The head of the company that makes Tasers tells us about the future of the technology. Read...

Since August 29th, many users have reported various login problems on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025, and that includes both Windows 11 24H2 and the newer Windows 11 25H2. According to Microsoft’s support page on the issue, the issue is caused by new security protections that are unfortunately causing Kerberos (the authentication protocol in Windows) and New Technology LAN Manager (NTLM) to fail for users with duplicate Security IDs (SIDs). The issue can start occurring on relevant systems after installing either update KB5064081 (released on August 29th) or KB5065426 (released on September 9th). Symptoms include repeatedly being prompted for credentials, access requests fail even with valid credentials, shared network folders being inaccessible via IP address or hostname, failure to establish remote desktop connections, and errors in Event Viewer. To permanently resolve this issue, affected devices with duplicate SIDs need to be rebuilt so that each SID is unique. Detailed information on how to do this is available on this Microsoft guide page. Read...

Now part of the NZTech Group ( a not‑for‑profit, member‑driven NGO providing a united voice for Aotearoa’s technology ecosystem) KiwiSaaS is transitioning to a sustainable, community‑run network that connects and empowers the country`s rapidly expanding SaaS industry. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Fast, reliable palm-vein unlocking Easy installation and intuitive setup Smooth app integration with detailed event logs Cons Palm scanner only unlocks, not locks No protective cover for the USB-C port Plastic interior housing feels less premium Our Verdict The Wyze Palm Lock combines dependable biometric access, solid performance, and smart-home integration at a price that’s hard to beat. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Wyze Palm Lock Retailer Price $129.98 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Wyze has made a name for itself by delivering affordable smart home devices that punch well above their price tags, and its latest addition to its smart lock offerings continues that trend. The Wyze Palm Lock brings a more advanced form of biometric security to the front door, swapping a fingerprint sensor for a more advanced and hygienic alternative: palm vein recognition. Using infrared imaging to identify the unique vein pattern beneath your skin, the lock can recognize users even if their hands are wet or dirty, mitigating a common weakness of fingerprint-based systems. Design and features The Wyze Palm Lock looks and feels like a thoughtful blend of modern design and practical engineering. The outdoor assembly is mostly metal, giving it a solid, weather-resistant feel, with a single glass panel that combines the keypad and palm sensor into one sleek surface. Beneath this, a magnetic slide-down cover hides the keyway, a nice touch that preserves the lock’s clean aesthetic while keeping a mechanical backup within reach. The interior escutcheon is made of plastic with a sturdy metal thumb turn, and together with the exterior housing, it replaces your existing deadbolt entirely. The design has been tested for real-world durability, achieving relatively modest results: It earned a weatherization rating of IP53. PCWorld’s IP code guide tells us that means it can keep enough dust out of its internal workings to prevent failure, and that it can withstand being sprayed with a water hose at up to a 60-degree angle on either side of vertical. Wyze Labs advertises the lock as being “BHMA 3 certified,” by which we assume they mean it’s rated ANSI grade 3, the lowest of the three ratings for commercial deadbolts, according to our lock durability guide. BHMA certifications are for residential deadbolts and consist of letter grades for security, durability, and finish. A slide-down cover hides a keyway for a mechanical backup. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Wyze gives you multiple ways to unlock the Palm Lock. The marquee method is its biometric palm vein recognition, which can store up to 50 unique palm profiles. There’s also a backlit keypad that supports up to 50 PIN codes, and a traditional key for backup use in the event the batteries die or the tech ever misbehaves. The lock is powered by a dual-battery system: a removable lithium-ion battery good for up to six months of use, and a two-week backup battery that keeps the lock running while you recharge the main one. If both run out, a USB-C emergency port on the underside can provide temporary power from a portable charger (though the lack of a protective cover could leave it exposed to the elements). Wyze also built in a smart battery saver that uses millimeter-wave radar (the same tech used in self-driving cars) to detect when someone is nearby, so the lock wakes up only when needed. The Palm Lock also includes a full suite of smart features that make it feel right at home in a connected ecosystem. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi, negating the need for a separate bridge, and it works with both Alexa and Google Assistant. For security, voice unlocking requires you to speak your pre-set PIN aloud before the command is carried out. The lock is powered by a dual-battery system: a removable lithium-ion battery and a two-week backup battery. These are accessed from the interior escutcheon. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The Wyze app adds more control, with tamper and door-ajar alerts, an auto-lock feature powered by a built-in gyroscope, and customizable notifications. When paired with a Wyze video doorbell, you can even unlock your door directly from the live camera view, tying the whole front-door experience neatly together. Setup and performance As the Palm Lock is designed as a direct replacement for a standard deadbolt, installation starts with removing your existing lock and its bolt. That should leave you with just an empty bore hole and side jam in your door. From there, you first install the new Wyze bolt, then fit the outdoor assembly through the bore hole, feeding the single power cable beneath the bolt to the interior side. The indoor bracket attaches with two long machine screws, and the power cable connects to the interior escutcheon using clearly labeled, color-coded terminals. Once everything is secured, the indoor unit slides onto the bracket and locks in place with three short screws. With the hardware assembled, you insert the backup battery first, followed by the main rechargeable pack, then snap the battery cover into place. Wyze includes all the necessary hardware and a mounting template, making the process straightforward even for first-time installers. It took me about 25 minutes. A single cable from the outer assemble connects to the interior escutcheon using clearly labeled, color-coded terminals.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Afterward, setup continues in the Wyze app, which walks you through calibration and palm registration step by step. The app prompts you to open and close the door, create access codes, and scan your palms, with feedback confirming each step along the way. In everyday use, I found unlocking the door to be nearly instantaneous. I’d just hover a hand near the reader and within a second or so I’d hear a chime confirming recognition and the whirring of the motorized bolt unlocking. The sensor worked reliably even when my hands weren’t particularly clean. With the auto-lock feature enabled, the door relocks either immediately on closing or after a short delay, depending on your setting. The Wyze app is central to the Palm Lock experience. From it, you can lock or unlock the door, check its current status, and view a detailed activity history. It also shows battery levels for both the main and backup batteries. It provides generous access management: you can add up to 50 users and assign specific permissions, whether always-on, recurring on certain days, or active only within a defined time window. One-time codes are another handy option for guests or deliveries, and a “lock after hours” rule ensures your door is automatically secured at night. The Wyze app provides an event log, scheduling options, and flexible access management.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry The Wyze app also includes several several safeguards to prevent unauthorized access. A Failed Entry Lockout feature temporarily disables palm or code access for five minutes and sounds an alarm after five failed attempts. The lock can alert you to tampering or if the door is left ajar, using its built-in gyroscope to detect movement and position. The illuminated keypad supports Wyze’s anti-peep technology, which lets you enter extra digits before or after your code to prevent onlookers from memorizing it. Further, all biometric data is encrypted and stored locally on the device rather than in the cloud, and the Wyze app keeps a detailed history of every lock and unlock event. This was my first experience with a smart lock, and I came away impressed. Connectivity was excellent throughout my testing. Commands from the app registered quickly, and notifications—like when someone unlocks the door—arrived promptly. Voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant also worked seamlessly. With two teenagers at home who routinely forget their house keys but never their phones, that reliability made the Palm Lock a welcome upgrade. Should you buy the Wyze Palm Lock? At $129.98, the Wyze Palm Lock delivers technology you’d normally expect in far pricier devices. Palm-vein recognition makes unlocking fast and reliable, and the setup and app experience are refreshingly simple. For Wyze users or else anyone seeking a secure, hands-free deadbolt upgrade without spending a fortune, the Palm Lock is an excellent value. Read...

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...