Acronis` 2025 Women in Tech Report reveals men and women strongly differ on perceptions of career barriers and bias in the technology sector worldwide. Read...

Here’s an unsettling development in this episode of “everyday tech can do things you probably never imagined”: in the future, anyone who regularly walks past a café or restaurant with public Wi-Fi could be identified—even without a smartphone in their pocket. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have discovered that commercially available Wi-Fi routers can recognize and identify individual people based on signal changes. All that’s required is for other devices in the vicinity to be connected to the router. Professor Thorsten Strufe from KASTEL—the Institute of Information Security and Dependability at KIT—explains that the propagation of Wi-Fi radio waves can be used to create an image of the router’s physical environment and the people in it. This works in a similar way to cameras, except radio waves are used instead of light waves. According to the cybersecurity expert, it doesn’t matter whether someone has their own Wi-Fi device on them or not. Switching off their devices also offers no protection, since the imaging is performed by other active Wi-Fi devices in the vicinity. How Wi-Fi signal imaging works Wi-Fi devices communicate with each other by exchanging so-called Beamforming Feedback Information (BFI). These feedback signals show how radio waves propagate throughout a room and are sent unencrypted from connected devices to the Wi-Fi router. If a person moves through this “Wi-Fi field”, their body causes measurable changes to the Wi-Fi signals. Artificial intelligence can then analyze the data and signal changes well enough to associate it with an individual—with a nearly 100 percent accuracy rate. In a study involving 197 test subjects, the researchers were able to reliably identify people regardless of their walking style or perspective. Even objects like bags and boxes had little influence on the results. Pervasive Wi-Fi networks could be employed as a surveillance trap The KIT researchers see this Wi-Fi signal imaging technique as a serious risk to personal privacy and data protection. Julian Todt, a PhD researcher at KASTEL, warns that “this technology turns every router into a potential means for surveillance.” Governments, companies, organizations, and even cyber criminals could identify people unnoticed, particularly in public places but also in the privacy of their own homes. The researchers emphasize that this is especially dangerous in authoritarian states where security authorities could use the technology to identify protesters and dissenters. Stricter Wi-Fi standards are needed Due to these findings, the research team is calling for data protection mechanisms to be integrated into the IEEE 802.11bf Wi-Fi standard that’s slated for the future. This is the only way to prevent feedback signals like the BFI from being read without encryption. “Wi-Fi networks are almost everywhere these days—in homes, offices, restaurants, and public spaces,” says Strufe. “If this technology is used without protective measures, ubiquitous wireless networks could become a nearly universal surveillance infrastructure.” The research was funded as part of the Helmholtz “Engineering Secure Systems” topic area. The results will be presented at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) in Taipei. Further reading: Secure your home Wi-Fi router with these tweaks Read...

Recently I’ve come across a bunch of articles on how to build your own external drive, which is interesting because there are some perfectly good pre-built external drives available already. But after some investigation, it turns out there are some big benefits to building your own. Read on to find out more. If you do just want to buy a pre-built one, be sure to check out PCWorld’s list of recommended external drives. 1. You can save money The cost savings can be quite big compared to buying a large-capacity ready-made drive. For example, choosing a component like the Seagate IronWolf 8TB 3.5-inch HDD to go inside a Orico 3.5-inch hard disk enclosure costs $198 all up from Amazon. By comparison, a ready-made comparable 8TB external drive retails for $280 – so that’s a saving of $82. Similarly, a DIY SSD can get you more for the money. For instance, you could combine the TerraMaster D1 SSD USB4 enclosure with a 4TB WD Blue SN5000 M.2 NVMe SSD for approximately $340, while a comparable LaCie Rugged SSD4 costs $400 or more. 2. You can choose the technology you want Manufacturers have been using a technology called Shingled Magnetic Recording in their USB hard drives for a while now to increase capacity and save costs. SMR uses a method of partially overwriting previously written tracks on a hard disk platter (like overlapping roof titles). But because of that they tend to suffer performance penalties. Alternatively, Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) drives use parallel writing methods that don’t overlap tracks. Because of that they don’t suffer the same performance penalties. It’s not always clear what you’re buying (CMR or SMR) in a pre-built external drive, but when building your own you can purposefully build your hard disk with the better technology instead. 3. You can select the drive type (and performance) you want There are a lot of options to choose the kind of drive you want. You can choose your ideal capacity, size, connection protocol, and appearance (due to the wide variety of enclosures available). For example, you can choose to build a flashy SSD with a USB 4.0 connection for maximum performance or just build a USB 3.0 to SATA 3.5-inch hard drive that will be ideal for home backups — it’s totally up to you. Pexels: Avinash Kumar 4. You can get better cooling Do-it-yourself enclosures often have active cooling solutions that can help dissipate heat better and aid performance. The material of the enclosure is a big consideration when it comes to heat dissipation. For example, you might choose to avoid buying a plastic enclosure and buy a more expensive aluminum enclosure, such as the Ugreen 40Gbps Enclosure with Cooling Fan, for better heat transference. 5. You can repurpose old hardware If you’ve got spare internal SATA drives or SSDs — for instance, after an upgrade — you can choose to incorporate them in an external drive rather than tossing them out. That way you’re not losing money on your original purchases.   Related content Best SSDs: From SATA to PCIe 5.0, from budget to premium Portable SSDs aren’t just for PC backups. Here’s why everybody needs one Don’t buy an external SSD. Make your own for cheap instead! Read...

