Reading Time: 10 minutes Picking an omnichannel marketing platform can feel like walking into a tech maze. Every vendor promises personalized customer experiences and 360-degree views. But behind the technical terminologies, most platforms just add noise. Right now, your customers expect seamless, intuitive experiences, whether they’re on your website, checking email, scrolling Instagram, or walking into your store. And they don’t care what platform you’re using. They care that it works. That it feels cohesive. And if your current tools can’t keep up, you’ll feel it in your churn rate, in your campaign ROI, and in the silence when nobody clicks. This article explains how to actually choose an omnichannel marketing automation platform that delivers a measurable, meaningful impact.   What is an Omnichannel Marketing Platform? An omnichannel marketing platform brings all your customer touchpoints—email, SMS, social, web, and more—into a single, unified connected system. It tracks customer behavior across different devices, personalizes communication in real time, and automates actions based on where each customer is in their journey. In short, such platforms allow you to completely harness omnichannel marketing — no more juggling five tools to launch a campaign or manually syncing customer profiles. It’s about delivering the right message, on the right channel, at exactly the right moment, without missing a beat. How Do Omnichannel Marketing Automation Platforms Work? At the core of omnichannel marketing platforms is automation, and it’s what makes them truly powerful. These tools don’t just streamline your marketing, they do the heavy lifting for you by intelligently responding to customer behavior in real time, on the right channel. Here’s how it works: Data Integration: The platform gathers data from every interaction your customers have with your brand, whether it’s a social media click, an email open, or a web visit. It stores and syncs that data, building a comprehensive customer profile. Behavioral Triggers: Based on that profile, the platform automatically triggers personalized actions. If a customer browses a product on your website and abandons it, the system can send them a targeted follow-up email with a discount. Or, if they engage with a post on Instagram, they might receive an SMS with relevant content. Multi-Channel Coordination: Instead of running isolated campaigns across different platforms, omnichannel automation makes sure your messaging is synchronized, no matter where your customer interacts with your brand. The experience is seamless regardless of whether it is conducted on a mobile device, desktop, or in-store. Ultimately, these platforms use automation to enable smarter, more personal marketing, allowing brands to swiftly reach their customers with the right message at the right time. Why is an Omnichannel Marketing Platform So Important for Marketing Teams? Marketing today is about being seen everywhere your customers are and delivering the right message in the right way. An omnichannel marketing platform makes that possible, and here’s why it’s crucial: Drives Better Engagement: Customers expect a smooth experience no matter where they interact with your brand. When your marketing is consistent across email, social media, and your website, it creates a sense of connection. More than just seeing your ads, they’re actually engaging with your brand in a way that feels personalized, familiar, and authentic. Makes Campaigns More Effective: With an omnichannel platform, you can monitor your campaigns in real-time and quickly adjust them if things aren’t going as planned. No more waiting for reports to trickle in. You can make changes on the fly, which means your marketing efforts are always aligned with what’s working at the moment. Allows for True Personalization: Forget generic messaging. An omnichannel marketing platform helps you gather data from every customer interaction, allowing you to tailor your approach based on what each customer is interested in. Builds Stronger Customer Relationships: When you engage with customers across multiple channels in a relevant, timely way, you make them feel seen and valued. This connection goes beyond a single sale. It turns casual buyers into loyal customers who trust your brand to deliver on their needs, no matter where they are. Delivers More Bang for Your Buck: The beauty of automation is that it frees up your team to focus on your omnichannel strategy, while the omnichannel marketing automation platform handles the routine tasks. This efficiency leads to better targeting, reduced costs, and a stronger ROI. You’re reaching the right customers at the right time without wasting effort. Helps You Make Smarter Decisions: All your customer data is centralized, so you’re not guessing anymore. Whether you need to optimize a campaign or uncover new opportunities, the insights provided by the platform allow you to make data-driven decisions that move your business forward. Responds to Customers in Real Time: When someone shows interest in your product, the last thing you want is to lose that momentum. Omnichannel marketing platforms trigger automatic follow-ups based on actions customers take, so they get the right message when they’re most interested, whether it’s through an email, text, or on social media. Keeps Your Brand Consistent: With everything tied together in one platform, your message, tone, and offers stay consistent across channels. No matter where a customer encounters your brand, they’ll have the same experience and brand recognition each time. Elevates the Customer Experience: When all of your channels work together, customers feel like they’re interacting with a brand that really gets them. The result? A better overall customer experience, which translates to stronger loyalty, higher engagement, and more referrals. In short, an omnichannel marketing platform is a game-changer for B2C marketing teams. It brings your efforts together in a way that’s efficient, intelligent, and most importantly, human, making it easier to engage your audience and deliver results.   How to Choose the Right Omnichannel Marketing Platform for Your Team Choosing the right omnichannel marketing platform is a big decision for any team. It’s an investment that can elevate your marketing strategies, enhance omnichannel customer engagement, and improve overall performance. But with so many options available, how do you ensure you’re making the best choice for your team? Here are some key factors to think about. Integration Capabilities: Your platform needs to seamlessly integrate with the tools you already use, so you can focus on what really matters. Whether it’s your CRM, email marketing automation software, or social media platforms, you don’t want to waste time and energy managing multiple systems that don’t talk to each other. Ask yourself, how easily will this platform integrate with and support the tools and platforms you already use? Ease of Use and Customization: A platform that’s difficult to use is more of a burden than a help. Look for one that’s intuitive and easy for your team to get comfortable with. The last thing you want is a tool that causes frustration and slows things down. Think about how user-friendly the platform is for your team. Can you easily customize features to fit your unique needs? Data and Analytics: An omnichannel marketing platform should give you clear, actionable insights so you can make smart, informed decisions. Does the platform provide detailed omnichannel analytics that you can use to refine your campaigns? Can it help you track customer journeys and behaviors across channels? Scalability and Support: Your business is growing, and your platform needs to grow with it. The last thing you want is to outgrow your tool in six months and have to go through the hassle of switching to something new. Check whether the platform is scalable enough to accommodate your future growth. What level of customer support is offered, and how responsive is the team? Now that you have a sense of what to consider when choosing an omnichannel marketing automation platform, let’s dive into the key features to look for.   5 Key Features to Look for in an Omnichannel Marketing Automation Platform You can’t build a high-performing marketing engine founded on disconnected tools and vague customer data. If your team is working across five different platforms to run a single campaign, something’s broken. The tool you pick will either streamline your marketing or slow it down. So, forget the bells and whistles for a moment. What you really need are features that bring clarity to your customer experience. Here are the five features that serve as the foundation of a platform that can scale with your brand. 