A new information-stealing malware called AmnesiaStealer, which targets macOS users via ClickFix attacks, includes a streaming module that allows the attacker to interactively control the victim’s web browser.
A notable capability is copying the victim’s Chromium profile, including its authentication state, and loading it into a hidden, headless browser on the infected system.
This allows the hacker to access victims’ authenticated sessions while preserving the identifiers associated with the browser, host, and network.
AmnesiaStealer can collect data in 16 Chromium-based web browsers as well as other sensitive information, such as passwords, cryptocurrency wallets, Apple Notes and documents, and keychain data.
The malware is currently distributed through ClickFix campaigns that use a fake GitHub download page to drop a password-protected ZIP archive.
Researchers at Jamf, an Apple device management and security company, analyzed AmnesiaStealer’s distribution and found that it used the same template previously used to spread the Atomic and MacSync infostealers.
The ClickFix command executes a shell-script loader that downloads and launches the password-protected archive containing the AmnesiaStealer Mach-O payload.
The malware captures the victim’s macOS password and uses it to collect keychain data, as well as browser profiles, Apple Notes, Telegram sessions, documents, system information, and cryptocurrency wallet data.
The researchers highlight that the malware features a component called stream_module, retrieved using the remote_stream command, which gives the malicious operator remote control over authenticated sessions deployed from a headless browser instance.
According to Jamf, AmnesiaStealer’s stream_module can duplicate user profiles in seven Chromium-based browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Arc, Opera, Brave, and Chromium, because they share the same DevTools Protocol, launch flags, and cookie encryption.
The module launches the legitimate browser executable in headless mode with command-line switches that weaken browser defenses, duplicates the victim’s profile, and specifies its location for storing the profile data.
The malware then establishes a WebSocket channel that connects to the operator’s relay and sends a JSON registration message containing the browser name and build.
The operator can then send commands over this channel, such as navigation and mouse clicks, while the malware returns status and tab information as JSON and transmits screencast frames as binary WebSocket messages.
A second WebSocket channel connects to the local headless Chromium instance through the browser’s webSocketDebuggerUrl, providing access to the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP).
This allows the hacker to navigate websites with mouse and keyboard control, export or import cookies, and operate online portals using the victim’s existing authenticated sessions.
“The operator receives a live screencast of the session at around 3fps and can drive it with a full input set: keyboard, mouse, scroll, navigation and tab management,” Jamf explains.
“In effect the remote_stream command turns an infected host into a live, operator-driven browser running the victim’s authenticated sessions, which is a materially different level of access from file collection.”
According to the researchers, the AmnesiaStealer can exfiltrate cookies, saved logins, browsing history, bookmarks, extensions, local state, and other profile data from the 16 Chromium-based browsers it targets.
It also steals cryptocurrency wallet details and identifies them by enumerating extensions and IndexedDB data.
Jamf notes that the malware contains a fallback mechanism when it runs on macOS 26 and cannot recover the existing Chrome Safe Storage key, which replaced it with an attacker-supplied value.
This makes previously stored cookies and passwords permanently unreadable while allowing the attacker to decrypt data later.
The Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) has been abused by malware in the past, including by Chaos ransomware to hide command-and-control communications, and by Chaes malware to expose browser functions that could enable data theft.
However, AmnesiaStealer appears to be the first documented macOS malware to combine a cloned Chromium profile with CDP-based, live remote control, allowing attackers to interact with authenticated sessions through a hidden browser running on the infected computer.
Users are advised never to execute commands in the terminal that they found online and don’t fully understand.
Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply.
The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments.
Michael MJD picked up a decommissioned MoneyGram self-service kiosk PC that once sat in places like pharmacies, ready for customers to start money transfers or bill payments before heading to the counter. The unit arrived as a solid metal enclosure weighing around 60 pounds, built more like industrial equipment than a regular computer. An Elo DuraTouch resistive screen sat in front of a Dell monitor, with a card reader, speakers, wireless antenna, and a Belkin power strip riding along for the various ports. Power, USB, audio, ethernet, and display connections filled the back. It powered on by itself once electricity reached it, with no obvious external button needed.
