How is it possible that we’re already looking at the end of 2025? The smart home market continued to expand and become ever more mainstream this year, as manufacturers introduced new products that are easier to set up and use daily. The year’s biggest innovations revolve around AI, followed by the Matter standard that continues to break down the walls between brands, although there is still no standard for important product categories, including security cameras. In any event, this is the time when we celebrate the best smart home products you can buy in 2025. As is our practice, this list is not limited to products introduced in 2025, but they are all available for purchase today. And since this year is not quite over, and there are a handful of new products we’re still waiting to review, we might circle back to this and make an addition or two. Watch this space. Best smart lighting ecosystem: Philips Hue Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) Read our review Best Prices Today: $54.99 at Best Buy | $55.27 at Amazon | Not Available at Adorama Philips Hue has long been our lighting ecosystem of choice, offering a peerless section of smart bulbs, lamps, light strips, outdoor lights, and now security cameras as well as video doorbells. But this year, Philips Hue is taking things up a notch with a new Hue Bridge Pro that can handle more than 200 Hue devices (150 lights plus 50-ish accessories) while also turning your Hue lights into motion sensors. With the Bridge Pro’s added capacity plus its ability to turn every room into a motion zone, the Philips Hue lighting ecosystem is looking stronger than ever.  Best lighting control system: Lutron Caséta  Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer Read our review Best Prices Today: $69.95 at Amazon If you’re intent on installing smart light switches to control your existing home lights, look no further than the Lutron Caséta smart home ecosystem. With its proprietary Clear Connect technology, Lutron switches like the Diva Smart Dimmer are tops at controlling home lighting, and the system is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and even Sonos speakers. Beyond smart lights, the Lutron Caséta ecosystem also comprises smart shades and blinds, motion sensors, ceiling-fan controllers, keypads, and remotes.  Best smart lock: Level Lock Pro Level Lock Pro Read our review It may look like an ordinary deadbolt (that’s a good thing, by the way), but the Level Lock Pro is a state-of-the-art smart lock that can be unlocked with an NFC-enabled key fob, a smart phone, a smart watch, or a PIN (when used with its optional keypad). The lock also supports geofencing, meaning it can lock or unlock your door as you leave or approach your home. Because it supports Matter, the Level Lock Pro will work with the Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings ecosystems, and it can be bridged into your Wi-Fi network via an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot Max, an Apple HomePod or HomePod mini, a Google Nest Hub Max or 2nd-gen Hub, or any other smart speaker or display that offers Thread border router functionality. Best video doorbell for Alexa users TP-Link Tapo D225 Video Doorbell Camera Read our review Best Prices Today: $89.99 at Amazon | $99.99 at TP-Link/Tapo Yes, Amazon just shipped several new Ring video doorbells, but we’ve not had the opportunity to review any of them. But the Tapo D225 Video Doorbell doesn’t win its spot on this list by default. Despite its low street price of just $90, this porch sentinel boasts 2K video resolution, a head-to-toe view of your visitor, and it comes with a plug-in chime so you’ll never miss someone who rings the bell. You won’t need to worry about the ongoing cost of a subscription for cloud storage, as there’s an onboard microSD card slow, and you can operate it on its internal battery or hardwire it to low-voltage power. Take the latter route and you’ll even be able to set up 24/7 recording. As our reviewer summed it up: “[the Tapo D225 Video Doorbell Camera might not be much to look at, but it delivers a lot of features and it gets the job done.” Best video doorbell for Apple Home users Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 Read our review Best Prices Today: $119.99 at Amazon Prime | $129.99 at Amazon The headline of our Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 review reads, simply, “Yeah, it does that, too.” That’s because there are so few things it’s not capable of. What’s more, it can also function as a complete Matter-compatible smart home hub, thanks to its Thread and Zigbee radios (although support for the latter is limited to Aqara’s own Zigbee devices). You don’t need to be an Apple Home aficionado to appreciate this doorbell–it’s also compatible with the Amazon Alexa and Google Home ecosystems–but Apple users will welcome it as one of the few video doorbells to support Apple’s HomeKit and HomeKit Secure. Best video doorbell for