1. Unified Customer Profiles across Channels Modern marketing starts with understanding. A powerful omnichannel marketing platform should combine customer data from every touchpoint (website visits, email clicks, mobile app activity, purchase history, and other interactions) into a single, continuously updated profile. This unified view helps your team move from being ‘reactive’ to being ‘proactive’. Instead of blasting generic messages, you can deliver relevant content tailored to where that customer is in their journey. It’s the difference between feeling like a brand knows you… and feeling like it’s spam. 2. Behavior-Driven Automation Workflows Static email blasts are outdated. Customers expect relevant, timely communication based on how they engage with your brand. The platform you choose should let you create workflows that automatically trigger actions like sending a reminder, adjusting content, or changing the message channel, based on real-time behavior. For example, a user who browses a product but doesn’t buy it, should receive a well-timed nudge — maybe an email, or a push notification. The point is: your platform needs to adapt to customer intent and behavior, not force every lead down the same path. 3. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting You shouldn’t have to wait 48 hours to know if something flopped. You need to be able to tweak your omnichannel marketing automation strategy in real-time based on what’s happening right now. Does the platform offer real-time insights into campaign performance? Can you adjust tactics immediately based on live data? Also, no one wants 20 meaningless charts. Look for a platform that shows you the vital metrics, like clicks, conversions, and drop-offs, so your team can make quick, sure choices. 4. A Centralized Campaign Builder for Every Channel If you’re logging in and out of separate tools to handle email, SMS, web and mobile push notifications, and in-app messaging, something’s broken. Your omnichannel marketing platform should let you map and launch all of those in one place, from one logic flow. That way, if you’re running a product launch, you can build the entire experience—email, follow-up text, in-app message—all from the same workspace. This keeps your messaging consistent, and it saves your team loads of time. 5. Scalable Personalization Powered by AI Everyone talks about omnichannel personalization. But if it takes your team hours to set up basic name merges or segments, it’s not scalable. A strong platform should help you personalize campaigns at scale using AI, not by making you do more, but by automating based on real customer data. Whether that’s product recommendations, timing messages based on when someone usually engages, or switching up channels depending on preferences, the goal is simple: make it feel like a one-on-one conversation, not a broadcast.   5 Best Omnichannel Marketing Platforms to Increase Customer Engagement 1. MoEngage MoEngage is a powerful customer engagement platform built for B2C marketing teams that want to create seamless, personalized journeys across channels like email, mobile and web push notifications, SMS, WhatsApp, in-app messaging, web, and more. It’s designed to help brands understand their customers deeply and act on that understanding in real time. What makes MoEngage stand out is how it brings all your customer data into one unified platform, allowing you to automate complex journeys without jumping between tools or teams. Whether you’re re-engaging an app user, launching an omnichannel campaign, or sending a personalized offer, this platform makes it easy and efficient. No wonder so many brands switch to MoEngage! How Pricing Works: MoEngage offers a tiered pricing model based on Monthly Tracked Users (MTUs). The Growth plan starts around $750/month, but it depends on what features you want to use. Larger brands can opt for the Enterprise plan, which includes more advanced features, higher limits, and dedicated support. Best For: Growth-focused brands that want to deeply personalize customer experiences at scale, particularly in industries like Ecommerce, fintech, media, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), travel, and mobile-first apps. In fact, it’s the perfect Ecommerce marketing automation platform for omnichannel customer engagement. If your team values real-time insights, automation, and customer-centric engagement, MoEngage is likely a great fit. 2. Shopify Plus Shopify Plus is an enterprise-level Ecommerce platform designed to help brands deliver a seamless shopping experience across all customer touchpoints. It enables brands to sell on various platforms, including online stores, mobile apps, social media, and physical retail locations, all managed from a single dashboard. While Shopify Plus does a great job managing omnichannel commerce, it’s not as feature-rich on the marketing automation side. If your team is looking for deep personalization, behavioral segmentation, or advanced journey building, you’ll likely need to connect Shopify with a marketing automation software platform. How Pricing Works: Shopify Plus pricing varies based on specific business requirements and sales volumes. Best For: High-volume omnichannel retail marketers and brands looking for a scalable Ecommerce solution that offers basic omnichannel capabilities and centralized management of multiple sales channels. 3. ActiveCampaign ActiveCampaign does a great job of bridging marketing automation with a personal touch. It’s built for businesses that don’t just want to send mass emails, but send smart ones. The platform shines when it comes to customer segmentation, letting you trigger emails, SMS, or even site messages based on real behavior, not just assumptions. That said, it’s not the kind of tool you just open and instantly “get.” The automation builder is powerful, but there’s a learning curve. Still, once you set it up, it runs like a machine that’s personalized, timely, and way less manual effort than you’d expect. How Pricing Works: Pricing starts at $29 per month and scales based on contact volume and feature set. Plans can go up to $149/month or more, depending on business needs. Best For: Small to mid-sized businesses looking for a cost-effective, flexible marketing automation platform with strong segmentation and multichannel engagement tools. (No, we’re not getting into the omnichannel vs. multichannel marketing debate now). 4. HubSpot HubSpot is an all-in-one platform that helps brands grow by focusing on inbound marketing, sales, and customer service. It’s well-suited for those looking to integrate their marketing efforts across various channels, without the need for complex technical skills. Honestly, HubSpot’s strength is in inbound marketing and CRM. However, its capabilities in advanced omnichannel campaign automation aren’t as extensive as those in some other platforms. If you need highly sophisticated marketing features, you may want to look elsewhere. How Pricing Works: Pricing starts at $800 per month for the Marketing Hub. For full access to all features, the Enterprise plan starts at $3,600 per month. Best For: Brands that focus on inbound marketing and CRM, looking for a user-friendly platform to manage omnichannel efforts easily.   Migrate to a Better Omnichannel Marketing Platform Today One thing’s clear: not all omnichannel marketing platforms are created equal. The right platform should feel less like another tool and more like a strategic partner, helping you understand your audience, stay consistent across touchpoints, and make marketing smarter, not harder. MoEngage stands out for this very reason. In fact, our omnichannel marketing platform is built for teams who want more than just dashboards. It’s for marketers who want results. And the best part is, migrating to a customer engagement platform has never been easier. Want to see MoEngage in action? Book a demo today and explore what better marketing looks like. The post How to Choose an Omnichannel Marketing Platform appeared first on MoEngage.

