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Image: Ferran Rodenas/Flickr/Creative Commons If you use VMware Tools for Windows, it is critical to update to the latest version. Broadcom, which acquired VMware for $69 billion in 2023, has issued a patch for a high-severity vulnerability that is actively being exploited by cybercriminals. The vulnerability affects VMware Tools for Windows versions 11.x.x and 12.x.x, but has been patched in version 12.5.1. Broadcom confirmed that no workarounds are available, so affected users should update immediately. What are the details about this authentication bypass vulnerability? VMware Tools for Windows is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance and functionality of Windows-based virtual machines running on VMware platforms. It supports functions like display resolution, seamless mouse and keyboard integration, and better time synchronization between host and guest systems. CVE-2025-22230 is classified as an “authentication bypass vulnerability,” according to Broadcom’s security advisory. While technical details remain limited, Broadcom suggests that the flaw results from improper access control mechanisms in some versions of VMware Tools for Windows. “A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a Windows guest (virtual machine) may gain (the) ability to perform certain high-privilege operations within that VM,” the company said. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, indicating a high-severity issue. It does not require user interaction for exploitation. The vulnerability was reported by Sergey Bliznyuk of Positive Technologies, a Russian cybersecurity firm sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2021 for allegedly providing security tools to and hosting recruitment events for Russian intelligence services. Must-read security coverage VMware vulnerabilities are oft-targeted Earlier this month, Broadcom patched three actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion. These required attackers to have administrator or root access to a virtual machine, but if they did, they could escape its sandbox and breach the underlying hypervisor, potentially exposing all connected virtual machines and sensitive data. At the time, nearly 41,500 VMWare ESXi instances were identified as vulnerable due to CVE-2025-22224. Last year, VMware ESXi servers were hit by a double-extortion ransomware variant, with the threat actors impersonating a real organization. Hackers like to target VMware as it is widely used in enterprise. Furthermore, compromising the hypervisor can allow attackers to disable multiple virtual machines simultaneously and remove recovery options such as snapshots or backups, ensuring a significant impact on a business’s operations. source

In the modern era, it’s crucial to have passwords for all your accounts. However, we occasionally forget or lose our passwords, which seems like a nightmare, mainly because we can’t use the same password for every account. Fortunately, with password recovery tools, this isn’t the case. Password recovery tools enable you to find your lost passwords and offer password reset programs to help you get back into your account. The capacity to retrieve passwords is an invaluable asset for your business, especially when managing numerous accounts with critical information, since losing this data is not an option. NordPass Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Log, Business Admin Panel for user management, Company-wide settings, and more Dashlane Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Automated Provisioning ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Access Management, Compliance Management, Credential Management, and more Password recovery tools comparison Let’s explore each password recovery tool and how they compare: Passware Kit: Best for overall use Image: Passware If you need an affordable way to recover lost passwords, Passware Kit is an ideal option. All the available packages come with licenses that support Windows and Mac computers and can help you recover document passwords. Passware Kit is known for having a high success rate and performing seamlessly. Why I chose Passware Kit I have Passware Kit as my best overall as it all ticks the boxes when it comes to the quality you would expect from trustworthy password recovery software. When it comes to recovering passwords efficiently, this tool has you covered. Furthermore, I find the platform to be simple and easy to navigate and has a brilliantly designed user interface that even beginners won’t have a tough time navigating and using the tool. Pricing 30-day free trial. Passware Kit Standard: $79. Passware Kit Standard Plus: $195. Passware Kit Business: $945. Features Simple user interface. Hardware acceleration. Batch processing. Instant password reset. Full-disk encryption. Brute force attacks or Passware Kit’s “Instant Recovery” method gives you quick access to various file types. A screenshot of Passware. Image: Passware Pros and cons Pros Cons Has a graphical interface that’s easy to use. Versatility in terms of recoverable passwords. A wide range of pricing options to choose from. Can work with complex password managers. The affordable versions offer limited features. Lazesoft Recover My Password: Best for Windows password recovery Image: Lazesoft Recovery Suite Recover My Password is an ideal freeware platform for recovering a Windows admin password because of its simple design and wide range of basic, unique, and essential features. Recover My Password has various options, including