• People under 45 are using AI to get financial advice
• In that cohort, more people (11%) are using AI for financial advice rather than consulting financial advisors (9%)
• The survey of 2000 UK adults highlights where the financial industry is failing to embrace AI

AI has already been a huge disruptor across all industries, but how it is used by consumers has been difficult to predict. Following the use of search to find AI-recommended products, consumers are now consulting AI for financial advice – and using the technology more than they would human financial advisors.

A new survey of AI use in financial and monetary tasks has found that 11% under-45s are seeking financial advice from LLM-backed chatbots, more than the 9% who seek guidance from living, breathing advisors with experience in banking and finance products.

The research from Attest’s 2027 Consumer trends report highlights some interesting ways in which people expect to be able to use AI, too – including using it to switch to better insurance deals, negotiate disputes, and even cancel unused subscriptions.

Money decisions

The Attest report reveals numerous interesting insights from its survey of 2000 UK adults. But it is the AI-related revelations that hold particular fascination. While the number of under 45s using AI for financial advice may seem small at 11%, a more significant 41% has admitted they would accept AI-provided financial advice if it was cheaper than equivalent advice from a professional.

“For some younger adults, the first conversation about a money decision is already happening with an AI assistant," noted Todd Latham, CEO of Attest.

"Financial brands increasingly need to understand the questions people are asking before a customer reaches them, and which providers and products AI puts in front of consumers.”

In the world of financial marketing, however, these findings offer a completely different story. Appearing in AI-generated search results is one part of this, but it is the equivalent of an introduction, and doesn’t commit the customer to pursuing any opportunities.

AI investment

Could people begin to rely on AI to manage investments and find new products within their budgets? At the moment, the answer would seem to be no, as the marketplace isn’t really responding to what AI can do for investments, insurance, and other financial products.

Latham confirms this, saying that financial product providers aren’t really communicating with an AI-friendly marketplace.

“Our findings across financial products, insurance, travel, tickets and experiences also show how influential that stage can be. Consumers are not only using AI to explore their options,” he explains, “but are increasingly open to letting it take action on their behalf, from cancelling unused subscriptions to switching providers for a better deal. Providers need to understand how their products are represented in these conversations and what gives consumers the confidence to act.”

It’s safe to say that if existing providers don’t act quickly, financial products will come from new lenders and brokers who are more suited to AI-based referrals.

• Apple now sells the M5 Ultra Mac Studio with 512GB of memory from $22,299, rising to as much as $29,799 with a 16TB SSD in tow
• The $15,500 upgrade costs about 3.9 times more per gigabyte than the same step on the M3 Ultra in 2025, roughly in line with soaring memory prices for PC
• The entry 512GB build costs less than a base Corolla; only the maxed-out model reaches Camry territory, and orders ship late November to early December

Apple has finally delivered the one Mac Studio configuration it left hanging in August.

The company's online store now lets buyers configure the M5 Ultra Mac Studio with 512GB of unified memory, right on the schedule it promised.

The catch is the price, and it is not a small catch: To unlock the option, you first need the top-tier M5 Ultra with a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU, which starts at $6,799 with 96GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. Selecting 512GB then adds $15,500, for a minimum of $22,299.

A memory crisis meets top-of-the-line hardware

To even get to the pricing stated above, you first need the top-tier M5 Ultra with a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU, which starts at $6,799 and includes 96GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. Selecting 512GB then adds $15,500, for a minimum of $22,299.

Max out the storage at 16TB and the bill reaches $29,799. Orders placed today are quoted for delivery between late November and early December 2026, so you are in for a bit of a wait even if you are willing to shell out that kind of money.

When Apple unveiled the new Mac Studio, it called the 512GB ceiling "staggering." That adjective, as it turns out, applies to the price just as much as the capacity.

At $22,299, the cheapest 512GB Mac Studio barely undercuts a base 2026 Toyota Corolla LE, which carries a $23,125 MSRP. Spec the SSD all the way to 16TB, however, and the comparison becomes literal. A 2026 Toyota Camry, Toyota's midsize family sedan, lists for just under $30,000 before destination fees, and the Mac Studio, when maxed out, clocks in at exactly the same ballpark.

Another way to look at it: the memory upgrade alone costs nearly three times as much as the $5,499 entry-level M5 Ultra Mac Studio. None of this would sting quite as much had Apple not sold the same capacity for a fraction of the price last year.

When the M3 Ultra Mac Studio launched in March 2025, upgrading from 96GB to 512GB cost $4,000, and a 512GB build with 1TB of storage cost $9,499. Today's equivalent costs a whopping $12,800 more.

In March 2026, after the memory shortage hit hard, Apple quietly pulled the 512GB option from the M3 Ultra and raised the price of the 256GB upgrade from $1,600 to $2,000. By May, the 256GB tier had also gone, leaving the M3 Ultra on sale with only 96 GB. In late June, Apple raised prices across most of its Mac and iPad lineup, with the M3 Ultra Mac Studio jumping $1,300 to $5,299. "We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," the company said at the time.

Doing the math, that 416GB step from 96GB to 512GB cost about $9.62 per gigabyte on the M3 Ultra. On the M5 Ultra, it works out to about $37.26 per gigabyte, roughly 3.9 times as much, indicating that a near fourfold cost increase is now being passed on to Apple's most deep-pocketed consumers.

That multiple is less outrageous than it first appears. In April 2026, Tim Cook warned of "significantly higher memory costs" from the June quarter. In June, he told The Wall Street Journal that Apple needed memory pricing and supply "to return to reasonable levels for consumer products." On the July earnings call, his last as CEO before John Ternus took over, he described the market as "a hundred-year flood on the memory pricing."

IDC figures cited in a recent iThinkDiff earnings preview put memory costs up roughly 350% year on year. If that holds for the high-capacity memory an Ultra needs, Apple's per-gigabyte increase is roughly in line with the market rather than far above it.

The shape of the price curve is harder to wave away for Apple. Going from 96GB to 256GB costs $4,000, or $25 per gigabyte. The next 256GB, from 256GB to 512GB, costs $11,500, or about $45 per gigabyte. This, however, is in line with reports indicating that the highest-density memory is especially scarce even for a buyer of Apple's size, which could justify a premium at the top. Apple does not disclose component costs, so the split between scarcity and margin cannot be checked.

Pricing matters on a per-unit basis because the showcase local AI workload at the moment needs more than 512GB anyway. Mark Zuckerberg said Meta's 816-billion-parameter Muse Spark Open "runs great on new Mac Studios thanks to work with @johnternus and Apple," and Ternus replied on X that Mac Studio "keeps pushing the boundaries of on-device AI!" Even in its 4-bit NVFP4 form, though, the model occupies about 493GB, and once working memory is added, Apple's machine learning team says "the model cannot fit on a single machine."

In all fairness, Meta's setup guide supports either two 512GB Mac Studios or four 256GB Mac Studios, and the latter configuration is cheaper, even if scalability could be an issue for future models that require more memory per Studio.

AI for the highest paying customers?

Apple is happy to name the use case for a high-memory-capacity Mac Studio: In his prepared remarks on the call, Ternus, singled out the Mac mini and Mac Studio as "pushing the boundaries of local, private AI," and CFO Kevan Parekh pointed to the auction house Christie's running local models on the Mac Studio.

Asked later about the cost of running Siri AI, Parekh said on-device inference was "very, very efficient, no real costs associated with that." He was talking about Apple's own bill. For anyone running a frontier model on their own desk, the memory is the bill.

For most buyers, the advice remains the same: TechRadar's roundup of M5 Ultra reviews concluded that you have to "need" the Ultra, not merely want it for AI workloads, and our look at the M5 Max model pointed most creative professionals toward the cheaper chip. E

ven other reviewers who like the Ultra have gripes about the memory ladder. The Gadgeteer's reviewer wanted a 128GB tier that Apple's Ultra configurator skips entirely, writing: "That's why the 128GB omission gets under my skin."

Demand, however, is not Apple's problem: Mac revenue rose 24 percent to $10.8 billion in the September quarter, which Parekh credited mainly to the MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro, and Ternus said Apple had never sold more Macs in a fiscal year. The whole quarter was sold at the higher prices Apple introduced in late June, though, and Apple does not report unit sales, so at least part of that revenue growth is price rather than volume.

For anyone weighing a 512GB Mac Studio, the message is that memory costs are still climbing, supply remains tight, and Apple is not willing to commit to holding prices where they are. Holding out for this configuration to get cheaper looks like a speculative bet at best, and until the memory market cools, the spec sheet for Apple's most powerful Mac will keep reading like a car dealer's price list.

• Safari is getting some useful updates
• Vertical tabs will arrive for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but it's only in the dev betas for now
• Other features like Adaptive Dark Mode and Siri AI browser tools are coming, too, along with our first glimpse of the new Audio Intelligence capabilities

On the global web browser stage, Safari lags behind Chrome, but when it comes to Apple's 2.5 billion customers, it reigns supreme. Yet, even those devoted users might've noticed that their favorite browser was lacking at least one long-sought feature. Now, with the introduction of Dev Betas for iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, and macOS 27.3, they're getting their wish.

In beta today, the platform upgrade actually brings a series of relatively small but important updates to Safari across the iPhone Duo, iPad, and Mac, but chief among them is vertical tabs.

As is often the case, Apple didn't invent this idea. I started using vertical tabs in, of all things, Microsoft Edge years ago, and even Chrome recently added them. Now, with the Safari update, you can open the Safari View Menu or hop into Settings and select vertical tabs.

By default, the tabs, which will live on the left side of your browser window in iPadOS and macOS (and iOS for the iPhone Duo), appear as icons — a space-saving measure. You can hover over any of them for a quick look at the hidden browser window.

There are other vertical tab features like the ability to pin tabs at the top of your list by dragging and dropping them, and tab groups. The tabs will work on the iPad and, yes, the new iPhone Duo in portrait and landscape mode.

The platform updates also bring a new kind of Dark Mode. Instead of only showing the mode on web pages that support it, Safari will offer to tune unsupported pages to Dark Mode too, but in a way, Apple promises, that won't ruin the sites. The Adaptive Dark Mode will automatically darken light backgrounds, invert logos and graphics, recolor vector artwork, lift raised surfaces, and even detect shadows and adjust them. It will not touch already darkened sites. For developers, there are new tags they can use that will prevent Adaptive Dark Mode from adjusting them.

The update is also bringing some Siri AI browser tools to Safari for hardware that supports Apple Intelligence.

Siri AI already has, with your permission, an awareness of what's on your screen, but with this update, it'll see entire web pages (beyond what you see in the screen frame) and even hidden tabs.

This can be useful when you want to do wholesale organization and group tabs. Say you want all tabs relating to a trip to Malta sorted by activity, or you need all your car shopping tabs grouped and organized by car price.

Siri AI can, with new Custom Actions, do your bidding on the browser and clean up your history by topic, site, and time period. It might be useful when you don't want someone seeing that you've been shopping for the last few days on a particular site for that coveted gift. There might be other reasons for targeted history scrubbing, but no need to get into that here.

Other notable updates arriving in iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, macOS 27.3, watchOS 27.3 Dev Beta 1 include:

• Siri App Actions will let Siri AI dig even more deeply into your system by organizing files, making trip plans, creating playlists, scheduling group messages, and finding the best photos to share.
• The promised Apple Health app overhaul, which uses Apple Intelligence, will give you more insights from your health data.
• The pair of Audio Intelligence features that will work with your Apple Watch Series 12:
• Live rewind, for recalling what was said in conversation (you have to double-press the watch crown to read the last snippet of conversation). It might be a great tool for settling he said/he said arguments.
• Siri Recap, which, when enabled, can use Apple Intelligence to recap and summarize an entire talk, speech, lesson, or maybe a TED Talk.

The changes are coming to 27.3 betas first and will eventually roll out to the other platforms in a full release. For now, though, all of these updates are found only in the Dev Betas, which are typically the earliest and potentially buggiest releases before Apple moves on to Public Betas ( that anyone can install) and the final releases. There's no word on when the full releases will arrive, and we would caution you against installing Developer betas on any of your everyday Apple devices.

• Smugglers are reportedly pairing Samsung and SK hynix HBM with deliberately useless processors so the package passes export regulations as a low-end chip
• Shenzhen workshops then heat the packages, pry off the HBM3E, and sell it for about $4,000 a stack, mostly to Huawei customers
• The trick exploits a December 2024 BIS exclusion for co-packaged chips, but only "where the dominant function" is processing

Some of the most sought-after memory in the AI industry is reportedly reaching China attached to processors that were designed never to be used.

A new report from The Information claims smugglers are taking high-bandwidth memory (HBM) made by Samsung and SK hynix, packaging it alongside cheap, low-performance server chips, and exporting the combination as an ordinary processor with a CPU that nobody really wants.

Once the packages reach mainland China, workshops heat them until the solder gives way, pry off the memory stacks, and discard the processors.

A processor nobody wants paired to memory that has Chinese buyers lining up for more

The scheme reached a much wider audience when Chinese tech commentator AB Kuai.Dong summarized the report for his followers on X, describing the decoy chips as "clunky" processors and calling the arrangement a "compliant export.

Reporting from Wccftech sheds more light on the smuggler at the center of the story: a man in his 40s, fluent in Chinese and Korean, with a background in the Korean chip industry.

He runs what is on paper an ordinary chip design firm with an interesting caveat: Its processors are reportedly so weak that no data center would buy them, which is the point: they give the company a reason to order top-tier HBM in volume.

Packaging houses in Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia then reportedly bond the memory and the processor onto a single substrate, and the package ships to Hong Kong declared for export reasons as a processor. From there, it crosses into the mainland in luggage, car trunks, and the bags of daily cross-border commuters, being smuggled en masse to Chinese workshops.

The last step is arguably the riskiest: Seoul Economic Daily reports that excessive or overly rapid heat can warp or crack the memory stacks, and that failure rates are high. The margins are large enough that nobody involved minds the potential risk.

Skirting export compliance at $4,000 a stack

The entire process is possible due to a gap that sits in the rules the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in December 2024. Those rules require a license to ship standalone HBM with a bandwidth density above 2GB/s/mm^2 to China, but a technical note excludes co-packaged chips that combine HBM and logic.

Those are instead judged by the package's processing performance. Pair a fast memory stack with a slow processor, and you get a chip cleared for export even if the primary goal is to secure the HBM rather than the underlying chip.

To its credit, the BIS did anticipate this in some form: The same note keeps HBM under control when it is permanently affixed to a logic die that merely serves as a control interface to the physical layer, so a memory stack sitting on a thin controller does not escape.

What it did not account for was a processor engineered to be useless. Interestingly, the exclusion applies, in the regulator's own words, only "where the dominant function of the co-packaged integrated circuit is processing." It is hard to argue that processing is the dominant function of a package whose value lies almost entirely in its memory.

Nothing about this approach is new: In April 2025, SemiAnalysis reported that CoAsia Electronics, Samsung's HBM distributor in Greater China, was shipping HBM2E to Taiwanese design services firm Faraday Technology, which had SPIL package it with a low-cost 16nm logic die before sending it on to China, where the memory could reportedly be desoldered. "The HBM export ban is specifically for raw HBM packages," the analysts wrote.

Faraday denied breaching export rules and said it had no ties to Huawei. Company president Steve Wang went further, telling the Taipei Times that "It is impossible to recover an HBM unit through desoldering." A year and a half later, The Information's sources describe Shenzhen workshops doing precisely that even as the approach remains relatively risky.

By September 2025, SemiAnalysis believed the CoAsia and Faraday flow had stopped, though it estimated China had already amassed about 13 million HBM stacks, including 11.4 million directly from Samsung, some 7 million of them in the month between the December 2024 rule's announcement and its subsequent enforcement.

Teardowns have already found Samsung and SK hynix memory inside Huawei's Ascend 910C. As recently as February 2026, AI Frontiers described the packaged HBM breach as apparently contained, while urging BIS to issue red-flag warnings on packaged HBM deployed in ways that tend to "allow the memory to be easily removed from finished chips after export."

If The Information's sources are correct, the technique was never really contained, only made quieter. It has moved up a generation to HBM3E and spread. At $4,000 a stack and willing buyers available across the board, it isn't altogether surprising either.

A Shenzhen broker in his early 20s, about three years into the trade, told The Information that a single HBM3E stack sold for a few hundred dollars in China a year ago. "Today it's about $4,000," he said, highlighting a near-tenfold increase in price due to an HBM-starved Chinese market.

With six to eight stacks required per AI accelerator, memory alone comes to $24,000 to $32,000 per chip, before the processor, server, or power bill is even considered.

TrendForce, also citing the same report, states that Huawei has raised the suggested price of its Ascend 950DT to more than RMB 250,000 (about $37,000), blaming memory costs and tight supply. This means that the black-market HBM for a single accelerator would be considerably more than half of the sticker price, though the 950DT's own stack count is not specified.

SK hynix said in a statement carried by SBS News that it complies with US and South Korean export controls and has not supplied Huawei since US restrictions took effect in 2020. Samsung has not directly commented in any coverage so far, and neither BIS nor the South Korean government has said anything publicly. Seoul Economic Daily notes the precedent Korean suppliers will be watching: TSMC faced a US investigation in 2024 after one of its chips was found in a Huawei product.

This is in the backdrop of US enforcement gathering pace as it goes after some of the allegedly worst offenders: In March, prosecutors charged Super Micro co-founder Yih-Shyan Liaw and two others over an alleged $2.5 billion scheme to route servers built on restricted Nvidia chips to China. On October 1, federal agents arrested Greg Lui, CEO of California-based Earthmade Computer, over more than $300 million of export-controlled servers allegedly shipped via Malaysia and Singapore.

The Information's report, however, leans heavily on anonymous dealers, with no shipment volumes, seizures, company names, or failure-rate figures attached. Despite this, the incentives it describes are real, and the method was documented more than 18 months ago by SemiAnalysis.

Until BIS either counts the memory or holds co-packaged chips to that "dominant function" test, the market for processors nobody wants is likely to stay surprisingly healthy and functional even as Chinese AI memory appetite remains voracious.

