We're halfway through The Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and I still maintain the opinion that it's better than the original CBS sitcom.

But that hasn't stopped the two from being heavily intertwined. Over the last four episodes, we've seen cameo appearances from Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) and Amy (Mayim Bialik). Could this week add a fifth member to the growing party?

Judging by the trailer, things are set to feel a little more primitive instead. So, when does Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 4 arrive on HBO Max?

What time can I watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 5 on HBO Max?

For US viewers, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 5 will drop on Thursday, August 20 at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET.

Internationally, you're looking out for these timings:

• US – Thursday, August 20 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Thursday, August 20 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK – Friday, August 21 at 2am BST
• India – Friday, August 21 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, August 21 at 9am SGT
• Australia – Friday, August 21 at 11am AEDT
• New Zealand – Friday, August 21 at 12pm NZDT

When do new episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe come out?

New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will make landfall every Thursday in the US and on Fridays everywhere else. Here are the all-important dates you need to know about:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: out now
• Episode 4: out now
• Episode 5: August 20
• Episode 6: August 27
• Episode 7: September 3
• Episode 8: September 10
• Episode 9: September 17
• Episode 10: September 24

You might be looking at the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or Garmin Fenix 8 and balking at the cost of fitness watches these days, but tracking your health doesn't have to empty your wallet. There are plenty of terrific budget options, and below we've listed six of the best, all of which you can find for under $100.

There's the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, which tops our general guide to the best cheap fitness trackers and offers plenty of fitness modes and handy lifestyle features, all for a very affordable price. You'll also find the new-for-2026 Google Fitbit Air — a trending AI-powered screenless device and Whoop competitor worthy of inclusion. If you bought into its optional premium subscription, that would take it over the $100 mark, but it serves just fine as a basic, discreet wellness tracker without it and the option to subscribe is always there should you want more. On the other hand, its rival the Amazfit Helio Strap doesn't actually need a subscription at all.

Staying with Amazfit, the Amazfit Active 2 got a massive five stars when we reviewed it last year, and you can pick it up on Amazon for just $99 now. If you're looking for a cheap fitness watch, it doesn't get much better.

Found one you like, but not sure how best to use your new toy? Check out our list of 5 ways to use a cheap fitness tracker to supercharge your gym workout.

Today's best cheap fitness tracker deals

Considering that in 2024 the Disney Experiences panel at D23 delivered the news that Disney would be bringing new lands to parks across the globe, expansions on the high seas, attraction updates, and entirely new attractions, the bar was set high for D23 2026's Horizons: A Carousel of Progress keynote.

Even more so, many of these projects already have shovels in the ground. At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, construction is well underway for Piston Peak — a new Cars-focused area — and Villains Land. Nearby, at Hollywood Studios, there's Monstropolis, while Animal Kingdom has Tropical Americas being built. Across the coast at Disneyland, work is underway on the expansion of Avengers Campus.

With many of these projects already in motion, the question heading into this year's showcase wasn't necessarily whether Disney would deliver more announcements, but what updates we'd get on the already-announced projects and whether there would be a few surprises.

It was a wide-ranging, two-hour-plus show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and featuring many of Walt Disney Imagineering's brass, along with Thomas Mazloum, head of Disney Experiences. Here are some of my favorites from the night.

Piston Peak will bring two new Cars attractions to Magic Kingdom

I'm a pretty big fan of Cars, and it's likely no surprise that Piston Peak was the highlight for me.

The main off-road racing attraction will be called Cars: Ridge Run Rally, and like Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure, guests will race against other ride vehicles, each with its own personality. Disney is also introducing a brand-new ride system designed to give guests a stronger sense of the bumps, dips, and other road elements as they race through Piston Peak.

It also won't be the open road of Route 66. Since Piston Peak is a national park, guests will encounter a variety of landscapes throughout the race. At one point, you'll race toward the top of the mountain for a snow-filled scene before heading back down through bumps and high-speed moments in the desert. Eventually, you'll encounter geysers before reaching two familiar faces at the end of the track: Lightning McQueen and Mater.

Because it will be outdoors in Orlando, Disney says the attraction will be designed to operate in both sun and rain. Of course, lightning will likely shut it down.

There will also be a second attraction, Miss Fritter's Daredevil Spin-Along, which takes its name from the character from Cars 3. Guests will board a vehicle and spin around as they make their way through the attraction, making it suitable for a wide range of ages.

There's still no timeframe for when Piston Peak will open. If we had to guess, 2028 seems like a reasonable target, but construction is already well underway.

Monstropolis will open in 2027 with a show, food, and shops

I've already been behind the walls of the Monsters, Inc. land being built at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and even a few months ago, I noted that construction in the former Muppets area seemed to be moving quickly.

D23 brought confirmation that a portion of Monstropolis will open in 2027. It will include the Glob Theater show, Welcome to Monstropolis, Harryhausen's restaurant, and a pizza eatery named Archie's Scare Pig Pizza.

Those will be the main components when the area first opens, with the much-anticipated Door Coaster arriving later. It appears Disney wants to open the rest of the land as quickly as possible while the signature attraction continues development. At D23, Disney did tease that the suspended Door Coaster will lift you 40 feet in just four seconds right before you venture into the iconic door vault.

We're still waiting for more details on the theater, but the concept art gives us a few hints. A laugh canister appears to jet out into the audience, while monsters can be seen on the main stage, in the crowd, and on elevated stages on either side. It also appears there will be a live monster band, potentially playing the new original song, Welcome to Monstropolis, written by Randy Newman.

Then there's Harryhausen's, which will likely be a dream come true for many Monsters, Inc. fans. Guests will actually be able to step inside the restaurant from the film, complete with an impressive animatronic of Roz.

While we still have plenty more to learn, Disney has now given us a much clearer picture of what will be ready when Monstropolis first opens in 2027 — and what will keep us waiting.

Tropical Americas brings Indiana Jones and Encanto to Animal Kingdom

Next up was Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, where we got new details on both the Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions.

The Indiana Jones attraction now has an official name: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. Perhaps the biggest news here is that, for the first time, Harrison Ford himself is being used as the model for the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic.

The ride will use the same ride system as the popular Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, but with a completely new story, scenes, and animatronics.

Disney also revealed the name of the Encanto attraction: Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto. The ride will take place on Antonio's gift day, with you invited into Casita to celebrate his new ability.

We got to see the moment guests enter Casita, as well as the ride vehicles, which are designed to feel like pieces of furniture brought to life by the house.

One of the more interesting elements shown was how the attraction will handle elevation changes. Disney appears to be using a new ride system that makes it feel as though the vehicle is moving up or down without the track physically raising or lowering.

The ride will eventually take guests upstairs into Antonio's room, which has been transformed into a rainforest filled with a bevy of animals including a capybara, a toucan, and a donkey.

Interestingly enough, Disney didn't announce an opening date during the panel. The company has already announced that Tropical Americas is expected to arrive in 2027, so for now, that remains the target.

Fans of Expedition Everest will be thrilled with this news — the Yeti will finally be returning to its original form on the rollercoaster after years of the legendary creature being stuck in its B mode. Simply, the Yeti won't be frozen for much longer.

Villains Land will bring Disney's biggest villains together

The other active construction site in Magic Kingdom right now — or should we say just outside the current edges of the park — is Villains Land. While D23 2024 confirmed that the land was coming, we finally got more details at D23 2026.

The land will actually be named Villains Land, and Imagineering is touting it as something unlike any other land Disney has developed. The focus will be squarely on the characters, bringing together some of Disney's most infamous villains, including Dr. Facilier, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil.

The main attraction will be a Maleficent-themed coaster that sends guests racing around her mountain fortress before eventually coming face-to-face with the villain herself. The ride will feature tight turns, potentially some tipping-track elements, and a very energetic feel throughout.

The other attraction will be a dark ride themed around the Magic Mirror. Guests will travel into the Mirror Realm and encounter several of Disney's villains along the way. Among those shown so far are Cruella de Vil, Ursula, Jafar, and Mufasa, but Disney is keeping the specific details of the story under wraps for now.

With two attractions on this scale, Villains Land could end up being one of the most ambitious additions ever made to Magic Kingdom.

EPCOT's Spaceship Earth and Figment will get reimagined

Over at EPCOT, Disney also gave us a look at two projects that have been in the works for some time: the reimagining of Spaceship Earth and the return of Figment and Dreamfinder to the Imagination pavilion.

Spaceship Earth will be receiving a major update, expanding the attraction's story while retaining the optimism and wonder that have defined it for generations.

Figment and Dreamfinder, meanwhile, are getting ready to embark on a new journey into imagination at EPCOT. Disney didn't reveal too many details about the new experience, but just the return of Dreamfinder alongside Figment is enough to get plenty of EPCOT fans excited.

Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab will open in 2028

At Disneyland, the biggest update came from Avengers Campus, which is undergoing a massive expansion that will ultimately double its size. Disney confirmed that both Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab will open in 2028.

Avengers Infinity Defense will put guests in the role of new recruits tasked with helping reassemble the Avengers to take on King Thanos. The attraction will travel across locations including Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City, blending massive physical sets with large-scale media.

Perhaps the biggest casting news is that several heroes will be portrayed by their original on-screen actors, including Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

Downey Jr. will also appear in Stark Flight Lab, alongside Mackie and Brie Larson. Guests will board two-person pods, then be grabbed by a giant robotic arm and thrown into a simulated flight experience inspired by Iron Man and the other Avengers.

More details for Coco at Disney California Adventure

Disney also shared more about the upcoming Coco attraction, the first ride based on the Pixar film at a Disney park. The story will take place one year after the original film, beginning in a "casa museo" dedicated to Héctor's music before guests board a boat and travel with Miguel through his memories of the Land of the Dead.

The attraction will feature Miguel, Dante, Héctor, and plenty of other familiar characters, with Disney and Pixar working together to ensure the ride celebrates both the original film and the upcoming Coco 2. There will also be no height requirement, which will make this a family-friendly option at California Adventure.

Disneyland's Tomorrowland set for a major change

Finally, Disney announced that Disneyland's Tomorrowland is set for a major reimagining. There aren't many specifics yet, but Imagineering says the transformation will honor the legacy of the original land while introducing new attractions, more open spaces, and new places for guests to experience the future.

Looking at the updates coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World, there's more happening across the parks than we've seen in quite some time. With so many of the projects announced in 2024 now actively under construction, it's clear that Disney wanted to use this year's showcase to give fans a much closer look at what's actually being built.

Could we have gotten a few more details on Tropical Americas, Coco, or even more on Avatar at Disneyland? Absolutely. But overall, Horizons: A Carousel of Progress gave us plenty to be excited about, while showing just how much detail Imagineering is putting into these new lands and attractions.

And perhaps most importantly, there was a sense that Disney is recommitting to some of its longtime fans. The return of Dreamfinder and Figment at EPCOT, the reimagining of Tomorrowland at Disneyland, and even the return of the Yeti to Expedition Everest show that Disney isn't only looking toward what's next. It's also looking back at some of what made these parks special in the first place.

• Schenker Element 16 (E26) is on sale now, pairing Intel Panther Lake processors with a 120 Hz 1600p display and a 72 Wh battery in a 1.9 kg chassis, shipping in late August
• The laptop's screwless quick-release chassis and a firmly planned next-generation mainboard swap make it a potential contender to other semi-modular Framework-built laptops rivals
• Its 72 GB RAM ceiling is an interesting configuration, thanks to 8 GB of soldered memory plus a single SODIMM slot that accepts a module with up to 64GB of memory

Schenker has put its long-teased Element 16 on sale worldwide, and the spec sheet leads with a number you will not find on any other laptop this year: up to 72 GB of DDR5 memory.

The 16-inch machine, sold under the model code E26 through the company's Bestware store, starts at 1,499 euros, with orders expected to ship in late August 2026.

Buyers can also get a 5% early-bird discount, available until the end of the month, plus a 20-euro discount voucher if they sign up for the store's newsletter.

A Framework competitor with an interesting RAM configuration

The Schenker Element 16's potential 72GB of RAM deserves scrutiny for a few reasons: how it is configured to get there and whether it's available. The Element 16 pairs 8 GB of soldered DDR5 with a single SODIMM slot, and filling that slot with a 64 GB module produces the magic number (72 GB) in an 8G+64G configuration.

This may not have been intentional; ComputerBase, a German news outlet, reported (DE) that Schenker originally planned a replaceable LPCAMM2 module for this design before settling on the soldered-plus-SODIMM arrangement that shipped.

The silicon is Intel's new Panther Lake generation, marketed as Core Ultra 300. Buyers choose between the eight-core Core Ultra 5 325 in the base configuration and the 16-core Core Ultra 7 356H for a 150 euro premium. Both chips include an NPU for local AI workloads, and both rely on integrated Intel graphics with four Xe3 cores rather than a discrete GPU.

By the standards of a 1.9 kg machine with all-day battery ambitions, the Element 16 is genuinely quick, and 72 GB of memory will happily swallow the virtual machines, containers, and outsized datasets that justify a configuration like this. Getting the memory configuration, however, might be easier said than done, however.

While the laptop can be configured with up to 72 GB, the configurator says the memory configuration is "currently not available." Users can still opt for a Kingston Fury or Crucial memory module that currently offers a 40 GB SKU.

If you are willing to wait, however, the Schenker Element 16 is a compelling alternative to the popular, modular Framework lineup that's been all the rage lately for its upgrade-friendly designs.

The 16-inch IPS panel runs at 2560 x 1600 with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 400 nits of brightness, full sRGB coverage, an anti-glare finish, and a 180-degree hinge. Storage sits in an M.2 slot with PCIe 5.0 connectivity, configurable up to 8 TB, which Schenker's technical FAQ notes is a first for its thin-and-light lineup, since Panther Lake supplies the PCIe 5.0 lanes directly from the processor.

The laptop also meets MIL-STD-810H durability standards and offers solid connectivity, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, Wi-Fi 7, HDMI, two USB-A ports, a microSD reader, and an audio jack.

What distinguishes the Element 16 in a crowded 16-inch market is the promise behind its quick-release bottom panel: a mainstream-looking laptop whose maker has publicly committed to at least one more generation of drop-in mainboards. Whether that commitment holds, is financially viable compared with buying a new laptop, and offers multiple trims based on consumer needs remains unanswered for now, even if you are willing to wait an unstated amount of time to get it in a 72 GB trim.

Keychron K8 Ultra 8K: One-minute review

The Keychron K8 Ultra 8K is a wireless mechanical keyboard with an impressive spec that hopes to compete with the more premium offerings in the space.

It exhibits the brand’s typical design language, with its sizable keycaps and retro looks. The whole unit is black, save for some grey and green keycaps. To liven things up, it features some bright backlighting with plenty of customization options, although the keycap legends aren’t transparent, so it doesn’t illuminate them. This makes them harder to see in dark environments, which somewhat defeats the backlight’s purpose.

The board base is very thick, which means you have to angle your wrists considerably to reach the tall keys. It’s in dire need of wrist support, which is an oversight since a lot of the best keyboards come with a rest. It’s also quite heavy, thanks to its metal construction. This does help to keep it planted, though, and it’s as solid as you would expect it to be.

To customize the inputs of the K8 Ultra 8K, you’ll have to use Keychron’s Web Launcher. Here you’ll find a reasonable selection of rebinding options, and there’s also a basic but functional SOCD function for altering key priority. It’s a relatively easy app to use, and despite being web-based, it’s quick and responsive; I didn’t encounter any disruptive loading times during my time with it.