Google Home users Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen) Read our review Best Prices Today: $174.99 at Amazon We said Google’s Gemini was a game-changer in our review of the Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen) largely because of that AI’s ability to describe and summarize what security cameras like this have seen. Gemini also empowers you to search all of the camera’s high-resolution recordings with natural-language queries–that sure beats scrubbing along a timeline looking for a specific event. Google doesn’t offer the same features in a battery-powered model, yet, so you’ll need to have a low-voltage transformer to install this. But it will look attractive next to your door while delivering a head-to-toe view of your visitors. Best indoor security camera for Amazon Alexa users Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor (model VMC3073-100NAS) Read our review Best Prices Today: $14.99 at Amazon Don’t let this indoor camera’s low price tag fool you. This home security device is packed with more features than you might expect for the money, including 2K video resolution and a pan/tilt motor that can spin its lens 360 degrees and tilt it over a 180-degree arc. The small camera runs on Arlo Intelligence to produce AI-powered alerts for people, vehicles, animals, and packages. Be aware that this is an AC-powered camera–there is not battery option–and you’ll need to pay for a subscription to unlock all of its features. Best indoor security camera for Google Home users Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) Best Prices Today: $99.98 at Amazon No, we haven’t published our complete hands-on review of the Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen), but we have enough experience with it to know that it’s the best choice for smart home dwellers in the Google Home ecosystem. Like Google’s latest Nest Doorbell and Nest Cam Outdoor, this indoor model delivers 2K video resolution, but the real benefit to be had is Google’s Gemini AI–and you’ll want to pay for a Google Home Premium subscription to get the full benefit of it (as with all of Google’s Nest cameras, you do get a rolling three hours of event-based video recordings without a sub). None of Google’s new and most powerful cameras have battery options, you’ll need to plug each of them into a nearby AC outlet, but you won’t find a better home security camera if your life revolves around Google Home. Best outdoor security camera for Apple Home users Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro WLAN Read our review Best Prices Today: $159.99 at Amazon Prime | $169.99 at Amazon Best outdoor security camera for Google Home users The Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro is the rare smart home device that’s not just an outdoor Wi-fi home security, but it’s also a Matter-certified outdoor smart home hub complete with Thread and Zigbee radios. Now before you get too excited, know that its Zigbee radio can only control Aqara’s own Zigbee smart home devices, but that offering is pretty solid. As for the camera element of this device, its 4-megapixel image sensor captures video in resolution of 2688×1520 pixels, and it’s fully compatible with Apple Home, including HomeKit Secure Video. If you’re concerned about finding an outdoor outlet to plug it in, consider its PoE cousin and run an ethernet cable from your compatible router for both data and power. Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen) Best Prices Today: $119.97 at Amazon We haven’t yet published our review of the Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd gen), either, but we installed it at the same time we conducted our Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen) review and have been using it continually since then. The highlight is, of course, the integration with Google’s Gemini AI, and its ability to summarize the events that happened within its field of view. Unlike most cameras, you’ll get need at least some free recordings in the cloud, but you’ll need to sign up for a subscription to get enough to be truly useful, and that’s also the only way to unlock Gemini. Best floodlight camera: Eufy Floodlight Camera E340  Eufy Floodlight Cam E340 Read our review Best Prices Today: $219.99 at Amazon Our favorite floodlight camera isn’t just a floodlight and security cam in one–it’s actually a floodlight plus two cameras, including one with a 3K wide-angle lens and a second with a 2K telephoto lens. Equipped with a pan/tilt motor, the Eufy Floodlight Camera E340’s dual cameras can pan 360 degrees over a 120-degree arc, perfect for covering large swathes of your property, while its twin LED panels can illuminate the area with up to 2,000 lumens of brightness. The E340 also offers up to 128GB of local storage on a (user-supplied) microSD card, meaning no need for cloud storage, or you can go big with up to 16TB of hard drive storage when using the Eufy HomeBase S380. Read...

