Events in the US are top of mind, with President Trumps administration pushing against the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda, particularly within government offices and departments. The main thrust of this appears to be from a legal perspective the danger of litigation if an individual claims to have been overlooked due to DEI targets as well as financial considerations, given that running DEI teams and initiatives creates costs that, in a strict sense, could be viewed as optional.But these arent the only headwinds against DEI. Nationalism remains on the rise a fifth of the electorate in Germany recently voted for the far-right party, for example and this is usually typified by embracing a single world view and the valuing of specific characteristics over others.For anyone who supports diversity and inclusion as a matter of principle, as I do, these are disconcerting developments.However, its important to remember that its not yet clear where all of this will land. On the DEI front, the US as influential as it is is only one country and doesnt automatically dictate what happens elsewhere. And while some US corporations, including major players in my own industry of tech, have indicated that they will revisit their approach to DEI, that doesnt mean they will abandon it altogether. It is worth noting the words of Apple CEO Tim Cook when he recently said: As the legal landscape around this issue evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our north star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver. He added that the company would continue to work on a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work.I believe it will always be true that businesses need to be representative of the communities, customers and markets that they serve. For most organisations, those communities and markets are diverse. So there remains a clear business case for diversity inside the workforce too.Only time will tell how much difference there is in practice to hiring and promotion decisions as they happen in the daily workplace. My gut feeling is that the effect wont be to decimate diversity ratios although it may not actively help them either.So where does this leave us, and in particular around gender given the approach of International Womens Day? My message to women is simple: continue to believe in yourself. As women, we often spend a lot of time nurturing and caring for others, whether as mothers, carers, colleagues or friends. That should continue of course but now also feels like the time to invest more energy in nurturing yourself. Nurture your skills, your career and your aspirations. Believe in your abilities. Barriers are nothing new after all weve always faced them so dont get distracted by the judgements or biases of others and keep on forging your path. Maintain your networks, stay connected and lean into development opportunities. If you dont have a mentor, consider looking for one. If you are a mentor yourself, stay committed to that.There is a message here for men, too. They can be powerful allies and advocates in promoting gender equality and inclusion and that should continue. This is no time to step away from it. If youve been thinking about becoming an ally in a formal sense (perhaps through mentoring or supporting a network) then now is the time to do it. Think about the women, the daughters, in your life who matter to you and do something in support.While there are plenty of reasons to be concerned, fundamentally I believe that great people will always win through. Thats why women should continue to believe in themselves and keep setting their sights high. After all, most women I know dont put themselves forward for jobs or new responsibilities on the basis that theyre a woman they do it on the basis that theyre a great professional in their field.Perhaps we are moving towards an era that is more explicitly about meritocracy than equity. If that is the case, history is full of examples where capable women across the business landscape have broken through. Now is the time for us to not just celebrate these achievements but use them to fuel our own ambitions. Happy IWD!

The iPhone 16e launched last week, and new customers can score one for free with a Visible+ plan.

