Can't (or won't) upgrade to Windows 11, but afraid to switch from Windows 10 to Linux? This app might make the transition easy

• A Windows-to-Linux migration tool has been revealed
• It's still in development, but looks very promising, providing a seamless way of transitioning to Linux
• Only one distro is supported, but there's the possibility of multiple options in the future

Those whose PC doesn't support Windows 11 - or people who just plain don't like Microsoft's newest OS, and don't want to leave Windows 10 for it - could, at some point down the line, have another option in terms of a way to switch to Linux instead.

Neowin picked up on a project that's a Windows-to-Linux migration tool, enabling you to shift across all your files and settings - as well as installed apps - from Windows 10 over to Linux.

Now, there are a few caveats for this concept, and I'll lead with the most notable, namely that this isn't a finished product yet. The software is still under development, in an "early" form, and all we can see of it now is a demo on YouTube.

The tool, called Operese, is being put together by 'TechnoPorg', an engineering student at the University of Waterloo (in Canada), and the utility has been under development for some time.

Another sizeable catch is that it only allows Windows 10 users to switch to one particular Linux distro, Kubuntu (which is based on the popular Ubuntu, so it's far from a bad choice - and I'll come back to this shortly).

Otherwise, you can see how the process works in the 'Program Demo' section of the YouTube clip below. The app takes care of the whole migration, extracting the relevant data from Windows 10, then installing Kubuntu, and reapplying the correct settings, your files, and so on (achieving this using some clever trickery with drive partitions).

Analysis: In-place upgrade to Linux

Essentially, Operese is like an in-place upgrade, the same as you might perform to shift to Windows 11, except in this case, you're going from Windows 10 to Linux. It's a very smart idea in that respect for those who are intimidated by the idea of migrating to Linux - you can do it straight from your existing Windows 10 PC, with no fuss whatsoever, just sit back and let the tool do all the hard work.

I'm not sure how the transfer of apps will be facilitated, and obviously, that could get tricky where software isn't available on Linux (or doesn't work on the platform). Indeed, the program migration aspect remains unfinished in Operese at this point in time, as the developer tells us in the YouTube clip, so this is still rather up in the air.

Another issue is that, given that we're told it's still relatively early in development, is this app going to be ready for Windows 10's End of Life? TechnoPorg says it'll be full steam ahead working on Operese until October, which suggests that the dev is trying to hit that deadline, when support for Windows 10 ceases. He may need help to that end, and talks about making the code open source, too (not a bad thing in terms of security, either).

Still, even if that deadline is missed, remember that Windows 10 users can get an extra year of support just by syncing PC settings via the Windows Backup app (not a high price to pay in my view). The app could still be very useful even as a late arrival, then, given that breathing space. And even if this project isn't realized, it does show that this kind of streamlined Linux migration is perfectly possible - and that it might show up in some form, hopefully sooner rather than later.

For those grumbling that there's only one choice of distro, TechnoPorg observes that Kubuntu was selected for some good reasons. Its stability, third-party driver support, and the KDE Plasma desktop environment will make those who are used to the Windows desktop feel somewhat at home. Also, Ubuntu offers a great set of tools for automated installations, apparently, which makes it suit this project nicely.

All that said, the developer indicates that supporting some of the other best Linux distros is a possible long-term goal, and that "based on the overwhelming community feedback, I will be making the internals [of Operese] more distro-agnostic". Meaning other options aside from Kubuntu - hopefully, alternatives well-suited to Windows users - could be in the cards eventually.

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Is Intel set for a great CPU comeback? Nova Lake in 2026 could copy AMD's playbook for a key gaming boost

• Intel might be planning a big change with Nova Lake CPUs in 2026
• Rumor has it that they will benefit from additional cache for faster gaming
• This is in a similar vein to AMD's existing 3D V-Cache chips, like the popular 9800X3D

Intel's Nova Lake processors – which could be its next CPUs (though an Arrow Lake Refresh could come before them) – are going to take a page out of AMD's 3D V-Cache playbook, it seems.

Based on new rumors floating around on X, as highlighted by VideoCardz, Intel is looking to use a large slab of cache to make a much better CPU for gamers, just like AMD's X3D chips.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D remains our best gaming CPU (pound-for-pound), and Intel is seemingly hoping to tap into a similar vein with Nova Lake chips using what's called 'bLLC' or Big Last-Level Cache.

Obviously, take all this with a good deal of seasoning, but according to Raichu, a well-known leaker on X, we'll see a Nova Lake flagship with 16 performance cores (and 32 efficiency cores). Along with that, there'll be a lower-tier chip with 8 performance cores (plus 16 efficiency) that will have bLLC on board (the flagship won't).

