Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.
The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.
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Chinese APT deploys new malware to keep access to hacked networks
A Chinese espionage group tracked as UNC5221 has been accessing Microsoft 365 environments using the Brickstorm backdoor and previously undocumented malware named Plenet and AgentPSD.
An investigation into the incident revealed that the threat actor had gained access to the victim network at least 18 months before detection, and had also compromised the victim organization’s managed services provider (MSP).
UNC5221 is also tracked as VerdantBamboo and has been involved in attacks that exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in edge devices since at least 2023.
The threat actor used the Brickstorm backdoor undetected in the environments of various targets in the United States for more than a year until the breaches were discovered around March 2025.
Researchers describe Brickstorm as “an advanced malware implant.” Initial variants were written in Golang, then new variants emerged, written in Rust.
In April 2024, Google documented UNC5221 activity using the backdoor, and then again in September 2025, describing attacks against legal services, software-as-a-service providers, business process outsourcers, and technology companies.
CISA warned about Brickstorm being deployed by Chinese hackers against VMware vSphere servers, and, more recently, Google reported that it was deployed by UNC6201 against Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines.
Victim hacked twice
Volexity researchers responding to an incident last year found that VerdantBamboo compromised an Egnyte Storage Sync system and accessed it periodically through the victim’s web SSL VPN.
From this foothold and using Brickstorm proxying features and stolen credentials, the threat actor accessed the organization’s Microsoft 365 enevironment.
“Volexity assesses with high confidence that this was done to blend in with legitimate network traffic and evade Conditional Access policies that would have otherwise prevented access,” the researchers said.
Later, Volexity discovered that the hackers had spent at least 18 months on the network before being detected. Furthermore, VerdantBamboo breached the organization again after the researchers completed the remediation efforts.
In the second intrusion, the attackers used stolen credentials to enable and configure SSL VPN access on the victim’s firewall, then connected to internal systems and deployed additional custom malware to a Synology NAS device.
This triggered an investigation at the customer’s MSP, where Volexity found that VerdantBamboo had planted a BSD variant of Brickstorm on a pfSense firewall.
“Volexity concluded that this firewall, like the victim organization’s Storage Sync system, had also been compromised at least 18 months earlier.”
The researchers have medium confidence that the attacker pivoted from the MSP into the victim organization’s environment.
Brickstorm was then deployed to the victim’s Egnyte Storage Sync appliance and to a retired Linux GroupWise email archive server.
New backdoors used
Once the attackers returned a few days later and re-established access to the victim’s infrastructure, they deployed the custom malware Plenet to a Synology NAS appliance.
Plenet, also tracked as “Grimbolt” by Google, is a cross-platform .NET-based backdoor that offers interactive shell access, remote command execution, file manipulation, and command-and-control (C2) server switching.
The researchers note that Plenet is similar in design to Brockstorm, using the WebSocket protocol for C2 communications and a multiplexing library for simultaneous data streams to the server.
AgentPSD is a simple Python-based reverse shell utility that Volexity believes VerdantBamboo used as a fallback persistence mechanism if other malware was no longer accessible.
The researchers discovered that AgentPSD was configured to connect to a different domain than the one Brickstorm used. However, the malware was never used as Brickstorm was still running, which supports the assessment that AgentPSD was a secondary access mechanism.
During the investigation, Volexity tried to discover the infrastructure related to VerdantBamboo. The researchers created a fingerprint to identify IP addresses and domains Brickstorm used for C2 communication.
Although multiple machines were identified, the threat actor took the infrastructure offline before the researchers could reveal other systems.
“Between September 18 and September 23, all of the servers previously matching this pattern turned off their services on port 443.”
Around that time, Google also published a new report on Brickstorm’s activity, which may suggest that the attacker was aware of their operations being under investigation.
Volexity’s describes VerdantBamboo/UNC5221 as “a highly sophisticated threat actor” that mixes living-off-the-land techniques and malware and targets systems that do not support endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions.
The researchers compiled a list of indicators of compromise (IOCs) linked to the investigated UNC5221 campaign and published them here.
