Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Generative AI is creating a digital diaspora of techniques, technologies and tradecraft that everyone, from rogue attackers to nation-state cyber armies trained in the art of cyberwar, is adopting. Insider threats are growing, too, accelerated by job insecurity and growing inflation. All these challenges and more fall on the shoulders of the CISO, and it’s no wonder more are dealing with burnout. In Part 1: We explored how gen AI is reshaping the threat landscape, accelerating insider threats and putting unprecedented pressure on cybersecurity teams. Insider-driven risks, shadow AI usage and outdated detection models are forcing CISOs to rethink their defenses.Now, in Part 2, we turn to the solutions — how gen AI can help combat burnout across security operations centers (SOCs), enable smarter automation and guide CISOs through a 90-day roadmap to secure their enterprises against evolving threats. Battling burnout with gen AI deserves to be a 2025 CISO priority Nearly one in four CISOs consider quitting, with 93% citing extreme stress, further proving that burnout is creating increasingly severe operational and human risks. Gartner’s most recent research links burnout to decreased team efficiency and overlooked security tasks that often become vulnerabilities. Unsurprisingly, 90% of CISOs identify burnout as one of the main barriers that stand in the way of their teams getting more accomplished and using the full extent of their skills. How bad is burnout across cybersecurity and SOC teams? The majority of CISOs, 65%, say that burnout is a severe impediment to maintaining effective security operations. Forrester adds that 36% of the cybersecurity workforce are categorized as “Tired Rockstars,” or individuals who remain highly engaged but are on the brink of burnout. This emphasizes the critical need to address mental health and workload management proactively.​ SOC analysts endure heavy workloads that often turn severe when they have to monitor, analyze and aggregate insights from an average of over 10,000+ alerts a day. Chronic stress and not having enough control over their jobs lead to high turnover, with 65% considering leaving their careers. Ivanti’s 2024 Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Report underscores a vital cybersecurity link, noting that 93% of professionals agree improved DEX strengthens security, yet just 13% prioritize it. Ivanti SVP Daren Goeson told VentureBeat in a recent interview that “organizations often lack effective tools to measure digital employee experience, significantly slowing security and productivity initiatives.” SOC teams are particularly hard hit by burnout. While AI can’t solve the entire challenge, it can help automate SOC workflows and accelerate triage. Forrester is urging CISOs to think beyond automating existing processes and move forward with rationalizing security controls, deploying gen AI within existing platforms. Jeff Pollard, VP at Forrester, writes: “The only way to deal with the volatility your organization encounters is to simplify your control stack while identifying unnecessary duplicate spend and gen AI can boost productivity, but negotiating its pricing strategically will help you achieve more with less.” There are over 16 vendors of new-gen AI-based apps aimed at helping SOC teams that are in a race against time every day, especially when it comes to containing breakout times. CrowdStrike’s recent global threat report emphasizes why SOCs need to always have their A-game, as adversaries now break out within 2 minutes and 7 seconds after gaining initial access. Their recent introduction of Charlotte AI Detection Triage has proven capable of automating alert assessment with over 98% accuracy. It cuts manual triage by more than 40 hours per week, all without losing control or precision. SOCs increasingly lean on AI copilots to fight signal overload and staffing shortfalls. VentureBeat’s Security Copilot Guide (Google Sheet) provides a complete matrix with 16 vendors’ AI security copilots. What needs to be on every CISO’s roadmap in 2025 Cybersecurity leaders and their teams have significant influence on how, when and what gen AI applications and platforms their enterprises invest in. Gartner’s Phillip Shattan writes that “when it comes to generation AI-related decisions, SRM leaders wield significant influence, with over 70% reporting that cybersecurity has some influence over the decisions they make.” With so much influence on the future of gen AI investment in their organizations, CISOs need to have a solid framework or roadmap against which to plan. VentureBeat is seeing more roadmaps comparable to the one structured below for ensuring the integration of gen AI, cybersecurity and risk management initiatives. The following is a guideline that needs to be tailored to the unique needs of a business: Days 0–30: Establish core cybersecurity foundations 1. Set the goal of defining the structure and role of an AI governance framework Define formal AI policies outlining responsible data use, model training protocols, privacy controls and ethical standards. Vendors to consider: IBM AI Governance, Microsoft Purview, ServiceNow AI Governance, AWS AI Service Cards If not already in place, deploy real-time AI monitoring tools to detect unauthorized usage, anomalous behaviors and data leakage from models. Recommended platforms: Robust Intelligence, CalypsoAI, HiddenLayer, Arize AI, Credo AI, Arthur AI Train SOC, security and risk management teams on the AI-specific risks to alleviate any conflicts over how AI governance frameworks are designed to work. 2. If not already in place, get a solid Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform in place Keep building a business case for zero trust by illustrating how improving identity protection helps protect and grow revenue. Deploy a robust IAM solution to reinforce identity protection and revenue security. Top IAM platforms: If not already done, immediately conduct comprehensive audits of all user identities, focusing particularly on privileged access accounts. Enable real-time monitoring for all privileged access accounts and delete unused accounts for contractors. Implement strict least-privilege access policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and continuous adaptive authentication based on contextual risk assessments to strengthen your zero-trust framework. Leading Zero-Trust solutions include CrowdStrike Falcon Identity Protection, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Cisco Duo Security and Cloudflare Zero Trust. Establish real-time monitoring and behavioral analytics to identify and reduce insider threats rapidly. Insider threat detection leaders: Proofpoint Insider Threat Management, Varonis DatAdvantage, Forcepoint Insider Threat, DTEX Systems, Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management. Days 31–60: Accelerate Proactive Security Operations 1. Replace manual patch workflows with an automated patch management systems Your organization needs to move beyond fire drills and severity-based patch cycles to a continuous, real-time vulnerability monitoring and patch deployment strategy. AI is helping cut the risks of breaches with patch management. Six in ten breaches are linked to unpatched vulnerabilities. The majority of IT leaders responding to a Ponemon Institute survey, 60%, say that one or more of the breaches potentially occurred because a patch was available for a known vulnerability but not applied in time. Leading automated patch management vendors: Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management, Qualys Patch Management, Tanium Patch Management, CrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight, Rapid7 InsightVM. Implement automated tools prioritizing patches based on active exploitation, threat intelligence insights and business-critical asset prioritization. Establish transparent processes for immediate response to emerging threats, drastically reducing exposure windows. 