[{"id":"PMACzaGWGyZzKgyV97Uj2j","documentname":"This leaked Google Messages location-sharing upgrade might actually make it worth using over WhatsApp","site":"techradar","modifieddate":"2026-10-20T11:52:24Z","createddate":"2026-10-20T11:32:15Z","articlemediaendorsement":["null","null","null","null"],"articlecategory":["Android","Phones"],"articletag":["contribscontent","Google","Google Messages","Android"],"articletype":"news","publisheddate":"2026-10-20T11:52:24Z","articlepage":["[{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"e67ccec6-cc79-11f1-8a8b-89dfc16b263c\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"}},{\"type\":\"list\",\"id\":\"e67cd01a-cc79-11f1-8c96-339dfe45e49b\",\"data\":{\"items\":[\"A new location-sharing upgrade for Google Messages has been spotted<\/strong>\",\"You'll be able to add different map layers, including live traffic<\/strong>\",\"It's not clear how long it will be before the feature is enabled for everyone<\/strong>\"],\"type\":\"ul\",\"schemaRef\":null,\"start\":\"1\",\"icon\":\"\",\"listType\":\"ul\",\"schema\":null},\"position\":1},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"e67cd0d8-cc79-11f1-81e4-75cd3bcf0753\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":2},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"e67cd15a-cc79-11f1-902a-43b97a0976a3\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"While Google has added plenty of new features<\/a> and refinements to its Google Messages app in recent months and years, it still lags behind competitors such as WhatsApp when it comes to certain facets of the app \\u2014 like sharing your location with other people.\",\"This is something that's essential for social meet-ups, keeping tabs on the kids, planning journey times, and more besides, and hidden code spotted by Android Authority<\/a> suggests that location sharing in Google Messages is about to get a significant upgrade.\",\"This is code that's present but not yet enabled in the latest beta version of Google Messages for Android, but the Android Authority team was able to get it working. It adds several map types and a map details option, when you choose to share your location.\",\"Currently, you can only show a map in the default Google Maps style when location sharing in Google Messages, but the new options would let you switch to satellite or terrain views instead, as well as overlaying live traffic information on top.\"]},\"position\":3},{\"type\":\"heading\",\"id\":\"e67cd1e6-cc79-11f1-ace9-072b27698203\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Benefits to users\",\"headingType\":\"h2\"},\"position\":4},{\"type\":\"image\",\"id\":\"e67cd268-cc79-11f1-a86d-8b8e07d29d3f\",\"data\":{\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndrMnCXLu2NcxEhTRbHxkn.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1125,\"alt\":\"Location sharing in Google Messages\",\"credit\":\"Future\",\"name\":\"location-sharing\",\"id\":\"ndrMnCXLu2NcxEhTRbHxkn\",\"caption\":\"

Sharing your location in Google Messages<\/p>\",\"align\":\"middle\",\"layout\":\"inline\",\"imageHeightMode\":null,\"fullscreen\":false,\"link\":{\"href\":\"\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"},\"mos\":null,\"dimensions\":{\"width\":2000,\"height\":1125,\"aspectRatio\":1.778},\"mediaType\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"lazy\":true,\"links\":{\"0\":{\"index\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndrMnCXLu2NcxEhTRbHxkn.jpg\",\"text\":\"location-sharing\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"}},\"href\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ndrMnCXLu2NcxEhTRbHxkn.jpg\",\"status\":\"processed\",\"crop\":null,\"endorsement\":null},\"position\":5},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"e67cd34e-cc79-11f1-b0cd-2f6fe10613a2\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"The satellite view would make it easier to find someone in relation to a landmark or a feature or the landscape, for example, while the terrain view would give you a better idea of how simple (or otherwise) it might be to reach someone in a remote area.\",\"Then there's the traffic view \\u2014 say if the roads were blocked up around a person you're trying to pick up in a car, you could get them to walk and come and meet you, rather than getting stuck in a traffic jam unnecessarily.\",\"Most of the time I do tend to default to WhatsApp when it comes to letting people know where I am, because everyone's got the app and it's straightforward to use. You can also set time limits on location sharing, something which Google Messages doesn't have.\",\"If improvements like this continue, I might switch to Google Messages for locations instead \\u2014 at least for those people on Android. There's still work to do, but the feature only arrived earlier this year<\/a>, so it's encouraging to see upgrades on the way already.\"]},\"position\":6},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"e67cd3d0-cc79-11f1-be02-9b3006a30b71\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":7},{\"type\":\"image\",\"id\":\"e67cd452-cc79-11f1-bb0e-a56a28f03bdb\",\"data\":{\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"alt\":\"Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'\",\"credit\":\"\",\"name\":\"tr-g_news\",\"id\":\"diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78\",\"caption\":\"\",\"align\":\"right\",\"layout\":\"inline\",\"imageHeightMode\":null,\"fullscreen\":false,\"link\":{\"href\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"_blank\"},\"mos\":null,\"dimensions\":{\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"aspectRatio\":3.174},\"mediaType\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"lazy\":true,\"links\":{\"0\":{\"index\":0,\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"text\":\"\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"_blank\"},\"1\":{\"index\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"text\":\"tr-g_news\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"}},\"href\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"status\":\"processed\",\"crop\":null,\"endorsement\":null},\"position\":8},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"e67cd4ca-cc79-11f1-b8af-9d2de4184f0f\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and<\/em>add us as a preferred source<\/strong><\/em><\/a> to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.<\/em>\"]},\"position\":9},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"e67cd54c-cc79-11f1-bfb0-81eb21939e39\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":10},{\"type\":\"embed\",\"id\":\"e67cd5c4-cc79-11f1-a3b1-5b5e803a0ce1\",\"data\":{\"source\":\"hawk\",\"embedtype\":\"iframe\",\"position\":\"center\",\"attributes\":{\"data-widget-type\":\"multimodelreview\",\"data-widget-title\":\"Today's best phone deals\",\"data-model-name\":\"Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra,Google Pixel 11,Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max\"},\"embedCode\":\"\",\"preview\":[],\"extra\":[]},\"position\":11},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"e67cd63c-cc79-11f1-a1b7-af5e7860aada\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":12}]"],"date_format":"D, d M Y H:i:s O","full_content":true,"published_by":"TechRadar","disable_site_config":true,"content":"

  • A new location-sharing upgrade for Google Messages has been spotted<\/strong><\/li>
  • You'll be able to add different map layers, including live traffic<\/strong><\/li>
  • It's not clear how long it will be before the feature is enabled for everyone<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>

    While Google has added plenty of new features<\/a> and refinements to its Google Messages app in recent months and years, it still lags behind competitors such as WhatsApp when it comes to certain facets of the app \u2014 like sharing your location with other people.<\/p>