Another post on X, from Haze (a data miner), also claims there will be a second 8-core model with fewer efficiency cores (12) that'll have the new cache, and also 4 low-power cores (tiny ones). Indeed, both Nova Lake 8-core CPUs will supposedly have those, along with a power consumption of 125W.

As VideoCardz points out, the rumored plan is for 144MB of L3 cache to be utilized by Intel, more than AMD's current top-end payload of 128MB (on the Ryzen 9950X3D).

Whatever the exact configuration of these CPUs might ultimately be, the apparent plan is to have this new type of cache powering up Nova Lake, processors expected to be released later in 2026.

As mentioned at the outset, it isn't clear whether Nova Lake will be Intel's next-gen CPUs, as past rumors have indicated, or whether Team Blue might be planning a stopgap refresh of current Arrow Lake chips before then, to debut later this year, as more recent speculation contends.

We could be looking at Arrow Lake Refresh as the Core 300 series (alongside Panther Lake, which will be only for laptops), and Nova Lake would be Core 400, in theory (for both desktops and laptops).

Analysis: a return to form?

(Image credit: Pexels)

So, it seems Intel's plan is a monster flagship processor for Nova Lake, aimed at PC enthusiasts who want a heavyweight chip that can do everything – with 16 performance cores – and then a beefy 8-core chip that's ideal for gamers. The latter will cost less but be pepped up for games with this new flavor of cache, the equivalent of AMD's X3D.

While AMD does offer X3D processors with more than 8 cores, that model – the most recent incarnation of which is the 9800X3D – is the mainstream offering for gamers in terms of its pricing (the 12-core and 16-core X3D spins are predictably pricey).

Okay, so does this fresh Intel rumor seem likely? Well, Team Blue does need to do something to get back in the good books of gamers, that's for sure. The company's most recent Arrow Lake chips disappointed with their PC gaming performance – even after multiple patches to smooth things over – and its reputation has been tarnished by previous generations suffering from well-documented stability issues (which are still an ongoing concern in some respects).

Indeed, some might argue that it could be too late for Intel to recover its standing with gamers. After all, trust and confidence in the CPU maker have been damaged to a worrying extent, at least from what I can tell (from online sentiment in the various forums I regularly lurk in). Of course, that doesn't mean Team Blue shouldn't try - and maybe it can pull a rabbit out of the hat, gaming-wise, with a new direction for Nova Lake in terms of additional cache.

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Dying Light: The Beast has been delayed so the studio can make it 'best Dying Light game' ever

• Dying Light: The Beast has been delayed
• It will now launch on September 19, 2025
• Developer Techland says it will help "address final details that make all the difference between good and great"

Bad news fellow Kyle Crane lovers: Dying Light: The Beast has been delayed for a few weeks.

Developer Techland revealed the decision in a new blog post. "It has always been our goal to make Dying Light: The Beast the best Dying Light game we’ve ever released," the post read.

Although the studio "understands that this [news] may be disappointing," the focus is on crafting the most polished possible experience. "With just four additional weeks, we can address final details that make all the difference between good and great."

The post outlined some of the areas for improvement, which include "finetuning the balance of gameplay elements, looking into clarity of UI, increasing the quality of physics, as well as tweaking cutscenes and player animations further" on top of adding some "last little details" to bring it all together.

Despite the delay, at demo of the game will still be playable at Gamescom 2025.

Dying Light: The Beast was previously set to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC on August 22, 2025. It will now arrive on September 19.

Set in the new open-world environment of Castor Woods, Dying Light: The Beast markets the return of original Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane.

I recently had to the opportunity to preview the game and speak to director Nathan Lemaire who revealed that the gore system will be dialed up in this upcoming instalment.

“We want to craft a world that feels realistic, and the way you interact with it needs to be realistic as well. We are investing a lot into making the impact feel real," he said. "For that, we turned up the gore effects by making it more precise and also more coherent based on your weapon.”

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Assassin's Creed Shadows just got a massive roadmap update, with New Game Plus coming next week

• Assassin's Creed Shadows is getting a bunch of updates throughout the year
• It starts with a New Game Plus update next week
• Further changes and an expansion are set to arrive in September

Ubisoft has provided a huge update for Assassin's Creed Shadows' upcoming content roadmap.