2. Initiate comprehensive Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ) If not already in progress in your organization, start evaluating the value of CRQ frameworks in improving how cybersecurity risks are measured and communicated in financial and business impact terms. Trusted CRQ solutions: BitSight, SecurityScorecard, Axio360, RiskLens, MetricStream, Safe Security, IBM Security Risk Quantification Services. Test out a CRQ by creating a detailed risk dashboard for executives and stakeholders, linking cybersecurity investments directly to strategic business outcomes. Conduct regular CRQ assessments to inform proactive security spending and resource allocation decisions clearly and strategically. Days 61–90: Keep optimizing security efficiency to fuel greater team resilience 1. Consolidate and Integrate Security Tools Audit existing cybersecurity tools, eliminating redundancies and streamlining capabilities into fewer, fully integrated platforms. Comprehensive integrated platforms: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR, Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike Falcon Platform, Splunk Security Cloud, Cisco SecureX, Trellix XDR, Arctic Wolf Security Operations Cloud. Check for strong interoperability and reliable integration among cybersecurity tools to improve threat detection, response times and overall operational efficiency. Regularly review and adjust consolidated toolsets based on evolving threat landscapes and organizational security needs. 2. Implement structured burnout mitigation and automation Starting in the SOC, leverage AI-driven automation to offload repetitive cybersecurity tasks, including triage, log analysis, vulnerability scanning and initial threat triage, significantly reducing manual workloads. Recommended SOC automation tools: CrowdStrike Falcon Fusion, SentinelOne Singularity XDR, Microsoft Defender & Copilot, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR, Ivanti Neurons for Security Operations Establish structured recovery protocols, mandating cooldown periods and rotation schedules after major cybersecurity incidents to reduce analyst fatigue. Define a balanced, regular cadence of ongoing cybersecurity training, mental well-being initiatives, and institutionalized burnout mitigation practices to sustain long-term team resilience and efficiency. Automation and burnout mitigation vendors: Tines, Torq.io, Swimlane, Chronicle Security Operations Suite (Google Cloud), LogicHub SOAR+, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Conclusion With modest budget and headcount increases, CISOs and their teams are being called to defend more threat vectors than ever. Many tell VentureBeat it’s a continual balancing act that demands more time, training, and trade-offs on which legacy apps stay and which go, all defining how their future tech stack will look. CISOs who see gen AI as a strategic technology that can help unify and close gaps in security infrastructure are thorough in their vetting of new apps and tools before they go into production. While gen AI continues to fuel new adversarial AI techniques and tradecraft, cybersecurity vendors respond by accelerating the development of next-generation products. Paradoxically, the more advanced threatcraft becomes with adversarial AI, the more critical it becomes for defenders adopting AI to pursue and perfect human-in-the-middle designs that can flex and adapt to changing threats. Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured. Source: https://venturebeat.com/ai/what-your-tools-miss-at-213-am-how-gen-ai-attack-chains-exploit-telemetry-lag-part-2/ #what #your #tools #miss #how #gen #attack #chains #exploit #telemetry #lag #part

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Productivity platform Notion is betting on large language models (LLMs) powering more of its new enterprise capabilities, including building OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 and Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 into their dashboard. Even as both OpenAI and Anthropic start building productivity features into their respective chat platforms, bringing these LLMs into a separate service shows how competitive the space is.  Notion announced its new all-in-one AI toolkit inside the Notion workspace today, including AI meeting notes, enterprise search, research mode and the ability to switch between GPT-4.1 and Anthropic’s Claude 3.7. One of the new features lets users chat with LLMs inside the Notion workspace and switch between models. Right now, Notion only supports GPT-4.1 and Claude 3.7. The idea is to reduce window and context switching. The company said early adopters of the new feature include OpenAI, Ramp, Vercel and Harvey.  Model mixing and fine-tuning Notion built the features with a mix of LLMs from OpenAI and Claude, and its own models.  The move away from pure reasoning models makes the model choice interesting for Notion. GPT-4.1 is technically not a reasoning model, while Claude 3.7 is a hybrid model— capable of acting as a regular LLM and a reasoning model.  Reasoning models are having a moment, though many warn that these models can still sometimes lie. However, while reasoning models like OpenAI’s o3 (and yes, Claude 3.7 Sonnet) take their time to answer, going through different scenarios, they are not the best for quick thinking and data-gathering tasks. Many productivity tasks, like meeting transcriptions or searches for task data, don’t need the power of a reasoning model behind them.  Sarah Sachs, Notion AI Engineering Lead, told VentureBeat in an email that the company aimed for features that didn’t sacrifice accuracy, safety and privacy, along with responding to queries in the speed enterprises need.  “In order to achieve a low-latency experience, we fine-tuned the models with internal usage and feedback from trusted testers, in order to make the AI specialized in Notion retrieval tasks,” Sachs said. “This setup helps Notion AI understand business needs, give relevant answers, serve customers with sub-second latency, and keep customer data safe and compliant.” Sachs said hosting and building with different models allows users to “pick the option that best fits their needs— whether that’s a more conversational tone, better coding capabilities, or faster response times.” AI meeting notes and more Notion AI for Work tracks and transcribes meetings for users, especially if they added Notion to their calendar, and it can listen in on calls.  Users can use Notion for enterprise search by connecting apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Google Drive, Sharepoint and Gmail. Sachs said Notion AI will search an organization’s internal documents, databases and the connected apps.  The enterprise search results, along with other uploaded documents or a web search, allow Notion users to access the new Research Mode. It will draft documents directly from Notion while “analyzing all of your sources—plus the web—and think through the best response.” Notion also added both GPT-4.1 and Claude 3.7 as chat options. OpenAI noted that Notion users can chat with GPT-4.1 on the workspace and create a Notion template directly from the conversation. Sachs said the company is working on adding more models to its chat feature.  Subscribers to Notion’s Business and Enterprise plans with the Notion AI add-on get immediate access to the new features.   Compete with the model providers Even though Notion users can access both Anthropic and OpenAI on the platform, Notion still has to compete with model providers.  OpenAI’s Deep Research has been hailed as a game-changer for agentic retrieval augmented generation (RAG). Google also has its version of Deep Research. And Anthropic can search the internet for you.  Not to mention, Notion needs to compete with other platforms that already leverage AI. The meeting space is chock full of companies tracking, transcribing, summarizing and pulling insights from calls with AI. However, Notion’s big selling point is that it has all these capabilities on one single platform. Enterprises can use all those different services but live outside their chosen productivity platform. Notion said having all of these features in one place, with one all-in-one pricing, will save enterprises from subscribing to different platforms.  Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured. Source: https://venturebeat.com/ai/notion-bets-big-on-integrated-llms-adds-gpt-4-1-and-claude-3-7-to-platform/ #notion #bets #big #integrated #llms #adds #gpt41 #and #claude #platform

Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL) has spent decades making sure everyone can use its hardware, which is why the company regularly celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day with news about upcoming improvements in its operating systems. This year’s collection is particularly compelling, including a tool to let you read real-time Live Captions of conversations taking place around you using your Apple Watch, enabling people with poor hearing to engage more actively during meetings. The company announces a raft of new accessibility features in the weeks prior to WWDC each year. This year is a bit of a feature jamboree, with a host of new accessibility tools promised in Apple’s devices when iOS 19 and macOS 16 ship later this year. The company has invested in accessibility for 40 years, ever since 1985. What Apple said “At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Making technology for everyone is a priority for all of us, and we’re proud of the innovations we’re sharing this year. That includes tools to help people access crucial information, explore the world around them, and do what they love.” “Building on 40 years of accessibility innovation at Apple, we are dedicated to pushing forward with new accessibility features for all of our products,” said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives.  Accessibility Nutrition Labels on the App Store The big new addition this year, Accessibility Nutrition Labels, are similar to the Privacy Nutrition Labels Apple introduced some years ago but focused on accessibility. These labels will show you which of Apple’s accessibility tools (including Voice Over, Reduced Motion, and many more) the app supports. The idea is to help consumers identify those apps most suitable for their needs. “These labels will give people with disabilities a new way to easily make more informed decisions and make purchases with a new level of confidence,” said Eric Bridges, the American Foundation for the Blind’s president and CEO. Apple A Mac surprise In a really interesting use of iPhone Continuity Camera, Apple is bringing the Magnifier app to the Mac. Magnifier has been available on iPhones since 2016; it helps users zoom in, read text, and detect nearby objects. Now it works with the Mac using Continuity Camera to take images from the iPhone or using an attached USB camera. You might use this feature to read a whiteboard during a presentation, or to read documents using Desk View. The tool lets you adjust brightness, contrast, color filters, and even perspective to make text and images easier to see. New tool: Accessibility Reader The all-new Accessibility Reader tool takes text from the world around you, digitizes it and makes it available to you in a legible on-screen format. It’s a new system-wide reading mode designed to make text easier to read for users with a wide range of disabilities, such as dyslexia or low vision, and it can speak the content. You can launch Accessibility Reader from any app, and you’ll find it in the Magnifier app. Apple Live Captions on Apple Watch Given we recently learned Pope Leo XIV wears an Apple Watch, it’s not inconceivable he might use Live Captions with watchOS 11. It’s based on Live Listen on your iPhone, which uses your microphone to stream conversation directly to AirPods and Made for iPhone hearing aids. Live Listen controls will now be available on an Apple Watch when a session is active on iPhone, meaning users can view Live Captions on their watch of what their iPhone hears while listening along to the audio. You can also start and stop Live Listen sessions or jump back in a session to pick up on something you missed. The idea here is that you’ll be able to place your iPhone near the person/people you need to listen to and then hear, read, and control the Live Listen session from across the room. This will be invaluable for students with hearing problems, or anyone with a memory that favors written words above spoken speech.  They are particularly invaluable when used with Assistive Touch. Braille Access Apple’s new tools for braille turn any Apple device into a full-featured braille note taker. There’s a built-in app launcher, which makes it easy to open any app by typing with Braille Screen Input or a connected braille device. Once you’ve opened it, you’ll be able to take notes in braille and perform calculations using Nemeth Braille, a braille code often used in classrooms for maths and science. Braille Access will also open Braille Ready Format (BRF) files, unlocking books and files previously created on a braille note-taking device. But perhaps the most interesting feature is that, thanks to Live Captions, it’s possible to transcribe conversations in real time directly on braille displays. Brain Control This will become more important in down the road. For users with severe mobility disabilities, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS will add a new protocol to support Switch Control for Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs), an emerging technology that allows users to control their device without physical movement. The neural link is getting closer. Apple Vision Pro There’s some interesting accessibility features coming for visionOS. These include the capacity to magnify everything in view, including surroundings. For VoiceOver users, Live Recognition uses on-device machine learning to describe surroundings, find objects, read documents, and more. There is one more thing, ostensibly only available to accessibility developers: a new API will enable approved apps to access the main camera to provide live, person-to-person assistance for visual interpretation in apps like Be My Eyes, giving users more ways to understand their surroundings hands-free. My take? The digitization of daily life is accelerating. Many more features There are more than a dozen improved accessibility features on the way. For example, the setup period for Personal Voice has been reduced to just one minute, rather than overnight; Sound Recognition can also now alert users when their name is called; and Voice Control introduces a new programming mode in Xcode. There are lots of smaller improvements, including a new way to temporarily share your own accessibility settings with another device. Apple Services Apple is also celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness day with a range of initiatives across the company. Apple stores will offer displays and training on accessibility features while Apple TV+ shares a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Apple Original film Deaf President Now!, which premieres on Apple TV+ May 16. Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple News will spotlight stories of people with disabilities and those who are working to make the world more accessible for everyone. The company has also published new how to videos for some of its existing features on YouTube. You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, and Mastodon. Source: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3984230/apple-is-making-its-platforms-even-more-accessible-this-year.html #apple #making #its #platforms #even #more #accessible #this #year

Polybius: A Novel by Collin Armstrong $21.76 (was $29) See at Amazon One of gaming's most fascinating urban legends becomes reality in a new novel published on April 29 by Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books. Polybius, the debut novel by Collin Armstrong, transports readers to a small town during the golden age of arcade machines. Unfortunately for the citizens of Tasker Bay, the new game at their local arcade is about to wreak havoc on their daily lives. There are surprisingly few novels from major publishers centered around video games, and this one is definitely worth a read. Polybius is a fast-paced and thrilling tale that mixes psychological horror with sci-fi.Amazon is offering a 25% discount on Polybius just two weeks after its release. You can get the hardcover edition for $21.76 (was $29). Polybius is also available as a Kindle ebook and audiobook via Audible. Amazon included it on its list of the best sci-fi and fantasy novels of May 2025. Polybius: A Novel by Collin Armstrong $21.76 (was $29) The novel regularly switches narrative perspectives, but the main characters who drive the plot forward are teenagers Andi and Ro. Andi is a part-time employee of Home Video World, and Ro is a regular at the arcade who crushes on Andi from afar.When Home Video