Category: 4. Technology

TikTok is giving users new ways to interact with others via direct messages (DMs), the company told TechCrunch on Friday. Users will now be able to send voice notes and share up to nine images or videos in one-to-one and group chats on the platform.

With these new features, TikTok is positioning itself as more than just an entertainment platform, aiming to become a place where users interact regularly beyond simply sending each other TikTok videos. Additionally, the new capabilities bring TikTok’s messaging experience more in line with that of other popular social apps and services.

With voice notes, users can record and send audio messages up to 60 seconds long. The launch of the feature comes as services like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Apple’s Messages already offer the ability to send voice notes to others via DMs.

It makes sense for TikTok to add voice notes to its DMs, especially as a growing number of people, particularly Gen Z, are embracing the format for communication.

The feature is rolling out over the next few weeks, TikTok says.

As for sharing photos and videos, users can either take a photo or video with their camera or select one from their camera roll to share it with others. They can also choose the edit the content before sending it.

For user safety, people can’t send an image or video as their initial message request. For example, if someone messages you for the first time, they can’t send a photo or video they have taken themselves; they can only share content already on TikTok.

Additionally, when someone chooses to send a photo or video, TikTok will remind them to protect their privacy and be mindful of who they’re sending that content to.

While DMs on TikTok are unavailable to users under the age of 16, the company is adding protections for users between the ages of 16 and 18. For instance, TikTok has automated systems in place to detect and block images containing nudity. This means that the sender will be blocked from sending the nude image, and the receiver won’t see the image at all.

Users above the age of 18 can choose to toggle this safety feature on in their app settings.

TikTok sees the new features as a way for users to express themselves and connect with others in ways that they’re already accustomed to.

The move comes as TikTok has been working to build out its messaging product. Last year, the platform launched group chats, giving users the ability to chat with up to 32 people at once. TikTok also recently rolled out Creator Chat Rooms, a dedicated space for creators and their followers to connect and interact with each other.

Microsoft’s fifth major iteration of Windows 11 is nearing its release to the general public—the Windows Insider team announced today that Windows 11 25H2 was being put into its Release Preview Channel, the final stop for most updates before they become available to everyone. That’s around two months after the first Windows builds with the 25H2 label were released to the other preview channels.

Putting a new yearly Windows update in the Release Preview channel is analogous to the “release to manufacturing” (RTM) phase of years past, back when updates shipped on physical media that needed to be manufactured. Build numbers for this version of Windows start with 26200, rather than 24H2’s 26100.

The 25H2 update doesn’t do a lot in and of itself, other than reset the clock for Microsoft’s security updates (each yearly release gets two years of security patches). Microsoft says that last year’s 24H2 update and this year’s 25H2 update “use a shared servicing branch,” which mostly means that there aren’t big under-the-hood differences between the two. Installing the 25H2 update on a PC may enable some features on your 24H2 PC that had already been installed but had been disabled by default.

Microsoft says that installing the 25H2 update removes PowerShell 2.0 and the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line tool (both previously deprecated), and that it allows IT administrators to automatically remove some preinstalled Windows apps from the Microsoft Store via Group Policy. But Microsoft hasn’t said much about major, user-facing new features that are unique to the 25H2 update. The 23H2 update from two years ago was a similarly quiet add-on for Windows 11 22H2.

Overdrive’s digital book lending app Libby is adding — you guessed it! — AI. The new Inspire Me feature is an AI-fueled discovery tool tuned to your local branch’s collection. Following a soft launch this month, it will be officially available in September.

To avoid the pitfalls of a full-on chatbot, Overdrive is limiting the discovery process of the feature. Instead of typing freely into a prompt box, you’ll start by answering several canned preference questions. These include categories (such as fiction and biography), age groups (adult or child) and preset adjectives (like “clever” and “silly”). You can also let it make recommendations based on your previously saved titles.

The AI will then spit out five suggestions from your local library. Overdrive says Inspire Me prioritizes ebooks and audiobooks that are immediately available. Each recommendation will include a brief explanation of how it aligns with your stated interests.