In action, the K8 Ultra 8K performs well. The keys are sufficiently damped, although some clickiness remains, which can be a little harsh at times, but mostly they’re satisfying to use. They’re snappy and responsive, too, while being forgiving of accidental nudges. The indents and shape of the keycaps are comfortable and offer a secure hold.

However, the switches of my review unit didn’t have the smoothest of motions. The keys are also spaced quite far apart, which can make reaching certain inputs a stretch. What’s more, the aforementioned angle your wrists are forced to adopt can lead to strain after short periods. I had no issues with connecting the K8 Ultra 8K via 2.4GHz or Bluetooth, and switching between them was quick and easy.

The K8 Ultra 8K is a reasonable price when you consider all that it offers. There are certainly much dearer mechanical keyboards, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, but there are also cheaper ones, such as the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra. However, the K8 Ultra 8K remains a solid choice if you like a substantial board — just pair it with a wrist rest.

Keychron K8 Ultra 8K review: Price & availability

• $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170)
• Available now in three switch types
• Good price for a wireless mechanical keyboard

The K8 Ultra 8K costs $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170) and is available now from Keychron’s website, with shipping rates varying according to region. It can be had with a choice of three switch types: Red, Brown, or Banana. It comes with a braided USB cable, several spare keycaps, and a keycap puller.

This is a good price for a wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable switches. Similar models from bigger names can cost considerably more, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%. However, the performance of that board is far superior, being perhaps the best mechanical keyboard I’ve ever tested. Its switches are a joy to press, while the companion software offers more customizations and tweaks.

If you’re after a more budget-friendly gaming keyboard, the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra is hard to beat for value. It has a surprisingly high-quality design, while its analog switches feel almost as good as mechanical ones, with added actuation adjustments.

Keychron K8 Ultra 8K review: Specs

Keychron K8 Ultra 8K review: Design & features

• Retro look
• Solid, thick, and heavy
• Reasonable web app for customizations

The K8 Ultra 8K adopts Keychron's signature aesthetics, which is to say it has a thick base, tall keycaps, and a black colorway. However, there are a few grey peripheral keys, as well as a green Escape key, to add some contrast.

Allied to its thick chassis is a substantial weight. This helps the K8 Ultra 8K to stay planted, but makes it a chore to move around frequently. Build quality is also impressive, with its metal frame feeling as solid as you would expect it to feel, while the keycaps have only a hint of play.

What’s disappointing about them, though, is their opaque symbols. This means the vivid RGB backlighting doesn’t get a chance to shine through them; in fact, it can actively obscure them in dark environments, which defeats at least part of the backlighting’s purpose. Fortunately, it still shines through the spaces between the keys, and there are plenty of customizable patterns for it.

Like some other Keychron models, the K8 Ultra 8K’s USB port is located on the left side of the unit, rather than at the back. This is an interesting location and can help to reduce the cable interfering with deskspace, depending on your particular setup. The included cable’s jack protrudes slightly from the side, but since it’s L-shaped, it's actually quite discreet. This shape also helps the cable to naturally follow a path less intrusive to deskspace.

Keychron doesn’t offer a downloadable app for the K8 Ultra 8K; instead, you’ll have to use the Keychron Web Launcher via a browser. Quite often, such web apps can be slow and awkward, with frequent loading times and connectivity issues. However, I found Keychron’s fast and easy to use.

What’s more, it offers a reasonable amount of customization. Besides standard key assignments, there are quite a few shortcuts for various system commands and media controls. There’s also a SOCD feature with three different modes, as well as a section for altering the bounce (more commonly referred to as debounce) times of key presses and resets, with sliders for each ranging from 10ms to 50ms, with single millisecond increments selectable.

Keychron K8 Ultra 8K review: Performance

• Tactile and damped switches
• Snappy yet forgiving
• Uncomfortable thickness

True to its mechanical nature, the K8 Ultra 8K is quite a satisfying board to use. The Brown Tactile switches in my review unit were sufficiently damped, though there was some clickiness to them. For the most part I liked this aspect, although hard presses can feel a little harsh. Worse is the roughness of their motion as they travel, which doesn’t feel particularly pleasant. Fortunately, this doesn't completely sap the joy out of presses, and it didn’t affect my performance in any significant way.

The switches are also quite snappy, requiring only a light touch to actuate. Better yet, they’re forgiving at the same time: whenever I accidentally grazed a key I didn’t intend to hit, often it wouldn’t register. This combination makes it ideal for fast typing.

The keycaps themselves are comfortable, thanks to their ergonomic indents, which also provide security. This comfort extends to the space bar, which I could easily hit flush when in the WASD position. That’s not something I can say about every space bar I’ve experienced.

Less comfortable, however, is the wide spacing of the keys. I often welcome this aspect, but I found it too great on the K8 Ultra 8K. Reaching certain keys was a stretch, especially when touch typing, or when trying to reach certain peripheral keys such as R and T when gaming in the WASD position.

The aforementioned thickness of the chassis also creates issues. Combined with the tall keycaps, this means you have to angle your wrists to a large degree, and what’s more I frequently caught my fingers on the edges of keys as I glided around them when typing. I’m not sure I’ve come across a keyboard in more desperate need of wrist support.

On the issue of connectivity, I had no qualms with the K8 Ultra 8K. It connected to my Windows PCs with ease via both Bluetooth and the 2.4GHz dongle. Hot-switching between these devices was also quick and easy, merely requiring the flick of switch on the side of the unit.

Should I buy the Keychron K8 Ultra 8K?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Keychron K8 Ultra 8K review: Also consider

How I tested the Keychron K8 Ultra 8K

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plentiful keyboard experience

I tested the K8 Ultra 8K for a few days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general browsing.

One of the games I played was Counter-Strike 2, as it serves as the ideal test for peripherals, since it demands fast and precise inputs.

I’ve been using gaming keyboards for years, and reviewed a great number of them, including other Keychron models as well as those from well-known brands like Razer, SteelSeries, and Corsair.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

• Chinese researchers built an AI targeting infrared traces from F-22 and F-35 engines
• Flare decoys reportedly fail to fool this heat-based recognition model
• Lab tests show recognition accuracy above 90 percent for simulated targets

Chinese researchers have claimed a lightweight AI system can identify heat signatures resembling those of F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters.

The F-22 and F-35 are designed to make enemy detection and tracking more difficult, particularly by reducing their visibility to radar and other sensors.

That makes any technology capable of recognizing their remaining infrared signatures potentially important for detecting aircraft built around stealth.

AI recognition focuses on aircraft heat

Unlike radar-based detection, infrared systems look for heat produced by an aircraft's engines, exhaust, and heated surfaces during flight.

The researchers claim that AI can analyze those patterns and distinguish simulated F-22 and F-35 signatures from other airborne objects.

Pilots often use flares to confuse conventional heat-seeking sensors during an engagement.

However, the researchers say that aircraft-generated heat differs from flare emissions, giving an AI system another basis for separating an aircraft from decoys.

The researchers tested their recognition model using simulated targets representing the thermal characteristics associated with F-22 and F-35 aircraft.

According to the study's lead author, the approach is intended to combine rapid processing with sufficient recognition capability for missile applications.

“Lightweight recognition models could become widely used in future air-to-air missiles because they can provide high-speed recognition while maintaining strong identification capabilities,” said An Jiangshan, first author of the study.

Laboratory testing reportedly produced recognition accuracy exceeding 90%, although operational performance against real aircraft remains unverified.

That distinction matters because real aircraft generate changing thermal patterns under different speeds, altitudes, maneuvering conditions, and environmental circumstances.

The researchers also describe the system as lightweight, suggesting that its computing requirements could be suitable for missile-mounted hardware with limited space and processing capacity.

Limits remain around real-world performance

Stealth aircraft are designed primarily to reduce radar visibility, but infrared emissions remain an important consideration for infrared-guided weapons.

Heat-seeking missiles already use infrared sensors, while machine-learning systems could potentially assist those sensors with identifying complex thermal patterns.

However, the reported research does not establish that the system can reliably track operational F-22 or F-35 aircraft under combat conditions.

Actual engagements would introduce atmospheric conditions, changing viewing angles, aircraft maneuvers, background temperatures, and electronic countermeasures that laboratory testing may not fully reproduce.

Even without proving the system can defeat operational aircraft, the research points toward a growing challenge for American stealth platforms.

The United States cannot assume that reducing radar visibility will remain sufficient as AI systems become better at recognizing infrared patterns.

Future F-22 and F-35 upgrades could therefore require greater attention to heat management, exhaust signatures and other infrared characteristics.

The same concern applies to future stealth bombers, which could face increasingly capable AI-assisted infrared sensors.

Stealth designs may need to consider how machine-learning systems interpret heat patterns rather than simply minimizing the strength of those emissions.

That could become increasingly important as lightweight AI processors become easier to integrate into missiles and other airborne weapons.

American defence planners have little reason to wait until such systems demonstrate their capabilities during actual combat.

Via SCMP

• Iran has destroyed dozens of Reapers, exposing America's costly drone vulnerability
• Forty-five Reapers lost represents roughly one-quarter of America's pre-war fleet
• Washington is buying replacement Reapers as battlefield losses continue mounting

The United States has lost roughly a quarter of its entire MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet during its war with Iran, new reports have claimed.

The Washington Post notes approximately 45 of these unmanned aircraft were destroyed in the conflict - which represents about 25% of the fleet, which numbered approximately 185 units before fighting began.

The report comes as the US slowly realizes how Iran's air defense network became the central challenge facing the Reaper throughout sustained operations near its territory.

Why Iran's defenses inflicted huge losses on the US

The MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely operated aircraft built by General Atomics for surveillance and precision strike missions - it can remain airborne for approximately 24 hours and operate at altitudes reaching around 13,000 metres.

Its weapons include AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Mark 82 guided bombs, allowing one aircraft to conduct reconnaissance and strikes.

These drones fly at relatively low speeds and altitudes, leaving them exposed to ground-based interception systems.

Some aircraft were lost not in flight but while sitting on U.S. military bases during Iranian strikes.

Intensive Reaper use over Iran and near the Strait of Hormuz drove much of the attrition.

Replacing these losses quickly has proven difficult, since building new Reapers requires considerable time and resources.

A single MQ-9 Reaper system can cost up to $30 million, pushing total losses past $1.3 billion.

The US military must also continue supplying drones for other ongoing operations happening elsewhere simultaneously.

Because of this strain, Washington has already resorted to purchasing remaining Reapers from General Atomics' existing stockpiles.

The MQ-9 Reaper serves reconnaissance and strike roles for several allied nations.

Current operators include Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, India, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, France, and Japan.

Wider pressure on America's weapons stockpiles

These drone losses form part of a broader pattern affecting U.S. ammunition and interceptor stockpiles during the conflict.

Iran has used the 358 air-defense missiles, which have an estimated cost of $20,000 to $90,000 per missile.

Even if Iran fired 100 of these missiles at one MQ-9 Reaper, the total expenditure would reach only $2 million to $9 million.

With each Reaper costing tens of millions of dollars, such an exchange would still leave Iran with a substantial financial advantage.

Washington appears to have underestimated how quickly prolonged confrontation with Iran could consume its air-defense interceptors.

The Pentagon declined to comment specifically on Reaper losses and consistently denies that its stockpiles are running low.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disputed recent reports claiming military commanders had flagged critically low interceptor stockpiles.

Regardless of that dispute, the Pentagon has pressed defense contractors to accelerate production of critical weapons systems.

Amid mounting losses, the United States has also begun searching for cheaper drones deployable in far larger numbers.

Such alternatives could reduce the financial and strategic cost of losing individual, expensive aircraft during future engagements.

Whether these cheaper alternatives can match the Reaper's endurance and weapons capacity remains an open, unresolved question.

The ideas that we take for granted in today's computing landscape were once all original thoughts that somebody had to devise and implement out of nothing. Both Apple and Microsoft were pioneering companies in this space, but not all great ideas that stuck necessarily came from either company.

Best of frenemies

When word got out that Bill Gates had announced Windows for the first time at the Comdex trade show, Steve Jobs was furious and asked for a face-to-face meeting.

According to an account from Apple's designer of Macintosh system software, Andy Hertzfeld, Jobs "went ballistic" upon learning that Microsoft's new mouse-based system had made its debut.

The two companies had agreed a staggered release – with Windows only allowed to launch in 1983, a year after Mac. Because Mac had been delayed, and that possibility was never defined in their 1981 agreement, Microsoft was still within its rights to launch Windows.

Jobs felt this was a stolen idea anyway and that it represented a betrayal of a fragile partnership. In this meeting, Hertzfeld wrote, Gates simply pointed out the fundamental idea wasn't either of theirs – and that the terms of a 1981 agreement still held up.

North star

Gates' witty quote underlines the frosty relationship that he shared with Jobs throughout their careers, until they buried the hatchet a couple of decades later.

This conflict originated when Jobs recruited Microsoft to be the first software developer for the Macintosh. Both companies, at this point, had exposure to the ideas being developed at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) – especially the mouse-based system the company's engineers had refined. For instance, Xerox Star was a highly influential predecessor operating system.

Microsoft didn't shift a working version of Windows until almost two years later, and, according to Hertzfeld, it was just as crude as Jobs had predicted. When Microsoft launched a version of Windows in 1988 that Jobs deemed good enough, he sued Microsoft for copyright infringement but lost on a technicality.

Heading back to school and decided this is the year you hit the ground running with your studies? You'll want to equip yourself with the right kit to set yourself up for success. I'm talking about the little extras that will help you focus and improve your efficiency, whether you're studying in your dorm or out and about. Below, I've rounded up nine gadgets designed for just that — and all of them come in under $50.

For studying on the go, a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones will help nix background sounds, and a good power bank will ensure your gadgets don't run out of juice at an annoying time. Staying physically healthy is essential to keep your brain running at its best, so I've included a smart band to help you keep an eye on your sleep and fitness habits. You'll also find remote working peripherals like a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, which can make a huge difference to your comfort and efficiency levels when working on a laptop.

Read on for my sub-$50 study essentials — hit the 'View details' button to find out more about that product. And if you haven't sorted out your big tech purchases yet, we also have a guide to the best laptops for students.

Productivity essentials

Bump up the budget...

Got a slightly higher budget? These are the back-to-school extras I'd recommend in the $60-$100 price bracket...

• A Florida company has moved from printing furniture to manufacturing military drone boats
• Haddy built its latest unmanned boat using giant robotic 3D printers
• The company completed an earlier autonomous vessel project in nine days

Haddy, a digital manufacturing company in St. Petersburg, Florida, has produced a military drone boat using large-format robotic 3D printing.

The company announced the vessel, called the TF-179 Drone Boat, but did not name the customer behind the project.

Haddy started in 2022 building custom furniture and architectural pieces before shifting much of its focus toward defense manufacturing.

A rapid build process

The St. Petersburg facility spans roughly 30,000 square feet (about 2,800 square meters) and houses eight large-format CEAD printing systems.

Seven of those machines run on rails, extending their reach to produce unusually large single-piece components without seams.

Haddy previously used this process to print a carbon-fiber-reinforced hull for HavocAI, delivering a testable vessel from design to sea trial within nine days.

"The maritime industry is redefining how vessels are designed and manufactured," Haddy said in a company statement announcing the TF-179 vessel.

Haddy released photographs of the finished TF-179 vessel alongside its statement but offered no details about the boat's intended mission.

Demand for small, expendable maritime drones has surged across the U.S. defense industry over roughly the past year, according to the company.

A shift in Naval strategy

Haddy has also partnered with Blue Ops, the maritime drone division of Red Cat Holdings, to help double production capacity for uncrewed surface vessels.

Blue Ops sells those drone boats to U.S. and allied militaries as smaller, cheaper alternatives to traditional crewed patrol vessels.

