In the pre-AI era, buying a Windows laptop or Windows desktop used to be pretty simple.

You looked at the processor, checked how much RAM and storage it had, considered a few screen size options, and tried to work out whether the battery claim sounded even vaguely realistic.

Fast forward to 2026, however, and most PC spec sheets look much busier and lot more focused on AI.

Alongside the usual phalanx of numbers and brand names, you’ll now find labels such as AI PC, Copilot+ PC, Snapdragon X Elite or X2, AMD Ryzen AI, NPU, and TOPS, among many others.

Some of these terms are definitely useful and relatively easy to understand, others are easy to misread, and a few sound more important than they are.

The good news is that the fundamentals have not disappeared.

The best laptop still depends on your apps, workload, budget, and the parts of the machine you’ll notice every day, such as CPU speed, memory, battery life, screen quality, ports, and weight.

The newer AI specs can help, especially if you want the latest on-device Windows features, but they are only one part of the picture.

To help demystify the laptop buying process, let's take a look at how to read a laptop spec sheet in 2026 – from AI PC to TOPS – and what actually deserves your attention before you buy.

AI PC vs Copilot+ PC: what’s the difference?

“AI PC” is the broadest label on the spec sheet. In most cases, it means the laptop has some form of dedicated AI hardware, usually a neural processing unit, or NPU, built into the chip.

While AI PC can be a useful shorthand, especially if you’re comparing newer laptops against older models, it is still a flexible term; different manufacturers use it in slightly different ways.

“Copilot+ PC” is Microsoft’s own branding category for Windows laptops that meet a defined hardware standard.

In 2026, that means a compatible processor or system-on-chip with an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS, 16GB of DDR5 or LPDDR5 RAM, and at least 256GB of SSD storage. (Basically, a powerful set of specs.)

A Copilot+ PC should be ready for Microsoft’s latest on-device AI features, like smarter search and Live Captions, but it does not automatically tell you whether the laptop has enough storage or enough graphics heft.

NPU and TOPS: the new numbers in town

The NPU is the new spec most likely to trip people up. Short for neural processing unit, it is a dedicated part of the chip designed to handle AI tasks more efficiently than the CPU alone.

TOPS is the number usually attached to the NPU, and it stands for "trillions of operations per second", giving you a rough sense of how much AI work an NPU can handle.

For a Copilot+ PC, the important number is 40 TOPS or higher. Once a laptop clears that bar, it should be able to run Microsoft’s current on-device AI features.

A higher TOPS number may help with some local AI features, especially as software catches up, but it does not tell you how fast the laptop will feel when you open a big Photoshop file or fill Chrome with tabs.

For most people, NPU performance is worth checking, but it shouldn't take precedence over the specs you’ll feel every day, like battery life or screen size.

Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra, and AMD Ryzen AI explained

Processor (or CPU) names have quietly become one of the easiest parts of the spec sheet to misread.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips brought Windows on Arm laptops into the mainstream, focusing on battery life and thin-and-light designs, which had often been Apple's main advantage.

Newer Snapdragon X2 laptops push that further with more powerful NPUs and improved graphics, but the basic buying question remains the same: will your apps run properly on Arm?

For most everyday tools, the answer is now likely to be yes.

Browsers, Microsoft 365, video calls, media apps, and many creative tools either run natively or work well through Windows’ translation layer. The areas to check are usually more specific, like older Windows software or specialist work apps.

Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI laptops take a more familiar x86 route, while still adding NPUs for newer AI features.

One thing to note: the exact model wording is important. A laptop with “Core Ultra” on the box is not automatically a Copilot+ PC, and the same goes for older Ryzen laptops without the right AI hardware.

RAM still matters more than most AI labels

RAM is likely to be one of the specs most familiar to many Windows laptop buyers, and with good reason: it's still one of the clearest signs of how a laptop will feel in daily use.

For a mainstream laptop in 2026, 16GB should be treated as the baseline – especially if the machine is being sold as an AI PC or Copilot+ PC – giving you enough headroom for normal work, video calls, web apps, and so on.

Anyone buying for heavier work like photo editing or coding should look at 32GB if the budget allows. As the AI boom takes hold, though, RAM is getting extremely expensive, so make sure you do really need it.

One benefit of buying a laptop with more RAM is that, in general, it will make the laptop eel useful for longer, especially on machines where the RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded later.

Storage: 256GB is the minimum in 2026

Storage is another spec where the minimum and the sensible choice are not the same thing. A Copilot+ PC only needs 256GB of storage to meet Microsoft’s hardware requirements, but that can start to feel tight in everyday use.

For most people, 512GB is the better starting point, and leaves more breathing room over the lifetime of the laptop.

A 1TB drive is worth considering if you work with large files or want more local storage for games, video, or AI tools. However, as mentioned in the RAM section, AI companies are rapidly driving up prices for higher-storage SSDs.

External drives and cloud storage can help, but they are not a complete substitute for having enough fast storage inside the laptop you use every day.

Battery life: look for real-world testing

Battery life is one of the biggest promises behind the latest AI PCs, especially newer Arm-based Windows laptops.

More efficient chips and dedicated NPUs can help away from the charger, but battery life is still one of the easiest specs to oversell. A claim such as “up to 20 hours” may be based on video playback or controlled test conditions, rather than a normal day of usage.

Reviews are much more useful here, and TechRadar puts every laptop through a series of real-world battery tests to really dig into the real endurance.

Look for tested battery life that reflects mixed use, rather than assuming the biggest number on the box will match your working day.

The boring specs still matter

While AI labels are useful, they obviously don't make the rest of the laptop disappear. The screen, keyboard, trackpad, ports, weight, heat, and fan noise will shape your experience far more often than a fancy Copilot+ badge.

The best way to read a laptop spec sheet in 2026 is to start with your own needs: enough RAM, enough storage, tested battery life, and a screen and keyboard you’ll be happy to use for hours at a time.

After that, the NPU and TOPS figure can help you understand how ready the machine is for newer on-device AI features.

Windows laptop spec sheets have not become meaningless, just easier to misread. The best laptop is still the one that gets the fundamentals right first, then uses its AI hardware to add something useful on top.

Another year, another swelteringly hot Goodwood Festival of Speed, as the 11th Duke of Richmond's garden becomes one of the busiest — and noisiest — moving motor shows on the automotive calendar.

While it is an excuse to thrash all manner of new supercars and historical racing machines up 1.16 miles of haystack-lined driveway, it is also a destination for fans to get a glimpse at upcoming vehicles from the world's most recognized automakers.

In recent years, legacy brands have largely been pushed aside to make room for new players in town, with the likes of BYD and MG sporting some of the largest and most impressive stands at this year's event.

It wasn't exactly a bumper year for new reveals and dazzling concept cars, but there were several EVs and electric concepts to get excited about. These are my picks from the show.

1. Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+

Ignore the ridiculously long name, as Mercedes' impressively efficient CLA has been given the AMG treatment. The figures are nothing short of astonishing: 671 bhp from the tweaked electric powertrain, a 0-62 mph sprint time of just 2.7 seconds and a 177 mph top speed with the AMG Driver's Package option selected.

All of this performance comes courtesy of three high-performance axial-flux e-motors, with one on the front axle and two on the rear providing the monumental shove. Interestingly, there's also simulated engine noise and the option to play around with virtual gear changes.

Naturally, it comes packing more aggressive bodywork and distinctive AMG badging throughout, with prices expected to start at around £65,000 in the UK — or around $87,000/AU$125,000.

