVM over IP device that can control any computer remotely.

It was successfully funded on Kickstarter on December 3, 2024, smashing its $50,000 goal with a whopping $4,370,767 in pledges from an impressive 31,598 backers.

Although the campaign has now ended, you can still become a late backer, and the good news is, you shouldn’t have long to wait to receive the product, as JetKVM is expected to begin shipping in April 2025.

Rare RJ11 extension port

The small hardware device gives you full remote access to a computer’s screen, keyboard, and mouse, just like a physical KVM switch, but over the internet.

It connects to the target machine’s HDMI port to capture video, and to a USB port to emulate input devices. Once set up, you can control the machine from anywhere using a web browser. This is especially useful for headless systems, unresponsive machines, or remote BIOS access.

The device runs a Linux system based on Buildroot, powered by a RockChip RV1106G3 (ARM Cortex-A7, 1.0GHz) with built-in H.264 and H.265 encoding. It includes 256MB of DDR3L RAM, 16GB of eMMC storage, Ethernet, USB-C, HDMI Mini, and a unique RJ11 extension port.

The creators say JetKVM streams 1080p video at 60FPS with 30–60ms latency. Remote access is handled via JetKVM Cloud using WebRTC for encrypted peer-to-peer connections. A 1.69-inch touchscreen shows status and local controls, and the software, written in Go, is fully open source and modifiable via SSH.

Power can be supplied via USB-C, RJ11, or pin header. The RJ11 port, which we're big fans of, supports hardware extensions like sensors, ATX power control, or serial console access.

Even though JetKVM has been successfully financed, and then some, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer our customary crowdfunding warning: delays happen, features can change, and delivery isn’t always guaranteed, so please bear that in mind.

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Without a fresh UI and customization features, the Switch 2 is Nintendo's most boring looking console ever

While there are still a few question marks, the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct has taught us pretty much everything we need to know ahead of the console's June 5 release date, and I have some mixed feelings.

GameChat seems fun (though suspiciously reminiscent of Discord), Switch 2 Editions of both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom caught my interest, plus a litany of new games and ample examples of why mouse mode could be a silver bullet for an otherwise iteratively updated console.

One area sorely missing an overhaul is the user interface (UI), which, based on a screen capture shared by Nintendo, looks much the same as the original Switch with a few minor tweaks: rounded corners on the game library and a slightly expanded menu bar.

The menu bar features a few new options, though. Those include a green scroll, which I'd expect to be for news, a 'C' button for the new GameChat features, and a teal button, which I'd wager is for GameShare.

Now, UI news may not take pride of place on your Nintendo Direct Bingo card, but I've always been surprised that Nintendo has gutted so many of its personalization and customization features over the years.

Gone are the days of wacky menus, peppy menu music, and Miis; now, it's sterile, stripped-back, and, in my opinion, entirely at odds with Nintendo's design ethos.

Especially when you consider the pared-back Joy-Con 2 design, too, it feels like Nintendo has lost its look.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I was really hoping for UI themes to be announced or for some new features to bring Miis back to its former glory. Even the new, bizarrely positioned Welcome Tour game (which, to everyone's surprise, seems to be a paid-for title, not pre-installed free software) opted for a lifeless, basic design instead of utilizing anything remotely Nintendo-like.

Time will tell if Nintendo plans to bring back some of its iconic whimsy to the Switch 2's UI, but I'm certainly hoping for a suitably garish Splatoon UI theme at some point to bring back a splash of color to the more sleek-looking Switch 2.

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You can now set up your new Mac with an iPhone or iPad, and it might just be the best new time-saver

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• Apple's ushered in a new continuity feature with iOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4
• You can now use an iPhone or iPad to help set up your Mac
• While relatively small, this could be a huge time-saver

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Part of what makes the Apple ecosystem so good – and appealing to newcomers or folks just buying new devices – is the continuity between them, even including set-up. For instance, to set up an Apple Watch or AirPods, just hold the device near your iPhone.

Setting up an iPad? Hold it near your iPhone, follow the steps, and scan the glowing blue orb. Setting up a new iPhone? Hold it near your old iPhone. This takes a lot of the manual nature out of a new device setup and even helps authenticate your account.

While iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 didn’t bring with them the next major set of Apple Intelligence features, they did bring with them something awesome. And if you are getting a new Mac, planning to get one, or frequently reset your old ones, you’re in for a treat.

As long as you’re up to date – meaning your Mac has the latest version of Sequoia and your iPhone or iPad is running iOS or iPadOS 18.4, you can now set up that new Mac with your other Apple device. Really neat, and it could save you time. As with the speedy setup, you’ll need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled for these two devices to connect.

So, what does this quick setup speed up? All-important Wi-Fi credentials, design choices like dark mode or icon size, accessibility features, and more are included. Plus, since you’re authenticating and signing in with your Apple Account (formerly Apple ID), you can elect to turn on iCloud features like a shared desktop, your photo library, Messages in the Cloud, your long list of passwords, notes, and other items.