Kerry Wan/ZDNETIt's only March, but it feels like we've already seen the best Android phones of 2025. With theSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultraand OnePlus 13, you're looking at two of the most complete handsets on the market right now, with both devices featuring the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, enough RAM to power various AI tools, and other key advances that we'll likely see and hear more of later this year.Also: Best of MWC 2025: 9 most impressive products that stole our attentionEven so, the latest from Samsung and OnePlus aren't perfect, and their most notable shortcomings are the reason why this comparison exists in the first place. To help you decide which of the two devices to upgrade, you'll want to consider factors like software experience, battery and charging, and the features that make each unique. I break down the list of key buying reasons below. Specifications Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraOnePlus 13Display 6.9-inch QHD LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz6.82-inch QHD LTPO OLED with 120HzProcessor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite RAM/Storage12GB RAM with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB16GB with 256GB, 512GBBattery5,000mAh with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging6,000mAh with 80W wired and 50W wireless chargingCamera200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x), 10MP telephoto (3x), 12MP selfie50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (3x), 32MP selfieDurabilityIP68 with Corning Gorilla Armor 2IP69 with Crystal Shield super-ceramic glassWeight218 grams210 - 213 grams (depending on color)PriceStarting at $1,299Starting at $899 You should buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if... Kerry Wan/ZDNET 1. You want the more capable camera systemWhile the S25 Ultra doesn't necessarily push the envelope this year with its upgraded camera system, it's still one of, if not the most versatile options on the market. You're getting a 200-megapixel wide lens that pulls in more detail than most phones, the same 50MP and 10MP telephoto lenses from last year's S24 Ultra, and a new 50MP ultrawide that, from our testing, can capture crisp and sharp-looking landscape and macro photos. (With close-up shots, you just have to be extra patient as the phone adjusts its focus.)Also:I used the Galaxy S25 Ultra as my daily driver for two weeks - and I'm worried for SamsungThe larger camera enhancements with the S25 Ultra come in the form of software, from computing photo details to editing subjects with generative AI tools. For example, there's a new Audio Eraser feature that lets you adjust the volume of various sound profiles in videos (both newly and previously recorded ones). The ability to capture footage in Galaxy Log mode also means that creatives and video professionals have better control of lighting, contrast levels, and overall colors when editing. 2. You want the best of AI experiences right nowIf you told me years ago that Google Pixel users are consideringswitching to Samsung because of software, I would've thought you were crazy. But here we are, with the S25 Ultra taking the lead this year in AI capabilities and updates, and Google is helping to add fuel to the tank. The newest Galaxy phones feature a swath of AI features, but the standout for me is cross-app integrations with Gemini.By linking services from Samsung, Google, and other third-party applications, users can now ask Gemini to fulfill a chain of tasks with a single command. For example, you can long-press the power button -- which can be configured to activate Gemini instead of Bixby now -- and ask the assistant to search for a local Mexican restaurant that's pet-friendly and send the address to a contact. Such a feature is currently exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 9 series.3. The Samsung-exclusive benefits entice youBuying a flagshipSamsung phone entitles you to several benefits, including a longer-than-average software update policy -- with the S25 Ultra supporting up to seven years of OS and security patches, wider access to repair services and parts, and more options for cases, screen protectors, and other third-party accessories.Also: I'm skipping the Plus and Ultra - here's why the standard Galaxy S25 is my top pickWith the Galaxy S Ultra model in particular, there's the benefit of having a built-in S Pen stylus, which gives you precision inputs for notetaking, sketching, and other creative tasks. Just know that this year's S Pen no longer has a rechargeable battery and, therefore, loses the ability to control the phone wirelessly. You should buy the OnePlus 13 if... Kerry Wan/ZDNET 1. You want the best phone for the moneyFlagship phones can cost a pretty penny, so if bang for your buck is what you're after, the OnePlus 13, which starts at $799 when you trade in any phone in any condition to OnePlus, is a far better deal than the $1,299 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. In ways, you're getting more and better specs on the OnePlus than the Samsung, even though the former costs $500 less. For example, while the OnePlus 13 features a non-overclocked variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, tests have shown that the difference in performance is negligible.Review:OnePlus 13: This flagship costs hundreds less than S25 Ultra - but wins in key waysAt the time of writing, the OnePlus 13 also comes with a free storage upgrade, which nets you a 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage configuration for the same price as the base tier. That's compared to the S25 Ultra, which starts at 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (if you take advantage of Samsung's free upgrade offer). 