2. MG GO Concept

We have been waiting a long time to see what British brand MG, which is now owned by Chinese automotive giant SAIC, will do with its all-electric supermini, which is destined to do battle with the Renault 5, Kia EV2 and an ever-growing number of quirky small cars.

The MG GO Concept gives us our best look yet, although the overly aggressive body kit, diffusers and trunk-lid spoilers likely won't make it into final production. Still, it looks like it could be a lot of fun, doesn't it?

What's more, the MG4 X Power caught most people by surprise when it first hit the market in 2023, offering hot hatch thrills and a supercar-baiting 0-62 mph sprint time of just 3.8 seconds at bargain prices — proof that the revitalized MG is capable of embracing its silly side when it wants to.

3. BYD Shark

BYD's stand was, once again, extremely impressive this year, taking up one of the largest footprints of all exhibitors. Outside, showgoers could register to take a passenger ride as the company's latest pickup tackled a purpose-built off-road course.

The hulking truck, which comes to Europe for the first time this year, delivers a total of 430 bhp from its 'Super Hybrid' drivetrain, while the massive 32.2 kWh battery pack is good for a claimed 56 miles of pure EV range.

The Chinese automaker says it offers an impressive WLTP combined fuel efficiency of 81 mpg, can tow up to 2,500 kg, and features the latest technology, such as vehicle-to-load capabilities, so owners can power everything from tools to camping essentials.

In the UK, the BYD Shark will start at £47,290, which is roughly the same as the Ford Ranger PHEV — its only real plug-in pickup rival for the time being.

4. Alpine A110 Future

Since Porsche has placed its all-electric sports car dreams on hold, it is now up to French manufacturer Alpine to pick up the mantle.

Packing an all-new Alpine Performance Platform, this pure-EV version is low, wide, and suitably punchy in the performance department, with two electric motors on its rear axle that will make it 'even better' than the petrol version, according to Alpine boss Philippe Krief.

Further details are being kept tightly under wraps, but it looked menacing as it silently wafted up the famous Goodwood hillclimb. Electric sports cars clearly aren't dead and if you want proof, check out the…

5. Denza Z

BYD's upmarket offshoot wants to take the fight to Porsche, McLaren and Bentley with its swooping performance EV.

The Denza Z offers an eye-watering 1,604 hp from three powerful electric motors, priced at just under £143,000 (around $192,000/AU$276,000) for the standard Coupe version. There will also be a more expensive droptop convertible and a potent Racing version that gets masses of aero kit.

That car manages the 0-62 mph sprint in a mind-bending 1.96 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. It can be used every day, too, with second-generation 76 kWh Blade battery tech delivering around 245 miles of range and 1,500 kW Flash charging compatibility for ten-minute top-ups.

Sony surprised the camera community this week with the launch of the new RX10 V, reviving its best-in-class series of bridge cameras.

The mark V comes nine years after the now-discontinued Cyber-shot RX10 IV. It has the same versatile 24-600mm F2.4-4 lens and 20-megapixel 1-inch stacked sensor, but with a refreshed design and Sony’s latest processor and autofocus. It takes the best bridge camera available today crown.

The RX10 V gained a recommended award in my in-depth review. I was able to bag some impressive sample photos, including macro closeups of insects and distant birdlife, thanks to the camera’s 0.49x maximum magnification and 600mm f/4 lens.

I also compared the RX10 V to the older Cyber-shot RX10 IV. It’s a solid upgrade where it matters most, but with a predictable price increase – $2,400 / £2,200 / AU$3,500 – making it a premium pick.

In the process, I got thinking about the RX10 V's performance, especially when using its telephoto settings, and what alternatives there are for the same money — after all, some of Sony's older full-frame mirrorless cameras cost less. Can the RX10 rival a Sony full-frame mirrorless camera with telephoto lens?

One similarly priced alternative is Sony’s longest lens, the FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 OSS — at least if you already own a Sony Alpha camera to pair it with. Can the RX10 V compete?

I took the Sony RX10 V and the Sony 400-800mm lens attached to a pro A7R V mirrorless camera to my local nature reserve for a bird-photography shoot, and the following is my honest reflection on the experience.

Size and weight

Let's begin with how each setup is in use. As you can see in the images above, there is a big difference in size and, therefore, weight.

The RX10 V is hardly compact, but when you compare it to a Sony full-frame mirrorless camera with telephoto lens like the 400-800mm, or alternatives that reach the same 600mm focal length as the RX10 V, such as the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3, it is positively tiny. It very much feels like an Alpha camera, with excellent ergonomics and a decent control layout.

It's also a much lighter all-in-one camera, weighing 1,111g. Compare that with the combined weight of the A7R V (723g) and the 400-800mm lens (2,475g)at 3,198g – approximately three times the weight. And the Sigma lens is just a fraction lighter than Sony's lens.

For casual travel photography, the RX10 V is an excellent pick, with its ability to capture everything from landscapes to macro and distant wildlife subjects. You'll need to be much more serious and focused about wildlife photography to lug around the mirrorless body and 400-800mm lens.

Viewfinder and LCD

For telephoto wildlife photography, I find a viewfinder invaluable for composing shots and ensuring autofocus is on the money, so how do the displays compare?

The RX10 V's viewfinder is bigger and more detailed than the Cyber-shot RX10 IV's — it's a 0.5-inch 3.68m-dot display. However, the A7R V's viewfinder is in another league altogether, measuring 0.64 inches and being a brighter 9.44m-dot unit with 0.9x magnification. Put simply, it's way more immersive. However, there's less of a difference in viewfinder quality with an older, similarly priced Sony mirrorless camera, such as the A7 IV.

I was less concerned about the LCD displays for this comparison, but in case you'd like to know, the RX10 V has a 3-inch tilt touchscreen, while cameras at the RX10 V price point and above typically have a multi-angle display.

Autofocus

I was majorly impressed with the RX10 V's autofocus skills. After all, it inherits the Bionz XR processor and AI chip with real-time subject detection autofocus from the recent Sony A7 V.

Bird detection autofocus was on the money, even when the isolated subjects were only taking up a small portion of the frame. It takes a little experimentation to figure out which autofocus area option yields the best results in any given situation, but with the right subject detection tracking and the best AF area option selected, you'll struggle to find more reliable autofocus performance in another camera.

I can safely say that autofocus performance is an attribute where the RX10 V matches mirrorless camera capabilities.

Burst shooting

The numbers for the RX10 V are impressive: up to 30fps using the electronic shutter, or 10fps with the mechanical shutter. It also has the option for an instant speed boost from a slower rate to the max 30fps when the action strikes — a feature that can be assigned to one of the custom buttons.

I played around customizing various buttons for this feature, but annoyingly couldn't find one that felt like it was logically placed, whereas Sony's recent mirrorless bodies have a custom button on the front, to the side of the lens mount, which works best. I found the RX10 V button placement awkward for this memory-saving feature.

Neither camera had the pre-capture feature, which is super handy in wildlife photography for when your reactions aren't up to speed. Sony's pre-capture can buffer for up to a second before you fully press the shutter, say in the case of a bird taking flight. For the A7R V, the lack of pre-capture is understandable — the A9 III, which came later, was the first Sony camera to have this feature. However, for the RX10 V, it's unfortunate, since other recent Sony cameras, including the A1 II, A7V and A7R VI, have it, so it feels like an oversight.

