Quote:Intel’s smallest Core Ultra 300 mobile design is not Panther Lake, meet Wildcat Lake



Intel has shared a new slide with updated positioning for Wildcat Lake (WCL) alongside Panther Lake (PTL). The slide shows up in a “Core Ultra 3 for edge” deck, and it adds more concrete specs for WCL.

The same slide also introduces a few inconsistencies versus earlier material. The clearest one is memory: WCL is now listed at LPDDR5x-6800, which is lower than what Intel previously showed on a separate slide.

WCL gives up a lot versus PTL across CPU, GPU, memory, and I/O. The slide lists no PCIe 5.0 for WCL, a lower NPU figure (18 TOPS vs 50 TOPS on PTL entries), and much slower memory ceilings (LPDDR5x-6800 vs PTL entries that go up to LPDDR5x-8533 or even 9600 MT/s on certain boards).

On graphics, WCL is shown with 2 Xe cores, while Panther Lake starts at 4 Xe cores in the Intel Graphics configurations, and goes up to an Intel Arc GPU with 12 Xe cores on select PTL systems. CPU core counts also separate the parts, since WCL tops out at 2P cores and does not list any E-cores, while PTL scales up to 4P + 8E + 4LPE.

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Quote:Microsoft has confirmed problems affecting systems running Windows 11 version 23H2 after installing the January 2026 security updates. According to the company, affected PCs may no longer shut down properly or enter sleep mode.

The issue has now been documented in the Windows Release Health notes. Microsoft states that after installing the January 13, 2026 security updates, systems with Secure Boot enabled can fail to power down or switch to sleep. Instead of shutting down or suspending, the devices may restart automatically. Secure Boot relies on virtualization-based security to protect the system against firmware-level attacks during startup.

Microsoft says the problematic update, identified as KB5073455, is only being offered for the Enterprise and IoT editions of Windows 11 23H2. While the knowledge base entry references changes related to Secure Boot, these changes are intended to update Secure Boot certificates rather than alter power management behavior.

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Quote:Crooks are impersonating your brand to attack customers, partners, and employees. How do you spot — and stop — an attack of the clones?
 
Brand, website, and corporate mailout impersonation is becoming an increasingly common technique used by cybercriminals. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reported a spike in such incidents in 2025. While tech companies and consumer brands are the most frequent targets, every industry in every country is generally at risk. The only thing that changes is how the imposters exploit the fakes In practice, we typically see the following attack scenarios:

• Luring clients and customers to a fake website to harvest login credentials for the real online store, or to steal payment details for direct theft.
  
• Luring employees and business partners to a fake corporate login portal to acquire legitimate credentials for infiltrating the corporate network.
  
• Prompting clients and customers to contact the scammers under various pretexts: getting tech support, processing a refund, entering a prize giveaway, or claiming compensation for public events involving the brand. The goal is to then swindle the victims out of as much money as possible.
  
• Luring business partners and employees to specially crafted pages that mimic internal company systems, to get them to approve a payment or redirect a legitimate payment to the scammers.
  
• Prompting clients, business partners, and employees to download malware — most often an infostealer — disguised as corporate software from a fake company website.
  

The words “luring” and “prompting” here imply a whole toolbox of tactics: email, messages in chat apps, social media posts that look like official ads, lookalike websites promoted through SEO tools, and even paid ads.

These schemes all share two common features. First, the attackers exploit the organization’s brand, and strive to mimic its official website, domain name, and corporate style of emails, ads, and social media posts. And the forgery doesn’t have to be flawless — just convincing enough for at least some of business partners and customers. Second, while the organization and its online resources aren’t targeted directly, the impact on them is still significant.

Business damage from brand impersonation

When fakes are crafted to target employees, an attack can lead to direct financial loss. An employee might be persuaded to transfer company funds, or their credentials could be used to steal confidential information or launch a ransomware attack.

Attacks on customers don’t typically imply direct damage to the company’s coffers, but they cause substantial indirect harm in the following areas:

• Strain on customer support. Customers who “bought” a product on a fake site will likely bring their issues to the real customer support team. Convincing them that they never actually placed an order is tough, making each case a major time waster for multiple support agents.
  

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Quote:Google is gradually rolling out the ability to change the @gmail.com email address associated with a Google Account to a new @gmail.com address.

This feature, previously unavailable, addresses a common pain point for users who regret their original username choice but didn’t want to abandon years of emails, photos, and data.

We already notified you about this update. According to the support pages, the rollout began recently and is expanding to all eligible accounts, though it may not yet be visible to everyone.

Your Google Account email address serves as the primary identifier for signing in to services like Gmail, YouTube, Drive, and Maps. It appears next to your profile picture across Google products and receives critical notifications.

Previously, changing this address required complex workarounds, such as disabling Gmail or switching to non-Gmail domains. Now, for @gmail.com users, a simple swap keeps everything intact while refreshing your digital identity.

