PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 13: In this photo iIllustration, the Netflix logo is seen on the screen of ... [+] an iPhone in front of a computer screen showing a Netflix logo on February 13, 2019 in Paris, France. Netflix, the US giant of online video subscription, has more than 5 million subscribers in France, 4 and a half years after its arrival in France in September 2014, a spokesman for the company revealed on Wednesday. Netflix offers movies and TV series over the internet and now has 137 million subscribers worldwide. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)Getty ImagesYour Netflix subscription is about to get even more expensive. News of the price hike follows the streaming giants Q4 2024 financial earnings report. The company revealed its largest-ever quarterly increase in subscribers, with 18.9 million new subscribers boosting Netflixs global subscription base to over 300 million.Naturally, with such a huge subscriber gain the next order of business is charging everyone more. Heres how the new rates will impact your monthly bill:Standard Plan without ads: This tier increases from $15.49 to $17.99 (a $2.50/mo price hike).Ad-Supported: The cheapest tier will now be $7.99 per month up from $6.99 (a $1/mo price hike).Premium: This tier will cost $24.99 per month, up from $22.99 month (a $2/mo price hike).The cost of adding an Extra Member to a primary account is going up from $7.99 to $8.99 per month (a $1/mo price hike).As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix, the company told investors. To that end, we are adjusting prices today across most plans in the U.S., Canada, Portugal and Argentina (which was already factored into the 2025 guidance we provided in October 2024).The last time Netflix increased prices was in October 2023 when the Basic plan went from $9.99 to $11.99 and the Premium tier saw a $3 bump from $19.99 to $22.99. The Premium tier is now $5/month more than the subscription cost just over two years ago. The streamer also cracked down on password sharing, a de facto price increase for many subscribers.Streaming services across the board have seen price increases in the past couple years, including video game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus. Despite most of these price hikes only amount to a dollar or two a month, but it all adds up, especially if you subscribe to a lot of these (like I do).The price increase will go into effect on your next Netflix billing cycle.

Companies need security solutions that protect against AI cybersecurity threatsOver the past several years, the security landscape rapidly evolved with the introduction of AI, specifically generative AI. AI spawned numerous new categories of AI cyber threats, such as data inference, transfer learning attacks and model inversion. Additional, AI-enhanced phishing attacks are driving increased breaches and data loss. Today, companies need specialized security solutions that protect AI systems and their components from various security threats (e.g., adversarial attacks) and vulnerabilities (e.g., data poisoning). These security products must protect the data, algorithms, models, and infrastructure involved in AI applications.Securing AI Emerges As A Key Tech Initiative in 2025gettyWhat Cisco AnnouncedLast week, Cisco unveiled its latest security innovation called Cisco AI Defense. The solution offers a new approach to targeting AI safety and security challenges. Let's break down Cisco's announcement, the AI-specific features of its latest offering, and the benefits it provides to security operations teams.Today, every security vendor worth evaluating offers new AI-enhanced products with features such as conversational AI assistants and streamlining alerts to help highlight relevant security threats. The Cisco AI Defense platform builds on Cisco's existing Secure Access technology and incorporates new features designed specifically for the AI ecosystem. Specifically, AI Defense aims to address two core AI problems: 1) securing enterprise access to AI applications and 2) ensuring the safety and security of AI models and applications built by organizations.What are the AI-Specific Features of Cisco AI DefenseCisco's security solutions leverage threat intelligence from over 50 billion daily events and integrates data from tools like Splunk and other third-party feeds. The data from these events helps detect AI-specific vulnerabilities and threats. However, the company also added more AI-specific features such as:Algorithmic Red Teaming: In cybersecurity, "red teaming" refers to a process where ethical hackers, acting as potential adversaries, simulate real-world cyberattacks against an organization to identify vulnerabilities in their security systems. Cisco AI Defense offers algorithmic red teaming to automate stress-testing AI models. Unlike traditional red teaming, which relies on human experts, this approach uses AI to simulate billions of potential attack scenarios, uncovering vulnerabilities such as prompt injection attacks, information leaks, or unexpected model behaviors. The combination of algorithmic red teaming and real-time threat intelligence enables SecOps teams