removing a password entirely, resetting it and enabling, as well as disabling or unlocking user accounts. While numerous platforms offer some of these features, Recover My Password simplifies the user experience with its straightforward and visually oriented interface, making it easier to navigate the process. Why I chose Recover My Password I picked this platform because of how it simplifies the password recovery process. Recover My Password is simple to use thanks to its graphical user interface that easily displays the platform’s various options. Plus, the screen prompts are easy to understand and follow. I personally found the step-by-step instructions to recover passwords very easy to follow. Pricing Free trial. Professional Edition: $27.95. Server Edition: $99.49. Unlimited Edition: $199.29. Features Free technical support, wide range of educational resources, and comprehensive FAQ section. Easy-to-use graphical interface. Microsoft Live ID account to local account conversion. Supports UEFI boot mode and BIOS boot mode. Automatic operating system detection. A screenshot of Lazesoft. Image: Lazesoft Pros and cons Pros Cons Free for personal users. Easy to set up and install. Works on USBs and CDs. Wide range of tutorials. Secure password reset. Each OS needs a separate boot media. John the Ripper: Best for multi-platform compatibility Image: John The Ripper John the Ripper is an all-in-one security audit and password recovery solution for those who work on multiple operating systems; it’s available for Windows, macOS, Unix, and more. There are free and Pro versions available. The platform is available in both Open-Source and “Native” packages. Why I chose John the Ripper I chose John the Ripper because it supports many hash and cipher types. Anyone operating in a business setting is likely to use multiple platforms, and John the Ripper can operate on macOS, all the Unix variants, Windows, encrypted private keys, network traffic captures, specific web applications, document files, archive formats, filesystems and disks, groupware, and database servers. To me, this is a big advantage as it can accommodate different types of users and platforms. Pricing John the Ripper has a Pro version for Linux and Mac OS X systems with various pricing options. There are several different packages, which appear to be quite complex. Thus, it’s recommended to refer to the John the Ripper pricing homepage to determine the best option for you. Free download. John the Ripper Pro for Linux: Between $39.95 and $185. John the Ripper Pro for Mac OS X: Between $39.95 and $185. Features DSE-based tripcodes. Windows LM hashes. Kerberos/AFS. Traditional DES-based. BSDI extended DSE-based. A screenshot of John The Ripper. Image: John the Ripper Pros and cons Pros Cons It can be used for a wide range of passwords. The free version is compatible with over 12 different operating systems. Beginners might find navigating challenging as it lacks an intuitive user interface. There is no specific upgraded version for Windows. Trinity Rescue Kit: Best for advanced users Image: Trinity Rescue Kit Trinity Rescue Kit is a live Linux distribution and one of

Key takeaways Android has limited native call recording capabilities; alternatively, you can download a third-party call recording app or use external devices to record phone calls. Call recording is tied to state-specific laws. Before recording a phone call, make sure to review data privacy laws in your area first. Curious about recording phone calls on your Android device? Follow our step-by-step guide on now to do it properly and legally For some users, call recording is just a tap away, but even so, features can vary based on several factors including your carrier, the type of device you own, and your geographic location. Before recording a call on your Android device, consider privacy and legalities Did you know that recording a call without someone’s permission could be a violation of their privacy and is considered illegal? So before we discuss how you can record a call on your Android, let’s talk about the legality of recording phone calls and what you need to know before you hit the record button. Tech companies take data privacy seriously, as failure to comply with regulatory standards and legal requirements can result in penalties, lawsuits, or cybersecurity risks. This is why some phones don’t allow you to record calls by default, and most call recording apps play a message informing the other party that the conversation is being recorded. In the US, most localities follow a simple rule known as the one-party consent: if one person in the conversation knows and agrees to the recording, it’s okay. However, some states, like California, Florida, and Washington, require everyone on a call to formally consent to being recorded. The rules and regulations governing phone call recording may vary per state and country. We encourage you to look up your local laws and abide by them. Record responsibly and respect everyone’s rights. 5 ways to record a call on Android If you’re struggling to get your device to record your phone calls, we found a few work-arounds you can try. Let’s explore five quick and easy ways to capture your calls on Android. 