The first time it booted, Windows Embedded Standard 7, a 2014 version, appeared to say hello, coupled with a MoneyGram splash screen. When you boot up offline, the system goes into maintenance mode. Once a network connection was established, the interface appeared, but the actual transfer feature had been blocked and replaced with some error messages. So you have two accounts to play with: kiosk admin and kiosk user. The touchscreen literally wouldn’t budge at first, and the card reader wouldn’t even let you swipe your card
Sale
It took some time to get around the lockdown. Hiren’s Boot CD, as well as the tried-and-true sticky keys method using sethc.exe, began to cause problems. Safe mode was the key that eventually enabled the administrator account and unlocked the entire desktop after logging in. When you finally got inside, the different things on the hard drive became much clearer, as the operating system and apps were all on a Transcend 2.5-inch 64 GB solid-state drive, you had 8 gigabytes of RAM split into two 4 GB modules, and the Intel Celeron J1900 quad-core processor was clocked at 1.99 GHz on a Gigabyte motherboard. Kaseya remote management software, Elo touch drivers, and the moneygram.exe app with all of its supervisor tools took up the majority of the drive space. The remaining storage was subsequently sorted using WinDirStat.
The touchscreen calibration would not stick no matter how many times you tried in normal or enhanced mode. What was strange was that the touchscreen worked perfectly while you logged in as an administrator, but when the kiosk software closed everything down, it simply stopped operating.
When all of the restrictions were finally lifted, a few older games were loaded up to get a sense of how the machine was handling. Half-Life ran at low resolution, but once the output was adjusted to direct, it played quite smoothly and with no jitter. Super Monkey Ball on the Dolphin emulator using the keyboard was still relatively playable; frame rates were fixed at 30-50, so it could handle a few light retro games without entirely going over.
Security
Even if your hardware is secure, quantum-ready, encrypted, and future-proof, no one is immune to a supplier letting the side down
Cryptocurrency hardware wallet maker Trezor has confirmed that a breach at one of its shipping partners exposed the personal data of more than 13,000 customers.
The company’s initial findings suggested the breach was limited to orders placed in certain countries during the previous 90 days. New information indicates that earlier orders may also be affected.
The breach exposed the names, email addresses, phone numbers, and shipping addresses of 11,742 customers in the US, UK, Sweden, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, and Portugal who ordered Trezor products between May 10 and August 8.
An additional 1,947 customers had their names, home cities, and email addresses exposed. Some members of this group may have placed their orders before May 10.
“We are verifying this information and the timeframe with ShipMonk,” said Trezor.
ShipMonk is Trezor’s logistics partner. It stores and ships products on the company’s behalf and collects the information needed to fulfill orders.
ShipMonk is subject to Trezor’s 90-day retention policy, which requires partners to delete or anonymize customer data within 90 days of collecting it for an order.
ShipMonk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trezor markets itself as a purveyor of secure, offline, hardware-based cryptocurrency wallets. With its products, it aims to shield customers from cyberattacks and malicious apps.
While it assured customers that its own systems and devices remain secure, Trezor warned that “affected customers could experience an increase in phishing attempts.”
The exposed details could help criminals craft convincing phishing attempts impersonating banks, crypto exchanges, or Trezor itself.
The company said it contacted affected customers directly and advised them to check any communications against information published through its official channels.
“Never enter your wallet backup on a website or share it with anyone,” Trezor said in an apologetic advisory.
“This is the first time since Trezor was founded in 2013 that we have experienced a breach that exposed customer phone numbers and shipping addresses.
“We absolutely understand how serious this is and the potential risks it poses to our customers and are deeply sorry to those affected.”
Trezor said in a supplementary social media post, separate from the advisory, that its “top priority” project at the moment is to establish an “Anonymous Delivery” option for customers.
The service will allow buyers to complete checkout without linking their home address or real-world identity to an order.
Customers using Anonymous Delivery will go through a dedicated checkout, use a nickname or label ID in place of a real name, and have their product shipped to an automated delivery locker instead of their home.
The delivery will also come in unbranded packaging with a generic sender label. The carrier will only use email or SMS to send a PIN for the locker.
Trezor said the service is gearing up for a September launch in the EU and by the end of the year in the US.
Alas, that didn’t stop Cake Wallet, a rival crypto wallet, from poking fun at Trezor.
“Another rough day for self custody,” it Xeeted, before suggesting crypto holders instead use an old smartphone with Cake Wallet installed because “there is no order, no shipping address, or customer data tied to the purchase.” ®
A 25% discount has hit AirPods 4 with ANC, delivering better-than-Prime Day pricing. Apple’s AirTag 2 is also marked down to $24.99, a 30-day low price.
Kicking off the Apple sale at Amazon is a steeper price drop on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Get the higher-end version from the 4th generation line for just $134.99, a discount of 25% off MSRP.