to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Algorithmic red teaming also supports guardrails in AI Defense for security teams to use.Guardrail Automation. AI guardrails are rules, tools, and policies that ensure AI systems operate within ethical, legal, and technical boundaries. Guardrails help prevent AI from being misused, making biased decisions, or causing harm. Cisco AI Defense offers over 200 pre-configured guardrails tailored to specific models and applications. These guardrails align with industry standards like OWASP and NIST, covering security and safety measures and ensuring seamless integration into enterprise workflows. By automatically applying guardrails tailored to specific threats or vulnerabilities, the platform allows for swift containment of potential issues without disrupting workflows or developer productivity.Continuous Validation. Model tuning can lead to toxic and unexpected outcomes. Automated testing can check AI models for hundreds of potential safety and security issues. Cisco AI Defense continuously validates the AI model to adapt to new threats and changes in the model's configuration. Continuous validation helps safeguard against potential safety and security threats such as prompt injection, denial of service, and sensitive data leakage on an ongoing basis. This feature ensures that AI applications remain secure even as they evolve through updates or fine-tuning.MORE FOR YOUWhy does Cisco AI Defense matter?The threat of sensitive corporate data leakage into open foundation models is both real and pervasive. Meanwhile, advanced data theft attacks and proprietary corporate information data poisoning are examples of burgeoning AI security threats. Cisco's AI Defense offers security teams visibility, access control and threat protection.As companies develop new AI applications, developers need a set of AI security and safety guardrails that work for every application. Cisco AI Defense helps developers protect AI systems from attacks and safeguards model behavior across platforms. Security teams must understand who is building applications and the training sources for these new applications. Cisco AI Defense provides security teams with visibility into all third-party AI applications used within an organization, including tools for conversational chat, code assistance, and image editing.During an industry analyst meeting, Ciscos Vice President, AI Software and Platform for the Security Business Group, DJ Sampath, said, You have to provide visibility into where these applications are, what models they are using, and what type of data they are using.. and the data store used for training. Its important to be able to provide the right runtime enforcement across public and private clouds. The key thing that we're doing with the AI defense solution for applications is we're making sure that you have a single place to get this entire visibility.Cisco AI Defense canunsanctioned AI tools. It allows organizations to enforce policies on how AI applications are accessed and used, ensuring compliance with internal and external regulations. It also continuously safeguards against threats and confidential data loss while ensuring compliance.A security product must be able to easily integrate with developer workflows if the solution is to be successful at addressing app-related security issues. Cisco addressed this potential issue by allowing developers to trigger AI model validation processes through APIs, integrating directly into CI/CD pipelines. Automated security checks during development improve security posture without hindering development timelines.A Step Forward in AI SecurityCisco AI Defense delivers tangible benefits to stressed security operations (SecOps) teams by offering enhanced visibility, streamlined security management, and proactive threat mitigation. For example, the platform provides detailed insights into AI application usage across the enterprise to improve visibility into AI-powered apps and workflows. Security teams can detect and analyze potential vulnerabilities in real-time by monitoring network traffic and API interactions. With centralized policy enforcement via Cisco's Security Cloud Control, SecOps teams can manage security across multiple AI applications and enforcement points from a single interface to reduce complexity and operational overhead.Cisco AI Defense also streamlines deployment because it seamlessly integrates with the Cisco Secure Access platform, leveraging existing enforcement points and simplifying deployment for enterprises already using Cisco's security solutions. With the average company using over 76 security products, security teams need simplicity. Cisco AI Defense aligns with established industry standards, making it easier for organizations to meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate compliance during audits.Cisco's latest announcement of AI Defense showcases how the intersection of AI and cybersecurity requires an evolution of a company's security strategy. By addressing the unique risks posed by AI applications and providing tools tailored to the needs of SecOps teams, Cisco has positioned itself as a contender in the new AI security realm.