2. You'd rather not have to sit by the outletOne of the key reasons to buy a OnePlus phone is its fast charging speeds. This year's model features the same 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging as its predecessor, but even then, those numbers outpace what Samsung is offering with the S25 Ultra. With 80W wired charging (via the SuperVooc charger included in the box), the OnePlus 13 can charge from 0% to 100% in less than 40 minutes. To put things into perspective, even the 50W wireless charging is faster than the S25 Ultra's wired charging, which caps out at 45W.Also: The best Android phones to buy in 2025The OnePlus 13 also features a larger 6,000mAh silicon-based battery, compared to the S25 Ultra's 5,000mAh lithium-ion battery. Choosing this material over the traditional lithium-ion allows the phone maker to embed a denser battery capacity without adding bulk. From our tests, there's a noticeable difference in battery life that favors the OnePlus. 3. Water damage traumatizes youTo protect the tech within, the OnePlus 13 is one of the first phones in the US market to feature an IP69 rating. Compared to the IP68 rating typically found on flagship phones like the S25 Ultra, the higher water resistance allows the OnePlus 13 to withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets and steam cleaning. So, if you happen to leave the handset in your pants as they're in the washer, or the device slips through your fingers and falls into a pot of boiling water or soup, it should be able to still function properly after a wipe.Alternatives to considerSamsung Unpacked

If you grew up walking on eggshells, you might be blending into relationships as a survival ... [+] instinct. Heres how to stop.gettyIn relationships, adaptability is often seen as a strengthbeing open to compromise, understanding your partners needs and adjusting when necessary. But what happens when you become so adaptable that you lose sight of yourself?Some people develop a pattern of blending into their relationships, shaping their personality, interests and even emotions to match their partners. This phenomenon, often referred to as chameleoning, is gaining attention as a dating trend, but its far more than that.At its core, chameleoning is a learned survival mechanism, often rooted in childhood experiences of unpredictability or emotional instability. For many, it starts in households where emotions could shift without warningwhere blending in meant avoiding conflict, rejection or criticism.But when this pattern follows you into adulthood, it can blur the line between connection and losing yourself. Here are three signs you might be blending in too much and what you can do to reclaim your sense of self.1. You Adopt Their Opinions And InterestsOne of the clearest signs of chameleoning is absorbing your partners likes, dislikes and opinions as your own. You might find yourself watching their favorite TV shows, even ones you dont enjoy, agreeing with political views you never considered before or picking up hobbies that never interested you in the past. Before you know it, you barely recognize the person you were before the relationship.A 2019 study published in Personal Relationships found that self-concept clarity (SCC) plays a crucial role in both individual well-being and relationship satisfaction. People with a strong sense of self tend to have healthier, more stable relationships, while those with low self-concept clarity are more prone to self-doubt, dependency and unconsciously molding their identity around their partner.If you constantly shift your preferences, values or identity to align with your partner, its not just compromiseits self-loss. Breaking free from chameleoning starts with small, intentional changes. Here are two steps you can take today:Spend time alonewithout distractions. Step away from social media and outside influences. Ask yourself: What do I actually enjoy? What opinions feel true to me? Write them down and notice if they differ from what you usually express around others.Practice small acts of self-expression. Share an honest opinion, even on something simple like a movie or restaurant. Wear something you like, even if its different from what your partner or friends would choose. Small steps build confidence in being yourself.The more you show up as your true self, the less youll feel the need to blend in. Its not about pushing people awayits about making space for the right connections.2. You Struggle To Set Boundaries Because It Feels UnsafeWhen youve spent years adapting to keep others happy, setting boundaries doesnt just feel uncomfortableit feels dangerous. If you were raised in an environment where expressing your own needs led to rejection, punishment or emotional withdrawal, you likely learned that disagreeing means losing connection.So, in relationships, you instinctively put others comfort above your ownagreeing to plans that exhaust you, letting hurtful comments slide and saying yes when you mean no. Not because you want to, but because part of you believes that standing your ground could cost you love.This lack of self-differentiationwhere your sense of identity is so entangled with others that asserting your own needs feels like a risk to the relationshipcreates a subservient dynamic where you adapt to fit into the relationship instead of showing up as an equal partner.You may struggle to identify your true needs, suppress emotions to avoid disapproval and feel trapped in