Revealed in a post to the official series website, the 'summer roadmap' begins with a progression update, arriving next week on July 29. Headlining this update is the arrival of New Game Plus, which lets players carry over character level, gear, skill points, Hideout progression and knowledge rank into a new game after they've rolled credits.

The progression update also brings a level cap increase from 60 to 80, new knowledge ranks, a new forge level and the addition of more achievements and trophies (depending on your platform of choice).

At the start of September (date TBC), Ubisoft will bring a 'quality-of-life improvement update' to Assassin's Creed Shadows. This free update will finally allow players to fast forward the time of day, 'unfog' the world map, and bring more Hideout and general content updates.

This update will also uncap the frame rate in cutscenes, though this is a feature that will only be found in the PC version of the game.

Lastly, on September 16, Assassin's Creed Shadows will receive its first story expansion. Known as Claws of Awaji, the expansion adds a new region to explore, as well as all-new weapons, abilities, gear, and enemies.

Ubisoft claims the expansion will add more than ten hours of content, and will unlock only after you've beaten the base game story. Likely, this means the expansion will carry on the story from the original ending.

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40 years ago, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple – but it made Macs better than ever

“It turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

You wouldn’t expect to hear that from Steve Jobs, a man famous for his short temper and strong opinions. Yet as it turns out, being removed from his own company transformed Jobs, helping him grow into the creative force that, years later, would spawn world-changing products like the iPhone, the iPod, and the best Macs and MacBooks.

His ouster went down 40 years ago in 1985, and it’s worth looking back on what happened at that time and how it changed Jobs – and Apple, and perhaps even the wider computing world – for the better.

Far from being the end of the road for Jobs, this was just the beginning. After leaving Apple, he founded another computer company, NeXT, and later took the helm at Pixar. Under his watch, it became the foremost animation studio on the planet. In his absence, Apple lost its way, churning out uninspired products and coming within a hair’s breadth of going bankrupt.

Twelve years later, Jobs returned to Apple and led it to one of the most dazzlingly potent periods in its history. Yet that likely would never have happened had Jobs not been very publicly fired from his own company. Here, I want to show you why.

Showdown at Apple

(Image credit: Apple)

By the mid-1980s, Steve Jobs was running the Macintosh division at Apple, taking the lead on a product that would go on to change the world of computing forever.

At the same time, Apple was searching for a new CEO, and Jobs thought he had found one in the form of Pepsi marketing chief John Sculley. After luring Sculley in with his famous powers of persuasion (“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?” Jobs asked him), the new hire was on board.

But after a year-long honeymoon period, cracks began to appear. Jobs felt Sculley was not a 'product person' and simply didn't get his way of thinking. For Sculley, Jobs was too obsessive and obnoxious.

The showdown came in 1985, when disappointing sales of the Macintosh and Jobs’s chaotic management style led to questions over his leadership abilities. Although it was suggested that Jobs could run a small “skunkworks” team developing exciting new moonshot devices, Jobs rejected the idea, leading Sculley to conclude that he had to be forced out of the company.

Eventually, Sculley convinced the board to remove Jobs from his role as head of the Macintosh division, a plan that was executed over a few days in May 1985.

Jobs was given the symbolic role of Chairman of the Board, but it was a position with no actual power and influence inside Apple. He had been trapped inside the airlock, unable to influence the company or the direction it took. Jobs recognized this, and in September 1985, he left to form his own computing company called, fittingly enough, NeXT.

He was 30 years old and exiled from the successful company he had founded ten years earlier. For many people, it would be a chance to leave the industry and never look back. But for Jobs, it was the beginning of a learning process that brought him back stronger than ever.

Finding focus

(Image credit: Apple)

Jobs (unsurprisingly) took his firing very personally, feeling that he was both a personal failure and that he had let down those around him. Yet this didn't stop him from leading companies and getting hands-on with their operations.

At first, he exhibited some of his worst habits at NeXT. Released from the strictures of a board and CEO that didn’t look kindly on his antics, he indulged his taste for perfectionism at every turn, regardless of the cost or time implications.

As such, NeXT struggled to put out a competitive product on time and under budget. After a few years of little progress, it exited the hardware world altogether, instead focusing entirely on software. This would later prove to be a fortuitous decision.

But it was at Pixar that he truly turned things around. After becoming CEO, he took a more hands-off approach and focused on funding and dealing with Disney, with which Pixar had partnered to make films. Pixar was led by a team of artists and creatives – a class of people who Jobs truly admired – and he was happy to let them do their thing.

Pixar became the most important animation studio in the world, with a string of hits like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and A Bug’s Life. Jobs could marry technology with art – the thing he believed he was doing at Apple, and an idea that would define how he worked later in his life. Jobs had found a way to be focused, creative, and productive without imploding.