Some in the library community reacted sharply to the feature. “Smoke is pouring out of my ears,” librarian Rachel Storm posted on Bluesky (via TechCrunch). “I’m honestly surprised it took this long for them to enshittify Libby,” Orion Kidder responded.

Libby’s AI privacy policy states that Inspire Me only sends tags connected to “a random selection of titles you have saved” to the model. The policy says it only sends the book titles, not any other details about you or your device. Overdrive says it designed the feature to minimize energy impact and will monitor its footprint over time.

As long as there isn’t anything sneaky tucked in beyond that, this sounds like a relatively tame (and potentially handy) use of AI. Then again, I sometimes spend my work hours writing about the truly disturbing shit, so take my perspective as you will.

Regardless of your perspective, the feature will roll out broadly in September. You’ll find it by tapping the Libby icon in the app menu.

There’s already been a number of leaks of upcoming Philips Hue products that are expected to be announced next week ahead of IFA. But one thing that hasn’t been mentioned was support for Matter-over-Thread. While there’s no confirmation that support is coming, there’s compelling evidence to suggest it might be.

First off, packaging for two unannounced bulbs appeared on Amazon, with a Matter logo prominently displayed on the box. While Hue devices have been capable of connecting via Matter using the Hue Bridge as a middleman, they’ve never supported the protocol directly. That’s in part because Matter only works via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Thread; Hue has been a Zigbee and Bluetooth-only ecosystem for years.

Then there’s the since-removed FCC filing discovered by HueBlog. A supposed screenshot of the document shows a label for a new Hue White lightbulb with a Matter setup code under the familiar Bluetooth and Zigbee logos. This almost certainly means the lightbulb will connect directly via Matter. Wired Ethernet would obviously be an odd choice. Wi-Fi is a possibility, but the more logical option would be Thread, which is low-power and can create self-healing mesh networks.

The one issue is, there’s no mention of Thread or Wi-Fi in the FCC filing anywhere, only Bluetooth and Zigbee. According to HueBlog, however, one document read (before it was removed), “This product only supports BLE 125k/500k/1M/2Mbps:2402-2480MHz, Zigbee:2405-2480MHz. The other functions, bands and modes was [sic] disabled to use by manufacturer [sic] in the software.” What are those other functions, bands, and modes? It’s not specified in any document I could find, but it’s reasonable to assume the list might include Thread which, like Zigbee, uses the 2.4GHz band.

Philips isn’t about to abandon Zigbee for Thread overnight, but this would give users direct access to Hue bulbs from any Matter controller, with the Bridge only needed for some advanced features, like dynamic lighting effects. Plus there’s a growing momentum behind Matter-over-Thread, with Ikea recently announcing over 20 products supporting it.

Imagine powered exoskeletons that enable soldiers to operate in the world’s most austere regions. Accompanied by robotic dogs and cargo drones, the troops can move through snow, easily carrying over 100 pounds of gear. 

This is no longer science fiction. Earlier this year, China’s People’s Liberation Army executed an “intelligent logistics devices” exercise on the far-western Karakoram Plateau of the Xinjiang Military District, part of a push to move such gear from demonstrations to deployment.

China has spent the last several years building a diverse exoskeleton research-and-development ecosystem: In 2019, the PLA hosted a “Super Warrior” contest in which 50-plus prototypes from 25 developers competed in categories such as lightweight mobility, heavy-load marching, and munitions handling. This broad base suggests China’s exoskeleton R&D is not limited to one program, but is spread among state-supported primes, private venture players, and universities, each tackling aspects like materials, power systems, and artificial intelligence for gait assistance.

In 2020, state-owned defense conglomerate Norinco delivered a passive, backpack‑style frame to troops on the Tibet border. Their positive feedback triggered a follow‑on contract one month later. Separately, engineers at state-owned aerospace firm CASIC developed a powered frame with an electric‑motor drive and a swappable battery pack, unveiled in 2021 as the ‘Portable Ammunition Support Assist’ suit. This version adds roughly 44 pounds of lift, records usage data on a tablet, and straps on in under 40 seconds. PLA testers report the suit off‑loads more than 50 percent of the weight burden and lets one soldier haul a 110-pound ammo box “without much effort.”