Wharfedale Denton 1S: Two-minute review

Wharfedale has been having a lovely old time with its range of ‘Heritage’ loudspeakers lately — revisiting, remixing and reworking some of its Greatest Hits. The new Denton 1S, though, is slightly different. It’s an update of a 1974 design that went all-out to present as modern and forward-thinking. And so this reinterpretation has a ‘modern retro’ vibe rather than the ‘antique’ feel of other Wharfedale ‘Heritage’ models.

The curvy cabinet with its recessed front baffle, the mildly dramatic coaxial driver arrangement (which sees the tweeter positioned in throat of the mid/bass driver) and the handily compact dimensions are all attractive — and the option of a fairly deep blue as a finish doesn’t do any harm in this respect either. The numbers, both in terms of frequency response and of sensitivity, are encouraging too.

And when they’re doing their thing, it’s immediately apparent that the Wharfedale Denton 1S are no mere pastiche — they are a profoundly competitive pair of loudspeakers on their own terms and yes, it's a good enough performance to make them some of the best stereo speakers on the market, right now.

The sound is, ultimately, slightly small-scale — but it’s organised, confident, entertaining, loaded with detail and has real unity and singularity to the way it’s presented. Yes, $999 / £649 spent elsewhere on a small pair of passive standmount speakers will buy you something different in sonic terms, certainly, but it’s very debatable indeed as to whether it can buy you anything better.

Wharfedale Denton 1S Review: Price and release date

• Launched May 31, 2026
• List price of $999 / £649 / AU$1,699

The Wharfedale Denton 1S speakers are available now, and in the United Kingdom a pair will set you back £649. In the United States this solution costs $999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$1,699 or thereabouts.

At this money, the just about cheaper Dali Sonik 1 might be their chief competition, at $900 / £449.99 / AU$849. And just to throw it out there, while many pricier options obviously exist, Cambridge Audio's Award-winning active L/R S can be yours for a little less, at $549 / £399 / AU$949. Something to consider, anyway.

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Features

• Coaxial tweeter / mid/bass driver
• ‘Brilliance’ switch
• Rear-facing bass reflex port

Passive loudspeakers have purity of purpose and are, unless someone’s being bloodyminded, relatively simple devices. Their list of features is seldom exhaustive. It’s a sign of just how straightforward passive loudspeakers tend to be that the Denton 1S stands apart simply because of a small rocker switch on the rear of each cabinet.

Unlike 1974’s original Denton 1, the Denton 1S features a truly coaxial driver arrangement. Here a 25mm soft-dome tweeter sits in the acoustic centre of a 165mm mid/bass driver made from polypropylene. Here, as with any coaxial driver, the idea is to offer superior time-alignment and driver integration.

With the forward-firing drivers bolstered by a rear-facing bass reflex port, Wharfedale is quoting a frequency response of 50Hz — 20kHz and sensitivity of 88dB — that second figure strongly suggests this speaker will be in no way tricky to drive. Of course, the orientation of the reflex port means that low frequency presence is likely to increase the closer to a rear surface the speaker is positioned — and that’s where the little rocker switches come in.

It’s described as a ‘brilliance’ control, and its two positions are labelled ‘norm’ and ‘max’. The idea is that setting the switch to ‘max’ will give a 1.5dB boost to the 2 - 4kHz area, which should allow the upper frequencies to hold their own against the emboldened low end in the event that the reflex port is delivering a little too much of a good thing. Of course, it will take the listener roughly no time at all to establish whether or not they think the ‘max’ setting is a good idea or not.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Sound quality

• Detailed, energetic and rhythmically coherent sound
• Great imaging and stereo focus
• Ultimately sound fractionally small-scale

Owners of loft apartments, aircraft hangars and the like, look away now. There’s a huge amount to enjoy about the way the Wharfedale Denton 1S perform, but when it comes to outright scale, the ability to fill an authentically large space with sound, there are better options around that cost a similar amount of money.

Everyone else, though, should read on.

No matter the source of music, no matter if it’s as straightforward as Looped by Kiasmos or as relatively complex as Re-make/Re-model by Roxy Music, the Denton 1S get an immediate handle on it. They’re a generously entertaining listen, vigorous in a nicely controlled manner, and carry enough detail along with them to make sure you’re as informed as you are stimulated.

That coaxial driver arrangement works a treat inasmuch as the imaging and stereo focus the speakers are capable of is completely convincing. There’s a unity and a togetherness about the way the Wharfedale present recordings that’s never less than enjoyable and periodically absorbing. In combination with their spirited and enthusiastic attitude, it makes for a genuine sense of performance — even if you’re listening to a recording that was never a performance in the first place. And while the soundstage isn’t the largest, it’s properly defined and rigorously organised.

The tonal balance is, fractionally, on the warmer side of neutral — but as long as the system that’s powering the speakers isn’t overtly toasty then it really shouldn’t be an issue. Frequency response, too, is just slightly titled. There’s a tiny suggestion of emphasis on the lowest frequencies, but again this is only likely to be a concern if the speakers are powered by a bass-centric set-up. Anyway, low-end control is confident and the Wharfedale express rhythms with real coherence as a result.

Midrange resolution is impressive too, and there’s real eloquence to the way the Denton 1S handle voices. Detail retrieval, which is impressive across the board, really comes to the fore here — the character and attitude imbued in a vocal performance, as well as information regarding timbre and technique, are made apparent. And at the top of the frequency range, the Wharfedale attack with determination — but there’s plenty of substance, as well as brilliance, to treble sounds, and never any suggestion of edginess or hardness.

The attention to detail extends as far as the dynamic of harmonic variation, and there’s a fair amount of capacity where the broader dynamics of volume or intensity are concerned. When the charge into the last chorus or the massed orchestral crescendo kicks in, the Denton 1S track it faithfully — and they do so without altering their sonic characteristics in the slightest.

And you don’t need a brute of an amplifier to enjoy all of these admirable attributes. The Wharfedale are in no way tricky to drive; even a modestly priced amplifier with unremarkable power numbers should have no problem getting the best from these speakers. And ‘the best’ is, on a pound-for-pound basis, at least on a par with the very best around.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Design

• 330 x 236 x 229mm (HxWxD)
• Magnetically attached grilles
• Choice of three finishes

The coaxial driver means the Denton 1S should be just as happy (and effective) positioned on its side as it is standing upright. And the fact that Wharfedale has provided an integrated fitting for a wall bracket suggests the company thinks the speaker will perform successfully if it’s wall-mounted too. Cabinet depth of 229mm (which obviously increases with the pair of speaker cable binding posts at the rear) doesn’t automatically shout ‘wall-mount!’ to me, though, I have to admit.

Mind you, no matter where you position the Wharfedale they look good. The cabinet features the same curves and the same recessed front baffle as the original Denton 1 — in white, especially, there’s more than a hint of that late-60s / early-70s futurism that started years previously with the likes of Dieter Rams and Stanley Kubrick. Unlike the original model, though, which was made from moulded polyurethane that looked and felt super-modern but was a bit of a disaster in acoustic terms, the Denton 1S is made from bonded and braced fibreboard. Less modern, more effective.

That recessed front baffle allows the magnetically attached grilles to almost sit within the cabinet, and they’re flush with the top, bottom and side panels when they’re in position. Both the grille and the front baffle features a quite assertive stylised ‘W’ logo that lets you know you’re in the presence of a ‘Heritage’ Wharfedale design.

The compulsory options of black and white are joined by a third finish — the deep-ish blue of my review sample. Each of the available finishes looks good, no two ways about it, but the dimensions and the shape of the Denton 1S could quite easily lend themselves to quite a few other colours. It works for Dali and Cambridge, and I see no reason why Wharfedale shouldn’t produce the Denton 1S in some livelier finishes than are currently on offer.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Usability and setup

• Attach some speaker cable running from an amplifier
• Position the speakers to your satisfaction
• Experiment with grille and ‘brilliance’ switch

Just as with ‘features’, there’s really not too much to get your head around here. You’ll decide to position your speakers on dedicated stands, or on wall-brackets, or on a shelf… no matter where you want them, though, they’ll need to be connected to an amplifier via a couple of lengths of speaker cable.

After they’re positioned and running, you have just a couple of chances to have some input into the way they sound. The sonic difference between ‘grille on’ and ‘grille off’ is, quite honestly, less significant than the visual difference — but you will most definitely have a preference as to whether you prefer your ‘brilliance’ switch at ‘norm’ or ‘max’.

• Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Value

It’s very hard indeed to argue against the notion that there’s great value for money on offer here. The Wharfedale Denton 1S are properly made, expertly finished, visually interesting (everything’s relative, after all), intriguing on a technological level and, most importantly of all, sound engaging and alert. Unless you crave absolutely as much sonic scale as this sort of money can buy, there’s an awful lot to enjoy and even admire here.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Wharfedale Denton 1S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Wharfedale Denton 1S : Also consider

How I tested the Wharfedale Denton 1S

With the Wharfedale Denton 1S on a pair of Blok Axis stands, I connect them to my reference system: Cambridge Edge W power amplifier, Eversolo DAC-Z10 pre-amplifier, Technics SL1300G turntable (with Goldring 1022 cartridge and preamplified by a Chord Huei), Arcam ST25 network streamer and Rega Apollo CD player — so I was able to listen to music from many storage formats and at a wide variety of resolutions. And then in an effort to up the ‘retro’ credentials just a little, I replaced the pre- and power amplifier with an A&R Cambridge A60 integrated amplifier from 1976.

• First reviewed: October 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

• Nvidia's RTX 5080 Super was rumored for January 2027, but fresh gossip suggests it's delayed
• Meanwhile, a new report on GPU prices observes a hefty price jump month-on-month
• Even lower-end GPUs are getting more costly at a faster pace, and the high-end is a nightmare — with no RTX 5080 Super riding to the rescue, it seems

Nvidia's RTX 5080 Super has been strongly rumored of late, but there's now been a cloud of doubt cast over this potential addition to the Blackwell range — just as we've got more evidence of how dire the situation with GPU price hikes has recently become.

VideoCardz spotted the latest from the rumor mill on the RTX 5080 Super, a graphics card that supposedly packs 24GB of video RAM, with Taiwanese tech site Benchlife reporting that Nvidia has delayed the GPU (assuming it's a real product in the first place, of course).

We were told via other rumor peddlers that the 24GB spin on the RTX 5080 is theoretically planned for a January 2027 launch, but Benchlife asserts that the release date "remains unclear" and that Nvidia's board manufacturing partners have yet to receive any design details for the new model.

Given that, according to Benchlife, the "probability is extremely high" that the RTX 5080 Super won't debut in January, considering that board makers were expecting to receive the mentioned design info back in October.

This pushes the rumored GPU back at least a month, very probably more, and the idea of that is hardly surprising given the ongoing RAM crisis, which has been getting worse as 2026 rolls on.

That affects video RAM, and it's the main driver of price spikes with graphics cards, which are starting to get out of hand, as evidenced by TechSpot's latest monthly report highlighting the current cost of GPUs across various regions.

What TechSpot's monitoring data for October 2026 shows is that, as we already knew, high-end pricing has gone even further off the rails. The RTX 5080 is up 39% in the US and 40% in Germany month-on-month, for example, which is ludicrous, frankly — in the US it's now 120% over the MSRP at $2,200. The UK has seen an 8% hike over the past month, with this GPU now 40% over its MSRP in the country. Globally, it's 77% over Nvidia's recommended price on average.

The RTX 5090 is even sillier, as we've seen for some time now, and stands at $9,400 in the US in October, some 370% over the already very expensive MSRP. If you can find the Blackwell flagship at all, that is.

What's really worrying is that TechSpot's data shows lower-tier GPUs are now seeing some major price bumps. Want a humble RTX 5050 in the US? It's gone up 35% over the past month (an increase of over $100), so you'll now pay 68% over the MSRP.

The RTX 5060 is creeping up in price in some European countries, too — it's up 7% in the UK and 13% in Germany. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB has gone up more, with this GPU getting hiked by 10% in the UK, so it's now £440 compared to £350 back at the start of 2026. The 5060 Ti 8GB went up 6% in the US, too, so it's now 40% over the MSRP in total.

There are hikes across the board for Nvidia, and AMD's Radeon GPUs are getting more expensive at an even faster rate currently. Again, lower-end graphics cards are suffering, such as RX 9060 XT models being up 10% on average month-on-month. The RX 9070 XT is also up 10% in the US since last month, and the increase in Canada has been a sickening 30% — in just one month.

Analysis: a deteriorating situation for GPUs

What does all this tell us? That spiralling graphics card prices are very real, with some huge ongoing hikes for higher-end models — but this isn't just a top-end GPU problem any longer. The real concern is that lower-tier boards are also seeing more price inflation, and I don't think this is a problem that's going away.

Indeed, based on the weighty amount of chatter about the memory crisis continuing to get worse in this final quarter of 2026 and into next year, there's every reason to believe that GPU prices could keep going up. That's why I've been advising PC owners thinking of a GPU upgrade to treat Black Friday as a prime (pun not intended) opportunity to get in and buy a graphics card before any more hikes.

With the RTX 5090 reportedly effectively discontinued — something Nvidia strenuously denies, but the stock situation speaks for itself in countries like the US — and the RTX 5080 pricing itself well out of the range of the vast majority of consumers, those who were anticipating the RTX 5080 Super to ride to the rescue have suffered a fresh blow here, too.

I never thought that was a realistic proposition anyway, mind, but still, it's clear enough that the GPU market is in trouble, and Nvidia seemingly doesn't have any answers in the short term for the upper echelons of its Blackwell range. As noted, though, the real worry is that there's more pain coming to the more affordable end of the graphics card spectrum, where mainstream buyers make their purchases.

The Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 mini PC is unquestionably one of the top desktops you can get right now. This stylish AI workstation took full advantage of the technology throughout our testing.

It's a genuinely impressive machine. And currently, the barebones model is down to $727 (was $909) at Best Buy. That's cheaper than Amazon, where it's priced at $759. For most users looking for this level of power, the AI X1 Pro-470 is a standout.

• Best for: power-user professionals, creators, home lab builders, and anyone working on local AI workloads - we found it well-suited to those looking for a powerful, upgradable mini PC.

• Why we like it: This mini PC impressed us during review, where it scored 4.5 stars. It features a 12-core Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with Radeon 890M graphics, room for up to 128GB of DDR5 memory and three M.2 SSDs, an OCuLink port for an external GPU, two USB4 ports, dual 2.5G Ethernet, and a premium full-metal build.

What you need to know: This is the barebones model, so you'll need to install your own memory and storage (the machine is expandable). For a specced-out 32GB/1TB config, it's $1327 at both Best Buy and Amazon.

Today's best mini PC deal

Why we recommend it

In our Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 review, we gave it 4.5 stars, praising its premium full-metal build, strong AI performance, and the OCuLink port and three M.2 slots that make it so expandable. He tested a fully configured model with a single 32GB memory stick and found that the single-channel setup held back GPU performance, so install two matching modules for the best results. The barebone version on sale here uses the same hardware, letting you choose your own memory and storage.

For more top-performing machines, we've tested all the best mini PCs.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is $220, or 24%, off, and it’s cheaper than the $759 the barebone model cost when we reviewed it. Keep in mind that DDR5 SO-DIMM memory and SSDs are expensive right now, so adding 32GB of RAM and a 1TB drive can add several hundred dollars to the total. It’s a great buy if you already own compatible parts, but less compelling if you need to buy everything new. Still, as noted above, the 32TB RAM / 1TB SSD model is selling for $1,327 at Best Buy and Amazon.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 barebones if...

You want a powerful, stylish AI mini PC that packs enough power for localized AI, office and creative work, and mid-weight gaming, or you plan to add a desktop graphics card through the OCuLink port.

❌ Skip the Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 barebones if...

You want a ready-to-use mini PC out of the box, as you'll need to upgrade the memory, storage, and operating system.

• See all mini PC deals at Best Buy

• Report finds many in-person office workers are still spending too much time on virtual meetings
• Workers are required in the office 3.74 days on average, but they attend just 2.59 days
• Defining a clear purpose to maximize in-person days could improve productivity

After the pandemic drove most workers home, recent years have seen many businesses go all-in on renewed office-working mandates, with managers and business leaders citing higher levels of productivity from in-person working.

But years later, it seems those benefits are yet to be realized, and almost half (49%) of employees who commute to an office don't even have fully in-person meetings still.

The data, provided through a Federal Reserve Bank of New York report, found that many workers actually end up spending their office days either working independently or collaborating with colleagues through online platforms – much the same as had they just stayed at home.

Is it worth working from the office?

Even when all colleagues were in the office, more than a third (37%) of workers have attended at least one fully virtual meeting, implying that digital communication has now become the default.

Nearly half (45%) also said that their company followed a so-called 'One Zoom, All Zoom' approach, where the absence of one single attendee caused the entire meeting to go online despite the other workers being together in-person.

The result of a rise in digital tools is that workers are now spending 6.3 hours in a typical day working in the presence of colleagues, down from 7.1 hours before the pandemic. Workers in jobs that can't be made remote also went from spending 1.5 alone hours per day to 2.4 hours.

Workers aren't adhering to their office attendance mandates

The 'return-to-office' movement was somewhat of a phenomenon in the years that followed the pandemic, with companies all rushing to secure worker attendance at three, four or even five days per week. Today, the average is somewhere between three and four (3.74 days), per the New York Fed data, but employees still only report actually being in the office 2.59 days per week – a shortfall of more than one day.

At one unnamed Fortune 500 company, the report found that just 63.6% of workers complied with the enforced four-day policy.

It's clear that a lack of coordination is making in-office days ineffective despite companies' best efforts to enforce a set amount of attendance days. Looking ahead, defining a clear purpose for office working could help workers get the most of making the commute.

While the New York Fed paper doesn't go into detail, other reports have previously highlighted the need to improve the office environment for new ways of working – cutting unnecessary noise through reducing digital distractions and keeping the environment to purely in-person could help improve the efficiency of in-person working.

Dell makes some of our favorite laptops, and the company's 15.6-inch touchscreen model offers a useful combination of performance, screen space, and connectivity.

