The dawn of the e-reader was a glorious moment for me after years of lugging around dozens of pounds of books to sate my bibliophile needs. Amazon‘s Kindle line stood out from its early, basic text form onward.
Now, Amazon has augmented its new Kindle Scribe with AI through a couple of very useful and surprisingly intuitive new features. Other companies making e-readers should take note, and conveniently, that’s exactly what the Kindle Scribe and its AI tools are built for.
In particular, while Amazon has marketed the Kindle Scribe as an E Ink notetaking device, the new Active Canvas facet of the e-reader lets you write notes on top of printed text, automatically gliding around and ensuring a sticky placement.
Chickenscratch refined
I’ll be the first to admit that my handwriting has never been the neatest. I’ve been told it’s perfect, but only for ransom notes and as a warning to children reluctant to practice their penmanship. It only worsens when I take notes quickly during a speech or interview. Trying to decipher it afterward is an art as much as a science, but the Kindle Scribe seems to have no trouble transforming handwritten notes, even messy ones, into legible text that’s much easier to read.
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As someone who has always preferred jotting down notes by hand over typing or transcribing audio, that’s a huge deal. The AI keeps the charm of handwriting while keeping it useful. It’s a quiet deployment of AI, but a sign Amazon knows what Kindle Scribe users actually desire from AI tools.
From scattered to summarized
If you take a lot of notes, even having them be readable doesn’t mean you have them organized. That’s why the AI summarization feature for the new Kindle Scribe is so enticing. As a reporter, I might read and take notes on a PDF announcement for a new product, then go and take notes on the speech given by a company’s CEO when it is unveiled, and further write my comments on what I think about testing the product. The Kindle Scribe can distill those scattered notes written over many hours or days into a neat paragraph or two.
Indeed, the AI may not always extract the most relevant points from the notes. There might be extraneous bits left in or valuable data left out, but at least from what I’ve seen, that’s not a major issue with the Kindle Scribe’s AI. I would have cheerfully paid through the nose for such a feature when I was a student.
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Again, Amazon is using AI in the Kindle Scribe to retain the appeal of digital note-taking while keeping things simple and streamlined. You don’t need an avalanche of options and a plethora of possibilities with AI for a digital reader and notebook. Enhancing the core writing and reading experiences with AI is no gimmick.
If the AI wearables struggling for sales this year had such obvious utility, they might not be struggling in the market. You might not think you need handwriting refinement and note summarization, but it’s hard to imagine giving them up once you start using them. Amazon’s AI may not be smarter than its rivals, but it certainly is employing it more intelligently in this case.
A whopping 69% of organizations have reported paying ransoms this year, according to research by Cohesity, with 46% handing over a quarter of a million dollars or more to cybercriminals. It is hardly the picture of resiliency that is often painted by industry. Clearly, there is a disconnect between cyber resiliency policy and operational capability that urgently needs addressing.
With the advent of Ransomware-as-a-Service platforms and the current global geopolitical situation, organizations face a huge existential threat through destructive cyber attacks that could put them out of business. This gap between confidence and capability needs to be addressed, but in order to do so, those organizations need to recognize there is a problem in the first place.
According to the Global cyber resilience report 2024, which surveyed 3,139 IT and Security Operations (SecOps) decision-makers, despite 77% of companies having a ‘do not pay’ policy, many have found themselves unable to respond and recover from attacks without caving in to ransom demands. In addition, only 2% of organizations can recover their data and restore business operations within 24 hours of a cyberattack – despite 98% of organizations claiming their recovery target was one day.
This clearly indicates that current cyber resilience strategies are failing to deliver when it matters most. Companies have set ambitious recovery time objectives (RTOs), but are nowhere close to building the appropriate effective and efficient investigation and threat mitigation capability needed to rebuild and recover securely. Most organizations treat a destructive cyber attack like a traditional business continuity incident like a flood, fire or electricity loss – recovering from the last backup and bringing back in all the vulnerabilities, gaps in prevention and detection, as well as persistence mechanisms that caused the incident in the first place. The gap between these goals and actual capabilities is a ticking time bomb, leaving businesses vulnerable to prolonged downtime and severe financial losses.