Rackspace Technology cut emissions by 10% in a year and aims for net-zero carbon by 2045, backed by Science Based Targets initiative validation. Read...

We’re in the long, dark teatime of technology deals at the moment, between back-to-school and Black Friday. So, it might be another month or so before you see a bunch of great monitor deals. Here’s a preview: An MSI 27-inch OLED gaming monitor, and one that’s much faster than usual, for $130 off. Today you can get it for $519.99, straight from MSI itself. The MAG 271QP looks more or less like all the other 27-inch OLEDs out there, with a fairly typical frame and 2560x1440p resolution. But at 280Hz refresh, complete with AdaptiveSync support, it can handle much faster competitive online gaming than some of the other deals in this price range. But keep in mind, this is very much for desktop gaming — you get two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort, so multiple PCs or consoles are welcome, but gaming laptops with USB-C will need more than one cable. Be sure to apply coupon code 272QPW40 at checkout, to bring the sale price down from $560 to $520. (Maybe use the difference to grab a monitor arm?) If you don’t need all that blistering speed, you can save a little money with an AOC 27-incher that’s slightly cheaper on Amazon at the time of this writing. If neither of those are quite what you’re looking for, then check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best monitors on the market. Get a 280Hz OLED gaming monitor for $520View Deal Read...

Creating professional-grade videos no longer requires high costs, complex tools, and expert skills. BananaImg AI changes that by offering a unified online platform for AI-powered image and video generation. Designed to simplify creative production, it allows users to generate, edit, and refine visuals within minutes. This article provides an overview of BananaImg AI – its technology, key features, and usability – highlighting how it helps creators produce high-quality visuals quickly and efficiently. BananaImg AI Introducing All-in-One Platform BananaImg AI is an all-in-one AI image and video generator free and online that integrates creation, editing, and production into a single platform. Built to make content generation accessible to everyone, it combines simplicity with advanced AI performance. For AI image generation, BananaImg AI leverages industry-leading models such as Google Nano Banana and ByteDance Seedream 4.0, ensuring high-fidelity, consistent visuals. For AI video generation, it utilizes Google Veo 3, one of the most advanced AI video models available, delivering cinematic quality and smooth motion. By continuously refining its algorithms and updating its creative tools, BananaImg AI empowers users to produce professional-quality visuals – quickly, intuitively, and without technical barriers. Key Features that Make BananaImg AI Stand Out BananaImg AI, the all-in-one AI image and video generator free and online, brings advanced AI image and video generation capabilities into one interface, minimizing the need to switch between multiple tools. AI Image Generation The core highlight of BananaImg AI lies in its fast, high-quality image creation. Character Consistency BananaImg AI maintains stable appearance across edits – faces, hairstyles, and backgrounds remain coherent, ideal for storytelling, branding, and design continuity. BananaImg AI Lightning Speed Compared to many alternatives, BananaImg AI delivers results in seconds. The images are produced within seconds without compromising resolution or detail. Real-World Awareness BananaImg AI understands how things look in reality. With every edit, details such as lighting, textures, or reflections are refined automatically, making images more natural and trustworthy. AI Video Generation BananaImg AI video generation powered by Google Veo 3, producing cinematic videos with audio directly from text or image prompts. Video with Audio Users can automatically generate clips with background music, environmental sounds, or synchronized dialogue. example video Prompt Optimization Text prompts are intelligently refined to improve creative accuracy without requiring complex scripting. Just describe it in plain