The value of being fired

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the late 1990s, Sculley was gone and Apple was nearly bankrupt, but it had enough cash to buy NeXT and bring Jobs back on board, first as interim CEO, then as CEO in a full-time capacity. NeXT’s operating system – now part of Apple’s stable – went on to become the foundation of what we now know as macOS.

When Jobs returned to Apple, he was a changed man. Under his renewed leadership, the company went on an incredible creative tear: the iPhone, iMac, iPod, iTunes, and much more were produced under his watch. He not only brought Apple back from the dead, but made it one of the strongest – and hippest – tech companies in the business.

Yet Jobs believed that none of this could have happened if he had not been fired from Apple. As he said in the commencement address he gave at Stanford University in 2005, years after being ousted from his own company, “The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

Perhaps the most important aspect was that Jobs realized he still loved what he was doing. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,” he said, “and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

For Jobs, it took being fired from Apple to realize that. But things could have been very different if it had never happened at all.

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Battlefield 6 will get its official reveal trailer later today – here's how and when to tune in to the livestream

• Battlefield 6 will be officially revealed in a special livestream today
• The broadcast begins at 4pm BST / 5pm CEST / 11pm EST / 8am PST
• A cinematic trailer or the first look at gameplay is likely to be showcased

Electronic Arts has officially announced Battlefield 6, and a first look at the next game will be revealed today in a special livestream.

The 'Battlefield 6 Official Reveal Trailer' broadcast is scheduled to take place today, July 24, at 4pm BST / 5pm CEST / 11pm EST / 8am PST and can be watched on the official Battlefield YouTube channel.

A teaser was shared earlier this week showing four soldiers overlooking what appears to be a war-torn New York City, with the Brooklyn Bridge caught in an explosion.

EA hasn't confirmed the details of the upcoming livestream or how long it will last, but we're expecting a cinematic trailer at least or a potential gameplay overview showcasing the setting, roles, and first-person shooter action.

Closed beta tests for Battlefield 6 have been running for the past few months, so this will be the first time the game has been shown off to the public.

Before the livestream announcement, it was reported that content creators familiar with the series had been receiving special packages from EA.

It was also claimed by Battlefield content creator Rivalxfactor that there will be a three-day EA event following the game's official reveal; however, the creator stated this would occur on July 29, which we now know to be false and is happening today instead.

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New PS5 system update beta will allow DualSense Wireless Controller pairing across multiple devices and add a Power Saver mode so games can run with lower power consumption

• The latest PS5 firmware beta update will arrive in the coming months and include a new DualSense pairing feature
• Sony will soon allow DualSense controllers to be paired across multiple devices simultaneously
• A Power Saver mode will also be introduced later on to reduce the power consumption of supported PS5 games

Sony has announced the new features for its latest PlayStation 5 beta firmware update, which includes simultaneous DualSense pairing across multiple devices.

The details were shared on PlayStation Blog, where Sony said that it believes enabling compatibility of its peripherals across multiple platforms "creates a more flexible and seamless gaming experience."

To further this effort, the latest beta update will preview a new feature that allows DualSense wireless controllers and DualSense Edge wireless controllers to be paired across multiple devices simultaneously, making it easier for players to switch between them without needing to pair each time.

"With this update, you can now register up to four devices simultaneously, and easily switch between them directly from your controller," Sony explained.

"For example, you can take your controller which you use with your PS5, then seamlessly switch connection to a PC to play PC games, or connect it to a smartphone to enjoy Remote Play from your PS5. With this enhanced flexibility, you can enjoy gaming more freely across multiple devices."

Sony also revealed a new Power Saver mode that, when enabled, allows supported PS5 games to run with lower power consumption and reduce environmental impact.

This is part of its Road to Zero environmental plan, and will appear as a new option in the PS5 settings menu when it's released.

This feature won't be in the latest beta update, which is set to release globally in the coming months, but Sony did say it will be available at a later date.

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Palmer Luckey asks, 'Would you buy a Made In America computer if it was 20% pricier than a MacBook? A poll suggests most people would

• Palmer Luckey has asked: Would you buy a 'Made In America' laptop from his firm Anduril for 20% more than a MacBook?
• The results of that poll on X currently show almost two-thirds of respondents would
• How such a notebook might be realized at this cost level is, however, far from clear - and there are lots of question marks here

Would you buy a laptop that was fully made in America if it cost 20% more than an Apple notebook made in China?