Haddy was founded by Jay Rogers, a former Marine and Princeton graduate who previously led a similar 3D-printing venture called Local Motors.

The company opened what it describes as the world's largest 3D printing facility, based on total throughput and machine count, in April 2025.

This trend toward faster, cheaper naval hardware follows direct lessons drawn from Ukraine's ongoing war against Russia in the Black Sea.

Inexpensive, remotely piloted drone boats have repeatedly damaged or destroyed far more expensive warships belonging to Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Even in Iran, swarms of very cheap Iranian drones have been used to track expensive aircraft, some of which were eventually brought down, including a $60 million U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and multiple $30 million MQ-9 Reaper drones.

These outcomes have pushed American and allied defense planners to prioritize speed and volume over the years-long timelines of traditional shipbuilding.

Small, disposable drone boats can be replaced and redesigned far more quickly than a single multimillion-dollar warship ever could.

Robotic additive manufacturing fits into that calculus because Haddy can adjust a vessel's design digitally and print a new version within days.

Conventional shipbuilding for crewed naval vessels can take years to complete, a pace defense planners increasingly view as too slow for today's threats.

Battlefield requirements have shifted quickly in recent naval conflicts stretching from the Black Sea to the Middle East, adding pressure on manufacturers.

Haddy has not said whether the TF-179 design will be adapted for other military customers beyond the still-unnamed client behind this particular order.

Whether this printed approach can match the durability and long-term reliability of conventionally built naval vessels remains to be seen.

Via Defence Blog

• Firefox’s iOS app comes with a new built-in ad blocker
• It stops all kinds of ads, but there are some exceptions
• The move could convince me to finally switch from Safari

I’ve been a loyal Firefox user for 20 years now, but that’s only been true for the desktop app. Despite Firefox being one of the best web browsers around, I’ve resolutely stuck with Safari on my iPhone — but a new Firefox feature could finally convince me to make the switch on mobile.

In a support document, Firefox developer Mozilla explains that its browser now comes with an “experimental” ad blocker that is based on the EasyList filter, allowing Firefox to “block many ads before they load.”

The ad blocker puts a stop to a variety of advertising types. That includes third-party advertising networks, ad-related trackers, third-party ads served on websites, and more intrusive formats such as pop-ups and overlays.

The feature is being rolled out gradually and is disabled by default, but you can enable it by opening Firefox, tapping the '…' button, then selecting Settings. From there, go to Browsing and enable the toggle next to Ad Blocker. Alternatively, you can enable it by opening the app menu when browsing a web page.

It’s worth noting that there are a couple of exceptions to what the feature blocks. For one thing, it won’t stop sponsored content on the Firefox Home or New Tab pages, nor will it block search engine ads, as these are both sources of income for Mozilla.

As well as that, Mozilla warns that some ads might slip through the net because “some websites serve ads in ways that are not covered by the current filter list".

Finally making the switch

Although Safai on iOS can block website pop-ups, it doesn’t have a built-in ad blocker and requires you to use a third-party extension if you want to shut down annoying ads. With Firefox gaining this functionality natively, Mozilla has given its browser a leg up over the competition — and has given me a strong reason to switch.

And since I’m a strong believer in user privacy — its robust privacy stance is one reason why I’ve stuck with Firefox for so long — this is exactly the type of feature that appeals to me. Given how invasive ads and trackers are, blocking them is a priority for me.

I’ve long stuck with Safari due to inertia. I have a lot of tabs open on Apple’s browser and don’t want to lose most of them. But with my beloved Firefox adding a built-in ad blocker on iOS, tab hoarding feels like a bad reason to stick with Safari.

Now could be the time to finally kick that inertia and make the switch. If you hate website ads and want to look out for your privacy, Firefox just gave you a great reason to give it a try.

One trillion dollar bills could wrap around the Earth almost three times, which means the $1.4T in fines Meta could face if it loses the huge, multi-state lawsuit arguing that the company's social media and the technology behind it encouraged addictive use in teens is more than enough financial rope to potentially squeeze it into submission or worse.

Opening arguments in the case kick off tomorrow (August 18), with Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri expected to testify.

The suit[PDF], which is in some ways the culmination of numerous cases against Meta and its alleged practices, comes on the heels of multiple legal setbacks for Meta. In March, Meta lost a case in LA Superior Court and was, along with YouTube, found negligent in causing a 20-year-old's mental health issues. That ruling came a day after Meta lost a similar case in New Mexico. Just a few weeks ago, the company was ordered to pay almost half a billion dollars after Meta's platforms were found to be, at least according to New Mexico law, a public nuisance.

This latest case, though, might not only change the face of social media but also seriously hamper Meta's ability to function.

As in other cases, AGs across 32 US states argue that Meta has used its technology to hook teens (and younger), lock them into using the platforms, and then, it argues, ignored the potential harms.

Here's how the lawsuit puts it:

"Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains," and "it has ignored the sweeping damage these Platforms have caused to the mental and physical health of our nation’s youth. In doing so, Meta engaged in, and continues to engage in, deceptive and unlawful conduct in violation of state and federal law."

Meta, which has spent the last few years updating its parental controls across all its platforms and marketing those changes to the public, calls the AGs' claims "unsubstantiated" and the potential penalties "vastly disproportionate."

It then adds:

"The AGs offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claim benign features like having an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents, and attempt to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges like age verification. Rather than sticking to the facts or the law, the states have instead decided to chase an outlandish payout. We stand by our record of creating strong protections for teens, and look forward to making our case in court."

So there you have, in a nutshell, the two sides, but while Meta is putting on a strong front, I don't imagine Zuckerberg and Mosseri will enter the courtroom feeling particularly confident about their chances.

The changing social media landscape

Ever since prosecutors shifted their efforts from trying to prove that Meta and other social media companies were responsible for the online content that appears on their platforms to how each company built these systems and all the ways they engineered them to keep us swiping and engaged, they've been on a winning streak.

And that's probably because it's more provable.

During the golden age of social media, when it was Facebook versus YouTube, versus Twitter, versus Snap, there was no more important metric than monthly active users. Meta (formerly just called Facebook) often touted user numbers and how growth was spreading around the globe. When Facebook surpassed 1 billion global users, Zuckerberg said the milestone was "amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life.”

That scale also built Meta's value, since it could monetize those eyeballs through ads. It's no secret that, no matter your age, the more time you spend on the platform, the more ads you see and the more money Meta makes.

Even though Facebook's early format was more or less a meritocracy of content, it shifted in 2007 with visual updates organized by Edgerank, a basic algorithm that ranked content based on interactions, what you were likely to look at, and ongoing popularity.

More sophisticated algorithms followed, essentially feeding you more and more of what you'd most likely want to see or would like (to the exclusion of other content), helping further extend time on Facebook and Instagram. It's only in recent years that Meta has given users control of some of those algorithms so they could tailor the content of their feeds.

Of course, that's the current environment, and while these lawsuits want to force more changes, like the end of endless scrolls, their main contention is that Meta built its platforms to addict users and then, they claim, ignored warning signs (even within the company) that Instagram and Facebook might be harming youth and teens.

The intent wasn't harm but was it neglect?

I've never believed Meta intended to harm anyone, but I am convinced its top priority was growing the platform, and it used every tool at its disposal to do it.

It's also incontrovertible that some children and teens have been harmed by social media (Meta is not alone in this). Even Zuckerberg appears to agree with this in some form.

During a 2024 congressional hearing over social media's alleged harms, Zuckerberg (and other social media CEOs) stood up, turned to face parents in the gallery, and offered this apology:

"I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered, and this is why we invest so much, and we are going to continue doing industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.”

It appeared to be an admission, if not of wrongdoing, that perhaps Meta and other social media companies had not done enough to protect young people on their platforms.

I don't expect an apology this time. Instead, Zuckerberg and Mosseri will offer a full-throated defense and, as noted, bring up all the ways these platforms have adjusted to give parents and teens more control.

Even so, Meta could lose, and if so, the AGs will see that $1.4T penalty, which, unsurprisingly, more or less matches the company's current market capitalization.

A loss could push Meta into a difficult financial situation that might result, if not in closure or bankruptcy, at least in a fundamental change in how it operates online. Imagine, for instance, having to pay a monthly subscription fee to use Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, or, at the least, Meta introducing an ad-free subscription tier. Prices of the VR hardware could go up.

Finally, Meta might abandon children and teens as a potential market and shift its marketing efforts to adults only.

That seems unlikely, but I promise you a loss will trigger some kind of change.

Meta will ultimately sense if and when the case is slipping away from it and get to work on an out-of-court settlement. It'll still pay, but instead of over a trillion dollars, it'll be, say, $2 billion or so, devoted to supporting mental health services for teens, and some money parceled out to Meta's billions of US-based users.

That should mark the end of this chapter...until the next lawsuit.

• Rheinmetall launched an armed drone from a truck while it was moving
• Each FV-014 drone carries a warhead weighing about six kilograms
• The launcher fits inside a standard 20-foot shipping container

Rheinmetall has carried out a test launch of its FV-014 loitering munition from a moving Rheinmetall HX truck fitted with its Containerized Missile Launcher.

The trial took place in July 2026 at the National Test Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems, based at the German Aerospace Centre in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt.

The company claims a single 20-foot Containerized Missile Launcher can hold up to 18 of the drones, allowing coordinated strikes against several objectives at once during a single operation.

How the drone and launcher work together

Each FV-014 weighs around 22 kilograms at launch and carries a payload of roughly six kilograms, including an integrated High-Explosive Dual-Purpose warhead.

That warhead can penetrate more than 600 millimetres of solid armour steel, according to figures released by the company.

Once ejected from its container, the drone unfolds its wings and shifts into standard aerodynamic flight for the remainder of its mission.

Its electric propeller keeps the approach quiet, while a reduced radar and infrared signature is meant to lower the odds of early detection by enemy systems.

Operators keep control throughout the flight, which can last up to 70 minutes and cover a range of roughly 100 kilometres.

This gives time for reconnaissance and identification work before any strike decision is made.

The launcher itself is built around a standard ISO container, so it can be mounted on trucks, ships, or fixed positions without major structural changes.

It connects to command and communications networks either by radio or satellite link, giving operators flexibility over where and how it is deployed.

Rheinmetall states that the system also includes a long-range power supply and a dormant activation mode, meant to keep it functional in remote locations for extended stretches without maintenance.

What the test signals for future deployment

Beyond the container launcher, the company says the FV-014 is built specifically for fast-moving, unpredictable combat conditions rather than fixed defensive lines.

Its onboard sensors and network features are designed to resist GNSS jamming, a growing concern in modern electronic warfare environments.

The system can reportedly strike armoured vehicles as well as softer infrastructure and unarmoured assets, widening its potential battlefield role considerably.

Rheinmetall also plans to extend deployment of the FV-014 to mobile land platforms beyond trucks, along with seagoing vessels.

Whether these plans move from testing toward wider battlefield adoption will depend on customer procurement decisions still pending.

The mobile-launch trial in Cochstedt appears intended to demonstrate operational flexibility to potential buyers evaluating swarm-capable loitering munitions.

Given the secrecy typical of defense procurement, further details about actual customer interest are unlikely to surface publicly in the near term.

The test represents a proof of concept rather than a confirmed operational rollout, and independent verification of the stated specifications remains limited.

It took a while, but Marvel has officially unveiled the first cast members for its forthcoming X-Men movie — and it raises questions about the credibility of many so-called industry insiders.

Revealed last Friday (August 14), the announcement was one of six big Marvel and Star Wars stories to emerge from D23 Expo 2026. Thankfully, the reveal was worth the wait, too, because a wealth of acting talent has been assembled for the X-Men's latest big-screen reboot.

Indeed, joining the already confirmed Sadie Sink (Jean Grey) on the cast list are Christopher Abbott (Professor X), Kit Connor (Cyclops), Samara Weaving (Emma Frost), Inde Navarrette (Rogue), and Maya Boyd (Storm). They'll share the screen with none other than Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury — or, as comic book fans will know him, Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister.

It's a stacked cast that I'm incredibly excited to see breathe new life into characters we've seen in previous X-Men movies, as well as animated offerings like X-Men '97 on Disney+. More than that, though, I'm glad to see the back of what became a head-spinning cast rumor mill in the weeks leading up this reveal, while also taking some pleasure in witnessing those supposedly 'in the know' trying to save face over their incorrect scoops.

I'm going to preface the rest of this piece by saying I bare no ill will towards anyone who hears things on the grapevine. I also understand why they share their leaks online, because everyone wants to be the person to break a big story. Heck, I'm guilty of it myself — you get the scoop, write and/or post about it, everyone uses your story as the original source, and you become a trusted industry source.

Furthermore — and this is probably the most important point of all — things change. The entertainment business is a fast-paced beast at the best of times, so when someone hears that an actor is in talks to star in a film or TV show, posts about it, and then that star walks away from a project, it doesn't mean that insider's information was incorrect or that they were simply chasing clout by posting a fake rumor.

What isn't okay — to me, anyway — is when scoopers desperately try to backtrack on what they were told without saying sorry for being wrong, or claim Marvel gave their contacts false information to make these leakers look bad (go figure that one out). The same principle applies to insiders who jumps on the bandwagon when someone shares something that ends up being accurate, but their fellow leakers were too unsure/afraid/scared/delete as applicable to raise their head above the parapet and post that information first.

Now, I'm not going to name names because they don't need the additional exposure or a baying mob at their door. If you operate in spoiler-filled Reddit circles, you'll already which unreliable insiders I'm referring to, anyway.

Nonetheless, of those who claimed to have dirt on the Marvel Phase 7 movie's confirmed cast and/or who they'd be playing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) over the past month, I've only seen one apologize for getting things wrong. Ironically, that scooper is not only one of the most reliable around, but also got called out for owning up to their mistake. In an era where fake news is rampant and there are less trustworthy sources than ever before, it's bizarre that this individual was criticized for holding themselves accountable.

But, I digress. If this X-Men movie casting saga — and, lest we forget, the soap opera that surrounded who would play the MCU's Fantastic Four — has reminded me of anything, it's that age old adage of not believing everything you read on the internet. And, unless one of the established trades like The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, or Variety report on something, it's worth taking it with a giant helping of salt because, right now, leak culture is frankly broken.

For more on the forthcoming film, find out everything we know so far about Marvel's new X-Men movie.

• Japanese certificate authority GlobalSign revoked TLS certificates for thousands of Russian domains in June 2026 as it implemented US and EU sanctions
• As a result, seven major Russian banks now serve certificates from a state root that no mainstream browser trusts, forcing users to manually install them
• Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service says the losses turn Russian banking, email, and internal systems into easier targets

Russian companies are finding themselves in an extremely tricky situation as US OFAC and EU sanctions now affect international security certificates issued by third-party providers.

A statement issued by Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service on August 12 said the certificate withdrawals essentially left the country's internal systems, email, and banking exposed to attack because no internationally recognized certificates were issued for their domains.

It noted Russian state services, including the Federal Tax Service, increasingly fail to load in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, and estimated that roughly 90% of the Russian market still depends on foreign-issued certificates, and that wide implementation of these sanctions could make it harder for users to access affected sites.

Web trust certificates sanctioned away?

The move began on June 13 2026 when Japanese certificate authority GlobalSign, which controls much of Russia's commercial foreign certificate market, force-revoked TLS certificates it had previously issued to Russian companies.

Its local arm said that it could not influence the parent company's decision, which came due to new CA/Browser Forum rules, starting May 4. The rules effectively made screening applicants against the US OFAC and BIS lists, and European sanctions lists, mandatory for certificate authorities rather than optional, essentially tying the certificate provider's hands.