You can also get AirPods without ANC for $99, a 23% discount off retail.
If you’re planning on traveling for the Labor Day weekend, Amazon has also dropped the price of a single second-generation AirTag to $24.99.
You can also pick up the 4-pack for $89, bringing the effective cost per AirTag down to $22.25.
For even more markdowns on hardware and accessories, be sure to check out our Apple Price Guides, which are updated throughout the day.
Russia is building its own satellite constellation, called Rassvet, at a pace that has outrun Ukrainian intelligence projections, experts have warned.
The program is intended to give Moscow the same kind of persistent, real-time coverage that Starlink has given Ukraine for over three years.
That capability shift is what now makes confrontation over these satellites appear difficult to avoid.
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According to Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence directorate, Russia had already placed 16 satellites into low Earth orbit as of March 2026.
He also claims that Moscow now plans for another 292 satellites by 2027, expanding further to 924 satellites by 2035.
“For now, the system can operate only intermittently, when a satellite passes over our territory,” Skibitskyi said.
That limitation means Rassvet currently functions as a proof of concept rather than an operational rival to Starlink.
Once completed, the constellation would let Russian forces coordinate drone strikes and share targeting data without depending on ground infrastructure.
Reliable satellite links are what currently allow Ukrainian drones to be piloted in real time across contested terrain.
A functioning Russian equivalent would remove the connectivity advantage that has favored Ukraine for most of the war.
Because electronic warfare cannot easily disrupt satellites the way it jams ground-based signals, countering Rassvet requires a different approach entirely.
Skibitskyi confirmed that discussions are already underway within Ukraine’s defense establishment on how to respond once Rassvet matures, but offered no specifics on what form that response might take against the satellite network itself.
Eliminating the threat Rassvet poses would likely require disabling the satellites directly, since jamming alone cannot reach them – but that kind of action would extend the conflict into orbit, a domain neither side has directly fought in so far.
Russia’s satellite expansion overlaps with other reported upgrades, including turbojet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 attack drones, which drones accounted for roughly 50% of drones used in one recent reported strike, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Moscow says it plans to produce 11,000 strike drones in August 2026 alone, as it shifts production toward these newer models.
It has also begun implementing mesh networking, a method enabling coordinated real-time control of drone swarms.
Both upgrades would depend heavily on the kind of persistent coverage Rassvet is designed to eventually provide.
At the moment, there is no independent verification of the specific satellite figures that Ukrainian intelligence is giving, and the Russian government or military has also not commented publicly on the recent development.
Ukraine’s ongoing review of its options suggests that any response to Rassvet will not remain confined to conventional territory.
Whether that response takes shape in orbit, on the ground, or through other means remains an open question for now.
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The new Apple Upgrade program makes the monthly cost of an iPhone even cheaper than before.
With the newly announced Apple Upgrade Program, you can get access to all the latest Apple products without the hefty initial price tag by leasing instead of buying. It’s part of a new partnership with Klarna, replacing the previous iPhone Upgrade Program. The new program is interest-free leasing only, and expands to cover iPads, Apple Watches and Macs instead of just iPhones.
According to Apple, the decision to discontinue the iPhone Upgrade Program in favor of the new system was done as a way to offer “more flexibility, better value, and a more seamless experience.” Coming off the heels of a sharp price increase in Apple products, the Apple Upgrade Program does seem like a much easier way to experience the company’s tech without breaking the bank. This is how you can take advantage of the new program.
The directions for leasing an iPhone depend on if you’re already enrolled in the iPhone Upgrade Program or not. Those within the old program can continue making payments as usual until their previous contract is up, then can choose to either keep their existing device or switch to the Apple Upgrade Program to get a new one.
For new users wishing to lease a device with the Apple Upgrade Program, simply proceed to the Apple Store (online or in person) as usual, select the device you wish to lease, and choose Apple Upgrade as your payment option. From there, you’ll fill out a Klarna application for the lease, which needs you to supply basic information like your name, date of birth and Social Security number. Klarna will run a soft credit check, which means it won’t impact your credit score. Once approved, you’ll receive your device and can manage the lease within the Klarna app.