1. Enable call recording on your device The best-case scenario is that your Android device can natively record calls — but is not allowing you to due to privacy restrictions. Your phone settings and the type of device you have may be the reason you can’t record calls. When we tried it ourselves, we found that our device only allows automatic recording for unknown numbers. Google Pixel phones, on one hand, don’t support native call recording at all. To check your phone’s compatibility and turn on call recording, follow these steps: Go to your phone’s Settings. Tap Call Recording, and toggle on your preferences. Accept the legal reminders that pop up on your screen. If you can turn on automatic call recording, remember that all recordings will be stored on your phone, which can take up so much space. It can also leave you sorting through a lot of needless call logs. If you can’t record calls automatically, you might still be able to record individual calls. This involves a pretty straightforward process: you’ll just have to remember to hit Record when you’re ready to start recording the call. To record a call on your Android phone, simply locate and hit the Record button. During a call, you’ll find a Record button on the call screen or hidden under the three-dot menu. Simply tap this button to start recording a conversation. 2. Download a call recording app If your Android phone doesn’t support call recording, your next best option is to download a call recording app from the Google Play Store — that is, if you can find one. In 2022, Google introduced policy changes that limited developers’ access to Android accessibility settings. This prevented many apps from being able to record calls freely. If you want these apps to start recording your conversations, you will need to enable restricted settings, which could put your personal data at risk. Still, if you’re looking for a general call recorder app, a few reputable ones include the following: On a basic level, these apps allow you to record cellular calls and calls from voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) services like Skype and Messenger. Cube ACR also has a privacy guard, geotagging, and cloud backup features. Download Cube ACR for Android or on the App Store.Image: Google Play Store To prevent unauthorized access, this call recorder by Lucky Mobile Apps lets users set PIN codes for protection. Image: Google Play Store Automatic Call Recorder Pro lets you configure call recording app settings (e.g., notifications and how to turn on the recording)Image: Google Play Store Most call recording apps are free to use, but they rely on ads and in-app purchases for monetization. Since these apps will record your voice and access phone features, you’ll need to pay close attention to their privacy policies and your local regulations. If none of the apps you found meet your needs, you can still record a phone call using other methods. 3. Use a separate device If the methods listed above don’t work for you or you just want an easy recording hack, you can always capture conversations with a separate device. This may not be the most refined method but it works, and most of the time, the recording quality is fine. It’s also likely to be the most discreet way to record a call. Recording a call with a separate device is simple — you just need to put the call on speaker and use a backup recorder like another phone or tablet to capture the conversation. Make sure you record in a quiet room or space to reduce external noise. Record Android calls using a separate device. Drawbacks with this method include speaker feedback in recordings, audio distortions, and similar quality issues. The good thing about it is, you won’t have to listen to the automated voice talking about data privacy and it’s up to you to get the

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick (pictured) said that the U.S. “will not allow adversaries to exploit American technology to bolster their own militaries and threaten American lives.” Image: World Economic Forum/Flickr/Creative Commons The U.S. has blacklisted approximately 80 foreign entities, citing heightened national security concerns. The majority are Chinese companies suspected of procuring American hardware to aid the development of military technologies. U.S. targets China’s AI and supercomputing push Eleven entities based in China and one in Taiwan now face trade restrictions for “engaging in the development of advanced AI, supercomputers, and high-performance AI chips for China-based end-users with close ties to the country’s military-industrial complex,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security. Entities named include the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Innovation Wisdom, Henan Dingxin, Nettrix, Suma Technology, Suma-USI Electronics, and six subsidiaries of Inspur Group. All of them are now barred from purchasing U.S. goods without a government-issued license. The BIS said that adding the Chinese entities to the Entity List will restrict the Chinese Communist Party’s capability to develop high-performance and exascale computing systems — machines that can perform complex simulations and analyse massive datasets — as well as quantum technologies and hypersonic weapons. SEE: US Chip Export Rule Proposes Limits to Thwart Chinese GPUs Nettrix and Inspur Group have both been targeted by U.S. restrictions in the past but largely escaped significant operational setbacks. Nettrix was started by former executives of Sugon, a server manufacturer with ties to the Chinese military and government surveillance through the Chinese Academy of Sciences. When the U.S. imposed restrictions on Sugon in 2019, the company’s leadership formed Nettrix using Sugon’s technology and customer base, which included Nvidia, Intel, and Microsoft — effectively allowing the business to continue under a new name, according to The New York Times. Henan