World acquires a new arcade cabinet of unknown origins, players, including Ro, immediately become transfixed by the advanced graphics and gameplay. Though not a gamer herself, Andi is a programmer with experience fixing the machine boards. After observing the obsessive and concerning behavior from Polybius players, she opens the cabinet to learn more about its tech and code. Believing the game is dangerous, Andi and Ro begin searching for the answers they need. All the while, Tasker Bay descends further into madness with each passing day.Polybius does a great job of turning the town of Tasker Bay into a compelling character of its own. Armstrong accomplishes this, in part, by utilizing numerous third-person perspectives beyond Andi and Ro, including Home Video World's sketchy owner, the town doctor (Andi's mom), the sheriff (Ro's dad), and multiple of Andi's and Ro's friends. These subplots are interspersed throughout, giving the novel a panoramic structure that showcases the different ways in which Polybius creates pandemonium.Even as someone who was already well-versed in the Polybius urban legend before reading the novel, the story's strong execution more than makes up for those "spoilers." That said, if you don't know the ins and outs of the urban legend, which dates back at least 25 years, you might as well read the novel without any additional research. I'll leave it at that.Bestselling horror author Richard Chizmar compared Polybius to Stranger Things in a blurb that appears on the dust jacket. After reading all 352 pages in two late-night marathon sessions, I can definitely see the similarities between Tasker Bay and Hawkins. And just like Stranger Things, amidst carnage and chaos, Polybius feels like horror-sci-fi comfort food. See at Amazon More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders First Book In Joe Abercrombie's New Fantasy Series Is Finally Here Amazon Restocks Lego Transformers Optimus Prime, Offers Big Discount PSA: Lego Bowser's Muscle Car Is Retiring - Save Big On 3 Mario Sets Before They're Gone + Show More More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Links (5) Tomtoc Releases Nintendo Switch 2 Version Of Its Popular Form-Fitting Travel Case Lego Star Wars Day Sale Is Live - Get Two Free Sets With Jango Fett's UCS Starship All The Nintendo Switch 2 Games You Can Preorder Now Studio Ghibli Movies With Collectible Steelbooks Are Available For Cheap 8BitDo Halts US Shipments Due To Tariffs, But You Can Get Great Controller Deals (For Now) Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/great-new-sci-fi-horror-novel-is-inspired-by-polybius-arcade-urban-legend/1100-6531323/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f #new #horror #novel #inspired #polybius #arcade #urban #legend #off

Quitting both booze and dating apps has made Bella Falk happier. Bella Falk 2025-05-14T00:14:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Drinking used to help Bella Falk, 46, get through bad dates. She decided to quit both booze and dating apps. She's happier making the most of what she has rather than worrying about what she doesn't. When my ex-partner moved out, among his parting words were: "You're amazing. You'll meet someone else in no time."But as anyone who's braved the world of dating apps will know, meeting someone you really like, who likes you back enough to show up reliably and not ghost you after a couple of months, is soul-crushingly hard. At least, it has been for me.Getting matches wasn't a problem, but surviving the tedious small talk without dying of boredom or the conversation fizzling out before we'd arranged to meet seemed next to impossible. But if by some miracle we did make it to an in-person date, what did we do? Of course, we went for a drink.Relying on a drink or twoGoing for a drink was the default first date. It's cheaper than a meal, quick, and low-pressure, and avoids the potential torture of enduring a three-course dinner with someone who turns out to be duller than a six-hour delay at an airport. I would grab a casual wine after work, and if there was no spark or the guy turned out to be 10 years older than his profile pictures (yes, this happened), I would make my excuses after a glass or two.Not only was drinking helpful, but it was often expected. While there is talk that the younger generation is less interested in alcohol, many of my peers still see teetotallers as boring and no fun, hardly the impression you want to give when you're just getting to know someone. First dates are hard. I relied on booze to make them easier. If there was no spark, wine made me chattier and able to fill the awkward silences. If the guy was a bit creepy, it made me brave enough to face the awkward goodbye and leave early. On the rare occasions when I did meet someone I fancied, having alcohol in my system gave me the courage I needed to flirt, instead of blushing and running away like a nervous teenager. The author relied on alcohol to make first dates easier. Bella Falk Ditching dating apps and boozeBut as years passed by, the whole routine became a Sisyphean cycle of hope and disappointment. I would wake up with a mild hangover and another story to amuse my coupled-up friends. I tried coffee dates, but the concept didn't really work in London, where I live. Many people live out of town, so it makes sense to grab a drink at the end of the working day. And I had no desire to do full hair and makeup and drag myself downtown on a Saturday.So, a year and a half ago, I quit. Not just the booze, but the dating apps too. As a travel writer and photographer, the author spends a lot of time abroad. Bella Falk Life is betterSearching for "The One" had become a full-time job. Hours of swiping and tedious chitchat, for it to either fizzle out or end in an excruciating evening wishing I was back home watching Netflix in my PJs. It was an emotional roller coaster, especially when I met someone I liked, allowed myself to get my hopes up, and then ended up dumped or ghosted.I realized it wasn't being single that made me miserable. It was the constant effort of trying not to be single. The apps were taking up so much of my time — I must have spent days of my life chatting to people I never even met. The number of words I'd typed into Bumble, I could have written a novel — and then at least I'd have had something to show for it all, apart from RSI in my thumbs.Without the apps and the booze, I'm sleeping better, I'm healthier, and most importantly, my mental health has improved. I haven't cried in over a year (it used to be a fairly regular occurrence — always caused by a man). When I think about downloading the apps again, I feel that sick dread in my stomach, usually only reserved for my triennial smear test.Now I focus on enjoying life and making the best of what I do have, instead of worrying about what I don't. I'm a travel writer and photographer, so I'm abroad a lot, exploring the world and having incredible experiences. When I'm home, I go out with friends, attend networking events, or pitch for my next trip. If I do meet someone, it'll be because we've met through shared interests and have already decided we like each other before we go on an actual date. Maybe I'll even agree to dinner. Recommended video Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-dating-apps-drinking-bad-dates-alcohol-and-dating-apps-2025-5 #drinking #used #get #through #bad #dates #when #quit #alcohol #also #stopped #using #dating #apps