    This is something that's essential for social meet-ups, keeping tabs on the kids, planning journey times, and more besides, and hidden code spotted by Android Authority<\/a> suggests that location sharing in Google Messages is about to get a significant upgrade.<\/p>

    This is code that's present but not yet enabled in the latest beta version of Google Messages for Android, but the Android Authority team was able to get it working. It adds several map types and a map details option, when you choose to share your location.<\/p>

    Currently, you can only show a map in the default Google Maps style when location sharing in Google Messages, but the new options would let you switch to satellite or terrain views instead, as well as overlaying live traffic information on top.<\/p>

    Benefits to users<\/h2>

    \"Location<\/p><\/div><\/div>

    Sharing your location in Google Messages <\/span>(Image credit: Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

    The satellite view would make it easier to find someone in relation to a landmark or a feature or the landscape, for example, while the terrain view would give you a better idea of how simple (or otherwise) it might be to reach someone in a remote area.<\/p>

    Then there's the traffic view \u2014 say if the roads were blocked up around a person you're trying to pick up in a car, you could get them to walk and come and meet you, rather than getting stuck in a traffic jam unnecessarily.<\/p>

    Most of the time I do tend to default to WhatsApp when it comes to letting people know where I am, because everyone's got the app and it's straightforward to use. You can also set time limits on location sharing, something which Google Messages doesn't have.<\/p>

    If improvements like this continue, I might switch to Google Messages for locations instead \u2014 at least for those people on Android. There's still work to do, but the feature only arrived earlier this year<\/a>, so it's encouraging to see upgrades on the way already.<\/p>

    <\/div>","localisedguid":"PMACzaGWGyZzKgyV97Uj2j-en_GB","isfirstblockimage":false,"domain":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com","image_thumbnail":{"path":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PXTh8bHDXfS59UARHwbQWa.jpg","title":"The bottom left corner of an Android phone, showing the Phone, Messages, Google icons and Google Search bar","dek":"More updates are on the way for Google Messages","credit":""},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/PXTh8bHDXfS59UARHwbQWa.jpg","new_guid":"eeb91c26b26099ed9d88c4bc2b82c4eb","index":0,"mod":"none","image_limit":null,"order_field":"contentModifiedDate","canonical":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/phones\/android\/this-leaked-google-messages-location-sharing-upgrade-might-actually-make-it-worth-using-over-whatsapp","title":"This leaked Google Messages location-sharing upgrade might actually make it worth using over WhatsApp","publish_date":"2026-10-20T11:52:24Z","last_modified":"2026-10-20T11:52:24Z","first_created":"2026-10-20T11:32:15Z"},{"id":"MhhwGigkWL6cSnhoyG8Hnk","documentname":"'Poorly made, AI-generated watch faces will consume everything': Garmin's Connect IQ store has been hit by an 'enormous influx' of submissions, and Garmin users could soon be grappling with a wave of AI slop","site":"techradar","modifieddate":"2026-10-20T11:48:27Z","createddate":"2026-10-20T08:33:34Z","articlemediaendorsement":["null","null","null","null"],"articlecategory":["Fitness Trackers","Health & Fitness"],"articletag":["Garmin","AI"],"articletype":"news","publisheddate":"2026-10-20T11:48:27Z","articlepage":["[{\"type\":\"list\",\"id\":\"f2635612-cc68-11f1-b7e8-b57317a57261\",\"data\":{\"items\":[\"Garmin's Connect IQ store has seen an 'enormous influx' of new submissions<\/strong>\",\"These include apps and watch faces, and are causing a big backlog as developers struggle to get their submissions reviewed<\/strong>\",\"It's likely AI is to blame, as the sudden wave of submissions 'was never a problem in the past'<\/strong>\"],\"type\":\"ul\",\"schemaRef\":null,\"start\":\"1\",\"icon\":\"\",\"listType\":\"ul\",\"schema\":null}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"f0696688-cc60-11f1-8810-81fed90c28de\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"If you wear one of the best Garmin watches<\/a>, you might have used the Garmin Connect IQ store to download an app like Spotify or Komoot, a new free or paid watch face (even a Pok\\u00e9mon-branded one<\/a>), or a fun community-made complication like the Walk with Frodo app<\/a>. However, downloading stuff from the Connect IQ store in future may involve sifting through thousands of low-quality, AI-generated submissions. \",\"Watch face and app developers are complaining on Garmin's forums about delays in submission review: while the process typically takes 1-2 days, according to some devs<\/a>, the process is now taking up to 13 days. \",\"Garmin Connect IQ moderator\/representative Brandon posted directly to one thread<\/a>, stating: \\\"This is not due to a bug \\u2014 we have gotten an enormous<\/em> influx of app submissions in the last month, with no signs of slowing down, and are working through approvals as quickly as we can. \",\"\\\"This was never a problem in the past, except perhaps delays because of a long holiday weekend (e.g. Christmas).\\\"\"]},\"position\":1},{\"type\":\"image\",\"id\":\"fc1f30d6-cc6d-11f1-9dbf-c9269a1b08d5\",\"data\":{\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Af2G5Mkp3Z3ghAsXfvZiMJ.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1125,\"alt\":\"Garmin Connect IQ store screenshot\",\"credit\":\"Future\",\"name\":\"Garmin Connect IQ store\",\"id\":\"Af2G5Mkp3Z3ghAsXfvZiMJ\",\"caption\":\"\",\"align\":\"middle\",\"layout\":\"inline\",\"imageHeightMode\":null,\"fullscreen\":false,\"link\":{\"href\":\"\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"},\"mos\":null,\"dimensions\":{\"width\":2000,\"height\":1125,\"aspectRatio\":1.778},\"mediaType\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"lazy\":true,\"links\":{\"0\":{\"index\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Af2G5Mkp3Z3ghAsXfvZiMJ.jpg\",\"text\":\"Garmin Connect IQ store\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"}},\"href\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Af2G5Mkp3Z3ghAsXfvZiMJ.jpg\",\"status\":\"processed\",\"crop\":null,\"endorsement\":null},\"position\":2},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"f26356a8-cc68-11f1-8eac-27629fc699e0\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"The fact this glut of submissions is a sudden problem or new phenomenon points to one thing only \\u2014 AI. Garmin Connect IQ has likely been flooded with vibe-coded or AI-generated products designed to make a quick buck by flooding the digital marketplace. \",\"One Garmin user said in response to Brandon: \\\"You need to limit the upload frequency for each developer; those poorly made AI-generated watch faces will consume everything.\\\"\",\"Another said: \\\"I have observed this trend worsening significantly as well. The Connect IQ Store is increasingly flooded with low-effort, repetitive submissions that hurt discoverability, degrade user trust, and crowd out well-crafted apps.\\\"\",\"While this is bad for developers (who get charged $100 annually to sell apps on the Connect IQ store) it's also bad for Garmin users. We'll now have to wade through a sea of AI slop watch faces in order to get to faces and apps created the old-fashioned way \\u2014 with human-led, thought-out complications developed and designed by real Garmin users. \",\"It's just one more example of digital merchants being reduced to dealing with an avalanche of AI slop submissions, just like other app stores, and almost every other breed of online storefronts for digital products. We reported as far back as 2023<\/a> that AI-generated e-books were flooding Kindle Unlimited, making it difficult for users to find new books, and the problem has only gotten worse with time. The same will likely happen to the Connect IQ store.\",\"I've reached out to Garmin for comment on the situation, and will update this article if I get any response. In the meantime, if you're a Connect IQ user and you've noticed the change, let us know in the comments below. \"]},\"position\":3},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"fc1f32de-cc6d-11f1-8b25-67d846e6928e\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":4},{\"type\":\"image\",\"id\":\"fc1f3360-cc6d-11f1-b846-69893f40e5e5\",\"data\":{\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"alt\":\"Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'\",\"credit\":\"\",\"name\":\"tr-g_news\",\"id\":\"diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78\",\"caption\":\"\",\"align\":\"right\",\"layout\":\"inline\",\"imageHeightMode\":null,\"fullscreen\":false,\"link\":{\"href\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"},\"mos\":null,\"dimensions\":{\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"aspectRatio\":3.174},\"mediaType\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"lazy\":true,\"links\":{\"0\":{\"index\":0,\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"text\":\"\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"},\"1\":{\"index\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"text\":\"tr-g_news\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"}},\"href\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"status\":\"processed\",\"crop\":null,\"endorsement\":null},\"position\":5},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"fc1f33d8-cc6d-11f1-8325-85bd72399b11\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and<\/em>add us as a preferred source<\/strong><\/em><\/a> to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.<\/em>\"]},\"position\":6},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"fc1f3450-cc6d-11f1-a9e6-45d3c8e01d58\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":7},{\"type\":\"embed\",\"id\":\"fc1f3644-cc6d-11f1-b78c-970d1875f494\",\"data\":{\"source\":\"hawk\",\"embedtype\":\"iframe\",\"position\":\"center\",\"attributes\":{\"data-widget-type\":\"multimodelreview\",\"data-model-name\":\"Garmin Venu 4,Garmin Vivoactive 6,Garmin Fenix 9 Pro,Garmin Instinct 3,Garmin Forerunner 70 GPS Watch\",\"data-widget-title\":\"Today\\u2019s best Garmin deals\"},\"embedCode\":\"\",\"preview\":[],\"extra\":[]},\"position\":8}]"],"date_format":"D, d M Y H:i:s O","full_content":true,"published_by":"TechRadar","disable_site_config":true,"content":"
    • Garmin's Connect IQ store has seen an 'enormous influx' of new submissions<\/strong><\/li>
    • These include apps and watch faces, and are causing a big backlog as developers struggle to get their submissions reviewed<\/strong><\/li>
    • It's likely AI is to blame, as the sudden wave of submissions 'was never a problem in the past'<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>