Tom's Hardware reports that this is a question Palmer Luckey has posed on X (and elsewhere, such as the Reindustrialize Summit), complete with a poll to test the waters.

Would you buy a Made In America computer from Anduril for 20% more than Chinese-manufactured options from Apple?July 20, 2025

If you're scratching around in corners of your brain trying to remember what Luckey was famous for in the tech world, it was, of course, the creation of the Oculus Rift - though his company was eventually swallowed up by Facebook.

Since then, Luckey has been dabbling in a few things, including crypto and military tech, the latter of which is the mentioned Anduril Industries in the above post. So, given the poll, how many people on X would buy a 'Made In America computer from Anduril' if it was a fifth more pricey than a (presumably roughly equivalent spec) MacBook?

At the time of writing, with nearly 77,000 votes registered on X, almost two-thirds of respondents (63.5%) would purchase such an Anduril laptop.

The response was seemingly not quite as enthusiastic at the aforementioned Reindustrialize Summit, based on the clip below also posted on X (where Luckey is apparently speaking through a robot, yeah, don't ask).

Here's the moment where @PalmerLuckey interrupted @ashleevance at Reindustrialize to ask:"How many people in the audience would buy an American made computer if it was 20% more expensive?"The full clip is a great distillation of his thinking on the opportunity. https://t.co/aEvFdAxyBx pic.twitter.com/77qsvBJ52dJuly 20, 2025

However, commenters claim the rough count of raised hands was underestimated (as the audience was difficult to see due to the spotlights shining on the stage, which does make sense to be fair). According to the report, it was supposedly more than half in favor, which aligns more closely with Luckey's poll result.

(Image credit: NATNN / Shutterstock)

Analysis: One laptop to rule US?

As Tom's Hardware points out, there's an important distinction here. Luckey talks about a laptop 'made' in the US, and that's very different from a notebook that's merely 'assembled' in America - with components like the key chips coming from elsewhere (like China).

Our sister site points to the definition of 'Made in USA' as put forward by the FTC, and that includes not just the assembly happening in a factory in the US, but that also "virtually all components of the product are made and sourced in the United States".

It may be different in the future, but at this point, it seems unlikely that Anduril could source entirely US-made components for the potential laptop. In fact, it seems highly improbable that this could be realized with only a 20% price hike over what Apple charges. (What with the MacBook maker's highly leveraged deals with the Asian supply chain, of course - not to mention any would-be rival would have to compete with the now impressively refined M-series silicon Apple has in its armory).

Hardware complications aside, the other bone of contention on X is what this hypothetical laptop would run by way of an operating system - Windows or Linux? Frankly, there are too many elements up in the air with this idea right now, and too many questions - although there is clearly some basic level of desire for such a product in the US.

Will that compel Luckey to reveal more about how he might achieve this feat? Or is this vague laptop concept just a bit of media hype? As mentioned, there are definitely more questions than answers, and it'll certainly be interesting to see whether anything more will be forthcoming in terms of the latter.

What Luckey has more recently done (on X) is to fire back at 'cynics' criticizing the idea as "some cross between impossible and nakedly political opportunism driven by current US tariffs", adding that: "Don't miss the point. This problem transcends administrations. Myself and others have said so for years."

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Sora 2 is coming, but it will have to dazzle viewers to beat Google's Veo 3 model

• OpenAI is expected to release the Sora 2 AI video model soon
• Sora 2 will face stiff competition from Google’s Veo 3 model
• Veo 3 already offers features that Sora does not, and OpenAI will need to enhance both what Sora can do and how easy it is to use to entice possible customers

OpenAI appears to be finalizing plans to release Sora 2, the next iteration of its text-to-video model, based on references spotted in OpenAI's servers.

Nothing has been officially confirmed, but there are signs that Sora 2 will be a major upgrade aimed squarely at Google’s Veo 3 AI video model. It’s not just a race to generate prettier pixels; it's about sound and the experience of producing what the user is imagining when writing a prompt.

OpenAI’s Sora impressed many when it debuted with its high-quality images. They were silent films, however. But, when Veo 3 debuted this year, it showcased short clips with speech and environmental audio baked in and synced up. Not only could you watch a man pour coffee in slow motion, but you could also hear the gentle splash of liquid, the clink of ceramic, and even the hum of a diner around the digital character.

To make Sora 2 stand out as more than just a lesser option to Veo 3, OpenAI will need to figure out how to stitch believable voices, sound effects, and ambient noise into even better versions of its visuals. Getting audio right, particularly lip-sync, is tricky. Most AI video models can show you a face saying words. The magic trick is making it look like those words actually came from that face.