Not everything on the Apple Store can be leased with the program, but many things can. It’s worth noting that to lease an iPhone, it’ll need to be activated with AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon. The products you can lease with Apple Upgrade Program are:
When you enroll, you can also trade in an old device to potentially lower the payments on your initial lease agreement. You can lease multiple devices with the program, but you’ll need to apply for each lease separately. The product you choose will determine the potential length of your contract: iPhones and Apple Watches have 12 to 24 month lease terms, while iPads and Macs are 24 to 36. When your lease period ends, you’ll receive a notification from Apple, and will have three options: return your current device and upgrade to a new one, leave the program and return your device or buy the device outright with a one-time payment.
The biggest difference between the Apple Upgrade Program and the iPhone Upgrade Program (besides the eponymous change in products included) is that in the previous system, payments were applied directly to the phone. This meant that at the end of the contract, users would own their phone outright with no additional fee.
The iPhone Upgrade Program also included AppleCare protection, while the new one does not. Apple does recommend a separate subscription to the service, as leased devices that are returned damaged will incur a fee. Devices that have AppleCare that are sent back damaged may still get a service fee, though, and the company doesn’t specify the difference in price.
Though users don’t get easy ownership with the new program, the monthly prices are lower than before. The lowest monthly rates in the iPhone Upgrade Program generally hovered around $30, and now begin at just $17.99 for an iPhone. Watches and iPads are even cheaper, starting at $11.99. With the official reveal of new Apple products likely on the horizon this September, the Apple Upgrade Program could be a good deal for those looking to upgrade. Users should just be sure to consider whether leasing rather than owning is their preferred method, and if the often-incremental updates between Apple generations necessitate always staying up to date.
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Something was in the air this week because we had a heck of a lot of electric aircraft news. Ba-dum-tss.
But really, it’s no joke — two of the bigger deals of the week involved companies developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Together they illustrate how the burgeoning sector continues to consolidate and seek out near-term revenue streams even as they go through the lengthy regulatory process to eventually deploy electric air taxis.
In one of the crazier twists in the nascent eVTOL industry, Archer Aviation announced that it now owns its former rival Wisk Aero. Under the terms of the deal, Boeing agreed to sell Wisk Aero and two other subsidiaries to Archer in exchange for an ownership stake in the company. Boeing now holds a 16.5% stake in Archer. The other subsidiaries are SkyGrid, a digital airspace and air traffic management software company, and drone maker Insitu.
For those unfamiliar, Wisk sued Archer in 2021 over allegations of the “brazen theft” of confidential information and intellectual property. The case went on for two years before the companies reached an unusual settlement that not only ended the lawsuit and Archer’s countersuit against Wisk seeking $1 billion in damages, but also led to a new collaboration.
Wisk has taken a rather winding path. It started as Kitty Hawk, an electric aviation startup led by Sebastian Thrun, who co-founded the Alphabet moonshot factory X, and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page. Kitty Hawk shut down in September 2022, but its Cora program, which had spun off into a joint venture with Boeing, lived on. That joint venture was renamed Wisk Aero.
Then there’s Joby Aviation, which made a more predictable deal this week. The company acquired Resonant Sciences for $500 million, marking the electric air taxi developer’s push into the defense sector.
Resonant Sciences, which makes radio frequency and sensor systems, will become a dedicated defense business under Joby aptly called Joby Defense.
Joby has been slowly expanding into the defense sector over the past couple years even as it has pursued its original mission to certify and manufacture electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for use as urban air taxis. Joby says it is sticking with its mission, but also sees opportunity — not to mention revenue — in the defense sector.
For the past two years, Uber has been laser-focused on locking up partnerships with, and even investing in, autonomous vehicle technology companies. But this week Uber did the opposite. The ride-hail company sold off its entire stake in Serve Robotics, the autonomous delivery robot company that spun out of Uber more than five years ago.
Here’s the interesting part. According to some little birds, Serve Robotics was surprised by the sell-off and only learned about it when Uber’s regulatory filing was posted. Uber and Serve are still business partners, and that contract, which puts Serve’s delivery robots on the Uber Eats app, is set to expire in 2027.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Uber is investing in Galgo, a Chilean fintech company that specializes in extending credit to buy motorcycles, Bloomberg reported.
Electric mobility startup Yulu raised $93 million in a Series C round comprising $63 million in equity led by GEF Capital Partners and $30 million in debt financing.
Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI have received permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to begin testing their self-driving trucks on public roads in the state. And Kodiak AI has already started.
Avride said it has surpassed 100,000 autonomous rides on the Uber app in Dallas. There are some caveats here, of course, namely that there is still a human safety operator behind the wheel. Avride wouldn’t supply me with a weekly ridership breakdown, but it has been about two months since the company announced it had reached the 60,000-ride milestone.