language, and BananaImg AI will optimize the text into a video-ready prompt. Lip-Sync and Multilingual Output Character speech aligns naturally with audio tracks, and Veo 3 supports multiple languages for global creators. For creators seeking greater flexibility and professional-grade controls, SuperMaker AI expands upon the same core technologies – Google Nano Banana and Google Veo 3 – while integrating additional state-of-the-art models such as OpenAI Sora 2 and others. This broader creative environment offers enhanced customization, advanced prompt tuning, and multi-model access, allowing users to explore complex visual storytelling and push the boundaries of AI-generated content. How to Generate Images or Videos Using BananaImg AI Getting started with BananaImg AI – all-in-one AI image and video generator free and online is easy and intuitive. Here’s how to begin: AI Image generation Step 1: Choose Mode Select text-to-image or image-to-image mode. Step 2: Enter Prompts Text-to-image: Type words to describe the desired scene. Image-to-image: Upload a reference image and add descriptive text for modifications. BananaImg AI Step 3: Generate and Preview Click ‘Generate image’, then review and adjust as needed. For enhanced prompt creation, users can use AI prompts feature, which is powered by Google Gemini then get accurate prompts tailored to your needs. AI Video Generation Step 1: Choose Mode Select from text-to-video or image-to-video. Step 2: Enter Prompts Text-to-video: Type words to describe the video you want. Image-to-video: Upload an image and define how it should animate. example video  Step 3: Generate and Preview Click ‘Generate video’ to produce a final cinematic sequence. Why BananaImg AI Is a Reliable Choice There are some reasons that make BananaImg AI, the all-in-one AI image and video generator free and online, a reliable choice. Consistent Quality and Updated Service The team keeps user experience and output quality at the top of their priority list. They regularly bring in new models, update special effects, and release templates to inspire creativity. In addition, BananaImg AI develop new image effects and tools for better user experience, such as Group Photo to put separate individuals into one. BananaImg AI User Privacy and Data Protection BananaImg AI prioritizes secure processing and user confidentiality. User data and personal information remain safe and will not be revealed in any ways. Free Trial and Daily Rewards New users can access a free trial and earn daily credits – up to 20 per week – by checking in, allowing ongoing experimentation at no cost. BananaImg AI Intuitive Interface BananaImg AI is designed for everyone – not just tech experts. The clean and minimal design supports users of all experience levels, enabling both beginners and professionals to create efficiently. With all of these advanced features, you can even use BananaImg AI to build and grow your YouTube channel – just like in the guild How to Get Your Business Started on YouTube. The Future of BananaImg AI BananaImg AI continues to evolve in response to user feedback, focusing on expanding its library of image tools, creative effects, and precision editing features. Each update enhances usability and visual quality, allowing creators to produce more natural and expressive results. Looking ahead, the platform will keep pace with the latest advances in AI modeling to maintain both speed and realism. Its ongoing improvements aim to provide users with more efficient workflows and greater creative freedom in image and video generation. Final Words BananaImg AI is a free, all-in-one online image and video generator free and online that blends simplicity with advanced performance. Powered by Google Nano Banana and Veo 3, it delivers stable, realistic results for both personal creativity and professional projects. For creators seeking even greater flexibility, the same team offers SuperMaker AI – a companion platform that builds upon BananaImg AI’s foundation with expanded features and deeper creative control. BananaImg AI provides an accessible entry point for creators seeking AI-powered image and video generation. Try the platform’s free trial to explore its capabilities. Read...