It's not that Veo 3 is perfect at matching sound to picture, but there are examples of videos with surprisingly tight audio-to-mouth coordination, background music that matches the mood, and effects that fit the intent of the video.

Granted, a maximum of eight seconds per video limits the scope for success or failure, but fidelity to the scene is necessary before considering duration. And it's hard to deny that it can make videos that both look and sound like real cats jumping off high dives into a pool. Though if Sora 2 can extend to 30 seconds or more with a steady quality, it's easy to see it attracting users looking for more room for creating AI videos.

Sora 2's movie mission

OpenAI’s Sora can stretch up to 20 seconds or more of high-quality video. And as it's embedded into ChatGPT, you can make it part of a larger project. This flexibility is significant for helping Sora stand out, but the audio absence is notable. To compete directly with Veo 3, Sora 2 will have to find its voice. Not only find it, but weave it smoothly into the videos it produces. Sora 2 might have great audio, but if it can't outmatch the seamless way Veo 3's audio connects with its visuals, it might not matter.

At the same time, making Sora 2 too good might cause its own issues. With every new generation of AI video model, there's more concern about blurring the line with reality. Sora and Veo 3 both don't allow prompts involving real people, violence, or copyrighted content. But adding audio offers a whole new dimension of scrutiny over the origin and use of realistic voices.

The other big question is pricing. Google has Veo 3 behind the Gemini Advanced paywall, and you really need to subscribe to the $250 a month AI Ultra tier if you want to use Veo 3 all the time. OpenAI might bundle access to Sora 2 into the ChatGPT Plus and Pro tiers in a similar manner, but if it can offer more to the cheaper tier, it's likely to quickly expand its userbase.

For the average person, the AI video tool they turn to will hinge on that price, as well as ease of use, as much as the features and quality of video. There's a lot OpenAI needs to do if Sora 2 is going to be more than a silent blip in the AI race, but it looks like we will find out how well it can compete soon.

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Look out ChatGPT – the creator of Proton Mail has just launched a new AI chatbot that’s super-secure and private

• Proton has launched Lumo, a new AI assistant that's dedicated to your privacy
• There's a free version, and a paid-for Plus version with premium features
• You can use Lumo in a web browser or via apps on iOS and Android

Proton, the Swiss company behind apps including Proton Mail and Proton VPN, has launched its first AI product: Lumo.

Lumo is an open-source AI assistant that's designed with an emphasis on to privacy. You can use it for all the same things you would use ChatGPT for, like summarizing documents, helping with code or rewriting emails, but you'll be safe in the knowledge that everything you share with Lumo is completely confidential, and only readable on your device.

Proton guarantees that none of the information you give to Lumo will be used to train LLMs and can’t be shared with third parties.

I recently wrote about the dangers of unwittingly handing over sensitive information that's far more intimate than search or browsing history to AI companies, so Lumo's arrival is timely.

(Image credit: Proton)

The dangers of Big Tech

Announcing Lumo, Andy Yen, Founder and CEO of Proton, said: “When we first launched Proton Mail a decade ago, our vision was to build a better alternative to Big Tech ecosystems for the benefit of all of society. Big Tech is using AI to supercharge the collection of sensitive user data to accelerate the world’s transition to surveillance capitalism.

"For this reason, we believe it is essential to provide an alternative that protects privacy and serves users as opposed to exploiting them. AI should not become the world’s most powerful surveillance tool, and our vision for Lumo is AI that puts people ahead of profits.”

So, if you’re looking for a European alternative to the big US and Chinese tech companies that are dominating the AI market right now, then Lumo could be a good idea.

(Image credit: Proton)

Lumo launches with key tools that we’d expect in an AI these days, including a web search, which is turned off by default for privacy but can be turned on. It has the ability to upload and analyze files, but unlike other AI assistants, no record is kept of any documents you upload.

Finally, Lumo has Proton Dive integration for adding files to chats. The files will stay end-to-end encrypted.

You can use Lumo for free, or upgrade to Lumo Plus for $12.99 a month (about £9 / AU$20). Lumo Plus gives you premium features including unlimited chats, extended chat history, unlimited chat favorites, and the ability to upload multiple and large files to Lumo.

You can sign up to Lumo now at lumo.proton.me, and there are apps for iOS and Android. Since it's only just launched we haven’t had a chance to compare Lumo to the more established chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini yet, but you can be sure we’ll be putting it through its paces soon enough. Watch this space.