Dingxin and the two Suma entities have also been linked to Sugon by providing manufacturing support. More must-read AI coverage Loopholes and legal maneuvers under scrutiny Similarly, the Biden administration added the Inspur parent company to the Entity List in 2023. However, U.S. organisations like Intel and IBM resumed business with its subsidiaries not long after. Inspur Electronic Information — now blacklisted as of this week — quickly changed its registered address to a location roughly two kilometres away from its parent company, in a possible attempt to circumvent restrictions. The Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence and Beijing Innovation Wisdom were both added to the list for developing large-scale AI models and advanced computing chips to support China’s military modernization. “We will not allow adversaries to exploit American technology to bolster their own militaries and threaten American lives,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in a statement. The Chinese foreign ministry has referred to the new U.S. restrictions as “typical hegemonism” in a statement to state news agency Xinhua. “We urge the U.S. side to stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop politicizing, instrumentalizing and weaponizing sci-tech and trade issues,” the spokesperson said. The list of newly blacklisted entities also included companies from Iran, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. aims to disrupt Iran’s acquisition of drones and military technologies, block the development of unsafeguarded nuclear and ballistic weapons programs in Iran and Pakistan. Additionally, it seeks to block the Test Flying Academy of South Africa from using U.S. technology to train the Chinese military. source

Image: seventyfourimages/Envato Elements The EU is pouring €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) over the next two years to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. The funding will support the development and testing of “immersive environments” to apply in healthcare for purposes like training and virtual patient assessments. The investment will also support the implementation of the AI Act, which ensures all AI systems developed and used in the EU are done so safely and responsibly. Additionally, it will help build energy-efficient digital public digital infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging ports. Many of the generative AI models powering these initiatives will be created by the EU’s AI factories, specialised research centres using powerful supercomputers. “Securing European tech sovereignty starts with investing in advanced technologies and in making it possible for people to improve their digital competences,” Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said in a press release. EU leaders double down on AI to secure digital future Funding will also be allocated toward: Supporting European Digital Innovation Hubs, which offer companies training and resources in technologies such as AI. Building the Destination Earth digital model which simulates environmental changes to support policy-making and sustainability efforts. Improving the cyber security of critical infrastructure like hospitals and undersea cables. Building and promoting the EU Digital Wallet architecture that will allow citizens to store official documents, like passports and driving licenses, in a smartphone app. Supporting EU education and training institutes in providing digital skills and recruiting for these courses. Developing other secure, interoperable digital public services. The funding comes from DIGITAL, a programme of €8.1 billion focused on increasing digitisation for businesses and individuals in the region. Businesses and other EU entities will be invited to apply for DIGITAL funding or programmes from next month. SEE: UK Trails Behind Europe in Technical Skills Proficiency, Coursera Report Finds More must-read AI coverage Europe desperately wants to shake its reputation of being technologically behind Europe has developed an unfortunate reputation for being behind other global superpowers when it comes to technology. According to a 2024 report from former European Central Bank President and economist Mario Draghi, Europe’s lack of innovation has led to the US outpacing the EU’s GDP by $9 trillion in 2023. Despite Europe’s top three R&I investors being in tech, “we are failing to translate innovation into commercialisation,” he said, pushing entrepreneurs to relocate to the US. A Google report published in October 2024 found that Europe spends only 2% of its GDP on tech research; by contrast, the U.S. spends 3%, and South Korea and Israel spend over 5%. The region specifically lags in AI innovation, having only filed 2% of global AI patents in 2022, while China and the U.S., the top two largest producers, filed 61% and 21%, respectively, according to Stanford University’s 2024 AI Index. “Present gaps indicate that the EU risks falling behind the next wave of AI and needs to ramp up its efforts to remain competitive,” the Google researchers wrote. Among other recommendations, the report suggested that Europe invests in AI research to make it more accessible. source