For Black Friday, it's on sale for $650 (was $1000) at Best Buy. That's a 35% saving on a laptop with a 2K resolution touchscreen and Core i7 processor. And we'd definitely recommend it.

• Best for: Remote and hybrid workers who need a dependable Windows laptop for spreadsheets, video meetings, browser-based applications, and everyday office tasks.

• What we like: Dell's business laptop range has also proved reliable in our tests - for general work, it's well-specced. However, the real highlight is the lifted hinge that angles the keyboard slightly when opened. It's a small design detail, but one that could improve typing. The enlarged keyboard gives you more room to tap away, and the separate numeric keypad will be handy for anyone who regularly enters figures into spreadsheets or accounting software.

Why we recommend it

There's a lot we like about this business-oriented laptop. Under the hood, Intel's 10-core Core i7-1355U processor offers enough performance for everyday use. The processor can boost to 5GHz when additional performance is needed. Dell's ComfortView software helps reduce blue light emissions, which will make working long hours more comfortable.

Price context & historical value

The $350 reduction represents a massive 35% discount and at $649.99, you're getting a touchscreen Windows laptop with a capable processor and a reasonable amount of memory and storage for everyday business use. This is the cheapest we've seen this particular model on sale, and coming from Dell it's a great deal.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy Dell's 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop if...

You want a well-equipped Dell laptop for home office duties, general productivity, and occasional travel. The combination of a large display and physical number pad makes it particularly suitable for administrative work.

❌ Skip Dell's 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop if...

You need a lightweight machine for frequent commuting, a brighter display for working outdoors, or dedicated graphics for demanding creative applications and modern games. A more portable laptop or one with a powerful GPU would be a better fit.

• Shop all Windows laptops at Best Buy

Black Friday may be a few weeks away, but try telling that to our favorite web hosting providers. Already, we're seeing discounts on a whole range of plans and we're expecting even more to come through as we get closer to the big shopping event.

Below, we've selected the most popular plans from the best web hosting providers we've tested. However, from what we're seeing, just about everything is getting a discount right now, for startups, growing businesses, and ecommerce outlets. US prices are listed, but these deals are available across multiple territories.

Whether it's shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS, or WordPress hosting, we'll be highlighting the best deals here, backed by our experience testing and reviewing all the providers. And for more, we're rounding up the best Black Friday website builder deals, too.

Best Black Friday web hosting deals of 2026

Black Friday web hosting FAQs

In early October 2026, digital privacy software provider Proton invited TechRadar to a press event at its Geneva, Switzerland, HQ along with a group of journalists from other publications.

We sat through a day of presentations focusing on the future and development of Proton's products, including the popular Proton VPN and the encrypted messaging service Proton Mail.

Included in that time was an address from Proton's founder and CEO, Andy Yen, who has developed into something of a thought-leader in the digital privacy space through his interviews, social media posts, and his forthright personality.

He impressed upon us the uniqueness of Proton's non-profit ownership, swatted away questions regarding the development of a private browser that was revealed through a job listing, and how, above all else, Proton endeavors to build products its community of users genuinely wants.

Later in the day, we got in some 1-2-1 time with Yen where he quizzed him on camera about the future of Proton, the rise and risks of AI, age verification, and more. Our interview with Andy Yen, published on our The Privacy Lab YouTube channel, is below, in full.

In the interim, from that interview in early October to today, though, it needs to be noted that Proton has featured heavily in the news, with the company coming under considerable scrutiny over the past few days.

Last week, leaked internal messages at Proton showed how both the company and Andy Yen have been enforcing an AI revolution on its workforce, with some employees having to

"re-interview" with a focus on their ability to use AI more in their current roles.

404 Media uncovered what it described as a "culture of fear", as a company insider lifted the lid on Yen’s belittling public Slack messages in the company’s security chat channel. The CEO was described by that source as being in “full AI psychosis”.

After significant backlash from employees and the digital privacy community, on October 30, 2026, Yen posted a personal apology and statement to the Proton subreddit.

The statement claims that Andy takes "responsibility for the failure of communications", that Proton's use of AI "will never be at the expense of security", and that "the 're-interviews'...will not take place, and no one will lose their jobs because of them". The comments in response are as hostile as you might expect.

More recently, Proton CTO Bart Butler published an internal memo on AI use at the company which had been sent to employees earlier in October. This AI @ Proton, Engineering Manifesto can be read in full here.

It underlines the zeal with which Proton, as a company, is looking to further its development with AI tools, and how quickly it's looking to pull its staff – particularly the engineers – into the new world.

It’s against this backdrop that we publish this interview with Andy Yen. There are no controversies or contradictions, nor did we find Yen to be anything other than interesting and courteous throughout the Q&A.

But it’s worth comparing moments like his denouncement of mainstream AI chatbots in the interview with Proton's internal AI-first culture – even though the context is, of course, not the same.

SUBSCRIBE: Leave No Trace — A weekly newsletter on digital privacy and online surveillance.

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📩 Subscribe now to get every edition delivered to your inbox every Friday, launching this September.

• Report finds 75% of recruiters believe the majority of CVs and profiles they are sent are written by AI
• The survey of British recruiters reveals that 73% verify a candidate’s skills, a process that can up to 60 minutes
• TestGorilla’s research also found 33% of recruiters observing little difference between applications in AI fields

If you’re writing or polishing your CV with AI, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Recruitment specialists are having a hard time with CVs and profiles they’re sent, with 75% of UK recruiters convinced that the majority are written with AI. This leaves them with a problem: how do they accurately assess skills, and can they be sure the candidate has genuine experience?

New research from TestGorilla also shows a different attitude to hiring between UK and US recruiters. UK based talent acquisition professionals are less likely (15%) to hire a candidate based on their promise of being able to do a job than those in the US (23%).

AI’s impact on recruitment may have made it easier to process a lot of applications, but it has a shortcoming. Many applicant profiles read much like another, particularly in AI fields, with 33% of recruiters observing little difference between applications.

The AI era

TestGorilla's report, which spoke to HR personnel in the UK and US, found 49% of recruiters in the former are struggling with verifying applicant skills, making it their single largest problem in sourcing new people. Meanwhile, 43% cite a shortage of skilled candidates.

Also of concern is the depth of AI skills that candidates are claiming, with 87% of recruiters saying that an applicant’s AI skills were in fact weaker than indicated. CV fakery is not a new problem, but it is one that has been enhanced in the age of AI.

AI-targeted CVs

With AI now pivotal for every element of a job application, the goalposts have shifted, but it seems recruiters are back to square one.

Wouter Durville, CEO of TestGorilla, says “A CV used to be a candidate's account of themselves. Increasingly, it's an AI's account of what a recruiter wants to read.”

As the research shows, recruiters get more applicants, but verifying them is a struggle, and they can’t just accept what is in a CV – which means a change in the application process is now needed.

Durville adds: "Reading harder won't solve [verification] and the hour they spend on every candidate shows that. Candidates should have the opportunity to demonstrate what they can actually do early in the hiring process, so recruiters can make informed decisions without spending hours verifying claims on a CV."

The illustrator for the Gruffalo book is considering suing AI companies for copyright infringement after seeing AI generated depictions of the beloved children’s character in unlikely settings, including at Silicon Valley and Oktoberfest.

AI companies have long argued that using copyrighted material to train their models is legally permissible, often invoking the US doctrine of fair use. But there's another copyright question that's arguably more relevant to Axel Scheffler's complaint: what happens when an AI image generator produces a recognizable version of a copyrighted character?

Echoing the remarks made by numerous other artists, Axel Scheffler says he is “seriously considering” launching legal action against AI companies over their use of his illustrations.

To find out how easy it is to get today's AI models to reproduce the Gruffalo, I turned to ChatGPT and Gemini’s image generation abilities to test Scheffler’s claims.

ChatGPT’s take on the Gruffalo

To see if there were any base-level protections against generating recreations of work protected by copyright, I gave ChatGPT a simple prompt, and found my attempts immediately rebuffed:

Using ChatGPT’s inspiration, I came up with the following prompt to generate an image that might come close to resembling the Gruffalo.

"Create an image of an original, friendly woodland monster with: Brown shaggy fur, two curved horns, large orange eyes, purple prickles and a long tail, walks upright, grey calloused knees, a small green poisonous wart on his nose, tusk-like teeth, a curved protruding jaw, a whimsical, colorful pencil drawn storybook illustration style.

It can have a magical woodland setting and a child-friendly feel"

From which, ChatGPT produce this:

Not quite the Gruffalo, but also not completely unfamiliar. A slightly slimmer creature with a bit more of a friendly vibe. The question I wondered about was, in court, would it hold up?

Gemini’s take on the Gruffalo

With Gemini on the other hand, I was quite shocked. I used the exact same starting prompt as before, entered into Gemini 3.8, and after a few seconds out popped a near-indistinguishable AI generated picture of the Gruffalo - and it even included the Mouse.

The image is so accurate that if I were to publish it here I’d likely encounter a whole lot of legal trouble.

But I thought maybe it was a one off, or maybe the prompt somehow slipped past the copyright guardrails, so I tried again using this prompt:

"Generate an image showing the cover of the first Gruffalo book published on 23 March 1999"

This time, Gemini took some artistic liberties and rather than just generating the front cover, it generated the entire front of the book placed neatly on a rustic-looking wooden table.

Just to absolutely make sure it wasn’t blind luck twice, I used the following prompt to get an idea of what Scheffler might have seen:

"Generate a poster advertising a Gruffalo-themed Oktoberfest event in London. Make sure the copyright protected Gruffalo character is included on the poster"

Turns out it was not blind luck. Despite my requests to specifically generate a copyright protected character, there stood the Gruffalo wearing lederhosen while holding a pretzel and a beer stein.

In complete disbelief that Gemini even responded to the prompt, I requested a small edit:

Gemini clearly understands there are certain images it is not allowed to generated, but apparently the copyright protected Gruffalo isn't one of them.

Of course, whether these AI-generated images actually constitute copyright infringement is a question for the courts, but it's hard to look at what Gemini produced and not sympathise with Scheffler.

What's most striking is the difference between ChatGPT and Gemini. One refused to generate the Gruffalo entirely, while the other happily put him in lederhosen and handed him a beer. If one AI company can put restrictions in place to protect copyrighted characters, while another seemingly doesn't, it raises a much bigger question: just how seriously are AI companies taking artists' rights?

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has revealed some inspirations behind the game's soundtrack
• He attributes much of it to the gameplay and Infinity Ward's sound team
• He confirmed that he didn't reference previous Modern Warfare soundtracks, but there is "a little bit of vibe inspiration from the OG Modern Warfare 2"

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has attributed the gameplay and the Infinity Ward sound team for helping to inspire the game's multiplayer score.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Graves said, "Fortunately, I have no lack of inspiration from the amazing gameplay itself," when asked where he begins when composing a soundtrack for such an iconic franchise.

"The incredible team at Infinity Ward, led by audio director Stephen Miller, was also such a huge creative influence," he continued. "And the music team, led by Jonathan Mayer, were integral in shaping the overall vibe and giving me everything I needed to be as creative as possible."

Graves, who has also composed for Warzone, Dead Space, Dead Space 2, 2013's Tomb Raider, and a host of other projects spanning video games and movies, added that it was important that the work was a collaborative effort, as scores can be years in the making.

"I can't stress how important cooperation with other creative human beings makes a difference when it comes to working on a project as big as this," Graves said. "This is the kind of thing that slowly comes together over years of work."

As for finding the basis for a Modern Warfare score, Graves explained that he doesn't listen to previous works, but admitted that "there was a little bit of vibe inspiration from the OG Modern Warfare 2."

"But nothing too granular or specific," he added, "I'm very intentional about not listening to music from previous projects in a franchise unless specifically directed by the developer. I think that's especially important here because Infinity Ward has been so supportive of trying new things and creating a soundtrack that's every bit as epic and bespoke as the gameplay itself."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is one of the best games of 2026, with "the best campaign in years and an incredible multiplayer offering," and you can play it now.

• Proton VPN has published iOS 8.0.0 on GitHub, but the update is yet to reach the App Store
• Its primary focus is Proton protocols, a new Rust-based VPN engine aimed at stability and censorship resistance.
• An advanced kill switch, an interactive globe map, and better CarPlay support are also on the way.

Proton VPN users on iPhone have a big update to look forward to. The provider has published iOS 8.0.0 on its GitHub releases page, and it could be the most significant change to the app in years.

The biggest addition is Proton protocols, a new VPN architecture that Proton says is designed for improved stability and censorship resistance. It also makes the advanced kill switch possible on iPhone and iPad, a feature that has so far only been available on iOS in beta.

Proton VPN already sits among the best VPN services we've tested, climbing to third place in our latest round of re-testing. Anything that tightens up its iOS app is good news for privacy-minded iPhone owners.

What's new in Proton VPN 8.0 for iOS

The biggest change is one you won't see. Proton protocols, known internally as ProTUN, swaps out the standard wireguard-go code for libpvpnclient, Proton's own WireGuard implementation written in Rust.

Proton says wireguard-go never integrated well with Swift, the language it uses to build its iOS app, which made development and debugging harder.

For users, Proton promises faster updates, fewer platform-specific bugs, and a quicker response when censors change tactics.

The new core also lays the groundwork for post-quantum encryption, which Proton lists as a planned feature. Antonio Cesarano, Product Lead at Proton VPN, says it lets the team experiment with "connection stability, battery usage, and resilience".

A stricter kill switch for your iPhone

A standard kill switch cuts your internet if the VPN connection drops. Proton's advanced kill switch goes further, blocking all internet access unless you're connected to Proton VPN, and it stays active even after you restart your device.

That's a notable step on iOS, where Apple's network restrictions have long made a true kill switch difficult. Proton itself once said a kill switch as it defined it wasn't possible on iOS. Even now, Proton warns that some DNS requests from Apple services can bypass the VPN with the kill switch on.

Version 8.0 also fixes a common frustration. You'll be able to reach LAN devices, like printers, and use Apple CarPlay with either kill switch enabled.

When can you get Proton VPN 8.0?

Proton hasn't announced a release date. However, with the final 8.0.0 build now tagged on GitHub, the App Store rollout could land any time now, though Apple's review process can add a delay.

• Meta has announced the end of support for two of its popular VR headsets
• The devices affected are the Quest 2 and the Quest 2 Pro
• Support will be discontinued at the end of 2027

If you own a Meta Quest 2 or a Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset, we’ve got some bad news: Meta has announced it is planning to wind down support for these devices next year, leaving large numbers of users without support for their VR products.

An announcement on the Meta blog aimed at developers details how things stand for creators of apps and services made for these headsets. With the two devices “reaching the end of feature development⁠,” big changes are on the way.

For one thing, new app submissions for these devices will be closed in December 2027. For another, version 2.13 of the Quest’s operating system (due out in March 2027) will be the last one to work with these headsets. Quarterly security patches and critical bug fixes will continue “through the end of 2027,” Meta said.

Still, Meta attempted to reassure developers of apps made for these VR headsets, stating that “People on Quest 2 and Quest Pro can still find, buy, download, and play your apps.” Cross-play with Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets will continue, and developers can keep sending out updates to Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro users.

And Meta’s app store for VR headsets will continue to be available to users of these soon-to-be-discontinued devices, with the firm saying that “people keep access to everything they’ve purchased, and no apps will be removed from the Store because of this change.”

Time to upgrade?

The Quest 2 launched in 2020, making it six years old at this point. Although we scored it highly in our review, it’s since been succeeded by the Quest 3, which is our pick for the best VR headset around. Evidently, Meta feels it’s now time to retire the Quest 2 and its Quest 2 Pro sibling, with the Quest Pro line having allegedly been phased out entirely in 2024.

Meta framed the change as one that’s paving the way for its upcoming VR Glasses. The company said that the Quest 3 and Quest 3S are “the baseline for Meta VR gamers” with its VR Glasses due to bring “another leap forward” for the industry. In that world, there’s apparently no more room for the Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro.

Continuing app development for the Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro might prove to be tricky, as Meta says it will not test new operating system and SDK releases on these products. Instead, it’ll be up to developers to ensure their apps function as intended.

Meta urged developers to assess how much of their audience is using Quest 2 and Quest 2 Pro devices and to consider splitting their releases to accommodate those on older headsets. If developers want to end support for these products, they should give users at least 180 days’ notice if customers could end up losing access to content or services as a result.

If you’ve got a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest 2 Pro at home, you’ll need to think about what you want to do going forward. While you should be able to continue using your headset, the lack of critical bug fixes after the end of 2027 could prove to be a problem. In that case, it might finally be time to upgrade to one of the best VR headsets to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

• Watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich FREE on RTL Play (Belgium)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Kick-off: Today (Tue, Nov 3) at 3pm ET / 8pm GMT

Watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich live in the Champions League 2026/27 with a crunch game at the Metropolitano Stadium today as both sides seek a win to move them closer to the top eight of the table and automatic qualification for the knockout phase.

Now in his 15th year as Atléti's boss, Diego Simeone has his side second only to Barcelona domestically, winning their last seven matches in La Liga including a hard-fought 2-1 win in the Madrid derby. Things may be going well in the league for Los Colchoneros – with World Cup winner Álex Baena in fine form, scoring five goals – but they've only managed four points from three games in the UCL. They lost 2-1 at Anfield having taken an early lead, before beating Man United and drawing with Stuttgart. It leaves them 16th in the table, staring down the barrel of the knockout phase playoffs.

If you're not following the Bundesliga, there are no prizes for guessing Bayern are top of the table. They're unbeaten in eight and scoring for fun with eight goals for Michael Olise and four each for Luis Diaz and recent Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane. Things haven't gone all their way in Europe, however. After thrashing minnows Bodø/Glimt 5-0, they've only managed draws against Arsenal and, in one of the season's biggest shocks, Norway's Viking. After his recent health scare, Vincent Kompany will be hoping for a big performance from his men today.

Read on as we explain how to watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich in the Champions League 2026/27 for free.