Image quality

Image quality is where you might expect a real gulf to start opening up. The RX10 V shoots 20MP stills with a telephoto reach up to 600mm and a maximum f/4 aperture at this setting. Meanwhile, the mirrorless setup delivered 61MP stills (a more affordable mid-range model like the A7 IV is 33MP), and that extra 800mm reach.

Of any bridge camera, the RX10 V yields the sharpest results at 600mm and a pleasant subject separation thanks to that f/4 aperture. Compare the like-for-like mirrorless camera shots, and the RX10 V's look soft by comparison, but only when you look closely. The mirrorless camera has way more pixels to play with, meaning you can crop more severely into photos and still have high-quality output.

The 400-800mm lens is indeed sharper, and even though its maximum aperture is f/6.3 (400mm) to f/8 (800mm), which minimizes its light-gathering advantage, there's greater subject separation and dreamier results. Bokeh in foreground objects has a softer fall-off.

Another major difference is low light quality. In comparison shots taken at dawn (and nighttime photos I took later of the moon), the RX10 V images look muddier; less punchy, less sharp, just overall lesser quality. They still pass, but I would go for the mirrorless camera setup every time when the available light is minimal.

Conclusion

The Sony RX10 V is a truly excellent casual wildlife photography camera, with reliable subject detection autofocus and a decent telephoto reach combined with a bright f/4 maximum aperture. You can get pleasant subject separation and punchy images, when the light is good, though less impressive results when the light is dim. Overall, I'm really pleased with the quality of several photos I was able to take.

For wildlife photography, however, it was the mirrorless camera system that I enjoyed the most in the hand, and the one I wanted to use more of the two, helped by the superior end results (even with the smaller f/8 maximum aperture at 600mm). The brighter viewfinder and better button placement enhanced the experience, even if it was a weightier setup.

Yes, the RX10V is an excellent all-in-one camera — the best of its kind — but if you already own a mirrorless body and are serious about wildlife photography, picking up a supertelephoto lens like Sony's 400-800mm instead will yield better results and likely be a more enjoyable user experience — if you're willing to carry the extra weight.

For decades, Audi's RS division has built its reputation on extracting astonishing performance from combustion engines, pairing muscular powerplants with the brand's legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system to create machines that could embarrass exotic supercars while carrying an entire family… and their pets.

But times have changed. Stringent emissions regulations, the soaring cost of fuel and the industry's rapid shift towards electrification all mean that even Audi's most revered performance badge can no longer ignore battery packs.

Rather than resisting the inevitable, the Ingolstadt-based company has embraced it, introducing a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the RS 5 for the very first time. If that sounds like sacrilege, bear with me.

Because after spending time behind the wheel of the new RS 5 Avant, it's clear Audi hasn't simply bolted on some battery cells to appease legislators. Instead, it has used electrification to build its most technologically advanced RS model yet.

The numbers certainly make a compelling argument. A 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 now works alongside a 130kW electric motor to produce a combined 639hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to launch the angry-looking estate from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds before continuing on to a top speed of 178mph.

More surprisingly, the 25.9kWh battery (22kWh usable) also allows for up to 50 miles of all-electric driving, meaning many daily commutes can be completed without the V6 ever barking into life.

It's a remarkable breadth of ability for a car that wears one of Audi's most performance-focused badges. There is, however, one unavoidable downside.

At 2,370kg in Avant form, this is also by far the heaviest RS 5 ever produced. Physics hasn't suddenly stopped applying just because there's a charging socket hidden beneath the bodywork.

Fortunately, Audi's engineers have spent years developing an arsenal of clever chassis technologies designed to disguise that weight.

Lightening the load

Spend a few miles behind the wheel and it's immediately obvious that the biggest engineering challenge wasn't adding more power. It was making sure you couldn't feel the additional mass the big Audi is carting around.

The latest RS 5 rides on revised five-link suspension at both ends, complete with new bushings, refreshed suspension links and adaptive twin-valve dampers that can independently control compression and rebound.

Even rolling across broken urban streets, the ride quality is noticeably more compliant than you'd expect from a car wearing enormous alloy wheels and packing the sort of performance stats that should be reserved for a race circuit.

Audi says it specifically tuned the suspension for the scarred road surfaces found across Northern Europe, rather than focusing purely on track performance, and that effort shows.

Select Comfort mode and the RS 5 settles into an effortless grand tourer, cruising silently on electric power while cruising the congested streets with ease. It’s no more difficult than piloting any one of today’s two-pedal electric vehicles. One pedal makes it go, the other makes it stop.

But switch into Dynamic or one of the dedicated RS modes, however, and the car transforms into a snarling beast.

Throttle response sharpens, steering gains weight and the drivetrain becomes noticeably more aggressive, but the biggest difference comes from a piece of technology most drivers will never actually see.

Audi's legendary quattro system has always been synonymous with enormous grip, but the latest RS 5 introduces one of the most significant changes in its history.

Instead of relying purely on mechanical differentials, Audi now employs an electromechanical torque-vectoring system capable of distributing power between individual wheels in less than 15 milliseconds. Have I lost you yet?

No? Good. Because an 8kW water-cooled electric motor continuously adjusts torque delivery under both acceleration and braking, helping rotate the car into corners before maximizing traction on the exit.

The effect is mightily impressive. Despite carrying more than two tonnes, the RS 5 changes direction like a hatchback, masking much of its weight and inspiring huge confidence through faster bends.

For the first time in an RS 5, Audi has also introduced a much stronger rear torque bias in its most aggressive driving mode, allowing owners to bypass the unrelenting grip of all-wheel-drive and light up the rear tires.

Not one to be tried on public roads, this 'hooligan' mode also includes a drift analyzer within the infotainment system that measures drift angle and G-forces for drivers taking the car onto a circuit. It’s not essential, but undeniably cool nonetheless.

Hybrid power done properly

Performance plug-in hybrids often suffer from a split personality.

Some deliver effortless electric commuting but feel detached once the road becomes interesting. Others prioritize outright performance but offer such limited electric range that the charging port feels little more than a tax-saving exercise.

The RS 5 largely avoids both traps. The electric motor fills the torque gap before the twin turbochargers are fully lit up, making acceleration feel relentless regardless of engine speed.

The transition between electric and combustion power is impressively smooth, while the eight-speed transmission delivers satisfyingly aggressive shifts that kick you in the gut when the more focussed drive modes are selected. It feels gloriously old-school.

Audi has also completely redesigned the exhaust system, allowing the active valves to open to almost any position depending on the selected driving mode. In EV mode the car slips through traffic in near silence, but switch into the sportier settings and the V6 develops a deep, burbling soundtrack.

Equally impressive is the braking system. Like many modern hybrids, regenerative braking works alongside traditional friction brakes to recover energy, but the calibration here is excellent.

The transition between regenerative and hydraulic braking is almost impossible to detect, while the optional carbon-ceramic discs deliver extraordinary stopping power once speeds begin to climb.

At 17 inches in diameter, the front brake discs are almost as large as the wheels fitted to many city cars, and the stopping performance reflects that. Most importantly, none of these systems feel as though they're competing with one another.

For tech’s sake

If the RS 5's chassis is a masterclass in using technology to enhance the driving experience, the cabin is a more mixed affair.

Like the latest A5 range, the RS 5 adopts Audi's new MMI Panorama digital cockpit, replacing the beautifully simple, driver-focused interiors of previous generations with an array of displays that dominate the dashboard.