Table of Contents Table of Contents 10. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) 9. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) 8. Rain Man (1988) 7. Jerry Maguire (1996) 6. Tropic Thunder (2008) 5. Collateral (2004) 4. Minority Report (2002) 3. Magnolia (1999) 2. A Few Good Men (1992) 1. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) With Tom Cruise, nothing ever really ends. May 23 marks the release of his latest Mission: Impossible adventure, and while it’s subtitled The Final Reckoning, Cruise and his regular director Christopher McQuarrie have confirmed there are more films to come. Through doggedness, dedication, and risk to life and limb, the 62-year-old Cruise has built a lasting career as a leading man that seems never to wane. Here are his ten best films, featuring performances both solidly in and out of his comfort zone. Recommended Videos Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Paramount Pictures Like most of Cruise’s filmography, Top Gun: Maverick, the long-delayed sequel to the abysmal ‘80s schlock-fest Top Gun, is more than the sum of its parts. Its maneuvering of a sixty-year-old Cruise from flight instructor back into the cockpit is labored, its decision to actively avoid the identity of a country against which Cruise goes on a bombing run is cowardly (it’s clearly Russia), and Cruise’s love scenes with Jennifer Connelly are borderline silly. However, Maverick is an old-fashioned Hollywood adrenaline rush, chock-full of vintage Cruise stunt work, and the aerial photography looks spectacular. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Warner Bros. Pictures Cruise’s third and best collaboration with writer Christopher McQuarrie, Edge of Tomorrow, adapts a bonkers Japanese novel that is essentially a cross between Groundhog Day and Independence Day. Cruise is Major William Cage (a perfect Tom Cruise character name), enlisted in a war against an invading alien species called the Mimics. Long story short, Cage gets trapped in a time loop on the day of his death at the Mimics’ hands that allows him to learn their strategies. Emily Blunt delivers a superior action performance as his love interest and comrade-in-arms. Rain Man (1988) MGM Cruise made his name as the everyman ballast for performances by more outwardly dynamic character actors (Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, Tim Curry in Legend). The prototypical example is Rain Man, the only Tom Cruise movie so far to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Here, Cruise is the frustrated steward of his estranged brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an autistic savant. The film has its weaknesses, but Cruise hits all of his beats ably, and his exasperation with Raymond’s eccentricities is a perfectly tuned demonstration of audience surrogacy. Jerry Maguire (1996) TriStar Pictures Cruise’s nose for a football movie that would wind up being endlessly quotable has put him in any number of iconic scenes over the years, and Cameron Crowe’s script for Jerry Maguire has a panoply of them. (Cruise alone has both “Help me help you” and “You complete me,” Renee Zellweger gets “You had me at hello,” and Cuba Gooding Jr. gets the unbeatable “Show me the money.”) The movie is the ultimate instance of Cruise’s trademark wide-grinning mania thanks to Cruise’s titular Jerry, a sports agent stretching himself to his limit as he struggles to do the unprofitable work of representing his clients ethically (unthinkable!). Tropic Thunder (2008) DreamWorks Cruise is, along with Tom Hanks, the defining cinematic leading man of the past forty years, but a little of him can often go a long way. No surprise that some of his most sneakily memorable performances have been supporting roles, including in Ben Stiller’s gonzo Hollywood satire Tropic Thunder. Cruise plays Les Grossman, a studio executive transparently based on Harvey Weinstein, who is called on to negotiate when the star of a Vietnam War film he’s producing is kidnapped by a drug cartel. Cruise famously gave Stiller two conditions for taking the role: “I want to have fat hands, and I’m gonna dance.” Mission accomplished. Collateral (2004) DreamWorks Michael Mann’s action thriller stars Cruise in a rare villain role as Vincent, a hitman who commandeers the taxi of Los Angeles cabbie Max Durocher (Jamie Foxx). It’s a great, clean setup, with a finely structured beginning that establishes Max’s attention to detail and pride in his craft — Max is a man who has control of his car and whose car is his control. Then, when Cruise explodes in the frame with a gray shock wig that looks so wrong on him, Mann drives home the point that Vincent is from another universe. Collateral is electric movie-making, lean and tight most of the way through. Minority Report (2002) 20th Century Fox The smartest film Steven Spielberg directed in the first decade of the twenty-first century was the Philip K. Dick adaptation of Minority Report. Cruise plays a police chief utilizing psychics to arrest criminals before they commit their intended crimes. Scott Frank’s (The Queen’s Gambit) script raises moral conundrums years ahead of its time, and Cruise quite effectively applies his regular action-film persona to its worthy explorations. Magnolia (1999) Ghoulardi Film Company Cruise’s third Oscar nomination came for his outrageous performance as misogynistic motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia. In a role that predated widespread public knowledge of the icky “pickup artist” movement of seduction, Cruise deconstructs the bravura front that had not yet come to be known as toxic masculinity. “Women are sheep,” he tells his followers in a riveting monologue delivered straight to the camera; “they have patterns that must be stopped, interrupted, and resisted.” But of course, such walls as these are made to fall, and in a later scene at the deathbed of his father (Jason Robards), Cruise powerfully conveys the trauma, loneliness, and pain that have led Mackey to this point. A Few Good Men (1992) Castle Rock Entertainment Aaron Sorkin was a bartender at Broadway’s Palace Theatre when he began writing what would become his 1989 play A Few Good Men on the back of cocktail napkins. The film Sorkin would later adapt from his Broadway smash is among the smartest and most quotable studio films of the 1990s. Naturally, the courtroom movie is ultimately stolen by Jack Nicholson, whose role as a Marine colonel implicated in a murder earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. But Cruise, as the Navy lawyer prosecuting the case, is one of the worthiest screen partners Nicholson has ever had, with herky-jerky, caffeine-inflected energy that steels to certainty in the courtroom. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Stanley Kubrick Productions The other picture from Cruise’s banner year of 1999, Eyes Wide Shut, is a perfect storm of world-beating celebrity (he co-starred with his then-wife Nicole Kidman), Hollywood royalty (it was writer-director Stanley Kubrick’s final film), and superb mise-en-scène. It was a story of sexual jealousy decades in the making, and Cruise was the perfect choice for the role of a repressed elite who falls apart trying to see behind the curtain of a world closed to him. (Just imagine if Kubrick had made the film in the 1960s and cast his original choice for the lead, Woody Allen!) Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/tom-cruise-best-movies-ranked/ #best #tom #cruise #movies #ranked

Recently found accordion worm Pararosa vigarae, a new genus and species of ribbon worms and a comparatively less-known group of invertebrates, has amazed the researchers because of its unique ability to squash up like an accordion to a staggering one-fifth of its normal body length. It was discovered from Ría de Arosa in the Northwest coast of Spain, where it lurks under rocks in the subtidal zone at a depth of 30 metres (98 feet). Combining morphological data with DNA analysis techniques, researchers were able to overcome the taxonomical challenge of identifying this worm.Classification challengesAccording to the study published in Royal Society Open Science, accordion worms belong to the phylum Nemertea, a group of predatory worms that use venom to immobilize their prey. They pose serious challenges for taxonomical studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features.Taxonomy is the study of the classification and identification of the living world. Traditionally, external morphological features are considered the criteria of this study. However, Nemerteans have very few distinctive visible features to rely on. To overcome this, scientists tried to consider the internal anatomy as a potential marker, but this process turned out to be very complex and inconvenient. Eventually, this process became obsolete, resulting in Nemerteans remaining a lesser-known phylum with currently described 1,350 species.Genetic AnalysisThe study describes that molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed based on partial sequences of 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and histone H3 gene markers that indicated the newly identified specimens represent a new genus and species of heteronemertean in the family Lineidae.Imaging experiments revealed that the accordion worm contracts its body to form regular rings that are annular epidermal constrictions that remain visible even when the animal is fully stretched. The number of rings varies with the size of the worm—for instance, the largest specimen collected had 60 rings when fully stretched. Source: https://www.gadgets360.com/science/news/accordion-worm-pararosa-vigarae-from-spain-shrinks-to-one-fifth-its-size-8371968#rss-gadgets-news #strange #new #worm #found #off #spains #coast #can #shrinks #onefifth #its #size

