Microsoft has released the Windows 11 optional update KB5101684, which enhances the Start menu and taskbar performance, improves File Explorer usability by displaying file sizes in megabytes and gigabytes, and updates Secure Boot certificates. The update also improves Windows Search accuracy. Users can manually install the update before its general release in August.

The Agent Box Mini PC, developed by Singapore startup Acrab, is designed to deliver high-end AI performance in a compact desktop form factor. Capable of running 100 billion parameter language models locally, the Agent Box integrates both advanced hardware and a complete software platform. Its small size allows it to fit easily on a desk, while offering voice-controlled automation and device integration, making it suitable for a wide range of applications from smart home management to industrial use.

AI has become an integral part of business operations, but many organizations lag in governing the technology, writes Muhammad Affan Habib, director of IT at Sharjah Maritime Academy. Habib argues that successful AI adoption starts with governance, focusing on strategy, accountability and trust, and outlines five pillars for building AI capabilities, including executive leadership, data management and ethical oversight.

Gartner predicts that by 2029, most privacy incidents will stem from AI-generated inferences rather than direct exposure of personally identifiable information. As organizations reduce personal data storage, threat actors use AI to perform inference-based attacks, extracting sensitive information from anonymized data. Gartner advises enhancing cybersecurity for AI threats and adopting privacy-enhancing technologies.

The UK Department for Education has confirmed a cyberattack by the ExfilSquad hacking group that compromised more than 600,000 records containing names, job titles and phone numbers of head teachers, university staff and government officials. The data was accessed via the Help Desk Self-Service Portal and the Turing Scheme Portal. The DfE has reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre, the National Crime Agency and the Information Commissioner's Office, and has switched to telephone contact while working to fix the portals.

IKEA has retrained about 8,500 call center employees to handle complex queries and work as design consultants, leveraging human interaction as a revenue driver. The initiative, sparked by the introduction of the AI-powered customer service bot Billie, has boosted sales through remote sales centers, which have become IKEA's fastest-growing sales channel. Rather than reducing headcount, the company invested in reskilling its workforce to focus on nuanced sales and customer support, positioning human interaction as a key differentiator.

The US Army is increasingly using direct commissions to bring private-sector technology leaders into uniform, tapping expertise in AI, cybersecurity, space, and distributed systems without requiring them to leave their civilian careers. The Executive Innovation Corps is part of a broader effort to bring fresh commercial thinking into the Army and help the service keep pace with rapid technological change.