Posted on : June 5, 2025 By Tech World Times AI  Rate this post Artificial Intelligence is now part of everyday life. Many apps use it to make things easier and smarter. One new and fun tool is Candy AI. In this article, we will explore what Candy AI is. You will also learn its top features, key benefits, and how it works. What Is Candy AI? Candy AI is a smart chatbot powered by advanced AI technology. It helps users talk, share, and interact. The app is designed for fun and emotional support. Many people use it to chat, relax, and feel better. Candy AI uses text, voice, and visuals to talk to users. Key Features of Candy AI Candy AI offers many useful and fun features. Here are the main ones: 1. Custom AI Characters You can create your AI friend. Choose how they look, sound, and act. This makes each chat personal and exciting. Your AI friend can have a name, a job, and a background story. 2. Real-Time Chatting You can talk with Candy AI like you talk to a real friend. It replies fast and feels natural. The chat is smooth and always available, 24/7. 3. Voice Interaction Candy AI lets you talk using your voice. The AI answers back with a clear and friendly voice. This adds a human touch to the chat experience. 4. Roleplay and Stories You can ask the AI to roleplay. It can be a friend, teacher, hero, or anything else. The AI can also tell you stories or help you write one. 5. Memory Feature Candy AI remembers past chats. This helps build strong and meaningful connections over time. The AI can refer to old chats like a real friend. 6. Emotion Support Mode Feeling lonely or sad? Candy AI can help. It gives kind words, emotional support, and good advice. It is made to be caring and helpful. Benefits of Using Candy AI Candy AI is more than just a chatbot. It offers many benefits to users of all ages. Let’s look at some top benefits: 1. Always Available Candy AI is always online. You can chat anytime, day or night. There’s no waiting or long loading times. 2. Stress Relief Talking with Candy AI can calm your mind. It helps reduce stress, fear, and sadness. Just a short chat can help you feel better. 3. Improves Communication Skills You can use the AI to improve your English or writing. It helps you speak and write better. It is useful for students and language learners. 4. Fun and Entertainment Candy AI is fun to use. You can joke, play games, or write a story together. It makes your free time more enjoyable. 5. Safe Environment The app is safe and secure. There are no harmful ads or messages. Your chats stay private. How Does Candy AI Work? Candy AI uses advanced artificial intelligence. It is based on large language models. These models help the AI understand and respond to your messages. 1. Input and Understanding You type or say something. Candy AI reads your message and understands its meaning. It uses machine learning to figure out your emotions and topic. 2. Generating a Reply The AI then creates a reply. The reply is based on what you said and past chats. It tries to sound human and friendly. 3. Personalized Response If the AI knows you well, it gives better answers. It uses memory to make replies that feel more personal. 4. Using Visual and Audio Tools You can also use voice and images. Candy AI can speak and show you visual stories. This makes the chat more lively and real. Is Candy AI Free? Candy AI offers a free version. You can chat with basic features without paying. There is also a premium version. The premium plan gives access to more features like better memory and roleplay tools. Who Can Use Candy AI? Candy AI is great for many types of users: Students who need writing help People who feel lonely or need company Language learners looking to practice Writers who want story ideas Anyone who enjoys chatting with AI The app is easy to use for all age groups. You don’t need any tech skills to get started. Where Can You Use Candy AI? Candy AI is available on mobile and desktop. You can download the app or use it on a web browser. It works on Android, iOS, and most computers. Final Thoughts Candy AI is more than just an app. It is a smart friend in your pocket. It helps you talk, write, learn, and feel better. With features like voice chat, memory, and story mode, it stands out from other chatbots. If you’re looking for a fun, kind, and smart AI, Candy AI is worth trying. FAQs 1. Is Candy AI safe to use? Yes. Candy AI protects your data and keeps your chats private. It follows strong safety rules. 2. Does Candy AI support voice chatting? Yes. You can speak to it and hear it talk back with clear voice replies. 3. Can I create my own AI character? Yes. You can fully customize your AI friend’s look, voice, and personality. 4. Is Candy AI good for students? Yes. Students can use it for writing help, language learning, or just to relax and chat. 5. How much does Candy AI cost? Candy AI has a free version. The premium plan offers extra features and better memory. Tech World TimesTech World Times (TWT), a global collective focusing on the latest tech news and trends in blockchain, Fintech, Development & Testing, AI and Startups. If you are looking for the guest post then contact at techworldtimes@gmail.com

Published June 7, 2025 10:00am EDT close Tennessee DMV experiencing long lines ahead of REAL ID deadline May 7 is the deadline to get a REAL ID, and some DMVs are facing large crowds and major backup. FOX's Asher Reed spoke with FOX 35 Orlando from outside a DMV in Antioch, Tennessee, with more on the issue. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! If you've received a text message claiming to be from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and threatening you with fines or penalties unless you pay up, you're not alone. A new wave of scam texts is sweeping across the country, targeting drivers in states like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Vermont, Texas, North Carolina and even Washington, D.C.These messages look official and urgent, warning you about supposed unpaid tickets or tolls and demanding immediate payment. But don't be fooled, as these texts are sophisticated scams designed to steal your personal information or money. The scammers are getting better at making their messages look real, so it can be tricky to spot the fraud. But with a few simple tips, you can learn how to recognize these scams and protect yourself before you click or respond. DMV scam text. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How the DMV scam text message worksThese scam messages vary slightly depending on the state you're in, but they’re generally structured in the same way. The text threatens consequences, such as credit score damage, revoked driving privileges, suspended vehicle registration or increased toll fees, if you do not pay the bill you have supposedly incurred. To make the message appear legit, the scammers often include a date for penalties to begin, a fake administrative code and a link that appears to be an official DMV website.FBI WARNS OF SCAM TARGETING VICTIMS WITH FAKE HOSPITALS AND POLICEPro tip: If you're instructed to copy the link into your browser rather than clicking it directly, it's a scam. A person receiving a scam text message on their phone. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Why DMV text scams are so convincingThe scam relies on two key elements to be effective: fear and a sense of urgency. These are two powerful psychological motivators that can send you into a panic since your driving privileges are at risk, or you're facing financial consequences. The aim is to get you to act hastily without pausing to verify the source. The messages also mimic legitimate government communications by including familiar terms, official-sounding codes and web addresses that appear authentic. Here is an example of what the text might look like: DMV scam text. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)States known to have issued warnings about DMV scam texts (as of June 2025):ConnecticutPennsylvaniaGeorgiaFloridaNew YorkCaliforniaIllinoisNew JerseyVirginiaColoradoVermontTexasNorth CarolinaWashington, D.C.Reports are surfacing across the U.S., and the list of affected states is likely to continue growing as more residents come forward.How to spot and avoid DMV text message scamsIf you receive a suspicious text message claiming to be from your state's DMV and demanding payment or personal information, follow these steps to protect yourself:1. Be skeptical of any message creating urgency or panic: Scammers rely on fear and urgency to trick you into acting without thinking. If a message pressures you to act immediately, that's a major red flag.2. Check for obvious red flags: Look for signs like strange sender addresses, awkward language, misspellings or links that don't match your state's official DMV website.3. Do not click any links or reply, and use strong antivirus software: Legitimate DMVs will not ask for payments, personal details or sensitive information via unsolicited text messages. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.4. Verify directly with your DMV: If you're concerned the message might be real, contact your state's DMV using the official website or a trusted phone number. Never use the contact information provided in the suspicious text.5. Consider a Personal Data Removal Service: Your personal information is widely available online, which can make you a bigger target for these types of scams, therefore you might look into a personal data removal service. These services work by submitting opt-out requests to data brokers that collect and sell your information, helping to reduce your digital footprint and making it harder for scammers to find your contact details. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREWhile no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap — and neither is your privacy.  These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet.  By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.6. Delete the message immediately and block the sender: Removing the text helps prevent accidental clicks and reduces the risk of falling for the scam later. Also, be sure to block phone numbers and texts that send spam or scam messages, reducing future risk.7. Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry: While this won't stop all scams, it can help reduce unwanted communications.8. Don't provide any personal or financial information: Never share your Social Security number, driver's license number, banking information, or passwords in response to an unsolicited text.9. If you clicked the link or gave out information, act quickly: If you accidentally entered personal or financial information, contact your bank, credit card provider or local law enforcement right away to minimize potential damage.10. Keep your phone's security features updated: Ensure your device's operating system and security software are current to help block known scam numbers and malicious links.11. Report the scam: Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to alert your mobile provider and help block similar messages in the future. Mark the message as junk or spam within your messaging app, if possible. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.Kurt’s key takeawaysScam texts pretending to be from the DMV are getting more convincing, but you don't have to be their next victim. Staying skeptical of urgent messages, double-checking anything that seems off and never clicking suspicious links can go a long way in protecting your personal information. Remember, the real DMV will never pressure you for payment or sensitive details over text. By staying alert, you can help prevent these scams and keep your personal information and money secure.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPShould tech companies and telecom providers be doing more to protect you from scam texts, or does the responsibility ultimately fall on you to keep your digital life safe? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.   Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Manus has kick-started an AI agent boom in China Last year, China saw a boom in foundation models, the do-everything large language models that underpin the AI revolution. This year, the focus has shifted to AI agents—systems that are less about responding to users’ queries and more about autonomously accomplishing things for them.There are now a host of Chinese startups building these general-purpose digital tools, which can answer emails, browse the internet to plan vacations, and even design an interactive website. Many of these have emerged in just the last two months, following in the footsteps of Manus—a general AI agent that sparked weeks of social media frenzy for invite codes after its limited-release launch in early March.As the race to define what a useful AI agent looks like unfolds, a mix of ambitious startups and entrenched tech giants are now testing how these tools might actually work in practice—and for whom. Read the full story. —Caiwei Chen Inside the race to find GPS alternatives Later this month, an inconspicuous 150-kilogram satellite is set to launch into space aboard the SpaceX Transporter 14 mission. Once in orbit, it will test super-accurate next-generation satnav technology designed to make up for the shortcomings of the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Despite the system’s indispensable nature, the GPS signal is easily suppressed or disrupted by everything from space weather to 5G cell towers to phone-size jammers worth a few tens of dollars. The problem has been whispered about among experts for years, but it has really come to the fore in the last three years, since Russia invaded Ukraine.Now, startup Xona Space Systems wants to create a space-based system that would do what GPS does but better. Read the full story. —Tereza Pultarova Why doctors should look for ways to prescribe hope —Jessica Hamzelou This week, I’ve been thinking about the powerful connection between mind and body. Some new research suggests that people with heart conditions have better outcomes when they are more hopeful and optimistic. Hopelessness, on the other hand, is associated with a significantly higher risk of death. The findings build upon decades of fascinating research into the phenomenon of the placebo effect. Our beliefs and expectations about a medicine (or a sham treatment) can change the way it works. The placebo effect’s “evil twin,” the nocebo effect, is just as powerful—negative thinking has been linked to real symptoms. Researchers are still trying to understand the connection between body and mind, and how our thoughts can influence our physiology. In the meantime, many are developing ways to harness it in hospital settings. Is it possible for a doctor to prescribe hope? Read the full story. This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Elon Musk threatened to cut off NASA’s use of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraftHis war of words with Donald Trump is dramatically escalating. (WP $)+ If Musk actually carried through with his threat, NASA would seriously struggle. (NYT $)+ Silicon Valley is starting to pick sides. (Wired $)+ It appears as though Musk has more to lose from their bruising breakup. (NY Mag $) 2 Apple and Alibaba’s AI rollout in China has been delayedIt’s the latest victim of Trump’s trade war. (FT $)+ The deal is supposed to support iPhones’ AI offerings in the country. (Reuters) 3 X’s new policy blocks the use of its posts to ‘fine-tune or train’ AI modelsUnless companies strike a deal with them, that is. (TechCrunch)+ The platform could end up striking agreements like Reddit and Google. (The Verge) 4 RJK Jr’s new hire is hunting for proof that vaccines cause autismVaccine skeptic David Geier is seeking access to a database he was previously barred from. (WSJ $)+ How measuring vaccine hesitancy could help health professionals tackle it. (MIT Technology Review) 5 Anthropic has launched a new service for the militaryClaude Gov is designed specifically for US defense and intelligence agencies. (The Verge)+ Generative AI is learning to spy for the US military. (MIT Technology Review) 6 There’s no guarantee your billion-dollar startup won’t failIn fact, one in five of them will. (Bloomberg $)+ Beware the rise of the AI coding startup. (Reuters) 7 Walmart’s drone deliveries are taking offIt’s expanding to 100 new US stories in the next year. (Wired $) 8 AI might be able to tell us how old the Dead Sea Scrolls really are Models suggest they’re even older than we previously thought. (The Economist $)+ How AI is helping historians better understand our past. (MIT Technology Review) 9 All-in-one super apps are a hit in the Gulf They’re following in China’s footsteps. (Rest of World) 10 Nintendo’s Switch 2 has revived the midnight launch eventFans queued for hours outside stores to get their hands on the new console. (Insider $)+ How the company managed to dodge Trump’s tariffs. (The Guardian) Quote of the day “Elon finally found a way to make Twitter fun again.” —Dan Pfeiffer, a host of the political podcast Pod Save America, jokes about Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s ongoing feud in a post on X. One more thing This rare earth metal shows us the future of our planet’s resources We’re in the middle of a potentially transformative moment. Metals discovered barely a century ago now underpin the technologies we’re relying on for cleaner energy, and not having enough of them could slow progress.  Take neodymium, one of the rare earth metals. It’s used in cryogenic coolers to reach ultra-low temperatures needed for devices like superconductors and in high-powered magnets that power everything from smartphones to wind turbines. And very soon, demand for it could outstrip supply. What happens then? And what does it reveal about issues across wider supply chains? Read our story to find out. —Casey Crownhart We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.) + Sightings of Bigfoot just happen to correlate with black bear populations? I smell a conspiracy!+ Watch as these symbols magically transform into a pretty impressive Black Sabbath mural.+ Underwater rugby is taking off in the UK.+ Fed up of beige Gen Z trends, TikTok is bringing the 80s back.

Google boasts that Chrome is 10% faster than it was last year after under-the-hood tuning.