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich team news

Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak (c), Grimaldo, Hancko, Le Normand, Pubill, Baena, Barrios, Llorente, Simeone, Sørloth, Alvarez. Subs: Lookman, Castillo, David, Domínguez, Hueso, Lee Kang-In, Martínez, Mendoza, Musso, Ortiz, Koke, Vargas

Bayern Munich XI: Neuer (c), Stanišić, Tah, Upamecano, Laimer, Bischof, Kimmich, Davies, Olise, Karl, Kane. Subs: Binder, Boey, Brown, Ito, Kim Min-Jae, Pavlović, David Santos Daiber, Ulreich, Urbig

Watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich for FREE

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich is going out on Club RTL in Belgium, which means it's also available to watch for free on the RTL Play streaming service.

In the US, you can watch this UCL game for only $1. That's because domestic streamer Paramount Plus can be yours as a benefit of a Walmart+ plan, which you can try for 30 days for a single buck!

Traveling outside of Belgium or the US? You can use a VPN to unlock your Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich stream – we've used it to watch plenty of Champions League games and it worked perfectly.

Use a VPN to watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich live streams

A VPN is a 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 streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich live streams in the US

In the US, the Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich game is being shown on Paramount+.

The streaming service, which is showing all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League campaign, starts at $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year.

Alternatively, you can access Paramount+ virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Spanish-language coverage is also available in the US via TUDN and Univision.

Visiting the US from Belgium? NordVPN can unblock your RTL Plus stream of the game.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich live streams in the UK

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich is being shown on TNT Sports 2 in the UK.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99 per month if you commit to a year.

Outside the UK? NordVPN can unblock your stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich live streams in Australia

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich, along with all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League season, is available to watch on Stan Sport in Australia.

Stan Sport costs AU$20 a month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$9.99 a month.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich live streams in Canada

The Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich game is available to watch on DAZN in Canada.

DAZN, which is showing all 189 Champions League 2026/27 fixtures, starts at CA$24.99 per month, for a plan that also includes EFL, Carabao Cup, Bundesliga and NFL coverage.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts 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.

• Synology warned of active ransomware attacks exploiting long-patched DSM vulnerabilities on unupdated NAS devices
• Attackers are reportedly deploying the C3rb3r encryptor and demanding thousands of dollars in ransom
• Users are urged to patch immediately, restrict internet exposure, and secure NAS access to prevent compromise

Synology, a major network-attached storage (NAS) manufacturer, is warning users about ongoing ransomware attacks targeting devices running outdated software. It urged all users to apply provided patches and secure their devices without delay.

In a brief announcement, Synology said it “identified threat actors exploiting a vulnerability patched in December 2024 to target devices running outdated versions of DSM.” The goal of the attacks seem to be data encryption and a ransom demand.

“Synology strongly urges all users running vulnerable versions to update DSM immediately to protect their systems. Synology also recommends enabling automatic updates to keep DSM up to date at all times.”

C3rb3r attacks

The announcement is rather stingy on the details. We don’t know which vulnerability the threat actors are exploiting, where exactly, or how successful they are.

We also don’t know how many devices are at risk - the Shadowserver Foundation tracks a total of 380,000 internet-connected endpoints (many of which are, most likely, running the latest software version and are thus protected).

The company also did not say who the threat actors are, but according to BleepingComputer, there has been a “massive wave of reports” from Synology customers whose data was apparently locked down by the “C3rb3r” encryptor. These customers were asked to pay “thousands of dollars” in ransom, in exchange for the decryption key. The publication says the first reports started surfacing more than two weeks ago.

There are two main ways for cybercriminals to access an electronic device and encrypt the data found there - either by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability (one that has not yet received a patch), or by exploiting years-old n-day vulnerabilities (ones that were patched months ago) on devices that were never updated and secured.

With Synology users, the latter seems to be the case. The company said the attackers were exploiting a vulnerability patched in December 2024, and linked to a November 2024 security advisory, in which it listed three fixed bugs: CVE-2024-10441 (arbitrary code execution), CVE-2024-50629 (arbitrary file read), and CVE-2024-10445 (a bug that allows writing files on compromised devices).

DSM 7.2.2 owners should upgrade to 7.2.2-72806-1 or above, DSM 7.2.1to 7.2.1-69057-6 or above, and DSM 7.2 to 7.2-64570-4 or above. DSM 7.1 should upgrade to 7.1.1-42962-7 or above, while those running DSM 6.2 to 6.2.4-25556-8 or above. Only in the last version - 6.2 - is the vulnerability labeled as “moderate”. In all other cases it was deemed “critical”.

Why are NAS devices being targeted?

NAS devices are dedicated storage systems that businesses can connect to their local network and allow employees to access, share, and manage files stored in a centralized location. They are rather popular among SMBs that lack the resources to maintain a more complex enterprise storage infrastructure.

Besides being used as a hybrid cloud of sorts, NAS is also used to store business documents and often acts as a centralized backup. The relative low cost, straightforward deployment, and easily expandable storage capacity makes NAS devices an attractive alternative to both dedicated file servers and cloud storage subscriptions.

However, this also makes them a valuable target for cybercriminals, as we’ve seen in this Synology case. The best way to defend against ransomware attackers is to either completely pull the NAS from the public internet or at least limit access to a handful of vetted identities. Keeping the devices updated with the latest firmware and software is also recommended.

It is worth mentioning that NAS devices usually come with RAID redundancy and built-in backup features, but these do not necessarily protect against ransomware encrypting the stored data.

• The European Transport Safety Council said Tesla offered to change the name of its tech
• Germany’s transport ministry claimed Full Self-Driving was misleading
• BMW aims to pile on the pressure with its own automated driving tech next year

Following intervention from Germany’s transport ministry, Tesla has agreed to formally change the name of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) partially automated driving technology to ‘Tesla Assisted Driving’ in Europe and the UK.

The move came after Germany’s Transport Minister, Steffen Bilger, aimed to legalize Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems as quickly as possible, but went on to explain that the name was “somewhat misleading”.

“It is a driver assistance system that can support certain driving tasks such as accelerating, braking and steering. However, the driver must remain attentive at all times,” a statement read.

As a result, Tesla agreed to change the name of the technology to appease European lawmakers, with Tesla Assisted Driving suggested and subsequently agreed on by all involved.

The new name has now been added to Tesla websites in Europe, including the UK site.

It comes as many governments move to tighten the rules around the marketing of assisted driving systems, according to Fleet News.

In the UK, for example, the terms automated, automated driving, autonomous, autonomous driving, drive autonomously, drive itself, driverless, and self-driving will only be reserved for authorized or listed vehicles, such as fully self-driving taxis.

The UK’s Department for Transport released a statement that said that under the 2024 Automated Vehicles act, which is expected to come into force on January 7, 2027, a vehicle only meets the self-driving test if it “does not need to be monitored or controlled by an individual”.

BMW readies its Symbiotic Drive technology

The German automotive giant announced this week that it will expand its urban driver assistance functions in Germany early next year.

A suite of navigation-guided driver assistance functions, under the umbrella title Symbiotic Drive, will provide support from the motorway, through the countryside and into the city, BMW claims.

The SAE Level 2 technology will able to handle turning and right-of-way situations, urban lane changes and navigating roundabouts using the vehicles in-built satellite navigation system.

Unlike other advanced driver assistance systems, BMW says its technology is designed to work seamlessly with the driver, so they can intervene, accelerate, brake and steer without completely shutting off the system.

Lane changes are also handled in an innovative way, with interior, gaze-monitoring cameras detecting a driver’s intention to swap lanes and the steering wheel detecting inputs before the system autonomously executes the maneuver.

BMW says that the system only provides assistance in the form of a “warning and steering intervention” if the driver is actually unintentionally drifting out of their own lane or if the system detects an imminent collision.

However, the company reiterates that Symbiotic Drive is a Level 2 system, so requires a driver to pay attention and be ready to take over whenever the technology requires.

It will be available on iX3, iX4, all models in the 3 Series, 7 Series and X5 range in Germany to begin with, but further countries will soon follow.

The German marque says the hardware is already in place in the majority of circumstances and that BMW Symbiotic Drive will be delivered as an over-the-air software update.

• Watch US Midterm Elections live streams on Fox News or MS NOW via YouTube TV free trial (US only)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere

Voters across the US are preparing to head to the polls as President Trump awaits an unofficial barometer on how his constituents feel about his presidency so far.

Control of the US Congress is up for grabs, as the Democrats bid to take that control from the current Republican majority. And what a slim majority it is, with Trump's party currently holding only the minimum number of seats needed to enjoy control of the House of Representatives. 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs too, with the Democrats needing to control a total of 51 seats for that to change hands.

New battle lines have been drawn, literally, by both sides, with some electoral maps being redrawn more favorably for one side or the other, leading to the upcoming vote looking a little more unpredictable.

It's a big election, that could spell major changes to the remainder of President Trump's tenure, so read on as we show you how to watch the 2026 US midterm elections from anywhere in the world.

Can I watch 2026 US Midterm Elections live streams for free?

For viewers in the US, Fox News and MS NOW are available on YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, both of which offer a free trial.

If you're happy streaming coverage online, NBC News NOW, ABC News Live, and CBS News 24/7 all offer up-to-the-minute reporting on their free news streams.

International free streaming options include CBC Gem in Canada, BBC iPlayer in the UK and SBS on Demand in Australia.

Away from home? Watch your usual streaming services from anywhere with NordVPN (try for 30 days).

How to watch US Midterm Elections 2026 live streams from anywhere

For those away from home looking to watch US Midterm Elections coverage, you may be unable to watch the show like you normally would due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream online, no matter where you are. Use a VPN to watch US Midterm Elections live streams online from anywhere:

How to watch US Midterm Elections 2026 live streams in the US

In the US, all major networks will be broadcasting coverage of the 2026 Midterm Elections on Tuesday, November 3, although start times vary.

• CNN: 4pm ET / 1pm PT
• NBC News: 5pm ET / 2pm PT
• Fox News: 6pm ET / 3pm PT
• MS NOW: 6pm ET / 3pm PT
• ABC: 7pm ET / 4pm PT
• CBS: 7pm ET / 4pm PT

Don't have cable? You could opt for a cord-cutting service Sling TV, YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV.

Away from the US? Use a VPN to watch online from abroad.

How to watch US Midterm Elections 2026 live streams online in Canada

Canadians can catch the latest from the US Midterm Elections on CBC News, with reporting running throughout the day and live coverage from 7pm ET.

Viewers in Canada can stream for free via CBC Gem.

Outside Canada right now? Unlock your usual streaming service with NordVPN.

How to watch US Midterm Elections 2026 live streams online in Australia

Various networks in Australia will be covering the US Midterm Elections, with free live streams available from around midday local time on Wednesday, November 4 on the likes of 9Now, SBS on Demand and ABC iView.

Away from OZ right now? Just use a VPN to alter your IP address so you can stream your favorite TV shows and films online just like you would at home. More details above.

How to watch US Midterm Elections 2026 live streams online in the UK

Both Sky News and BBC One will offer dedicated US Midterm Election coverage in the UK, kicking off late Tuesday evening.

BBC coverage is available for free to licence fee payers via BBC iPlayer.

Brit abroad? Just use a VPN to alter your IP address so you can stream your favorite TV shows and films online just like you would at home.

US Midterm Elections - Need to Know

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.

Watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa live in the Champions League 2026/27 as Unai Emery takes his upstarts to the Camp Nou in search of a fourth win from four in the league phase. Hansi Flick's Blaugrana have lost two of their last three in all competitions and want a statement victory.

After successive defeats by PSG and Real Madrid in the Champions League and La Liga respectively, Barça got back to winning ways at the weekend with a 6-1 gubbing of Alaves. Braces for Raphinha and Lamine Yamal helped maintain their two-point lead at the Primera summit and Los Cules must focus on tonight even with a top-of-the-table clash with Atletico Madrid coming at the weekend. That duo have 29 goals already this season and will want more to guide the Catalans up from eighth in the league phase. Fermin Lopez, who has 12 goals contributions to his name already this season should also start

After seeing off Club Brugge, a woeful Fenerbahce and Viking, Villa now face the five-time European champions – for the first time in more than four decades – in the sort of elite fixture that Emery relishes. Nicolas Jackson scored again in the weekend draw with Fulham and the in-form Senegalese has the physique and finishing ability to put pressure on a defensive unit that has been without Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Xavi Espart and Andreas Christensen through injury. Frenkie de Jong was pressed into emergency center-back duty against Alaves, but Gerard Martin will return tonight to partner Pau Cubarsi. Jackson will fancy roughing them up.

Read on as we explain how to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa in the Champions League 2026/27 for free.

Barcelona vs Aston Villa team news

Barcelona XI: Joan Garcia; Farinas, Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Gordon; Raphinha. 

Substitutes: Szczesny, Livakovic, Balde, Gavi, Gabriel Jesus, Adeyemi, De Jong, Bernal, Abdelkarim, Goren, Victor, Campos.

Aston Villa XI: Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Joao Gomes; McGinn, Manzambi, Buendia; Jackson. 

Substitutes: Bizot, Wright, Harwood-Bellis, Mings, Barkley, Garnacho, Abraham, Mbaye, Goretzka, Alysson, Hemmings.

Watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa for FREE

Barcelona vs Aston Villa is being shown on Virgin Media Play for free in the Republic of Ireland.

Coverage begins at 7.45pm on the Virgin Media Two channel.

Traveling abroad today? You can use a NordVPN (try risk-free) to unlock your Barcelona vs Aston Villa stream on Virgin Media Play — we used it to watch Como vs Man Utd recently and it worked perfectly.

Use a VPN to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa live streams

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 up to 75% off.

How to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa live streams in the US

In the US, the Barcelona vs Aston Villa game is being shown on Paramount+.

The streaming service, which is showing all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League campaign, starts at $8.99/month or $89.99/year.

Alternatively, you can access Paramount+ virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Visiting the US from Ireland? NordVPN can unblock your Virgin Media Play stream of the game.

How to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa live streams in the UK

Barcelona vs Aston Villa is being shown on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99/month if you commit to a year.

Outside the UK? NordVPN can unblock your stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa live streams in Australia

Barcelona vs Aston Villa, along with all 189 games of the 2026/27 Champions League season, is available to watch on Stan Sport in Australia.

Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$9.99/month.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa live streams in Canada

The Barcelona vs Aston Villa game is available to watch on DAZN in Canada.

DAZN, which is showing all 189 Champions League 2026/27 fixtures, starts at CA$24.99/month, for a plan that also includes EFL, Carabao Cup, Bundesliga and NFL coverage.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts 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.

• Watch Man Utd vs Roma on Prime Video (UK) / Paramount+ (US)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Man Utd vs Roma kick-off: Tuesday, November 3 at 3pm ET / 8pm GMT

Watch Man Utd vs Roma live streams in the Champions League 2026/27 as the Giallorossi attempt to heap more pressure on Michael Carrick by inflicting a fourth consecutive defeat on the Red Devils.

Almost two months without a victory, it has been a brutal period for all involved at Man Utd. Now 17th in the Premier League table after losing 2-0 to Chelsea, they last tasted victory 10 games ago against European debutants Sabah. Since then, players have attacked the coaching staff and criticised the club’s hierarchy, while Carrick has received the dreaded vote of confidence from the board. With confidence at an all-time low and the commitment of certain players being called into question, this feels like a monumental game for Carrick and co.

Roma will be confident of making it back-to-back wins in the Champions League and extending United’s winless run. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side head to Old Trafford in good form, having thrashed Udinese 5-2 at the weekend and scored 16 goals in their last four games. In-form Dutch forward Donyell Malan will relish the chance to test United’s struggling defence and will hope to add to his impressive tally of 11 goals in 12 games in all competitions.

Read on as we explain how to watch Man Utd vs Roma in the Champions League 2026/27.

Man Utd vs Roma team news

Man Utd XI: Lammens, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Dalot, Baleba, Mainoo, Amad, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo.

Subs: Darlow, Heaton, Amass, De Ligt, Martinez, Mazraoui, Andrey Santos, Mount, T Fletcher, Tielemans, Lacey, Zirkzee.

Roma XI: Vasquez, Rensch, Balerde, Hermoso, Cristante, Mancini, De Roon, Wesley, Soule, Rodrigo Mora, Malen.

Subs: De Marzi, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Castro, Molina, Pisilli, De Nunzio, Lulli, Ghilardi.

Use a VPN to watch Man Utd vs Roma live streams

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 up to 75% off.

How to watch Man Utd vs Roma live streams in the US

In the US, the Man Utd vs Roma game is being shown on Paramount+.

The streaming service starts at $8.99/month or $89.99/year. Alternatively, you can access Paramount+ virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Outside of the US? NordVPN can unblock your stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Man Utd vs Roma live streams in the UK

In the UK, Man Utd vs Roma is being shown on Prime Video Sports.

Amazon Prime, which shows one Tuesday game each matchweek, costs £8.99/month or £95/year after a 30-day free trial. Students and 18- 24-year-olds can get it for £4.49/month or £47.49/year.

Outside the UK? NordVPN can unblock your stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Man Utd vs Roma live streams in Australia

Man Utd vs Roma is available to watch on Stan Sport in Australia.

Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$9.99/month.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Man Utd vs Roma live streams in Canada

The Man Utd vs Roma game is available to watch on DAZN in Canada.

DAZN, which is showing all 189 Champions League 2026/27 fixtures, starts at CA$24.99/month, for a plan that also includes EFL, Carabao Cup, Bundesliga and NFL coverage.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts 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.

• The Remarried Empress premieres: Tue, November 3 on Hulu (US)
• Global stream: Disney+
• Access Hulu and Disney+ via DIRECTV
• Use NordVPN to watch any stream

If you're a fan of K-dramas like Crash Landing On You and Queen of Tears, you're going to be obssessed with this latest export from Korea. Read on for how to watch The Remarried Empress online from anywhere with a VPN.

The Remarried Empress actually started life as a Naver Webtoon by Alphatart, but it was so popular that it got the live-action treatment. The show tells the story of Empress Navier, who is divorced from Emperor Sovieshu so that he can marry his mistress, but finds a new husband and an unlikely alliance with Prince Heinrey of the Western Kingdom.