a relationship where your role is to accommodate rather than to exist as yourself.Heres how to replace chameleoning with self-trustRewire your instinct to agree before automatically saying yes, pause. Ask yourself, Do I actually want this, or am I just avoiding discomfort? Give yourself permission to prioritize your own needseven if it feels foreign at first.Practice individuation through micro-decisions. Instead of defaulting to Whatever works for you, make small, independent choices daily. Whether its picking a restaurant, expressing an honest opinion or setting a tiny boundary, these moments train your brain to see self-expression as safe.Detach self-worth from approval. If saying no triggers anxiety or guilt, recognize that discomfort does not mean danger. Remind yourself that youre allowed to exist independently from what others you to be. The right people will respect that.Breaking free from chameleoning isnt about becoming rigid or unyieldingits about reclaiming your right to exist as a whole person, not just a reflection of those around you.3. You Fear Rejection And Constantly Seek ApprovalA study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found that adolescents who experience social exclusion show heightened activity in brain regions associated with emotional pain. Those with higher rejection sensitivity exhibited greater distress responses, particularly in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC)a brain region linked to processing social pain.While the study focuses on adolescents, these neural patterns often persist into adulthood. If early experiences of rejection made social approval feel essential for emotional security, you may unconsciously turn into a chameleon in relationships, adapting yourself to avoid exclusion or disapproval. Instead of asserting your own needs, you focus on keeping the connection intact at all costseven if it means losing yourself in the process.The more you mold yourself to fit someone elses expectations, the more you lose sight of who you really are. Heres how you can focus on building genuine connections.Recognize when youre approval-seeking. Pay attention to moments where you downplay your opinions or change your behavior out of fear of rejection. Ask yourself, Am I saying this because I believe it or because I think theyll like me more?Rebuild self-trust with micro-moments of authenticity. Start expressing your real thoughts in small, low-risk situations. Instead of agreeing out of habit, try saying, Actually, I see it differently. These micro-moments help rewire your brain to see disagreement as safe.Detach validation from self-worth. Remind yourself: Being liked is not the same as being loved. True connection comes from mutual respect and emotional honesty, not from constantly adapting to keep the peace.Chameleoning isnt just about adaptingits about survival. If youve spent years blending in to keep relationships stable, its understandable why stepping into your true self might feel uncomfortable, even risky. But the cost of constant adaptation is steeper than it seems.Breaking free doesnt happen overnight. It starts with small acts of self-trustexpressing an honest opinion, making independent choices and allowing yourself to exist without fear of rejection. The right people wont love you because you mold yourself to fit their world. Theyll love you because you stand firm on your own.If youve ever wondered whether your relationship supports your true self, this science-backed can give you the clarity you need: Relationship Satisfaction Scale

In this photo is a business sign hanging over the entrance to a Walgreens pharmacy and store in ... [+] Alexandria, Virginia. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWalgreen Boots Alliance will become privately held in a takeover by the investment firm Sycamore Partners for more than $10 billion, the companies announced Thursday.The deal, which had been rumored for months, calls for Walgreens shareholders to receive $11.45 per share in cash at closing of the Sycamore purchase and one non-transferable right to receive up to $3 in cash per WBA share from the future monetization of WBAs debt and equity interests in VillageMD, which includes the Village Medical, Summit Health and CityMD businesses, the companies said.Sycamores agreement to pay $11.45 per share is 29% above where the stock price was trading in December and represents an equity value of around $10 billion, the companies confirmed.Leveraging (Walgreens Boots Alliances healthcare expertise and Sycamores established leadership in retail and consumer services, WBA will be better positioned to become the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, the companies said Thursday after closing of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company will continue to operate under Walgreens, Boots and its trusted portfolio of consumer brands. WBA will maintain its headquarters in the Chicago area and continue contributing to the communities in which it operates, with the goal of positively impacting the health outcomes and overall well-being of its customers, patients, communities and team members.News of the Walgreens sale comes as rival CVS Health is committed to keeping all of its businesses including its retail pharmacies and growing Oak Street senior health center operation. CVS also owns the nations third largest health insurance company in Aetna and one of the nations largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies in Caremark. Owning a health insurer and PBM allows those CVS companies to buy services from its provider operations at discounts for health plan