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Hyundai Motor Company’s plan to put humanoid robots to work by 2028 is not part of current negotiations with striking South Korean autoworkers, according to the company.
The automaker is disputing news reports that partial labor strikes by the Hyundai Motor union at the world’s largest automotive plant in South Korea were spurred by concerns about the company’s planned deployment of humanoid robots in the United States starting in 2028. [The planned robots are built by Boston Dynamics, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hyundai.] A Hyundai statement shared with Ars describes the union’s demands as focusing on compensation-related issues such as wage increases, bonuses, and an extension of workers’ retirement age. “Potential deployment of robots in Korean production facilities is not part of the current labor-management discussions,” according to the Hyundai statement…
Hyundai emphasized that its current plan only covers the initial deployment of the Atlas humanoid robot at Metaplant America, an electric vehicle factory near Savannah, Georgia, starting in 2028. “Decisions about future Atlas deployment at other facilities will be made thoughtfully, in accordance with local operational needs, and in dialogue with the employees and workforce representatives at those sites,” the company stated. However, The Wall Street Journal described the Hyundai Motor union as making “unprecedented demands seeking to enshrine job protections in the era of robots and AI,” and characterized certain compensation demands as hedging against potential reductions in work hours caused by AI adoption and robotic automation. “Remember that without labor-management agreement, not a single robot using new technology will be allowed to enter the workplace,” the union told Hyundai in an internal letter reported by Reuters.
Hyundai management and the labor union are currently reviewing a proposed wage reform that would “provide factory workers with greater income stability even after the carmaker’s planned deployment of humanoid robots,” The Korea Times reported. But experts cautioned that the wage overhaul, which would convert hourly pay for overtime and night-shift allowances into fixed wages, could come at the expense of company productivity.
- Ukraine’s falcon-inspired drone destroys aerial threats with a suicidal dive attack
- More than 100 reported kills put Tsyklop among Ukraine’s busiest interceptors
- Gravity becomes Tsyklop’s final weapon during high-speed aerial interceptions
Ukraine has introduced the Tsyklop interceptor, a drone that attacks hostile UAVs by diving from above like a peregrine falcon before exploding on impact.
The one-way aircraft relies on altitude and a gravity-assisted descent instead of pursuing its objective across long distances.
Ukrainian officials say the design is intended to counter reconnaissance drones, Shahed attack drones, and other aerial threats using two operational variants.
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High-altitude interceptor focuses on aerial threats
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has formally codified the Tsyklop after several versions reportedly spent years in frontline service before receiving official approval.
According to the ministry, the interceptor can operate above the flight ceiling of several Russian reconnaissance and strike UAVs before beginning its attack.
The aircraft has a wingspan of slightly more than one meter and can reportedly remain airborne for almost 1.5 hours during operational missions.
One version is intended for slower aerial and ground threats, while the V2 model was developed to intercept faster Shahed drones flying at altitude.
Officials said the interceptor has sufficient operational range to defend any Ukrainian regional center against incoming drone attacks.
The Defense Ministry also said the V2 variant has destroyed more than 100 aerial targets and became the first interceptor to down a Russian Shahed over Kursk Oblast.
The drone has reportedly intercepted Gerbera, Zala, Supercam, Orlan, Lancet, Molniya, and Shahed unmanned aircraft during combat operations.
The ministry said codification formalizes a system that had already been used in combat rather than introducing an entirely untested capability.
Ukraine accelerates development of interceptor drones
Tsyklop enters an increasingly competitive interceptor program as Ukraine expands domestic production and introduces new approaches to counter Russian aerial threats.
The Defense Ministry said it codified 413 unmanned aerial systems during the first half of 2026, with interceptor drones becoming one of the fastest-growing categories.
Ukraine has also announced plans to manufacture between 10 million and 30 million drones annually as domestic production capacity continues expanding.
The country has additionally converted civilian aircraft into reusable drone bombers capable of carrying 100 kg bomb payloads approximately 1,200 miles into Russian territory.
Other interceptor programs include the Octopus, with procurement covering 8,000 units equipped with automatic terminal guidance for aerial engagements.
Germany has funded 15,000 STRILA interceptors, while the Wild Hornets Sting reportedly destroyed more than 600 aerial targets using a NATO-approved control system.