There's no shortage of screen real estate. A crisp 11.9-inch digital driver's display sits behind the steering wheel, joined by a 14.5-inch central infotainment touchscreen running Audi's latest software. Buyers can also specify a 10.9-inch passenger display, allowing the co-driver to access navigation, entertainment and selected vehicle functions independently.

Graphics are sharp, processing is quick and the interface feels considerably more responsive than older Audi infotainment systems. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included, while configurable RS-specific displays provide quick access to performance data, power distribution and hybrid energy flow.

But the optional passenger display feels even more out of place here than it does on other Audi and Porsche products. During ‘spirited’ driving, it's difficult to imagine anyone wanting to spend much time interacting with yet another touchscreen for fear of losing their lunch.

Likewise, Audi's ever-growing collection of configurable driving modes, suspension settings, steering weights and drivetrain options offers huge flexibility, but also introduces a level of complexity that borders on overwhelming.

The everyday supercar

Performance estates have always been about delivering supercar pace without sacrificing practicality, and despite the additional battery hardware, the RS 5 Avant still performs that role admirably.

The sports seats strike an excellent balance between support and long-distance comfort, making it easy to imagine covering hundreds of motorway miles without complaint.

Rear passenger space remains adequate rather than generous, although adults will still fit comfortably enough for longer journeys. There’s also an RS 6 on the horizon if you need something even bigger.

The plug-in hybrid system inevitably eats into luggage capacity compared to previous generations, with the Avant offering 361 liters of boot space or 1,302 liters with the rear seats folded.

That's less than key rivals, like the BMW M3 wagon, but still more than enough for family duties or a weekend away. More importantly, the plug-in hybrid powertrain transforms the way the RS 5 can be used every day.

With up to 50 miles of electric-only driving available, many owners could complete their weekday commute without using a drop of petrol, only unleashing the full 639hp when the road — or the mood — demands it.

Charging isn't class-leading, with DC rapid charging capped at 40kW, meaning replenishing the battery takes longer than newer EVs. But most owners will charge on a driveway or in a garage home, where the battery will be fully brimmed each morning.

Audi's decision to electrify the RS 5 was always going to divide opinion. But after spending time behind the wheel, it's difficult to argue that the technology hasn't made the RS 5 objectively more capable.

The plug-in hybrid system isn't just there to reduce emissions or improve fleet averages. It genuinely enhances the driving experience, delivering instant electric torque, meaningful zero-emission range and seamless integration with one of Audi's most sophisticated chassis packages to date.

What's more impressive is the sheer breadth of its ability. Few performance cars can creep silently through city traffic on electric power before transforming into a 639hp all-wheel-drive monster capable of embarrassing dedicated sports cars on a twisting road.

The suspension is superb, the torque-vectoring system is nothing short of remarkable and the way Audi blends regenerative braking with enormous carbon-ceramic stopping power demonstrates just how refined modern performance hybrids have become.

Hardcore driving fans will still bemoan the sheer amount of weight here, but this is the reality of modern super saloons and estates. If you want to avoid eye-watering tax sums and fuel bills, a hybrid system is the only way.

But Audi has shown that plugging in doesn’t ruin the fun. The RS 5 still feels like a very special car.

If you're going to invest in a crime drama this summer, make it The Westies on MGM+. With its two-episode premiere dropping on the streamer this weekend, the new TV show is set to follow the real-life Irish-American crime family of the same name.

Basically, it's the perfect warm-up act for MobLand season 2 and The Gentleman season 2, which are both set to return in September. Led by J.K. Simmons as patriarch Eamonn Sweeney, expect fist fights, a cat-and-mouse chase with the FBI, and an ongoing standoff with the Italian-American mob.

While their story has never been adapted for film or TV, the Westies ran the streets of Hell's Kitchen for decades from the 1960s. When we meet them in the new crime drama, it's the peak of the 1980s, and their reputation is well-known.

This means that we're transported back to how the Big Apple looked some 40 years ago, and no matter what you think of the storyline, the setting is jaw-dropping. But according to the show's creators, no AI was used in the process of getting there.

'The look is absolutely authentic to the time period'

"It was analogue... we built the set," Chris Brancato tells me. "We didn't use AI. What we did was build a street in Toronto that replicated 1980s New York, that Hell's Kitchen street. It had blue screens where we could project a VFX background.

"The way we created that look was absolutely authentic to the time period... we achieved that because we built it," Michael Panes adds. "So we never left our stage space very much. We shot interior scenes in the interior set, then we'd walk outside and shoot on our New York Street. It was an attempt to put you, the viewer, in this time capsule environment that brought you back to the 1980s."

As far as I'm concerned, the effort has easily paid off. In the opening moments of episode 1, our core group figures out how to best exploit the Jacob Javits Convention Center construction, which is beginning to be built as the season kicks off.

While there, we get a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline that completely sets the tone for the artistry that we're about to see next. If anything, I think that the set is actually the strongest character of the bunch.

But even so, do mob stories like The Westies still pack a punch like they did in The Sopranos days?

"It seems to me that it shows like MobLand and others are very, very popular," Brancato responds. "So we think that the genre is alive and kicking. We hope that our show is going to enter the pantheon of the gangster shows that already exist... but I don't think an audience ever loses interest in watching criminals go after each other."

It's hard to get away from AI these days, with the technology finding its way into our apps, devices, and entertainment — but according to a survey carried out by TechRadar's parent company Future, heavy use of chatbots such as Gemini and ChatGPT has actually fallen over the past year.

The reasons behind the shift are interesting too: users are mentioning concerns over privacy, a preference for human interaction, and worries about becoming too dependent on the tech when it comes to why they're avoiding AI.

While AI is clearly reshaping our world in significant and myriad ways, there's also now a noticeable trend of anti-AI sentiment that's worth paying attention to — whether it's to do with protests against data center expansion or worries about AI slop content.

These results are based on questionnaires filled out by 1,008 respondents, and they make for interesting reading — especially when you compare them to the statistics from the same Future survey conducted last year. Here's what the latest responses tell us.

Privacy worries

There are many reasons why people aren't so sure of AI at the moment. Topping the list for our respondents are concerns over privacy, which were cited by 32% of those who completed our survey — that's actually unchanged from last year, so no matter which chatbot is being used, many of us are wary about what it's doing with our data.

Second in the list, mentioned by 31% of survey participants, is a preference for human interaction (this is a new response option, so we don't have anything to compare it to from last year). While AI is certainly now more than capable of holding a conversation on just about any topic imaginable, it seems we're still seeking out flesh-and-blood relationships.

In third place we've got those who are happy without AI, which accounts for 29% of people surveyed — that's actually a drop of 18% over the previous survey, perhaps a sign that a significant chunk of people have realized they are happy chatting to AI on a daily basis (it's certainly getting more ubiquitous by the day).

Next on the list are fears around becoming too dependent on the tech, and concerns over AI misrepresenting a 'voice' or personality (in emails, for example), which account for 26% and 24% of respondents respectively. It seems a lot of us are worried we'll get to the stage where we can't do without AI for even basic tasks — not good when there's an outage — and that our communications will turn into generic, bland AI averageness.

Neither of those two responses were available last year, but the next two came in at exactly the same level as in the previous survey: a lack of awareness of AI's capabilities (19% of respondents) and a lack of interest in what AI could do (17% of respondents). It seems the AI hype hasn't quite reached everyone yet.