Rumor mill: Sony is collaborating with AMD once again to develop the next generation of PlayStation consoles, and progress appears to be going smoothly. According to a new leak, the chip design for the future PlayStation 6 is essentially complete and nearly ready to enter the manufacturing phase. Sony is currently trying to convince gamers that the modest improvements of the PlayStation 5 Pro can justify its hefty $700 price tag, and the console is reportedly performing well in the market. Meanwhile, the Japanese giant is also hard at work on the next generation of PlayStation hardware, with AMD confirmed as the key partner for designing the system-on-a-chip at the heart of the upcoming gaming machine.Well-known tipster KeplerL2 previously reported that Sony and AMD were working on two different PS6 SoCs. Now, the same leaker has provided additional details about the progress of the SoC, revealing that the chip design is complete and has already entered the pre-silicon validation phase. According to KeplerL2, the "A0 tapeout" is scheduled for late this year, which suggests that the new console could arrive on the market earlier than anticipated.Sony is known for following a reliable hardware development cycle, with the A0 tapeout phase typically completed about two years before the final product is released to retail channels. KeplerL2 confirmed that Sony is adhering to the same pattern, meaning we could see a new generation of PlayStation hardware as early as 2027.The intricate design of the PlayStation 5's AMD Oberon SoC as pictured by Fritzchens FritzThe PlayStation 6 is expected to be based on AMD's Zen 6 architecture, the company's upcoming CPU technology manufactured using TSMC's 3nm process node. Zen 6 is projected to launch in 2026 in PC products. KeplerL2 also noted that the new CPU microarchitecture is design complete, with certain components set to be fabricated on TSMC's 2nm node. // Related StoriesThe GPU of the PlayStation 6 is described as an early fork of AMD's "gfx13," part of the "UDNA" architecture that the company is reportedly developing to create a true next-generation flagship accelerator, replacing the RDNA-based designs.A few months ago, anonymous sources revealed that Intel had attempted to establish a profitable partnership with Sony to produce PlayStation x86 SoCs, but AMD successfully outbid the competition once again.Another intriguing rumor about the PlayStation 6 has emerged from Chinese forums, such as Chiphell, where users are discussing the potential adoption of 3D V-Cache technology. The new console may leverage AMD's "Halo" tech to stack cache RAM chiplets on both the CPU and GPU. Although the specific packaging method has not yet been disclosed, stacked cache technology could deliver a significant performance boost to the new PlayStation. Notably, even Microsoft is reportedly exploring this solution for its next-gen console.

It seems Apple is finally ready for a design refresh after recycling the same aesthetics that it introduced with the iPhone 11 series. Interestingly, it wont be a flagship phone that sets the ball rolling, but a highly-anticipated mid-tier phone that could kickstart a whole new design language for Apple smartphones.Leakster MajinBu, who has had a mixed track record with Apple leaks, has shared what appears to be the unibody chassis for the iPhone 17 series Air. The standout element is the large pill-shaped camera bar at the top, which looks suspiciously similar to the Pixel 9 series phones.Recommended VideosNow, the iPhone 17 Air has delivered more conflicting rumors than any Apple device in the past few years, so process this latest leak with the proverbial pinch of skepticism. However, this design has appeared in alleged schematics in the past few months, as well, so there might be some substance to it.The leaked image shows a single large cutout for the camera lens, which falls in line with rumors claiming that the iPhone 17 Air will only offer one camera at the back, owing to the space constraints in its chassis.Please enable Javascript to view this contentAccording to leaks, the phone could be as thin as 5.5 millimeters across, making it the slimmest device Apple has ever attempted to far. However, Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is testing a phone that is nearly 2 millimeters thinner than its current flagships, which puts the iPhone 17 Airs cross-section profile in roughly the same league as the iPhone 6 and Samsungs upcoming Galaxy S25 Slim.The iPhone 17 Air is expected to replace the Plus model in Apples line-up this year, making it the second time that Apples experiment with a fourth variant has met an early end, following the short-lived mini series.New iPhone 17 Pro details, via @theinformation Most significant redesign in years Aluminum frame on all models Rectangular aluminum camera