Microsoft has issued fixes for a total of five new zero-day vulnerabilities out of a grand total of just over 70 addressable common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) on the fifth Patch Tuesday of 2025 – over 80 when third-party issues are accounted for. In numerical order, this month’s zero days are as follows: CVE-2025-30400, an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in Microsoft DWM Core Library; CVE-2025-30397, a memory corruption leading to remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Scripting Engine; CVE-2025-32701, an EoP vulnerability in Windows Common Log File System Driver (CLFS); CVE-2025-32706, a second EoP flaw in CLFS; CVE-2025-32709, an EoP issue in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD.sys). All five of these CVEs are listed by Microsoft as being exploited in the wild, but have not yet been made public. They are all rated as being of Important severity, and all save the Scripting Engine flaw carry CVSS ratings of 7.8. Mike Walters, president and co-founder of patch management specialist Action1, said that the two CLFS issues stood out as particularly dangerous given its importance in computing – the CLFS is a critical component that providers logging services to user- and kernel-mode applications, and is widely used by various system services and third-party applications. “Attackers exploiting these vulnerabilities can escalate privileges to system level, granting them full control to run arbitrary code, install malware, modify data, or disable security protections,” said Walters. “With low complexity and minimal privileges needed, these flaws pose a serious risk, especially given the confirmed in-the-wild exploitation [and] while no public exploit code is currently available, the presence of active attacks suggests that targeted campaigns, potentially involving advanced persistent threats (APTs), are already underway. “Organisations should prioritise immediate assessment and remediation of these vulnerabilities to prevent potential compromise. Any organisation running Windows systems – across enterprise, government, education, or consumer sectors – could be exposed. Given Windows’ global footprint, millions of devices are likely at risk,” said Walters. CVE-2025-30400 in DWM Core Library should also be high on security admins’ patching lists, observed Kev Breen, senior director of threat research at Immersive. He explained: “If exploited, it would allow attackers to gain system-level permission on the affected host. With this level of privilege, attackers would be able to gain full control over the host, including any security tools and user accounts, potentially allowing for domain-level access to be compromised. “This CVE is marked as ‘Exploitation Detected’ by the Microsoft team, meaning patches should be applied immediately as threat groups, including ransomware affiliates, will be quick to leverage this once more details become public.” Breen added that once this happens, cyber teams and threat hunters should work quickly to review their systems for indicators of compromise (IoCs) to ensure that they haven’t been hit in the window between the point at which threat actors began at-scale exploitation, and the patch was released. Breen’s colleague, cyber threat intelligence researcher Ben Hopkins, ran the rule over the remaining exploited zero-days, CVE-20205-30397 in Scripting Engine and CVE-2025-32709 in AFD.sys “A scripting engine memory corruption vulnerability occurs when the Microsoft scripting engine mishandles objects in memory, in this case leading to an elevation of privilege being performed by an attacker,” he explained. “This specific vulnerability exists … involves access to a resource using (‘type confusion’) which allows attackers to execute code over a network. Type confusion in this context occurs when a program mistakenly treats a piece of data as a different type than it actually is, which leads to undefined and unpredictable behaviour, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code and elevate their privileges,” said Hopkins For the layperson, this means that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network. Turning to the issue affecting AFD.sys, a core Windows kernel-mode driver that supports network socket operations by bridging from WinSock (Windows Sockets API) in user space, and lower-level network drivers in the kernel, Hopkins explained that an unauthorized attacker could exploit a condition in which memory that has been deallocated can still be accessed to inject controlled data into memory and influence how the program behaves, ultimately granting them the ability to elevate their privileges. In both cases, what this means is that having attained system-level privileges, a threat actor could easily access sensitive data and look for opportunities to pivot to other, more valuable parts of the victim’s network. Two additional zero-days have been publicly-disclosed today (13 May) but have not yet been reported as coming under attack at the time of writing. These are CVE-2025-26685, a spoofing vulnerability in Microsoft Defender for Identity, and CVE-2025-32702, an RCE vulnerability in Visual Studio. Both of these are rated of Important severity, carrying CVSS scores of 6.5 and 7.8 respectively. Finally, the May update brings a total of 11 critical flaws affecting Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, Azure Storage Resource, Microsoft Dataverse, Microsoft msagsfeedback.zurewebsites.net, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Virtual Machine Bus and Remote Desktop Client (RDP). In their impact, these issues run the gamut from EoP to spoofing to information disclosure, and six of them lead to RCE, said Microsoft. Of the critical issues, Walters’ co-CEO and co-founder at Action1, Alex Vovk, told Computer Weekly that the two RDP flaws stood out in particular. These are tracked as CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967. “Both vulnerabilities pose critical risks, including remote code execution, full system compromise, and data breaches,” remarked Vovk. “Given the broad adoption of remote desktop services, many organizations are potentially exposed. CVE-2025-29966 and CVE-2025-29967 underscore the urgent need to secure both client and server components in remote access environments.” Read more about Patch Tuesday April 2025: Microsoft is correcting 124 vulnerabilities in its March Patch Tuesday, one of which is being actively exploited in the wild, and 11 of which are ‘critical’. March 2025: The third Patch Tuesday of 2025 brought fixes for 57 flaws and a hefty number of zero-days. February 2025: Microsoft corrected 57 vulnerabilities, two of which are being actively exploited in the wild, and three of which are ‘critical’. January 2025: The largest Patch Tuesday of the 2020s so far brings fixes for more than 150 CVEs ranging widely in their scope and severity – including eight zero-day flaws. December 2024: Microsoft has fixed over 70 CVEs in its final Patch Tuesday update of the year, and defenders should prioritise a zero-day in the Common Log File System Driver, and another impactful flaw in the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. November 2024: High-profile vulns in NTLM, Windows Task Scheduler, Active Directory Certificate Services and Microsoft Exchange Server should be prioritised from November’s Patch Tuesday update. October 2024: Stand-out vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday drop include problems in Microsoft Management Console and the Windows MSHTML Platform. September 2024: Four critical remote code execution bugs in Windows and three critical elevated privileges vulnerabilities will keep admins busy. August 2024: Microsoft patches six actively exploited zero-days among over 100 issues during its regular monthly update. July 2024: Microsoft has fixed almost 140 vulnerabilities in its latest monthly update, with a Hyper-V zero-day singled out for urgent attention. June 2024: An RCE vulnerability in a Microsoft messaging feature and a third-party flaw in a DNS authentication protocol are the most pressing issues to address in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday update. May 2024: A critical SharePoint vulnerability warrants attention this month, but it is another flaw that seems to be linked to the infamous Qakbot malware that is drawing attention. Source: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623992/May-Patch-Tuesday-brings-five-exploited-zero-days-to-fix #may #patch #tuesday #brings #five #exploited #zerodays #fix