Delta Air Lines is investigating a cybersecurity incident in which an unidentified passenger allegedly created a fake Wi-Fi network on a flight, prompting pilots to alert air traffic control.
Flock announced a series of new policies and tools, claiming they will help curb abuse of its automated license plate camera reader systems and help keep its law enforcement customers accountable.
Ford said it’s on track to complete its $2 billion overhaul of its Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, which will use a new assembly system to build its next-generation of EVs, starting with the midsize Fathom truck.
Ground Truth, an art project created to raise awareness about housing affordability in New York, created a gadget that will trigger the brakes on Citi rental bikes, making it harder to pedal through rent-burdened neighborhoods, Wired reported.
Hiroshi Okuda, a longtime Toyota executive who served as president and eventually chairman, died this week, according to the company. Okuda took some big swings during his time at Toyota, notably pushing for the gas-electric hybrid Prius vehicle. Bloomberg has a lengthy writeup on Okuda.
Pony.ai and Uber plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to four cities in Europe as part of an expanded partnership.
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took to X this week to promote the DOT’s effort to recruit video gamers as air traffic controllers. According to Duffy, 2,000 candidates have been hired through this program, although he didn’t say if they were all gamers.
Uber Freight is investigating a cyberattack and data breach that hacking and extortion gang Helix recently took credit for.
Waymo is expanding in California again after the state’s Public Utilities Commission approved terms of its commercial ride-hailing permit. The company’s robotaxis can now commercially operate (i.e., charge for rides) in a broader territory across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. The service can also expand to Sacramento and San Diego — although the Waymo folks say this hasn’t happened yet.
Zoox released its safety case framework, a critical document for any company that wants to build trust with the public and show how and why it thinks its technology is safe enough. This framework is particularly important because today there is no federally mandated test, or AV “driver’s license” so to speak.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is just a couple of months away and I wanted to flag one guest who might be interesting to you.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe will join me onstage at Disrupt, our annual tech conference that brings together thousands of founders, investors, CEOs, policymakers, engineers, and media. Have a question for Scaringe? Shoot me an email and I’ll take a look.
Disrupt will be held October 13 to October 15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Check out the programming that’s been announced so far here, and if you don’t already have a ticket, lock in yours before our next price increase on August 22.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
While they do represent a marvel of modern engineering, jet engines ultimately rely on one relatively simple requirement: air. In order to turn fuel to fire, and fire to thrust, a fighter’s engines must ingest, compress, and combust enormous quantities of air. At full power, this could equate to up to 500 pounds of oxygen being ingested per second.
The importance of airflow can be seen across the design principles of every modern fifth-generation fighter. The F-22 Raptor, Su-57 Felon, and J-20 Mighty Dragon all feature large, lateral, twin intakes capable of scooping and driving huge amounts of air directly into the engine. Simultaneously, these intakes are designed to ensure the airflow remains clean. “Clean” air, in the context of air combat, generally refers to smooth, undisturbed, high-velocity airflow entering the compressor. To achieve this, modern jets employ highly sophisticated inlet designs intended to provide a continuous, smooth, and highly compressed airflow.
But beyond that complex realm of air-breathing jet propulsion and the Brayton Cycle, “clean” air also demands consideration in its most literal sense. Dust, stones, fragments of concrete, pieces of metal, and other debris all represent potential foreign object debris, or FOD. This simple detritus exists on all airfields, but if sucked into an engine, can strike compressor blades at extraordinary speeds, causing critical damage or catalyzing cascading failures.
Today’s fighters solve airflow problems brilliantly. But the Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum was also designed to solve the FOD problem. How do you keep a core-airflow turbojet breathing when the runway itself may be trying to feed it gravel? The answer is one of the Fulcrum’s strangest and most ingenious features: intake-covering anti-FOD doors, combined with top-mounted auxiliary air intakes.
The MiG-29 was conceived during the Cold War, being designed to fight on a very different battlefield than the ones modern fighters have evolved on throughout the counterinsurgency era of the past few decades. Soviet planners had every reason to believe that airfields would be among the first targets of a major European war. Runways would be cratered, parking aprons and taxiways would be struck, and instead of carefully swept surfaces, aircraft would be scrambled on runways littered with shattered concrete and metal scrap.