A new laptop feels like a fresh digital start: fast, clean, and ready for anything. But before you dive in, it’s wise to perform a quick system check, because many devices come with unnecessary software, suboptimal settings, and disabled security features. We’ll show you the 10 most important steps you should take immediately after switching on for the first time, so that your Windows 11 laptop runs at full performance and with the best possible protection right from the start. 1. Setting up Windows and installing updates The first step is the most important: setting up Windows carefully can save you a lot of trouble later. After logging in (whether with a Microsoft or local account), you should check for updates immediately: Open Settings ? Windows Update. Click on “Check for updates” and install everything. Restart the computer and repeat the process until no more updates are pending. Many new laptops sit in storage for months before sale, so important security and driver updates may be missing. Optionally, you can also check your manufacturer’s website (e.g. Lenovo, Dell, HP, Asus) for the latest drivers for graphics or chipset. This ensures stability and performance. Tip: If Windows annoys you with requests or recommendations for a Microsoft account, you can go offline during setup. Windows will then automatically offer a local account. 2. Find and uninstall unnecessary software Manufacturers love to overload laptops with trial versions, tools, and mini-games. Such superfluous programs eat up memory, tend to run in the background, and can slow down your beautiful new system. That’s why it’s best to clear them out right at the start. Here’s what you should do: Open Settings ? Apps ? Installed apps. Sort by installation date or manufacturer. Uninstall anything you don’t know or don’t need. Tip: You can do an even more thorough job with tools such as Revo Uninstaller, which can also detect hidden remnants in the registry. 3. Install important programs and tools Now comes the creative part. This is where your laptop gets its personalized basic configuration. No new Windows 11 device should be without this software: Browser: Chrome, Firefox, or Brave. Gamers go for Opera GX. Office suite: Microsoft 365, LibreOffice, or Google Docs. PDF tool: Adobe Acrobat Reader, SumatraPDF, or PDF24. Antivirus: Windows Defender is solid, but if you want more control, install an external tool. Password manager: Bitwarden, 1Password, or KeePassXC. Cloud backup: OneDrive, Dropbox, or iDrive. Tip: Install your most important programs immediately after the update process. This will give you a clear system status that you can rely on in the event of problems later on. Ninite also allows you to install several programs at the same time without annoying toolbars or additional software. 4. Important Windows settings for laptops Windows 11 comes with many smart functions, but not all of them are optimally preconfigured. A few clicks in the settings make everyday life much more pleasant and secure: Privacy: Under Settings ? Privacy & Security ? Windows permissions, you can switch off unnecessary transmission of data, advertising, and location access. Windows Defender: Check under Windows Security ? Virus & Threat Protection whether real-time protection is active. OneDrive sync: If you prefer local folders, deactivate, or limit the automatic upload. Default apps: Select your preferred programs for browser, mail, and photos–otherwise Windows likes to open Edge & Co. without being asked. You can find the settings under “Default apps” (simply tap in the Start window). You can also get there via Settings ? Apps ? Default apps. Tip: Activate the “Show file extensions” option in File Explorer. This makes it easier to recognize suspicious files and provides simple protection against phishing and malware. To do this, click on View in the menu bar and tick the “File name extensions” box. 5. Configure touchpad, keyboard, and function keys Fine-tuning the input devices is worth its weight in gold, especially on laptops. A touchpad that is too sensitive or an impractical FN assignment can quickly become annoying and slow down work processes. Touchpad gestures: Open Settings ? Bluetooth & Devices ? Touchpad. Here you can customize or deactivate gestures for scrolling, zooming, and changing the desktop. Mouse speed: In the same settings, you can adjust the pointer speed (“cursor speed”). Function keys: Many manufacturers offer tools such as Asus Armoury Crate or HP Command Center to configure FN keys. Tip: Use three-finger gestures for multitasking. This allows you to switch between apps or jump to the desktop at lightning speed. This saves time in everyday life and allows you to work in a more relaxed manner. 