This move comes amid growing demand for account flexibility amid heightened privacy concerns. Cybersecurity experts note that it could reduce phishing risks associated with outdated or easily guessable usernames, though users must still verify changes carefully.

How the Change Works: Step-by-Step Process

To check eligibility, visit myaccount.google.com/google-account-email on a computer and sign in. Navigate to “Personal info,” then “Email,” and look for “Google Account email.” If “Change Google Account email” appears, proceed; otherwise, wait for the rollout.



Options are rolling out gradually, but are still not available. (Source: CybersecurityNews)Before confirming, review potential disruptions. Chromebook users should prepare for directory sync issues. Those relying on “Sign in with Google” for third-party sites may need to update linked accounts.

Remote connections via Chrome Remote Desktop may disconnect, requiring a reconnect. Google urges backing up data, preemptively exporting Android device data, syncing Chrome, restoring contacts, securing photos, and preserving Location History. App settings might reset, akin to a fresh device login, so recreate them post-change.

Enter your desired new username, ensuring it’s unused and not recently deleted by another account. Click “Change email,” confirm with “Yes, change email,” and follow on-screen prompts.

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Quote:In a new research paper, AMD is exploring ways to stack L2 cache on its future chips, offering similar or better latency.

3D V-Cache But For L2: AMD Exploring Integrating Stacked L2 Caches Besides L3 For Future Chip

sAMD has published an interesting research paper titled "Balanced Latency Stacked Cache" with a patent application number of "US20260003794A1". In this paper, AMD discloses techniques for a balanced latency stacked cache, where a stacked cache system includes a first cache die and at least a second cache die in a stacked orientation with the first cache die.



We know that AMD already offers stacked cache in the form of 3D V-Cache, which employs an additional L3 cache layer, either on top or underneath its core compute chiplets. The first generation of 3D V-Cache was stacked on top of Zen compute chiplets, while the second generation saw the placement of the stack below the compute chiplet. These approaches are largely similar in the premises, as they both use a stack cache layer.

AMD's 3D V-Cache or X3D solution has been used on chips ranging from the client "Ryzen" series to the top-tier datacenter powerhouses such as the "EPYC" lineup. While AMD continues to develop its L3 3D V-Cache technologies, the company is exploring more ways to stack further caches. The patent points to L2 stacks being the red team's next venture.
 
Image Source: AMD Patent

For its stacked L2 cache design, AMD uses an illustrative example, showcasing a base die that is attached to a compute die and a cache die, and then a further compute and cache die is added on top of it. This example uses a cache module with four 512 KB regions for a total of 2 MB L2 cache, and a CCC or Cache Control Circuitry. This L2 cache complex can be expanded as needed with up to 4 MB showcases in the block diagram.

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Quote:Google is expanding Gemini's role from a general-purpose chatbot into a deeply personalized assistant by integrating data from Gmail, YouTube, and Google Search. The change allows Gemini to reference a user's own emails, activity, and preferences when responding to prompts.

Until now, Gemini has largely operated without tapping into the full breadth of Google's ecosystem, despite the company controlling some of the most widely used apps in the world. That is now changing. With the new integration, Gemini can use private account data that competing chatbots cannot access directly.

What Gemini can do with your data

The integration allows Gemini to pull context from Gmail messages, search history, and YouTube activity to tailor responses. For example, when asked about a trip, Gemini can reference booking confirmations in email, past searches related to destinations, and video content the user has watched to infer preferences.

Google says the goal is to move Gemini beyond one-off queries and toward ongoing assistance that improves over time. The assistant adapts responses based on patterns rather than relying solely on the immediate prompt.

This personalization layer is rolling out first to Gemini subscribers in the United States, with plans to expand to more regions and eventually to free users.

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Quote:Opera has released Opera One R3, an update that focuses on managing large numbers of tabs while tightening how its built-in AI understands browsing context. The release targets users who keep many tabs open for work, study, or research and want clearer separation between tasks.

The update builds on Opera's Tab Islands feature, which automatically groups tabs based on browsing activity. In R3, users can now name Tab Islands and assign colors to them, making it easier to distinguish between different tasks at a glance without manually creating tab groups.

Tab Islands get a clearer structure

Tab Islands are Opera's alternative to traditional tab groups. Instead of requiring setup, the browser clusters tabs automatically based on context, such as shopping, communication, or research. With R3, these clusters can be labeled and color-coded, reducing friction when switching between workflows during long browsing sessions.

Opera says the goal is to help users avoid losing focus when jumping between unrelated tasks.

AI rebuilt with better context awareness

Opera One R3 also rebuilds the browser's AI on a new engine derived from its experimental Neon browser. The AI can now operate within the scope of a single tab or an entire Tab Island, rather than pulling context from everything that is open.

This means prompts and questions relate only to the active task group. The behavior can be disabled in AI chat settings for users who prefer broader context. The AI can also answer questions about online videos, helping users find specific moments or understand content without watching an entire clip.