The growing emphasis on interception follows reports that Russia has introduced jet-powered Geran-4 Shahed variants capable of cruising between 300 and 350 km/h before accelerating to between 500 and 600 km/h.
Ukraine says Tsyklop answers that challenge by attacking from above instead of relying mainly on pursuit, although many reported combat achievements still rely on official Ukrainian statements.
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Amazon is requiring that third-party sellers label any product images or videos that contain “AI-generated people” after New York recently passed a law mandating greater transparency around “synthetic performers” in ads… The policy directs sellers to tag images [and videos or other graphics on listing pages] with specific metadata keywords before they’re uploaded. “Recent legislation requires disclosure when images or videos in advertisements contain photorealistic AI-generated people,” Amazon wrote in the announcement [clarifying that the requirement doesn’t apply to content featuring TV/video game/movie characters or content including real people, even if they’ve been altered using AI]. The company said it will “add an indicator” to listings on its website, informing consumers that images or other content feature AI-generated people, “where applicable.” It’s unclear what criteria Amazon will apply when deciding when to display the label to shoppers…
Amazon has embraced AI internally and it’s increasingly infusing the technology across its portfolio. The company has optimized listing titles and details so they’re more likely to be spotted by AI systems, invested in a recently rebranded assistant called Alexa for Shopping, and launched a feature that injects AI-generated [images of] products into its search bar in real time based on user queries. More Amazon third-party sellers are using AI to generate text, images and other content for their listings, partly by using the company’s tools.
Outside sellers account for more than 60% of goods sold on Amazon, the article points out. It adds that there’s currently no nationwide U.S. law requiring companies to disclose AI-generated advertising content, it adds — but YouTube, Meta, Pinterest, and TikTok have already added labels for AI-generated content.
And a new California law also requires large AI providers to embed watermarks in AI-generated images, video and other content…
Tech
Lanterns Comic-Con Trailer Shows Hal Jordan Handing John Stewart a Ring and a Murder in Nebraska
Green light cuts through the Nebraska night as two men who should never share a car pull into a town that has already buried one body. Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan, the veteran who has seen entire systems burn out, flips a power ring across the front seat to Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart and jumps from the moving vehicle before the wheels leave the road. Stewart catches the car with a construct that looks half-formed and half-desperate. That single sequence from the new Lanterns trailer, shown first in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, tells you everything about the series that arrives on HBO and HBO Max on August 16.
Eight episodes will follow intergalactic cops as they investigate a small-town murder as if it were any other case, only for things to get crazier until the sky itself appears to be a suspect. The official trailer debuted at the panel, which also had Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King on stage, and it just keeps rolling from sandy highways and interrogation rooms into the big unknown. Hal in the trailer drives like he’s already realized that the neighborhood taco shop is probably the safest place to hang out and wait for this rookie cop who’s still adjusting to the whole ring thing.
LEGO DC Batman Arkham Asylum Building Set for Adults – Home Decor for Bedroom, Office, or Book Shelf…
- BUILD GOTHAM’S LEGENDARY ASYLUM – Batman fans construct the city’s most iconic landmark with the LEGO DC Batman Arkham Asylum (76300) building set…
- 16 LEGO BATMAN MINIFIGURES – Includes Batman, Batwoman, Batwing, Robin, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn…
- 3-LEVEL BUILD – The model splits into 3 segments (first floor, second floor and roof) with removable elements for accessing the interior and…
Manhunters play a key role in the danger, replacing the interstellar police force from the comics. The series portrays them as terrifying because they can be anyone, speak any language, and walk into a Nebraska cafe without raising an eyebrow, but it doesn’t make them any less creepy. Sinestro is the final character to appear, imprisoned in space and played by Ulrich Thomsen, the former Green Lantern who attempted to rule the Corps with an iron fist. Hal arrives in full costume to inquire about Manhuthers, and Sinestro simply gives him a wicked little smirk and says, “You don’t really think he’s your back up, do you Hal?” which is like uttering the thing that no one in the Corps wants to speak aloud: replacement. The talk is as quiet as a whisper, yet far more terrifying than any explosion.