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to DeskSense AI Assistant from just $38 for life (reg. $179) and simplify your workday with AI-powered productivity and creativity tools. What busy person hasn’t thought of how nice it would be to have an assistant? Whether it’s to help run your errands or help streamline your professional tasks, our own personal helper would be terrific. While DeskSense AI Assistant can’t do your laundry, it can certainly help in a variety of other ways. A lifetime license to the Basic Plan is on sale for just $38 (reg. $179) for a limited time. Features This productivity-boosting, creativity-enhancing tool takes the hassle out of your daily grind. Whether you’re a solopreneur, a content creator, or a small business owner, DeskSense has everything you need to stay ahead of the game and tackle those tasks you’d rather not spend hours on. Forget the endless hours spent drafting emails, formatting spreadsheets, or staring at a blank page trying to come up with blog post ideas. With DeskSense, you can automate the tedious stuff, leaving you more time to focus on the important work that really needs your attention. Need to whip up an email? DeskSense will have it done in seconds. Struggling with an Excel formula? DeskSense generates complex formulas in a snap. Want to quickly pull information from a webpage or document? DeskSense’s AI text analysis makes it really easy. It even goes so far as to create social media posts, generate blog content, and assist with coding tasks. Oh, and if you’ve got a visual project in mind, DeskSense can help you create custom images based on simple text prompts. Consider our minds blown! Plans Choose your plan and give yourself the gift of more time to focus on the bigger picture: Prices and availability subject to change. source

OpenAI is adding support for Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard for connecting artificial intelligence applications to data repositories. Developers can use it to ensure their chatbots only provide responses based on relevant information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on Wednesday via X that the protocol can now be used in the Agents SDK, its toolkit for building AI-powered agents. The company’s developer team added that it is working on adding support for the ChatGPT desktop app and OpenAI API, and will announce more in the coming months. SEE: Have Some Spare Cash? You’ll Need it for OpenAI’s New API How does MCP help AI systems access data? Scaling AI models can be a clunky process, as they constantly need access to new third-party data sources, such as cloud servers, business platforms, and legacy systems. Each source will speak its own technological language, requiring developers to build custom integrations for each one. MCP is effectively a universal language that can be used to develop two-way connections between a wide range of AI models and third-party data sources. “The result is a simpler, more reliable way to give AI systems access to the data they need,” Anthropic said. More must-read AI coverage Developers creating AI agents with Agents SDK can either expose their data through so-called “MCP servers” or build “MCP clients,” i.e., apps that easily connect to the servers. This removes the need for countless custom-built integrations and allows AI to access the information it needs across different tools without losing context. Anthropic Chief Product Officer Mike Krieger said he was “excited to see the MCP love spread to OpenAI” in an X post. “LLMs are most useful when connecting to the data you already have and software you already use.” MCP was made open-source in November and since then a number of AI platforms have announced support, including Microsoft Copilot, Apollo, Replit, Codeium, and Sourcegraph. Which AI platforms support MCP? It was just over a week ago that Microsoft announced MCP support in Copilot Studio, allowing users to connect their agents to MCP servers directly within the platform. But just after the OpenAI announcement, Redmond also released a Playwright MCP server on GitHub. MCP agents will easily connect to the server to gain automated browser capabilities such as clicking, typing, and browsing the web. Naturally, the more AI companies that adopt MCP, the more valuable it becomes for the AI community. With OpenAI — Anthropic’s biggest rival — now on board, Anthropic may be on its way to establishing the global standard for agent interconnectivity. source

Here’s my comparison of Xero vs Sage and determine which software suits your business’ accounting and financial reporting needs. Xero and Sage are both cloud-based accounting software that help small businesses and accountants manage invoicing, bank reconciliation, financial reporting, and day-to-day bookkeeping. Xero is known for its modern, intuitive interface and wide range of third-party app integrations, while Sage is favored for its strong compliance features, built-in support for VAT and payroll, and familiarity among traditional accountants. Why you can trust TechRepublic At TechRepublic, we publish high-quality, independently researched reviews created by writers who are experts in the fields they cover. Our contributors include seasoned IT professionals, certified accountants, software developers, and industry consultants—people who have worked directly with the tools they evaluate. Every article is built on firsthand experience, in-depth testing, and a deep understanding of what businesses and tech teams actually need to make confident, informed decisions. Xero vs Sage: Comparison table Xero Sage Starting price $20 $12 Number of users Unlimited Up to 5 Free trial 30 days 30 days Bills and invoices 5 and 20 for Early planUnlimited in higher plans Unlimited Inventory management Yes Yes Project tracking Yes Yes Fixes asset management Yes No Xero vs Sage: Pricing Sage Accounting is the more affordable pick in this comparison but it’s limited upto five users only. Xero is a much pricier option but it offers more advanced features and unlimited seats. Xero Xero Early: $20 per month for unlimited users; five bills and 20 invoices only Xero Growing: $47 per month for unlimited users; unlimited bills and invoices Xero Established: $80 per month for unlimited users; unlimited bills and invoices Sage Accounting Start: $12 per month for one user Accounting Standard: $23 to $32 per month for two to five users Xero vs Sage: Feature comparison In my expert opinion, Xero wins when it comes to features, but that doesn’t mean Sage is an inferior pick. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and my Xero vs Sage comparison really comes down to what your business needs most. I see Sage Accounting as a better fit for users with basic to intermediate needs, while Xero is ideal for those with basic to advanced accounting workflows. If you’re unsure whether to go with Sage or Xero, consider how much flexibility and automation your operations require. Accounts receivable Winner: Xero Xero gives you more control over how you manage receivables. You can automate reminders, set up recurring invoices, and even add late fees—features that help you stay ahead without chasing payments manually. The “Pay Now” option through Stripe or GoCardless makes it easier for clients to pay on time. I’ve found this combo of automation and payment integration especially helpful for improving cash flow, and it’s a key reason I lean toward Xero in my Xero vs Sage comparison. Sage Accounting keeps things much simpler, and that’s its biggest strength. You can create and send invoices quickly using saved customer and product details, and the customization options make your invoices look polished without extra effort. But you won’t get automatic reminders or deep integration with payment platforms, which can slow things down if you’re managing a growing list of receivables. For businesses deciding between Sage vs Xero, Sage is a better fit if you just need the basics done well without too many moving parts. Accounts payable Winner: Xero Xero handles accounts payable with more automation and flexibility. You can upload bills or forward them by email, and Xero will auto-fill the details using OCR. I like that you can schedule payments, set up approval workflows, and batch-pay multiple bills at once — it saves time and cuts down on errors. If you’re managing a high volume of payables, these features make a real difference in the overall Xero vs Sage comparison. Sage Accounting takes a more basic approach, with fewer automation tools on the accounts payable side. Most of its focus is on receivables, but it does let you record and track bills manually. The Debtors Manager module is helpful for chasing payments, but doesn’t do much for managing what you owe. For businesses weighing Sage vs Xero, it’s clear Sage works best when simplicity is the top priority. Project accounting Winner: Xero Xero really gets what project accounting needs to look like. You can build estimates, track labor and materials, and see how each project is performing in real time. The ability to compare actuals to estimates is especially useful when you’re managing budgets closely. If project profitability matters to you, Xero gives you the tools to stay in control. Sage Accounting takes a broader, less detailed approach. Its Project Tracker uses Analysis Codes to track performance across divisions, locations, or jobs, which is helpful for high-level comparisons. But it doesn’t offer the same granularity as Xero — no labor tracking, no real-time costing. For businesses comparing Sage vs Xero, Sage works if you just need to segment reports, but not if you’re tracking project-level profit. Inventory management Winner: Sage Sage Accounting’s inventory tools are built for efficiency and accuracy. With Advanced Inventory, quantities and values update automatically after every sale — no manual journal entries needed. You get a real-time view of stock levels, which helps reduce errors and save time. Everything you need for stock management is centralized, which makes it easier to stay organized as your business grows. Xero covers the basics well but falls short on more advanced inventory features. You can track quantities, costs, and COGS using a perpetual system, and it integrates smoothly with payables and receivables. But you can’t view inventory on purchase orders, and it lacks flexibility in inventory valuation methods. If you’re weighing Xero vs Sage for inventory management, Xero is solid for simple needs — Sage is the better fit when inventory is core to your workflow. Xero pros and cons Pros of Xero Has unlimited users Offers automated invoice reminders and recurring billing Has fixed asset tracking features Includes project tracking and job costing in

Ant Group claims its AI models outperformed Meta’s in benchmarks and cut inference costs, signaling a potential leap forward in China’s AI development efforts. source