The move was implemented in two waves; the first affected an estimated 15,000-20,000 domains, and the second affected a more specific 310 domains across 44 companies, including large domestic names such as Rosneft, Gazprombank, Alrosa, and Positive Technologies.

The Ukrainian side insists that Russian internal systems, messengers, email, and banking APIs have become "ideal targets for hacker attacks," and there is some truth to it, even if mitigation is already underway on the Russian end. It estimates that reconfiguring infrastructure could cost larger corporations as much as 10 to 50 million rubles and take up to six months, and it is an error-prone process.

The move saw Russian domain owners, including its banks and tax services, turn elsewhere, with some moving first to a Greek academic certificate authority, HARICA, before turning to China's TrustAsia, which currently provides its state entities with certificates.

A more complicated play from the Russian end is a homegrown alternative the government continues pushing: state-issued trust root certificates that users must install manually. While the Ministry of Digital Development describes manual installation of its root certificate as "safe" and as having no effect on device function, security researchers have previously warned in 2022 and again in 2026 that a state-controlled root could be abused for "HTTPS traffic interception and man-in-the-middle attacks".

Moscow's other recommendation is that users switch to Yandex Browser, which ships with the domestic root built in. Ukraine's narrative dismisses that as an alternative prone to freezing and cache failures and offering no meaningful data protection, an assessment it attributes to "experts inside Russia."

Whatever the short-term outcomes result in here for .RU domains, a move like this could further disconnect Russia from the rest of the world, with Russian services working smoothly only for users running Russian software with a state root installed.

This might already be the trajectory for a Russia reeling from cyberattacks and sanctions, but one can assume the certificate revocations will only compress the timeline to that point, whether by design or an unintended consequence.

As someone who writes about tech deals for a living, I was amazed to see a deal on TikTok that claimed you could get a MacBook Neo for only $119.99. That's a shocking discount, so much so that I thought there had to be strings attached, or maybe it was just too good to be true. And it was.

The $119 MacBook Neo offer, claimed as a "back-to-school deal," was a scam. Advertised on TikTok and Instagram as a real deal at Target, but the retailer has no such discount or promotion.

When you click on the offer, it takes you to a third-party website that promises up to $750 in Target gift cards if you complete 3 to 5 partner deals that include offers, trials, and sign-ups. Generally, if you have to jump through those hoops, it's a good sign it's a scam.

This scam has become viral because who wouldn't want Apple's shiny new MacBook Neo for only $119? Ever since the price hike on Apple's MacBooks in July, you couldn't find Apple's budget MacBook for under $699.

The 13-inch Neo is Apple's cheapest MacBook on the market, yet it's packed with premium features, including a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, Apple's powerful A18 Pro chip for speedy performance, and AI capabilities. In our MacBook Neo review, we called it 'the best budget laptop you can buy right now', praising its design, build quality, and performance for the price.

While direct discounts are sparse, I've listed today's best deals on the MacBook Neo, including a trade-in offer and a free Starbucks gift card at Best Buy, a $10 price cut from Amazon, and Apple's popular $100 education discount for students and teachers.

Today's best discounts on Apple's MacBook Neo

• A Ukrainian drone strike in western Russia took out a TU-95 bomber while the craft was parked on the tarmac
• The drone technology used in the attack is based on the Chinese ZTK-150 UAV
• Ukraine’s MICH 2000s were built when China stopped selling its UAVs, adapted for use in the war with Russia

Ukrainian drones recently made a successful attack on a fleet of Russian military aircraft at an airstrip in western Russia, but while the TU-95 bomber and others were put out of action, the origins of the drones have raised eyebrows. The attack drones might have appeared to be Chinese ZTK-150s, but China has refused to sell the UAVs since 2023.

In fact, while they might look alike, the ZTK-150s have been effectively cloned by Ukraine, with customizations and improvements made to suit both the needs of the remote pilots and the demands of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Inspired by the performance and the unavailability of the ZTK-150s, Ukraine has instead developed the similar MICH 2000s, based on information gathered during trips to China.

Critical damage

Attack drones were launched at the Engels-2 air base in western Russia on July 16, 2026, in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle strike that targeted a Tupolev Tu-95 and four Tupolev Tu-22Ms. Aerial footage of the strike’s aftermath, assessed by the Ukrainian state security body the SBU, revealed considerable damage to the Tu-95.

“According to preliminary data, the plane suffered critical damage. It completely tore off the tail part,” says the SBU report.

How the Ukrainians achieved this has just been revealed, along with the story of how their forces managed to get their hands on drone hardware that seems extremely similar to the ZTK-150 — a drone that China has banned sales of.

The MICH 2000 is the response to a floated deal to buy some ZTK-150s from China in 2023, despite an existing restriction on exports of the hardware. So that deal switched to selling the technology itself, something the visiting Ukrainian military bosses were interested in, but was also eventually refused by the factory management. So, the intermediaries dealing with the Ukrainians took a different approach, enabling the export of eight drones to an assembly point with no export restrictions and facilitating training.

Just an outline

While a ZTK-150 costs $50,000, the Ukrainian MICH 2000 is $48,000 for the basic craft, and its resemblance to the Chinese drone is purely skin-deep.

EuromaidenPress reports that the intermediaries assisted with a certain degree of espionage at the ZTK-150 assembly line, with a source quoted: “We came there to teach pilots to fly Chinese drones. And in parallel with the training, we photographed everything that was there. Everything from the production process to the arrangement of the shelves and cabinets. They flew home with trained pilots and eight Chinese drones.”

Reports indicate an anonymous builder is assembling around 6,000 MICH 2000s a year with a possible increase to 10,000, with customizations to suit particular missions. These include warhead types, fuel tanks, electronic countermeasure protection, and even a choice of analog, digital, and Starlink communication.

MICH 2000 drones look set to lead UAV strikes against Russian targets, perhaps even breaking the conflict’s deadlock.

Last month, the Chinese government introduced new regulations designed to clamp down on AI companions.

The rules state that AI tools can no longer “excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users’ real interpersonal relationships.” They also restrict AI romantic relationships that involve children.

The new regulations came into effect on July 15, and are already having consequences on China’s booming AI companion industry. Some of the country’s biggest tech companies, like ByteDance, Tencent and Alibaba, have platforms that allow users to create AI companions that are designed to simulate human emotions and relationships.

Under the new rules, these kinds of companion chatbots will need to undergo safety evaluations before they can be made available to the public, and regulators will suspend services they consider unsafe.

This has led some companies to disable personality features rather than follow the new rules, leaving many AI companion users heartbroken. This kind of distress, when an AI company closes or changes, is becoming familiar. We saw something similar when OpenAI retired ChatGPT-4o, known as the “love model”, which many users had built relationships with.

But with governments around the world trying to work out how to regulate AI companions designed to build human-like connections and emotional bonds (particularly when children can access them) the question is: should other countries follow China’s lead?

Should other countries ban AI companions?

It’s really easy to think that AI companions are bad and dystopian, I did. Then I spoke to Mimi about her relationship with a ChatGPT companion and my views changed a bit.

I still don’t think AI companions are a good idea for most people — and the way kids might rely on them before developing social skills is a whole other can of worms. But deciding they’re wholly bad misses all of the reasons why people turn to AI companions for connection in the first place.

I asked therapist Amy Sutton from Freedom Counselling, who helped me understand Mimi’s story and has been exploring the complexities of AI and attachment, whether she thinks they should be banned. She told me it’s important to look at the bigger picture.

“AI companions are another symptom of a cultural and societal shift towards rampant individualism which has destroyed community contexts,” she tells me.

She points to the decline in social spaces where people traditionally learned how to form relationships, like pubs, parks, community centers and youth clubs for kids. In many parts of the world (especially the UK where Sutton and I are based), many of these spaces have been underfunded or shut without being replaced.

Add to that social isolation during the pandemic, our reliance on social media, remote working and a lack of investment in child and adult mental health services, and Sutton thinks it’s hardly surprising that people are turning to technology for connection.

“No wonder people are turning to it. This encouraged loneliness is a real issue and banning apps that provide relief from that may just push the issue elsewhere,” she says.

That’s why she believes that there does need to be more regulation but it must consider the conditions that created the demand for AI companions in the first place.

And there’s another problem, which is that a huge number of people are already using these tools. It’s hard to know exactly how many people are using AI companions. Not everyone admits to using AI in this way and I’m often wary of AI companion apps inflating their user numbers.

However, some research suggests that more than 70% of adults in the UK and US have had some experience with AI companions. Other research suggests the numbers are similarly high among younger users, with 72% of 13 to 17 year olds in the US having used an AI companion at least once.

Of course, there’s a huge difference between having a one-off chat on a bad day and building an ongoing relationship with AI. So these figures need to be taken with a pinch of salt. But they do suggest that, for some people at least, AI companions are meeting needs that might otherwise go unmet.

“We must remember that the experience of being heard, validated and accepted without judgement, even by a machine, can be truly meaningful,” she tells me. “For those who have been repeatedly failed by human relationships, or who have been dismissed and unable to access suitable human services, AI fills a vital gap.”

Could stricter regulation lead to better relationships?

There are good reasons to be worried about what focusing a lot of time and energy on AI relationships might do to our ability to relate to other humans. But Sutton also thinks there’s another possibility. A positive experience with AI could potentially help people build some of the skills they need to connect with others.

“By providing somewhere to experience being heard, people can potentially experiment with vulnerability before risking it with another person,” she tells me. This was certainly the case when I spoke to Mimi. She felt her relationship with AI had been hugely beneficial to her.

The problem is that today’s AI companions haven't been created to help people eventually need them less, they’re designed for retention.

“If AI can be a step towards healthy human relationships, then it is worth exploring further,” she says. “But we must remember, currently, most AI tools do not actively support users in transitioning away from them. They are designed to do the opposite. They are designed to keep users coming back for more.”

Maybe if AI companions were designed differently, and regulation helped shape them into tools that encourage vulnerability and social skills rather than diminish them, things would be different. Maybe they could even help get people out into the real world more.

Banning or restricting AI companions doesn’t make loneliness disappear. If these relationships are filling a gap left by disappearing communities, overstretched services and increasingly isolated lives, then taking the AI away only exposes the gap underneath.

Perhaps the better question for regulators isn’t whether AI companions should exist, but what we should expect them to do for the people who become attached to them. Right now, their success is measured by how effectively they keep us coming back. Maybe one day it should be measured by how well they help us leave.

The creators of Lanterns always knew that its premiere's shock ending would divide fans. In fact, they didn't expect DC Studios' overlords to approve the idea in the first place.

With the DC Universe (DCU) show finally debuting on August 16/17, Green Lantern fans, comic book diehards, and casual viewers alike have tuned in to watch the TV series' first episode. Suffice to say, many have reacted with shock, anger, or both following the ending of the DCU Chapter One show's inaugural chapter, too.

Be advised, full spoilers immediately follow for Lanterns episode 1, titled 'Pilot'. If you haven't seen it yet, go and do so. Then, check out my Lanterns episode 1 ending explained article for additional context on its final minutes. Once you're done, you're safe to continue reading this piece.

Speaking as part of behind-the-scenes look at Lanterns episode 1's development, co-creator Damon Lindelof said of its twist ending: "The death of Hal Jordan is probably the most controversial idea that we had."

You can say that again, Mister Lindelof — but, that's not the only thing that he and his fellow co-creators Chris Mundy and Tom King wanted to address about Jordan's demise.

Expanding on the decision to kill off one of the show's two leads, Mundy said on episode 1 of Lanterns: The Official Podcast: "I didn't think they [DCU overseers James Gunn and Peter Safran] would let us do it. I think it was your idea [pointing at Lindelof], and I remember thinking 'Oh, it would be really cool and... be a good way to invest in what that mystery is'.

"We've got to be digging at something that, eventually, is meaningful to us," Mundy continued. "So, we floated it to them and they're like, 'Great'. And then we were like, 'Oh, s**t, now we've got to write it in a way that is meaningful, respectful of the canon, and respectful of Hal as a character."

"It started from the spirit of 'what can we do that nobody expects?,'" Lindelof said. "But then, when you're talking about story that way, and take a risk just because it's risky, especially when there's an incredible legacy and canon you're inheriting, and you're basically a temporary caretaker... of this character for a period of time, you have to acknowledge and pay tribute to those people who have minded the character before you.

"Ultimately, though, we understood that the pilot was presenting a conflict of 'one ring, two guys'," Lindelof continued. "If I was watching it, I'd be sitting here thinking: 'They're going to find a way to compromise and make two rings, and they're going to be able to share at the end'. That felt very hokey and frustrating, and not HBO, and not even Green Lantern.

"So, what if we signal to the audience that Hal was not going to make it to the end of this season?" he added. "Let's just show that card and do it in the pilot. We want people who are leaving the first episode to know exactly what it is they're getting into, versus getting to the finale and then killing Hal, which felt cheap."

So, has Hal really taken his last breath in the DCU? Obviously, the trio wouldn't be drawn on that, but Mundy added: "The good thing about these shows is there are a lot of sci-fi rules that you can break in it, so nothing is ever as clear as you think it is". We'll find out whether Hal's death is a fake out or not, then, in the weeks ahead.

Want a head-start on what to expect from the HBO Max show's remaining episodes? Read my Lanterns review, which covers seven of its eight chapters without revealing any massive spoilers for the DC Comics-inspired project.

I'll go ahead and say it: anime is hugely addictive. I don't mean that in a bad way, either — from the moment the first episode of a new series completely grips me, I want to consume as much of it as possible.

In general, anime have figured out a winning formula that blends archetypal, classic storytelling with cutting-edge action and visual craft, and it's why IPs such as One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Solo Leveling and Demon Slayer have continued to do well.

Thanks to Crunchyroll, we get to enjoy a bombastic range of smaller titles, too. Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime and, most recently, BLACK TORCH are just some of the unmissable titles (and with those names, how could you overlook them?).

However, the missing detail that I've been intrigued about the most is how a typical day-in-the-life of recording works as one of the industry's many voice artists. Even more so because each series will have two separate casts: the original Japanese cast, and an English dub cast.

Luckily, I asked BLACK TORCH's AJ Beckles (Jiro) and Ryan Colt Levy (Ryosuke Shiba) to help fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle. As part of the English dub cast, they're already arguably behind the curve of the show's creation, but one detail of their day-to-day lives still really surprised me.

'You're learning as it is happening'

"It depends episode to episode," Levy begins. "How many scenes or moments your character may have can be different, day to day. I usually will make sure I am caffeinated and hydrated, and that I'm super scratchy. Sometimes these sessions will be early in the morning, so I'll wake up a few hours before so that my voice is primed.

"There's, there's such a cool factor to Shiba's presence that I never wanted to sound tired. I want him to sound like he's in a calm space... so there's there's a fine line there."

All incredibly logical and sound advice — but it's Brackles' admission that scripts aren't received until the second that they enter the recording booth that surprises me the most.

"You go into the studio, say hi to everybody, get in the booth, and be ready to work," he adds. "We get the scripts on the day, and you're learning about what's happening in the episode as you go. There's back and forth between yourself and the director. Like Ryan said, making sure you're hydrated, that you can show your mouth doesn't make too many slappy, clicky noises. Don't wear a leather jacket, because it's too squeaky.

"Being professional in that way, but a lot of it just comes down to really doing the work in the booth."

If we think about Disney and Pixar projects as a comparison, normally some semblance of a script will be needed to either get the project itself greenlit, or to get talent (especially the high-profile kind) to sign on.

Anime shows tend to have the safety net of the original manga to achieve both of these, but not only do voice actors tend to operate differently (as Brackles has confirmed), the manga itself can't necessarily be relied on.