6. Optimize battery and energy settings A fresh battery lasts a long time at the beginning, but with the right settings, your laptop will run even more efficiently. Windows 11 offers several options for fine-tuning runtime, performance, and power consumption. Open Settings ? System ? Power & battery. Under Energy status, select what is more important to you: Best Energy Efficiency, Balanced, or Best Performance. You can reduce the screen brightness in battery mode by a few levels. This often gives you an additional 30-60 minutes runtime. Activate energy-saving mode when the battery level drops below 30 percent. Tip for technology fans: Use the command “powercfg /batteryreport” in the terminal (Win X ? Terminal (Admin)) to create a detailed battery report. This shows how often your battery has already been charged, what capacity it still has, and when it’s time to replace it. To protect your battery in the long term, we also recommend: Regular intermediate charges instead of continuous operation on the mains adapter. No permanent 100 percent charging, this stresses the energy cells. If the battery isn’t used for a longer period of time, charge it to around 50 percent, and store it in a cool place (but not cold). 7. Strengthen security and data protection As soon as your system is up and running, you should activate the most important security functions. Windows 11 already has everything you need for this, you just have to switch it on. Activate Windows Hello: Under Settings ? Accounts ? Sign-in options, you can set up a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Activate BitLocker or device encryption: This will protect your data even in the event of theft. Check the firewall: This should always be active. Wi-Fi security: Delete old networks, avoid public hotspots, or secure them with a VPN. Tip: If you use Windows 11 Pro, you should activate BitLocker. This encrypts the entire hard drive and may be linked to your Microsoft account for recovery. On devices with TPM 2.0 (standard since 2021), this works automatically. If you want maximum control over your privacy, tools like O&O ShutUp10 help to deactivate hidden telemetry services with one click. 8. Set up backup and restore Nothing is more annoying than losing a perfectly set-up system because an update interferes or a virus strikes. That’s why we recommend creating a full backup right at the start. Open Control Panel ? System and Security ? Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Don’t be confused by the term “Windows 7,” this is just an old name that Microsoft still uses. Select “Create system image” and save it to an external hard drive. It’s best to set a restore point immediately afterwards. To do this, simply type “Create restore point” in the search. Tip: Alternatively, you can also use cloud services like OneDrive or Google Drive to automatically back up personal files. If you prefer convenience and are prepared to spend a little money, you can use tools such as Macrium Reflect or AcronisTrue Image. These allow you to create complete images and schedule regular backups automatically. 9. Performance tuning and convenience functions A few quick tweaks not only make Windows faster, but also more convenient. Reduce AutoStart programs: In the Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc ? “Autostart”), deactivate everything you don’t need all the time. Activate memory optimization: Settings ? System ? Memory ? Switch on “Memory optimization.” Windows will then automatically delete temporary files. Customize visual effects: Enter “Advanced system settings” in the search and select the “Customize for optimal performance” function via Advanced ? Performance ? Settings. Use snap layouts and virtual desktops: Arrange windows flexibly with Win Z and switch between workspaces with Win Tab. Tip: For power users, it’s worth taking a look at PowerToys. This free Microsoft tool provides additional functions such as window snap, keyboard shortcuts, or color pipette. 10. Extras for advanced users If you want to be really precise, you can now make a few fine adjustments that are often only known to experienced users: Check BIOS/UEFI: Call up with Del or F2 at startup. There you can adjust Secure Boot, boot sequence, or fan profiles. Check manufacturer tools: Programs such as My Asus, Lenovo Vantage, or HP Support Assistant provide firmware updates. Decide for yourself which ones you want to use or keep. Gaming optimization: For laptops with a dedicated GPU, it’s worth checking the energy profiles in the graphics card control. Deactivate Windows features: Control Panel ? Programs ? Programs and Features ? Activate or deactivate Windows features. Unnecessary services such as “Internet Explorer 11” or “XPS services” can be switched off here. Read...

All Blacks’ 2026 schedule features 13 tests, northern tour and London finals weekend. Read...

