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6 Jul 2025

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Ghost kitchens serving multiple online-only brands ‘not tricking people’
While a restaurant owner says he’s just trying to stay afloat, industry experts say creating multiple brands for one eatery creates an “uneven playing field”.

Tracer unveils AI tool to shield brands from ChatGPT fraud
Tracer AI launches Tracer Protect for ChatGPT, an AI tool to monitor and combat brand fraud and scams exploiting ChatGPT chatbot responses.

Dairy price dip won't last long - expert
Dairy prices fell for the fourth consecutive auction overnight, with the average price down more than 4 percent to US$4274.

Hackers can attack phones via Bluetooth earbuds and headphones
If you’re even vaguely paranoid about someone listening in on your conversations, you might be a little anxious about that phone sitting in your pocket going forward—if you use Bluetooth. Newly discovered flaws in Bluetooth security mean that your Bluetooth earbuds and headphones are a lot more vulnerable than you thought. Security researchers at ERNW presented vulnerabilities in widely used Bluetooth hardware, finding three crucial weaknesses and creating a proof-of-concept exploit. The implementation wasn’t all that sinister—just “reading” what media was currently playing—but the three bugs, one of which was rated as a “high severity issue,” could be expanded far beyond snooping on your racy audiobooks. It’s possible that they could be used to execute calls to specific phone numbers, scrape contacts or call history, or in the most extreme cases execute code remotely and fully compromise a connected smartphone. According to BleepingComputer, the affected Bluetooth headphone, speaker, and microphone hardware is used by at least 29 devices (and probably many more) from brands like Bose, Sony, Jabra, JLab, Marshall, and JBL, among others. Notable popular models include the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, Sony’s WF and WH headphone series, and Marshall’s Woburn and Stanmore speakers. That doesn’t mean you should immediately toss your gear in the trash. We’re talking about some pretty in-depth research from people whose entire job is to find and fix these vulnerabilities, and there’s no indication that these problems are actively being exploited “in the wild.” Furthermore, an attacker would need to get physically close to you while you’re using affected Bluetooth hardware to do anything with it. I suppose it’s technically possible that a hacker could, say, hang out in Times Square and just randomly try to drop malicious code on strangers’ smartphones while they’re listening to Brat. But a more likely scenario is a targeted attack on a specific, high-level individual, which is generally the purview of state-sponsored hacking campaigns. If you’ve never clapped eyes on anything with “TOP SECRET” in the header, you probably don’t have too much to worry about here. The affected companies were alerted to the vulnerabilities in May, and according to one German publication, some (less than half) have already patched firmware for affected devices.

Talon.One raises $135 million to boost AI loyalty platform
Talon.One has raised $135 million to advance its AI-powered loyalty platform, serving over 270 global brands including H&M and Adidas.