After a successful premiere at the Busan International Film Festival on October 9, the show was initially planned to release on November 4, but that release date got moved up by a day...

Below we have all the information you need on where to watch The Remarried Empress online and stream the show from wherever you are.

Can I watch The Remarried Empress for free?

Fans in the UK could catch (at least some of) The Remarried Empress for free, if they sign up to a Disney+ free-trial.

However, if you're in Canada, or Australia, there is no option to get a free trial of Disney+.

Not in the UK? use a VPN to make it seem like you are, so you can access all the streams you normally would.

Use a VPN to watch The Remarried Empress from anywhere

This handy piece of software can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount and complimentary Amazon Gift Card.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the UK and want to view your usual US service, you'd select a United States server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the show.

How to watch The Remarried Empress online in the US

The Remarried Empress is available for free to US viewers via the DIRECTV 5-day free trial.

Bundles on DIRECTV include Disney+ and Hulu, and start at $59.99 after the free trial has ended.

Have one of these subscriptions but away when The Remarried Empress is on? You can still access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.

How to watch The Remarried Empress online in Canada, UK, Australia and worldwide

Viewers outside the US can watch The Remarried Empress on Disney+, and the show will land there on November 3.

Disney+ subscriptions in each of the countries mentioned start at the following price points:

- UK: £5.99 per month
- Canada: $8.99 per month
- Australia: $9.99 per month

Visiting one of these countries from the US? You can still connect to your usual streaming services by downloading a VPN and pointing your location back to the United States.

The Remarried Empress FAQ

The Remarried Empress trailer

The Remarried Empress - who's involved?

• Shin Min-a as Navier
• Ju Ji-hoon as Sovieshu
• Lee Jong-suk as Heinrey
• Lee Se-young as Rashta
• Lee Bong-ryun as Eliza
• Choi Dae-hoon as McKenna
• Park Ho-san as Viscount Lotteshu
• Jung Young-joo as Albani
• Nam Yoon-ho as Baron Lante
• Lee Joon-hyuk as King Wotton III
• Kang Han-na as Christa

VPN services are evaluated and tested by us in view of legal recreational use. For example:a) Access to services from other countries, (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).b) Safeguarding your online security and making your online privacy more robust when abroad.Future plc does not support nor condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. We do not endorse nor approve of consuming pirated content that is paid-for.

• Security researcher combined audio analysis, flight data and a lot of number-crunching to identify audio locations
• Aircraft that are inaudible on the soundtrack can still reveal the recorder's location
• The technique is apparently accurate to within 100m

If, like me, you grew up watching corny FBI shows where computers could do the impossible through made-up technology with a single command of "enhance!", you're going to love the apparently impossible thing that YouTuber Colsto has just described in a new viral video.

Using a Doppler effect technique (more on that below), the location of a video or audio recording can be identified to within 100 meters through a combination of inaudible audio, flight data and math. This is no movie magic or scriptwriter invention: it's real and it's a little bit scary too.

I've embedded the video below and would really recommend watching it, because Colsto goes into great detail about how it's done, what it can't do and what precautions you might want to take if you don't want your background to betray you.

How your video background can betray you

As Colsto explains, the key is the 'Doppler effect'. That's the way sounds appear to change based on the distance between a moving source and the listener. You hear it all the time: it's what makes fire engine and ambulance sirens, car stereos and airplane propellers seem to change pitch as they go past.

What's clever here is that Colsto has focused on the sounds made by aircraft in the backgrounds of videos. In many parts of the world the skies are very busy, and a faraway airplane that's inaudible to you or other listeners might still leave a sonic footprint on your video or audio that can be isolated and analyzed. That's definitely the case in the US data Colsto used.

Once you've got the audio, the aircraft sound can then be matched with publicly available flight data and Doppler curve measurements. By triangulating the sound from multiple aircraft, you can then identify where the audio was recorded. This is enormously clever.

Colsto explains the detail in the video — what aircraft data was used, how it was analyzed, how the Doppler measurements were filtered and what corrections were made — but isn't posting any software or other tools to actually do it for you. Instead, you'll get an assessment of preventive measurements including why normal signal processing such as high-pass filters or noise reduction can be ineffective.

How scary is this?

Colsto was keen to point out that the video is designed to be educational about open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques, rather than an attempt to fear-monger.

"The odds that someone can and does actually do this is pretty slim. In reality, there's probably a hundred easier ways to find you than this," he says.

However, these are some potential use cases. "The audio we used is just from some random security camera, but it could have just as well been footage from a investigation or a video online. Something with literally zero visual clues could be located using this," he added.

So despite the somewhat niche application, there's something deeply scary about this kind of thing, I think, and from similar revelations such as Wi-Fi routers that can be used to locate you indoors and Wi-Fi signals that can help track your movements, even if you're not carrying a phone that connects to them.

And I know that fear is probably a bit silly when everywhere I go I carry a phone, use a tablet or drive a car that's leaking identifiable information to God-knows-who. But I can't help asking the question: if the possibilities we know about are this scary, what on Earth is the tech we don't know about capable of?

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

Bambu Lab has launched its Black Friday sale early this year, with running deals from now until December 1. There are plenty of 3D printers and accessories to choose from, but what's actually worth picking up in the sale?

Well, I asked our 3D printing expert Alastair which models he recommends from one of our top 3D printer makers. Alastair has tested every Bambu Lab 3D printer in his workshop for our best 3D printer guide and I wanted to know which machines he'd personally choose for readers. Here's what he suggests.

• For small business: The Bambu Lab X2D, which scored 4.5 stars in his review, " delivers exceptional print quality, material compatibility, and all at a superb price."

• For cosplayers and creators: The 4.5-star Bambu Lab H2S offers "enterprise-level print features and volume" with support for engineering materials.

• For beginners on a budget: The Bambu Lab A1 Mini earned a flawless 5 stars in his review, with exceptional speed, accuracy, features, and price.

Bambu Lab 3D printer deals

• Read his full Bambu Lab X2D review

• Read his full Bambu Lab H2S review

• Read his full Bambu Lab A1 Mini review

Bambu Lab filament sale

Alastair has also offered up some advice on which filaments he prefers. He says:

"Spend as much as you can. Filamentum, ColorFabb, and Polymaker are all great third-party filaments that I use. Otherwise branded filament from Bambu Lab and Prusa are good. esun and Sunlu as budget brands."

Bambu Lab is currently running a sale on filaments for Black Friday right here.

• The next game in the Elder Scrolls series is officially titled: The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel
• Bethesda Game Studios has also shared a teaser trailer hinting at the game's location, which appears to be Hammerfell
• The studio says, "It’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more" about Sentinel

Bethesda Game Studios has finally announced the name of the next game in its long-running Elder Scrolls series: The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel.

The news comes from a video celebrating the studio's 40th anniversary, which highlighted its many achievements and ended with Bethesda creative director Todd Howard offering a new look at the game.

"Everybody’s always asking about Elder Scrolls 6," said Howard. "And we thought, hey, given the moment, what a perfect time to tell you what The Elder Scrolls 6 is actually called."

The teaser trailer is short and doesn't showcase gameplay, but the camera pans over sand before a magic-looking scroll emerges. Then the game's title, as fans theorized, "The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel," was revealed.

The trailer description also provides an additional hint to the game, which reads, "The scroll offered only a shimmer, a veil thinly lifted to my eyes. A future lost. A victory undone. Sands of time scattered by fate," which is written in game lore by "Yazar, Moth Priest to High Queen Iradne of Hammerfell (4E 206)."

The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel has been in development for a very long time. Announced all the way back in 2018, today's teaser trailer and name drop are the first new pieces of information we've received about the game since.

In a follow-up post on X, Bethesda seemingly confirmed the game's location is set in Hammerfell, but it will be "some time" before more details

about the role-playing game (RPG) can be shared.

"Thank you for 40 years of shared memories," the studio said. "We can’t wait to make even more together with The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel. Development continues, and while it’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more, it feels great to finally reveal the name and location with you."

• Anthropic workers are likely making a good salary, plus stock-based compensation
• Revenue per employee is more than 2x Meta's and 2.6x Google's
• The company is targeting a valuation of around $1.5 trillion

Anthropic has confirmed in a recent S-1 filing that it spent $1.711 billion on personnel in its most recent three-month period, down slightly on the previous quarter's $1.857 billion but up around 3.5x compared with the same quarter in 2025 ($489 million).

With around 5,300 people on the books, it means the average worker set the company back over $322,000 for the quarter, or over $107,000 per month.

While these figures are likely wild overestimates for the average worker's pay, they show just how much the AI giant is having to spend on talent compared with last year.

Anthropic is spending billions on workers' salaries

Crucially, the average worker did not receive $107,000 in a single month, because these figures also include bonuses, employee benefits, payroll taxes and stock-based compensation. An estimated $1.1 billion of the quarterly total came from stock-based compensation, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total sum.

Still, personnel costs accounted for around 15% of the company's revenue over the first nine months of 2026, which puts Anthropic in a positive position. The company spent $4.8 billion on personnel in the first three quarters.

Flip those figures around and we have a company that's making an estimated $6.6 million in revenue per employee, compared with $3.2 million at Meta and $2.5 million at Google, per Business Insider calculations.

Recruiting AI talent is expensive

Anthropic doesn't publish salary information, but given its huge expenditure relative to the number of employees, it's clear that recruiting AI talent is expensive. With stock-based compensation accounting for two-thirds of Anthropic's personnel expenditure, workers are likely being attracted by the potential of huge future wealth, rather than immediate compensation.

An upcoming IPO has Anthropic valued at somewhere around the $1.5 trillion mark, per recent Reuters reporting. That would put it ahead of OpenAI, which is now likely targeting a $1.25 trillion valuation, per a separate Reuters report.

• Rockstar Games has confirmed players can pre-load the digital version of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 10
• Code-in-box editions should be available in stores starting November 12
• The pre-load file will be "up to 212GB depending on your device"

Rockstar Games has announced the file size for Grand Theft Auto 6 and the dates for when players can pre-load the game depending on their edition.

In a new blog post, the studio confirmed that digital pre-loading on PlayStation 5 will begin nine days before the game's November 19 launch, on Tuesday, November 10 at midnight local time "in your respective time zone."

For Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, pre-loading begins globally on Tuesday, November 10 at 12AM GMT / 7PM EST / 6PM CST.

Meanwhile, code-in-box versions for both consoles should be available from retailers beginning November 12.

GTA 6 was speculated to be a massive game already due to its ambitious scale and impressive features, but Rockstar has officially confirmed that the pre-load file will be "up to 212 GB depending on your device."

"So make sure you've got ample space to begin pre-loading as soon as possible," the studio cautioned. Say goodbye to a fair few of your games if you want to install GTA 6.

In addition to the new details, Rockstar said it will be adding an official printable Grand Theft Auto 6 cover art poster and map of Leonida as a free digital download to the official site on November 19 for fans.

"A double-sided physical version of this poster will also be made available shortly after launch from the Rockstar Store — for $0.99 on its own or as a free gift with any purchase from the Rockstar Store," it added.

Rockstar recently released the cinematic GTA 6 launch trailer, which offers a deeper look into the game's story. Elsewhere, a new report claims the PC version could launch in early 2027.

You can definitely tell that Black Friday season is upon us, as big discounts on brand-new tech are popping up almost every day now. The latest early deal I've spotted is this record-low price for the Google Pixel Watch 5 at Amazon, which brings the latest version of the popular wearable down to $299.99.

Outside of a smaller $50 discount at the start of October, this is only the second time the Pixel Watch 5 has been on sale since its launch in August. And I don't expect it will get any cheaper than this over the next couple of months — even with Black Friday technically still over three weeks away.

The offer I've picked out here is for the standard 41mm model with Wi-Fi support only. However, the larger 45mm version and the watches with LTE support are also discounted by $100 right now at Amazon.

So, if you prefer a bigger screen or want your watch to be able to receive messages and alerts while away from your phone, you can choose between those options as well. For most, though, the standard 41mm version does everything you need in terms of health tracking, fitness tracking, and phone connectivity — and it's excellent value for money.

Google Pixel Watch 5 — record-low price

We called the Google Pixel Watch 5 "the best Android watch yet" in our four-star review.

While it does feel like a clear iterative upgrade over the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 4, it's definitely a top choice for anyone picking up a wearable for the first time. It focuses on excelling in the key areas that matter, including reliability and accuracy in metric tracking, offering a comfortable fit and attractive design, and adding advanced features for those who need them, like Breathing Emergency Detection and Insulin Resistance Trends.

The updated Google Health app puts a lot of emphasis on AI, so your mileage may vary on how much you appreciate some of the more advanced health and fitness features that rely on your data, but this is a very capable smartwatch for Android users — now at an even better price.

• The Razer Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition launches November 10 for $349.99 / €368.99
• The licensed PS5 controller features a magnesium alloy exoskeleton and an open polygonal top and back plate design with chamfered edges
• The controller is also optimized for PC and boasts "reliable precision, exceptional control, and blazing-fast speed"

Razer has announced the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition, a new version of its officially licensed PlayStation 5 controller built on a decade of experience for "the highest level of performance and craftsmanship."

Launching exclusively at Razer on November 10 for $349.99 / €368.99 in an initial limited release supply of 1,337 serialized units, the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition is Razer's "most ambitious" PS5 controller to date and combines materials chosen for "strength, durability, and finish."

The jet-black controller features a strong magnesium alloy exoskeleton, and the handles are wrapped in matte black textured TPU grip that resists oils and abrasion for a pristine finish for extended play sessions.

Layered over the touchpad, the Razer logo is laser-etched on a semi-transparent, tinted glass panel, which offers a subtle view of the open-air polygonal design underneath.

The Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition also has an open polygonal top and back plate design with chamfered edges, and its nano coating leaves the internal elements exposed beneath the shell, keeping them safe from debris.

On top of that, the Razer controller boasts "reliable precision, exceptional control, and blazing-fast speed," which is achieved through its symmetrical thumbstick layout and contactless TMR thumbstick sensors for high-precision aim.

Built for PS5 consoles and optimized for PC with a 2,000Hz polling rate thanks to Razer HyperPolling Wireless for sharper movement and tracking, the controller also offers six mappable multi-function buttons, two claw-grip bumpers, and four mouse-click back buttons.

"With the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition, we set out to illustrate what happens when Razer’s engineering and design capabilities are pushed to their absolute limits," said Charlie Bolton, Razer's global head of design. "It draws on years of experience in high-performance controllers, delivering tournament-grade responsiveness in a design that feels like a statement piece in hand."

Each Razer Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition offers a suite of premium accessories for customization, including a premium leather carrying case, alternative thumbstick caps, four swappable back button covers, an anodized aluminium back button replacement tool, a Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle, and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable.

FastestVPN has launched its exclusive Black Friday offer for TechRadar readers: a lifetime of VPN access and password management for just $27.

FastestVPN usually rolls out a discount to its Lifetime Plus Plan each November but this is the cheapest and best we've ever seen it. In previous years the exclusive has cost $30 and only included two years of the family password manager. Now, the price is lower, and access to both is free for life.

You'll need to use the code FUTUREBF2026 at checkout to make sure you secure the extra $10 discount. Otherwise you'll find the price stuck at $40.

We don't rate FastestVPN as highly as the likes of others on our Best VPN list but it's hard to ignore at this price, when most cost upwards of $60 for 2 years and don't come with a password manager.

FastestVPN still comes with many of the features you'd expect of a VPN, such as a kill switch, P2P optimized servers, an ad-blocker and some malware protection too. It has servers in over 49 countries worldwide and will allow you to stream from BBC iPlayer, Netflix and free regional services such as 7Plus and 9Now in Australia.

Unlike the name suggests, it's not as quicker as many other VPNs, such as Mullvad and VPN Super Unlimited, as we found in our tests. But FastestVPN is private and secure enough for most use cases.

If you're more focused on VPN performance, the best alternative VPN deal right now is Proton VPN. It's $2.49 per month on a two-year plan, and brings sturdier security, faster speeds, and far more reliable unblocking performance with streaming platforms.

There are also other Black Friday VPN deals from top performers like Surfshark and NordVPN too.

Fancy expanding your Lego collection, or picking up a set or two to give as a gift? You don't need to wait until the end of the month to do so, because it looks like the Black Friday Lego deals are here already. A number of major retailers — including Currys and Argos — have launched their sales events already, with Black Friday Price Promises to reassure you it's safe to buy now.

Included in these sales are dozens of excellent price drops on a huge selection of Lego sets, from happy plants and retro gaming classics, to modern-day animated icons and shapeshifting spooky creator sets (what do you mean, Halloween is over?). I've scoured through all the sales at a range of retailers, and rounded up my favorite Lego discounts below, at prices that range from stocking-filler / Secret Santa to blow-the-budget.

Prefer to browse yourself? Use my quick links below. Alternatively, scroll down to see my top picks.

• Amazon: Discounts on Lego sets for kids and adults
• Argos: Up to 1/3 off, with Black Friday price promise
• Currys: Up to 30% off ahead of Black Friday
• Very: Dozens of deals with Black Friday price promise

The best early Black Friday Lego deals

The UK growth debate often focuses on tax, regulation, and investment incentives. While incredibly important factors to the economy, they can obscure a more immediate constraints sitting inside many businesses; one of the most significant being the payment systems that determine how quickly businesses can collect, move, and reconcile money.

The CBI has made clear in their 2026 Roadmap to Growth that business leaders want to innovate but are being held back by costs and slow delivery. Payment operations are one of the places where that tension shows up most clearly. A business can have ambitious growth plans, but it cannot deliver on them if moving money still depends on manual workflows, slow approvals, and disconnected systems.

While the business case for improvement is often understood by leaders, execution is a different hurdle. Our research found that 91% of business leaders recognize that a payment system can drive overall business growth, but only 27% of firms currently use a modern payment system, defined as having advanced automation and integration features.

These inefficient payment processes ultimately hold back productivity across the wider economy. When companies cannot move money with speed and certainty, growth becomes harder to plan and slower to deliver.