TL;DR: PDF Agile for Windows is an all-in-one PDF editor, converter, and viewer, and you can get a lifetime license for just $27.97 with code AGILE through November 20 (MSRP $119). PDFs aren’t exciting, but finally having the right tool to deal with them? That’s a win. And actually being able to own it with a single payment vs. never-ending fees in 2025? That’s a deal you can’t pass up. Meet PDF Agile, a full-featured PDF powerhouse that’s yours for life with a one-time payment of just $27.97 with coupon code AGILE at checkout (MSRP $119). This Windows-exclusive software is exactly what the name suggests: agile. It’s quick to install, easy to use, and comes packed with features that make working with PDFs actually enjoyable. From editing scanned text with built-in OCR to converting PDFs into Word, Excel, or PowerPoint formats without messing up the layout, PDF Agile makes it all surprisingly painless. Want to password-protect a file? Done. Merge a bunch of PDFs into one? Easy. Split one apart? Sure. Annotate, highlight, crop, redact, reorder pages, sign a doc, compare two files, or even shrink a giant PDF down to a manageable size. Yes. Other handy features include adding bookmarks, resizing pages, creating presentations, and capturing screenshots with editable text. Code AGILE expires November 20, so make sure to hop on this deal before that. Get your PDF Agile lifetime license for $27.97 (MSRP $119). PDF Agile for Windows: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

There’s a very specific form factor of OLED gaming monitor that I find appealing: the size upgrade that doesn’t come with a resolution bump. That means you get a bigger, bolder picture to play on, without taxing your gaming desktop or laptop with more pixels to push. Today you can get a 45-inch OLED ultrawide from LG for $899.99, a cool $800 off the original price. Like I said, the LG Ultragear OLED 45GX90SA-B pulls a neat trick, blowing out the 3440×1440 resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio normally found on 34-inch ultrawides all the way to 45 inches wide. That’s about 733 square inches for the full panel compared to 419 square inches. It’s way bigger is the point I’m making here, all without any extra power needed to deliver the same visuals. Granted, the resolution isn’t as splendiferous on the similarly-sized (but actually slightly smaller) 49-inch, super-duper-mega ultrawides, and you won’t get any extra multitasking capability when not playing a game or watching video. But I think it’s a good tradeoff for anyone who doesn’t have the latest and greatest graphics card. This monitor has plenty of other high-end features, including a dramatic curved panel for immersion, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a .03ms response time for high-speed multiplayer gaming, USB-C with 65 watts of power for easy laptop connections (though the most powerful gaming laptops might need a little more juice), and built-in WebOS apps for streaming content with no PC needed at all. $800 off the retail price is pretty dang fantastic, though I wouldn’t blame you if you think $900 is still too much, even for a very nice monitor. If you’re hunting for a better deal, check out my picks from all the pre-Black Friday sales currently ongoing. And if you just want to know which one is best, then check out PCWorld’s constantly-updated monitor roundup. Get a giant 45-inch OLED monitor for $800 offView Deal Read...

If you’re reading PCWorld, you probably know that it’s important to keep your PC updated so that security issues are patched. And you probably know the same is true for your phone, and even things like a PlayStation. But don’t forget that your network gear is also, basically, just a bunch of computers. And thank Asus for reminding us, as it patches DSL routers to close exploitable security flaws. Specifically, Asus has issued a firmware update for three models of relatively old DSL routers with combination Wi-Fi functionality: the DSL-AC51, the DSL-N16, and the DSL-AC750. Released in 2015 and 2017, at least as far as I can tell from a quick search, these are fairly straightforward models without super advanced features even for the time. But if you happen to have one in your home, you want to patch that firmware post-haste. They’re susceptible to an authentication bypass vulnerability, as published on the multi-vendor record Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database and spotted by Bleeping Computer. The direct Asus support pages for the DSL-AC51, the DSL-N16, and the DSL-AC750 are there, in the links that I just posted in that sentence. Firmware can be downloaded and applied via the web-based interface for most routers, if it hasn’t already done so automatically or manually applied by downloading the file and then uploading it in the GUI over the local network. What if your router is susceptible to this particular vulnerability, but it’s out of service and not getting patched? Then Asus suggests that you disable basically all advanced functions, including remote WAN access, port forwarding, DNS, VPN server, DMZ, port triggering, and FTP. Which specific older, unsupported DSL routers does this apply to? Don’t ask me because Asus is not saying. I don’t have DSL, but it occurred to me that I don’t know the brand and model of my cable modem or Wi-Fi router off the top of my head. I think I’ll dig into the rat’s nest behind my printer, just so I can write them down somewhere a little more accessible. Read...