Best overall facial recognition software: Amazon Rekognition Best for KYC verification: BioID Best AI-powered ID verification for travel and border checks: Paravision Best for law enforcement use cases: Cognitec Best for AI developers using Java, .NET, C++ for facial recognition technology development: Luxand Best for transparent pricing for different business types: Kairos Best for small to mid-sized businesses: Sky Biometry Best for grocery store theft prevention: FaceFirst Best for skeleton detection: Face++ Best for flexible deployment options: Trueface Biometric security technologies such as facial recognition, are becoming more sophisticated due to the rise in cybersecurity threats. Facial recognition software employs artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan human faces and match them against existing biometric data to confirm if an individual should be granted access to an application, computer system, or environment. Here’s a look at the current top facial recognition software vendors, as well as use cases for the technology. ManageEngine Log360 Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and more Graylog Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Monitoring, Dashboard, Notifications ManageEngine Desktop Central Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Activity Monitoring, Antivirus, Dashboard, and more Top facial recognition software: Comparison table The comparison table below highlights some of the features of facial recognition software, which product has what and a snippet of what the pricing looks like. Product Liveness Detection ID verification for KYC Video analytics Spoofing detection Pricing Amazon Rekognition Yes Yes Yes Yes Pricing varies depending on region and usage. BioID Yes Yes No Yes Contact vendor for a quote. Paravision Yes No Yes Yes Contact vendor for a quote. Cognitec Yes Yes Yes Yes Contact vendor for a quote. Luxand Yes No Yes Yes Contact vendor for a quote. Kairos Yes Yes Yes Yes Starts at $19/month plus a 14-day free trial. Sky Biometry Yes No Yes Yes Starts at $55 per month. FaceFirst Yes No Yes No Contact vendor for a quote. Face++ Yes No Yes Yes Starts from $100/ Day, depending on the number of requests. Trueface Yes No Yes Yes Contact the vendor for quote. Amazon Rekognition: Best overall facial recognition software Amazon Rekognition is a popular provider of facial recognition services around the world. The Rekognition software has facial search and facial analysis features that help record facial detection, user verification, and public security use. In addition, the software has a huge database at its disposal, enhancing its accuracy in object recognition. With the Amazon Rekognition software, image, and video hosting providers can easily apply content moderation capabilities to their applications and websites. Content moderation helps to identify inappropriate or unsafe images or videos. Furthermore, this software can label a wide range of objects and detect custom logos, celebrities, and texts. Why I chose Amazon Rekognition I chose Amazon Rekognition as my best overall for its scalability, extensive database, and transparent pricing. It’s also got the advantage of being an Amazon product, which enables easy integration with AWS services. This alone makes it a prime consideration for a number of businesses and enterprises. Pricing Amazon Rekognition is available as part of AWS Free Tier. Organizations can use this tier for up to 12 months. On the free tier package, users can analyze up to 5,000 images and store up to 1,000 face metadata objects per month. The paid tier depends on the region where the service is hosted and the volume of usage. For the paid tier, the cost of image processing starts at $0.001 per image for the first one million images analyzed, while the cost of storing face metadata is $0.00001 per metadata per month. For more complex needs, AWS provides a pricing calculator. Features Offers image and video moderation through image and video detection and analytics. Face liveness detection. Face compare and search support. Face detection and analysis. Content moderation (recognition of inappropriate content for moderation). Pros and cons Pros Cons Free 12-month usage. You can easily scale up and down depending on your need for the product. Businesses can easily connect via an API. Pricing categories are transparent. The pricing could be complicated for a quick buyer. BioID: Best for KYC verification BioID offers cloud-based facial recognition software that can be accessed from anywhere using APIs. BioID has two major features: liveness detection and photoverify facial recognition. Liveness detection is a wonderful tool for fighting online frauds. This feature can easily detect live persons, spoofing attacks and differentiate humans from avatars, but requires some level of human interaction to function. The photoverify feature is a solution for Know Your Customer verification, facial log-in use cases, and other facial recognition needs. Why I chose BioID I chose BioID for its effective KYC verification process and impressive liveness detection feature. Pricing For pricing contact BioID support Features Offers spoofing attack detection. Supports ‘Proof of life” verification for recipients of pensions and benefits. Supports mask authentication that only needs the eyes to work. Offers selfie verification for online banking and digital onboarding. Pros and cons Pros Cons KYC verification is straightforward. It can be used for remote identity verification through live face matching. Supports biometric verification of ID ownership through PhotoVerify. There is no free trial. Pricing is not transparent. Paravision: Best AI-powered ID verification for travel and border checks Paravision is a cloud-based AI recognition solution with several quality characteristics. Founded to solve activity recognition and facial recognition issues, Paravision relies on real-time streaming and frame-based techniques to provide face detection solutions. The software easily detects and verifies faces and maps their locations during live sessions. Other features include face clustering, face comparison, spoof detection, phenotype detection, and age