For a fighter expected to operate close to the front, that created a serious vulnerability. FOD is not merely an inconvenience, as a piece of debris entering a jet engine can strike guide vanes or compressor blades, deforming or breaking them. Even apparently minor damage can create an aerodynamic imbalance, reduce efficiency and, in severe cases, catalyze compressor stalls or cascading mechanical failure down the core of the engine.
The MiG-29’s answer was remarkably simple. During takeoff and landing, while the weight-on-wheels sensor was engaged, FOD “doors” would automatically seal off the aircraft’s main ventral engine intakes. Instead, the engines would draw air through auxiliary intakes on the upper surfaces of the wing-root extensions. This kept the primary air source for takeoff and landing away from the debris being kicked up beneath the aircraft.
Once airborne, the main intakes would open and take over. As an added bonus, under some disturbed airflow conditions, such as during a high-angle-of-attack maneuver, the auxiliary intake louvers would flutter as pressure worked against the springs holding them closed, opening a second route for air into the engine as the main intakes struggled against airflow separation or a poor inlet flow angle.
Within the world of technical intelligence, a shift in the threat environment is becoming apparent. Today’s fighter aircraft represent evolution through a strategic era in which air supremacy was often assumed, and asymmetric adversaries did not possess the capability to target rear airbases. Decades of expeditionary counterinsurgency warfare reinforced the belief that fighters would only operate from heavily defended and well-maintained facilities, far beyond the reach of an enemy. Cratered runways littered with combat debris weren’t considered a concern, so mechanical solutions dedicated specifically to FOD protection could therefore be traded away to save weight and allow for more aerodynamically efficient designs.
However, that assumption is beginning to look increasingly fragile in an impending era of symmetric conflict between peer adversaries. Airfields are once again valuable, and reachable, targets. Drones, missiles, and other long-range weapons can turn a previously secure runway into a debris field in minutes. Shrapnel, wreckage, or fragments of concrete, all FOD, are becoming an increasingly likely issue for near-future air operations, and one that no fifth-generation fighter has a genuine solution for.
Even a minor dent, crack, or defect in a compressor blade, guide vane, or other internal component can create stresses and compound issues that propagate downstream. In high-performance air combat, where aircraft components operate close to their limits, that small defect can have immense consequences. In many aspects, a wayward bolt or chunk of tarmac can be almost as dangerous as an adversary missile.
Although the MiG-29’s auxiliary FOD doors may look like an artifact of the Cold War, they were designed around a problem that may be making a comeback. So while the Raptor may be the deadliest thing in the sky, that means nothing if a gauntlet of FOD seals its fate before takeoff.
On both phones, the crease—the point in the display where it folds—looks significantly less obvious and feels better than on prior models, with less of a bump as your fingers swipe across the screen. That’s great, but my biggest design complaint with these Folds is the camera jutting out on the back. It means that whenever you set the phone on any surface, it rocks so much that it’s annoying. A case doesn’t really fix this either. Google’s figured this out with a horizontal camera bar for its Pixels (and so has Apple, apparently).
The Fold8 is immensely nicer to use in every way. I even prefer the way it handles split-screen mode more than the Ultra because things don’t feel super squished on the wide screen. There’s just more breathing room. And it’s nice to have the option to put three apps side by side.
There’s a $200 difference between these two very expensive folding phones, a difference that doesn’t sting as much when you’re dropping two grand. But if you opt for the cheaper Fold8, you will be making some sacrifices from a pure spec-to-spec comparison. Thankfully, there is no sacrifice in performance; the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is the same on both and delivers a buttery-smooth experience in every app and game.
Battery life is stronger on the Ultra, which makes sense considering its larger 5,000-mAh cell, compared to the Fold8’s 4,800-mAh capacity (marking Samsung’s first devices with silicon-carbon battery technology). But I’ve still been satisfied with both. I’ve been able to hit more than six hours of screen-on time with the Fold8 Ultra, and five to six on the Fold8, though I’m using the larger display far less on the Ultra, so it’s a bit of an unfair comparison. If you prefer the Ultra’s shape and use that inner display more, it’ll suck up more juice than mine did in my testing.
It’s really the camera system where you’re losing out. The Fold8 has a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 50-megapixel ultrawide, with two 10-megapixel selfie cameras on the outer and inner screens, respectively. The Fold8 Ultra’s 200-megapixel main sensor is stronger overall in a variety of lighting conditions, but it’s the fact that you have access to the 10-megapixel 3X optical zoom that gives it a leg up. I wish Samsung offered a greater zoom option like the 5X optical on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and as a big zoom photographer, the lack of this on the Fold8—especially given its high price—is frustrating. Hopefully Samsung can remedy that in the Fold9.