      If you wear one of the best Garmin watches<\/a>, you might have used the Garmin Connect IQ store to download an app like Spotify or Komoot, a new free or paid watch face (even a Pok\u00e9mon-branded one<\/a>), or a fun community-made complication like the Walk with Frodo app<\/a>. However, downloading stuff from the Connect IQ store in future may involve sifting through thousands of low-quality, AI-generated submissions. <\/p>

      Watch face and app developers are complaining on Garmin's forums about delays in submission review: while the process typically takes 1-2 days, according to some devs<\/a>, the process is now taking up to 13 days. <\/p>

      Garmin Connect IQ moderator\/representative Brandon posted directly to one thread<\/a>, stating: \"This is not due to a bug \u2014 we have gotten an enormous<\/em> influx of app submissions in the last month, with no signs of slowing down, and are working through approvals as quickly as we can. <\/p>

      \"This was never a problem in the past, except perhaps delays because of a long holiday weekend (e.g. Christmas).\"<\/p>

      \"Garmin<\/p><\/div><\/div>

      (Image credit: Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

      The fact this glut of submissions is a sudden problem or new phenomenon points to one thing only \u2014 AI. Garmin Connect IQ has likely been flooded with vibe-coded or AI-generated products designed to make a quick buck by flooding the digital marketplace. <\/p>

      One Garmin user said in response to Brandon: \"You need to limit the upload frequency for each developer; those poorly made AI-generated watch faces will consume everything.\"<\/p>

      Another said: \"I have observed this trend worsening significantly as well. The Connect IQ Store is increasingly flooded with low-effort, repetitive submissions that hurt discoverability, degrade user trust, and crowd out well-crafted apps.\"<\/p>

      While this is bad for developers (who get charged $100 annually to sell apps on the Connect IQ store) it's also bad for Garmin users. We'll now have to wade through a sea of AI slop watch faces in order to get to faces and apps created the old-fashioned way \u2014 with human-led, thought-out complications developed and designed by real Garmin users. <\/p>

      It's just one more example of digital merchants being reduced to dealing with an avalanche of AI slop submissions, just like other app stores, and almost every other breed of online storefronts for digital products. We reported as far back as 2023<\/a> that AI-generated e-books were flooding Kindle Unlimited, making it difficult for users to find new books, and the problem has only gotten worse with time. The same will likely happen to the Connect IQ store.<\/p>

      I've reached out to Garmin for comment on the situation, and will update this article if I get any response. In the meantime, if you're a Connect IQ user and you've noticed the change, let us know in the comments below. <\/p>

