Technology

Nikon’s new $2,500 Z6 III has the world’s first partially stacked CMOS sensor

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

Nikon’s new ,500 Z6 III has the world’s first partially stacked CMOS sensor

At the beginning of a recent photo walk with a Nikon representative, I was told it was only a matter of time before I became a “birder”. Because eventually every photographer runs out of things to take photos of and is left with only one subject to master: birds. Which, because of advancements in sensor technology, have become a much easier target.

The Nikon Z6 III has an articulating back screen that is typical of hybrid photo / video cameras.

It was on this same photo walk that I got a few hours with the new $2,500 Nikon Z6 III. And the big news in this camera is its 24.5-megapixel partially stacked CMOS sensor. This is the first camera, ever, to employ this technology. Instead of the circuit parts and pixel area both stretching the full corner-to-corner dimensions of the image sensor and sitting on top of each other, as in the more expensive Nikon Z9 or Nikon Z8, or not being stacked at all, as in the previous Nikon Z6 II, the Z6 III’s circuit parts are stacked as bars on the top and bottom of the pixel area.

It results in higher continuous shooting rates, faster autofocus, higher video frame rates, and less rolling shutter effect than the previous Z6 II, with its BSI CMOS sensor in e-shutter mode. But it also means that the Z6 III is not as speedy as the more premium Z8 or Z9 with their fully stacked sensors. In simple terms, partially stacking the sensor allows Nikon to keep this camera’s price below that of the Z8 and Z9 while also much improving the performance of it over the previous generation.

The other important updates are the Z6 III’s incredibly bright electronic view finder that can reach a peak brightness of 4,000 nits and the cameras ability to film 6K RAW video at up to 60fps and 4K RAW up to 120fps. Nikon is also promising Z8 level build quality, which means the camera is dust and moisture sealed and rated for operation down to 14°F/−10°C. Simply put, Nikon builds very resilient cameras that don’t skimp on specs. And also cameras that can turn any photographer into a birder.

The handgrip on the Nikon Z6 III is deep enough for long-term comfort.

I chose the Staten Island Ferry for my photo walk with the Z6 III because of its endless opportunities for people watching and incredible views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Match that with the boat’s iconic orange color and you are guaranteed at least a few great shots. What I had never paid much attention to before were all of the birds using the boat’s slipstream to move across the harbor.

While the Z6 III does not have a dedicated bird focus mode, Nikon claims that its autofocus is 20% faster than the Z6 II and has an extended range down to -10EV, meaning it is more sensitive even in lowlight conditions. And while on the back of the ferry, it had absolutely no trouble locking onto birds. Within minutes of taking off from Lower Manhattan I was whipping the Z6 III from left to right attempting to capture seagulls. Eventually I smartened up and framed One World Trade Center and waited for a bird to cross my frame. And as soon as a bird would enter the camera locked right the moving object that was a seagull. Within minutes I had shot well over 100 photos.

Photos taken with the Nikon Z6 III + Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR Lens

There of course then came the moment I thought “what the hell am I going to do with all these photos of birds”. Which is why I would like to thank you all for clicking through the above slideshow and giving my new found passion for bird photography a reason to exist.

Much like the Z8 and Z9, Nikon increasingly makes cameras that are so responsive and intuitive that you no longer have to spend as much time thinking about problems such as focus, hand shake, or shutter speed. You can quickly point the camera in any direction and it will capture something in focus.

That being said, there is only so much I could test in my few hours with this camera. I didn’t have a low light environment to test the ISO ranges or low light autofocus, I didn’t have multiple subjects to test skin tone representation on, and I didn’t have ND filters in order to get a proper video exposure for testing 6K RAW. So while I had a lot of fun, and am now a certified “birder” there is certainly a lot more testing that needs to be done on this new partially stacked sensor technology. But in my short time with it, I can confidently say that in no way did it feel like a step back. The Z6 III will be available starting today for $2,500.

Technology

Apple launches iOS 26.4 with AI playlists, purchase sharing, and more

Published

2 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Apple launches iOS 26.4 with AI playlists, purchase sharing, and more

iOS 26.4 is here, and it comes with a bunch of small but notable updates. That includes a new Playlist Playground launching in beta in Apple Music, which uses AI to generate a song playlist — complete with a title, description, and tracklist — based on a text prompt.

Apple Music is also adding a new concert discovery feature, allowing you to find nearby shows featuring artists from your library, as well as new ones recommended by the app. Other updates include full-screen backgrounds for album and playlist pages, along with a new Offline Music Recognition tool that “identifies songs without an internet connection and delivers results automatically when you’re back online.”