Finally, the series will air once a week beginning August 16th, with Mundy, Lindelof, and King serving as the brains behind it all. The list of executive producers also includes James Gunn and Peter Safran. Filming took place all around California; we see the flat spaces of Nebraska on the large screen before the entire thing kicks into high gear for the space things and the ring FX.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 hits 5000 nits of peak brightness, making it the brightest screen you’ll find on any smartwatch right now.
That screen belongs to a watch that’s just dropped from £649 to £580, plus an extra £50 if you check out with PayPal, without needing a trade-in offer or a discount code to unlock it.
Save £80 on Samsung’s new Galaxy watch Ultra 2, right out of the gate
With 5000 nits of peak brightness, the brightest screen on any smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has dropped to £569, an £80 saving.
Our review found that brightness genuinely holds up outdoors, staying legible even during dazzling midday sunshine that has left plenty of other wearables struggling to keep up whenever the two are checked side by side.
That kind of visibility matters most when you’re actually out using the thing, which is where the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2‘s dual-GPS setup earns its keep during runs, hikes and rides through genuinely tricky terrain.
Our tester walked it through Canary Wharf, an area of tall skyscrapers and rivers notorious for throwing GPS tracking off course, and the Watch Ultra 2 held its line accurately without ever once drifting off track.
That accuracy now extends to a brand new trail running mode exclusive to this generation, letting you load custom GPX routes complete with turn-by-turn directions and elevation tracking displayed directly on the watch face itself.
A professional diving mode developed alongside diving equipment specialist Mares is also arriving later this year, tracking depth, time and water temperature for anyone who takes their adventures underwater as much as out on land.
None of that would matter much if the watch couldn’t keep pace day to day, and the switch to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset means swiping through menus and opening apps now feels genuinely instantaneous.
Hands-free Gemini support means you can simply raise your wrist and ask a question without a wake word or a long press, which makes quick queries feel far more natural than fiddling with buttons and menus.
That combination of speed and outdoor toughness is exactly what makes the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 stand out among Android smartwatches, especially for anyone who already leans on a Samsung phone for their day to day.
Still, at £580 rather than £649, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 remains one of the more capable Android smartwatches around, and getting it £69 cheaper right out of the gate makes the case even easier.
SQUIRREL_PLAYLIST_10148964
Venture through the afterlife of the gods while playing as Faye.
The next major installment in the God of War franchise, featuring Kratos’ wife Laufey, is set to be released on February 16 of next year. As confirmed during a San Diego Comic-Con panel and on PlayStation’s social media accounts, we’re less than a year away from playing God of War Laufey, which focuses on Laufey as she ventures through the afterlife of gods, following her death in God of War Ragnarok.
Instead of playing as the franchise’s eponymous protagonist, players will get to experience Laufey’s combat prowess, which has only been hinted at in previous games. The release date announcement comes about a month after a sneak peek of gameplay footage that showed off Laufey, also known as Faye, slicing and dicing enemies in the air and using magical abilities while fighting gods and creatures we haven’t seen in the franchise yet.
You can only add God of War Laufey to your wishlist for now, but there’s a lot more to look forward to in the franchise. During San Diego Comic-Con, Santa Monica Studio also confirmed that another Kratos-led God of War game will be coming after this installment featuring Faye, as reported by IGN.
Today’s Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams signal the start of a new era at Anfield, as Andoni Iraola takes charge of his first game as Reds manager in this pre-season friendly at Geodis Park, Nashville.
The Spaniard was appointed last month following a hugely successful three-year spell at Bournemouth, culminating in a club-record sixth-place finish in the Premier League that saw the Cherries qualify for Europe for the first time. However, expectations are very different at Liverpool, who ended last season one position above Bournemouth but still sacked previous manager Arne Slot, despite the Dutchman leading them to the title 12 months earlier. Iraola’s initial 31-man squad for the US tour, which also includes games against Wrexham and Leeds, features new signing Jeremy Jacquet and the 20-year-old centre back could get his first outing in red against Sunderland.