      <\/div>","localisedguid":"MhhwGigkWL6cSnhoyG8Hnk-en_GB","isfirstblockimage":false,"domain":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com","image_thumbnail":{"path":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uetucfrVgCdpWSvbu4JKsC.jpg","title":"Garmin watches with complications and faces bought from Connect IQ store","dek":"","credit":""},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/uetucfrVgCdpWSvbu4JKsC.jpg","new_guid":"a2fcc48f7c78944a363c6ef0bd36550d","index":1,"mod":"none","image_limit":null,"order_field":"contentModifiedDate","canonical":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/health-fitness\/fitness-trackers\/poorly-made-ai-generated-watch-faces-will-consume-everything-garmins-connect-iq-store-has-been-hit-by-an-enormous-influx-of-submissions-and-garmin-users-could-soon-be-grappling-with-a-wave-of-ai-slop","title":"'Poorly made, AI-generated watch faces will consume everything': Garmin's Connect IQ store has been hit by an 'enormous influx' of submissions, and Garmin users could soon be grappling with a wave of AI slop","publish_date":"2026-10-20T11:48:27Z","last_modified":"2026-10-20T11:48:27Z","first_created":"2026-10-20T08:33:34Z"},{"id":"8dP4KMiTThC4kfoSmgypS9","documentname":"Microsoft admits 'frontier models can't be trusted', unveils new security tools to treat AI agents as insider threats","site":"techradar","modifieddate":"2026-10-20T11:44:42Z","createddate":"2026-10-20T11:34:08Z","articlemediaendorsement":["null","null","null"],"articlecategory":["Security","Cyber Security","Computing Security","Pro","Computing"],"articletag":["securitypro","contribscontent","AI Agent","Microsoft","agentic insider","guardian agent"],"articletype":"news","publisheddate":"2026-10-20T11:44:39Z","articlepage":["[{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"29c6116a-cc7a-11f1-9225-b9c9cc1a094a\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"}},{\"type\":\"list\",\"id\":\"29c612b4-cc7a-11f1-80dc-a574dbf4ad57\",\"data\":{\"items\":[\"Microsoft unveils Guardian Agents to monitor, constrain, and manage risks posed by autonomous AI agents<\/strong>\",\"New controls dynamically adjust agent permissions, behavior, and access based on changing risk levels<\/strong>\",\"Company warns \\u201cagentic insiders\\u201d require continuous AI-driven oversight beyond traditional security controls<\/strong>\"],\"type\":\"ul\",\"schemaRef\":null,\"start\":\"1\",\"icon\":\"\",\"listType\":\"ul\",\"schema\":null},\"position\":1},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"29c6135e-cc7a-11f1-86bf-2db76a4d2664\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":2},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"29c613f4-cc7a-11f1-a55d-b7b37218f110\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"AI fans, your vocabulary is about to become two phrases richer: Agentic Insider, and Guardian Agent. These are the two phrases Microsoft used while announcing a swathe of new tools and features to help businesses secure their operations running AI agents.\",\"A new Microsoft blog<\/a>, published by Microsoft's Corporate VP for Identity and Network Access, Nadim Abdo, argues that agents, while not inherently malicious, can make mistakes or be manipulated and compromised. \",\"Since they need to be granted relatively extensive permissions in order to be able to work properly, it creates the sort of risk that can prove disastrous if not properly handled.\"]},\"position\":3},{\"type\":\"heading\",\"id\":\"29c6146c-cc7a-11f1-b1e2-2b34ad32db07\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Agentic Overwatch\",\"headingType\":\"h2\"},\"position\":4},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"29c614e4-cc7a-11f1-a991-3b7a2f0f0917\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Abdo also added that AI agents<\/a> doing their master's bidding cannot be trusted with their own security. \",\"\\\"Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, recently described the trust architecture this new era requires: we must separate the supply of intelligence from the authority over it,\\\" Abdo writes. \",\"\\\"We should not ask a model to be its own security authority. The controls that determine what it can access, what actions it can take, and whether it should continue operating must sit outside the model, where the model cannot bypass or tamper with them.\\\"\",\"So, oversight is the keyword here. But AI agents move at machine speed, something no human can match, and therefore humans are not properly equipped for the job. Instead, separate AI agents need to be introduced to keep their juniors in check. Earlier, Microsoft introduced Project Perception and the Microsoft cyber stack, to help organizations defend with agents. \",\"Project Perception is an AI-powered cybersecurity system designed to coordinate specialized AI agents that analyze security data, identify vulnerabilities, and investigate different threats. The system uses three types of agents: red agents that probe for weaknesses, blue agents that investigate potential threats, and green agents that implement corrections and fixes. \",\"Now, Microsoft says it is extending the project to secure \\u201cthe agentic insider\\u201d. They\\u2019re calling it - Guardian Agent. \",\"\\u201cGuardian Agents help security teams operate continuously, at machine speed and scale, while sensors, context, and actuators across the cyber stack help understand changing agent risk and continuously adapt protection in response,\\u201d Abdo explained. \\u201cProject Perception and Microsoft Agent 365 share signals, context, and a unified registry giving IT and security teams a consistent view of agents and risk, with the controls each needs.\\u201d\"]},\"position\":5},{\"type\":\"heading\",\"id\":\"29c6155c-cc7a-11f1-9207-ebb9068e00a6\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Drill sergeant\",\"headingType\":\"h2\"},\"position\":6},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"29c615ca-cc7a-11f1-a1fd-018837ade945\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Abdo says Guardian Agents build on a security principle where non-deterministic intelligence needs to be surrounded with deterministic controls, independent evidence, and containment boundaries.\",\"These controls are divided into seven aspects - identity, permissions, data, endpoints, network, cloud, and runtime - and these have four responsibilities: to know which agent exists, who owns them and why, and what they\\u2019re doing; to contain what each agents can access and do before it acts; to protect the data, tools, runtime, resources, and systems the agent uses; and to adapt protection continuously as behavior, context, and risk change.\",\"In other words, the AI needs to be the drill sergeant for the drones, adapting to changes in real-time to make sure they\\u2019re doing good work and not going rogue. \",\"Microsoft also said it is expanding discovery to 35 additional types of local agents, including Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and GitHub Copilot. It also announced extending Microsoft Entra Agent ID with identity types for additional agent patterns, including both local and previously unknown agents discovered through security sensors. \",\"With \\u201cDynamic Permissions\\u201d and \\u201cDynamic Agent Risk\\u201d, Microsoft wants to give businesses tighter control over what AI agents can access and do, while keeping tabs on their behavior and risk levels. Dynamic Permissions limit agents to the access they need for a specific task, while Dynamic Agent Risk checks for potential threats.\",\"Dynamic Conditional Access can then respond to rising risks by restricting permissions, blocking certain operations, or asking for human approval. In more extreme scenarios, an agent can be stopped and isolated.\"]},\"position\":7},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"29c61642-cc7a-11f1-9edb-057133d31618\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":8},{\"type\":\"person\",\"id\":\"29c616ba-cc7a-11f1-b3a4-8b07f73a4b27\",\"data\":{\"name\":\"The best antivirus for all budgets\",\"role\":\"Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons\",\"strapline\":\"\",\"bio\":\"