The growth gap inside payment operations

Businesses are increasingly operating in an environment where customers, employees, and suppliers expect transactions to happen quickly and accurately. For example, 79% of UK consumers expect to receive disbursements immediately. Processes designed around batch payments, manual approvals, and fragmented reconciliation are no longer good enough. They may still function, but they slow businesses down.

The cost appears in smaller, repeated points of friction. A delayed supplier payment can weaken a commercial relationship. A payroll correction can damage employee confidence. Manual reconciliation consumes finance teams’ time that could be better spent on analysis, forecasting, and control. These issues not only impact operations but can also have a material impact on growth.

Leading organizations increasingly view payment operations as a source of competitive advantage rather than an administrative necessity. Growth depends on the ability to move money accurately, quickly and at scale.

Open finance raises the standard and sets the direction

If payment operations are becoming a competitive advantage, open finance is raising the stakes even further. The FCA’s open finance roadmap sets out a vision for unlocking faster and more personalized financial services, strengthening competition and supporting wider economic growth.

That future will expose the gap between businesses that have modernized their payment operations and those that have not. Better access to financial data is valuable only if the organization can convert that insight into action. A business may be able to assess cash flow more intelligently, understand customer risk earlier or access finance faster, but if its payment processes still rely on manual intervention, the benefit will be limited. Open finance can point the way to better decisions, but modern payment infrastructure is what allows those decisions to translate into faster growth.

The UK has already shown that data-enabled financial services can scale when common standards, trusted infrastructure, and market adoption come together. Open Banking Limited reported that the UK open banking ecosystem had recorded more than one billion open banking payments by July 2026.

These figures are important because they show open banking is no longer a niche innovation layer, it is becoming expected infrastructure that consumers and businesses use to move money and share account data. The challenge now is to turn that personal finance scale into practical value for businesses.

Changing the game in collections: cVRP moves the dial on open banking

Looking towards collections for an example of this practical value: a key next stage of the rollout of open finance is the move from one-off open banking payments into recurring, automated collections. Most open banking payments to date have been single transactions which are useful for a specific purchase, transfer or account-to-account payment, but less suited to the recurring flows that keep many businesses running.

The UK Payments Initiative (UKPI) has recently launched an industry-led scheme that marks a major development for businesses that collect at scale and the experience they can provide their customers. Commercial variable recurring payments (cVRP) allow businesses in specific sectors to collect varying amounts from a customer's account on a regular basis following a single authorization by the customer, all whilst giving the customer greater flexibility and control.

With cVRP, businesses can receive real-time confirmation through Faster Payments and reduce reconciliation uncertainty. That means better cash visibility, fewer failed collections, and more confidence to grow for UK firms.

The growth opportunity is clear in sectors where collections are frequent, high volume or variable, including utilities, subscriptions, and lending.

Getting payments right is a growth strategy

Payment optimization is not a narrow finance project. It is a practical route to better productivity, stronger relationships and lower operational risk. It helps businesses protect cash flow, reduce errors and free up teams from avoidable administration.

Getting payments right may not be the most visible growth strategy but it can be one of the most immediate wins that also has a significant long-term growth impact for your business.

We've reviewed and ranked the best mobile payment apps.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

• Cybercriminals are stealing AI API keys and cloud credentials to hijack expensive LLM services and infrastructure
• Stolen access is used to run AI workloads, create proxy services, and rack up massive bills for victims
• Google warns “LLMjacking” is evolving into a specialized cybercrime ecosystem with dedicated monetization operators

Threat actors are using large language models (LLM) to support almost every stage of a cyberattack, from researching potential victims to developing malware and automating various attacks. However, using AI is not cheap, and for those eager to use frontier models, costs can stack up relatively quickly.

But cybercriminals are used to stealing things, so why not steal someone else’s tokens, too?

A new report from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) says that different hacking groups are doing exactly that and that the practice - known as LLMjacking - has been steadily growing more popular over the last couple of years.

Most groups start by focusing either on publicly exposed LLM endpoints, or on obtaining valid LLM application programming interface (API) keys. In many cases, the crooks would use exposed or stolen cloud identity tokens (IAM credentials, Service Account keys, GitHub Personal Access Tokens, and active session tokens) to establish an initial foothold into the target organizations’ infrastructure.

From there, they would “systematically work” to escalate privileges, solidify their access, and identify targets for further compromise.

LLMjacking

The endgame is LLMjacking, which GTIG describes as “the monetization and resource-hijacking of foundation models, which actors achieve through token proxying, automated model streaming, and GPU hardware provisioning.” In other words, someone else is using your AI subscription while you get the bill.

The bills can cause quite the headache, too. With cryptojacking, for example, token mining is relatively slow and steady, and a certain amount of time needs to pass for the charges to really stack up. With LLMjacking, however, costs can go into six digits in six minutes.

“Upon acquiring LLM API access keys, UNC6993 attempted to generate additional API keys and enable associated services within victim cloud projects, quickly accumulating over $100,000 in billing charges,” Google says in the report.

“Another threat actor subscribed victim accounts to Pay-As-You-Go agreements, selecting premium foundation models and launching high-volume inference streams. To bypass rate limits, the threat actor deployed a "burn and rotate" strategy, continuously creating and deleting short-lived service accounts while auditing the cloud provider’s billing interface to monitor financial impact.”

In some cases, threat actors also used the acquired access to host their own proxy endpoints and agentic workloads. Google says that one threat actor enabled agents, deployed publicly accessible reverse proxies, and used custom Node.js proxy bundles to expose endpoints compatible with multiple frontier LLMs rebranded under a persona known as D1337-KAIROS.

This actor deployed a containerized backdoor which queried an upstream LLM to reason through instructions and execute commands locally.

A growing ecosystem

The LLMjacking ecosystem is young, but growing fast and maturing even faster. Google says that there is already a division of labor between hacking groups that establish initial access to compromised environments, and operators who manage downstream monetization infrastructure. The latter are called “LLM Mixers” and they operate as a routing gateway that proxies, aggregates, and resells unauthorized LLM access to underground subscribers.

“In one investigation, GTIG observed two distinct operational clusters coordinating to compromise and monetize enterprise LLM infrastructure, demonstrating the sophisticated specialization emerging in this space,” Google said.

By using open source API gateways and custom relay infrastructure, the attackers were able to pool stolen credentials, meter usage, and hide where the requests really originated from.

Google is now sounding the alarm, saying it expects threat actors to “increasingly prioritize” LLMjacking at the expense of other resource theft practices. It urges organizations to increase their visibility of LLM platforms, prioritize detection of modifications to LLM accounts and services, and treat any unauthorized enablement as a critical security event. It also advised organizations to enforce the principle of least privilege and make sure accounts and users only have permissions they absolutely need to get the job done.

We all know Awkwafina as a comedic actress and a prolific voice actor (having voiced characters in numerous animated projects like Raya and the Last Dragon, The Bad Guys and most recently Wildwood), but she's now trying her hand at cooking while also learning more about her rich family history.

Across eight episodes, we'll see Awkwafina — or Nora Lum as she's actually called — travel across the States learning how to cook meals from scratch, with the aim of eventually reviving her family's long-closed Cantonese restaurant in New York.

Thanks to Apple TV, Awkwafina will get the chance to rub shoulders with acclaimed chefs includin Roy Choi, Martin Yan, and Cory Ng, and she will also visit the Culinary Institute of America. She will also be judged fairly harshly by her grandmother, but you can't win them all.

If you're ready to see her try her hand in the culinary world, read on for how to watch Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook online and from anywhere.

How to watch Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook from anywhere

For those away from home looking to watch Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook, you may find yourself unable to watch the show like you normally would due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook online from anywhere:

How to watch Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook around the world

Where to watch Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook online in the US, the UK and everywhere else

What you need to know about Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook

Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook trailer

Who is involved in Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook?

• Awkwafina (star and producer)
• Roy Choi (guest chef)
• Martin Yan (guest chef)
• Cory Ng (guest chef)
• Zhan Chen (guest chef)
• Jimmy O. Yang (co-star)

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.

• Cathedral Systems will offer a new perspective into OpenAI vulnerabilities
• Partnering with third parties sets 'an important example' for the industry
• Bug bounty payouts set to increase 4x for critical findings

OpenAI has announced a partnership with Cathedral Systems to bring security researchers from both organizations together in a bid to test its AI infrastructure, identify potential vulnerabilities and improve existing defenses.

The ChatGPT maker hopes that enlisting a third party with add fresh perspectives to its existing research, and it's a clear sign that the company knows future threats could pose a serious issue.

"OpenAI is setting an important example by partnering with outside security firms and using its own models to continuously test and strengthen its defenses," Cathedral CEO Gavin Kliger wrote.

OpenAI is preparing to serious enhance security

The company is also improving its bug bounty program to make it more attractive for individual researchers to get involved. Though exact rewards were omitted from the announcement, OpenAI did say it was prepared to quadruple the payouts for critical findings.

When OpenAI launched its bug bounty scheme, it said it would be looking for applications across software patches, model privacy, threat detection and response, security tool integration and AI agent security.

It's not the first time the AI giant has led a major security initiative – it previously asked a quarter of its developers to set aside some time to find and fix security weaknesses. Naturally, they used Codex to speed up investigations and fixes.

"We’re building on that work because traditional cyber defenses alone are no longer sufficient," the company said, referring to its previous sprint.

Much like Anthropic's Project Glasswing, OpenAI promises to use its own frontier models to strengthen its own systems and those of others.

"Keeping the defender’s window open will take action across the industry, and that work needs to start now," the company added.

• Apple might place usage limits on Siri AI in the future, with the option to pay for expanded access
• What the cost will be or how pricing will be structured remains to be seen
• On-device inference will still be free, but the heavier tasks such as AI image editing would likely count towards your daily usage limit

In the Apple earnings call for Q4 2026, new CEO John Ternus joined CFO Kevan Parekh and COO Sabih Khan to discuss the results of the previous quarter. Within the discussion the trio quietly confirmed that Siri AI may soon have usage limits.

Now, we’ve put Siri AI through its paces and found it to be a remarkably good life assistant across Apple’s fleet of devices after years of Siri directing tricky questions to ChatGPT. But a usage limit could seriously hinder the effectiveness of your Apple assistant.

Those looking to use Siri as their go-to resource for AI answers and make full use of Apple’s AI photo editing features will have to pay for expanded access. So far, there are no details on how much users will have to fork up at each iCloud+ tier to make full use of Siri AI.

Server-side inference could raise costs

“The mix of [on-device and cloud Siri] is very early days, and so it's hard to predict exactly what the mix of those costs are going to look like,” Parekh explained. “Obviously, on device, you know, it's very very efficient. No real costs associated with that. But on the server side, we have some inference costs.”

Siri AI has had a somewhat limited rollout, being released mid-September in English as part of the iOS 27 update. Siri AI runs on a mix of on-device and Private Cloud Compute, so until Apple gets to grips with how much demand they might expect from Siri AI users the costs aren’t really known.

“I think again, we've just recently launched it and made it available to more users,” Parekh added. “And so we're in the very very early stages of understanding the kind of mix of those costs, as well as further requirements we might have on the compute side.”

Obviously there is some reasoning behind Apple’s decision to use Private Cloud Compute for some tasks. Given that your phone holds some pretty sensitive personal information that Siri AI may need to access, Private Cloud Compute offers a way to process that data in an anonymized, privacy-focused format.

Much of Siri AI’s inference happens on-device, but tasks that exceed the resource restrictions of an iPhone can be offloaded onto Private Cloud Compute. But with that comes processing costs that Apple has to cover.

“As far as agentic capabilities, you know, we think these are promising tools for users,” Tetanus said. “We just want to make sure that users are aware of what they're giving access to. We want to make sure this is done in a way that protects security and privacy.”

“You know, whether it's your contacts, your communications, health data, financial data, all of that, and Siri can tap into that and help you access it in a way that's very secure and private, and that nobody else has access to.”

What will you actually get for free?

As far as using Siri AI for free goes, light tasks that run on-device should remain accessible to all users. But if you have a more complex task or want to make use of Apple’s AI image editing features that need to be performed on more robust hardware, you could end up hitting the daily usage limit.

As Apple disclosed in the footnotes of the Siri AI release, the use of Apple’s cloud models specifically is what will count towards the usage limit. “Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future.”

What these costs look like remains to be seen, but just drafting an email or asking Siri to find a video your friend mentioned in a message a few days ago shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

However, be aware of utilizing any features that require the use of Apple’s AFM 3 Cloud models moving forward, such as the intelligent photo editing tools and Image Playground.

Buying a printer is one thing, but keeping it supplied with ink can quickly become massively expensive, especially if you regularly print documents, homework, or photographs. Epson's EcoTank ET-2980 is one of our favorite cheap ink tank printers, saving a fortune on replacement ink cartridges.

Now, the value-led cartridge-free printer sees a price cut down to $285 (was $330) at Amazon, while in the UK, it's listed under the name EcoTank ET-2950, down to £230 (was £280). It's the same model, though. And the price delivers an even better deal on the machine we called "a bargain of this bottle-fed printer."

• Best for: Households, students, and home office workers who print a lot and want to keep ongoing ink costs down without loss of everyday printing, scanning, and copying capabilities.

• Why it matters: You get refillable ink tanks with up to three years of ink included. There’s also Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, a 100-sheet paper tray, automatic double-sided printing, and borderless photo printing.

Why we recommend it

The biggest attraction of the EcoTank ET-2980 is Epson's approach to running costs. The included ink can produce up to 6,600 black pages or 5,500 color pages, and each replacement bottle set is equivalent to approximately 90 individual ink cartridges.

Refilling is straightforward, thanks to Epson's EcoFit bottles, which have keyed nozzles designed to help prevent you from putting the wrong color into a tank.

In his four-star review, our expert Jim said it: "printed reliably on everything from envelopes to thick 300g/m² cardstock. It’s not a fast printer, but automatic duplexing is a welcome convenience. Pigment black ink produces crisp, smudge-resistant text, while dye-based colors look bright and punchy. Photographs are slightly soft and oversaturated towards red, but perfectly acceptable for occasional use."

He added that: "The biggest attraction is the ink economy. Epson is putting plenty of ink in the box and replacement bottles are cheap. I think its low running costs, reliable performance and essential duplexing feature make it excellent long-term value."

For more top performing units, see our guides to the best home printers and best ink tank printers.

Price context & historical value

Amazon's current $285 asking price is $44.99 below how much it usually sells for. That's not the cheapest we've seen it sell for in the past though. It was as low as $229.99 earlier in the year, and it's possible it will be reduced more the closer to Black Friday we get.

The British equivalent model, the EcoTank ET-2950, is usually priced at £279.99 and is currently down to £229.99.

If you want to save on other units, see our guide to the best printer deals we've seen this week.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 if...

You regularly print documents, school assignments, or photographs and want to reduce your reliance on ink cartridges. The ET-2980 also offers automatic double-sided printing, which can help cut paper consumption.

❌ Skip the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 if...

You only print occasionally or need a dedicated business printer with advanced document-handling features. A cheaper cartridge-based model may be more economical for light use.

• See all ink tank printers at Amazon

It was inevitable that there would be a successor to the Bambu Lab H2C, which was no small machine; however, the Bambu Lab H3C takes scale and ability to the next level, although the innovative Vortek Hotend Change System is no more.

Like the H2C, there’s the multi-tool functionality, but as you’ll see from the images, the system is all new, with dedicated tools in the Swaptek Tool Changer rather than the Vortek hotend-changing system, so something closer to the Bondtech INDX tool changers.

An interesting update is the ability to print with different-sized nozzles, so a fine 0.2 mm for fine detail, going to a 0.8 mm for infill and areas where speed is preferable to fine finishes. What I have discovered through the month that I’ve had the printer so far is that this is an evolution of the 3D printing process, refining the techniques and while this technology and its application are still being ironed out, the full potential is apparent.

Adding to the multi-diameter printing is the advanced TPU handling. This essentially enables you to print with thicker 2.85 mm filament using the PrintTool hotend. As the filament is thicker, it supports softer TPU, and again, there’s a learning process behind its use. It’s not quite as simple as popping it in and letting it go, but it is a step in the right direction.

Sitting on top of the machine is the new AMS 3H filament management system that holds up to nine filaments, with two slots enabling integrated drying and bypass feeds for specialist materials.

I’ll admit, as the boxes kept arriving and the H3C started to take shape on the workbench, the machine did seem to dominate the space. However, after squeezing in the H2C next to it, while the new AMS gives a visual impression of scale, the footprint of the two machines is much the same.

The big question for me at the start of this test was whether this new machine and design was a direct replacement for the H2C or something altogether new. It certainly initially looks far more complex, but then, as I became more familiar with the machine, the full tool changer design, once assembled, did seem, a little more simplistic and certainly more reliable as I pushed the print times and complexities.

One point to note is that throughout the test, while I had the machine and seemingly every accessory that I could need to go with it, the actual official machine specifications and final tweaking of the software were still to be released.

What Bambu did supply was a few test models and an extensive set of instructions about how to tackle each of the main new features. There was also a set of complex models that I used to start the test before deviating to some of my own, and then back to the supplied models to finish the test.

I’ll cover more of those tests in the performance section, but what interested me was using this printer for a real practical task. This is, after all, a business-class machine, although the price will put this just in range of the keen enthusiast as well.

The main project for this test was to print and build a set of speakers from Print Your Speakers, with the Supersonic MK3 kit fitting the bill for this test. Essentially, a solid PLA outer with TPU to add damping to the infill, and then a switch of nozzle sizes for the fine detail of the outer wall and a thicker nozzle for the inner walls.

This is where the learning curve of this machine and the Bambu Lab software really comes into play, and while that learning curve is steep.

As the test ran on, the potential of this machine started to grow. While multi-filament and tool changer machines now dominate and Bambu Lab’s lead in the field was quickly fading, especially with the Original Prusa CORE One INDX, of which the H3C’s new system bears more than a passing resemblance. But with support for 2.85 mm TPU and multiple other materials, it now pushes them back out in front and truly offers something unique, although there are still a few refinements needed.