The best gifts for dad should lean into what he loves most (besides you). Sure, an obvious pick like a customized mug or a gift card to his favorite shop are great ideas, but something that caters to his interests and that he’ll actually use? Prepare to solidify your status as the favorite. Gift the die-hard sports fanatics a chic piece of memorabilia (yes, those exist!) that supports his favorite team. Or if he’s most comfortable in the kitchen, a recipe journal or pizza oven could be calling his name. Is he a little too attached to his worn-out work bag? A new one is the gift he never knew he needed.We’re just a few weeks away from Father’s Day (June 15, mark your calendars!), so you have plenty of time to shop for the father figure in your life—or bookmark some ideas if you need a future birthday gift or holiday present. Read on for the best-selling Father’s Day gift ideas, including in-demand and personalized picks sure to dazzle the dad in your life.Our Top Picks for the Best Gifts for Dad:For the Fashionable Hiker: Salomon XT-6 Gore-Tex Shoes, $180For the Stylish Scholar: STAMTECH Custom Logo Book Embosser Stamp, $15For the Sports Fan: MLB Stadium Sculpture Candle, $48For the Office Warrior: Shinola Runwell Leather Messenger Bag, $895For the Adventurous Grillmaster: Gozney Tread, $500Browse by CategoryClothing & AccessoriesOn Track Pack Lite BagWhether he’s a frequent traveler or constantly lugging his life in a bag, give him an upgrade with this On Cloud tote. It has tons of compartments, too, so he can store everything he needs for work, workouts, or travel. New dads might also prefer to use this as their signature cool dad diaper bag.Salomon XT-6 Gore-Tex ShoesOutdoorsy dads are covered with this trail shoe, which is backed by hundreds of positive reviews. Designed with waterproofing and extra stability, they’ll keep him dry and comfortable on your next family hike but are also stylish enough that he’ll be the coolest-looking guy shopping at Whole Foods.The North Face Summer LT Run HatThe North Face is a go-to for great gifts your dad is guaranteed to love. Take this lightweight hat, for instance, which is made with quick-drying fabric and breathable mesh side panels that will keep him cool on his weekend jogs.Shinola Runwell Leather Messenger BagChances are, he could use a new work bag. For a more luxurious, high-quality gift, this one is crafted from premium leather, has plenty of pockets (including one for his laptop), and a subtle magnetic closure.J.Crew Sterling Silver Rectangle Cuff LinksYou don’t have to be into jewelry to appreciate some handsome cuff links peeking out of a crisp, French cuff shirt. This heirloom-worthy sterling silver pair is simple, understated, and elegant for dressing up a suit or doing the most at the office.Quince Mongolian Cashmere Ribbed BeanieCrafted with Mongolian cashmere and built for dads who love to stay cozy, this super soft ribbed beanie is a year-round staple (we think it would pair perfectly with the brand’s cashmere hoodie).Our Legacy Cotton Coach JacketCater to your favorite fashionisto’s love of Scandi design with this timeless work jacket from Swedish–based Our Legacy. A staple that can be dressed up or down, the sturdy cotton material is cut with a slightly dropped shoulder silhouette that’ll give your guy the boxier fit he gravitates towards.KitchenGozney Tread Pizza OvenWhile your dad might not travel the world with his cookware a la Stanley Tucci, he probably loves pizza night. Skip the delivery with this ultraportable pizza oven, one of Gozney’s highly anticipated new arrivals. He can keep in the backyard or take on the go, Tucci-style. (Psst—the brand is also Benny Blanco–approved).ButcherBox Curated Classic BoxSummertime is around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about all the backyard BBQs drawing near. Encourage your own grill master to enjoy his favorite hobby with a regular supply of sustainably sourced meat—no trip to the butcher required. And since each box is delivered within five days of billing, it makes for a solid last-minute gift idea too.LARQ Bottle PureVis 2Hydration is key for everyone, and this stainless-steel water bottle takes it to the next level for Dad. It’s so high-tech, in fact, that he can pair it with an app to track his water intake via Bluetooth.Papier Dad's Recipes JournalFor your favorite personal chef, encourage him to write down his best recipes in this keepsake journal that can easily double as coffee table decor. Add your own photo and customize the title with an inside joke or sweet reference for your most thoughtful gift to date.HobbiesUncommon Goods MLB Stadium Sculpture CandleA gift guide for dads wouldn’t be complete without a shout-out to the sports aficionados. My architect husband is a die-hard New York Mets fan and a firm believer that you can never have too many candles on-hand. So it only made sense that one of his favorite Christmas gifts was this hand-poured wax candle topped with an intricately designed, laser-cut wooden replica of Citi Field. Choose dad’s favorite team, and he’ll light it all season long.STAMTECH Custom Logo Book Embosser StampWith this unique gift from Amazon, he can make his mark on a ton of stuff—stationery, labels, books, recipes, and so on. Each engraved plate can be customized with his initials, a special message, or logo, and it’ll instantly personalize his most treasured items. Source: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/gifts-for-dads #best #gifts #for #dad #hell #actually #want

Maybe your gaming laptop doesn’t have enough storage. Or you simply want an easy way to make your game library portable. An external SSD can fix both of these issues (and more) by providing an easy way to expand storage that you can take on the go. But choosing an external SSD means sorting through a dizzying array of options, and making a poor choice can leave you feeling hard done by. Lucky for you, we’ve done the testing and can offer some sure-fire recommendations that are guaranteed to help, and not hinder, your gaming setup. Why you should trust us: We are PCWorld. Our reviewers have been putting computer hardware through its paces for decades. Our external drive evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the limits of every product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As consumers ourselves, we know what makes a product exceptional. For more about our testing process, scroll to the bottom of this article. Scroll below our recommendations to learn about other external SSDs for gaming that did not make our list. Lexar SL600 Blaze – Best 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Good 20Gbps performer Top bang for the buck Five-year warranty Cons 4TB model not yet available The competition is very close in the top tier of 20Gbps external drives, with the big-name contenders trading wins up and down the benchmark charts. But a winner is a winner, and in the end, the Lexar overtook our previous champ, Crucial’s X10 Pro, even if only by a hair. The upshot is that you can expect excellent performance from the Lexar SL600. It also comes in a uniquely shaped form factor, complete with an opening to accommodate a lanyard, for easy toting. Gamers might appreciate that you can even add some bling by opting for the SL660 variant, which features RGB lighting within its miniature handle. The drive comes with the standard five year warranty. When performance is this closely matched among products, the determining factor should be price. And here, too, the SL600 is neck-and-neck with the Crucial X10 Pro, and priced slightly to