      \\u27a1\\ufe0f Read our full guide to the best antivirus<\/strong><\/a>
      1. Best overall:<\/strong>
      Bitdefender Total Security<\/a>
      2. Best for families:<\/strong>
      Norton 360 with LifeLock<\/a>
      3. Best for mobile:<\/strong>
      McAfee Mobile Security<\/a><\/p>\",\"image\":{\"id\":\"HpHXmtXFPnuzaQ8m9xNW8j\",\"imageId\":\"\",\"name\":\"Best antivirus\",\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HpHXmtXFPnuzaQ8m9xNW8j.png\",\"alt\":\"Best antivirus software header\",\"caption\":\"\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1600,\"layout\":\"\",\"endorsement\":null,\"credit\":\"Future\",\"mos\":\"\",\"crop\":null,\"blockType\":\"\"},\"facebook\":\"\",\"twitter\":\"\",\"instagram\":\"\",\"linkedin\":\"\",\"website\":\"\",\"email\":\"\",\"tiktok\":\"\",\"youtube\":\"\",\"threads\":\"\",\"bluesky\":\"\",\"schema\":false,\"relatedUrls\":[],\"id\":\"29c616ba-cc7a-11f1-b3a4-8b07f73a4b27\",\"blockType\":\"person\"},\"position\":9},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"29c61732-cc7a-11f1-88e7-959ccfd83c87\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":10},{\"type\":\"image\",\"id\":\"29c617aa-cc7a-11f1-98db-61dcd0b052ac\",\"data\":{\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"alt\":\"Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'\",\"credit\":\"\",\"name\":\"tr-g_news\",\"id\":\"diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78\",\"caption\":\"\",\"align\":\"right\",\"layout\":\"inline\",\"imageHeightMode\":null,\"fullscreen\":false,\"link\":{\"href\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"_blank\"},\"mos\":null,\"dimensions\":{\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"aspectRatio\":3.174},\"mediaType\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"lazy\":true,\"links\":{\"0\":{\"index\":0,\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"text\":\"\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"_blank\"},\"1\":{\"index\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"text\":\"tr-g_news\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"}},\"href\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"status\":\"processed\",\"crop\":null,\"endorsement\":null},\"position\":11},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"29c61836-cc7a-11f1-a4e5-5d423761a850\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and<\/em>add us as a preferred source<\/strong><\/em><\/a> to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.<\/em>\"]},\"position\":12},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"29c618ae-cc7a-11f1-aa40-1d2c5c3ce0e1\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":13}]"],"date_format":"D, d M Y H:i:s O","full_content":true,"published_by":"TechRadar","disable_site_config":true,"content":"

      • Microsoft unveils Guardian Agents to monitor, constrain, and manage risks posed by autonomous AI agents<\/strong><\/li>
      • New controls dynamically adjust agent permissions, behavior, and access based on changing risk levels<\/strong><\/li>
      • Company warns \u201cagentic insiders\u201d require continuous AI-driven oversight beyond traditional security controls<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>

        AI fans, your vocabulary is about to become two phrases richer: Agentic Insider, and Guardian Agent. These are the two phrases Microsoft used while announcing a swathe of new tools and features to help businesses secure their operations running AI agents.<\/p>

        A new Microsoft blog<\/a>, published by Microsoft's Corporate VP for Identity and Network Access, Nadim Abdo, argues that agents, while not inherently malicious, can make mistakes or be manipulated and compromised. <\/p>

        Since they need to be granted relatively extensive permissions in order to be able to work properly, it creates the sort of risk that can prove disastrous if not properly handled.<\/p>

        Agentic Overwatch<\/h2>

        Abdo also added that AI agents<\/a> doing their master's bidding cannot be trusted with their own security. <\/p>

        \"Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, recently described the trust architecture this new era requires: we must separate the supply of intelligence from the authority over it,\" Abdo writes. <\/p>

        \"We should not ask a model to be its own security authority. The controls that determine what it can access, what actions it can take, and whether it should continue operating must sit outside the model, where the model cannot bypass or tamper with them.\"<\/p>

        So, oversight is the keyword here. But AI agents move at machine speed, something no human can match, and therefore humans are not properly equipped for the job. Instead, separate AI agents need to be introduced to keep their juniors in check. Earlier, Microsoft introduced Project Perception and the Microsoft cyber stack, to help organizations defend with agents. <\/p>

        Project Perception is an AI-powered cybersecurity system designed to coordinate specialized AI agents that analyze security data, identify vulnerabilities, and investigate different threats. The system uses three types of agents: red agents that probe for weaknesses, blue agents that investigate potential threats, and green agents that implement corrections and fixes. <\/p>

        Now, Microsoft says it is extending the project to secure \u201cthe agentic insider\u201d. They\u2019re calling it - Guardian Agent. <\/p>

        \u201cGuardian Agents help security teams operate continuously, at machine speed and scale, while sensors, context, and actuators across the cyber stack help understand changing agent risk and continuously adapt protection in response,\u201d Abdo explained. \u201cProject Perception and Microsoft Agent 365 share signals, context, and a unified registry giving IT and security teams a consistent view of agents and risk, with the controls each needs.\u201d<\/p>

        Drill sergeant<\/h2>

        Abdo says Guardian Agents build on a security principle where non-deterministic intelligence needs to be surrounded with deterministic controls, independent evidence, and containment boundaries.<\/p>

        These controls are divided into seven aspects - identity, permissions, data, endpoints, network, cloud, and runtime - and these have four responsibilities: to know which agent exists, who owns them and why, and what they\u2019re doing; to contain what each agents can access and do before it acts; to protect the data, tools, runtime, resources, and systems the agent uses; and to adapt protection continuously as behavior, context, and risk change.<\/p>

        In other words, the AI needs to be the drill sergeant for the drones, adapting to changes in real-time to make sure they\u2019re doing good work and not going rogue. <\/p>

        Microsoft also said it is expanding discovery to 35 additional types of local agents, including Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and GitHub Copilot. It also announced extending Microsoft Entra Agent ID with identity types for additional agent patterns, including both local and previously unknown agents discovered through security sensors. <\/p>

        With \u201cDynamic Permissions\u201d and \u201cDynamic Agent Risk\u201d, Microsoft wants to give businesses tighter control over what AI agents can access and do, while keeping tabs on their behavior and risk levels. Dynamic Permissions limit agents to the access they need for a specific task, while Dynamic Agent Risk checks for potential threats.<\/p>