Apple’s Family Sharing feature, which allows you to share Apple subscriptions with up to six other people, will now let each adult member add their own payment methods to make purchases (instead of just using the method belonging to the group organizer). Additionally, iOS 26.4 adds eight new emoji, including an orca, trombone, landslide, ballet dancer, and distorted face. It also improves the accuracy of its keyboard when typing quickly, according to Apple.

There are a few new accessibility features, too, including an update to Apple’s “reduce bright effects” setting that now minimizes flashes that occur when tapping on certain elements like buttons. Apple is making subtitle and caption settings easier to find as well, and says its “reduce motion” setting now “more reliably reduces the animations of Liquid Glass.”

Apple released its macOS 26.4 update as well, which introduces a new compact tab bar option in Safari and the ability to set charging limits from 80 to 100 percent to help preserve the lifespan of your device’s battery.

Technology

DocuSign email scam targets healthcare workers

Published

2 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

DocuSign email scam targets healthcare workers

Cyber expert shares tips to avoid AI phishing scams

Kurt ‘The CyberGuy’ Knutsson shares practical ways to avoid falling victim to AI-generated phishing scams and discusses a report that North Korean agents are posing as I.T. workers to funnel money into the country’s nuclear program.

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Most of us sign documents online without thinking twice. A quick DocuSign request appears in your inbox. You click the link, review the document and move on with your day. That convenience is exactly what scammers rely on. Recently, we received a message from a CyberGuy reader that shows how convincing these scams can look. In this case, the email appeared to come from a health licensing authority and asked the recipient to review a document tied to a professional license renewal.

Here is the email we received from Susie, a registered nurse in Florida who nearly fell for the scam.

“I am a Registered Nurse, and my bi-annual renewal is approaching. Last month, I received a surprising (at least to me) email with a document to DocuSign from the state Board of Health. It didn’t feel right, even though I have used DocuSign multiple times in the past. Those experiences were known transactions. I contacted the state board, and they confirmed that it IS a SCAM. I sent them screenshots, etc. and reported the message for phishing. I want to thank you, Kurt, because it was thanks to you that I questioned the veracity of this outreach. Reading the articles and tips you provide saved me a great deal of trouble. Thanks again, and all you nurses out there renewing your license, be wary.” – Susie C, Orlando, FL

Susie did exactly what security experts recommend. She paused and verified the message before clicking anything. That one step likely prevented a phishing attack.

SCAMMERS ARE USING DOCUSIGN EMAILS TO PUSH APPLE PAY FRAUD

Security experts warn that DocuSign scams exploit routine online habits to steal passwords and access personal or professional accounts. (ilkercelik/Getty Images)

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What the suspicious DocuSign email looked like

Susie also shared a screenshot of the message she received. At first glance, the email looks familiar. The blue layout resembles real DocuSign notifications. There is even a large yellow Review Document button. But one detail stood out immediately.

The email address sending the message was:
info.florida-department-of-health-email-notification@cc.ncu.edu.tw

That address has nothing to do with a U.S. state health department.

Why DocuSign scams work so well

DocuSign is used by millions of businesses and government agencies. Because people expect these requests, they often click without hesitation. Scammers exploit that habit. A typical DocuSign phishing email tries to create urgency. It may claim a license renewal, a contract update, or a payroll form requires immediate action. Once you click the button, several things may happen:

You may land on a fake login page designed to steal your email password.
The site may prompt you to download a malicious file.
The link may redirect you to several phishing pages.

In many cases, the goal is simple. Attackers want your email credentials so they can take over your account or launch more scams.

10 WAYS TO PROTECT SENIORS FROM EMAIL SCAMS

A Florida nurse avoided a DocuSign phishing scam after spotting a suspicious email tied to a fake health license renewal request. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Red flags in the DocuSign scam email

A few warning signs can help you spot a fake request quickly.

Suspicious sender address

Always look closely at the sender’s domain. Government agencies rarely send messages from foreign academic domains like .edu.tw. That alone signals something is wrong.

Unexpected documents

Legitimate DocuSign requests usually follow a known interaction. For example, a contract you discussed or paperwork you expect. An unexpected document should always raise questions.

Pressure to act quickly

Many phishing emails include language that urges immediate action. The goal is to stop you from thinking. Take a moment before clicking any button.

Generic document descriptions

The message shown in the screenshot simply states that a document is ready to review. It provides no real context or explanation. Legitimate documents often include details about the transaction.

How clicking the link could compromise you

Many people assume they will recognize a fake page. In reality, phishing sites look very convincing. Some scams even use cloned DocuSign pages. Once victims enter their credentials, attackers gain access to their email accounts.

From there, criminals can:

Reset passwords for financial services
Send phishing emails to contacts
Search inboxes for sensitive documents

In healthcare professions, that risk can also expose licensing information or patient-related communications.