How setting up your Mac with an iPhone or iPad works

(Image credit: Apple)

Now, the good news is that this whole process really speeds up the setup process for your Mac – and that goes for whether it’s a desktop, like the Mac mini, Mac Studio, or iMac, or a laptop, like the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

You’ll still boot up the Mac and select your language, but then, under the familiar screen that asks “Transfer Your Data to this Mac,” you’ll find a new option:

• From a Mac, Time Machine, or startup disk
• From a Windows PC
• Set up with iPhone or iPad
• Set up as new

(Image credit: Apple)

That third option – Set up with iPhone or iPad – is what you’ll need to select to do just that. From there, your Mac will then start looking for a nearby device, and you’ll want to unlock your iPhone or iPad and bring it close by.

Then just like when setting up a new iPhone or an iPad, a splash screen will appear on the bottom asking if you want to use your Apple Account to “Set Up New Mac.” Simply hit continue and then you’ll scan a pattern displayed on your Mac with your iPhone. That’s the final step for authentication here.

After that, you’ll be asked if you want to enable any accessibility settings and then create your Mac account. The last step is a bit of a waiting game as your Apple Account syncs up with your Mac, and then you can wrap up the setup.

(Image credit: Apple)

Basically, you’re speeding through the authentication process and getting some of the previously customized settings associated with your new Mac.

It’s nice to have, and if you’ve ever dreaded setting up your new Mac, you might question how you’ve lived without it.

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Mac-inspired mini PC has three unique, exciting features that I beg other mini PC designers to embrace and copy

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• Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01S features a 4-inch touchscreen with a 0-90° flip mechanism
• Magnetically attached port covers create a clean and adaptable workstation
• Dual-fan cooling system ensures optimal performance without overheating or throttling

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There are plenty of mini PCs on the market, but few feature a 4-inch touchscreen on a hinge, magnetically attached port covers, and a 0-90° flip mechanism that allows them to operate both flat and upright like the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01S.

Unlike many compact systems that rely solely on external monitors, the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC’s flip-up screen functions as a native Windows extended display, similar to the Aoostar G-Flip 370 and the G-Flip mini, providing quick access to performance monitoring, applications, and widgets.

The magnetically attached port covers hide unused ports while keeping them accessible, creating a clean and adaptable workstation.

Dual-fan cooling with heat pipes and SSD fan for optimal performance

This business PC features the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, a 12-core, 24-thread chip that enhances efficiency and speed while offering storage options, including DDR5 5600MT/s RAM, M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots, and an SDXC card reader.

It also comes with an integrated Radeon 890M GPU, built on RDNA 3.5 architecture with 16 compute units, delivering 20% better performance for smooth 1080p gaming and demanding creative workloads.

To support its performance, the AM01S uses a dual-fan cooling system with heat pipes and a dedicated SSD fan, ensuring it sustains its 65W power output without overheating.

For AI-driven tasks, the AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM01S benefits from the NPU delivering 50 TOPS, providing three times faster responses for large language models.

This device uses a CNC-machined aluminum frame for durability, while its connectivity options include dual 2.5G Ethernet ports and a full-speed USB4 connection, catering to professionals who need high-speed networking and ample storage.

At press time, there's no official confirmations for a price or release date.

Via Ayaneo

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Gave up trying to install Chrome on Windows 11 because it wouldn’t work? Google has fixed this error, but I can’t believe how long it took

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• Google’s Chrome installer for PCs with AMD and Intel CPUs has been broken for the past week
• Detective work suggests that the version for these PCs was accidentally replaced by the Arm installer, which is for very different Snapdragon CPUs
• While the issue has now been fixed, Google took a long time to resolve it

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Those trying to install the Chrome browser in Windows 11 or 10 over the course of the past week may well have been flummoxed by an error telling them the app won’t run on their PC – and I can’t quite believe how long it’s taken Google to fix this.

Nonetheless, the good news is that the glitch is fixed, even if it took the company way longer than it should have.

The problem, in case you missed it, was flagged on Reddit and by Windows Latest a week ago.

What happened was that on firing up the Chrome Installer file (ChromeSetup.exe, download from Google’s website), people watched the process come to a screeching halt, with an error message that read: “This app can’t run on your PC: To find a version for your PC, check with the software publisher.”

As to the cause, Windows Latest did some detective work, and theorized that what Google had done here – somehow – was accidentally swap the Arm installer of Chrome with the x86 installer. Meaning that the version of Chrome for Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon (Arm-based) processors got swapped with the version for AMD or Intel CPUs.

That conclusion was based on digging into the setup file and finding references to ‘Arm’ which surely wouldn’t be there with a non-Arm executable. Furthermore, 9 to 5 Google backs up this theory, as the tech site tried the faulty version of Chrome on a Snapdragon PC, and found it worked fine (as it would do if it was the Arm installer).

9 to 5 Google was also on the ball in terms of noticing that the issue is finally cured, and you can now download the Chrome installer on a Windows PC with an AMD or Intel CPU, and it’ll work just as you’d expect.