        Dynamic Conditional Access can then respond to rising risks by restricting permissions, blocking certain operations, or asking for human approval. In more extreme scenarios, an agent can be stopped and isolated.<\/p>","localisedguid":"8dP4KMiTThC4kfoSmgypS9-en_GB","isfirstblockimage":false,"domain":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com","image_thumbnail":{"path":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yydXo2zcn294B2Ko5EpaAW.jpg","title":"A robot with arms crossed writing advanced math on a chalkboard","dek":"","credit":""},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yydXo2zcn294B2Ko5EpaAW.jpg","new_guid":"ca32ac9db78445fe1c82e5e5c81fe36f","index":2,"mod":"none","image_limit":null,"order_field":"contentModifiedDate","canonical":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/pro\/security\/microsoft-admits-frontier-models-cant-be-trusted-unveils-new-security-tools-to-treat-ai-agents-as-insider-threats","title":"Microsoft admits 'frontier models can't be trusted', unveils new security tools to treat AI agents as insider threats","publish_date":"2026-10-20T11:44:39Z","last_modified":"2026-10-20T11:44:42Z","first_created":"2026-10-20T11:34:08Z"},{"id":"9ByyQR8w4rKpKQF7ysYj8L","documentname":"'The best mini PC under $500': The Getorli GT106 packs an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, offering plenty of power for the price","site":"techradar","modifieddate":"2026-10-20T11:44:03Z","createddate":"2026-10-20T09:26:58Z","articlemediaendorsement":["null","null","null","null","null"],"articlecategory":["Pro"],"articletag":["techdeals","deals","techradar deals","Amazon","Mini PC","Getorli GT106 mini PC"],"articletype":"deals","publisheddate":"2026-10-20T11:44:03Z","articlepage":["[{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"65d014e2-cc68-11f1-a66d-259a22572a8c\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"You don't need a bulky desktop tower to get a powerful Windows 11 Pro device. The Getorli GT106 mini PC is currently priced at $450 (was $500) at Amazon<\/a>, and combines an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD in a compact design. For the price and specs, our managing editor has dubbed this \\\"the best mini PC under $500.\\\" \",\"\\u2022 Best for:<\/strong> Home offices, multitasking, multi-monitor workstations, media centers, and anyone who wants a compact system for everyday computing and lighter gaming.\",\"\\u2022 What we like: <\/strong>Alongside the Ryzen 7 chip and fast DDR5 memory, the mini PC also has integrated AMD Radeon 780M graphics and can drive up to four 4K monitors at a time via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and two USB4 connections. \"]}},{\"type\":\"section\",\"id\":\"65d01618-cc68-11f1-95e4-478ec39b1a41\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Today's best mini PC deal\",\"nav\":\"Top deal\",\"headingType\":\"h2\",\"excludeFromNav\":true},\"position\":1},{\"type\":\"deal\",\"id\":\"65d016a4-cc68-11f1-97eb-8dd640ab8b77\",\"data\":{\"image\":{\"width\":1500,\"height\":1249,\"credit\":\"Getorli\",\"id\":\"QNsknt6YMaew4eX7wPRt6g\",\"name\":\"Getorli Mini PC\",\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/QNsknt6YMaew4eX7wPRt6g.jpg\"},\"isPreferredPartner\":false,\"layout\":[\"button\"],\"link\":{\"href\":\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Getorli-Mini-Ryzen-16GB-Computer\/dp\/B0GSGGS6RY\/?th=1\",\"label\":\"\",\"rel\":[]},\"matchId\":\"\",\"voucherId\":\"\",\"model\":null,\"price\":{\"currency\":\"USD\",\"amount\":\"449.99\",\"amountWas\":\"499.99\"},\"promo\":[],\"star\":false,\"save\":false,\"moneySave\":false,\"starLabel\":\"\",\"text\":\"

        This compact desktop features an eight-core Ryzen 7 H255 processor, Radeon 780M graphics, 16GB DDR5 memory, 1TB PCIe SSD, dual USB4 ports, quad 4K display support, Wi-Fi 6, and Ethernet.<\/p>\",\"title\":\"\",\"brand\":\"Getorli\",\"productName\":\"GT106 Mini PC\",\"retailer\":\"\",\"savingType\":\"money\",\"lastCheckedPriceDate\":0,\"variants\":[]},\"position\":2},{\"type\":\"heading\",\"id\":\"65d0171c-cc68-11f1-8e0a-97887770c970\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Why we recommend it\",\"headingType\":\"h2\"},\"position\":3},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"65d01794-cc68-11f1-97bd-79aebd97b2b0\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"The Getorli GT106 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 H255 processor with eight cores and 16 threads, running at up to 4.9GHz. There's also 16GB of DDR5 RAM, which comes installed as a single module, leaving the second slot available for an upgrade. For storage there's a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a second M.2 slot, with support for up to 4TB capacity.\",\"Alongside Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, you get dual 2.5Gb Ethernet ports and two 40Gbps USB4 ports for connecting fast external storage and other peripherals.\",\"It comes with Windows 11 Pro installed, and Getorli includes a VESA mounting bracket so you can tuck the device behind a compatible monitor.\",\"For more of our favorites, we've tested the <\/em>best mini PCs<\/em><\/a> you can buy.<\/em>\"]},\"position\":4},{\"type\":\"heading\",\"id\":\"65d01816-cc68-11f1-9eb7-513e085fa5fe\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Price context & historical value\",\"headingType\":\"h2\"},\"position\":5},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"65d0188e-cc68-11f1-97b1-5fd90fec6622\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"The Getorli GT106 is $50 below its usual $499.99 price. That's a 10% discount, bringing the mini PC below the $450 mark. I've seen it retail for as low as $404.99 in the past, however. But so long as it flies easily under the $500 mark, it's a great buy. \"]},\"position\":6},{\"type\":\"heading\",\"id\":\"65d01906-cc68-11f1-9c2e-2bd4c57a048b\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Should you buy it?\",\"headingType\":\"h2\"},\"position\":7},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"65d0197e-cc68-11f1-af84-09303117afeb\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"\\u2705 Buy the Getorli GT106 if... <\/strong>\",\"You want a small Windows 11 Pro mini PC with a Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB DDR5, and 1TB SSD. It's a useful option if you need several monitors or want to connect fast external drives via USB4.\",\"\\u274c Skip the Getorli GT106 if... <\/strong>\",\"You need a more powerful device. It ships with a single 16GB DDR5 module, which means it initially operates in single-channel memory mode, which can reduce integrated graphics performance.\"]},\"position\":8},{\"type\":\"list\",\"id\":\"65d01a00-cc68-11f1-b234-4f6a62941a9d\",\"data\":{\"items\":[\"Shop all mini PCs and Amazon<\/a>\"],\"type\":\"ul\",\"schemaRef\":null,\"start\":\"1\",\"icon\":\"\",\"listType\":\"ul\",\"schema\":null},\"position\":9}]"],"date_format":"D, d M Y H:i:s O","full_content":true,"published_by":"TechRadar","disable_site_config":true,"content":"

        You don't need a bulky desktop tower to get a powerful Windows 11 Pro device. The Getorli GT106 mini PC is currently priced at $450 (was $500) at Amazon<\/a>, and combines an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD in a compact design. For the price and specs, our managing editor has dubbed this \"the best mini PC under $500.\" <\/p>

        \u2022 Best for:<\/strong> Home offices, multitasking, multi-monitor workstations, media centers, and anyone who wants a compact system for everyday computing and lighter gaming.<\/p>

        \u2022 What we like: <\/strong>Alongside the Ryzen 7 chip and fast DDR5 memory, the mini PC also has integrated AMD Radeon 780M graphics and can drive up to four 4K monitors at a time via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and two USB4 connections. <\/p>