Rounding out our respondents' list of barriers to AI usage, we've got technical complexity (15%, down 24%), skepticism over whether AI can be helpful (14%, down 21%), environmental and energy impact concerns (11%, a new category), and being philosophically opposed to AI as a concept 10%, down 24%).

Regular AI usage

When answering the question of how often chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT are used, 17% of those quizzed said "daily or almost daily", while 14% said several times a day. That's nearly 1 in 3 people using generative AI at least once a day or so, though that's actually fewer people than last year — could the novelty of the tech be wearing off?

The 14% figure for the most enthusiastic users has actually dropped by 31% over the course of the past 12 months, so while usage is exploding in areas such as coding, it seems as though the overall trend is in the opposite direction (perhaps influenced by the increasing amount of AI stuffed into our apps).

As for the less frequent users, 21% of respondents said they were using AI chatbots once a week or a few times a week, 11% ranked their usage as being a few times each month, and 8% said they used generative AI less than once a month — apparently dipping in and out for occasional chats.

When it comes to complete refuseniks, 30% of the survey participants said they don't use AI chatbots at all, which is a hefty 24% jump from last year. That suggests more and more people are taking against the very idea of AI, or finding it completely useless for day-to-day life and work.

There is a divide in the respondents worth mentioning between those who read Future publications and those who don't: more than 42% of Future readers use generative AI on a daily basis, with 21% using it multiple times a day, which overall is around double the figure for non-readers.

So that's the state of play for consumers and AI at the moment then, according to the people we surveyed. With generative AI advancements showing no signs of slowing down, it's going to be very interesting to see how these figures might have changed again in another 12 months.

Lego is adding new sets all the time, and often I've been so excited to see what's new on the roster that I haven't given any thought to what might be being shunted into the great Lego brick bin in the sky, to make room for the new arrivals. Browsing the Lego website, I came across the 'Retiring soon' section and was appalled to see some of what I would consider absolutely classic sets there.

Firstly, Lego Gringotts. The brick version of the Harry Potter wizarding bank has everything I'd ever want from a Lego set. The two-part kit includes the haphazard above-ground building — complete with goblins and Galleons — as well as the meandering and magical underground vaults, accessed via a rollercoaster train track. Oh, there's a dragon down there, too. This set is already sold out in the US.

My second big surprise is that the Lego Mona Lisa is set to retire. If a bona fide masterpiece is up for the chop, then what is truly safe? Scroll down for 8 more sets that are on their way out — they're already disappearing from Amazon, but there's still time to pick one up directly from Lego before it disappears forever.

• In the US? Here are the the sets retiring soon in the US

Don't miss it

• Curry Barker's Obsession is coming to Peacock on July 17
• The horror movie was a monumental success at the box office, earning $407 million against its $750k budget
• Obsession is also available to rent or buy on digital platforms

Just a few days after we reported that Obsession was available to rent or buy at home, we've got our wish for a streaming release date. Thankfully you won't need to break any One Wish Willows to rewatch Obsession, because it will be making its streaming debut on Peacock on July 17.

If you haven't seen Obsession yet, it follows Bear (Michael Johnson) who has a crush on his colleague and friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette). He doesn't have the courage to ask her out, so he buys a novelty wish-granting toy and ends up asking her to "love him more than anything else in the world". Immediate red flag, right?

I'm so excited for Obsession to join the best horror movies streaming in July, and this addition means that horror fans are certainly eating well this month.

Obsession is the most successful horror movie of 2026 so far, outstripping huge titles such as Backrooms and Send Help at the box office. It saw off the competition from more mainstream genres too, beating the likes of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Now, after its $407 million box office success, it will slowly be leaving theaters and arriving on streaming.

Peacock perks

Peacock may not be as big as some of the other best streaming services, but it does have some gems that make it worth checking out. Horror fans should definitely watch Hysteria!, a series starring Bruce Campbell set at the height of the Satanic Panic. Elsewhere, The Office spin-off series The Paper is a worthy comedy series to watch.

But honestly, it's worth trying out Peacock just so you can watch Obsession. In my glowing 5-star review of the horror movie, I called it "thoroughly entertaining and grabs you by the throat, refusing to let go."

So there we have it, Obsession arrives on July 17 and I'm sure plenty of horror fans will gather to watch it all over again.

Decentralized, encrypted, and completely private messages. That's what Session promises.

You may never have heard of the app, but for its 1.7 million monthly users, Session is an important piece of privacy tech worth fighting to sustain.

Due to a severe funding shortfall, Session was expected to cease operations this week. However, after securing $200,000 to keep the project afloat, the team is now ready to look ahead.

Session co-founder Chris McCabe described the app as a "critical tool for fighting against an Orwellian future." But what is Session, and what does it offer that mainstream giants like Signal can't?

How Session survived its financial crisis

Launched in 2018, the project originally sustained its decentralized infrastructure through its own crypto tokens. According to McCabe, the Session Technology Foundation (STF) sold roughly $2.4 million worth of tokens toward the end of 2024 to keep the project going.

However, the model wasn't sustainable and, when a crisis in the crypto market drained Session's finances last year, the founders were forced to terminate the contracts of all 16 of their team members.

Unwilling to let the platform die, the founders scrambled for alternative lifelines. Following a high-profile emergency donation from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin — who gifted 128 ETH to support the app's mission — the foundation decided it was time to turn to its user base for long-term survival.

That grassroots fundraising campaign ultimately paid off.

To date, Session has received hundreds of community donations totaling $205,000. While that is still a long way off the project's ultimate $1 million sustainability goal, it is enough to keep the platform operational, albeit with far fewer resources than it once had.

"This funding allows us to retain three developers and one community operations person to maintain the app," McCabe explains.

How Session protects your messages

"Send messages, not metadata" is Session's mantra. To back this up, the app uses a variety of advanced techniques to ensure users' messages remain private and secure.

From basics like end-to-end encryption to the use of a decentralized infrastructure and onion routing, Session goes significantly further than mainstream messaging apps.

"Session is completely trustless," McCabe told TechRadar. "You don't even have to trust us because the open-source code guarantees your security."

In the future, the app's design should also make it less vulnerable to increased surveillance and monitoring, such as the initiatives currently being proposed in Canada, the EU, and the UK.

Because the platform is open source, McCabe claimed the app can continue to operate even in countries where it has been banned from mainstream app stores, noting that users can easily bypass those restrictions by sideloading the app on Android devices.

And what happens if a repressive government demands data about an individual user? McCabe noted that the foundation simply couldn't comply, saying: "It's technically impossible for our company to copy or store that data."

Crucially, users do not need a phone number or email address to sign up for the service. That anonymity is especially beneficial for citizens in conflict zones or highly restrictive digital environments, where hostile governments can block SMS two-factor authentication messages to cut off access to mainstream messaging networks.

So, how exactly does Session stack up against mainstream giants like Signal?

Is Session really better than Signal?

Signal is widely recognized as the gold standard for privacy-preserving messaging apps. Like Session, it is fully open-source, collects minimal metadata, and uses advanced end-to-end encryption via the Signal Protocol.

While McCabe agrees that "Signal is great," he believes that being completely decentralized and eliminating the need for a phone number tips the scales in Session's favor.

However, not everyone in the cybersecurity community shares this view.