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Quote:The Austrian antivirus testing lab AV-Comparatives has released its annual Summary Report highlighting the results for consumer security test for the year 2025 (PDF available here). This report contains awards recognizing individual programs in various categories. Additionally a user-interface review for each tested products is included.
 
19 different consumer security products for Windows underwent AV-Comparatives rigorous evaluation. Programs were tested for their ability to protect against real-world Internet threats, detect thousands of recent malicious programs, defend against advanced targeted attacks, and provide protection without significantly slowing down the PC or causing excessive false alarms.

The following products where tested in AV-Comparatives Consumer Main-Test Series 2025: Avast Free Antivirus, AVG AntiVirus Free, Avira Free Antivirus, Bitdefender Total Security, ESET HOME Security Essential, F-Secure Internet Security, G DATA Total Security, K7 Total Security, Kaspersky Premium, Malwarebytes Premium, McAfee Total Protection, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Norton Antivirus Plus, Panda Free Antivirus, Quick Heal Total Security, Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus, TotalAV Antivirus Pro, Trend Micro Internet Security, and VIPRE Advanced Security.

Fifteen of the products from the 19 vendors tested earned the prestigious AV-Comparatives 2025 Approved Windows Security Products certification, showcasing their commitment to delivering high-quality security solutions.

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Quote:Who can you trust in the cybersecurity solutions market? Fourteen major vendors were compared in terms of transparency, security management, and data-handling practices – and guess which was a leader across the board?!…
 
The life of a modern head of information security (also known as CISO – Chief Information Security Officer) is not just about fighting hackers. It’s also an endless quest that goes by the name of “compliance”. Regulators keep tightening the screws, standards pop up like mushrooms, and headaches only get worse; but wait… – there’s more: CISOs are responsible not only for their own perimeter, but what goes on outside it too: for their entire supply chain, all their contractors, and the whole hodge-podge of software their business processes run on. Though the logic here is solid, it’s also unfortunately ruthless: if a hole is found at your supplier, but the problems hit you, in the end it’s you who’s held accountable. This logic applies to security software too.

Back in the day, companies rarely thought about what was actually inside the security solutions and products they used. Now, however, businesses – especially large ones – want to know everything: what’s really inside the box? Who wrote the code? Is it going to break some critical function or could it even bring everything down? (We’ve seen such precedents; example: the Crowdstrike 2024 update incident.) Where and how is data processed? And these are the right questions to ask.

The problem lies in the fact that almost all customers trust their vendors to answer accurately when asked such questions – very often because they have no other choice. A more mature approach in today’s cyber-reality is to verify.

In corporate-speak this is called supply-chain trust, and trying to solve this puzzle on your own is a serious headache. You need help from vendors. A responsible vendor is ready to show what’s under the hood of its solutions, to open up the source code to partners and customers for review, and, in general, to earn trust not with nice slides but with solid, practical steps.

So who’s already doing this, and who’s still stuck in the past? A fresh, in-depth study from our colleagues in Europe has the answer. It was conducted by the respected testing lab AV-Comparatives, the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce (WKO), the MCI Entrepreneurial School, and the law firm Studio Legale Tremolada.

The main conclusion of the study is that the era of “black boxes” in cybersecurity is over. RIP. Amen. The future belongs to those who don’t hide their source code and vulnerability reports, and who give customers maximum choice when configuring their products. And the report clearly states who doesn’t just promise but actually delivers. Guess who!…

What a great guess! Yes – it’s us!

We give our customers something that is still, unfortunately, a rare and endangered species in the industry: transparency centers, source code reviews of our products, a detailed software bill of materials (SBOM), and the ability to check update history and control rollouts. And of course we provide everything that’s already become the industry standard. You can study all the details in the full “Transparency and Accountability in Cybersecurity” (TRACS) report, or in our summary. Below, I’ll walk through some of the most interesting bits.

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Quote:We have prepared the 2026 banking test. In the test scenarios we developed, we checked technical compliance for detecting attacks based on the methodology.

Software we tested:

1. AVAST Premium + Bank Mode
   
2. BITEDEFENDER Total Security + Safe Pay
   
3. COMODO Internet Security Pro + Secure Shopping
   
4. ESET Home Security Premium + Safe Banking & Browsing
   
5. F-SECURE Total + Bank Mode
   
6. G DATA Internet Security + (not available)
   
7. KASPERSKY Plus + Safe Money
   
8. MICROSOFT Defender + (not available)
   
9. MKS_VIR Internet Security + Safe Browser
   
10. NORTON 360 (not available)
    
11. QUICK HEAL Total Security + Safe Banking
    
12. TREND MICRO Maximum Security + Pay Guard
    

 The PDF report consists of the following chapters:​

• Why does online payments protection matter?
  
• Methodology
  
• Test scenarios overview (description and MITRE table)
  
• Basic information on tested security suites
  • Settings of the tested solutions
    
• Results
  
• Our conclusions from the test
  

The details are available here​:

Analysis Of Modules For Protection Of Online Banking And Payments – 2026 Edition » AVL