        Today's best mini PC deal<\/span><\/h2>

        \"\"<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/a>

        GT106 Mini PC: was $499.99 now $449.99<\/a><\/strong>
        This compact desktop features an eight-core Ryzen 7 H255 processor, Radeon 780M graphics, 16GB DDR5 memory, 1TB PCIe SSD, dual USB4 ports, quad 4K display support, Wi-Fi 6, and Ethernet.        View Deal<\/a><\/p><\/div>

        Why we recommend it<\/h2>

        The Getorli GT106 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 H255 processor with eight cores and 16 threads, running at up to 4.9GHz. There's also 16GB of DDR5 RAM, which comes installed as a single module, leaving the second slot available for an upgrade. For storage there's a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a second M.2 slot, with support for up to 4TB capacity.<\/p>

        Alongside Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, you get dual 2.5Gb Ethernet ports and two 40Gbps USB4 ports for connecting fast external storage and other peripherals.<\/p>

        It comes with Windows 11 Pro installed, and Getorli includes a VESA mounting bracket so you can tuck the device behind a compatible monitor.<\/p>

        For more of our favorites, we've tested the <\/em>best mini PCs<\/em><\/a> you can buy.<\/em><\/p>

        Price context & historical value<\/h2>

        The Getorli GT106 is $50 below its usual $499.99 price. That's a 10% discount, bringing the mini PC below the $450 mark. I've seen it retail for as low as $404.99 in the past, however. But so long as it flies easily under the $500 mark, it's a great buy. <\/p>

        Should you buy it?<\/h2>

        \u2705 Buy the Getorli GT106 if... <\/strong><\/p>

        You want a small Windows 11 Pro mini PC with a Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB DDR5, and 1TB SSD. It's a useful option if you need several monitors or want to connect fast external drives via USB4.<\/p>

        \u274c Skip the Getorli GT106 if... <\/strong><\/p>

        You need a more powerful device. It ships with a single 16GB DDR5 module, which means it initially operates in single-channel memory mode, which can reduce integrated graphics performance.<\/p>

        • Shop all mini PCs and Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>","localisedguid":"9ByyQR8w4rKpKQF7ysYj8L-en_GB","isfirstblockimage":false,"domain":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com","image_thumbnail":{"path":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/s7HCnrsdXmcZmxBS2aPHTj.jpg","title":"Getorli Mini PC Ryzen 7 H 255","dek":"","credit":""},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/s7HCnrsdXmcZmxBS2aPHTj.jpg","new_guid":"29e84517fb8a6f6a806a4214ef2e4852","index":3,"mod":"none","image_limit":null,"order_field":"contentModifiedDate","canonical":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/pro\/the-best-mini-pc-under-usd500-the-getorli-gt106-packs-an-amd-ryzen-7-processor-16gb-of-ddr5-ram-and-a-1tb-ssd-offering-plenty-of-power-for-the-price","title":"'The best mini PC under $500': The Getorli GT106 packs an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, offering plenty of power for the price","publish_date":"2026-10-20T11:44:03Z","last_modified":"2026-10-20T11:44:03Z","first_created":"2026-10-20T09:26:58Z"},{"id":"S9YBf5WXFZ5mRps9kEj33T","documentname":"Rockstar artists have been working on GTA 6 for 11 years to plan out the map, co-head says roads are narrower than GTA 5's, which had a 'ripple effect' as the studio had to add even more buildings \u2014 'All these things sort of come to bite you later'","site":"techradar","modifieddate":"2026-10-20T11:27:42Z","createddate":"2026-10-20T08:52:15Z","articlemediaendorsement":["null","null","null","null"],"articlecategory":["Gaming"],"articletag":["Rockstar Games","gta 6","gta VI","Grand Theft Auto VI","grand theft auto 6","GTA Online","PC gaming","PlayStation","Xbox","PS5","Xbox Series X","Xbox Series S","Take-Two Interactive"],"articletype":"news","publisheddate":"2026-10-20T11:27:41Z","articlepage":["[{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"0fc059de-cc6f-11f1-a64c-a53ad1f1d2fe\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"}},{\"type\":\"list\",\"id\":\"0fc05ac4-cc6f-11f1-b83c-4ddc2f31dd90\",\"data\":{\"items\":[\"Rockstar Games has been working on <\/strong>Grand Theft Auto 6<\/strong><\/em> for 11 years, as the artists needed to plan out the map first<\/strong>\",\"The game's roads are much narrower and denser than <\/strong>GTA 5<\/strong><\/em>'s, which created "ripple effects," according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier<\/strong>\",\"Schreier says head of development Aaron Garbut told him, "All these things sort of come [back] to bite you later"<\/strong>\"],\"type\":\"ul\",\"schemaRef\":null,\"start\":\"1\",\"icon\":\"\",\"listType\":\"ul\",\"schema\":null},\"position\":1},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"0fc05b5a-cc6f-11f1-add5-bd379b7f17b4\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":2},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"8c9b9fb0-cc63-11f1-aa8c-83319968fe27\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Rockstar Games has reportedly been working on Grand Theft Auto 6<\/em><\/a> much longer than realized, since the studio needed to plan out the game's ambitious map first.\",\"That's according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who shared more details about his visit to Rockstar North in a YouTube<\/a> video after releasing his behind-the-scenes GTA 6<\/em>article<\/a>.\",\"While it's common knowledge that full-scale development of GTA 6<\/em> began around 2018 and was originally planned to be made alongside Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em>, pre-production on the game actually began much earlier. \",\"\\\"Something that I learned while talking to those folks [the developers at Rockstar North] is that there are a few artists at Rockstar who have actually been working on GTA 6<\/em> for more than 11 years since 2015, if not earlier,\\\" Schreier said. \\\"2015 is when Rockstar started kind of planning out GTA 6<\/em> in the sense that it was conversations before like before that.\\\"\",\"Schreier explained that the game's massive map, which is twice as big as GTA 5<\/em>'s world and more densely populated and interactive<\/a>, was a priority for the studio and the first thing it planned.\"]},\"position\":3},{\"type\":\"video\",\"id\":\"4d414bfa-cc6b-11f1-ba44-47f97c320a3f\",\"data\":{\"id\":\"lZ5iiT8IqY0\",\"source\":\"youtube\",\"timestamp\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lZ5iiT8IqY0\",\"embedUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lZ5iiT8IqY0\",\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/lZ5iiT8IqY0\/maxresdefault.jpg\",\"hasFacade\":true,\"image\":\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/lZ5iiT8IqY0\/maxresdefault.jpg\",\"metaData\":{\"name\":\"Some New Things I Learned About Grand Theft Auto VI And Rockstar\",\"description\":\"Here are a few fun details that didn't make the cut of my big story.\\n\\nREAD: https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/features\/2026-grand-theft-auto-6-making-of\/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc5MjQyMTgwOCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzMDI2NjA4LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUTVc2R0tSS1YyVFYwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.MyS89uNBxO0wxhWw2OHMiKLJhhR_hHlG5pqw_7smIGw\",\"duration\":\"PT18M15S\",\"uploadDate\":\"2026-10-19T15:00:47Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-19T15:00:47Z\",\"genre\":\"People & Blogs\",\"title\":\"Some New Things I Learned About Grand Theft Auto VI And Rockstar - YouTube\"}},\"position\":4},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"928c2c6e-cc6d-11f1-9c4d-c921545720ce\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"\\\"2015 is when they started going to Miami, actually starting working on the map of the game, which is always the first thing that Rockstar does on these big open-world games as they start planning out the map first,\\\" Schreier said. \",\"He added that gradually over the next couple of years, top leadership then mobilized everyone to work on Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em>, as the game needed a lot of help due to its ambitious systems. However, a few artists continued work on GTA 6<\/em>'s map.\",\"Aaron Garbut, art director, current head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North, also told him that \\\"the roads are significantly narrower in GTA 6<\/em> than they were in GTA 5<\/em>,\\\" which fans may have noticed in the trailers.\",\"This created a more realistic depiction of a fictional Los Angeles, and less like a racing game with wider spaces to zip through like GTA 5<\/em>. However, Rockstar's goal of making GTA 6<\/em>'s map have narrower roads and denser traffic from the beginning presented some technical challenges, or what Schreier called \\\"ripple effects.\\\"\",\"Garbut told Schreier, \\\"All these things sort of come [back] to bite you later,\\\" because narrow, denser roads meant the team had to implement more surrounding buildings, and artists have worked on the concept for 11 years.\",\"GTA 6 <\/em>launches in under one month, on November 19, for PS5<\/a>, Xbox Series X<\/a>, and Series S<\/a>. Rockstar recently released the cinematic GTA 6<\/em> launch trailer, which offers a deeper look into the game's story. <\/a>Elsewhere, a new report claims the PC version could launch in early 2027<\/a>.\"]},\"position\":5},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"8c9ba0fa-cc63-11f1-bf13-dd7c73d74dad\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":6},{\"type\":\"image\",\"id\":\"8c9ba17c-cc63-11f1-b4e4-4d342d318217\",\"data\":{\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"alt\":\"Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'\",\"credit\":\"\",\"name\":\"tr-g_news\",\"id\":\"diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78\",\"caption\":\"\",\"align\":\"right\",\"layout\":\"inline\",\"imageHeightMode\":null,\"fullscreen\":false,\"link\":{\"href\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"_blank\"},\"mos\":null,\"dimensions\":{\"width\":676,\"height\":213,\"aspectRatio\":3.174},\"mediaType\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"lazy\":true,\"links\":{\"0\":{\"index\":0,\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWFJsWTJoeVlXUmhjaTVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen\",\"text\":\"\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"_blank\"},\"1\":{\"index\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"text\":\"tr-g_news\",\"type\":\"image_link\",\"rel\":[],\"target\":\"\"}},\"href\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78.jpg\",\"status\":\"processed\",\"crop\":null,\"endorsement\":null},\"position\":7},{\"type\":\"text\",\"id\":\"8c9ba1ea-cc63-11f1-a183-a1bf6cdb87c7\",\"data\":{\"paragraphs\":[\"Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a> and<\/em>add us as a preferred source <\/strong><\/em><\/a>to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!<\/em>\"]},\"position\":8},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"id\":\"8c9ba258-cc63-11f1-95fd-210e0c3de922\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"divider\"},\"position\":9},{\"type\":\"person\",\"id\":\"8c9ba2bc-cc63-11f1-988d-2fc0498cc320\",\"data\":{\"name\":\"The best gaming consoles\",\"role\":\"All the best consoles of this generation\",\"strapline\":\"\",\"bio\":\"