It won’t whip the llama’s ass, but Opera has added a Spotify visualizer to its latest iteration of its free Opera One browser. Known as Sonic, the visualizer will be part of Opera’s Dynamic Themes, which use the WebGPU standard to employ a dynamic theme that runs in the background of the browser. It’s essentially a shader, which uses your PC’s graphics engine to generate the moving background. The browser also comes with a music player, which is set to Spotify by default. Users will have an opportunity to upgrade to Spotify Premium as part of the browser upgrade, Opera said. Opera’s Sonic theme (which has nothing to do with the Sega game and/or the accompanying cartoon and movie franchise) takes the Spotify input and transforms it into a dynamic background. “With the Sonic Theme, the browser captures audio from the sidebar and converts it into a power spectrum texture, where one axis represents frequency and the other represents time,” Opera said in a blog post. “This texture is passed to the shader, where each pixel samples the current audio intensity using its screen position and animation-driven coordinates. The shader applies a frequency compensation curve to balance the spectrum and outputs an amplitude value that drives animation, color, and other visual effects in sync with the music. So if that all sounds complicated, just remember that whatever you’re seeing on the screen is completely unique to what you’re listening to.” Sonic is an interesting touch. As any old tech head knows, the original visualizer was found in Winamp, which would sync visualizations to the beat and flow of music being played. Winamp quietly returned in 2022, then received another update in 2023. Is Opera’s Sonic as good as Winamp? At this point, I wouldn’t say so. But Opera has far more resources than the small Winamp team does. And who knows? Further iterations could make this something special. Opera One is free and separate from the company’s Opera Neon AI browser and the Opera GX browser for gamers, each of which come with their own unique features. Read...

If the holidays bring more people knocking on your door—whether it’s family, neighbors, package deliveries, or strangers—then you’re gonna want to boost your home security. And as Black Friday deals roll in, we’ve already found a lovely 50% discount on the Ring Battery Doorbell, bringing the price down to just $50 (was $100). View this Amazon deal This is the newest version of the Ring Battery Doorbell and it records head-to-toe 1440×1440 video, which is absolutely fantastic for home surveillance. Peek at your live video feed whenever you want via the app on your phone and spot everything you need to see right outside your door. You won’t miss a thing, plus this smart video doorbell has two-way audio so you can converse with visitors and couriers. You’ll get alerts whenever someone’s at your door, and if you subscribe to the Ring Home Plan, you’ll even get smart alerts that differentiate between people, packages, and other stuff. It’s also compatible with other Alexa devices, so you could pull up the live video feed on something like an Echo Show for that next-level smart home feel. As for installation, the battery-powered Ring is an absolute breeze. Just screw the mount into place, then click the video doorbell into the mount. When it needs charging, you simply pop it out and plug it into USB-C (a cable is included but a power adapter is not). Depending on how many features you have active, the doorbell will last anywhere from a few weeks up to a month on a full charge. Get this tried-and-true smart video doorbell for 50% offBuy now at Amazon Read...

“Redstone” is the code name for AMD’s next-gen graphics software that leans heavily on frame generation via machine learning, and the first major game to get a taste of it is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, a mouthful of a shooter that’s launching today. According to promotional messages from AMD, Radeon 9000 users get “Ray Generation” at launch. Machine Learning Ray Generation (to give it its own mouthful of a name) is how a Radeon card learns patterns for an advanced lighting engine and then applies those patterns, in an approximate manner, in real time. This is a further development of the sort of thing that Nvidia applied with DLSS years ago, now taken to greater heights with more complex lighting systems that can reduce noise and grit in ray tracing by rendering at a lower resolution and then upscaling in a very targeted manner. In layman’s terms? ML Ray Generation makes game lighting look really good, at least on supported hardware. But it likely requires “training” on each game, which could explain why it’s so limited in the initial release. As VideoCardz notes, ML Ray Generation is only one of the four features outlined in AMD’s FSR Redstone. The latest versions of frame generation, super resolution, and neural radiance caching don’t appear to be live in Black Ops 7, at least not at launch. So far, the Radeon RX 9000 series has only launched five cards since debuting in March: the Radeon RX 9060, 9060 XT, 9070, 9070 XT, and the limited release 9070 GRE. Though it’s being heavily featured by Call of Duty developer Activision—and continues to gain major ground in the desktop CPU space with its Ryzen X3D series—AMD has nonetheless fallen further behind Nvidia in consumer market share for graphics cards. Read...