A lighter, knee-only brace surfaced at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow. Built by Beijing Precision Mechatronics, the device injects 55 pounds of torque during ascent, but  weighs only a few pounds. Though marketed for military special operations work, exhibitors noted the knee brace is small enough for tourist or industrial markets—a perfect example of China’s military-civil fusion ecosystem. 

Private start‑ups have also started to get involved. Beijing‑based Blood Wingnse previewed its hybrid Vanguard full‑body suit in Weibo clips ahead of the 2025 Shanghai Defense‑Industry Expo. According to the company, the carbon‑fiber/titanium frame weighs less than 55 pounds and offers three assist modes that pair 88 pounds of arm assistance with 132 pounds of leg support. Engineers claim the structure can handle a 220-pound continuous load, but pull up to 440 pounds for a short time, a figure echoed in recent Chinese coverage of consumer exoskeletons.

With the systems moving from lab prototypes to more and more capability, the PLA has begun to selectively introduce exoskeletons to units operating in China’s most physically demanding terrains—including the high-altitude mountain brigades and border defense regiments in Tibet and Xinjiang. These plateau units were early adopters because they regularly conduct long foot patrols and supply missions at an elevation of 4,500–5,500 meters, where oxygen is thin and a typical soldier’s endurance is severely limited. 

PLA forums and tech outlets reported in January that plateau infantry brigades have been test marching with the new third-gen powered suits. This drill, notably conducted near the sensitive Indian border before India’s Army Day, aimed to validate man-machine teaming in extreme environments. Chinese sources claimed that exoskeletons, by alleviating altitude fatigue, help troops “overcome the physiological difficulties of high-altitude combat” and arrive mission-ready.

A mid high‑altitude field drill offers additional data on field performance. CCTV‑7 followed Joint Logistic Support Force engineers from the Xining Joint Logistics Support Center as they laid a fuel‑pipeline kit at 4,000 meters in Qinghai. Troops wearing knee‑hip frames that weighed less than 13 pounds carried 154‑pound hose reels and pump modules across loose gravel while contending with thin air and freezing temperatures, demonstrating that the suits preserve lifting capacity under extreme conditions.

Among the specific PLA units known to use exoskeletons are the frontier defense companies stationed in Tibet’s Ngari prefecture, along the Line of Actual Control with India. Observers have also identified additional PLA mountain infantry brigades, also under the Western Theater Command, integrating the gear in training. Although official unit designations aren’t always disclosed, it’s clear the Western Theater forces along or near the contested Line of Actual Control with India have led testing and implementation.

But the technology is no longer confined to the plateau, and has started to spread to other commands. A PLA Daily feature on the 73rd Group Army opposite Taiwan showed an Eastern Theater Command medic sprinting with a 154-pound casualty while wearing a leg‑and‑waist frame—a development that would cut stretcher teams in half. A news report on a June 2025 Northern Theater logistics exercise casually noted the use of exoskeletons by logistics soldiers in transporting munitions. Chinese defense bloggers now track exoskeleton sightings in the Western, Eastern, and Northern Theater Commands, all training with the rigs as part of a wider push toward unmanned and assisted logistics.

Within official PLA discourse, exoskeletons have shifted from laboratory curiosities to items the Army now slots directly into logistics, patrol, and battlefield‑aid drills. A December PLA Daily article on historical logistics innovation describes the “robotic exoskeleton system” as a new link in the “steel transport line,” easing heavy physical logistics support activities such as ammunition handling. A July account of an Army Logistics University exercise adds that exoskeleton porters, teamed with UAV “swarms” and unmanned ground vehicles, raise a single soldier’s load capacity by 110 to 176 pounds and are central to an emerging “unmanned, intelligent supply chain”.