Upcoming (serious) Web performance boostBy: Adam Scott5 June 2025Progress ReportSometimes, just adding a compiler flag can yield significant performance boosts. And that just happened.For about two years now, all major browsers have supported WASM (WebAssembly) SIMD. SIMD stands for “Single instruction, multiple data” and is a technology that permits CPUs to do some parallel computation, often speeding up the whole program. And that’s exactly why we tried it out recently.We got positive results.The need for performance on the WebThe Web platform is often overlooked as a viable target, because of its less-than-ideal environment and its perceived poor performance. And the perception is somewhat right: the Web environment has a lot of security-related quirks to take into account—the user needs to interact with a game frame before the browser allows it to play any sound1. Also, due to bandwidth and compatibility reasons, you rarely see high-fidelity games being played on a browser. Performance is better achieved when running software natively on the operating system.But don’t underestimate the potential of the Web platform. As I explained in broad terms at the talk I gave at the last GodotCon Boston 2025, the Web has caught up a lot since the days of Flash games. Not only are there more people playing Web games every year, but standards and browsers improve every year in functionality and in performance.And that’s why we are interested in using WASM SIMD.WASM SIMD BenchmarksOur resident benchmark expert Hugo Locurcio (better known as Calinou) ran the numbers for us on a stress test I made. We wanted to compare standard builds to builds with WASM SIMD enabled.Note: You may try to replicate his results, but be aware that he has a beast of a machine. Here are his PC’s specifications:CPU: Intel Core i9-13900KGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090RAM: 64 GB (2×32 GB DDR5-5800 CL30)SSD: Solidigm P44 Pro 2 TBOS: Linux (Fedora 42)I built a Jolt physics stress test from a scene initially made by passivestar. By spawning more and more barrels into the contraption, we can easily test the performance difference between the WASM SIMD build and the other.Without WASM SIMDWith WASM SIMDImprovement (approx.)Test linksLinkLink-Firefox 138(“+100 barrels” 3 times)2×Firefox 138(“+100 barrels” 6 times)10.17×*Chromium 134(“+100 barrels” 3 times)1.37×Chromium 134(“+100 barrels” 6 times)14.17×**Please note that once the physics engine enters a “spiral of death”, it is common for the framerate to drop to single digits, SIMD or not. These tests don’t prove 10× to 15× CPU computing speed improvements, but rather that games will be more resilient to framerate drops on the same machine in the same circumstances. The 1.5× to 2× numbers are more representative here of the performance gains by WASM SIMD.What it means for your gamesStarting with 4.5 dev 5, you can expect your Web games to run a little bit more smoothly, without having to do anything. Especially when things get chaotic (for your CPU). It isn’t a silver bullet for poorly optimized games, but it will help nonetheless. Also, note that it cannot do anything for GPU rendering bottlenecks.Be aware that the stress tests are meant by nature to only test the worst case scenarios, so you may not see such large improvements in normal circumstances. But it’s nice to see such stark improvements when the worst happens.AvailabilityFrom here on out, the 4.5 release official templates will only support WebAssembly SIMD-compatible browsers in order to keep the template sizes small. We generally aim to maintain compatibility with the oldest devices we can. But in this case, the performance gains are too large to ignore and the chances of users having browsers that are that far out of date is too small relative to the potential benefits.If you need to use non-SIMD templates, don’t fret. You can always build the Godot Editor and the engine templates without WebAssembly SIMD support by using the wasm_simd=no build option.What’s next?As I wrote in my last blog post, we’re currently working very hard to make C#/.NET exports a reality. We do have a promising prototype, we just need to make sure that it’s production-ready.I also mentioned in that article that I wanted to concentrate on improving our asset loading game. Preloading an entire game before even starting it hinders the ability to use Godot for commercial Web games. Once something is implemented to improve that issue, count on me to share the news with you.It’s either that, or we return to the old days of spam-webpages using the “Congratulations, you won!” sound effect when you least expect it. ↩

Published June 5, 2025 10:00am EDT close Don’t be so quick to click that Google calendar invite. It could be a hacker’s trap Cybercriminals are sending fake meeting invitations that seem legitimate. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Americans’ personal data is now spread across more digital platforms than ever. From online shopping habits to fitness tracking logs, personal information ends up in hundreds of company databases. While most people worry about social media leaks or email hacks, a far less visible threat comes from data brokers.I still find it hard to believe that companies like this are allowed to operate with so little legal scrutiny. These firms trade in personal information without our knowledge or consent. What baffles me even more is that they aren’t serious about protecting the one thing that is central to their business model: data. Just last year, we saw news of a massive data breach at a data broker called National Public Data, which exposed 2.7 billion records. And now another data broker, LexisNexis, a major name in the industry, has reported a significant breach that exposed sensitive information from more than 364,000 people. A hacker at work (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)LexisNexis breach went undetected for months after holiday hackLexisNexis filed a notice with the Maine attorney general revealing that a hacker accessed consumer data through a third-party software development platform. The breach happened on Dec. 25, 2024, but the company only discovered it months later. LexisNexis was alerted on April 1, 2025, by an unnamed individual who claimed to have found sensitive files. It remains unclear whether this person was responsible for the breach or merely came across the exposed data.MASSIVE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 184 MILLION PASSWORDS AND LOGINSA spokesperson for LexisNexis confirmed that the hacker gained access to the company’s GitHub account. This is a platform commonly used by developers to store and collaborate on code. Security guidelines repeatedly warn against storing sensitive information in such repositories; however, mistakes such as exposed access tokens and personal data files continue to occur.The stolen data varies from person to person but includes full names, birthdates, phone numbers, mailing and email addresses, Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers. LexisNexis has not confirmed whether it received any ransom demand or had further contact with the attacker. An individual working on their laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Why the LexisNexis hack is a bigger threat than you realizeLexisNexis isn’t a household name for most people, but it plays a major role in how personal data is harvested and used behind the scenes. The company pulls information from a wide range of sources, compiling detailed profiles that help other businesses assess risk and detect fraud. Its clients include banks, insurance companies and government agencies.In 2023, the New York Times reported that several car manufacturers had been sharing driving data with LexisNexis without notifying vehicle owners. That information was then sold to insurance companies, which used it to adjust premiums based on individual driving behavior. The story made one thing clear. LexisNexis has access to a staggering amount of personal detail, even from people who have never willingly engaged with the company.Law enforcement also uses LexisNexis tools to dig up information on suspects. These systems offer access to phone records, home addresses and other historical data. While such tools might assist in investigations, they also highlight a serious issue. When this much sensitive information is concentrated in one place, it becomes a single point of failure. And as the recent breach shows, that failure is no longer hypothetical. A hacker at work (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)7 expert tips to protect your personal data after a data broker breachKeeping your personal data safe online can feel overwhelming, but a few practical steps can make a big difference in protecting your privacy and reducing your digital footprint. Here are 7 effective ways to take control of your information and keep it out of the wrong hands:1. Remove your data from the internet: The most effective way to take control of your data and avoid data brokers from selling it is to opt for data removal services. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web.2. Review privacy settings: Take a few minutes to explore the privacy and security settings on the services you use. For example, limit who can see your social media posts, disable unnecessary location-sharing on your phone and consider turning off ad personalization on accounts like Google and Facebook. Most browsers let you block third-party cookies or clear tracking data. The FTC suggests comparing the privacy notices of different sites and apps and choosing ones that let you opt out of sharing when possible.3. Use privacy-friendly tools: Install browser extensions or plugins that block ads and trackers (such as uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger). You might switch to a more private search engine (like DuckDuckGo or Brave) that doesn’t log your queries. Consider using a browser’s "incognito" or private mode when you don’t want your history saved, and regularly clear your cookies and cache. Even small habits, like logging out of accounts when not in use or using a password manager, make you less trackable.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE4. Beware of phishing links and use strong antivirus software: Scammers may try to get access to your financial details and other important data using phishing links. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.5. Be cautious with personal data: Think twice before sharing extra details. Don’t fill out online surveys or quizzes that ask for personal or financial information unless you trust the source. Create separate email addresses for sign-ups (so marketing emails don’t go to your main inbox). Only download apps from official stores and check app permissions.6. Opt out of data broker lists: Many data brokers offer ways to opt out or delete your information, though it can be a tedious process. For example, there are sites like Privacy Rights Clearinghouse or the Whitepages opt-out page that list popular brokers and their opt-out procedures. The FTC’s consumer guide, "Your Guide to Protecting Your Privacy Online," includes tips on opting out of targeted ads and removing yourself from people-search databases. Keep in mind you may have to repeat this every few months.7. Be wary of mailbox communications: Bad actors may also try to scam you through snail mail. The data leak gives them access to your address. They may impersonate people or brands you know and use themes that require urgent attention, such as missed deliveries, account suspensions and security alerts.Kurt’s key takeawayFor many, the LexisNexis breach may be the first time they realize just how much of their data is in circulation. Unlike a social media platform or a bank, there is no clear customer relationship with a data broker, and that makes it harder to demand transparency. This incident should prompt serious discussion around what kind of oversight is necessary in industries that operate in the shadows. A more informed public and stronger regulation may be the only things standing between personal data and permanent exposure.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPShould companies be allowed to sell your personal information without your consent? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Reskate’s Youthful Murals Transform into Glowing Symbols of Peace June 5, 2025 Art Jackie Andres During the day, Reskate’s extensive murals cover large swathes of space on buildings, stage backdrops, and even transformer towers. While these monumental public works are striking during sunlit hours, they completely transform with the darkness of night. Artists Javier de Riba and María López are the artistic duo behind Reskate. Primarily based in Barcelona, both artists travel throughout the year, visiting different corners of the world to complete projects to “raise awareness of care for culture, nature, and peace.” Detail of “Paix” (2025). Reims, Champagne. Image by Romain Berthiot Reskate’s subjects are often children. In a bold, illustrative style with graphic linework, the artists depict young figures holding objects related to the area in which the mural is placed, as well as articles that reflect global concerns. “The invisibilization and invalidation of youth as an active element that should be part of society is a burden that continues to be perpetuated,” the duo explains in a statement covering “Eulalia,” a previous mural completed in 2023. An example of this is prevalent in “Bruit,” taking the form of stage design for an immersive concert. In the piece, a young girl protectively wraps her arms around a fishbowl, nodding to the impact of sound pollution within the oceans. The pair recently completed an exhibit at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona and plans to continue their artistic endeavors both in and out of the public space. Find more work on Reskate’s website and Instagram, and browse prints in their online shop. “Harmony” (2025). Liverpool. Image by Corbyn John “Transformateur” (2024). Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier Detail of “Transformateur” (2024). Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France. Image by Sophie Palmier “Bruit” (2024). Le Mans, France Detail of “Bruit” (2024). Le Mans, France “Boycott” (2024). Ghent, Belgium Next article

YouTube is adding more ads to its cheaper subscription plan just months after launching it in the United States. Earlier in 2025, YouTube revealed Premium Lite, a cheaper version of its traditional Premium service with less bells and whistles than its more expensive counterpart. While YouTube Premium completely removes ads, gives users access to YouTube Music, background play, and more, Premium Lite only removes ads when watching non-music videos. Well, subscribers of Premium Lite have reportedly been receiving emails from the Google-owned platform informing them that this is going to change and they’re going to start getting ads on even more content.Article continues after ad YouTube Premium Lite subscribers brace for ads on shorts In late May, a user on the TWiT.community forum revealed an email they received about the incoming ads. “We are writing to let you know that beginning 30 June 2025, ads may appear on Shorts, in addition to music content and when you search or browse. Most videos will continue to remain ad-free.”Article continues after ad This was backed up by the German website DeskModder, which shared an email they had received from the platform containing the same info.Article continues after ad Deskmodder/YouTube Premium Lite subscribers pay significantly less than the $13.99/month fee for the main plan, with Lite only costing $7.99 each month. For users who watch a lot of shorts, this could be a big enough change to force them to upgrade to the standard Premium offering. Meanwhile, the Google-owned platform has continued to find new ways to implement ads. In 2024, the site added ads to pause screens. Not only that, but many users have reported encountering an abundance of extreme and sexualized ads and claim the platform has refused to take action.RelatedArticle continues after ad In May, YouTube revealed plans to use AI to insert commercials when users are the most emotionally invested in a video.