bump Partly glass back for wireless charging pic.twitter.com/JjImhsb1zY AppleTrack (@appltrack) November 26, 2024Its hard to digest the design approach for a few reasons. First, it seems to have been brazenly lifted from the Pixel 9 series, which finally gave Googles smartphones a unique identity of their own without making any compromises on the build quality.I love my Pixel 9, and would pick it any day over any member of the iPhone 16 series. Googles approach is fresh, standout, and extremely well-executed. The iPhones are a solid peice of hardware, too, but I cant imagine Apples design flying this close to an arch-rival.Apple has been known to innovate wait out on others innovation, only to serve the same material with a refined approach years later in a rather calculated fashion. But when it comes to design, the company is usually a step ahead, and stands out prominently from the crowd.That historical focus on aesthetic supremacy is what makes the latest iPhone 17 Air leak seem rather sketchy. It doesnt look bad, far from it actually, but I would wait until the Fall season this year to find out rather than hold my breath or engage in a social media shouting match about Apple losing its edge.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsPrice and release datePerformance and featuresM5 Pro, M5 Max and M5 UltraWith a new MacBook Air just around the corner, Apple is still in the process of rolling out its range of M4 chips. But that hasnt stopped speculation mounting about the upcoming M5 chip which is due to arrive later this year along with all of the benefits it might bring.Wondering what that might entail? Youre in the right place, as weve put together everything we know about Apples M5 chip, from the Macs itll come to and the performance you can expect to whats rumored for the high-end chips in the M5 roster. Read on to get the lowdown.Recommended VideosGetty Images / Getty ImagesThere are a lot of Apple products that the M5 chip might find its way into, including both Macs and iPads. Given the M5 will be Apples entry-level chip when it launches, it makes sense that its likely to appear in most of Apples entry-level Macs, alongside a few iPads as well.RelatedThe first product expected to get the M5 is the MacBook Pro, which will probably launch in fall 2025. Apple tends to update its pro-focused MacBook in October or November, so expect the same again this year.We can expect the iPad Pro to also get the M5 around this time, or perhaps a little later. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman believes the M5 iPad Pro will make an appearance in late 2025 or early 2026, so theres a chance it will come just after the MacBook Pro. The iPad Air is another candidate for the M5, although there has also been talk that Apple might instead opt for the last-generation M3 chip.Next on the list is the MacBook Air. Apple is expected to outfit this with the M5 in spring 2026, about 12 months after its upcoming M4 version launches this year. And we might also see an M5 iMac in 2025 this computer has been following a roughly two-year release cycle recently, with versions launching in April 2021 and October 2023. If that continues, a new version is likely in 2025, although we cant be certain when in the year that might happen.Then theres the Mac mini. This was tweaked in both 2023 and 2024, suggesting that a 2025 version might be in the cards. But at the same time, Apple skipped the M3 chip in the Mac mini, instead giving it the M2 and then the M4. That means its not certain whether Apple will opt to launch an M5 version or not well have to wait for more information over the coming weeks and months.As for the price of the M5 chip, that depends on the device it comes with. Were hoping that Apple will keep the prices of its M5 products the same as their last-generation predecessors Apple often does this, although its by no means guaranteed.Luke Larsen / Digital TrendsSince were still a long way out from the M5s release, specifics about its expected performance and features are hard to come by. Still, there are a few details that have been doing the rounds.For one thing, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the M5 will be made using manufacturing firm TSMCs third-generation N3P process. That should translate to performance and efficiency improvements over the M4. Still, its a 3nm process rather than the more advanced 2nm alternative that some sources had been predicting, with the reason being that the 2nm option is apparently still too expensive for Apples taste.TSMCs process for the M5 will reportedly involve the companys System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology, which enables chip components to be stacked on top of each other in a three-dimensional layout. Thats expected to improve temperatures and reduce electrical leakage. Theres