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(Image credit: Shutterstock / Khosro)

Analysis: A bafflingly basic mistake with only one winner (Edge)

Okay, so mistakes can be made. Indeed, they happen all the time in the tech world, or elsewhere for that matter. But for such a basic glitch to be left in place to annoy a bunch of Windows users for the best part of a week is baffling – especially while reports were flying around about the problem.

I can’t imagine this was something that was particularly difficult to resolve, either, as it looks like a simple mix up of files, as noted (unless there’s something I’m missing here). Apparently, the Arm version of Google Chrome wasn’t affected, and the installer still worked for those with a Snapdragon-powered machine.

This could have cost Google some Chrome users potentially, who might have got fed up with the browser failing to install, and maybe even plumped for Microsoft Edge, its main rival, instead. (Incidentally, Edge is the best overall web browser as far as our roundup of the most compelling offerings out there is concerned).

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Google Hotels now lets you track prices, and I can't wait to use it for my next trip

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• Google's latest feature drop might be a big win for summer travel
• As with flights, you can now track prices and set alerts for hotels
• Google Maps can also now pull potential places to visit from screenshots

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If you’re a fan of Google Flights, especially for the price tracking data and how the current prices you’re seeing rank against other days, you’re in for a treat. As part of a drop of features fit for upcoming summer travel, Google aims to do for hotels what it’s done for flights.

And yes, it’s as good as it sounds. Now, when you search for hotels on Google, you’ll have the option to ask the search giant to track prices. Essentially, you turn on the feature and then get an alert if there is a price drop.

Similar to flights, you can be a bit descriptive, setting a price range or a 'don’t bother me if it doesn’t fall' here. It will even factor in a star rating if you have one selected and the general area where you were searching for a hotel.

(Image credit: Google)

Google is rolling out this new hotel price tracking feature globally on desktop and mobile. Once it’s available, you’ll find it right in search, complementing the historical knowledge of hotel pricing history.

This hotel-focused feature is launching alongside some other new functionality from Google, all billed under getting ready for summer travel. The ability to set up price alerts for hotels is undoubtedly the most user-friendly feature and could have the most significant impact. It could potentially help you save on a stay.

Another new feature that could help you better prepare for a trip is screenshot support within Google Maps. If you enable it, Google Maps will look through photos and deliver a list of places you've screenshotted.

So, if you've been screenshotting TikToks about the best places to eat in New York City or maybe a list of the best ice cream spots in Boston, you won't need to dig through all of them to find every place mentioned.

Instead, with some AI help, Google Maps will look through your screenshots, find those spots, and list them well in a handy list for you. It'll live in the app in a list titled "Screenshots," and this feature is entirely optional.

(Image credit: Google)

This feature could prove helpful, but considering that screenshots aren’t just used for travel or remembering specific spots, this could also be a bit of a privacy concern.

It is opt-in only and not on by default, but it is rolling out now to mobile devices with U.S. English on iOS first, with Android following shortly.

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Microsoft skirts around rumors that it has cancelled several data center projects worth billions of dollars

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• Microsoft has reportedly canceled data center leases amid shifting infrastructure priorities
• TD Cowen analysts suggest lease deferrals reflect oversupply vs demand
• Microsoft doesn't deny the report but says it's investing $80 billion in infrastructure

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We recently reported Microsoft had cancelled leases with at least two private data center operators in the US, totaling “a couple hundred megawatts,” and how the company was also not converting “so-called statements of qualifications into leases,” according to claims from TD Cowen analysts.

Shortly after that news broke, Microsoft pulled out of a $12 billion deal with CoreWeave (the "WeWork of AI"), passing on buying more data center capacity from the AI hyperscaler. That option was snapped up by OpenAI, but as it counts Microsoft as its biggest backer, it was essentially paying CoreWeave with Microsoft money!

Microsoft appears to be taking a more tactical approach to AI spending, a move that is echoed in a new Bloomberg report quoting TD Cowen analysts saying Microsoft has walked away from additional data center projects in the US and Europe.

On track to spend $80 billion

Bloomberg writes, “Microsoft’s retrenchment in the last six months included lease cancellations and deferrals, the TD Cowen analysts said in their latest research note. Alphabet Inc.’s Google had stepped in to grab some leases Microsoft abandoned in Europe, the analysts wrote, while Meta Platforms Inc. had scooped up some of the freed capacity in Europe.”

Responding to the article, Microsoft pointed out that it was still on track to spend about $80 billion investing in growing infrastructure projects.

“Thanks to the significant investments we have made up to this point, we are well positioned to meet our current and increasing customer demand,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.

“While we may strategically pace or adjust our infrastructure in some areas, we will continue to grow strongly in all regions. This allows us to invest and allocate resources to growth areas for our future.”

Bloomberg adds TD Cowen analysts Michael Elias, Cooper Belanger, and Gregory Williams said, “We continue to believe the lease cancellations and deferrals of capacity points to data center oversupply relative to its current demand forecast.”

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