Doctrine writers frame these advances under the banner of “smart support,” contending that mechanical exoskeletons let troops effortlessly carry and move more equipment, making the rigs a combat‑power multiplier for extended patrols and high‑altitude resupply missions. During a recent demonstration of a PLA logistics unit using at least three different exoskeletons, Senior Colonel Gong Zhansheng, director of the Quartermaster Procurement Department at the PLA Army Logistics University in Chongqing, explained that the PLA uses both active frames (which integrate a series of technologies such as automatic control, intelligent sensing, and mechanical design) and simpler passive versions of exoskeletons, allowing small logistics detachments to push vital supplies through the ‘last mile’ without mustering large porter teams or calling up vehicles.

China’s decision to continue to pursue and field soldier augmentation reshapes the tactical math in places where every ounce and breath counts. On the Himalayan frontier, frames that let a porter move 110 to 176 pounds alone mean patrols can haul heavier sensors or extra ammunition without adding mules or vehicle convoys. The development alters sustainment, casualty evacuation, and squad mobility. It also shortens the logistics tail that Indian and U.S. planners could seek to disrupt.

Dual use economics mean export models may soon surface in partner armies from Pakistan to the Arabian Gulf, undermining long‑held assumptions that Western or allied forces will field the most capable medics and porters during disaster relief and peacekeeping missions. 

Lightweight frames that strap on in under a minute and run on power tool batteries no longer should be thought of as sci‑fi; in China they are edging toward baseline kit. 

Tecno will launch the Pova Slim 5G on September 4. The upcoming handset is claimed to be the slimmest 5G smartphone in the world with a curved display.

Earlier this month, a rumor hinted that Tecno will be bringing the Spark Slim concept phone to India, but under a different name. It appears that the phone will debut as the Tecno Pova Slim 5G, but will otherwise be very similar to the concept.

Tecno hasn’t shared any details about the upcoming Pova Slim 5G, but a Flipkart microsite details some of its features. The handset will come with the company’s Ella AI smart assistant with support for Indian languages. It will also get several other AI features such as Circle to Search and a writing assistant.

The handset will feature Tecno’s No Network Communication feature that will allow users to make calls without a network. The Pova Slim is rumored to pack a 5,200 mAh battery, a 6.78-inch OLED panel with a refresh rate of 144Hz, and a 50 MP main rear camera.

Tecno first showcased the [Spark Slim]() at MWC in February as a concept device measuring just 5.75mm thick. You can also check out our hands-on for a closer look at its design.

Notably, the Infinix Hot 60 Pro+ was recently awarded a Guinness World Record for being the slimmest curved display phone.

Source 1 • Source 2

Central Precocious Puberty (CPP) affects 1 in 5000 to 1 in 10,000 children, occurring 5 to 10 times more frequently in girls than in boys. The condition results from early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis before age 8 in girls and age 9 in boys. Key clinical signs include breast development in girls and testicular enlargement in boys, distinguishing true CPP from isolated adrenarche symptoms such as body odor or pubic hair. Although only 10% of girls have underlying pathology causing CPP, 50% to 70% of boys require extensive workup to identify potential causes. Primary care providers should refer patients showing early pubertal signs, growth acceleration, or concerning physical examination findings to pediatric endocrinologists for comprehensive evaluation.

Treatment centers on gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHA) therapies, which effectively suppress pubertal progression and preserve final adult height. Current options include intramuscular leuprolide acetate (1-, 3-, or 6-month formulations), subcutaneous leuprolide acetate (6-month), histrelin acetate implants (lasting 2-3 years), and triptorelin pamoate (6-month). Treatment selection depends on family preferences, needle phobia considerations, insurance coverage, and individual patient factors. These medications demonstrate excellent safety profiles, with common adverse effects including mild injection site reactions, occasional breakthrough bleeding, and temporary growth velocity reduction. Long-term study data show no adverse effects on bone density, fertility, or reproductive function.