APPLE APP PASSWORD SCAM EMAIL WARNING

Cybercriminals are using fake DocuSign emails to trick users into clicking malicious links and handing over sensitive login credentials. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ways to stay safe from DocuSign phishing scams

Fortunately, a few habits can dramatically lower your risk.

1) Verify the request separately

If a document claims to come from a government agency or employer, contact them directly using a known phone number or website. Never use the contact information inside the suspicious email.

2) Hover over links before clicking

Move your cursor over the button and check the destination link. If the URL looks unfamiliar or unrelated to DocuSign, do not click it.

3) Don’t click links and use strong antivirus software

If an email seems suspicious, do not click the link or open any attachment. Strong antivirus software can help block malicious downloads, warn you about dangerous websites and catch threats before they spread across your device. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

4) Use a data removal service

Scammers often gather personal details from data broker sites and public records to make phishing emails seem more believable. A data removal service can help reduce your exposed information online, which may make it harder for criminals to target you with convincing messages. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

5) Access documents through official accounts

If you regularly use DocuSign, sign in directly at the official website and check your pending documents there. That approach avoids email traps entirely.

6) Report phishing attempts

Forward suspicious messages to your organization’s security team or the Federal Trade Commission phishing reporting system at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC also advises forwarding phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. Reporting scams helps protect others from the same attack.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Scams succeed because they blend into everyday routines. Signing documents online has become normal for work, healthcare licensing and financial paperwork. That convenience also gives criminals a perfect disguise. Susie’s story shows how a small moment of doubt can stop a phishing attack before it begins. A quick call to the licensing board revealed the truth. The message was never legitimate.

Now the question is one every reader should consider. If a DocuSign email arrived in your inbox right now, would you notice the warning signs before clicking the button? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the US

Published

14 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the US

In December, the Federal Communications Commission banned all future drones made in foreign countries from being imported into the United States, unless or until their maker gets an exemption. Now, the FCC has done the exact same for consumer networking gear, citing “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”

If you already have a Wi-Fi or wired router, you can keep on using it — and companies that have already gotten FCC radio authorization for a specific foreign-made product can continue to import that product.

But since the vast majority — if not all — consumer routers are manufactured outside the United States, the vast majority of future consumer routers are now banned. By adding all foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List, the FCC is saying it will no longer authorize their radios, which de facto bans new devices from import into the country.

Now, router makers need to A) secure a “conditional approval” that lets them keep getting new products cleared for US entry while they work to convince the government that they’ll open up manufacturing in the US, or B) make the decision to skip selling future products in the US, like dronemaker DJI already did.

Like with the foreign drone ban, the FCC has a National Security Determination that it says justifies these actions, one which claims that “Allowing routers produced abroad to dominate the U.S. market creates unacceptable economic, national security, and cybersecurity risks,” and that “routers produced abroad were directly implicated in the Volt, Flax, and Salt Typhoon cyberattacks which targeted critical American communications, energy, transportation, and water infrastructure.”

“Given the criticality of routers to the successful functioning of our nation’s economy and defense, the United States can no longer depend on foreign nations for router manufacturing,” reads another passage.

It is true that a great many router vulnerabilities have surfaced over the years, which make them a popular target for hackers and botnets. It is also true that one China-founded company, TP-Link, is dominant in the US consumer market; US authorities had previously considered a specific TP-Link ban due to that dominance and national security concerns. (TP-Link has been attempting to distance itself from China, splitting off from the Chinese entity in 2022, establishing a global headquarters in California in 2024, and suing Netgear in 2025 for suggesting that TP-Link had been infiltrated by the Chinese government.)

It is not clear how simply moving production of routers domestically would make them safer. In the Volt Typhoon hack, Chinese state-sponsored hackers primarily targeted Cisco and Netgear routers, routers designed by US companies, according to the Department of Justice. They were vulnerable because those US companies had stopped providing security updates to the specific targeted routers, which had been discontinued by those companies.

While the FCC’s Covered List makes it sound like the US is banning all “routers produced in a foreign country,” it’s defined a bit more narrowly than that. It’s specifically banning “consumer-grade routers” as defined in NIST Internal Report 8425A, which refers to ones “intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer.”

“Virtually all routers are made outside the United States, including those produced by U.S.-based companies like TP-Link, which manufactures its products in Vietnam,” reads part of a statement from TP-Link via third-party spokesperson Ricca Silverio. “It appears that the entire router industry will be impacted by the FCC’s announcement concerning new devices not previously authorized by the FCC.”

Update, March 23rd: Clarified how TP-Link has distanced itself from China, and added company statement.

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