enrollees as well as employer and government clients.Walgreens stock has been plummeting in recent years in part due to a disastrous rollout of clinics attached to stores. That has led the company to close hundreds of stores to reduce debt an stem financial losses.Under former chief executive Roz Brewer, Walgreens spent billions of dollars investing in and operating physician-staffed clinic operator VillageMD.Walgreens invested more than $6 billion in VillageMD under Brewer to take a controlling stake, but the company has already scaled back dramatically on the expansion of doctor practices and clinics the company opened attached to Walgreens. In 2020, Walgreens said it planned to open 500 to 700 Village Medical at Walgreens physician-led primary care clinics in more than 30 U.S. markets over five years, with the intent to build hundreds more thereafter.But Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth, who replaced Brewer in October 2023, said a year ago that Walgreens and partner VillageMD have slowed the number clinic openings in part because the operators havent been able to fill their patient panels, which are a certain number of individual patients under the care of a specific provider.Meanwhile, Walgreens, which has been closing stores and cutting costs, reported a net loss of $265 million, or 31 cents a share in its fiscal first quarter ended Nov. 30 of last year. That compares to a year-ago loss of $67 million or 8 cents a share.Its unclear what Walgreens strategy will be going forward. On Thursday afternoon, Wentworth said the company is focused on making healthcare delivery more effective, convenient and affordable as we navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving pharmacy industry and an increasingly complex and competitive retail landscape.While we are making progress against our ambitious turnaround strategy, meaningful value creation will take time, focus and change that is better managed as a private company, Wentworth added. "Sycamore will provide us with the expertise and experience of a partner with a strong track record of successful retail turnarounds. The WBA Board considered all these factors in evaluating this transaction, and we believe this agreement provides shareholders premium cash value, with the ability to benefit from additional value creation going forward from monetization of the VillageMD businesses.

On March 5, Chinese tech giant Alibaba released its latest AI reasoning model, QwQ-32B, resulting in an 8% spike in the companys Hong Kong-listed shares. While less capable than Americas leading AI systems, such as OpenAIs o3 or Anthropics Claude 3.7 Sonnet, the model reportedly performs about as well as its Chinese competitor DeepSeeks model, R1, while requiring considerably less computing power to develop and to run. Its creators say QwQ-32B embodies an ancient philosophical spirit by approaching problems with genuine wonder and doubt.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt reflects the broader competitiveness of Chinas frontier AI ecosystem, says Scott Singer, a visiting scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. That ecosystem includes DeepSeeks R1 and Tencents Hunyuan model, which Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark has said is by some measures world-class. That said, assessments of Alibabas latest model are preliminary, both due to the inherent challenge of measuring model capabilities, and because so far, the model has only been assessed by Alibaba itself. The information environment is not very rich right now, says Singer.Another step on the path to AGISince the release of DeepSeeks R1 model in January sent waves through the global stock market, Chinas tech ecosystem has been in the spotlightparticularly as the U.S. increasingly sees itself as racing against China to create artificial general intelligence (AGI)highly advanced AI systems capable of performing most cognitive work, from graphic design to machine-learning research. AGI is widely expected to confer a decisive military and strategic advantage to whichever company or government creates it first, as such a system may be capable of engaging in advanced cyberwarfare or creating novel weapons of mass destruction (though experts are highly skeptical humans will be able to retain control over such a system, regardless of who creates it).We are confident that combining stronger foundation models with reinforcement learning powered by scaled computational resources will propel us closer to achieving AGI, wrote the team behind Alibabas latest model. The quest to create AGI permeates most leading AI labs. DeepSeeks stated goal is to unravel the mystery of AGI with curiosity. OpenAIs mission, meanwhile, is to ensure that artificial general intelligenceAI systems that are generally smarter than humansbenefits all of humanity. Leading AI CEOs including Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Elon Musk all expect AGI-like systems to be built within President Trumps current term.China's turnAlibabas latest AI release comes just two weeks after the companys co-founder, Jack Ma, was pictured in the front row at a meeting between President Xi Jinping and the countrys preeminent business leaders. Since 2020, when Ma publicly criticized state regulators and state-owned banks for stifling innovation and operating with a pawn shop mentality, the Chinese billionaire has largely been absent from the public spotlight. In that time, the Chinese government cracked down on the tech industry, imposing stricter rules on how companies could use data and compete in the market, while also taking more control over