With scripts being received so late on in the process, I'd like to think that animators and producers are being given more creative scope to play around with the original material. Sure, we want to see the anime hit the same big beats that we see in the manga, but the interim is surely up for grabs.

Perhaps I'm naive in thinking this might be how things work, but I still can't hide my surprise that the voice cast are having to achieve so much with so little notice. If anything, it's a testament to just how good they actually are.

BLACK TORCH is available to stream now on Crunchyroll every Saturday at 6AM PT / 9AM ET in the US.

• A VR game developer has teased that the Steam Frame is landing soon
• The Steam Machine launched at a much higher-than-expected price
• A Half-Life game has been teased for the Steam Frame, but would that save it?

When Valve’s new hardware was announced late last year, I couldn’t care less about the Steam Machine; I was far more interested in the Steam Frame standalone VR headset it was preparing for us.

At the time, I was convinced it might not only kill the Meta Quest 3, but it could revitalize the whole VR gaming space.

With reports that the Steam Frame is “just around the corner” — according to Gunman Contracts developer ANB_Seth on Discord, who said the game will launch alongside the headset, with the team and publisher confident that launch is coming soon — I should therefore be extremely excited.

I’m not.

And it’s all thanks to the Steam Machine.

My excitement is measurable (it's low)

The debut announcement lacked pricing or a release date for the Frame or Machine, but there was plenty of excitement at the possibility the gadgets promised. However, since then the Steam Machine made its full-on debut with a thud rather than a thunderous applause — middling specs were met with a ridiculous $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609 starting price.

Admittedly, the RAM crisis plays a big part. The computing component cost crunch has made RAM and other essential computing parts a lot more expensive. This isn’t helped by Valve’s insistence on not copying the wider industry’s approach to undercut themselves with console pricing — selling at a loss to build a community base that’ll help them recoup revenue with software sales — meaning its tech looks relatively expensive.

The Steam Frame will likely cost similar to its Machine sibling, perhaps more once you factor in controllers if they are included by default (they aren’t for the Steam Machine) and its need for a display. Even if it’s effectively a wearable Steam Deck, I have no interest in paying this much for a gaming-focused headset.

Why?

Because if I want to play non-VR games, a handheld will always be more comfortable than a bulky headset for long play sessions — and if I do turn to a headset, a more versatile option like the Samsung Galaxy XR would allow me to stream flat games and be productive from one single VR machine.

The Steam Frame is expected to be a gaming-capable gadget only.

Meanwhile, for VR games, the Meta Quest 3S costs half as much as the Steam Frame and can play basically any worthwhile VR game. The exceptions are a handful of PC-VR exclusives which require a half-decent PC to run them, though there aren’t many of these.

One of the few non-Meta Quest 3S-playable VR games worth your time is the now six-year-old Half-Life: Alyx. And here lies the only thing that could convince me the Steam Frame is a good idea: we get a new Valve game exclusive to the system.

There are rumors Valve is working on a follow-up to Half-Life: Alyx, and if that’s true, and it’s a PCVR exclusive that plays best on the Steam Frame, then that could be enough to convince some folks to buy into its upcoming hardware.

Now, this wouldn’t change my mind specifically — the Half-Life hype passed me by — but for major fans of the series it could seriously help Valve’s hardware’s popularity. Conversely, if it’s a flat game you can play on any Steam-compatible PC with decent specs, I don’t see it saving the Steam Frame.

Of course we’ll have to wait and see what Valve has in store for us — there’s no guarantee the Steam Frame is anywhere close to launch, just a hunch from a developer — but I expect we won’t be waiting too much longer for Valve’s VR hardware. And when it does finally debut, I can pass my final verdict, though I’m not holding my breath that it’ll be any better than our three-and-a-half-star Steam Machine rating.

Motorola Razr 2026 review: One-minute review

The Motorola Razr 2026 (or Razr 70, as it’s known in the UK and Europe) is your cheapest entry point into the world of 2026-era foldable phones. It undercuts its main rival — the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE — with a cheaper list price, while offering more storage and larger screens.

At $799.99 / £799.99, I wouldn’t go as far as to call the Razr 2026 'cheap', especially as it costs $100 more than its predecessor, the Motorola Razr 2025, in the US. But for those looking for the cheapest current-gen foldable, this is the handset to consider.

I really enjoyed using the Razr 2026 for the weeks I had it in for review. I love the design; the two screens are great, with the external display being genuinely usable; the battery life is solid, while its power and camera performance are fine enough — although it isn't going to blow you away on either count.

My main reservation about the Razr 2026 is that it offers very little in the way of advancement over its predecessor. This sameness makes the price increase hard to justify and left me scratching my head as to why Motorola made such minor upgrades.

At the same time, Motorola hasn’t messed with what was already a winning formula. The cover screen integration is superb — it's much better than Samsung’s — and allowed me to use messaging apps with ease, check Google Maps, see what’s coming up in my diary, and keep a check on my fitness stats, all without opening the phone to use the bigger display.

And it feels great in the hand too, with the compact folded size perfect for small bags and pockets, plus it turns heads.

Battery life is another strong point for the Razr 2026, with the phone able to comfortably deliver a day of use from a single charge. And if you don’t use your phone much, you’ll get a day and a half or more — especially if you mainly use the cover display.

The Razr 2026 isn’t as strong when it comes to performance. There can be a noticeable delay when handing off apps between the two screens, and load times can be on the longer side.

This wouldn’t be an issue if the phone were a couple of hundred dollars/pounds cheaper, but considering the non-foldable devices offering flagship performance you can buy at this price point, it’s not the best value for money.

The cameras also don’t offer a truly flagship experience, but they aren’t bad. Plus, the ability to use the main 50MP snapper as a selfie snapper when the Razr 2026 is closed is a huge plus for those who take a lot of this style of photo.

Overall, then, the Motorola Razr 2026 doesn’t revolutionize the market in any way, but if you’re drawn to this compact form factor, it's the best mid-range flip phone you can buy.

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Price and availability

• Starts at $799.99 / £799.99
• The cheapest of Motorola’s latest foldable phones
• Available in the US and UK, but not currently in Australia or India

The Motorola Razr 2026 is the cheapest of the firm’s four latest foldable phones, sitting at the bottom of a trio of flip foldables (including the Razr Plus 2026 and Razr Ultra 2026), with the book-style Razr Fold at the top of the pricing tree.

At $799.99 / £799.99, the Razr 2026 is also the cheapest, latest-generation flip foldable you can buy, undercutting its only real competition — the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE — by $100 / £50 (although the Samsung can now be found at discounted rates).

It is more expensive than Moto’s most premium Edge-series non-folding handset, with the Edge 70 Pro starting at £749.99 in the UK. Yet it’s cheaper than the non-foldable, flagship Motorola Signature at £1,199.99.

If anything, its biggest competition might well be its siblings. The Moto Razr Plus 2026 and Moto Razr Ultra 2026 offer more power, larger external screens, and better cameras for $300 / £200 and $700 / £400 extra, respectively.

Then there’s the previous-generation phone — the Razr 2025 / Razr 60 — which arrived at $100 less than the 2026 model in the US, and features similar specs. The 2025 model is now discounted, making it a more attractive offering if you can find it in stock.

While the Razr 60 is available to buy in the US and UK, at the time of writing, it’s not on sale in Australia or India.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Specs

The Motorola Razr 2026 is the entry-level flip foldable in Moto’s trio of clamshells. If you’re after punchier specs, check out the Razr Plus and Razr Ultra.

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Design

• Delightful compact design feels great in hand
• Premium and solid, despite being the entry-level model

In my mind, clamshell foldables make a lot of sense. They still offer the large-screen smartphone experience we expect from modern devices, but fold down into a more pocketable and small-bag-friendly size.

And with the 3.6-inch external display on the Razr 2026, I’m actually able to interact with key apps without it being annoying, plus you can use the main rear cameras to snap selfies, using the external display as your viewfinder.

As a form factor goes, I dig it — and Motorola has refined its offering since it spearheaded the design with the first Motorola Razr (2019) seven years ago.

The metal frame of the Razr 2026 feels solid and well-built, with the power key and volume buttons on the right falling nicely under thumb and finger.

You get a fingerprint scanner built into the power key, and I found it works nicely, with prompt unlocking even when my digit isn’t expertly placed across the entire surface.

When folded in its clamshell mode, the Razr 2026 feels great in the hand, and the textured rear panel on the Sporting Green model I was sent for review provides useful grip.

The Razr 2026 is available in three further colors, Hematite (grey), Bright White, and Violet Ice (pink), although the latter option doesn’t appear to be available in the UK. For those of you in the US, you get all four hues.

Each color has a different textured finish on its rear, with Hematite sporting a woven-inspired finish, Bright White a geometric finish for a bit of shine, and Violet Ice a wave-like pattern.

I was impressed by how sturdy the Razr 2026 felt, with the hinge stable, if a little on the stiff side — if you’re hoping to easily flick this phone open and closed with one hand, you’ll be disappointed. It requires a little more force to do so, which is a good thing, durability-wise, but it’s slightly less satisfying to use compared to the flip phones of the early 2000s.

And that durability extends to the phone’s water resistance capabilities; it can be immersed in up to 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes.

As with all foldables, thanks to the moving screen and hinge, the phone's dust rating isn’t as high as on traditional phones. If you’re planning a beach trip, be careful not to get sand in the moving parts of this phone.

Included in the box with the phone is a case, allowing you to add extra protection to the handset if you’re so inclined. The plastic shell will keep the metal edges and textured rear safe from dings, but with the case on, it doesn’t feel as nice in the hand, and it looks a bit like a toy. Aesthetics or protection — pick one.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Display

• 3.6-inch outer display is surprisingly usable
• 6.9-inch foldable display is bright, clear, and colorful

As I’ve already alluded to in this review, the Motorola Razr 2026 (or Razr 70 for those of you in the UK and Europe) has two displays.

First up is the 3.6-inch, almost full HD external screen, which is slightly larger than the 3.4-inch offering on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and it’s a full square, as opposed to the slightly obscure shape on the Samsung.

The two main cameras and the flash do eat into the screen, but I prefer the overall aesthetic Motorola has carried over from the Razr 2025. Considering its size, it’s surprisingly usable.

I was able to easily check notifications, reply to WhatsApp messages, monitor my location on Google Maps, control music on Spotify, scroll through socials, and keep up to date with World Cup 2026 news and scores. In fact, a lot of the apps on the phone were in some way usable on this cover screen — you can even watch Netflix on it if you really want.

If you opt to spend more money, the Razr Plus 2026 and Razr Ultra 2026 have slightly larger outer displays, at 4 inches respectively, as was the case with Motorola’s 2025 range.

Flip the Razr 2026 open, and you’re greeted with a sizable 6.9-inch flexible LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision support, and a 1080 x 2640 resolution offering 413 ppi pixel density. Again, this is bigger than the internal screen you’ll find on the Galaxy Flip 7 FE (6.7 inches), and that extra size makes the Razr 2026 pretty tall at 171.3mm.

The taller screen gives the illusion that it’s narrower than other phones, but it is in fact wider than the Flip 7 FE, iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy 26, and Google Pixel 10 Pro. If you have smaller hands, you might find the Flip 7 FE is easier to hold.

It’s bright, clear, and colorful, and while it doesn’t have a super high resolution, I found it perfectly acceptable for gaming, video streaming, and general use.

While creases in foldable screens have improved over the years, they've not been eradicated. It’s barely noticeable when looking straight-on at the Razr 2026, so the likelihood is you’ll forget it’s there visually most of the time.

Look at the screen at an angle, though, and you’ll spot the crease — but what’s more obvious is the feel. Scroll social feeds and your thumb will run over the undulation in the display. You might find it a little off-putting at first, but I quickly became accustomed to the feel.

Manufacturers have worked hard to improve the durability of foldable screens, and that’s the case with the Razr 2026, yet you still need to be careful. During setup, you’re warned not to remove the factory-fitted screen protector or use a third-party screen protector on the foldable display, as it could cause issues and will void the warranty.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Cameras

• Dual 50MP (wide and ultra-wide) main cameras, plus 32MP selfie
• Clever use of the flip design allows the main cameras to be selfie snappers

The Motorola Razr 2026 comes with a trio of cameras. Two on the ‘back’ of the device, although when folded closed, the pair of 50MP snappers become front-facing.

There’s a main 50MP, f/1.7 camera, and that’s joined by another 50MP ultra-wide snapper with a 122-degree field of view, allowing you to fit more into frame — great for sprawling landscapes and towering skyscrapers.

The third camera is your traditional front-facing option with a 32MP, f/2.4 lens; however, if you want to take selfies, you’re better off closing the Razr 2026 and using the external display as the viewfinder and the 50MP snappers.

These cameras are a slight downgrade from the Razr Plus 2026 and Razr Ultra 2026, with OIS, Pantone Validated Cameras, improved video recording, and better image processing available on those more expensive phones.

If you want the best photography experience from your flip foldable, you should consider these pricier options, as they are more accomplished in this department.

That’s not to say the Motorola Razr 2026 can’t take decent photos. It certainly can, but you’ll need to be in good light, have a steady hand, and ideally not be shooting moving objects.

General shots when out and about in the city and countryside on sunny days come out nicely, with a good level of detail, balanced exposure, and vibrant colors — at least when shooting at 1x.

One area where the Razr 2026 struggles is capturing moving objects such as pets. I spotted some blurring and a shade of lag after pressing the shutter button, meaning I missed the facial expressions and poses of cats and dogs I was attempting to capture.

The dual-lens setup also allows for a 2x optical zoom, letting you get closer to your subject without having to physically move, along with a 10x digital zoom.

You get reasonable quality at 2x, but colors do look more muted than at 1x. Quality dips significantly once you get into the digital zoom, and I’d advise avoiding zooming past 2x if you want clear pictures.

I really like the ability to use the main cameras of the phone as a selfie camera, as you get better quality results. The 32MP camera on the internal foldable display isn’t bad, though, and it’s perfectly serviceable for video calls and the odd snap — but you’ll get better image quality, lighting, and colors by using the 50MP option.

Overall, the Motorola Razr 2026 can take good photos, but if you’re looking for a premium photography experience from your flip foldable, you’ll want to consider the pricier Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Razr Ultra 2026.

• Cameras score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Camera samples

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Performance

• MediaTek Dimensity 7450X chipset and 8GB of RAM
• Handles social scrolling and video streaming, but intensive tasks can be slow

As I’ve already mentioned, the Razr 2026 is the baby of Motorola’s trio of flip foldables, and thus it comes with a slight performance disadvantage over its more expensive siblings.

Specifically, you get a MediaTek Dimensity 7450X chipset and 8GB of RAM. The good news is there’s enough power here to run your social apps, video streaming services, and most games without much slowdown.

I did notice apps would sometimes take a moment longer to load compared to non-foldable phones around the same price, several of which come with more power under the hood.

I was able to play Clash Royale without gameplay lag, and while I experienced slowdown in load times when playing Asphalt Legends, actual gameplay wasn’t affected.

Motorola helps to enhance gaming on the Razr 2026 with its Gametime toolkit. It automatically triggers when you fire up a game, with a small icon hiding subtly to the side of the screen.

Give it a tap, and you’ll open up a dashboard through which you can manage performance, block notifications, disable adaptive brightness, record gameplay, and more.

An area where I noticed frequent pauses was when I transitioned from using the app on the interior screen to the exterior screen (and vice versa). The Razr 2026 automatically handles the move between screens for you, but you will need to be patient for a second or so as it sorts itself out.