also talk that the chip will include thermoplastic carbon fiber composite molding technology, although its not immediately clear what exactly that will mean for consumers.AppleThe base-level M5 is not the only chip well see in the next generation of Apple silicon Apple will also be working on mid-range and high-end chips for its more advanced Macs.According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the M5 Pro and M5 Max should be released in 2025, with the M5 Ultra following in 2026. Based on previous patterns, well probably see the M5 Pro in the MacBook Pro and Mac mini, the M5 Max in the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, and the M5 Ultra in the Mac Studio and Mac Pro.An interesting implication of the M5 Ultra is that it could mean the Mac Studio and Mac Pro get annual upgrades, as the M4 Ultra is expected this year. Thats something that neither Mac has ever had.While its too early to know what sort of core counts, performance and features these chips will come with, Kuo believes that all of these mid-range and high-end M5 chips will use server-grade 2.5D packaging to improve yields and thermal performance.As well as that, Kuo says these chips will come with separate CPU and GPU designs, which could bring a performance boost compared to the current design. Finally, these chips will be better suited to artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing, according to Kuo.Editors Recommendations

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Here we go again New Netflix price hikes increase subscription fees by up to $2.50 a month The cheapest ad-free plan increases from $15.49 to $17.99. Scharon Harding Jan 21, 2025 5:20 pm | 0 A scene from the Netflix original series Squid Game. Credit: Netflix A scene from the Netflix original series Squid Game. Credit: Netflix Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreToday Netflix, the biggest streaming service based on subscriber count, announced that it will increase subscription prices by up to $2.50 per month.In a letter to investors [PDF], Netflix announced price changes starting today in the US, Canada, Argentina, and Portugal.People who subscribe to Netflix's cheapest ad-free plan (Standard) will see the biggest increase in monthly costs. The subscription will go from $15.49/month to $17.99/month, representing a 16.14 percent bump. The subscription tier allows commercial-free streaming for up to two devices and maxes out at 1080p resolution. It's Netflix's most popular subscription in the US, Bloomberg noted.Netflix's Premium ad-free tier has cost $22.99/month but is going up 8.7 percent to $24.99/month. The priciest Netflix subscription supports simultaneous streaming for up to four devices, downloads on up to six devices, 4K resolution, HDR, and spatial audio.Finally, Netflix's Standard With Ads tier will go up by $1, or 14.3 percent, to $7.99/month. This tier supports streaming from up to two devices and up to 1080p resolution. In Q4 2024, this subscription represented "over 55 percent of sign-ups" in countries where it's available and generally grew "nearly 30 percent quarter over quarter," Netflix said in its quarterly letter to investors."As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix," Netflix's letter reads.Netflix most recently raised subscription prices in 2023, when the Premium plan went up by $3 and the Basic plan increased by $2 (Netflix killed off the Basic plan in 2024).Ads continue to be a central focus for Netflix moving forward. As it stands, Netflix's ad business wasn't yet large enough to be broken out in Netflix's Q4 2024 earnings report but should be relevant by 2026, the streaming company said."Were on track to reach sufficient scale for ads members in all of our ads countries in 2025," Netflix told investors. "A top priority in 2025 is to improve our offering for advertisers so that we can substantially grow our advertising revenue."In Q4 2024, Netflix gained more subscribers than it ever has in a single quarter, buoyed by live sporting events and a new season of one of its most popular series, Squid Game. The streaming platform added 18.91 million subscribers for a total of 301.63 million. Netflix has said it will not report quarterly subscriber numbers in future reports.In addition to record subscriber gains, Netflix also saw its largest quarterly revenue gainup 16 percent to $10.2 billionsince 2021 in Q4 2024.With Netflix already enacting a successful password crackdown, launching an ad-supported subscription offering, and topping subscriber counts, there are limited ways for it to fuel growth. It also needs billions of dollars to pay for and continue to win the rights to stream live events. Netflix plans to get some of these funds from current subscribers' wallets.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 0 Comments