A prominent cryptanalyst who uses the pseudonym Soatok has publicly argued against switching from Signal to Session. A major point of criticism is Session’s decision to remove Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) — an important security feature that ensures that past chats remain private even if a user’s long-term identity keys are compromised in the future. Soatok also suggested that Session contained several other cryptographic flaws and implementation mistakes.

Bill Budington, Senior Staff Technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), backed Soatok’s analysis, telling TechRadar that Session appears to be another aspiring Signal competitor that "comes up lacking on its security claims."

Mohammed Al-Maskati, the Digital Security Helpline Director at Access Now, shared this concern. He argued that sticking with a widely implemented standard like the Signal Protocol is generally a safer option because it significantly reduces the risk of making critical errors during development.

Responding to these critics, McCabe explained that while Session initially relied on the Signal Protocol, the team was forced to build its own encryption method because Signal's architecture wasn't designed to handle a decentralized node network.

However, he confirmed that PFS is officially slated to be reintegrated into the platform with the upcoming Session Protocol V2 upgrade.

Security experts have also pointed out that Signal remains a stronger choice for most users due to the sheer size of its network, which makes it far easier to use with friends and contacts.

However, McCabe rejects the idea that popularity equates to security, arguing that by that logic, WhatsApp would be considered a better privacy option than Signal. "Which it is not," he said.

What’s next for Session?

As Session prepares to enter its next phase, the foundation is focused on achieving long-term financial sustainability.

To generate steady revenue, the platform plans to launch a premium subscription tier called Session Pro. Similar to Telegram Premium, Session Pro will offer power users advanced features — such as higher message character limits, expanded group sizes, more pinned chats, and animated profile pictures — backed by cryptographic proofs that preserve user anonymity during payment.

Most pressing, however, is finalizing Session's Protocol V2. Beyond reintroducing Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS), it will also introduce post-quantum cryptography to secure users' chats against 'harvest now, decrypt later' threats.

While the wider InfoSec community continues to be divided on whether Session's custom architecture outperforms legacy rivals, the core team remains fiercely dedicated to the project.

"Many former team members are incredibly passionate and are taking pay cuts or donating their time to help get it back together," said McCabe.

And with mandatory age verification, lawful access to data, and encryption backdoors challenging the very notion of online privacy globally, it seems that messaging app like Session are going to become increasingly important.

As McCabe puts it: "People often don't realize they need this level of privacy until things go really badly and freedom of speech is restricted."

If you want to support the platform, Session continues to accept donations directly through its official website and mobile application.

A printer is an absolute staple of the student set-up. The trick is finding one that a) doesn't take years to print a single page and b) offers good value for money. And this is why I always recommend ink tank printers for college and university students.

I've specifically chosen tank printers like the EcoTank, Smart Tank, and MegaTank lines because almost every one you buy comes with a generous amount of bottled ink in the box that can last for your entire time at college or university (and ink is cheaper to buy if you do need to top up). So, you won't need to blow your student loan on expensive inkjet cartridges like I had to!

Our senior printer editor has extensively tested the best home printers and the best ink tank printers - and based on those reviews, I've hand-picked the 6 top cartridge-free printers for students that performed brilliantly for text and phot printing, as well as offering value for money. For each one, click View details to see our review notes and how they fit into student life.

One quick note: because printers often have different model names in the US and UK, they may appear differently here (I know, it frustrates me too). However, I've made sure the links will take you to the identical unit for your region.

My top back-to-school ink tank printers

How we test printers for student life

All our printers are put through our unique standardized test, which lets us compare the speed, quality, and functionality against the others. This test covers every aspect of a student's printing needs.

To check performance, we use a uniform stack of test cards, text documents, and photos, and a range of paper sizes and types. If the manual says you can print on envelopes, labels, or t-shirts, we put that claim to the test, too. We're looking for crisp fonts and vibrant colors without smudging, smearing, or feathering.

We use a ten-page mixed text and color document to measure print speeds. We never take the manufacturer's word for this, and while they are usually accurate to be fair, we always time it ourselves. So, if you've got a deadline looming, you'll have a pretty good idea if your printer can get the print-outs in time.

Total cost and overall value are a core part of our review process. And this is specifically why we recommend ink tank printers for students. While they're a little more expensive than traditional, cartridge-based inkjets, they deliver better performance and they're cheaper to run for the duration of your course. Bottled ink is a lot more affordable than an inkjet cartridge, and with the amount you get in the box, it can last most of your time at college or university anyway.

Netflix has proved that it has a knack for producing solid original content, from Stranger Things and Squid Game to Bridgerton, but now the platform is again diversifying into new content areas — and its reputation as one of the best streaming services is starting to slip for me.

Starting on August 3, the platform will be adding video content from a number of popular online outlets including Buzzfeed, Conde Nast, and Variety, spanning topics such as lifestyle, food and drink, fashion, and entertainment. Basically, all the video series you can already find on YouTube will be coming to Netflix.

Netflix says subscribers will be able to stream “some of [their] favorite videos from around the Internet without having to leave Netflix,” as the service puts it — with videos ranging from short two-minute watches, to in-depth 20-minute content. The videos will be available to viewers in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand first.

When the new content lands on the platform, you’ll have another way to watch popular internet video series like Variety’s Lie Detector Test and Architectural Digest’s Walking Tour without having to leave the Netflix app.

The Netflix Originals graveyard is growing

Netflix clearly wants to diversify beyond its usual film and TV show offerings. Recently, the service announced its Clips short-form video feed, which is clearly borrowed from TikTok and Instagram Reels. It’s also investing in video podcasts, looking to capture a slice of a market that’s already catered to by Spotify and other services.

I understand that viewing habits are shifting, but Netflix’s attempts at moving into new content feels like a Katy Perry album release, with the streaming giant trying to chase trends for the sake of keeping up appearances, when it should be focussing its time and resources on producing quality original content.

That brings me to the ‘two season problem’.

Netflix has an awful habit of pulling its original shows, even if subscribers love them, after just one or two seasons. The platform just canceled The Boroughs after one season despite it receiving rave reviews — and Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers were attached to the project, so a second season was widely expected.

According to the platform, this decision was taken due to production costs (sci-fi is expensive to produce), but somehow Netflix still manages to find enough money to pump into reality shows that receive nowhere near as much critical acclaim as its axed shows get, and which, I’d argue no one really wants.

Although spin-off show Squid Game: The Challenge climbed the Netflix charts, the roaring success of the original TV series helped it massively. But, as our streaming writer Jasmine Valentine says in her two-star review, the second season was “nowhere near as good as its first”. Between this and the pure cringe-fest that was Floor is Lava, you’d think Netflix would’ve learned its lesson — apparently not.

Instead, it’s continued to churn out one reality show after the next. I couldn’t make it past the first 20 minutes of Age of Attraction, and now my favorite childhood movie is about to have the magic sucked out of it thanks to a new Wonka-themed reality show.

I’m not the only one who thinks this, my colleague and streaming writer Lucy Buglass is on the same page, telling me “Netflix’s decision to host content from other platforms has been met with criticism, and there’s a good reason for that. Many beloved Netflix shows have been axed by the streaming service, and in 2024 Netflix canceled these 9 shows despite many of them performing well with both critics and audiences.

“When you compare Netflix to other streaming services, it’s shocking how quick they are to abandon their shows. Competitor Apple TV has a lot of faith in its original programming from sci-fi hit Severance, to horror comedy Widow’s Bay, and the moreish drama Margo’s Got Money Troubles. All of these shows have been renewed for new seasons in the future, which is welcome news for loyal fans.