Bambu Lab H3C: Price and availability

The H3C will be available to purchase from the Bambu Lab website from 3 November 2026, following the official launch. Unlike the H2C, there is just one configuration available at launch, with the AMS 3H and all nine PrintTools included.

• H3C AMS Combo: $2,499 / £2,199
• Combo + PLA Palette + TPU: $2,589 /£2,269
• Combo + PLA Palette + TPU + Bambu Station (Enclosed) + E1 Air Purifier:
• $3,049 / £2,699
• Combo + PLA Palette + TPU + Bambu Station (Open): $2,799 / £2,469

Bambu Lab H3C: Design

The Bambu Lab H3C is a 3D printer on another scale, and whilst it doesn’t look that much larger than the H2C initially, once you start to work with it and try to move it around the workshop, you suddenly realise that its colossal 36.28 kg weight and physical dimensions of 493 × 571 × 587 mm make it more of a two-person lift than something you’re able to handle on your own.

That would explain why Bambu Lab also sent a special trolley along with the machine, so it’s easy to access and move around the workshop. The issue at the moment is that there are so many 3D printers coming out that my workshop doesn’t have any space, so this will be something that I will manoeuvre the printer onto once I can find a pathway through the workshop to get the two sections to meet.

As it was, I decided to set this machine up in the photo area, and I’ve already manoeuvred the H2C next to it so that I can do a side-by-side comparison on size and scale, however, again this left little room as the the scale of these machine is rapidly increasing.

As I first lifted the H3C into position, the two machines looked roughly the same size, but as I started to add the huge new AMS 3H on top, I realised that this was an altogether different proposition.

As I unpacked the machine, it was obvious that Bambu Lab had taken a completely different direction to multi tool head printing compared with the H2C, and the H3C has something more akin to the INDX tool changer. You can definitely see the similarities. As I went through the initial setup, what was surprising here was just how easy and straightforward it was, and whilst the machine was large, the actual placing of the AMS on top and positioning all of the nozzles wasn’t at all difficult.

The only thing that you do need to make sure of is that there are nine tools included: eight with 0.4 mm PrintTools for 1.75 mm filament and one dedicated 0.4 mm PrintTool for 2.85 mm filament. Careful reference to the instructions as you’re setting up is essential to make sure that this nozzle goes in the right place.

Before taking a closer look at this new system, it’s worth pointing out that the AMS 3H is quite an evolution on the AMS 2, sitting on top of the machine and really integrating more closely with the design compared with the add-on box of the AMS 2. This, I know, will please a lot of print farms, which, whilst generally fans of the Bambu Lab machines, find the AMS 2 is often a weak point and the part that they have to replace most often. One point here is that, of those nine slots, there’s a separate section within the rack which enables just two of those nine slots to be actively dried.

As we’ve seen before, you can also add more AMS units, enabling up to 24-colour printing, up from the nine possible out of the box.

Once I got everything set up and installed, which, to be honest, didn’t take too long, it was then time to connect the machine to the local network via Wi-Fi 6. As ever, this was as straightforward and simple as with all other Bambu Lab machines. One of the surprises is that a machine of this size and scale, especially aimed at the professional market, doesn’t feature an Ethernet port.

The other point here is that as soon as it connected, it ran through a series of updates before then going through the calibration process. So, while the machine itself is really well designed and easy to set up, the software updating and full calibration process can take up to an hour, which is slightly infuriating when I was quite excited to see what this machine was capable of doing.

After the Wi-Fi connection, calibration and everything else had been run through, it was time to connect through the Bambu Studio software, and again, a few clicks through the beta release that we were given, enabled me to connect quickly to the printer.

However, as always, before running through my own prints and some of those others that had been supplied to fully test out this new machine’s abilities, I ran through the standard test prints on the machine. These are the usual 3D Benchy and variants, alongside scrapers and a few other bits and bobs, as expected. It ran through all of those prints flawlessly, and then it was time to cross over to Bambu Studio.

Bambu Lab actually supplied some very interesting test models, which I go into in the performance section, but before I went into these multi-filament, multicolour designs, I decided to test out some of my more standard prints. This just enabled me to double-check the calibration and also try out a few different materials.

There are two built-in 1080p cameras, with an optional Bird’s Eye camera available as well. The chamber heats up to 65°C, with a 120°C heated bed and a 350°C maximum nozzle temperature.

Leaving the machine just to run through those few prints, I was able to step back and take a proper look at the machine, and it is an evolution of what we’ve seen with the other H series printers, just slightly larger. Again, this is a steel chassis, which gives it structural support and also makes it insanely heavy to lift around the workshop.

The outer is plastic, with a grey and black exterior that looks stylish, just in the same vein as we’ve seen with the other Bambu Lab hardware. On the front, you’ve got a big viewing window so that you can see what’s going on with the print, and whilst the top-mounted AMS 3H does stop you from looking down into the machine, it's integrated rather than being a separate unit, which I personally really like.

As we’ve seen before, there’s a really nice 5-inch colour touchscreen, with an 854 × 480 display resolution, and this is very responsive, giving me full access to all the functions and settings. However, it is getting more complex, especially with those nine toolheads. It does take a little bit of extra time just to orientate yourself with all of those different settings.

Across the front is the main feature of this new 3D printer, obviously the new nine-toolhead rack, and what’s interesting here is that the rack raises and lowers, so if you do want to see what’s going on on the print bed, it’s far easier than with some of the other multiple systems of this style out there. At all times, however, you can see where the influence of the Prusa CORE One INDX version has influenced Bambu Lab’s slight change of direction, although they’ve taken that style of design in a slightly different direction.

The rack features nine individual PrintTool docking positions, and these all automatically dock with tool alignment and offset compensation. What’s interesting here is that there are dedicated filament paths for each PrintTool, meaning that each works completely independently, and there are integrated filament cutters within the PrintTools, again just to help speed things up. When it comes to the extruder and internal mechanisms, they all use hardened steel, with hardened-steel extruder gears and nozzles rated at HRC 55+.

As ever, we see a flexible steel build plate, and this is a decent size, with a 330 × 320 × 325 mm build volume enabling you to tackle all sorts of projects, especially with the huge material support this new printer offers.

Bambu Lab H3C: Features

It’s difficult to do a quick run-through of the features because, over the H2C, things have really progressed, and the new Swaptek nine-tool changing system is a real evolution of design. You can’t help feeling it’s heavily influenced by the INDX system that we’ve seen from Bondtech and featured on the latest Prusa CORE One machines.

However, over that system, there are plenty of changes, and it’s obviously got the Bambu Lab spin, with automatic tool changes that happen in under six seconds. There’s also active preheating that essentially anticipates the upcoming tool changes and heats the next nozzle in advance, making complex models slightly faster to print than on some of those other systems.

One of the features that I noticed early on, and one of the issues with other systems of this style, is that quite often the tool rack gets in the way of being able to see the print area. However, once that new tool is selected, the tool rack actually retracts upwards so that you get a good clear view of the print area, and it also helps to keep the filament tubes out of the way.

Feeding all of those nine new toolheads is the redesign of the AMS system, known as the AMS 3H, that manages the filaments in an integrated box that sits on top of the machine. Like the AMS 2, it's a sealed storage option and helps protect the filaments inside from moisture.

Again, as we’ve seen in the past, it has automatic filament loading and routing that works exceptionally well, and with RFID built in, as long as you’re using Bambu Lab’s own materials, they’ll be automatically recognised and synced with the software, making the whole process that much easier.

One of the surprises is that only two of those nine slots are actively dried, so if you do have filaments that are more prone to moisture than others, then they should sit in those two. There’s a cover that sits over the top, so it’s pretty easy to see which two those are.

As ever, there are also expansion options, so if you have other AMS systems and you want to plug them in, the H3C supports additional AMS units for up to 24-colour printing.

One of the new additions is the FlexFeed extruder that supports both 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm filament, and there’s also a dedicated 2.85 mm filament path for flexible materials such as TPU. While TPU for AMS can just be used directly on the machine, as I discovered when I printed speakers with files from Print Your Speakers, when it came to printing other softer TPU, you have to use one of the bypass feed ports and quickly change part of the installation and feed to the toolheads.

The first time you do it, it takes a little bit of time and working out, but essentially, the soft TPU needs to go into one of the slots that enables active drying. TPU is hygroscopic and collects water like a sponge, so ensuring that it’s nice and dry before it goes through the system is just going to improve and help with the quality of the print.

You then feed that through into the 2.85 mm supporting toolhead, but rather than running through the filament feed tube, you bypass the tube, cutting just a small length that goes into the toolhead and then directly into the extruder. This just helps with the smooth movement of the TPU filament through the system. This means that it can actually cope with TPU all the way down to 75A, perfect for some of the projects that Bambu Lab supplied.

Using TPU in the system is not uncommon, but you still have to reconfigure the system slightly. Bambu Lab has made that slightly easier, and of course, you also have the ability to print with multiple materials and multiple colours.

But what impressed me the most is that with the Bambu Lab PLA palette, which is a new range of filaments, you can print with CMYKW to enable colour mixing using cyan, magenta, yellow, black and white filaments. The end results, as you’re seeing in some of the sample pictures, are quite amazing, enabling far more colourful and complex prints than has previously been possible.

But it’s not just about multiple colour-mixing filaments. You can also use a huge amount of engineering materials because of the hardened nozzles and the actively heated chamber, so utilising ABS, ASA, PA, PC and carbon-filled composites is all perfectly possible.

Further supporting the flexibility over the way you print is that there are multiple nozzle sizes, including 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm. But what makes a difference here is that you can optimise it to work using those different nozzles in one print. That means you can speed up the printing of the interior support structure with, say, a 0.6 or 0.8 mm nozzle and get that fine-quality finish on the exterior with a 0.2 or 0.4 mm nozzle. This is something very new.

There’s also been a range of feature enhancements for speed, with a maximum toolhead speed of 1,400 mm/s and acceleration of 25,000 mm/s². To keep up with that high-speed printing, the hotend flow rate of 40 mm³/s is also impressive, although these run to Bambu Lab’s own test conditions rather than what you’re actually going to see in the real world.

Something which I haven’t really been able to look at in any depth is the CraftTool support, and we’re starting to see Bambu Lab not only promote their machines for 3D printing but for other craft uses. This is what really made the H2D such an interesting machine. Potentially, in the near future, the CraftTools will enable automatic switching between compatible printing and crafting tools, so there will be blade cutting, drawing and debossing, but I’ll bring you more on that when I’ve been able to look at it properly.

As I mentioned in the Design section, Bambu Lab and, actually, quite a few of the other manufacturers are starting to take filtration seriously, and here we’ve got the H11 HEPA filter, granulated coconut-shell activated-carbon filter and an integrated chamber exhaust and circulation system. Bambu Lab actually even provided an air filter with the machine, which has been very handy, especially in quite a crowded workshop.

When it comes to features, the H3C is one of the most feature-packed printers to have come onto the market yet, but with all of those features comes an added level of complexity that could cause issues in the long run, and the only way to discover those is to ensure that, over the month of having this machine, it has been running almost constantly.

Bambu Lab H3C: Performance

As these 3D printers get more complex and the models that they’re able to produce become increasingly more elaborate, mixing not only colours but materials, the time it takes to fully test one of these machines is rapidly increasing.

Thankfully, Bambu Lab recognises that whilst machines are speeding up, when it comes to fully testing some of those mixed-filament options, it doesn’t just take hours; it takes days for each print to be produced. In order for you to run through all of the test prints provided, including rerouting different filaments, that all takes a considerable amount of time.

But thankfully, I’ve had this printer for almost six weeks, and through that time, there have only been brief periods where it has remained dormant. Otherwise, filament after filament has gone through, producing everything from pinhole cameras out of carbon-filled filament through to some quite incredible desktop speakers, thanks to the guys at printyourspeakers.com, and of course, the extremely elaborate models that the guys at Bambu Lab provided to test out this printer.

Before I go into that, I’ll just quickly run through the setup process of the machine, as whilst this machine looks extremely complex, the actual setup process is typically Bambu. Essentially, with the machine arriving in two boxes, the machine and a separate box for the AMS, it only took about half an hour before the machine was sitting proudly on the workbench, looking ready to produce its first print.

The instructions are pretty clearly laid out, and as you’d expect, the large 5-inch touchscreen gives you all the information you need. Once everything is plugged in and connected, you then simply load the filament, and it’s pretty much set to go. However, as always, that complexity comes with a large extra step.

First, you download and install the firmware, which all ran through nice and quickly, but then it was on to the full setup calibration. Whilst it doesn’t actually take any involvement from yourself other than clicking a couple of buttons, it does take about an hour, and when you have a machine of this size and potential in front of you, that wait is slightly agonising but unfortunately essential.

Once the machine had run through its copious amount of checks and all the nozzles had been calibrated, it was time to run through the first set of prints, and here I had three different options. Firstly, those pre-installed on the machine in the 64 GB internal storage; the second was my usual test prints; and the third was the additional files that Bambu Lab had provided to fully test out the system.

I opted for the quick run of those prints in storage just to check whether the calibration had worked and everything was printing correctly, and sure enough, print after print came off the print bed without issue, mixing the colours beautifully into pretty good-quality standard prints. All of these that I started with initially were PLA and mainly ends of reels from previous reviews.

Then it was on to my own test prints, and again, the accuracy and precision of the printer really stood out, and I was also impressed with the relative speed. One of the big points here is that the tool-changing system, as I saw with the INDX, vastly increases print speeds when compared with the H2C, which is a machine that I actively always have set up and running.

The speeds with this new system are again slightly faster. A quick test of those print speeds on the H3C, printing the two-tone tree frog in large, took two hours and three minutes, with about eight minutes taken for the preparation time and the rest on the actual model printing. This compared with almost three hours on the H2C, and whilst it was far faster on the preparation and checks at just under six minutes, the print time was closer to two hours and 50 minutes. Finally, comparing it with the H2D, surprisingly, it put in a similar time to the H2C.

As I ran through the test, the speed of the machine was the first thing that really stood out, and with a relatively large print bed as well, I was able to print large projects with absolute ease. Support structures went in nice and easily, and I always use PLA support, although as I started to venture into Bambu Lab’s own models, I realised the standard PLA support was just not delicate enough for what was needed, and PVA support, which could be washed away, would have been a better option.

Through my own models, there were quite a few different projects that I wanted to really give a go. The first was a pinhole camera that I had designed for some lectures and was small. It's a good way to test out dimensional accuracy, as I had to drop in a brass-sheet pinhole lens that I had designed and make it tripod-mountable, with brass inserts used for the screw thread.

As the box also had to be lightproof, dimensional accuracy due to the fitting and removing of a lightproof back was also essential, and using a carbon-filled filament with solid infill just ensured that the whole box would stay lightproof. I also had to feature a sliding shutter mechanism that would cover the brass aperture, so again, quality of surface printing as well as dimensional accuracy was absolutely essential.

After running several iterations of the design, I came up with the final product and tested it in the studio with success, producing small prints onto photographic paper through a 0.3 mm aperture. The quality of the print and success of the project just highlighted the first bit of flexibility with this machine and its design.

The next was to call on somebody with a lot more experience with high-quality and precision engineering 3D design, and the guys at Print Your Speakers provided me with the Supersonic MK3 desktop speaker kit to give this new printer a go. There were several angles that I wanted to fully test that no other printer would be able to do.

The first was obviously to print speakers using PLA for the outer, but then rather than having PLA infill, I wanted it to be TPU in order to help absorb some of the sound. I also wanted to be able to swap between nozzle sizes, all of which took a little bit of experimentation, and at present this is an area of the systems use that I will have to come back to, as at the moment I haven't had any success. I then tested a straight PLA box against the PLA and TPU mixed box, and the difference in audio quality was apparent, with a far deeper sound from the more advanced material-mix option.

Having now tried a variety of different materials and options through the machine, I was pretty confident about setting off with some of Bambu Lab’s own models to fully test out its abilities. The first was the FROSTSPINE Dragon Bust 1015, which used a variety of materials and took a while to organise the different materials that were needed into the AMS and configure the system.

Printing this started to point out the big difference between the old Bambu Lab multi-filament AMS systems and this new iteration. It's far more complex, and along with the printing guides that helped guide you through the setup, there’s definitely a greater skill required to get the most out of this machine.

It took two or three initial attempts before that model rattled off the print bed, taking several days to complete. I then moved on to the hummingbird frame, which was a simple multi-filament PLA mix, and here I really started to see the full potential, being able to mix the colours to create colours that weren’t directly available from a single filament but only once they were blended together, and the results were spectacular.

The only thing was that I accidentally used PLA support rather than PVA support, so once the final model printed, which took several days, it was going to be a long process to break away all of that support. The intricacy and delicacy of many of the models that you’re now able to print on this machine far exceed what you’ve been able to do before.

Through this whole process, the one thing that became apparent was that this is a far more hands-on machine, and there is an obvious learning curve, especially working with all the different toolheads, nozzle sizes, bypass filament feeds and potentially additional CraftTools. This is a very feature-enhanced workshop machine at a price that will appeal to both enthusiasts and professionals.

Bambu Lab H3C: Final verdict

In those six weeks of testing, I feel like I’ve only just started to scrape the surface of what’s possible, but there are several key points that I’ve learnt through this test. The first is that if you just want to get straight into printing, then there are cheaper machines out there which will enable you to do that. So if you only print with up to four filaments, which most people do, then the complexity of this machine might be just a little bit above what you need.

But then, as you start to embrace all its options and capabilities, and if you’re willing to sit down and learn about how to mix materials, how to use those different nozzle sizes together and obviously all those different filament types, then you have a 3D printer that is really quite different from anything that’s come before and sets the tone for what’s coming up in the future.

Whilst there are more than passing similarities with the INDX system, what Bambu Lab has done here is to evolve what it had done with its previous multi-filament systems and, with this new option, create something that is far more advanced.

With that increasing complexity come its own issues, and through the process of this review, I did have occasions where I had to rerun the full calibration as one of the nozzles wasn’t quite sitting right. Then there’s the whole bypass reconfiguration of the filament feed, which does get quite complex, but once you’ve done it once, you basically allocate one toolhead to TPU, still leaving you with eight for all other filaments.