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Equally alarming is the widespread neglect of Zero-Trust Security principles. While many companies tout their commitment to securing sensitive data, less than half have implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA) or role-based access controls (RBAC). These are not just best practices; they are essential safeguards in today’s threat landscape. Without them, organizations are leaving the door wide open to both external and internal threats.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, with 80% of companies now facing the threat of AI-enabled attacks, the need for a robust, modern approach to data resiliency is more urgent than ever. Yet, the continued reliance on outdated strategies and the failure to adapt to new threats sets the stage for even greater risks. It’s not even a question of complacency.
James Blake
Global Head of Cyber Resiliency Strategy at Cohesity.
Building confidence or creating false hope?
With 78% of organizations claiming that they are confident in their cyber resilience capability, this infers that a lot of work has already been done in creating the process and technology to not just isolate attacks but also have the ability to recover a trusted response capability to investigate, mitigate threats and recover. This would be great if true, but we are seeing a real disconnect between perception and reality when it comes to cyber resilience.
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That’s a big concern. The financial impact of these failures is not limited to ransom payments alone. The true cost of inadequate cyber resilience extends far beyond the immediate outlay. Prolonged downtime, loss of customer trust, criminal prosecutions for false attestations around the quality of security controls or paying ransoms to sanctioned entities, brand damage, and skyrocketing cyber insurance premiums are just a few consequences that can damage an organization. It’s a sobering reminder that investing in and testing robust cyber resiliency measures upfront is far more cost-effective than dealing with the fallout of a successful attack.
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Moreover, the report reveals that only 42% of organizations have the IT and Security capabilities to identify sensitive data and comply with their regulatory requirements. This deficiency exposes companies to significant fines and undermines their ability to prioritize protecting the very data that is the lifeblood of their organization and is subject to regulatory obligations.
With the expected rise of AI-enhanced cyberattacks adding another layer of capability to cyber adversaries, organizations with traditional defenses will have their work cut out. They are no match for these effective and high-efficient threats, which can adapt and evolve faster than most organizations can respond. Organizations need AI-tools to counter these emerging AI-driven threats.
Identify a problem to fix a problem
The report ultimately reveals opportunities for improvement. People, processes, and tools do exist to reverse these trends and close gaps to shore up cyber resilience. Still, organizations need to understand where they currently sit regarding resiliency and be honest with themselves.
The right workflow collaboration and platform integration between IT and Security needs to be developed before an incident. Organizations must engage in more realistic and rigorous threat modelling, attack simulations, drills and tests to understand their strengths and weaknesses. This can ensure that the response and recovery process is effective and that all stakeholders are familiar with their roles during an incident or can identify shortcomings and areas for improvement.
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In addition, automated testing of backup data can verify the integrity and recoverability of backups without manual intervention. This automation helps ensure that backups are reliable and can be restored quickly when needed.
Finally, maintaining detailed documentation and recovery playbooks helps ensure everyone knows their responsibilities and what steps to take during an incident. These playbooks should be regularly updated based on changes in adversary behavior and the results of testing and drills.
And this is just a start. To fully reduce operational risk, a transition to modern data security and management processes, tools, and practices is required. Perhaps then, we will see a reduction in ransom payments and a cyber resilience confidence built on reality.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
Social media companies will face “very significant changes” as new legal safeguarding rules come into force early next year.
The Chief Executive of Ofcom, Dame Melanie Dawes, told BBC Radio 5 Live companies could face fines from the regulator if they did not comply with the new Online Safety Act.
Social networking services such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp will have three months from when the guidance is finalised to carry out risk assessments and make relevant changes to safeguard users.
Dame Melanie said changes could include allowing people to take themselves out of group chats, without anyone else being able to see they had left.
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“Young people should be able to take themselves out of group chats that they know are toxic for them, without everybody being able to see and that’s one of the things that we are going to be expecting to see change from social media and messaging services,” she said.
Dame Melanie also said it was the responsibility of the firms – not parents or children – to make sure people were safe online.
Ofcom has been putting together codes of practice since the Online Safety Act became law just under a year ago, to protect children from some legal but harmful material.
Platforms will also need to show they are committed to removing illegal content including child sexual abuse, promotion of self-harm and animal cruelty.
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“It’s definitely not just a paper exercise,” said Dame Melanie. “We are very clear that the first step that any responsible company needs to take, is to actually access risks that they’ve never accessed before.”