key digital platforms.Singer says that by 2022, it became clear that the bigger threat to the country was not the tech industry, but economic stagnation. That economic stagnation story, and attempting to reverse it, has really shaped so much of policy over the last 18 months, says Singer. China is moving quickly to adopt cutting-edge technology, with at least 13 city governments and 10 state-owned energy companies reportedly having already deployed DeepSeek models into their systems. Technical innovationAlibabas model represents a continuation of existing trends: in recent years, AI systems have consistently increased in performance while becoming cheaper to run. Non-profit research organization Epoch AI estimates that the amount of computing power used to train AI systems has been increasing by more than 4x each year, while, thanks to regular improvements in algorithm design, that computing power is being used three times more efficiently each year. Put differently, a system that required, for example, 10,000 advanced computer chips to train last year could be trained with only a third as many this year.Despite efficiency improvements, Singer cautions that high-end computing chips remain crucial for advanced AI developmenta reality that makes U.S. export controls on these chips a continuing challenge for Chinese AI companies like Alibaba and DeepSeek, whose CEO has cited access to chips, rather than money or talent, as their biggest bottleneck.QwQ (pronounced like quill) is the latest to join a new generation of systems billed as reasoning models, which some consider to represent a new paradigm in AI. Previously, AI systems got better by scaling both the amount of computing power used to train them and the amount and quality of data on which they were trained. In this new paradigm, the emphasis is on taking a model that has already been trainedin this case, Qwen 2.5-32Band scaling the amount of computing the system uses in responding to a given query. As the Qwen team writes, when given time to ponder, to question, and to reflect, the models understanding of mathematics and programming blossoms like a flower opening to the sun. This is consistent with trends observed with Western models, where techniques that allow them to think longer have yielded significant improvements in performance on complex analytic problems.Alibabas QwQ has been released open weight, meaning the weights that constitute the modelaccessible in the form of a computer filecan be downloaded and run locally, including on a high-end laptop. Interestingly, a preview of the model, released last November, attracted considerably less attention. Singer notes that the stock market is generally reactive to model releases and not to the trajectory of the technology, which is expected to continue to improve rapidly on both sides of the Pacific. The Chinese ecosystem has a bunch of players in it, all of whom are putting out models that are very powerful and compelling, and its not clear who will emerge, when its all said and done, as having the best model, he says.

Recap: The launch of AMD's Radeon RX 9070 graphics card has dashed hopes that Team Red might escape the inflated prices and weak supply that have plagued Nvidia over the past few weeks. Although listings for the new GPUs at the company's MSRP still exist, retailers globally confirmed that they will evaporate soon. Retail sources have told multiple outlets that AMD's new Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT graphics cards will only be available at MSRP during early shipments. Afterward, premiums from board partners will dominate, potentially diminishing or eliminating the lineup's value advantage over Nvidia's midrange RTX 50 series products, which face similar availability problems.Overclock3D, Inet, and Overclockers all report that the cards currently available at MSRP only maintain those prices because AMD sold its launch stock to retailers at a discount. Once the promotion ends, sellers expect prices to spike worldwide. They also say costs won't revert when new stock arrives.Graphic cards going for MSRP have become increasingly rare in recent years, but the launch of Nvidia's RTX 50 series, which started in January, has been particularly disastrous. A Taiwan earthquake and the Chinese New Year holiday depressed the company's manufacturing capacity for the first quarter of 2025, causing supply to disappear instantly on launch day. Most of what's available is over $100 above MSRP, hundreds of dollars over in some cases.More positive news initially surrounded AMD, with reports saying the RX 9070 line's stocks are healthier. Additionally, reviews confirmed that they usually match or outperform Team Green's RTX 5070 duo at similar prices with more VRAM. The company has even closed the gap in ray tracing and image reconstruction after lagging behind its rival for several years.Also Read: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Review Overpromised, Underdelivered, and Ultimately Pointless // Related StoriesUnfortunately, neither company can escape stocking and pricing struggles. The new mid-range GPUs from AMD and Nvidia are now sold out, with many partner variants listed at $150 or $200 above MSRP. Nvidia's supply will reportedly improve in late March when the RTX 5070 Founder's Edition arrives, but it's unclear how much improvement we'll see.Looming 20-percent tariffs against imported goods from China might worsen the situation for GPUs and other electronics that source components from the country. Corie Barry, the CEO of prominent PC retailer Best Buy, recently remarked that customers should expect price hikes soon.