significantly cheaper than some of its competitors, at least as of this writing — particularly at the 2TB level. Read our full Lexar SL600 20Gbps USB SSD review Teamgroup M200 – Best budget 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Fast everyday performance Available in up to 8TB (eventually) capacity Attractively styled Cons No TBW rating Company will change components if shortages demand Writes slow to 200MBps off cache The Teamgroup M200 provides excellent bang for your buck with 20Gbps transfer rates and up to 4TB of storage for a very reasonable price. It has great everyday performance, too. Its slick military-style design is based on the CheyTac M200 sniper rifle—a perfect fit for those late night frag sessions. Unfortunately, Teamgroup doesn’t provide a TBW rating or official IP rating for the M200 so it’s more difficult to compare it as a whole to its competitors. However the M200 is a fast, extremely well priced external SSD with a gamer-friendly design that will look good and perform well in almost any setup. Read our full Teamgroup T-Force M200 20Gbps USB SSD review PNY RP60 20Gbps USB SSD – Best rugged 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Handsome, IP65-rated design (dust-proof, water-resistant) Good 20Gbps performance Nice flat Type-C USB ribbon cable Cons USB port plug tether is difficult to reinsert. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price PNY $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you tend to take your gaming drive everywhere, and/or you’re not the most careful person with hardware, a ruggedized external SSD is a practical answer. The PNY RP60 offers more than just a rugged IP65-rated exterior that protects against dust and water droplets; and while very handsome and lightweight to boot; the drive is also an admirable performer, even besting one of the fastest 20Gbps drives we’ve tested — the Crucial X10 Pro — in a couple of our tests. The RP60 is also competitively priced at $100 and $180 for 1TB and 2TB, respectively. Read our full PNY RP60 20Gbps USB SSD review Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 – Most portable 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Extremely small profile Shock-absorbing silicone jacket Top-flight packaging Good overall performance Cons A tad behind the 20Gbps curve performance-wise Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Sabrent $119.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you’re after a very small SSD that you can easily fit into a pocket, the Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 is that. This USB 3.2×2 20Gbps drive measures a petite 2.73 inches long, 1.16-inches wide, and 0.44-inches thick. It weighs a dainty 1.7 ounces. Of course, you’ll probably want to slide on its included shock-absorbing silicone jacket (shown in picture), which will add .06 inches to all its dimensions, while giving it a badass look. But looks aside, the Nano V2 is a solid performer. It wasn’t quite at the same level as our top picks in everything, but it traded wins and losses within the pack. For instance it was second only to the Crucial X10 Pro in our 450GB write test. And it took the top spot in CrystalDiskMark 8’s random writes, and was very competitive in random reads. This wee drive also comes in up to 4TB capacities, making it an all-around good choice if you’re looking to get a lot of storage and performance in a tiny package. We’re also fond of its five-year warranty and the nifty metal box it comes in, which can be repurposed for other uses. Read our full Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 review Adata SE920 EX – Best USB 4 external SSD for gaming Pros Fastest external storage we’ve tested (at 40Gbps) Affordable for the ilk Stylish enclosure Available up to 4TB Also fast on the Mac Cons Pricier than USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) A USB 4 external SSD isn’t for everyone. Not only does your PC need to support the spec in order to take advantage of the 40Gbps transfers, but you’ll also need to be willing to pay a premium for the privilege. If you’re ready to enter the club, however, the Adata SE920 EX will reward you with the fastest USB 4 performance that we’ve experienced, and at a much more affordable price than our previous pick for USB 4, the OWC Express 1M2 — we’re talking $180 for a 1TB Adata SE920 versus $250 for the OWC drive. And if you want a lot of capacity, the Adata SE920 EX comes with up to 4TB, for a reasonable $500 (compared to OWC’s $598.99). In almost every benchmark, the SE920 EX beat the OWC Express 1M2 at 40Gbps performance, albeit by small margins. It also comes with a nifty built-in fan, which is activated by sliding open the enclosure. This kept our drive noticeably free of heat during our benchmark tests. The SE920 EX is also quite portable at 4.13 inches long by 2.52-inches wide by 0.62-inches thick, and weighing 7 ounces — another advantage it has over the bulkier OWC Express 1M2. In the end, the choice for a USB 4 external SSD is clear. Alternative option: You can get record-breaking performance by rolling your own USB 4 external SSD, using Ugreen’s CM642 enclosure. In our tests, the $110 enclosure combined with an NVMe SSD bested the performance of the two external USB 4 SSDs above. Read our full Adata SE920 USB4 SSD review Other external drive reviews: Sandisk Extreme Pro SSD with USB4: There’s a lot to like about this rugged, handsome design and relative affordability. But connection issues and comparably lackluster 40Gbps performance left me unamazed. PNY Pro Elite V3: This 10Gbps, Type-C USB stick is fast, but what really won me over is its clever, retracting physical design and svelte form-factor. Addlink P21: Good 20Gbps performance and a striking design are a winning formula for this external SSD. Seagate Ultra Compact SSD: This 10Gbps USB thumb drive delivers far better performance than generic 5Gbps or 400Mbps types, as well as free data recovery and other software perks. Corsair EX400U: While Corsair’s EX400U is on the slow side for a USB4 external SSD, it’s also less expensive than the competition. Ugreen CM642 USB4: Fast, handsome, rugged, and easy to use, Ugreen’s CM642 USB4 SSD enclosure is a great way to roll your own high-performance external storage. Corsair Flash Survivor: If you’re after an eminently portable USB stick with 10Gbps/NVMe speed that’s also weatherproofed, ruggedized, and looks burly as hell, this is the drive for you. Seagate Game Drive SSD: Targeted at PS4/PS5 owners, the 10Gbps SSD is very fast for its class, and attractively styled, complete with a Playstation logo, but it’s relatively pricey. Lexar Armor 700: Like the PNY RP60 above, the Lexar Armor 700 is a 20Gbps drive that can withstand some abuse — perfect for the gamer on the go, or the accident-prone. Its IP66 weatherized body is attractive, its performance is competitive. It’s also a bit pricey. Teamgroup PD20M: This little 20Gbps drive comes with a handy travel case and is one of the lightest portable drives we’ve tested. The only problem is, its performance slows considerably once its 20GB of cache has been tapped. Best for light-duty chores. Adata SD810: This is a solid 20Gbps drive, as long as you aren’t in the habit of writing very large amounts of data to it on a regular basis, because in our tests, the drive slowed down considerably in that scenario. That being said, the 4TB capacity is a particularly good value at just $300. Lexar SL500: A stablemate of the Lexar SL600 — our pick for best 20Gbps external drive — the SL500 stands out for its very slim and attractive form factor. It has almost identical performance to the SL600, with the exception of performing slower than its sibling in our 48GB file writes. How we test Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro which also runs the OS. Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This can be less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with far faster late-generation NAND. Caveat: The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know. To learn more about our testing methodology see PCWorld’s article on how we test external SSDs. Further reading: How to make your own external SSD and save some cash Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/553786/best-external-ssd-for-gaming.html #best #external #ssd #for #gaming #portable #performance #drives