Recall is a feature in Windows 11 that regularly creates screen recordings and saves them locally. This also involves processing with AI so that users can search through the data. The aim is to make past work steps, websites, or documents retrievable via a search feature. Microsoft first introduced Recall in 2024, but withdrew it after massive criticism due to insufficient security. The feature has been integrated again since the current versions of Windows 11 from 24H2. In Europe, it is available as an opt-in and can be completely deactivated or removed. Access is via a timeline or by entering keywords in the search. The results appear regardless of the program or browser window in which the content was originally visible. Chris Hoffman / Foundry Tip: If you are using Windows 11 Home, you will miss out on the many advantages of the Pro version, which you can get for a significant discount at the PCWorld Software Store. Activation and everyday use Recall is an optional feature in the current versions of Windows 11, which is only offered on Copilot models. This includes computers with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), at least 16 gigabytes of RAM, and active drive encryption. After installing a corresponding update, the new “Recall and snapshots” section appears in the settings under “Data protection and security.” The feature can be activated here. Sam Singleton The system only starts to capture screenshots after this conscious consent has been given. In practice, Recall checks every five seconds to see if any content has changed and then adds new recordings. After just one working day, several hundred files are created, which can take up several gigabytes of storage space in total. It is operated via a timeline in which you can jump back to specific points in time. Alternatively, a keyword search can be started. One example is entering “orange sofa,” whereupon Recall suggests a shopping page with the product you are looking for. Content from Office documents, PDFs, or locally saved images also appear in the hits. Deactivation via settings and group policies The feature can be paused or completely deactivated at any time via the settings. Companies have further options via group policies. The “Allow Recall to be enabled” policy exists there. If it is set to “Disabled,” the feature disappears completely from the system, the associated files are removed, and a restart completes the process. This method is intended for the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows. The recall search via keywords divides the results here into text and visual matches. Text matches are assigned to the applications from which the recorded content originates.Mark Hachman / IDG Windows 11 Home users must use the registry editor. Under “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI,” a new DWORD value with the name “AllowRecallEnablement” can be created and set to 0. After a restart, all components are removed. Microsoft also offers administrators the PowerShell command “Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName ‘Recall’ -Remove” which also removes the feature from the system. Security protection The data that Recall collects remains stored on your own computer. It is not automatically transferred to Microsoft servers or a cloud. To ensure that no one can access these recordings unnoticed, Windows requires you to log in via Windows Hello. This means that you must either enter your PIN or use a biometric method such as fingerprint or facial recognition. The recall search via keywords divides the results here into text and visual matches. Text matches are assigned to the applications from which the recorded content originates.Chris Hoffman / Foundry Windows also protects the recall data with a technology called VBS Enclave. You can imagine this as a closed area in the computer that is separated from all other programs. Only Windows itself is allowed to look into this area. This prevents external programs from simply reading the recall data. This is exactly what has happened in the past. Microsoft therefore withdrew this feature at the end of 2024. Encryption keys are anchored in the device’s TPM chip. In theory, this prevents attackers from reading the database without a valid login. However, our tests have shown that this protection has its limits. If a device is controlled via remote software such as Teamviewer, it is sufficient to enter the PIN to gain access to the entire recall history. Biometric procedures can be bypassed in this scenario. The risk of an external connection allowing access to all stored content remains. Filter mechanisms and their limits To protect sensitive data, Microsoft promises a filter that removes passwords or credit card information from the recordings. In practice, this only works to a limited extent. Although passwords are hidden in bank login windows, user names still appear. Credit card numbers in form fields are recognized in most cases, but in emails or unprotected text documents they end up unchanged in the recordings. Account balances from online banking applications also regularly appear in the database, even if parts of the page are anonymized by the filter. The handling of self-created password lists is also problematic. If a text file does not contain any unique keywords such as “password,” it is saved by Recall without restriction. This means that access data can be searched for in plain text if it is visible on the screen in an unprotected document. Benefits in everyday working life Regardless of the risks, Recall certainly offers advantages. In an environment with many applications open in parallel, the search makes it easier to find your way around. If you switch between projects, you can pick up where you left off with just a few clicks. The feature also saves time when researching on the web when dozens of tabs are open. Instead of laboriously searching through the history, a keyword is enough to open the page you are looking for. Recall can also be helpful for users who frequently work with visual content. A designer reviewing visual material can use the keyword search to find screenshots that were only briefly displayed. In this use case, Recall replaces manual documentation of work steps. Legal framework conditions in Europe The delayed introduction in the European Union shows that the regulatory framework plays a central role. Data protection authorities only gave the green light after Microsoft designed the feature as an opt-in and created the option to uninstall it. Users must actively agree before Recall starts. The European version also allows the feature to be removed completely. Mark Hachman Additional requirements apply for companies. Recall may not be used without the consent of employees. Administrators can control the provision, but cannot force snapshots. Microsoft is thus complying with the General Data Protection Regulation, which sets particularly high standards for the processing of personal data. Weighing up the benefits and risks The tests so far have made it clear that Recall is a tool with considerable potential, but also with clear weaknesses. While local storage and encryption provide a solid foundation, the filters remain unreliable. Confidential information can end up in the database and be accessed remotely. Anyone using Recall must be aware that the added convenience of seamless documentation comes with a loss of control over sensitive data. This may be acceptable on private devices with manageable risks. In a corporate environment, however, the concerns outweigh the benefits. Recall should only be used here after careful consideration if there are clear guidelines on the use and protection of data. Conclusion Recall in Windows 11 is technically mature enough to be used productively, but at the same time not yet reliable enough to dispel security concerns. The feature creates transparency about past work steps, but inevitably also saves content that does not belong in a search database. If you want to use Recall, you should check the settings carefully, adjust filters, and empty the database regularly. For security-conscious users, deactivation via group policies, registry, or Powershell remains a necessary means of minimizing risks. It is to be expected that Microsoft will make improvements, but it is also to be expected that tools will appear that can override Recall. From our point of view, the use of Recall is currently not recommended. Further reading: Windows Recall is too risky for your PC. I can’t recommend it Read...