In brief: Don't look now, but your video recorder might be part of a massive botnet pulling off record-breaking sustained DDoS attacks. The network involves compromised Shenzhen webcams and DVRs. The attacks do not appear state-sponsored, but they are very disruptive, with some victims reporting denial of service attacks lasting for days. Nokia security researchers are tracking a botnet, dubbed Eleven11bot, that has been delivering what is likely the largest directed denial-of-service attack ever recorded. An estimated 30,000 webcams and video recorders make up the massive botnet. The network is international, but Nokia says the highest concentration of compromised devices (24.4%) is in the United States. While not the largest botnet ever recorded, it has pulled off the biggest observed attack ever seen, peaking at 6.5 terabits per second, surpassing the previous record of 5.6 Tbps set in January, according to Cloudflare.Nokia's Deepfield Emergency Response Team detected Eleven11bot after a surge of geographically dispersed IP addresses launched several "hyper-volumetric attacks" in late February. Unlike traditional exhaustive DDoS attacks that target server resources, volumetric attacks flood networks with massive amounts of data to overwhelm bandwidth capacity. Eleven11bot's hyper-volumetric attacks have targeted communication service providers, game hosting infrastructure, and other sectors, causing disruptions that have lasted up too a week in some cases.Nokia security researcher Jrme Meyer noted that most IP addresses involved in these attacks had not previously been associated with DDoS activity, making Eleven11bot's sudden emergence particularly concerning. He also pointed out that the last comparable botnet of this scale was observed in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with approximately 60,000 infected devices."This botnet is much larger than what we're used to seeing in DDoS attacks," Meyer said. "Attack intensity has varied widely, ranging from a few hundred thousand to several hundred million packets per second (pps)."While Nokia initially estimated the botnet to consist of around 30,000 devices, the nonprofit Shadowserver Foundation revised this figure to more than 86,000. Conversely, security firm Greynoise countered with a much lower estimate of fewer than 5,000 devices, with the highest IP activity (61%) originating in Iran. Meyer said Shadowserver's figure was probably an overestimate due to how it identified infected devices, mistakenly assuming that unique device information meant a device was compromised. He remains confident in his team's estimate as repeated attacks originate from the same 20,000-30,000 observed IP addresses. // Related StoriesGreynoise researchers believe Eleven11bot is a new variant of Mirai, the infamous malware that first surfaced in 2016. Mirai-based botnets typically infect Internet of Things (IoT) devices by exploiting default credentials or software vulnerabilities. Researchers believe the Eleven11bot variant uses a newly discovered exploit to compromise Shenzhen TVT-NVMS 9000 digital video recorders running on HiSilicon chips.To protect against Eleven11bot or any other botnet, experts recommend placing IoT devices behind firewalls, disabling remote administration when not needed, and ensuring devices have strong, unique passwords. Regular firmware updates are also critical in patching vulnerabilities that botnets like Eleven11bot could exploit.