Alibaba says its Qwen models have passed 3 billion downloads, making them the most used open-weight family in the world. The Hugging Face report published a day earlier counts 2,045 million for Qwen this year, and 151,448 derivatives against Alibaba’s claim of more than 300,000.
Alibaba says its Qwen models have passed 3 billion downloads, putting the family ahead of anything from Meta or Google. It is the clearest claim yet that Chinese labs are winning the open-weight race.
The report it rests on says something slightly different. Hugging Face’s State of Open Models, published the day before, counts 2,045 million Qwen downloads this year, or 2,061 million including every repository. The 3 billion figure came from Alibaba’s own emailed statement.
The gap does not change who is first. It does mean the headline number is about a third larger than the platform being cited actually recorded.
The same pattern appears in the derivatives. Alibaba says its ecosystem has produced more than 300,000 derivative models, while Hugging Face counts 151,448 Qwen-based derivatives on its Hub, which is still 2.6 times Meta’s entire footprint there.
This is familiar ground. TNW noted earlier that Alibaba called Qwen3.8 the world’s second-best model and showed no proof.
Hugging Face is careful about what its numbers mean. Downloads measure activity inside its own hub and do not capture API usage, private deployments or models distributed elsewhere, and Alibaba runs its own distribution platform in ModelScope.
None of which touches the direction of travel. “Qwen has become part of the default workflow for developers deciding what models to fine-tune and deploy,” the report says.
The method is volume and reach. Alibaba has open-sourced more than 460 models under permissive licences and pushes them through its cloud into Southeast Asia and Africa, though it has also said it wants to charge the heaviest users of those open models.
American labs are answering in kind. Meta and Nvidia have both shipped new open models in recent weeks, and Nvidia has been explicit that it is chasing China on open weights.
The bigger threat to Qwen’s run may be domestic. Beijing has been weighing curbs on overseas access to the country’s best models, which would take the reach that produced these numbers away.
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Anker has become synonymous with phone chargers and power banks. It’s one of the most reputable brands and is quite popular in global markets like North America and Europe. The company is headquartered in China and has over 30 offices that operate worldwide. Anker got its start selling replacement laptop batteries on Amazon but quickly expanded into smartphone chargers, cables, and other charging accessories.
A quick search on Amazon for a “power bank” or a “phone charger” is highly likely to yield at least a few of Anker’s products among the top results. The reason Anker is so popular comes down to a combination of quality, consistency, and, most importantly, value. Apple charges $60 for its 35W dual-port USB-C adapter, while Anker sells a 65W 3-port charger for half the price.
The company is currently best known for its high-capacity power banks, such as the Anker 25,000 mAh Power Bank, or its fast charging wall adapters, like the Anker 140W GaN Charging Block. Both of these products have high ratings and thousands of reviews on Amazon, but you’d be surprised to know that Anker’s catalog doesn’t stop at charging accessories for laptops and smartphones. Over the years, the brand has expanded into categories such as smart home accessories, home entertainment, wireless audio, and portable power solutions for outdoor use. Here’s a closer look at a few brands you may not have known are owned by Anker.
Anker has already solved many of the problems consumers faced with expensive, bulky phone chargers and power banks. The next logical step was addressing the battery problem at a much larger scale — home energy. In 2023, the company decided to apply its expertise in power storage and delivery to home energy by launching Anker Solix — a brand dedicated to portable power stations and solar generators.
While some of Anker’s larger power banks can keep a laptop going for a couple of hours, Solix offers solutions for bigger appliances that require a lot more power. Think refrigerators, televisions, and power tools — essentials that are often powered directly from a wall outlet. At this scale, batteries are measured in watt-hours (Wh) and aren’t touted for how many times over they can charge your phone but for how long they can keep larger appliances running.
The Anker 536 PowerHouse is a 508Wh portable power station that uses LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate), a composition that offers a higher power-to-weight ratio than traditional lead-acid batteries. Anker Solix also sells home battery systems that are designed to keep your entire house powered during an outage. If you ever decide to install solar panels, Solix has a few solutions for that, too. Despite operating in a more specialized category that requires larger-scale power storage solutions, Anker Solix’s products remain competitively priced. Most of its portable power stations come with a couple of AC outlets, USB ports, and surprisingly fast charging for when they run empty.