She added that companies needed to be “honest and transparent” about what their “services are actually exposing their users to”.
“If we don’t think they’ve done that job well enough, we can take enforcement action, simply against that failure.”
Ofcom has already been in close contact with social networking services and Dame Melanie said when the new legal safeguards became enforceable the regulator would be “ready to go”.
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She added: “We know that some of them are preparing but we are expecting very significant changes. ”
Up to now, airfare search results on Google Flights have prioritized a combination of price and convenience over cost alone. This means you might be missing the cheapest options and spending more than you need to.
Via an update to its online tool rolling out gradually over the next couple of weeks, Google is finally making it easier to surface the best-priced airfares for your journey, though you may be sacrificing a bit of convenience if you opt for one of them.
“For example, there could be a third-party booking site offering a lower price than the airline itself,” Google explained in a blog post announcing the update. “Or you might be able to save by flying back to a different airport that’s in the same city you departed from — like flying out of New York’s LaGuardia and returning to JFK.”
The update puts a new “Cheapest” tab on Google Flights’ search page, while the most convenient options (according to Google Flights, at least) will appear beside it under the “Best” tab.
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For sure, you might find some of the options under the “Cheapest” tab showing longer layovers, self-transfers, or a requirement to purchase different legs of the trip through multiple airlines or booking sites. But as Google points out in its post, “For those times when cost matters more than convenience, the new tab gives you an easy way to see the lowest prices available,” leaving you to decide which option works best for you.
Google has been gradually improving its Flights tool since launching it in 2011. In a more recent update, the tech giant added a feature that suggests the best time to book a cheap flight. Google Flights also offers price tracking, which, once set up, automatically alerts you if a fare for your route sees a notable fall.
Adobe is one of the top names in the multimedia content creation and editing segment. While back, the company announced that it was working on its own AI-powered features to adapt to the industry and offer advanced experiences. Recently, Adobe launched the Firefly video generation suite in beta to compete with Movie Gen and others. Now, Adobe has offered a sneak peek at several upcoming AI editing tools, including one for sound generation, during its latest MAX Creativity Conference.
Currently, Adobe is working on up to nine new AI-powered features to help creators make their visions a reality. The tools will be part of PhotoShop and Premiere Pro. Currently, there is no date for the wide rollout of all the options.
Adobe AI editing tools that are arriving in the future
First up is Project Perfect Blend for PS, a tool that yields higher-quality results when blending images. It pays special attention to the correct handling of shadows during the process for a more realistic result. Project Clean Machine is a feature that aims to remove annoying glare from pictures. It also effectively removes objects from images while maintaining a natural appearance.
Project In Motion is another of Adobe’s upcoming AI-powered features. The tool will be able to transform animations according to your prompts, allowing you to turn current projects into something entirely new. On the other hand, Project Know-How is a tool that finds and identifies the source of a specific file. The latter is especially useful for content authentication tasks.
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Adobe even has a sound generation tool
There’s also Project Turntable, a useful feature that will allow you to rotate 2D vector art in 3D in any direction you want. The option uses the power of generative AI to correctly fill in blank spaces when rotating the file. Adobe will also be releasing an AI-powered sound generation tool called Project Super Sonic. The feature will be able to generate sounds according to custom prompts. You can even simply click on a section of the image to have the feature analyze it and generate a related sound.
Plus, Adobe is working on integrating its suite of creative tools with Microsoft Copilot through Project Scenic. This tool will have the ability to generate complete 3D scenes in response to prompts. You will be able to fine-tune the 3D scene with instructions about the camera and items. There will also be a “Project Remix A Lot” tool that allows you to “remix” multiple projects to get a new one. Then, you can start editing the results.
You can also convert sketches into art automatically
Lastly, Adobe is working on Project Hi-Fi, an AI-powered sketch-to-image tool. As the name suggests, Project Hi-Fi will allow you to turn your sketches or drawings into high-quality art that you can use. This tool can save you quite a bit of time when it comes to making your creations a reality.
Amazon is sunsetting the Kindle Oasis. This decision means there will be no models of the ereader remaining with physical buttons for turning pages. “Once current inventory of Kindle Oasis sells out online and in stores, we will not restock the device,” Amazon rep Devon Corvasce told . “Today, all of our devices are touch-forward which is what our customers are comfortable with.”