          \\u27a1\\ufe0f Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles<\/strong><\/a>
          1. Best overall:<\/strong>
          PlayStation 5 Slim<\/a>
          2. Best budget:<\/strong>
          Xbox Series S<\/a>
          3. Best handheld:<\/strong>
          Nintendo Switch 2<\/a>
          4. Most powerful:<\/strong>
          PlayStation 5 Pro<\/a><\/p>\",\"image\":{\"id\":\"pNUhrQ5pNuBzAZUQEx7is8\",\"imageId\":\"\",\"name\":\"PS5 Slim\",\"src\":\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/pNUhrQ5pNuBzAZUQEx7is8.jpg\",\"alt\":\"PS5 Slim\",\"caption\":\"\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080,\"layout\":\"\",\"endorsement\":null,\"credit\":\"Sony\",\"mos\":\"\",\"crop\":null,\"blockType\":\"\"},\"facebook\":\"\",\"twitter\":\"\",\"instagram\":\"\",\"linkedin\":\"\",\"website\":\"\",\"email\":\"\",\"tiktok\":\"\",\"youtube\":\"\",\"threads\":\"\",\"bluesky\":\"\",\"schema\":false,\"relatedUrls\":[],\"id\":\"8c9ba2bc-cc63-11f1-988d-2fc0498cc320\",\"blockType\":\"person\"},\"position\":10}]"],"date_format":"D, d M Y H:i:s O","full_content":true,"published_by":"TechRadar","disable_site_config":true,"content":"

          • Rockstar Games has been working on <\/strong>Grand Theft Auto 6<\/strong><\/em> for 11 years, as the artists needed to plan out the map first<\/strong><\/li>
          • The game's roads are much narrower and denser than <\/strong>GTA 5<\/strong><\/em>'s, which created \"ripple effects,\" according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier<\/strong><\/li>
          • Schreier says head of development Aaron Garbut told him, \"All these things sort of come [back] to bite you later\"<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>

            Rockstar Games has reportedly been working on Grand Theft Auto 6<\/em><\/a> much longer than realized, since the studio needed to plan out the game's ambitious map first.<\/p>

            That's according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who shared more details about his visit to Rockstar North in a YouTube<\/a> video after releasing his behind-the-scenes GTA 6<\/em>article<\/a>.<\/p>

            While it's common knowledge that full-scale development of GTA 6<\/em> began around 2018 and was originally planned to be made alongside Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em>, pre-production on the game actually began much earlier. <\/p>

            \"Something that I learned while talking to those folks [the developers at Rockstar North] is that there are a few artists at Rockstar who have actually been working on GTA 6<\/em> for more than 11 years since 2015, if not earlier,\" Schreier said. \"2015 is when Rockstar started kind of planning out GTA 6<\/em> in the sense that it was conversations before like before that.\"<\/p>

            Schreier explained that the game's massive map, which is twice as big as GTA 5<\/em>'s world and more densely populated and interactive<\/a>, was a priority for the studio and the first thing it planned.<\/p>