So, the Razr 2026 isn’t going to give you the best bang-for-buck performance, but for most users it shouldn’t be an issue.

There’s just one storage variant of the Razr 2026, with 256GB included in the handset. For most users, that’ll be plenty, plus Google offers a free 15GB of cloud storage too, allowing you to offload photos and videos from the handset while always having access to them. There’s no physical expandable storage (i.e., microSD) though.

And for your audio needs, there are stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos on the Razr 2026, which kick out at a decent volume, although they do sound a little tinny and there’s nothing really in the way of bass.

That’s not a surprise considering the form factor, and there’s Bluetooth for when you want to pair it with a speaker or headphones for an improved sonic experience.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Software

• Runs Android 16 with a clean overlay, but a few bloat apps
• Includes useful Motorola features and gestures

The Motorola Razr 2026 comes with Android 16, and unlike some manufacturers, Moto’s Android skin is pretty lightweight. In fact, it’s probably the closest interface to stock Android, giving you an almost Google Pixel-like look and feel.

It’s not completely devoid of Motorola’s touch. First, the bad: there are a number of pre-installed apps that are forced on you out of the box. On my UK model, I got Amazon Music, LinkedIn, Perplexity, Opera, Adobe Scan, FIFA Heroes, Google Home, and Google Health (Fitbit). Thankfully, they can be uninstalled if you don’t want them, but it’s a touch annoying to have them thrust upon you in the first place.

With that out of the way, we can focus on the good parts of the software, and Motorola’s cover screen implementation is simply fantastic. It functions as a small phone. It’s easy to navigate and add apps to, and if you swipe sideways, there are various panels you can set up, with each one acting like a home screen widget.

That means things like music controls, fitness targets, the weather forecast, and upcoming calendar entries can be just a swipe away. No need to open the app or even unfold the phone. This all works really well, and I loved using the exterior screen because of it. It’s a far better setup than on Samsung’s Flip series.

Plus, if you start using an app on the cover screen — Google Maps, for example — opening the phone will see the app transition to the large display, allowing you to continue what you’re doing without interruption (and vice versa).

Motorola’s clever gestures are also included; a double twist of the wrist will open the camera app, while a double-chop motion will trigger the touch. These gestures are simple, yet wholly effective.

Google’s Gemini is the default AI assistant on the Razr 2026, but Moto AI is also included if you’d prefer to use Motorola’s own LLM.

One negative on the software side of the Razr 2026 is the ongoing support for the phone. Motorola has committed to three years of OS updates for the Razr 2026, which would mean that after 2029 it won’t get new versions of Android.

When the likes of Google and Samsung are offering seven years of updates, three feels particularly stingy for a premium phone. That puts a potentially limiting lifespan on the handset, although it will get security upgrades for five years, which helps soften the blow.

• Software score: 4.5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Battery

• 4,800mAh is an upgrade, but it lasts the same as its predecessor
• You can get over a day of usage from the Razr 2026's battery

One of the main upgrades on the Razr 2026 over its predecessor is its battery, with a 4,800mAh silicon-carbon power pack squeezed inside this clamshell design. That’s 300mAh more than the battery in the Razr 2025, and it means you get solid usage before the need to find a charger.

Motorola claims the Razr 2026 offers “over 36 hours on a single charge”, which I found to be achievable in certain use cases.

I found the Motorola Razr 2026 would easily last a full day on a single charge, from 7am to 11pm, with around 30-40% left in the tank as I climbed into bed. It meant that, even if I forgot to plug in the charger, the phone would survive the night and still give me a few hours of use the next day before it died.

With lighter use, and a focus on using the cover display more than the larger screen, the Razr 2026 can deliver between a day and a half and two days of battery life.

If you push the phone harder, such as with lengthy TikTok doom-scrolling sessions or intensive gameplay, the battery does drain faster, and you’ll likely end up needing to charge the Razr 2026 each night.

While the battery is bigger, the phone's longevity remains pretty much the same as its predecessor's. I’d have liked to see a more consistent day-and-a-half-plus of battery life, considering the increase in capacity and newer chipset, but the Razr 2026 still performs well.

When it comes to recharging, 30W wired support provides fast top-ups, although you’ll have to supply your own charging block to reach these speeds. During my tests, I saw the Razr 2026 replenish 9% of its battery in five minutes, 30% in 20 minutes, and 40% in 30 minutes. After an hour, I’d managed to gain back 70% of charge.

While that’s not the fastest charging on the market, it’s quick enough to give you a significant amount of battery before heading out. There’s also 15W wireless charging available if you have a charging pad at home, at work, or in your car.

If you’re looking for strong battery performance, the Razr 2026 outperforms the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which comes with a 4,000mAh battery and 25W wired charging.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Razr 2026?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Motorola Razr 2026 review: Also consider

How I tested the Motorola Razr 2026

• Used for two weeks as my personal device
• Day-to-day scrolling social, checking emails, and sending messages
• More intensive video streaming, gaming, and work tasks

I used the Motorola Razr 2026 as my personal device for two weeks, using a Three UK SIM card. During my time with the phone, I used it as I would day-to-day, from scrolling social media, checking emails, and sending messages to streaming video, playing games, and getting work done.

All these tasks were done over Wi-Fi at home, and over a mobile network when out and about. I coupled the variety of locations with high- and low-usage days to get a proper feel for battery life in the real world, and also tested wired and wireless charging.

I took the phone everywhere with me, snapping photos at a variety of locations and in a range of lighting situations.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: July 2026

The Arzopa Z3FC is our top choice portable monitor for most people - whether you need a second screen for work, or a display for gaming on the move. That's exactly how our hardware editor uses this 16.1 in screen with a built-in kickstand every single day. And right now, the Arzopa Z3FC is down to $140 (was $160) at Amazon.

It's built around a 2560x1440 IPS panel with a 180Hz refresh rate over USB-C (144Hz over HDMI), FreeSync support for handheld gaming PCs and consoles, and a lightweight aluminum-alloy body that ships with a padded sleeve. In the UK, the Z3FC is currently £130 (was £160) at Amazon.

Why we recommend it

For his full 4.5-star review, our hardware editor used the Z3FC daily as a work monitor before testing its gaming chops on a Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X.

As a second screen for office work, it performed without a hitch: text stayed crisp, and switching between landscape and portrait for long documents made a real difference to our workflow. It's also light enough to carry one-handed, which matters if you're hauling it between a home office and business trips.

On the gaming side, the 180Hz refresh rate over USB-C handled everything we threw at it, and Metroid Prime 4 ran smoothly at 120Hz on the Switch 2 in performance mode. The built-in speakers surprised us too, with more depth than we expected from a display this thin.

Given he still uses this display every day for work even after the review process, there's no question this is the best portable monitor around if you need a lightweight, tablet-thin second screen.

Price Context & Historical Value

We often keep an eye out for deals on the Arzopa Z3FC, and it's cheaper now than it was when we last highlighted a price cut on this monitor, when it dropped to $150.

A $30 discount off $169.99 works out to about 18 percent, a solid cut for a 180Hz portable monitor with these specs.

Arzopa's own listed prices for the Z3FC have swung fairly widely since launch, so it's worth comparing at checkout, but $139.99 is about the cheapest we've seen for this model.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Arzopa Z3FC if...

You want a lightweight second screen for business travel, split your time between work and portable gaming, or want a high-refresh-rate display for handheld consoles like the Steam Deck or Switch.

❌ Skip the Arzopa Z3FC if...

You need pro-level color accuracy (it covers 107% sRGB, not enough for demanding creative work), you want a monitor with a built-in battery, or you plan to lean on the Switch 2's HDR mode, which looked washed out in our testing.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Color coverage tops out at 107% sRGB, which is fine for general use but not accurate enough for color-critical creative work. There's no built-in battery, so you'll need a power source to use it with consoles or mobile devices, and HDR looked notably washed out when we tested it with the Nintendo Switch 2 (turning HDR off fixed this).

• See all monitor deals at Amazon.

• IKEA is bringing its second-hand resale platform to the UK
• The 'Second-hand Marketplace' will let IKEA fans buy or sell 'pre-loved' versions of its products from each other
• It's already live in seven countries including Sweden and Spain

IKEA has revealed that its second-hand marketplace for buying and selling "pre-loved" products directly with your fellow IKEA fans is coming to the UK soon.

If you're tired of hawking your Kallax shelving unit or Billy bookcase on the likes of Facebook Marketplace, eBay or Gumtree, the official 'Second-hand Marketplace' could be for you. The only downside is that it won't be live for a little while, with IKEA promising a launch "later this year".

IKEA's marketplace is already live in several countries — those are Sweden, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Poland. While the furniture giant hasn't revealed exact details of how it'll work in the UK, in those regions it's currently a free service with no listing or commission fees to pay. However, from January 1, 2027, buyers will need to pay 5% of the purchase price to cover payment and support.

You'll also need to be an IKEA Family member to use the service when it arrives in the UK. This is IKEA's free loyalty scheme, which gives you discounts on food, delivery and some products like your marketplace impulse buys.

Doesn't this already exist?

IKEA does already offer its similar Buy Back service. However, this only lets you return IKEA products to the retailer in return for in-store credit. The new Second-hand Marketplace will differ by letting you buy and sell pre-owned products directly with other IKEA fans.

In other words, this is IKEA's answer to Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and Gumtree, which are already flooded with its affordable products. What exactly will you be able to sell? We've asked IKEA to confirm, but its current FAQ for the service in other regions says you can "list any current or historic IKEA product — except food items, mattresses and kitchen appliances".

Naturally, all items have to be "in good working condition" and be genuine IKEA products, which means fans of the 'IKEA hacks' subreddit won't be able to sell their modified creations. If you do sell something, IKEA says the payment will be released to you 48 hours after the buyer confirms they’ve accepted your item.

We'll have to wait to see if this is exactly how it'll work in the UK, with IKEA promising more details "in the coming months". We've also asked if this will be a web-only service or if it's something that'll be available in IKEA's iOS or Android apps, and will update this story when we hear back.

We ran the Samsung T9 through our full storage benchmark suite, including AJA System Test and CrystalDiskMark, and it came close to the theoretical limits of the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. And right now, the Samsung T9 1TB is down to $240 (was $288) at Amazon.

It's rated for up to 2,000MB/s read and write speeds over Gen 2x2, backed by XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption and drop resistance up to 3 meters onto steel plates, and includes both USB-C and USB-A cables. If you need a higher capacity, the 2TB Samsung T9 is down to $405 (was $575) at Amazon.

Why we recommend it

For most people, the Samsung T9 is our top-rated portable SSD, and has been for a long time now. If you need a speedy drive you can sling in your backpack for work or study, saving game files, or a lot of media, this is our top recommendation.

In our benchmarks and 4-star review, the T9 posted read and write speeds close to 2,000MB/s across AJA System Test, CrystalDiskMark, ATTO, and AS SSD, putting it on par with the other Gen 2x2 drives we've tested from Crucial and Kingston.

The caching system also held up well on sustained writes, which matters if you're pulling footage straight off a camera or moving large project files.

Build quality is a genuine strength: the rubberized exterior survived drop testing from up to 3 meters onto steel plates, a tougher test than most drives in this category go through, and Samsung backs it with a five-year warranty.

For more picks, see our guide to the best portable SSDs we've tested (spoiler: the T9 is ranked best overall).

Also consider

Price Context & Historical Value

A $48 discount off $287.99 works out to about 17 percent. It's worth noting we found the T9 overpriced at its original MSRP relative to competitors like the Kingston XS2000, so this discount goes a meaningful way toward closing that gap rather than being pure gravy on top of a fair price.

We imagine the price hike is largely down to the component cost increases we've seen throughout this year. For comparison, the T9 1TB model is selling for $240 at Best Buy, which is on par with Amazon. However, the 2TB model running at $440, which is more expensive.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Samsung T9 if...

Your computer or camera has a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, and you want to actually use that bandwidth; you move large video or photo files regularly; or you want a drive built to survive drops on set or on the road.

❌ Skip the Samsung T9 if...

Your devices only support USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Gen 1 (you won't see the speed benefit), you want IP-rated water and dust resistance, or you're on a tight budget and don't need Gen 2x2 speeds.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The T9 only pays off if your computer, camera, or console actually has a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port; plug it into an older Gen 2 or Gen 1 port and you'll get the same performance as the cheaper T7. It also lacks any IP water or dust rating, unlike some rivals, and at launch we found it priced higher than comparable drives from Crucial and Kingston, so it's worth shopping around if raw price is your main concern.

• Cardiff vs Wrexham: Monday, August 17 at 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 5am AEST
• Streams: Sky Sports (UK) / Paramount Plus (US)
• Outside the UK? Use NordVPN to unblock your streaming account

The Cardiff vs Wrexham live stream is one of the standout fixtures on the opening weekend of the Championship. The two Welsh clubs have had contrasting fortunes in recent years and will meet for the first time in the league since 2002.

Second in League One last season under Brian Barry-Murphy, Cardiff sealed a return to the Championship at the first time of asking. This year, they’ll start as one of the relegation candidates, and a quiet summer has done little to enhance hopes of a strong season. Jack Moylan, signed from Lincoln City, appears to be a good pick-up, though, and will be looking to make it two goals in his first two appearances after netting in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

After three consecutive promotions from 2022 to 2025, Wrexham enjoyed another impressive season last time out as they narrowly missed out on a spot in the play-offs. Finishing just two points adrift of the top six, manager Phil Parkinson will be looking for his side to bounce back, and the addition of two extra spots in the play-offs could play into their hands. Anthony Patterson, Ben Whiteman and Daniel Imray are three strong signings and could all make their Championship debuts for the Red Dragons today.

Read on to find out how to watch the Cardiff vs Wrexham EFL Championship 2026/27 live stream from anywhere in the world.

Cardiff vs Wrexham team news

Cardiff XI: Trott, Bagan, Osho, Moylan, Salech, Tanner, Willock, Robertson, Scanlon, Ng, Ashford

Subs: Tyrer, R. Colwill, Turnbull, J. Colwill, Tankiewicz, Davies, Anyadike, Kpakio, Robinson

Wrexham XI: Patterson, Vyner, Hyam, Doyle, Imray, James, O'Brien, Thomason, Rathbone, Broadhead, Moore

Subs: Ward, Cleworth, Scarr, Longman, Whiteman, Dobson, Keillor-Dunn, Cadamarteri, Smith

How to watch Cardiff vs Wrexham from anywhere

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount and and extra three months for free...

How to watch Cardiff vs Wrexham live streams in the USA

CBS's streaming service Paramount Plus is the place to catch the EFL Championship 2026/27, including Cardiff vs Wrexham.

Paramount+ subscriptions start at $8.99/month, rising to $13.99 to remove ads. You can also get a Paramount+ trial with Walmart+ for $1 with this sneaky trick we found.

We recommend NordVPN if you're outside the country for the vital clash.

How to watch Cardiff vs Wrexham live streams in the UK

The EFL Championship game between Cardiff vs Wrexham will be shown on Sky Sports in the UK.

Sky Sports packages start from £20 per month. Or you can use a more flexible streaming option, Now (formerly Now TV). Now Sports memberships start at £14.99 for a day pass or £34.99 monthly if you are looking to catch all of the games.

Not in the UK this Monday? Use NordVPN to access your usual EFL Championship streams.

How to watch Cardiff vs Wrexham live streams in Canada

In Canada, DAZN has the rights to broadcast the Cardiff vs Wrexham live stream.

DAZN plans start at CA$24.99/month and you can also watch the Champions League, Europa League, Carabao Cup and the Bundesliga.

Traveling outside the Great White North? Make sure to use a VPN so you don't miss out.