The Oasis model in 2016. Its lightweight, asymmetrical design for one-handed use was a standout, but the high price tag may have kept most people from really considering the product. If you are not most comfortable with a touch interface for your reading, there are still options for flipping pages via buttons on the market. The Kobo Libra Color is .
Even with the Oasis becoming nothing but a mirage, the Kindle family isn’t getting any smaller. Amazon announced several upgrades to the device line this week, including its first ever color ereader in the . We also got hands-on time with the latest and the has also received a refresh.
FunPlus, a Swiss company that has become one of the world’s largest independent game companies, has opened its new Studio Ellipsis in Lisbon, Portugal.
Lisbon is become a new hub for games, and this studio will be a creative hub focused on expanding FunPlus’s intellectual property (IP) across a variety of entertainment platforms.
Led by industry veteran Alexandre Amancio, Studio Ellipsis’ ambition is to create entertainment experiences that cater to the evolving expectations of modern audiences.
Through a combination of cross-platform game development and transmedia storytelling, the studio will bring FunPlus’ IP to life in new ways, inviting fans to explore fresh lore, characters, and stories. In the coming months, the studio will unveil additional projects that expand FunPlus’ portfolio of worlds, as well as original IPs designed for cross-medium development.
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Amancio, who joined FunPlus in 2023, brings his expertise in creative direction, narrative design and IP development to lead this exciting new venture.
“We are witnessing a transformation in how audiences engage with entertainment. Fans are no longer passive consumers; they are explorers, seeking immersive experiences across a wide range of platforms,” said Amancio, head of studio and senior vice president of world building & IP strategy at FunPlus, in a statement. “Studio Ellipsis is our response to this shift, creating new opportunities for fans to navigate deeper into the worlds they love, while also crafting original IPs that inspire and captivate, empowering them to become part of the journey.”
This marks a significant step forward for FunPlus, already a well-established developer and publisher of mobile games, with the goal of becoming a leader in the broader interactive entertainment space, building on this vision of world-building and IP expansion.
The Lisbon-based studio, founded by a core team of highly experienced professionals, will spearhead FunPlus’ efforts to deliver rich stories and characters through multiple entertainment mediums, allowing fans to explore these worlds from fresh perspectives.
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“The launch of Studio Ellipsis marks a pivotal moment in FunPlus’ journey to become a global powerhouse in entertainment, extending far beyond our roots in the strategy genre,” said Chris Petrovic, chief business officer at FunPlus, in a statement. “By establishing a dedicated studio in a vibrant city like Lisbon, we are not only expanding our existing worlds but also laying the foundation for new IPs that can thrive across multiple mediums. This studio represents our commitment to evolving with our audiences, meeting their demand for immersive storytelling, and creating experiences that resonate deeply within our fans.”
Studio Ellipsis is the latest milestone in FunPlus’ strategic move to evolve beyond gaming, embracing transmedia storytelling. The first project to launch from this initiative is Sea of Conquest: Cradle of the Gods, a comic series based on the popular strategy game Sea of Conquest: Pirate War. This high-quality comic was developed by a talented team of artists and writers, with the first issue available now for free on digital platforms.
FunPlus said it chose Lisbon for Studio Ellipsis due to its burgeoning potential as a creative and technological hub, with the Portuguese capital gaining recognition as a dynamic environment for game development and digital entertainment. FunPlus’ investment in the region, coupled with its collaboration with local universities and organizations like the APVP (Associação de Produtores de Videojogos Portugueses) and The Gaming Hub by Unicorn Factory Lisboa, will foster local talent and contribute to the growth of the game development ecosystem.
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“I am incredibly proud to welcome Studio Ellipsis from FunPlus to Lisbon, the European Capital of Innovation,” said Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon, in a statement. “Thanks to initiatives like the Unicorn Factory, our city has transformed into a global hub for innovators and unicorn companies, where some of the most groundbreaking and disruptive tech products and services are being developed. This unprecedented effort is changing lives across the city, with over 15,000 job opportunities being created in under three years. We are thrilled to include FunPlus as a new member of our exciting and diverse tech community. Welcome to Lisbon.”
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