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Spotify had to pull an AI-generated song that claimed to be from an artist who passed away 36 years ago

• AI-generated songs by deceased artists, like Blaze Foley, have been falsely uploaded to Spotify
• The streaming service is taking them down as they are spotted
• The tracks slipped past Spotify’s content verification processes through platforms like SoundOn

Last week, a new country song called “Together” appeared on Spotify under the official artist page of Blaze Foley, a country artist shot and killed in 1989. The ballad was unlike his other work, but there it was: cover art, credits, and copyright information – just like any other new single. Except this wasn't an unearthed track from before his death; it was an AI-generated fake.

After being flagged by fans and Foley's label, Lost Art Records, and reported on by 404 Media, the track was removed. Another fake song attributed to the late country icon Guy Clark, who passed away in 2016, was also taken down.

The report found that the AI-generated tracks carried copyright tags listing a company named Syntax Error as the owner, although little is known about them. Stumbling across AI-made songs on Spotify isn't unusual. There are entire playlists of machine-generated lo-fi beats and ambient chillcore that already rake in millions of plays. But, those tracks are typically presented under imaginary artist names and usually have their origin mentioned.

The attribution is what makes the Foley case unusual. An AI-generated song uploaded to the wrong place and falsely linked to real, deceased human beings is many steps beyond simply sharing AI-created sounds.

Synthetic music embedded directly into the legacy of long-dead musicians without permission from their families or labels is an escalation of the long-running debate over AI-generated content. That it happened on a giant platform like Spotify and didn't get caught by the streamer's own tools is understandably troubling.

And unlike some cases where AI-generated music is passed off as a tribute or experiment, these were treated as official releases. They appeared in the artists’ discographies. This latest controversy adds the disturbing wrinkle of real artists misrepresented by fakes.

Posthumous AI artists

As for what happened on Spotify's end, the company attributed the upload to SoundOn, a music distributor owned by TikTok.

“The content in question violates Spotify’s deceptive content policies, which prohibit impersonation intended to mislead, such as replicating another creator’s name, image, or description, or posing as a person, brand, or organization in a deceptive manner,” Spotify said in a statement to 404.

“This is not allowed. We take action against licensors and distributors who fail to police for this kind of fraud and those who commit repeated or egregious violations can and have been permanently removed from Spotify.”

That it was taken down is great, but the fact that the track appeared at all suggests an issue with flagging these problems earlier. Considering Spotify processes tens of thousands of new tracks daily, the need for automation is obvious. However, that means there may be no checking into the origins of a track as long as the technical requirements are met.

That matters not just for artistic reasons, but as a question of ethics and economics. When generative AI can be used to manufacture fake songs in the name of dead musicians, and there’s no immediate or foolproof mechanism to stop it, then you have to wonder how artists can prove who they are and get the credit and royalties they or their estates have earned.

Apple Music and YouTube have also struggled to filter out deepfake content. And as AI tools like Suno and Udio make it easier than ever to generate songs in seconds, with lyrics and vocals to match, the problem will only grow.

There are verification processes that can be used, as well as building tags and watermarks into AI-generated content. However, platforms that prioritize streamlined uploads may not be fans of the extra time and effort involved.

AI can be a great tool for helping produce and enhance music, but that's using AI as a tool, not as a mask. If an AI generates a track and it's labeled as such, that's great. But if someone intentionally passes that work off as part of an artist’s legacy, especially one they can no longer defend, that’s fraud. It may seem a minor aspect of the AI debates, but people care about music and what happens in this industry could have repercussions in every other aspect of AI use.

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The PS5 Pro is rumored to be the only way to get 60fps in GTA 6 – but I'm absolutely not buying one for $700

• Recent rumors suggest Rockstar Games' GTA 6 will run at 60fps on Sony's PS5 Pro
• Sony and Rockstar are reportedly working closely together for the game's optimization on PS5
• 60fps on the base PS5 isn't completely out of the woods yet

The countdown clock to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 feels like it's ticking faster than ever, with a release date set for May 26, 2026 – and in the meantime, a new rumor may spell great news for PS5 Pro owners.

According to reputable leaker Detective Seeds on X, GTA 6 will run at 60fps on PS5 Pro as Sony engineers are reportedly working closely with Rockstar to help achieve the performance target. This comes from the Oblivion remake leaker, so it's safe to say there's a level of credibility here.

Detective Seeds suggests that there will be multiple graphical settings, but will reportedly only be available on the PS5 Pro, and not the base configuration. It doesn't sound completely far-fetched either, as it's evident that Sony and Rockstar have maintained a strong marketing partnership over the years, and that's rumored to continue leading up to GTA 6's launch.