Echo Technology will host Wellington’s first free e-waste recycling day at Sky Stadium on 2 November, helping locals dispose of old electronics responsibly. Read...

If you’re in the market for a Thunderbolt docking station and you’re biding your time until Black Friday, know this: smart shoppers can save by buying a slightly older Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 dock instead. Buying tech always comes with a choice, as prices of new technology climb higher. You can either buy the latest and greatest and insulate yourself from change for a few years or buy used and save a few bucks. For 2025 and 2026 docking stations, the latter choice appears to be the right one. Docking stations have been in a transitional period for the last few years. Thunderbolt 3 / USB3 and Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 are almost identical in terms of their bandwidth, which is still one of the defining features of a docking station. In the real world, the 40Gbps bandwidth both standards offer are enough to connect 4K displays running 60Hz. Thunderbolt 5 was the next big thing, with 80Gbps (and in certain scenarios, 120Gbps) available for those 4K displays to run at 144Hz, which is good enough for gaming. Here’s the key point that you need to know: Intel’s current laptop platform, the Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) as well as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips, only support USB4 and Thunderbolt 4. (Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 are also functionally identical; in this case, Intel won’t certify a non-Intel chip as a “Thunderbolt” product, so USB4 is the generic equivalent.) And, somewhat shockingly, the next-generation of 2026 laptop platforms, the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) and the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite, don’t include integrated Thunderbolt 5 support, either. No integrated Thunderbolt 5 chip support means very little Thunderbolt 5 laptop support, which means very little reason to buy a Thunderbolt 5 docking station. Sound familiar? It should. I was expecting Thunderbolt 5 to make a decent showing at CES 2025. Nope. Intel Intel does sell a discrete Thunderbolt 5 chip that costs extra, and because of this you’ll see Thunderbolt 5 ports appear on expensive gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 18. But they’re not really necessary. The Blade 18 includes a stellar 4K+ display that actually exceeds Thunderbolt 5’s capabilities (3840×2400, 240Hz). Why would you want to use an external display when the laptop’s built-in display is even better? Not all gaming laptops include the same quality of display, but the argument generally holds true: gaming laptops with Thunderbolt 5 ports generally offer superior hardware right now. A Thunderbolt 5 dock isn’t cheap, either. Thunderbolt 5 docking station manufacturers tend to charge roughly $100 more for one. Plugable’s TBT-UDT3 Thunderbolt 5 dock is reasonably priced at $300 — it is! — but our top pick for the best Thunderbolt docking station, the Kensington Thunderbolt 4 Dual 4K Dock (SD5780T, is $185 at press time. Yes, there are some things to consider. One, AMD hasn’t announced its next-gen laptop platform for 2026, and the 120Gbps version of USB (USB4 V2) could certainly make an appearance. Two, docks like the Sonnetech Echo 13, a Thunderbolt 5 dock with an integrated SSD, provide almost-but-not-quite internal-SSD speeds for external storage. An issue with any gaming PC is simply the available storage, and being able to connect an external SSD with gaming-capable speeds is an enormous plus. Thunderbolt 5 docks like Sonnet’s deliver. Three, Thunderbolt 5 supports external GPUs, and we might see a forthcoming notebook designed with a Thunderbolt 5 port to connect to an external GPU dock like the Razer Core X V2. Business during the day, gaming after hours: that’s part of the promise of Thunderbolt 5. But times are not easy, and the ongoing economy and tariff wars mean people are going to want to save money during Black Friday and other holiday sales. If you agree, don’t plan on spending big on a Thunderbolt 5 dock. PCWorld plans to monitor e-tailers for any ongoing sales of Thunderbolt and USB4 docks for laptops, and we’ll be prioritizing Thunderbolt 4 and its cost-effective competition, DisplayLink. You should, too. Read...

The results are astounding and a major advance, say surgeons involved in international research using the pioneering technology. Read...