The psychosocial impact of CPP extends beyond physical changes, with early menarche linked to increased rates of depression, behavioral problems, and reduced academic achievement. Early diagnosis and treatment help prevent children from feeling different from peers and facing age-inappropriate expectations. Future therapeutic developments include 12-month formulations, oral GnRH antagonists, and personalized medicine approaches targeting specific genetic mutations such as MKRN3 and kisspeptin genes. Treatment timing has evolved, with recent evidence supporting intervention benefits even in older children with bone ages up to 12 years, emphasizing individualized care over rigid age cutoffs.

Google’s $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz made headlines for its scale, but it also reflects a deeper shift that’s underway in enterprises around the globe: Security is no longer just an IT priority. It’s a C-level concern embedded in transformation, compliance and AI strategy.

To understand how enterprise tech buying is evolving, the Forbes Research 2025 Enterprise Technology Purchasing Survey polled over 1,000 global business and technology leaders in October 2024.

Key findings:

• Cybersecurity ranks as the No. 1 external factor shaping enterprise tech strategies over the next five years, cited by 83% of leaders — more than AI regulations (82%), innovation cycles (81%) and economic uncertainty (75%).
• While IT leads 59% of tech purchases today, that’s changing. By 2028, 53% of enterprise tech investments will be led by lines of business, indicating a major shift in purchasing dynamics.
• 87% of respondents say C-suite leaders involve themselves regularly in tech decisions that impact business strategy, 83% of C-Suite executives also say they participate in a purchasing committee and 42% report meeting directly with vendors.
• 84% cite data privacy and security as top purchasing criteria.
• Only 25% are very satisfied with the security of their AI systems.
• 54% say internal coordination around purchases is becoming more difficult, suggesting a need for unified governance as tech decisions decentralize.

The data reveals a pattern: As enterprises scale investments in AI and cloud, the C-suite is focusing more heavily on security and cross-functional alignment.

Executive leaders are also bullish on artificial intelligence with 42% planning major investments in AI and machine learning this year.

But there’s a growing disconnect between where enterprises are spending and where they are ready. As noted above, security satisfaction levels are low, and 85% cite a lack of internal expertise as a major challenge in AI implementation.

Prioritizing speed over protection may cause data to become vulnerable, a risk that enterprises can mitigate by putting security and investing in AI know-how first.

Earlier this month, EA announced that players in its Battlefield 6 open beta on PC would have to enable Secure Boot in their Windows OS and BIOS settings. That decision proved controversial among players who weren’t able to get the finicky low-level security setting working on their machines and others who were unwilling to allow EA’s anti-cheat tools to once again have kernel-level access to their systems.

Now, Battlefield 6 technical director Christian Buhl is defending that requirement as something of a necessary evil to combat cheaters, even as he apologizes to any potential players that it has kept away.

“The fact is I wish we didn’t have to do things like Secure Boot,” Buhl said in an interview with Eurogamer. “It does prevent some players from playing the game. Some people’s PCs can’t handle it and they can’t play: that really sucks. I wish everyone could play the game with low friction and not have to do these sorts of things.”

Throughout the interview, Buhl admits that even requiring Secure Boot won’t completely eradicate cheating in Battlefield 6 long term. Even so, he offered that the Javelin anti-cheat tools enabled by Secure Boot’s low-level system access were “some of the strongest tools in our toolbox to stop cheating. Again, nothing makes cheating impossible, but enabling Secure Boot and having kernel-level access makes it so much harder to cheat and so much easier for us to find and stop cheating.”

Too much security, or not enough?

When announcing the Secure Boot requirement in a Steam forum post prior to the open beta, EA explained that having Secure Boot enabled “provides us with features that we can leverage against cheats that attempt to infiltrate during the Windows boot process.” Having access to the Trusted Platform Module on the motherboard via Secure Boot provides the anti-cheat team with visibility into things like kernel-level cheats and rootkits, memory manipulation, injection spoofing, hardware ID manipulation, the use of virtual machines, and attempts to tamper with anti-cheat systems, the company wrote.