Image via @Warchamp7 on Twitter Over the course of the last month, Nintendo users have been increasingly reporting that their accounts have been getting hacked and accessed from remote locations around the globe, with some users losing money as a result of the unauthorized intrusion. The account hijackings appear to have started mid-March and have […] More

Jason Hiner/ZDNETYour iPhone, Apple Watch, and other Apple-owned devices are getting a big overhaul. The best part? You won’t have to pay a dime for them — all you have to do is update your software. Several new features are coming to WatchOS 26, and the public beta software is now available for interested users to try. Just remember: before updating to the public beta, it’s encouraged to backup your device. Reddit users in the r/Apple Watch subreddit are already getting into the latest update and providing commentary on their most and least favorite features. The features touch everything from Fitness to Messages, and include a major design update across Apple’s platforms for a more unified look and naming mechanisms that reflect the year the software debuts. Also: The best Apple Watch of 2025: Expert tested and reviewedIn addition to WatchOS updates, Apple also introduced AI feature developments, like Live Translation and on-screen Visual Intelligence, like Hold Assist for phone calls and Polls for Messages, and more. For those interested in trying out the beta software, WatchOS 26 is supported on the latest Apple Watches. Owners of these devices can download the OS, though it may have some bugs.Here are the features we’re most excited to try out on WatchOS 26 now that the public beta is live.  More

Cisco and National University of Singapore (NUS) have teamed up to launch a “corporate laboratory” to drive research development in five key areas, including artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and healthcare. The partners have pledged an investment of SG$54 million ($40 million) over five years. Called the Cisco-NUS Accelerated Digital Economy Corporate Laboratory, the research facility is located at the university’s Kent Ridge campus and is supported by National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), according to a joint statement released Friday. The lab would employ more than 100 researchers, analysts, engineers, and students, and work on 15 research projects. Scholarships also would be awarded to doctoral students involved in such projects.

Singapore puts budget focus on transformation, innovation

After tilting last year’s budget towards ’emergency support’ in light of the global pandemic, Singapore’s government will spend SG$24 billion ($18.1 billion) over the next three years to help local businesses innovate and build capabilities needed to take them through the next phase of transformation.

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The research facility aimed to deliver 17 new products and services as well as 12 “improved” offerings in areas such as AI, healthcare, supply chain, urban infrastructure, and cybersecurity, It also would look to partner with at least 100 Singapore-based companies to use and finetune the developed technologies. Apart from AI, security, and healthcare, the la’s research would encompass urban infrastructure and future workforce and productivity. Amongst other objectives, research efforts would aim to explore the use of machine learning to scale customer service operations for large enterprises, develop an intelligent infrastructure for hospitals and healthcare at home, and improve productivity through understanding how employees learn and identifying skillsets needed in future workforce. Researchers, for instance, would develop AI algorithms to improve search, extraction, and knowledge learning from data collected in workplace environments. In healthcare, researchers would look to equip hospitals with “distributed and coordinated” intelligence to improve operational and clinical efficiencies. “These technologies are key not just in relation to successful digital transformation of businesses, but also to efforts of governments across the world as they look to digital adoption to improve citizen services,” NUS and Cisco said. “This is especially critical right now as companies and countries prepare for a post-pandemic future where digital-first interactions, a hybrid workforce, and smart urban infrastructure are likely to become ubiquitous.”

They added that cybersecurity would underpin such developments and enable businesses and governments to protect critical information infrastructures against malicious attacks. “Digital transformation is an inevitable direction for businesses and societies, and this has been accelerated by the COVID-19 situation. We need to be nimble and innovative to reap the benefits of digitalisation,” NUS President Tan Eng Chye said, adding that the university’s key research capabilities included data sciences, AI, and optimisation.Cisco’s Asean president Naveen Menon said: “Over the past 18 months, we have seen the role technology has played in keeping the world running as we grappled with the pandemic. As we prepare for a post-pandemic future, one thing is clear — technology will be central to every aspect of businesses and governments, and their interaction with consumers and citizens. In this digital-first era, building local innovation capabilities that deliver globally relevant solutions will be critical to the success of countries.”The lab is jointly led by Cisco Singapore’s co-innovation center manager Jeremy Lim and NUS’ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty member and associate professor Biplab Sikdar.RELATED COVERAGE More

National Security AgencyThat pricey and precious smartphone you carry with you can be hit by a host of security threats, from phishing to malware to spyware. All it takes is one successful attack to clobber your phone and compromise your data and even steal your identity. So, how do you protect yourself?In a Mobile Device Best Practices report, the NSA serves up a variety of tips designed to thwart hackers and attackers from assaulting your mobile device. One method is as simple as turning your phone off and on.Also: How to find and remove spyware from your phoneSpearphishing attacks can target your phone to install malware, while zero-click exploits are able to infect your device without any interaction on your part. The NSA’s advice? Power your phone off and then back on again at least once a week. This simple action can make it more difficult for hackers to steal information from your phone, though the agency cautions that this will not always prevent an attack. More

I remember a time when everyone wanted tips on how to make their computer run faster or keep attackers away from their data. Nowadays the devices have changed — it’s now smartphones — but the questions remain the same.

iPhones especially fall into this category. Maybe it’s because people keep iPhones for longer than Android devices, or maybe because they get more updates, so suffer from slow-down more. I’m not sure about the reason, but iPhone users wanting tips on making their devices run faster outweigh their Android counterparts about ten to one (which is startling given how many more Android users there are out there, and the vast range of hardware).
iPhone users are also concerned about bad guys getting their grubby hands on their data.
Must read: I wish my iPhone had this amazing and useful feature

So, here’s a simple tip that will help iPhone users kill two birds with a single stone and both speed up their device and help keep it more secure.
Reboot it every week. Yes, once a week. Set yourself a reminder.
Yup, it’s that simple.
Not only does this clean the systems RAM and get it ready to do more work, but it also helps protect against remote exploits by making it harder for hackers to keep control of your iPhone — hacks don’t survive reboots.
How do you reboot your iPhone?
Step 1: If you have Face ID, press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power off slider appears. Alternatively, if you have Touch ID, press and hold the top or side button until the power off slider appears.
Step 2: Slide the slider to the right.
Step 3: Wait until your device turns off and then restart it by pressing and holding the top or side button until the Apple logo appears.
Step 4: Enter your passcode to activate Face ID/Touch ID.
It takes a couple of minutes, and I find that it’s well worth doing, and have set a weekly alarm for Monday morning. More