Best early Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks
Amazon’s Prime Day 2025 sales event is almost here and there are already early-bird deals to be found on chargers and power banks. This year, Prime Day runs from July 8 through July 11, and will include some great bargains. So, whether you’re looking to snag a travel-friendly pocket charger or upgrade to a high-capacity drive, there is no better time to get discounted chargers and power banks. You’ll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of Amazon’s steep discounts. If you aren’t a member already, check out our guide for how to get Amazon Prime for free. As a tech editor, I’ve been following and writing about the latest tech deals professionally for years, and have developed a keen eye for finding the best sales from all over the internet. My picks take into account a combination of online reviews from tech sites like PCWorld (when available), user feedback, and pricing history. Read on for all of the best deals on chargers and power banks, and be sure to check out our Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub for more great sales across all the tech categories. Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on chargers & power banks Anker 622 MagGo, 5,000 mAh/1x USB-C/Magsafe-compatible, $33.99 (29% off on Amazon) Blavor Solar Charger Power Bank, 10,000 mAh/2x USB-C/1x USB-A, $23.99 (40% off on Amazon) Anker 621 MagGo, 5,000 mAh/1x USB-C/Magsafe-compatible, $31.99 (20% off on Amazon) Anker Nano 3-in-1 Portable Charger, 10,000 mAh/1x USB-C/Wall plug, $34.99 (22% off on Amazon) INIU Portable Charger, 10,000 mAh/2x USB-A/1x USB-C, $17.99 (18% off on Amazon) Charmast Portable Charger, 10,000 mAh/2x USB-A/1x USB-C/1x micro-USB/1x Lightning, $19.99 (33% off on Amazon) OHOVIV Portable Charger, 50,000 mAh/2x USB-A/1x USB-C/1x micro-USB, $34.99 (83% off on Amazon) LoveLedi Portable Charger, 40,000 mAh/2x USB-A/1x USB-C, $20.15 (28% off on Amazon) This Prime Day 2025 early deals are already heating up. The Anker 622 MagGo Battery for $14 off on Amazon is a personal favorite thanks to its charging stand as well as its Magsafe charging compatibility for convenient on-the-go charging. If you need something rugged and reliable that you can bring on even the harshest of adventures, then look no further than the Blavor Solar Charger Power Bank on sale for $17 off on Amazon. This absolute tank of a power bank can recharge without the need for an outlet thanks to its built-in solar panel, and its IPX5 waterproof rating. FAQ 1. What should I look for in a portable charger and power bank? Quality can differ greatly among power banks, so it’s best to stick to recognizable brands like Anker, Mophie, Belkin, and the like. That said, there are a few things you should always look for when shopping for a power bank. First, make sure the battery pack is Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, or PD certified. Next, don’t put too much confidence in a company’s claims that it can charge certain devices in a specific amount of time, such as the pack can charge an iPhone 15 in two hours. Focus more on the battery capacity, along with weight and size. Larger capacities in the 20,000 mAh or higher range should be enough for most small devices such as tablets or smartphones. Finally, make sure that the power bank comes with all of the correct connectivity options you need—USB-A or USB-C, etc. 2. What battery capacity should I look for in a charger? For a portable power bank that you can easily travel with, you should look for a minimum of 10,000 mAh. Most models these days even offer 20,000 mAh for reasonable prices. The more mAh, the better. Just be sure to weigh your capacity needs against the physical size of the power bank. Generally, the more mAh a power bank has, the larger its physical size and the heavier it is, as well. Therefore, we recommend when looking at a power bank, you first consider the amount of power you need to charge your devices, and then adjust your expectations according to the size and weight you are willing to carry around with you. 3. What is mAh capacity? The mAh (milliampere per hour) capacity rating refers to the available storage capacity for a battery. A higher number means that the battery can store more energy and has a longer battery life when charging a device. So for example, an iPhone 13 Pro Max’s battery is rated at 4,352 mAh. This means that a power bank with 10,000 mAh can fully recharge that phone a little over twice before running out of power. 4. Will tariffs affect portable charger and power bank prices? Yes, it’s likely that any tariffs on foreign imported power bank products or their component are going to lead to an increase in prices for the consumer. Many of the most common portable charger and power bank brands are located in, or are produced in China and other various Asian countries facing heavy tariffs. Since companies typically don’t want, or can’t afford, to eat these increased costs they usually shift the burden to consumers. At this point it’s still hard to tell how much prices will increase; just because a 20% tariff is imposed on a country’s goods doesn’t mean power banks and chargers will become that much more expensive. Every company will adjust prices differently and products with individual battery components—included in power banks—will vary due to the tariff effects on each component. 5. Is now a good time to buy a portable charger or power bank? The prospect of tariff-induce price increases may seem daunting, but I believe the timing on this Prime Day may actually make for a great time to buy a new portable charger or power bank so long as you time it right. Currently, tariffs have been paused until July 9 with many countries scrambling to make deals exempting technology products. This means that you might have a small window to get in and snag a good deal on a power bank during Prime Day before any additional tariffs take effect.