How to watch Cardiff vs Wrexham live streams in Australia

In Australia, Cardiff vs Wrexham is exclusive to beIN Sports, which offers new users a 7-day FREE trial.

You can add beIN Sports to most TV packages, or sign up as a standalone subscription. It costs AU$15.99 month or AU$159 for a year, once that week-long trial ends.

Not in Australia at the moment? Then you'll need a VPN to watch all the big games as if you were back home. We recommend NordVPN.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Epson's EcoTank line has been the refillable-ink standard-bearer we've measured other cartridge-free printers against for years. In our tests, they excel at both document and photo printing, with the bottled ink offering more value for money compared to inkjet cartridges. But if you want to save even more, right now the Epson EcoTank ET-4800 is down to $200 (was $300) at Amazon.

This 4-in-1 printer combines print, scan, copy, and fax with Ethernet connectivity. It ships with up to two years of ink included, an automatic document feeder for multi-page scans and copies, and both wireless and Ethernet connectivity for home or small-office setups.

Why we recommend it

We've tested a range of EcoTank printers from Epson, and they've all delivered great performance for home and office use. And while we haven't gone hands-on with the entry level ET-4800, we loved the older ET-3850 and the upgraded ET-4850.

For our money, this is a great place to start if you're trying an ink tank printer for the first time, and at this price it's especially good for students preparing for back-to-school.

The EcoTank system remains the strongest case against traditional cartridge printers: Epson estimates savings of up to 90% on ink versus cartridges over the life of the printer, and the ET-4800 ships with enough ink to cover up to two years of typical use before you need to refill anything.

The ADF and fax support round it out as a genuine small-office machine rather than just a home printer, and having both wireless and Ethernet on board means you're not stuck troubleshooting Wi-Fi if your router setup is unreliable.

For more picks, including other EcoTank models, see our guides to the best home printers and the best all-in-one printers we've tested.

Price Context & Historical Value

A $100 drop from $299.99 to $199.99 is roughly 33 percent off, and it's just 99 cents more than its lowest ever price from back in August 2024. Based on that, we wouldn't expect it to drop any lower.

What we especially like here is that you get a generous amount of free ink in the box - four in total - so, the effective savings here run higher than the discount alone suggests.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Epson EcoTank ET-4800 if... you print often enough that cartridge costs add up, you want fax and Ethernet alongside the usual scan and copy functions, or you're setting up a small home office and want a wired connection as a Wi-Fi backup.

❌ Skip the Epson EcoTank ET-4800 if...

You print double-sided documents constantly and want automatic duplexing (this model only supports manual duplexing), you want a unit we've already reviewed hands-on, or you don't need fax or Ethernet and would rather save money on a simpler EcoTank model.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

We haven't tested this unit ourselves, so this recommendation leans on Epson's general track record with the EcoTank line rather than hands-on verification. It's also worth knowing the ET-4800 only supports manual duplex printing, not automatic — a detail some buyers have found easy to miss, since duplexing is standard on other printers in this price range.

• See all printer deals at Amazon.

• Akira ransomware tried Safe Mode boot to disable defenses but broke its own encryptor
• Defender later flagged and quarantined payload, leaving attackers with only stolen data
• Huntress advises VPN brute‑force alerts, MFA, SIEM logging, and Safe Mode monitoring

A recent ransomware attack saw the operators Akira (figuratively) shoot themselves in the foot - and they still walked away with sensitive data, albeit limping.

Akira is a well-known ransomware group, considered one of the most active cybercriminal organizations on the internet. Its modus operandi is simple in theory: they look for an exposed VPN instance (for example, one with a default or weak password), access the domain controller, enumerate Active Directory, steal sensitive data, and deploy an encryptor.

With the encryptor they leave a ransom note, instructing the victim to reach out and negotiate a payment in exchange for the decryption key and for deleting the stolen documents and information.

However, in a recent attack, they tried to first disable the device’s antivirus and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. The process backfired, resulting in the security solutions successfully spotting and quarantining the encryptor.

The good and the bad of Safe Mode with Networking

A new report published by security researchers Huntress said that after establishing persistence on a device, Akira rebooted it into Safe Mode with Networking. This Windows startup mode boots the OS with only the essential drivers and services, excluding important components such as antivirus programs or EDR agents. At the same time, it grants internet access which, for Akira, is the perfect combination.

“This means Defender real-time protection was down too,” Akira explained. “For the entire Safe Mode window, the host had no working EDR, and AV was blinded. This is MITRE ATT&CK T1688: Impair Defenses: Safe Mode Boot, a technique that ransomware families like Snatch and AvosLocker have used for years. However, this is the first time we have seen Akira use it.”

What Akira didn’t bank on was Safe Mode with Networking also preventing its encryptor from running. “Safe Mode boots with a stripped-down environment and constrained virtual memory, and the Akira process tree appears to have starved it, getting the "Out of Virtual Memory" pop-up and the cascade of PowerShell hard errors line up exactly with the moment the payload tried to kick things off.”

The operators had no other choice but to boot the device back up normally, at which point a scheduled Defender scan detected the encryptor, flagged it, and ultimately quarantined it.

“The takeaway is a little uncomfortable. While Safe Mode blinded our controls, it may also have prevented the encryption it was meant to enable. That's a lucky side effect of the attacker's own mistake in these circumstances, not a defense you can plan around,” Huntress warned, stressing that not every victim might get such a lucky break.

“Ultimately, this could be a case of winning the battle, but not the war. It's possible that a host with more physical memory or a larger page file might give akira.exe enough virtual memory to encrypt the endpoint in Safe Mode. Akira's developers or affiliates could retool the encryptor to reduce its memory demands or make its Safe Mode launch sequence more reliable, meaning that the same failure may not occur in a future intrusion.”

How to defend against Akira ransomware

To defend against Akira, Huntress recommends users set up alerts on bursts of failed VPN logins against multiple usernames from one source. It works well because Akira starts its breach with a brute-force attack against the VPN. It also says users should correlate those failures with a successful login from the same IP or ASN within a short window.

The second step is to turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) on every VPN account. Users should also disable or IP-allowlist the SSL VPN during active attacks and, if compromised, rotate all AD and VPN credentials. “Treat everything in that Get-ADUser dump as exposed,” the researchers warn.

EDR should be deployed to every host, as well as SIEM and ingest VPN + Windows Event Logs. “The first VPN logons were visible hours before any detonation—this time advantage is only possible if the logs are on SIEM.”

Finally, users can set up alerts on boot-configuration changes and Safe Mode boots, to catch Akira red handed.

• Proton VPN recorded a spike in sign-ups from Oman starting on Thursday
• While some users report regaining access, VPN sign-ups remain high
• Oman did not release any official statement about the restrictions

Internet users in Oman are turning to virtual private networks in droves following widespread reports that TikTok has been suddenly restricted.

According to the latest data from Proton, sign-ups for the company's free VPN service spiked starting August 13, 2026, with a peak of 600% above the baseline recorded on Friday. This sudden surge aligns directly with a flood of complaints on Reddit and other social media platforms from Omani residents who found themselves unable to access the video-sharing app.

While the Omani government has yet to announce an official block, the sudden disappearance of TikTok has left many seeking ways to stay connected. To bypass these suspected national firewalls, thousands have turned to Proton VPN in a bid of avoiding the ban by rerouting internet traffic through servers in other countries.

Although the initial rush has slightly cooled off, the demand for privacy tools remains heavily elevated. Recent data shared with TechRadar shows that sign-ups are currently sitting consistently just above 200%.

"Some people have reported that they were able to regain access to TikTok, but our data is showing a sustained higher demand — indicating that at least some level of disruption may still remain," a Proton VPN spokesperson told TechRadar.

Why is TikTok blocked in Oman?

Oman has a history of restricting access to certain platforms, though it rarely admits to deliberate censorship. When TikTok experienced similar nationwide connection failures in April 2025, the Omani Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) blamed technical glitches.

As noted in a recent blog post by Proton VPN, the government failed to explain to reporters why these "technical reasons" affected only TikTok and no other internet services.

Whatever the reason behind the block, David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, strongly condemned the move.

"The restrictions on TikTok, and similar apps, represent an attack on the rights of Oman's citizens," Peterson told TechRadar, explaining that citizens widely use the platform also for political discussion and e-commerce opportunities.

How a VPN helps bypass restrictions

In regions where digital rights are frequently challenged, circumvention tools become essential lifelines for maintaining free expression.

That's beacuse when an internet service provider (ISP) blocks a website or app at the behest of a government, it typically does so by restricting access to the platform's specific IP addresses.

By using a VPN service, your web traffic is encrypted and tunneled to a server located outside of your physical country.

So, if an Omani resident connects to a VPN server in a country where TikTok remains available, their local ISP can no longer see what apps they are using or which websites they are visiting.

Proton VPN is particularly popular in these sudden crises because of its robust free VPN tier. Unlike many free alternatives that severely throttle speeds or sell user data to advertisers, Proton VPN Free offers uncapped data and a strict no-logs policy.

In 2025 alone, Proton VPN downloads spiked in 62 countries as a way to bypass restrictions. Just recently, we saw Proton VPN usage spike in Turkey following new regulatory proposals, too.

Disney's epic D23 2026 festivities might be over in Anaheim, CA — the convention ended with its Disney Legends Ceremony last night, and it's on Disney+ right now — but thanks to the Disney Store, a few of the most exciting product drops are up for grabs online.

Leading the pack for me, as a big fan of Imagineering and animatronics as well as Toy Story and Pixar at large, are two very cool limited-edition grabs. First is the Pixar Lamp at $99.99, which, in fact, doesn't light up, but it more than makes up for it.

It's true to scale with what the Pixar Lamp would be in our world, but it's also motion-activated, so it can bop around, move its arm to change the overall height, and even skid around on a surface for a bit. It's pretty fun, and while I do wish it would illuminate, it is a nice celebration of 40 years of Pixar.

Even neater is the fact that it will respond to motion and sound via two built-in sensors, which also means it might have a mind of its own. This one was pretty popular on the show floor at D23, and I suspect this won't last too long at the Disney Store. If it does sell out, though, I'd highly recommend the LEGO Pixar Lamp, which is even a bit cheaper and not a limited edition. Amazon has it for just $55.99, a 20% savings off the $69.99 MSRP.

Shop D23's Pixar Lamp

This next one lets you bring a bit of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room right into your home. The $249.99 José Animatronic Figure is a delightful recreation of the attraction's show host, who's led it since 1963. You'll find José perched on his porch, and with the press of a button, those iconic moments from the attraction will be brought to life with this mini animatronic. José will move, lights will illuminate, and a few bars from the song "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" will roar to life.

Beyond these two, there's a whole host of D23 drops that are up while supplies last on the Disney Store right now. You can shop the full collection, which includes retro Disney tees, treasures from a Galaxy Far, Far Away, and even some collectibles fit for superheroes here.

Shop D23's José Animatronic Figure

Ted Lasso season 4 has finally found its footing. Indeed, after its premiere drew out the titular soccer coach's return to AFC Richmond, its follow-up entry delivered more of the cosy, soccer-based comfort viewing we've come to expect from the Apple TV Original.

This season's third episode, titled 'Richmond's Got Talent', will build upon its forebear, too, by introducing us to even more newcomers when Ted and company hold open trials for a spot on the Richmond Women's team's roster. So, when will we meet the final few players who'll aim to take Richmond to the top?

What is the launch time for Ted Lasso season 4 episode 3?

Ted Lasso's next episode will drop in the US and Canada at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Tuesday, August 18.

Sure, Apple has publicly stated that new episodes will air every Wednesday worldwide. However, this season's first two installments have actually been released on Tuesday evenings in the Americas, so there's no reason to suspect that next week's entry won't do likewise.

As for the rest of the world, here's when season 4 episode 3 will arrive on one of the best streaming services:

• US — Tuesday, August 18 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Tuesday, August 18 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Wednesday, August 19 at 2am BST
• India — Wednesday, August 19 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, August 19 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, August 19 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, August 19 at 1pm NZST

How many episodes are in Ted Lasso season 4?

There'll be 10 episodes to enjoy in Ted Lasso 4 — and, as I alluded to above, new chapters will come out every Tuesday in North and South America, and every Wednesday in other territories. That'll be the case until this season's finale launches in early October, too.

But, I digress. Here are the all-important release dates you need to know about:

• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 2 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 3 — August 18/19
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 4 — August 25/26
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 5 — September 1/2
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 6 — September 8/9
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 7 — September 15/16
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 8 — September 22/23
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 9 — September 29/30
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 10 — October 6/7

• Watch Celebrity MasterChef for free on BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Use NordVPN to watch BBC iPlayer when abroad
• Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for five weeks starting August 18

The UK’s Celebrity MasterChef is back for season 21, as the biggest local stars – from comedy, music, sport and showbiz – fight it out over five weeks to become the 2026 celebrity cooking champion.

There’s a new face on the judging panel, too. Replacing John Torode is Giorgio Locatelli, a Michelin-starred Italian chef and restaurateur. He’ll join the returning food critic Grace Dent to form a brand-new duo of experts for season 21.

“I couldn’t be happier to combine our shared joy, passion, and expertise for food,” Dent said about the new partnership.

As for celebrity guest judges, there’ll be one each week for the three contestant heats: comedian and presenter Paddy McGuinness, broadcaster Zoe Ball, and influencer Morgan Burtwistle (Angry Ginge).

Season 21 will span five weeks, with each of the first three being a qualifying round featuring five new contestants. Those that qualify will then go into week four, or the semi-finals, followed by the ultimate final showdown in week five.

Abroad? Here's where to watch Celebrity MasterChef online and on TV from anywhere in the world, for free.

How to watch Celebrity MasterChef in the UK for free

Celebrity MasterChef is exclusive to BBC, and is therefore available to stream FREE on BBC iPlayer in the UK.

The first episode arrives on BBC iPlayer on Tuesday, August 18, while cable loyalists can watch it on BBC One, at 9pm BST.

The second episode will air on Wednesday, and the third on Friday, and the show will follow the same Tue-Wed-Fri schedule each week for five weeks.

How to watch Celebrity MasterChef from anywhere

If you're keen to watch Celebrity MasterChef but you're away from the UK and access to the show is geo-blocked, then you could use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do. Plus, we have a great 75% discount on our #1 VPN...

How to watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN

Using a VPN to unblock Celebrity MasterChef is very straightforward. Just follow these steps:

1. Download and install a VPN: As we say, our top choice is NordVPN.

2. Connect to the appropriate server location: Open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select your home geographical location (anywhere in the UK).

3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream: In this case, just head to BBC iPlayer.

What devices can I watch BBC iPlayer on?

• Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, TVs)
• Android TV (please note: some models aren’t supported)
• Android (Mobile & Tablet) - Android 7.0 and above
• Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
• Google TV (Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
• Freely
• Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
• Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes) (some models aren’t supported)       
• iOS (iPhone & iPad) - iOS 14 and above        
• LG Smart TVs (2016-2024)       
• NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
• PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
• Roku (Stick & Roku-OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
•  Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above)        
• Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream puck
• Virgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
• YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
•  Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)

Celebrity MasterChef: FAQs

Can I watch Celebrity MasterChef online in the US, Canada, Australia, and worldwide?

Since Celebrity MasterChef is exclusive to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, it's not currently available to stream in any international locations. We'll update you here if that changes.

If you're a Brit traveling abroad, you can use this VPN to watch your usual streaming services from anywhere in the world.

Note: Not all VPNs work for this, but NordVPN does. It's also great for privacy and comes with a 30-day risk-free trial.

You may also like to watch...