Back in February 2025, several media outlets warned of a new threat targeting users of Google’s Gmail email service. Attackers used AI technology to perfect phishing emails and make them look more convincing. To do this, the AI collected freely available data from social networks, websites, and online forums on the internet and used this information to formulate a deceptively genuine-looking email that pretended to come from an acquaintance, family member, or superior. What’s more, to ensure that the message actually looked deceptively genuine, the AI also generated suitable domains as senders for the emails. The scam was dubbed “Deepphish”—a portmanteau of the terms deep learning and phishing. Even if the report mentioned at the beginning raises some questions—such as why Gmail users in particular were affected by the Deepphish attack—it nevertheless highlights a development that experts had been expecting for some time: criminal groups are increasingly using AI tools to perfect their attacks. Domains created with AI One of the weak points of conventional phishing attacks has always been the sender address. Most phishing emails can be easily identified by the sender . For example, a message from a streaming service such as Netflix or Disney with an address like andy@brandbot.com is almost certainly a fake—no matter how perfect the rest of the presentation may be. In the AI-supported variant of a phishing attack, on the other hand, new types of algorithms are used that generate a sender address with a matching URL that is adapted to the text of the email. A research group led by Alejandro Correa Bahnsen at the US company Cyxtera Technologies, an operator of data centers, investigated how effective these algorithms can be. They developed an algorithm called Deepphish, which was trained to suggest suitable URLs for phishing attacks. To do this, they fed a neural network with more than one million URLs that had been set up for phishing via email in the past and used them to train their algorithm. In doing so, they specified two different profiles for the actors behind the phishing attack. Phishing emails can often be recognized by the sender addresses. If, as in this case, a message purporting to be from Disney comes from andy@ brandbot.com, something is wrong.Foundry With the AI-generated addresses, they achieved an increase in attack efficiency from 0.69 to 20.9 percent for one profile and from 4.91 to 36.28 percent for the other. They published their results in a stud you can find here. While Deepphish originally only referred to the algorithm developed at Cyxtera, it’s now used in most cases for AI-supported phishing attacks in general. How a Deepphish attack works Deepphish attacks follow a standardized pattern. The first step is to research the target’s social environment: Where does she live? Where does she work? What are the names of their family members? What are their friends’ names? What are the names of their colleagues and superiors? What are their email addresses, how close are they to the target person? The AI uses social networks and online forums as sources, as well as data published by hackers from intrusions into company networks and websites. The more data collected in this way, the more precisely the phishing email can be tailored to the victim. In a study, employees at Cyxtera investigated how the success rate of phishing emails can be increased by selecting an AI-generated sender address. Foundry The next step is to register a suitable domain and generate a sender address using an algorithm such as Deepphish. The AI then writes the text of the email. Using the information collected, it generates a suitable subject line, a salutation tailored to the recipient and content that is worded correctly and could actually have been written by the supposed sender. Due to the precise personalization, the message appears considerably more credible than a standard phishing email. But what do the criminals want to achieve with their deepphish attacks? They want to inspire so much confidence with their forgeries that the recipient is prepared to click on a file attachment or an embedded link. Everything else happens automatically: the file attachment then usually downloads and installs malware. The link, on the other hand, leads to another fake website that requests credit card details or login information for a streaming service, for example. AI-supported phishing emails However, the Deepphish algorithm is just the beginning. There is now a whole range of tools that do all the work for criminals when formulating phishing messages. The programs are called FraudGPT, WormGPT, or GhostGPT. They formulate phishing emails that are targeted at individuals or specific companies. For example, the user can instruct these programs to generate a Netflix-style email with a request to enter account details on a fake website. Or they can have questions answered such as “How do I hack a Wi-Fi password?”. Or they can instruct the AI to program a software keylogger that forwards all keystrokes on a computer to a server address via the internet. Hacking tools such as WormGPT use AI to generate convincing-looking and well-formulated phishing emails. In most cases, they target specific individuals or companies. Foundry ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) have in-built filters so that they do not respond to such requests. As ChatGPT does not disclose its code, there is nothing that can be done about this. However, it is possible to use instructions from the darknet to confuse LLMs such as ChatGPT via certain prompt sequences so that they are then prepared to disregard their in-built filters. At the same time, some criminal groups have switched to LLMs from the open source scene and removed the corresponding filters. AI generates malware The Stopwatch AI website demonstrates just how far the possibilities of