Cybersecurity researchers have flagged several popular Google Chrome extensions that have been found to transmit data in HTTP and hard-code secrets in their code, exposing users to privacy and security risks. "Several widely used extensions [...] unintentionally transmit sensitive data over simple HTTP," Yuanjing Guo, a security researcher in the Symantec's Security Technology and Response team, said. "By doing so, they expose browsing domains, machine IDs, operating system details, usage analytics, and even uninstall information, in plaintext." The fact that the network traffic is unencrypted also means that they are susceptible to adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) attacks, allowing malicious actors on the same network such as a public Wi-Fi to intercept and, even worse, modify this data, which could lead to far more serious consequences. The list of identified extensions are below - SEMRush Rank (extension ID: idbhoeaiokcojcgappfigpifhpkjgmab) and PI Rank (ID: ccgdboldgdlngcgfdolahmiilojmfndl), which call the URL "rank.trellian[.]com" over plain HTTP Browsec VPN (ID: omghfjlpggmjjaagoclmmobgdodcjboh), which uses HTTP to call an uninstall URL at "browsec-uninstall.s3-website.eu-central-1.amazonaws[.]com" when a user attempts to uninstall the extension MSN New Tab (ID: lklfbkdigihjaaeamncibechhgalldgl) and MSN Homepage, Bing Search & News (ID: midiombanaceofjhodpdibeppmnamfcj), which transmit a unique machine identifier and other details over HTTP to "g.ceipmsn[.]com" DualSafe Password Manager & Digital Vault (ID: lgbjhdkjmpgjgcbcdlhkokkckpjmedgc), which constructs an HTTP-based URL request to "stats.itopupdate[.]com" along with information about the extension version, user's browser language, and usage "type" "Although credentials or passwords do not appear to be leaked, the fact that a password manager uses unencrypted requests for telemetry erodes trust in its overall security posture," Guo said. Symantec said it also identified another set of extensions with API keys, secrets, and tokens directly embedded in the JavaScript code, which an attacker could weaponize to craft malicious requests and carry out various malicious actions - Online Security & Privacy extension (ID: gomekmidlodglbbmalcneegieacbdmki), AVG Online Security (ID: nbmoafcmbajniiapeidgficgifbfmjfo), Speed Dial [FVD] - New Tab Page, 3D, Sync (ID: llaficoajjainaijghjlofdfmbjpebpa), and SellerSprite - Amazon Research Tool (ID: lnbmbgocenenhhhdojdielgnmeflbnfb), which expose a hard-coded Google Analytics 4 (GA4) API secret that an attacker could use to bombard the GA4 endpoint and corrupt metrics Equatio – Math Made Digital (ID: hjngolefdpdnooamgdldlkjgmdcmcjnc), which embeds a Microsoft Azure API key used for speech recognition that an attacker could use to inflate the developer's costs or exhaust their usage limits Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot (ID: nlipoenfbbikpbjkfpfillcgkoblgpmj) and Scrolling Screenshot Tool & Screen Capture (ID: mfpiaehgjbbfednooihadalhehabhcjo), which expose the developer's Amazon Web Services (AWS) access key used to upload screenshots to the developer's S3 bucket Microsoft Editor – Spelling & Grammar Checker (ID: gpaiobkfhnonedkhhfjpmhdalgeoebfa), which exposes a telemetry key named "StatsApiKey" to log user data for analytics Antidote Connector (ID: lmbopdiikkamfphhgcckcjhojnokgfeo), which incorporates a third-party library called InboxSDK that contains hard-coded credentials, including API keys. Watch2Gether (ID: cimpffimgeipdhnhjohpbehjkcdpjolg), which exposes a Tenor GIF search API key Trust Wallet (ID: egjidjbpglichdcondbcbdnbeeppgdph), which exposes an API key associated with the Ramp Network, a Web3 platform that offers wallet developers a way to let users buy or sell crypto directly from the app TravelArrow – Your Virtual Travel Agent (ID: coplmfnphahpcknbchcehdikbdieognn), which exposes a geolocation API key when making queries to "ip-api[.]com" Attackers who end up finding these keys could weaponize them to drive up API costs, host illegal content, send spoofed telemetry data, and mimic cryptocurrency transaction orders, some of which could see the developer's ban getting banned. Adding to the concern, Antidote Connector is just one of over 90 extensions that use InboxSDK, meaning the other extensions are susceptible to the same problem. The names of the other extensions were not disclosed by Symantec. "From GA4 analytics secrets to Azure speech keys, and from AWS S3 credentials to Google-specific tokens, each of these snippets demonstrates how a few lines of code can jeopardize an entire service," Guo said. "The solution: never store sensitive credentials on the client side." Developers are recommended to switch to HTTPS whenever they send or receive data, store credentials securely in a backend server using a credentials management service, and regularly rotate secrets to further minimize risk. The findings show how even popular extensions with hundreds of thousands of installations can suffer from trivial misconfigurations and security blunders like hard-coded credentials, leaving users' data at risk. "Users of these extensions should consider removing them until the developers address the insecure [HTTP] calls," the company said. "The risk is not just theoretical; unencrypted traffic is simple to capture, and the data can be used for profiling, phishing, or other targeted attacks." "The overarching lesson is that a large install base or a well-known brand does not necessarily ensure best practices around encryption. Extensions should be scrutinized for the protocols they use and the data they share, to ensure users' information remains truly safe." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.