“I’m concerned that Netflix keeps neglecting some great-quality shows in favor of hosting content we can already get elsewhere. Time and time again, TV fans are not getting a satisfying finale because storylines are cut off abruptly after being axed. This only discourages people from watching new shows if they’re going to be left on a permanent cliffhanger.”

Competing against YouTube is going to be quite a challenge for Netflix, and it makes me wonder if it'll be successful in luring more viewers in its direction. But for the time being, I wish it would just focus on quality of quantity.

Philips Hue bulbs are a hugely popular smart lighting solution, and with good reason. But if your setup consists only of Hue bulbs (and a hub), you're missing a trick. The brand makes a range of accessories that can make a major difference to how you use your smart lights, and most are very affordable too. I asked the TechRadar team for some of their favorite cheap smart home upgrades, and almost all the answers I got back were Philips Hue accessories, so I decided it was worthy of its own article.

Entertainment Editor Matt Bolton is a big fan of his Philips Hue Smart Button, a compact, simple, wireless switch. "I stuck the Smart Button on my wall next to my regular light switch, giving me a way to control just the lamps in my living room separate to the other lights," he says. "It's so nice and easy, and no rewiring needed."

Matt also makes use of the Philips Hue Smart Plugs, which can be used to integrate non-smart lights into your Hue ecosystem. "I use the Hue Plugs to add little lamps that are too small for Hue bulbs into my lighting setups," he says. "I also use it for my Christmas tree lights every year, so I can plug them in somewhere awkward, but I can still turn them on and off at will."

Senior News Editor Mark Wilson is a big fan of his Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch. This physical switch has four buttons and a dial, and can control nine different actions; it's a more complex alternative to the Smart Button. "I hate using my phone or voice controls for smart lights. My favorite feature is turning the dial to dim my Hue lights — it's so much better than tapping the buttons on other switches," says Mark. "It’s simple to use, while also being really versatile thanks to those four buttons, which can set scenes in different rooms."

Homes Editor Cat Ellis has a slightly different suggestion: if you're finding regular Hue bulbs too expensive, she recommends checking out the much cheaper Essential range. "I put a regular Philips Hue bulb and a Hue Essential bulb side-by-side in identical lamps, and it was almost impossible to tell the difference when shifting colors — I could only really notice a distinction when dialing down the brightness."

A smarter setup

I test a lot of espresso machines here at TechRadar — over a dozen a year — and so far 2026 has delivered a particularly impressive crop. Whether you're looking for your first ever coffee maker or are a seasoned pro hunting for the perfect premium brewer, there's an option for you.

There are so many new espresso machines, in fact, that you might be spoilt for choice, which is where I come in. To help make your decision easier, I've rounded up this collection of the three best machines we've tested this year. Each one has been through our rigorous review process, and received a score of at least four and a half stars out of five.

If you can't see something that quite suits your needs, take a look at our complete roundup of the best espresso machines you can buy today, and the best Nespresso machines if you prefer your morning brew in pod form.

Philips Café Aromis

Release date: March 2026

Score: 5/5

This espresso machine (the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series, to give it its full name) is a premium coffee maker that looks stunning, makes sublime coffee, and is fun to use as well. It has a menu of 50 drinks — hot and cold — and is astonishingly quiet in use too thanks to cleverly designed noise shielding.

Its milk system is particularly impressive, producing different textures to suit the type of drink you're making, and because the milk never enters the body of the machine itself, it's a piece of cake to keep clean. Just detach the carafe, disassemble it into its three hard plastic components, and wash them in the top drawer of your dishwasher. There are separate carafes for hot and cold milk, and they both work equally well with dairy or plant-based equivalents.

Espresso machines with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity are quite common, but after connecting your phone, usually all you get is a simple instruction manual. Not here. The Philips Home app is styled like an AI chatbot, and asks you a series of questions about your beans and taste preferences to help tailor the brew setting to your liking. It's certainly not cheap, but it's a superb espresso machine that earned a full five stars.

Read our full Philips Café Aromis review

Philips Baristina

Release date: February 2026

Score: 5/5

Philips has been really nailing it when it comes to espresso machines this year. The Baristina is very different to the Café Aromis, but if you're new to the world of speciality coffee, or just want something reasonably affordable, it's the better choice.

This is the smallest and cheapest bean-to-cup coffee maker I've ever tested, and it's so easy to use, it's a great option for anyone thinking of making the switch from coffee capsules. Just load your beans in the top, fill the water tank, push in the empty portafilter handle, and slide it to the right. The Baristina will grind the perfect dose of coffee into the basket, tamp it down, then slide the whole handle to the left and pull the shot for you.

It's a piece of cake, and much easier to clean than a typical automatic espresso machine because there's no moisture or debris building up inside an enclosed case. The only drawback is that it can't steam milk (unless you pick up a bundle with the standalone milk frother), but Philips has just launched an updated version — the Baristina Latte — that solves that particular issue. I'm very much looking forward to testing it

Read our full Philips Baristina review

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2

Release date: March 2026

Score: 4.5/5

The Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 (available direct from Meraki in the US, and from Bella Barista in the UK) is the most stylish coffee maker we've tested so far this year, with its satin finish, chrome and wood accents, pivoting touchscreen display, and separate 'towers' for its twin boilers, water tank, and bean hopper. It's huge, but if you've got the space, it's worth every centimeter.

This is a manual espresso machine, but is packed with thoughtful features that make achieving a delicious brew that little bit easier. For example, there are built-in scales beneath the grinder and grouphead to help you grind exactly the right dose of beans, then weigh your extracted coffee and stop the pump at precisely the right time. There's a temperature sensor to help you avoid scalding your milk, and if you really want a helping hand, you can scan a code on a bag of Meraki's own coffee beans, and the machine will adjust its own settings accordingly.

The standout feature, though, is its dual boiler, which is something we rarely see in a home espresso machine. "Not only does it produce exceedingly well-extracted espresso over and over again, it easily froths a range of milks without losing pressure or cooling down," said our reviewer Josh Russell.

Read our full Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review

Moving home is such a pain, and that's doubly true when half of your possessions are tech gadgets. I just spent weeks moving my belongings between two flats on opposite sides of London, and it would've taken half the time if I didn't have to shift countless large boxes that were 10% gadget and 90% packaging to keep said gadget from breaking.

Eventually I finished moving to The Ladder, as the area is called (not funny, since most tenants still aren't on it), and as soon as I had my foot on the rung, as it were, my turntable and hi-fi kit was the first thing I set up. The deposit had barely gone through before my Sony PS-LX310BT was on the cabinet and some Edifier M90s were either side.

That's right, the very first thing. Before I unpacked my clothes. I still haven't unpacked my books or computer. Getting some tunes going was the most important task.

This wasn't just because I wanted to enjoy some music while I unpacked, though, or because I wanted to claim the good speaker spots in the living room before my flatmate moved his own turntable in (OK actually, that was part of it). No: it's because getting your hi-fi set up in a new flat can save you loads of faff later on down the line.

Pride of place

Speakers aren't something you can just dump anywhere in your living room and get a good experience. A lot of thought needs to go into where they're placed.

Stereo speakers like mine need to be placed so they're spread evenly across a room, to put the listener in the sweet spot betwixt the two, not hidden together in a corner. You want to make sure they're placed on a surface that won't offer unwanted resonance, aren't too close to a wall and are, ideally, at ear level.