Hybrid work setups have grown in popularity ever since the pandemic hit. This helped drive the comeback of better-quality webcams and headsets with microphones that don’t sound like you’re underwater. AnkerWork is the company’s answer to this growing demand. The sub-brand’s portfolio of products is currently not as rich as some of Anker’s other ventures, but there’s not much to complain about here.
The PowerConf C200 Webcam brings a noticeable improvement to your video calls with its 2K resolution and wider field of view. It snaps on top of your monitor, comes with two microphones, and has an adaptive light sensor that adjusts how your image looks based on the ambient light around you. For the security-conscious, the webcam offers a switch that physically covers the camera lens for when you don’t need it. If you don’t like how high your monitor is or simply prefer a different angle, you can grab AnkerWork’s Mini Tripod that can hold a webcam, smartphone, or a dedicated camera.
The company also sells speakerphones that are designed to dramatically improve how you sound to others in meetings, as well as how well you can hear them. The AnkerWork SR500 uses eight microphones to handle audio recording from all directions and a 10W speaker that fills the room with sound. You can connect up to five of these speakerphones if you’re in a larger meeting room with several people.
Eufy may be a name you recognize. It specializes in smart home surveillance and cleaning, with a wide range of security cameras, video doorbells, and robot vacuums to choose from. Anker launched the sub-brand in 2016 as part of its efforts to expand beyond the charging accessories it was known for. Looks like it worked — Eufy’s products generally enjoy positive reviews despite stiff competition in the home automation space.
What Eufy is doing a bit differently in this segment is reducing the reliance on subscriptions. Popular competitors like Ring and TP-Link often require you to subscribe to a monthly plan if you wish to access longer video histories or unlock more advanced features. While this makes the upfront purchase more affordable, the ongoing costs can add up over time. By contrast, the Eufy Indoor Camera that’s priced at $70 doesn’t ask for any monthly fees and instead lets you store your footage locally via its SD card slot.
That said, Eufy’s security controversy in 2022 raised concerns about the company’s privacy claims. The company responded by clarifying how certain features and data flows worked. Eufy continues to make smart home devices, with some of its newer security cameras offering features like motion detection and the option to store your recordings in the cloud. Some of its outdoor security cameras are solar-powered, too. Eufy also ranks quite well among major robot vacuum manufacturers.
Like Eufy, Soundcore is one of Anker’s more recognizable brands. It was officially unveiled as an audio-focused sub-brand in 2018, though Anker had been selling Bluetooth speakers and other audio products for years before that. Today, Soundcore has a decently large catalog of over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds, speakers, and even an AI voice recorder for some reason. Though it’s Soundcore’s affordable range of headphones and earbuds that gets the most attention, the brand does have a couple of premium offerings as well.
The Soundcore Space One Pro headphones retail for $200 and feature support for Hi-Res audio, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, and up to 60 hours of playback time with ANC off. Users generally say good things about Soundcore as a brand, too, with its products punching well above their price range. That said, if you’re looking for a true premium alternative to headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Apple’s AirPods Max, Soundcore doesn’t operate in quite the same league yet.
You do get an assortment of earbuds here. At $230, the Liberty 5 Pro Max are Soundcore’s flagship true wireless earbuds, featuring an AMOLED display on the case that lets you manage earbud settings in case you loathe having to pull out your phone every time. Soundcore also sells earbuds specially designed for sports and sleep. You have a wide range of open-ear earbuds to choose from, too. Its selection of Bluetooth speakers includes options that are waterproof, portable, or decked out with features like spatial audio and Hi-Res sound.
Having locked down charging accessories, smart home products, and consumer audio, Anker turned to the world of home entertainment with Nebula — a sub-brand focused primarily on delivering portable projectors. Nebula has been making projectors since 2017, but the sub-brand joined Soundcore in 2025. Like some of its other sub-brands, Soundcore Nebula has options at various price points.
The Nebula P1i is the entry point to the lineup, allowing users to project movies, TV shows, and other presentations in up to 1080p, all while being relatively portable. It comes with two 10W speakers that can be flipped around for a more immersive audio experience. You get essentials like auto Keystone correction, a tiny adjustable stand, and built-in support for Google TV so you don’t need to plug in an input source.
Moving up the lineup, you’ll find larger, more capable projectors that can serve as replacements for televisions. Products in Nebula’s Mars and Cosmos series offer resolutions up to 4K, much larger projection sizes, and technologies like Dolby Vision. Besides projectors, Nebula also sells accessories like tripods, carry cases, and projector screens.
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