The options and possibilities for this machine are huge, and through this review, I’ve just been incredibly impressed with the overall quality. Each firmware update has fixed some of the issues that I was having early on, such as the RFID not recognising filament reels and, for some reason, the auto-feed system suddenly not auto-feeding. But after the update, those issues were fixed.

I also had, as you might be able to see on the speaker set, a slight issue with surface finish, but then that’s because I was experimenting with some of those more advanced features, and this was the first time that I had configured the whole process myself in the software. Later, small models printed with much better quality, but again, this is all part of that learning process. As it stands, this printer is a definite evolution of what’s possible and an exciting glimpse into the future of 3D printing.

Should I buy the Bambu Lab H3C 3D printer?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more models, I've tested the best 3D printers you can get right now.

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: One-minute review

It's been a long time coming, but Apple has finally addressed more than a few people's wish lists with its latest-generation iPad mini. Yes, it's still the smallest iPad in terms of display size, not price, but this upgrade is really about the sum of its parts.

The jump to OLED is the headline upgrade, and paired with a thinner, lighter build and plenty of performance under the hood, it makes a big, big difference. The 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR display is an absolute joy to use; whether I'm watching a film, playing a game, editing photos, or just scrolling through iPadOS, everything looks fantastic.

If you've been holding out for an OLED iPad mini, this is the upgrade you've been waiting for. It's a major improvement, even without ProMotion, and the improved refresh responsiveness makes everyday scrolling and swiping feel that much more seamless.

The design is another big part of the story. At just 5.33mm thick and 254g, the iPad mini is deceptively slim and light. The mini was already the iPad I find easiest to take pretty much anywhere, but this new model is even more comfortable to hold and use for longer stretches. And while it might look familiar, there are some meaningful changes beyond the thinner build. The new IP67 rating adds welcome water and dust resistance, giving the mini more durability for everyday use, and giving you peace of mind if you're sharing it with family members.

It also packs plenty of power. The A20 Pro chip makes multitasking, photo editing, gaming, and even some of Apple's newer AI features, which demand a fair bit of power, feel effortless. Battery life has been solid in my testing, too, getting close to Apple's 10-hour claim, while the N1 chip brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. If you opt for the Cellular model, you also get Apple's C2 modem.

Of course, all of this comes at a price. The iPad mini starts at $699, so it's certainly not the cheapest iPad in Apple's lineup. The model I've been testing is the 512GB Wi-Fi and Cellular version with the optional nano-texture display, which comes in at $1,099. That's a considerable investment for a tablet this size, but the mini has never really been about offering the lowest entry price. It's for people who want this particular screen size and the portability that comes with it, and Apple has now managed to squeeze a whole lot more value into this little package.

There are still a couple of things I'd like to see, most notably ProMotion and a more exciting selection of colors. But those small issues don't take away from how much I enjoy using this iPad. The OLED display makes a world of difference, the slimmer build is even better, and the combination of performance, battery life, and added durability makes this a seriously capable little tablet. If you're already a fan of the iPad mini, you'll love a lot about this generation.

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Specs

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Pricing and availability

Apple's new iPad mini starts at $699 / £699 / AU$1,099 for the Wi-Fi model, or $849 / £849 / AU$1,349 if you want Wi-Fi and Cellular. Apple began taking preorders on October 28, ahead of the tablet's official launch on November 6, 2026.

You can configure your iPad mini with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage. If you want Apple's nano-texture display, you'll need to choose either the 256GB or 512GB model, and that adds $100 / £100 / AU$200 to the price. Apple also includes a polishing cloth in the box with nano-texture models.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Design

• Super light and thin
• This makes for more of an upgrade than you might expect from reading the specs
• Still the most portable iPad in the lineup

The new iPad mini is really, really thin — almost deceptively so — and won't weigh your hand down at all. At just 5.33mm thick and 254g, it's noticeably slimmer and lighter than the previous generation, which measured 6.35mm and weighed 295g.

The iPad mini has always been the most portable tablet in Apple's lineup, offering much of the full-size iPad experience in a much smaller package. That's still true here, but the latest model takes that portability even further. It's easy to hold in one hand while scrolling, throw into a bag for a trip to the cafe, and take pretty much anywhere. It's genuinely pocketable when you're wearing a jacket, and, interestingly, weighs less than an iPhone Duo.

The overall design hasn't changed dramatically, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The slimmer build brings it even closer to offering that 'sheet-of-glass' look and feel, while also making it more comfortable to hold for longer viewing sessions. The display is larger, too, thanks to the slimmer bezels, so you're getting more screen without sacrificing that compact form factor.

On the front, Apple has moved the 12MP Center Stage camera so it's on the top edge when you're holding the mini in landscape orientation, aligning it with the rest of the iPad lineup. There's still no Face ID; Touch ID is built into the power button instead, and it works quickly to unlock the tablet and authorize purchases. The separate volume buttons sit nearby, with their orientation changing depending on how you're holding the iPad.

Flip it around and you'll find the centered Apple logo, rear camera, and Adaptive True Tone flash. The USB-C port is on the bottom when you're holding the mini in portrait mode, and a microphone sits near the Center Stage camera.

One thing you might notice is what's missing here: the speaker grilles. Apple has done away with those cutouts as part of its new Acoustic Audio system, which I'll get into more in the Audio section below. It makes for a much cleaner look, and the change also makes IP67 water and dust resistance possible — a first for the iPad mini, and a welcome addition. I've tested it with a little water, and the iPad stands up just fine; it's nice to know you can take it to the beach or use it in the rain. It's also some useful added durability for a tablet the whole family could easily use.

The one area where I'm a little less enthusiastic is the choice of colors. The A17 Pro iPad mini came in Blue and Purple, while here you can choose between Starlight and Midnight. I've been testing Midnight, which has a very dark blue look, but it does show fingerprints on the rear. Paired with Apple's new TechWoven Folio, though, it makes for a nice-looking setup.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Display

• OLED display is a terrific addition
• Content looks exceptionally great here, with rich blacks and vibrant colors
• Nano-texture pairs really well with OLED and lets you use the iPad mini in any light

It feels like we've been asking Apple to bring an OLED display to the iPad mini for years — it's certainly been a wish of mine — and Apple finally delivered this year. Whether you're coming from the previous-generation iPad mini or older model, this is pretty close to a night-and-day experience.

The 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR display is an absolute joy to use. It's OLED, so blacks are properly inky, colors really pop, and everything looks fantastic. It's a great tablet for running through some tasks, drawing with the Apple Pencil, FaceTiming with family and friends, and especially for watching content.

Admittedly, it's only 0.2 inches larger than the previous display, so you're not getting much extra usable space. But the visuals are much more vibrant, everything looks crisper, and it's a more immersive view. At this size, it's made a real difference in my iPad mini experience.

I found myself editing photos in Pixelmator Pro and Apple's Photos app, drawing in Procreate, and playing games like Mini Metro and Mini Motorways to see how quickly visuals render and how much colors can pop. Watching films like Toy Story 5 or Moana on Disney+ was a blast, too, and the same goes for catching up on Ted Lasso on Apple TV. HDR content, in particular, benefits from the OLED panel, with more pronounced contrast and colors that really jump off the screen. This is a fantastic little movie-watching tablet.

The new mini also gets a brightness boost, with peak brightness reaching 1,200 nits for HDR and 600 nits in everyday use, up from 500 nits on the previous generation. You'll notice that difference indoors and outdoors, especially when watching HDR content. And when you're using the iPad mini outside, that extra brightness paired with NanoTexture makes a big difference.

Which brings us to the optional nano-texture upgrade. Available on the 256GB and 512GB models, it costs an extra $100 / £100 / AU$200, and adds Apple's proprietary, etched coating over the Super Retina XDR display. It's incredibly effective at reducing glare from both natural and artificial light sources, as well as reflections on the screen. Apple has brought this technology to several other products, including the iPad Pro, MacBooks, iMacs, and Studio Displays, and there's also a slightly different implementation on the iPhone Duo.

I've found nano-texture particularly useful in direct sunlight. It effectively mutes reflections and cuts down glare, making the display much easier to see when you're out and about. It also gives the screen a more paper-like feel, which makes using either the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil USB-C particularly nice. I've found myself bringing the iPad mini along to cafes and meetings to take notes, and its size makes it feel a little like carrying a classic Moleskine notebook.

It's not a cheap upgrade, and I haven't tested the standard glass and nano-texture versions side by side. But paired with a more portable iPad than the Air or Pro, and one that now has extra durability, it makes the mini even more enjoyable to use when you're out and about.

Another benefit of the move from LCD to OLED is better display responsiveness, even if the display here doesn't quite reach the 120Hz standard of ProMotion. Apple describes this as sub-pixel millisecond control, and in everyday use, scrolling and swiping feel a little more seamless than on the previous generation, and it does make the display feel that bit more fluid.

It's not, however, ProMotion. The iPad mini is still limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, rather than the super-smooth 120Hz you'll find on Apple's Pro models. As I've said in previous iPhone and iPad reviews, if you're not coming from a device with a higher refresh rate, you probably won't miss it. It's an odd omission here, especially at this starting price, but I've still found the iPad mini responsive in use, with no noticeable issues in everyday use.

All in all, the move to OLED makes a big difference. The new mini is a joy to watch content on, and even using iPadOS feels better on this display.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Cameras

• A welcome move for the front-facing camera
• Still a 12MP main camera on the back

Like every other iPad in Apple's lineup, and most that came before it, the iPad mini has two cameras. Around the back is a 12MP wide camera paired with an Adaptive True Tone flash. It's nearly identical to the main camera on the previous-generation iPad mini, and if you do choose to take photos with the mini — and it's probably the most acceptable iPad for that — you'll get some good shots. I wouldn't expect it to rival an iPhone 18 Pro or even an iPhone Air, though.

The real upgrade is the camera built into the bezel around the front display. It's now a 12MP Center Stage camera, positioned centrally on the side of the iPad when you're using it in portrait mode, so that when you're holding it horizontally, it's in the right place for video calls. And when you pair the iPad mini with Apple's Folio Case or a third-party alternative, that's generally how you'll have it positioned when propped up.

Performance here is great for video calls, whether you're using Apple's own FaceTime or jumping into a Webex meeting, Slack huddle, or a Zoom or WhatsApp call. I looked clear and stayed in focus, but as someone who likes to walk and talk, I particularly appreciated Center Stage. As I moved around, the camera and onboard software worked together to keep me in the shot, using smart panning and zooming to follow my movements.

• Cameras score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Software

• Runs iPadOS 27 out of the box
• Full multitasking with windows is great on this form factor
• Support for two Apple Pencil models

The iPad mini is running iPadOS 27 out of the box, which certainly brings a lot more to the table than previous versions, particularly anything before iPadOS 26. For starters, the iPad mini supports the new Siri AI beta if you opt in and are in an eligible region. You also get the full windowed app experience that Apple introduced with iPadOS 26.

That means you can have several apps open at once, switch between them, and layer windows on top of each other. The mini's 8.5-inch display isn't the largest canvas for this kind of multitasking, but it feels surprisingly expansive, and can handle several apps at once.

Multitasking felt fast, and I often found myself using the iPad mini for more than just one thing at a time, ranging from streaming content or gaming to productivity tasks like emailing and web browsing. I also used it for creative pursuits, including journaling, drawing, and photo editing, as well as simply settling in with a good read.

What I really love about the size here is that, this iPad's name notwithstanding, this is not an especially small display. At 8.5 inches it's closer to the size of a classic notebook or book, so it actually feels pretty expansive, especially when you're working between different apps. Some days, though, I connected a keyboard and trackpad and plugged the iPad mini into an external display to give myself another window to work with.

That's a particularly welcome addition, because the mini is no longer limited to simply mirroring its display on an external monitor. You can also extend your workspace, which opens up even more possibilities for multitasking and getting things done.

I found myself pulling images and other assets from Photos, Files, and Messages, then dropping them straight into Pixelmator Pro. Moving between apps and juggling different windows felt effortless, and it's a good example of what the iPad mini can help you do beyond the usual browsing, streaming, and reading.

Of course, a lot of that comes down to the hardware under the hood. I'll touch on this more in the next section, but the iPad mini runs Apple's A20 Pro chip, from the same family of processors as those powering the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo. However, performance differs depending on which storage configuration you choose, so it's worth looking a little closer.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Performance

• A20 Pro is very, very fast
• Plenty of a runway for demanding tasks
• You'll need to pay more for the best version of the chip

As I mentioned above, the iPad mini runs Apple's A20 Pro chip, but there's a tale of two chips here. I've been testing the 512GB model with Wi-Fi and Cellular, which gets the full-fat version of Apple's latest silicon.

If you opt for the 128GB or 256GB configurations, you get a five-core CPU (two super cores and three efficiency cores), a seven-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. The 512GB version, meanwhile, comes equipped with a six-core CPU (two super cores and four efficiency cores), the same seven-core GPU, and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine. That's the same chip configuration as in the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo, while the lower-storage models get a slightly more binned-down version.

I don't suspect those extra CPU cores will make a night-and-day difference for most everyday tasks. You might see more of a benefit with particularly processor-intensive workloads or when running more AI locally on-device, but for the vast majority of people even the lower-storage iPad minis should feel plenty fast.

This is the second generation of iPad mini to get a Pro chip option, and it enables the tablet to tackle higher-performance tasks with ease. In Geekbench 7, my review unit scored 3,998 in single-core tests and 11,485 for multi-core. In Geekbench 6, it scored 4,720 and 12,697, respectively. Those are very impressive results, particularly compared with the scores for the previous-generation iPad mini, which scored 2,829 in single-core and 6,938 in multi-core in Geekbench 6.

Those are impressive numbers on paper, and in real-world testing over the past seven days, the iPad mini has been a champ. Apps open incredibly quickly, photo edits happen without a hitch, and even more demanding tasks, like using the Super Resolution option in Pixelmator Pro, and other power-hungry image upscaling tools, felt effortless. Everything feels very, very responsive, and I haven't found myself waiting around for the iPad mini to catch up.

I also put the Apple Intelligence features through their paces, including Clean Up and Expand Images in Photos, alongside multimodal requests with the new Siri AI beta. I tried a few third-party apps with AI-powered features, too. These are the kinds of tasks where having Apple's latest silicon and Neural Engine come into play, and the iPad mini handled my testing without any noticeable slowdown.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Battery & connectivity

• A lot of mileage for a mini iPad
• Impressive results in our battery test
• Apple's C2 modem serves up faster connectivity

Apple continues to promise all-day battery life with the iPad mini: up to 10 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi or video, and up to nine hours of web browsing over a cellular data connection. Inside is an 18.9-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, and in my testing I've found it lasts close to 10 hours, depending on what I'm doing.

That's a pretty good result, especially considering the upgraded display. I suspect the OLED panel is more efficient, and paired with the A20 Pro, it makes for a nice combination. In Future PLC's lab battery test, the new iPad mini lasted an impressive 14 hours and 24 minutes. That's a substantial improvement over the previous generation, which managed 10 hours and 36 minutes in the same test.

Connectivity also gets a meaningful upgrade. The iPad mini features Apple's N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. If you opt for the Cellular model you'll also get Apple's C2 modem, which the company says offers up to 50% faster speeds compared to its previous modem.

I've been testing the cellular connection on Verizon's network in the US, with access to 5G, and it's performed pretty well. Throughout New Jersey, I tracked download speeds ranging from 600 to 1,200Mbps, with upload speeds around 35 to 62Mbps. That's plenty for streaming, downloading files, browsing, and staying connected when I'm away from Wi-Fi.

• Battery and connectivity score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: Should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Apple iPad mini 8.5-inch (2026) review: How I tested

I've been using iPads since the original launched, so I've seen Apple's smallest tablet evolve quite a bit over the years. I've been testing the 512GB Wi-Fi and Cellular version of the iPad mini (8th Generation with A20 Pro) in Midnight, with the optional NanoTexture finish, for the past seven days.

During that time, I've put it through its paces with a range of apps across entertainment, creative, and productivity, while also exploring many of the features in iPadOS 27. I've also used it with Apple's new TechWoven Folio, alongside both the Apple Pencil USB-C and Apple Pencil Pro, to get a feel for how well the mini works for everyday use, creativity, and getting things done.

First reviewed: November 2026

With memory prices showing no signs of creeping back down to sensible numbers, I've been keeping our eyes peeled for any discounts I can find on RAM - and in general, it's Corsair's Vengeance line that's consistently delivered good reductions on DDR5.

For example, the Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 kit is down to $490 (was $638) at Newegg when you use code BNWF89. If you’re building a new Intel gaming PC and want fast DDR5 that also looks the part, the Vengeance RGB kit gives you both. It's my personal pick for aesthetic Intel builds.

• Best for: gamers and PC builders putting together a new Intel system who want fast memory with customizable RGB lighting.

• Why we like it: 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, ten individually addressable RGB LEDs per module controlled through Corsair’s iCUE software, one-click XMP 3.0 setup, and a limited lifetime warranty.

Why We Recommend It

Corsair’s Vengeance RGB line is one of the most popular choices for builders who want their memory to match the rest of their lit-up rig, and its iCUE software makes syncing the lighting with Corsair fans and coolers simple. We haven’t reviewed this specific kit, so this pick rests on Corsair’s reputation and the kit’s specs. Its XMP 3.0 profile is designed for Intel 600 and 700 series motherboards, so Intel builders get its full 6000MT/s speed with a single BIOS setting.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is $128 off the $637.99 list price, or $148 off with the code, around 23% in total. That makes it $70 cheaper than the non-RGB Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 CL30 kit we covered recently, though that kit has tighter timings and an AMD EXPO profile. Memory prices are still far higher than a year ago, so this is a good deal by today’s standards, not a long-term low.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 32GB if... you’re building an Intel system and want fast DDR5 with one-click XMP setup or you want customizable RGB lighting that syncs through iCUE.

❌ Skip the Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 32GB if... you’re building an AMD Ryzen system, since this kit lists only an Intel XMP profile and no AMD EXPO or you want the tighter CL30 timings of faster kits.

• See all desktop memory at Newegg.