It is also an exciting time for the Black Cats, who finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League – their highest placing for 25 years – to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1973/74. Sunderland have also made only one summer signing to date, experienced Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier, but the 34-year-old is one of four players who will not travel to the US due to his country’s progression to the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals. Regis Le Bris’ men warmed up for their trip across the pond with a 5-1 win at York City in their opening pre-season friendly last Saturday. They also take on Leeds and Wrexham in their remaining games.
Read on to find out how to stream Liverpool vs Sunderland live and from anywhere in the world.
How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams for FREE
Although Liverpool vs Sunderland is not technically available to watch for free, new users on All Red Video – Liverpool’s official streaming platform – get a 14-day free trial, enabling them to stream the pre-season friendly at no cost. Please note that this game will not be available on All Red Video in the US.
Fans in Australia can also watch the game on beIN SPORTS Connect, which includes a 7-day free trial.
In the US and want to watch the match on All Red Video? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.
Use a VPN to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland from anywhere
A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it’s back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount.
It’s really straightforward to use a VPN to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the Stan Sport stream, select ‘Australia’ from the listed countries.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Stan Sport and tune into Liverpool vs Sunderland.
How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in the US
Liverpool vs Sunderland will be shown on ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app in the US.
ESPN subscriptions start from $12.99 per month, but you will need the Unlimited plan for $29.99 to access ESPN Deportes.
ESPN Deportes is also available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.
Outside the US? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream of Liverpool vs Sunderland.
How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in the UK
As mentioned above, Liverpool vs Sunderland can be streamed on All Red Video in the UK.
The monthly plan includes a 14-day free trial for new users, after which it costs £4.99 per month. You can also buy a season subscription to All Red Full for £42.99, but this does not include the free trial.
You can also watch the game through safc.com, Sunderland’s official website. A match pass costs £8, or you can buy a pre-season bundle for £32, which covers four of the Black Cats’ pre-season friendlies. Pre-registration is required.
Not in the UK for Liverpool vs Sunderland? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.
How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in Canada
As mentioned above, fans in Canada can watch Liverpool vs Sunderland on All Red Video (14-day free trial for new users), or by purchasing a match pass or pre-season bundle from safc.com.
Use NordVPN to access your Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams from anywhere in the world.
How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in Australia
Liverpool vs Sunderland will be broadcast on Stan Sport and beIN SPORTS Connect in Australia.
Stan Sport subscriptions start at AU$32 which includes the base plan ($12) with the sport add-on ($20).
Subscriptions to beIN SPORTS cost AU$14.99 per month or AU$149.99 per year, with both options including a 7-day free trial.
Missing the game because you’re outside Australia? Use a VPN to login to your Stan Sport or beIN SPORTS Connect account.
Liverpool vs Sunderland kicks off at 11pm BST / 6pm ET / 3pm PT on Saturday, July 25. That’s 8am AEST on Sunday, July 26 in Australia.
What is the Liverpool vs Sunderland start time?
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Roku built its streaming player business around a simple proposition: spend relatively little money, plug one into an HDMI port and escape whatever miserable interface came installed on the television.
That escape route just became considerably more expensive.
Roku has raised the U.S. list prices of its entire standalone streaming lineup, with the Roku Ultra increasing from $99.99 to $149.99 and the Streaming Stick 4K climbing from $49.99 to $79.99. The hardware has not been redesigned, and Roku has not announced new features to soften the blow. You are paying more for the same streamer because the AI industry has apparently reached the television stand.
Related Reviews:
New Roku Streaming Player Prices
The new U.S. list prices are:
The Streaming Stick 4K receives the largest percentage increase at approximately 60%, while the Ultra and Streambar SE each rise by 50%.
Roku is temporarily discounting several products back to their previous prices through its online store, while Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers may continue selling remaining inventory at the older figures until it is replenished. That makes the current sale more useful than the usual countdown clock designed to create panic over a remote control.
Why Is Roku Raising Prices?
A Roku executive told The Desk that shortages involving memory and other components forced the company to increase prices. Manufacturers have shifted more production capacity toward higher margin chips used by AI data centers, tightening supplies of the less glamorous components found inside streaming players, televisions and other consumer electronics.