Based on the leak, there are clear hints that 60fps on the base PS5 isn't completely off the cards; rumors also hint at Sony and Rockstar optimizing other titles for 60fps as well, which rings a bell, surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2.

Fans have been requesting a 60fps patch for the critically acclaimed title, so it would be surprising if this wasn't aimed at the base PS5 (especially since it has already been achieved via console exploits). The visual fidelity in GTA 6 is arguably vastly superior to Red Dead Redemption 2's, but the two are still in similar ballparks – so, if the base PS5 gets a 60fps patch for the 2018 title, could that mean the same for GTA 6?

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Analysis: 60fps or not, I'm not paying $700 for the PS5 Pro

Surely, I'm not the only one who doesn't really care whether or not GTA 6 runs at 60fps on console or not? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it available in some capacity, and this isn't me saying '30fps is perfectly fine, stop complaining. ' However, you better believe I'm not paying $700 for a PS5 Pro just to achieve that performance target.

I'd argue that Rockstar Games' GTA 6 is one of the only titles where I'd happily settle with high-quality visuals at 4K 30fps over 60fps (only if optimization for 60fps wasn't possible) on console.

Perhaps you could say that's my excitement for its eventual launch on PC speaking, since I know much higher frame rates will inevitably be available – but if I could play Final Fantasy XVI on PS5 on its quality graphics mode, a fast-paced action RPG game, without it ruining the experience, then I can easily do the same with the arguably the most anticipated game of all-time.

Again, I must stress that 60fps should become a priority for developers on console, but I don't think it will be the end of the world if that doesn't happen for GTA 6 on the base PS5.

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Want to turn your MacBook into a weighing scale? Me neither, but an app that gives the trackpad this ability looks impressively accurate

• A new app turns Apple's trackpad into a weighing scale
• The results with the TrackWeight app are surprisingly accurate
• There are certainly limitations here, though, including the need to keep a fingertip on the trackpad while weighing an object

If you ever need a set of weighing scales in a pinch, it's possible to use your MacBook, believe it or not.

Tom's Hardware noticed a new app for macOS that turns the humble MacBook trackpad into a compact weighing scale, one that is surprisingly accurate, as illustrated in a demo video clip posted on X (see below).

You can turn your Mac trackpad into a weighing scale pic.twitter.com/KxbHrVfag3July 21, 2025

Krish Shah developed the app called TrackWeight, which uses Apple's Force Touch sensors to give you an approximate weight for any object placed on the trackpad.

Now, there's a caveat in that as you can see in the video, it's necessary to rest your finger on the trackpad while weighing - because as Shah explains, trackpad pressure recordings are only generated when capacitance is detected by the MacBook (meaning your finger, or any other conductive object).

The obvious drawback here is that the weight of your fingertip is going to register in the reading provided, too - so rest it on the trackpad as lightly as possible. By all accounts, the weight given is still pretty accurate - though I wouldn't recommend taking it as an exact reading, given the above catch.

The app uses the Open Multi-Touch Support library to tap into trackpad events in macOS, which includes the crucial pressure readings from the pad. Interestingly, Shah explains (on GitHub) that "the data we get from Multi-Touch Support is already in grams" which is handy.

Analysis: other caveats and compatibility

(Image credit: TechRadar)

This is a neat little trick for MacBooks, but there are some limitations, including, as observed, the accuracy, which is not going to be spot-on, but looks close enough to be a good estimation.

Also, weighing metal objects is problematic (due to their conductivity, they'll likely be detected as a finger press), so they will require a small piece of cloth (or paper) to break contact with the trackpad (again, potentially interfering with the reading slightly).

Clearly, you can't weigh large items on a trackpad, either, though the developer of the app claims to have successfully weighed a 3.5kg object without damaging the MacBook. Which is good going - I wouldn’t try that myself, mind, or indeed weighing luggage as the dev warns us against in tongue-and-cheek fashion.

If you're wondering about compatibility, you'll need a Force Touch trackpad on your Apple laptop, which means a MacBook from 2016 or newer (or a MacBook Pro from 2015). You'll also need to be running at least macOS 13 (to have the necessary Multi-Touch Support library) and have App Sandbox disabled (to grant low-level access to the trackpad data). As ever, install any third-party software at your own risk, should you regard this project as anything more than a curiosity.

Interestingly, old iPhones with 3D Touch could also be used to weigh objects (capacitive ones) - and seemingly very accurately in that case.

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