AI-generated malware already go. It shows how AI can be used in three simple steps to program malware that specifically undermines the protective shield of the major antivirus tools. In the first step, called “Choose Platform”, you select the operating system of the computer you want to attack. You can choose from Mac, Windows, Linux, AWS (Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud service), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, Microsoft’s professional cloud service. The Stopwatch AI website demonstrates how malware can be programmed in a few simple steps with the help of AI tools. The first step is to select the operating system to be attacked. Foundry The second step is called “Choose Defence” and offers nine antivirus tools, including Microsoft Defender, Eset Endpoint Protection Advanced, McAfee Endpoint Security, Symantec Endpoint Security, and Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business. In the second step, Stopwatch AI users select the antivirus program whose weaknesses they want to exploit with their malware attack. Microsoft Defender is also listed here.Foundry In the third step, “Choose Attack”, you specify the type of virus you want to create. The selection ranges from adware and spyware to ransomware and keylogging through to data exfiltration, i.e. data theft. Stopwatch AI offers ten different types of malware, from keyloggers to ransomware. The user must register in order to implement the selected malware. Foundry After clicking on a form of attack, Stopwatch AI asks for log-in details. It is possible to register with the site using a Google, Github, or Microsoft account. As soon as registration is complete, the AI starts programming the desired malware. In order to use the site, the user must agree to the terms of use, which exclude attacks against other systems. This is because Stopwatch AI is only intended for studying malware development with AI. Critically, all projects are assigned to the respective user and saved. How to recognize AI-generated phishing emails Always take a look at the sender address of incoming emails and consider whether it is plausible. Also look out for the following features: Become wary of emails from people you are not normally in contact with or have not heard from in a while. This is especially true if these messages contain unusual requests or enquiries. Hover your mouse over any links and check where they lead to. If the address does not match the sender of the email or the text of the message, it is often a scam. No bank, streaming service, or public authority ever asks for your password or wants to know your account details via email. Be suspicious of emails that put you under time pressure or claim a high level of urgency. Tricking antivirus tools with AI Every antivirus program downloads the latest virus definitions from the manufacturer’s server at least once a day. They describe the characteristics of the new malware variants discovered in the last few hours so that the software on the user’s computer can reliably detect the malware. However, this protective shield has become increasingly fragile. The reason: virus construction kits that allow hobby programmers to create functioning malware even without AI have been circulating on the darknet for decades—but not only there. Many of these malware programs are simply minimally modified variants of already known viruses. The author often only has to change the signature for his malware to be counted as a new virus. This is the only way to explain why antivirus manufacturers report 560,000 new malware programs every day. In the age of AI, the production of malware variants has taken on a new quality. This is because security manufacturers had taught their antivirus programs to recognize and isolate the variants of already known malware. With AI support, it’s now possible to manipulate existing malware in a targeted manner so that it is no longer recognized by the virus watchdogs. The tool manufacturer Acronis demonstrated this in a presentation using a malware sample that it had uploaded to Google’s detection service Virustotal. While it was initially recognized as malware by nine of the antivirus programs used there, only one virus guard was able to identify the malware as such after it had been reworked by Grok3’s AI. When the researchers had the sample code processed by Gemini 2.0 Flash and Deepseek R1, the virus was no longer detected by any of the programs at Virustotal. Depending on which AI software is used, the hacker can manipulate existing malware in such a way that it remains almost or even completely undetected by Virustotal. Foundry Nevertheless, the heuristic and behavior-based methods of antivirus programs also work with malware whose code has been modified with the help of AI. Email spoofing The falsification of email addresses, known as email spoofing, hardly occurs any more. Since 2014, the SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication methods have gradually been defined as standards and subsequently implemented by email providers. Since then, it is no longer possible to falsify the domain information in an email address. For an address such as “magazine@pcworld.com”, for example, the domain is pcworld.com. If the aforementioned authentication procedures are deactivated by a provider, these mails are normally sorted out as spam by the recipient. Spoofing attempts still exist, however. The sender’s name can be changed in many e-mail clients, for example in classic Outlook via File -> Account settings -> Account settings -> Change -> Your name. However, this does not affect the email address. In the case of hacker attacks, the reply address is sometimes changed at the same point. In this way, all replies to the emails sent are sent to the hacker’s address. Another trick is to use a similar-looking domain, such as “magazine@pcworlde.com“. Read...