The timing is slightly awkward.
Only in May, Roku CEO Anthony Wood argued that Roku OS required less memory than competing platforms, giving the company a bill of materials advantage as component costs increased. Wood described the situation as “generally great for our business.” Less than three months later, the Roku Ultra costs another $50.
Roku’s hardware business has never been the company’s largest source of profit. The devices place Roku OS inside more homes, where Roku earns money from advertising, subscriptions, transactions and The Roku Channel. Device revenue fell 16% during the first quarter of 2026, while the platform business generated more than 90% of company income.
That makes these increases more surprising. Inexpensive hardware has always been the front door to Roku’s considerably more lucrative advertising business.
The front door now has a cover charge.
Are Buyers Getting Anything New?
No.
The current Roku Streaming Stick 4K still supports 4K/60Hz video, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, long range dual band Wi Fi and Dolby encoded audio passthrough. It remains a compact and easy to use streamer, but the specifications are unchanged from the model that cost $49.99 last week.
The Roku Ultra continues to offer HDMI 2.1, Wi Fi 6, Ethernet, USB playback, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos and the rechargeable Voice Remote Pro. Those features made sense at $99.99 and earned the Ultra a clear position above Roku’s sticks. At $149.99, the competition becomes much harder to ignore.
How Do the New Prices Compare?
The $79.99 Roku Streaming Stick 4K now costs twice as much as Amazon’s $39.99 Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which supports 4K and HDR10+ but omits Dolby Vision. Amazon’s $34.99 Fire TV Stick HD also undercuts Roku’s new $39.99 HD model.
The Google TV Streamer 4K costs $99.99, only $20 more than Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K. Google includes 32GB of storage, 4GB of memory, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Ethernet, smart home controls and Gemini for TV. It is not as small or portable, but it now looks like the stronger value for a primary home theater system.
The Roku Ultra remains less expensive than the Apple TV 4K, which now starts at $199, but the gap has narrowed to $49. Apple offers a faster A15 Bionic processor, 64GB of storage, stronger gaming performance, HomeKit integration and tight compatibility with AirPods, HomePods and other Apple hardware.
Roku still has important advantages. Its interface remains easier to navigate than Fire TV, the platform is broadly neutral about which service receives prominence, and its search and free television offerings are useful. Roku also supports Apple AirPlay, HomeKit, Alexa and Google Home.
The problem is that simplicity feels less persuasive when the simple box costs $150.
Who Should Buy One?
Existing Roku users who value the familiar interface and want another player for a bedroom or secondary television should look for remaining inventory at the old prices.
The Streaming Stick Plus remains the most sensible model for ordinary 4K televisions when discounted to $39.99. Buyers who need Dolby Vision should consider the Streaming Stick 4K, but $79.99 is difficult to recommend when the Google TV Streamer costs only $20 more.
The Ultra still makes sense for users who need Ethernet, USB playback, Wi-Fi 6 and Roku’s best remote. At $149.99, however, it is no longer the automatic premium Roku choice it was at $99.99.
The Bottom Line
Roku has not ruined its streaming players. It has damaged the value proposition that made them so easy to recommend. The interface remains approachable, the app support is extensive and the hardware continues to work well. None of that changed when the price tags did.
The Streaming Stick 4K moving from $49.99 to $79.99 is the hardest increase to defend, while the $149.99 Ultra now sits uncomfortably between the more capable $99.99 Google TV Streamer and the considerably more powerful $199 Apple TV 4K.
Roku says component shortages are responsible, and there is ample evidence that AI infrastructure is consuming memory production that once supplied ordinary consumer products. That does not mean buyers need to accept the first new price they see.
Purchase remaining inventory at the old price, wait for the inevitable promotion or compare the alternatives carefully. Roku may still offer one of the cleanest ways to stream television, but cleanliness apparently costs another $10 to $50 now.
Price & Availability
The new Roku list prices are effective now in the United States.
Roku is currently offering temporary discounts on selected players that return them to their former prices. Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers may also have remaining inventory available at the previous prices.