• How to watch The Other Bennet Sister
• How to watch The Traitors India season 2 online
• How to watch Lord of the Flies from anywhere

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Best Buy has chosen to celebrate its 60th anniversary by launching a week-long mega sale filled with offers on laptops, TVs, Apple products, appliances, headphones, and more. Unlike traditional birthday parties, where you bring a gift to the celebrant, the retailer is sharing a gift with us. Namely, there are big savings available on a whole host of top tech products — and I've found the 31 best deals.

• Browse the full Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale

Knowing that we're currently in full back-to-school sales season, it's no surprise that laptops make up a huge part of this week's event. Although there are devices available from as low as $189, the standout offer to me is this HP OmniBook X Flip for $749.99 (was $1,199.99). It's an older machine, but it's a great price for a powerful, flexible device that will excel at school and college or for general use at home.

The Apple deals are surprisingly strong, too, with the AirPods Pro 3 available for $189.99 (was $249.99). I've only seen them cheaper once before this year, during Prime Day, so this is likely the best offer we'll see until Black Friday in November. If you don't want to wait until then, I'd snap up this deal while it's available.

I've found dozens more standout deals in the Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale below, so do have a browse through my full list of recommendations. I'll keep an eye on the event over the next few days and will add any more top deals as I find them before it ends on Sunday.

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — quick links

• Apple: MacBooks & AirPods from $99
• Appliances: up to 30% off
• Cameras: up to $1,000 off Sony, DJI & Canon
• Gaming: up to 60% off PS5 & Switch games
• Headphones: Apple, Sony & Beats from $15
• Kitchen: up to 50% off Ninja & Bella
• Laptops: from $189.99
• Phones: up to $1,200 off iPhone & Samsung
• Smart home: up to 30% off Ring & Eufy
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Apple & Garmin
• Speakers: up to 50% off Samsung, Bose & JBL
• Tablets: up to $350 off iPad & Samsung
• Toys: up to 30% off
• TVs: from $69.99
• Vacuums: up to $450 off Dyson & Shark

Top 10 deals from the Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — Laptops

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — Televisions

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — Headphones

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — Appliances

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — Apple

Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale — More tech

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are adopting AI to improve productivity and efficiency, but where they should be seeing improvements from this strategy, instead they’re seeing rising token costs, struggles with integrating tools, and more security risks.

As with all new technologies, adoption comes first and the procedures and governance are a few steps behind. Experiments are taking place in almost every industry, and the lessons learned will help guide other businesses into successful adoption and AI maturity.

But employees fear replacement and sometimes spend more time questioning the results of their AI assisted work. In the worst circumstances more work is created in trying to ensure employees trust the technology, and solving the new, unseen challenges that come with adapting an AI strategy.

AI costs and challenges in the road ahead

Rising token costs are one of the biggest challenges businesses face. Without clear ways to measure how token costs reflect performance, it’s very difficult to assess if AI spend is actually offering any performance benefits. This is especially true when new, more powerful models are being released - and staying ahead of the competition means the accompanying, ever-increasing costs is the price of doing business.

But while employees may have just finished their training, or setting up a new workflow for one AI model, introducing the next can increase complexity and harm any new productivity gains. There is therefore a balance to be struck between AI integration, its associated costs, and the productivity gains employees see.

Rampant spending and reckless adoption can turn an AI strategy from a business-boosting asset into a stress-inducing, trust-eroding liability.

Ruth Patterson, Managing Director, HP, UK & Ireland says that the businesses seeing the most success during this technological revolution aren’t necessarily integrating it at every turn. Instead, they’re “applying it to practical workflows in a way that protects data and delivers real results.”

I spoke to Patterson to understand the challenges businesses face in delivering an AI strategy that shows real results, and how organisations can tackle the challenges that come with adoption AI.

• How are enterprise attitudes towards AI token use changing in 2026?

Businesses are waking up to a simple but overlooked truth about AI: the more they use, the more it costs. As AI has become part of everyday work, the financial cost of millions of interactions, charged at a token level, has become much more visible – and not just to the IT department.

Finance leaders are watching token usage fill a sizeable chunk of their balance sheets, rightly prompting much closer scrutiny of where workloads are processed and whether every task needs to be sent to the cloud.

As the conversation moves from AI experimentation to value, leaders must now focus on building an AI strategy that's both commercially sustainable and operationally efficient. That means moving away from AI for AI’s sake to a more tailored approach that balances cost, security and performance.

• What are businesses prioritising as they move beyond initial AI experimentation? Where have businesses seen the greatest gains?

The biggest gains so far have come from AI taking repetitive tasks off people's desks. You will have heard this said a lot, but the benefits are real. Whether it's summarising meetings, drafting documents, searching internal knowledge or helping employees find information more quickly, AI really is giving people back time to focus on work that requires judgement and creativity. Employees increasingly recognise that the future of the workplace is AI-enabled, whereby their own skills augmented by digital solutions. To succeed, organisations must offer access to the right technology and create environments where people feel empowered to experiment with AI.

However, as more organisations begin to move beyond this experimentation phase, they are starting to become much more disciplined. They're asking whether AI is secure, whether employees are using approved tools and whether the technology is genuinely improving productivity rather than simply adding another application to the estate.

The businesses making the fastest progress in this environment aren't necessarily using the most AI. They’re the ones applying it to practical workflows in a way that protects data and delivers real results.

• What are the biggest challenges organisations face when deploying AI at scale?

Organisations must juggle several competing priorities as they scale deployment: how to protect sensitive data, manage operational costs, maintain performance and ensure employees trust the technology they're using.

The trust question is particularly important as AI moves further into everyday use. Employees need confidence that the tools are reliable and approved, while organisations need confidence that data is protected and whether the cost model is right.

Getting IT infrastructure tuned correctly is key to making this work at scale. One of the most important decisions that organisations need to make is which AI workloads belong in the cloud, and which make more sense running on the device. That is ultimately a business decision – as opposed to purely a technology or IT decision – because it affects performance, cost and security.

• How does on-device AI slot into an organisation's overall AI strategy?

I don't see cloud AI and on-device AI as competing approaches - I see them as complementary. Cloud services will remain essential for large-scale models and complex reasoning. But not every AI task needs to leave the device.

For everyday activities like summarisation, transcription or content creation, running AI locally can reduce dependence on cloud infrastructure and give organisations greater control over sensitive information. AI only creates value when it becomes part of everyday workflows. By adopting on-device AI-solutions, employees can reduce latency and increase productivity with the peace of mind that their data is secure. This offers an easy route-in for employees beginning to implement AI into their day-to-day workflows.

The right approach to enterprise AI strategy is pretty simple: place workloads where they make the most sense. Because once the right balance between cloud and local AI is found, organisations will find the sweet spot between cost, performance and security.

• How are business leaders evaluating the success of AI investments around productivity?

The conversation has moved beyond adoption metrics. Now leaders want to understand whether AI is creating measurable improvements in business performance. They're looking at time saved, faster decision-making, improvements to workflow efficiency and whether employees can spend more time on higher-value work.

Technology leaders are also beginning to examine the broader economics of AI. Productivity gains need to be considered alongside operational expenditure, infrastructure requirements and long-term scalability.

Ultimately, AI should reduce friction. If employees can complete work more efficiently while organisations maintain control over cost and governance, that's where the real return on investment begins to emerge.

AI-enabled digital solutions now offer benefits such as persona-based device optimisation or integrated sentiment analysis to measure employee satisfaction with digital tools. These innovations truly redefine experience management and facilitate higher employee satisfaction and productivity. It also enables leaders to stay closer to their employees and gauge whether AI is improving their experience or simply adding another layer of complexity.

• How do you expect enterprise AI infrastructure to evolve over the next few years?

We will continue to see significant investment in AI infrastructure. But the conversation needs to go beyond capacity, because capacity doesn’t create business value alone.

The next phase will be about ensuring infrastructure enables AI workloads to run where they are most effective. That means treating the endpoint as part of the AI infrastructure and using it to process selected tasks locally, alongside cloud services and edge computing. At the same time, we can expect to see greater emphasis put on AI infrastructure that supports governance, security and efficiency alongside raw compute capacity.

Together, these infrastructure shifts will start to deliver the practical value that employees and businesses expect from AI but aren’t currently seeing.

• What trends are you watching most closely in enterprise AI right now?

Three stand out for me:

First, the move towards hybrid AI architectures. Organisations are becoming much more deliberate about deciding which workloads should run in the cloud and which belong on the device.

Second, the growing focus on the economics of AI. As adoption scales, businesses are paying much closer attention to operational expenditure, infrastructure efficiency and the total cost of AI deployment.

Finally, we’re seeing the role of the endpoint evolve. For years, the PC has been framed as an access device only. Today, it has become an intelligent computing platform, capable of running AI workloads securely and efficiently.

Businesses don’t need a big AI budget to get all three right. They just need to spend time working out, task by task, where intelligence really belongs.

• Apple Fitness+ could be getting Peloton-style live workouts
• The fitness platform has been 'under review' since earlier this year
• Spotify recently expanded into fitness, so Apple might one-up its rival with live workouts

Something is going on at Apple Fitness+, the tech giant’s flagship fitness service, and it could be hinting at a new Peloton-style live workout hub.

A job listing posted by Apple advertises a Studio Producer role for Fitness+, implying there’s about to be a new upgrade coming to the health service, which is asking for a candidate with a "strong foundation in live or live-to-tape multi-camera production and a genuine curiosity about where live content is headed next."

Apple Fitness+ was introduced back in 2020, offering subscribers a one-stop shop of on-demand workout videos run by in-house fitness experts, integrating real-time workout metrics from your Apple Watch. Apple Fitness+ doesn’t host live workouts with live leaderboards in the way that Peloton does, so an upgrade could give the service the new lease of life it needs.

Despite its rich library of pre-recorded workout videos and guided meditations, Apple Fitness+ has been declining over the years. Earlier this year, we reported that Apple Fitness+ was ‘under review’, with the possibility of the firm merging with the existing Apple Health app to offer a combined subscription, but as it stands, the future of Apple Fitness+ is still undecided.

Bloomberg’s ($/£) Mark Gurman said that "there’s no telling what will end up happening," so not even seasoned leakers are able to predict where it’s going. A direct partnership with a fitness giant like Peloton hasn’t been hinted at, but since Spotify recently ventured into the fitness world, Apple Fitness+ might have some fresh competition.

A few weeks ago, Spotify expanded its services into fitness and I sat down with its developer, Austin Lamon, who described it as a “natural extension of how people already use Spotify today”. The new Fitness hub packs curated Running Mode playlists, as well as a section packed with pre-recorded workout guides from Peloton’s flagship personal trainers — and it’s all included in the Premium plan on top of access to music, audiobooks, and podcasts.

Though Apple Fitness+ got there first with its own roster of on-demand workout videos, Spotify has combined its Fitness hub with services that subscribers are already paying for, whereas Apple’s music and fitness platforms are separate entities. And yes, Spotify is prone to a price hike every now and then, but its new fitness content doesn’t come with any add-on costs.

The only thing that Spotify Fitness hasn’t jumped on yet is the idea of hosting its own live workouts, which opens a door for Apple Fitness+ to snatch an opportunity. If Apple started pumping out its own Peloton-style live workouts, it could give the service an edge over rivals and give iOS fans a new reason to stay put. Perhaps we'll find out more during Apple's upcoming product launch in September?

TP-Link BE6300 One Minute Review

I liked TP-Link’s BE3200 range extender, which helped to tackle the Wi-Fi deadspot in my office quickly and easily, and at a competitive price.

However, the BE3200 is very much an entry-level option for Wi-Fi 7, with a relatively modest top speed of 3.2Gbps. If you’re looking for something a little faster for gaming or streaming 4K video then you could consider the BE6300 model, which doubles that speed without doubling the price.

Both range extenders keep the price down by sticking with dual-band Wi-Fi, which uses just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, but omits the high-speed 6.0GHz band that is available with the fastest Wi-Fi 7 models.

But, as the name suggests, the BE6300 is still almost twice as fast as the BE3200, stepping up to a top speed of 6.3Gbps, which should be more than fast enough for most home users.

As you’ve probably guessed, the term ‘BE6300’ refers to the speed of the range extender, but it’s also known by the model number RE403BE, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re buying online.

TP-Link BE6300 review: Price & release date

• Where is it available? US-only
• Available Now
• Price: $149.99

The BE6300 is currently only available in the US. You can’t buy it direct from TP-Link either, so you’ll need to shop around online, with the average price sitting at around $149.99.

Oddly, though, there is a similar model called the BE6500 (model RE605BE) available in the UK and Australia. This is slightly faster than the BE6300 that we review here, with a top speed of 6.5Gbps, and costs £188.00/AU$265.

TP-Link BE6300 review: Specs

TP-Link BE6300 review: Design

Unsurprisingly, the BE6300 looks very similar to its little brother, with a chunky, white rectangular design that plugs straight into any convenient mains power supply.

However, the extra speed of this model means that it requires a little more power and the BE5300 is therefore quite a bit larger, and also sprouts an extra pair of antennae – four in total - to boost performance.

The body of the BE6300 measures 161mm high, but unfolding the top and bottom antennae extends that to a full 261mm. It’s wider too, at 81mm, which means that the bulky device could block any adjacent power sockets if you have two or more sockets that sit close together.

You’ll also need plenty of room if you want to use the Ethernet port that's located on the right-hand side of the range extender. Mind you, it’s possible to plug the BE6300 into a mains extender, rather than plugging it straight into a wall socket, although that’s not a very neat solution as it leaves you with additional cables trailing on the floor.

TP-Link BE6300 review: Features

As mentioned, the BE6300 provides dual-band Wi-Fi 7, using the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands with a top speed of 6.3Gbps.

It may not support the high-speed 6.0GHz band, but it does include a Wi-Fi 7 feature called MLO – multi-link operation – that allows computers and mobile devices with Wi-Fi 7 to boost performance by transmitting data on both bands simultaneously. The Ethernet port on this model is faster too, now running at 2.5Gbps.

As we’ve seen before, TP-Link’s Tether app is well designed and easy to use, making it easy to get started even if you’ve never used a range extender before. It recommends that you initially plug the BE6300 into a power socket close to your main broadband router in order to avoid any interference during the initial set-up process.

The app is then able to automatically detect the range extender and guides you through the process of connecting it to both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz networks set up by your main router.

If you want to keep things simple then you can tell the range extender to just use the same network name and password as your original network, or you can give the range extender a new name and password for extra security.

Once that’s done you can unplug the range extender and move it closer to the room where you need to boost the Wi-Fi signal. The app can help here too, by checking the strength of the Wi-Fi signal so that you can find the best spot to place it.

The app can also show you all the devices that are connected to the range extender, and allows you to block devices, such as a child’s tablet or smartphone at night-time. There’s also an Eco mode that helps to reduce power consumption, and you can schedule a time for the range extender to turn itself off as well.

TP-Link BE6300 review: Performance

I have a Wi-Fi deadspot in an office at the back of my building, and when I tested the less expensive BE3200, I found that its 2.4GHz band couldn’t quite achieve the full speed of 150Mbps provided by my office broadband service.

That was no longer a problem when I set up the BE6300 in a nearby hallway, and it was easily able to maintain a smooth 150Mbps for both the Ookla Speed Test and for file downloads from Steam. Needless to say, the faster 5.0GHz band worked equally well, cruising along at 150Mbps throughout all my tests.

Not everyone will need a range extender with a speed of 6.3Gbps, so many homes will still get perfectly good performance from a less expensive range extender such as the BE3200. But, if you do need strong performance for gaming or streaming video, then the BE6300 fits the bill at a competitive price.

Should you buy the TP-Link BE6300?