I recently did a catch-up call with my old friend David Edelman of Boston Consulting Group. I went to college with him but didnt know him then, but then we ended up working together when he was consulting and I was running global demand generation at SAP. When we last chatted at a great local Mexican restaurant (right before the pandemic closed it for good), he was CMO at Aetna, and I was deep in the world of intent data-driven B2B. Now he (and Boston Consulting Group colleague, Mark Abraham) have written a wonderful book Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. It seems like theyre onto something thats resonating far and wide with marketers and other businesspeople (Davids LinkedIn has blown up to over a million followers). So last week, I decided to read it voraciously on my way to the B2BMX show in Scottsdale. I can tell you unequivocally that I agree.Personalization is a supercharged catalyst for customer revenue growthWhile the bookInforma TechTarget. In their analysis, the authors cover the B2B Tech sector well, with detail that explains how companies that have focused hard on personalization are growing faster and delivering greater shareholder value than their peers.(From Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. Copyright 2024, The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.)Most important for my practitioner purposes, the book puts forward a very clear 5-point framework for personalization, drilling into each element in ways that I think will be very helpful to my Informa TechTarget colleagues in product, marketing and sales here as well as those in the industry at large.Right at the beginning, the authors note that customer priorities, not technology, should drive your personalization game plan so everything starts with potential buyers and the classic stages of a customer journey (from Awareness through Loyalty). Its a helpful reminder and a simple rubric for teasing out important questions about where Personalization could impact performance in a range of go-to-market use cases.To assess the impact of and guide the personalization efforts of any given business, theyve created the BCG Personalization Index, which they dissect and discuss at length within the book.Working from the customers perspective, they make the point that to win going forward, vendors should be aspiring to better empower, know, reach, show and delight the buyers they hope to attract and retain over time. This framework has me really jazzed because it so closely aligns with what were working on here at Informa TechTarget.The 5 key steps for assessing personalization How does Informa TechTarget measure up?When we speak of Empowering the customer, yes were thinking of our clients for sure, but as publishers audience builders were thinking especially hard about the needs of our clients buyers. As the leading internet provider of B2B tech editorial, our 50 million permissioned readers our clients buyers count on us for the objective guidance they need to make better solution-oriented business decisions.(From Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. Copyright 2024, The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.)This part is key: In exchange for the information we provide free of charge, tech buyers give us explicit permission to track their topical content consumption behaviors and share the resulting intent data with our clients. Unique to our industry, this enables our in-house experts and our vendor partners to better Know the target audiences, what their day-to-day professional needs are, and of course, what they require to help them in making critical solution purchase decisions.When you put this combination together: our deep behavioral and research insights and our incredible digital and physical network of touchpoints, we have an amazing ability to help customers and technology companies efficiently and effectively Reach and connect with each other.And whether its via our 220 digital properties covering tech categories and vertical industries in multimedia, our more than 600 global events and festivals, or, ideally, both, were working tirelessly to help clients create the content and experiences necessary to Show their target buyers exactly whats needed to make business happen. We believe that better than anyone else in the industry, we help buyers understand clients differentiated value and deliver Delightful experiences in the process.Make the time to apply these principles to your own workSo far, Ive spent a highly focused 6 hours or so, getting to know the ideas packed into this important book. Over the coming weeks, Im going to keep coming back to it and using it to further energize our amazing teams here at Informa TechTarget. I very much believe that wherever you play in the go-to-market, you should consider picking up some copies for your team to dig into as well!

If youve been looking for a bright and colorful QLED TV to be the centerpiece of your home theater, were willing to bet youve looked at your fair share of Samsung TVs. For years, Samsung has produced some of the brightest TVs on the market, and weve been able to test a number of these sets. Samsung TV deals are always on our radar, and we came across this incredible offer earlier today:For a limited time, when you purchase the Samsung 75-inch QN90D 4K QLED at Samsung or B&H Photo-Video, youll only pay $1,800. The full MSRP on this model is $3,300. This discount is part of Samsungs Discover Samsung Spring Sale.Released in 2024, the QN90D delivers exceptional SDR brightness and holds up well against glare, making it a great TV for brightly lit rooms. Samsungs Neo Quantum 4K AI Gen 2 processor runs the show for picture processing and 4K upscaling, ensuring every frame is as bright, colorful, and packed with detail as the last. And thanks to HDMI 2.1 connectivity, along with VRR and ALLM support, the QN90D is a fantastic TV for gaming. It also supports every HDR format except Dolby Vision.RelatedSports and action movie fans will be glad to learn the QN90D has a native 120Hz refresh rate and fast response time, so you shouldnt see any ghosting or blur. As for speakers, Samsung outfitted this model with a 60W 4.2.2 speaker system, which can also be paired up with a Samsung Q-Symphony soundbar for an even more immersive soundstage.The fact that this is a smart TV may not be as exciting now as it was a decade ago, but Samsungs Tizen OS UI and smart hub are nothing to shake a stick at. Youll be treated to hundreds of popular apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, plus hours of free live TV channels and casting capabilities via AirPlay 2.Take $1,500 off the Samsung 75-inch QN90D 4K QLED when you purchase today, and be sure to take a look at our lists of the best 75-inch TV deals and best QLED TV deals for even more discounts on top Samsung sets!Editors Recommendations