Related Reading:
[Some online publications] are now debating whether to cut Google off entirely, as the Wall Street Journal reports, illustrating an increasingly fraught relationship between the tech giant and the publishers that are creating content its AI models are regurgitating. According to the newspaper, prominent outlets including USA Today, Politico, the Economist, People, and Reuters are all reexamining their relationship with Google. Some are debating whether to continue to work with the tech giant at all… Even Reddit executives are reevaluating the company’s $60 million-a-year contract that allows Google to train its AI models on user-submitted content on the platform. They’ve similarly watched as Google’s AI features discourage users from navigating to Reddit…
Beyond pondering whether to cut Google off, other publishers have resorted to suing the company, accusing it of illegally rehashing their intellectual property via AI summaries.
It’s an extremely undesirable position for publishers. By severing ties with the search giant, they could face even steeper declines in traffic. At the same time, there’s seemingly little to gain from having Google’s AIs crawl their content — and in the long term, it could guarantee their destruction.
Two interesting data points from the article:
- “Last month, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince noticed that automated bot traffic had overtaken human traffic for the first time in the internet’s history.”
- “USA Today has seen its traffic from US users drop by almost half over the last year.”
TikTok might have failed to meet EU standards for child safety online.
Allowing content posted by minors to be pushed on TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed could be a violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Commission has said.
On TikTok, minors can choose to have a public-facing profile. According to EU preliminary findings, this setting enables content published by 16- and 17-year-olds to be algorithmically recommended worldwide.
Exposure like this could result in unwanted contact from bad actors or increase the risk of cyberbullying, the EU said.
The Commission launched formal proceedings into TikTok’s compliance with the DSA in early 2024, which also probed the platform’s potential addictive design and access to data, and resulted in negative preliminary results.
A different line of investigation into the company’s advertising transparency was closed through binding commitments last December.
Today’s (24 July) results are based on an analysis of TikTok’s interface, internal data and documents, as well as interviews with law enforcement officers and child protection experts, according to the Commission.
Content uploaded to the internet is rarely ever removed completely, and the EU said that minors risk lifelong consequences if their content is widely circulated online.
It further said that minors can be easily found through the ‘following’ and ‘followers’ lists of other users even when their accounts are set to ‘private’. Their profile photos also remain accessible to anyone on the internet, including users without a TikTok account.
Under the DSA, platforms accessible to minors must ensure a high level of privacy and safety. TikTok might be failing to meet these standards, the EU said.
The company is up for massive fines of up to 6pc of its global annual turnover if it is ultimately found to be in breach of the law.
The EU wants TikTok to adjust the default settings of minors’ ‘public’ accounts, so that their content is, by default, only visible to those who follow the minor user.
Older minors can have the option of a public-facing account, but their content should never be accessible to a global audience, the Commission warned, arguing that TikTok should not recommend minors’ content to other TikTok users through the For You feed.
“Minors deserve a safe experience from the moment they go online,” said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. “A high level of protection should not be an opt-in – it should be the default.”
The investigation, now ongoing for more than two years, also covers the ‘rabbit-hole effect’ of TikTok’s recommender systems and the negative consequences of age-inappropriate experiences on the platform. These probes are still underway.
“Under-18 accounts are private by default and we are one of the only platforms where younger teens cannot use direct messaging or have their content eligible to appear in the For You feed,” a TikTok spokesperson told SiliconRepublic.com.
The ByteDance-owned company said it would continue to engage constructively with the Commission.
TikTok accounts of users under 18 are automatically set to private, the company said, noting that users must be at least 16 to use direct messaging or have their content eligible to appear in the For You feed.
The company also said that it does not recommend accounts belonging to teens to users over 18. It said that users can only find private accounts of minors using ‘followers’ lists if the minor has chosen to make the list public instead of private.
Governments worldwide are cracking down on social media platforms to protect children from online harms, with Australia becoming the first country to blanket-ban major platforms for children under 16.
The EU, has, for years, targeted social media giants for their addictive designs, recommender system feeds and child safety measures with its landmark DSA that carries a hefty penalty for offenders.
The bloc is now considering age-gating sites as a means to address the wider concerns surrounding social media usage by children. France, earlier this week, became the first EU country to ban social media for under-15s.
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