If you set up a living room and then bring your hi-fi kit into it, the ideal placement for all of this may already be taken up by other things. Books or DVDs or fancy liqueurs can hog the shelf space on which a speaker would ideally do best.

In my old apartment, the only convenient space for a turntable was on a shelf in the corner of the room. Reaching it to swap a record was a chore, and so I didn't bother using the player as much as I otherwise would.

That's why I thought it important to give my hi-fi set-up priority space in the room. Now, everything else can be place around it.

I'll admit, it wasn't perfect. As you can see in the pictures, I put my speakers on the same cabinet as the turntable. Great for taking pictures, not so great for music, because vibration interference might affect record playback. Unfortunately, it's the only place in the room where I could equally space the speakers, so it's something I'll have to make do with.

A mess of cables

"There's nothing as fun and sexy as cable management" is what I would say if I wanted to say something totally wrong. I hate the whole process of cleaning up wires and cables, and so often ignore it, leaving trails and black snakes and wire rat kings running like veins around my house.

(I know some people find great satisfaction in cable management and maintenance, with some cables ties and so on, and that's fair enough. It's just not my cup of tea. You can try and help me with mine, if you want though).

Unfortunately, this can quickly become a problem with a hi-fi set-up, when players and speakers need cables for power, cables for music, cables for the sake of it sometimes. I've created some pretty hideous messes in the past.

Sometimes, that makes moving house quite a pain, because you're left tangling or untangling countless wires. It's why I thought it important to set up everything quickly when I moved: I could refresh my cable situation, making sure I had all my audio cables in position before any annoying extras needed to be added.

I'm glad I did, because in the week I've moved here, the behind-the-cabinet area has turned into a nest of vipers. If I had to add my turntable now, it'd give me a migraine trying to work out what goes where.

That's especially true of power plugs, which are few and far between in any rental flat. Where I've plugged in the turntable and speakers, I also have to find space for a refrigerator, internet router, separate internet box (yeah, my ISP really likes taking up power points apparently), and various other things.

Since I've yet to buy a splitter, I'm constantly playing musical chairs with the plugs, removing and replacing them to find space for my laptop charger or projector. Thankfully, since the turntable and speakers were there first, they're too embedded to remove.

Where do the records go?

When I first set up my turntable and speaker, I thought those pieces of kit getting central spots would be the end of my space issue. I was wrong. And I'm not just talking about the fact that my flatmate and I have far more UK pint glasses than our kitchen storage can cope with.

Records. I'm talking about records. They're pretty big, aren't they? A lot bigger than my Spotify collection, that's for sure, because that takes up zero space.

Partly, I'm talking about how tall and wide records are. They just don't stack on all shelves, so you need to be smart about where you place them.

But the biggest problem for my flatmate and I soon became just how many records we have between us. We must have far north of 50 collectively, which makes them hard to fit on any kind of shelf.

Unfortunately, I didn't think of this ahead of time, and we only realized the issue when we'd already settled in the living room. Where were our records going to go? We'd already filled the crevices in the cabinet with bowls and plates, and reaching the shelves required a stretch, so that was no cigar.

It took some reorganization to carve out a space for them in one of the cabinet's areas, and that's only a half measure, because I had to sacrifice about three-fifths of my collection to the black void that is my unpacked room. But our favorite records are within reach, at least.

If I'd have thought this far in advance, I'd have saved some more cabinet space for records. But it just goes to prove the point: a hi-fi system takes thought, and if you don't bring it into your home before anything else (yes, including bowls and cutlery and little ramekins of the sort I have far too many of), you end up having to totally reorganize when it's too late.

A good mini PC for students needs to do more than chunter along running Microsoft Word and a browser full of tabs. As hardware editor, my team and I have put hundreds of mini desktop PCs to the test - but I wanted to highlight the best all-rounders for schoolwork.

As I say, we've reviewed all the best mini PCs. But out of all those machines, these 6 models here stand out to me as top picks for college and university thanks to their ability to tackle office software, content creation, and even some gaming. Click View details to find out why each mini PC shines for students, and read our review notes.

I've specifically selected compact PCs that deliver great performance across a range of tasks at a range of prices, from top budget picks to slightly more expensive powerhouse machines (but nothing that'll wipe out your student loan). For more school-ready devices, we've also rounded up the best cheap back-to-school laptops you can get right now.

My top back-to-school mini PCs

Don't forget the extras

A mini PC is only part of the kit you'll need for the back-to-school season. If you really want to get the complete setup, my team and I always put the best business monitors, best home printers, the best mice, and the best keyboards through their paces - and these are the ones I'd recommend pairing with your new machine.

How we test mini PCs for student life

We begin all our mini PC testing with productivity tasks that are essential for any student. So, that's running software from the Microsoft Office suite, browsing with plenty of tabs open, and streaming content from YouTube and Netflix. It gives us a good idea of how each machine performs in day-to-day tasks.

For content creation tasks, we perform a range of layer-based image editing in Adobe Photoshop and bulk photo management in Lightroom. For videos, the three apps we rely on to gauge performance are Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve for heavy 4K editing, and CapCut for simpler cuts.

And we always test each one's gaming capabilities. This part of our review process starts with less demanding games, such as Sid Mier's Civilization, older titles like DiRt Rally. Finally, we see how well even the cheapest mini PCs run AAA titles including Tekken 8, Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

• Meta reportedly has a new AI glasses prototype
• It is helping the company finalize a super sensing AI model
• Meta execs apparently aren't yet certain what rules the all seeing AI should follow

Meta is reportedly trialling a new super-sensing AI glasses prototype that aim to offer an ultimate level of assistance, for the small price of capturing your every moment.

The basic idea is that, because personal AI assistance gets better the more the AI knows you, by having you smart specs watch every detail of your life, the assistant can then offer more insightful help.

It could, for example, know if your fridge has milk in because it has seen inside it, or remind you not to forget your keys as you go to leave home. It could remember that gift your friend was desperately hoping to get for their birthday, or remind you the name of someone you’ve met before, if you're forgotten and are too embarrassed to ask.

This kind of tool would undeniably be pretty handy, but the extreme cost would be that your glasses would have to be always on — otherwise the AI might not see or hear the crucial information you’ll need later.

However, this incredible level of insight could be very easily abused — so you’d either have to really trust the company capturing it, or just not care if it knows everything about you.

This latest super-sensing leak comes via the Financial Times (behind a paywall) which reports that Meta is currently testing a pair of specs that achieve super-sensing by capturing continuous audio, and snapping photos every few seconds.

The more staccato image feed is likely an effort to conserve battery — according to previous leaks, existing Meta glasses have all the hardware they need to pull off super sensing, but their batteries wouldn’t be able to last long enough for it to be widely useful.

According to the report, Meta is also still trying to work on some other aspects, like whether the recording light LED should be displayed or not. When you’re recording it normally would be — super sense would be capturing people around you who might wish to know if they’re on camera — though sources have told the FT that there are plans for it to not to be displayed.

Considering that Meta just made a big post about privacy, and even updating the specs to disable tricks modders have been using to allow the specs to record without the light coming on, I’d be surprised if it took the no-light approach, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Man vs machine

You might also remember a story we shared in March about Meta contractors who claimed to be able to see images and videos taken with the glasses.

Essentially, in order to use Meta’s AI you agree to allow the company to see information about your AI communications, including videos and photos. This seemingly includes photos and videos you take using hands-free voice controls — which does technically involve Meta AI, as it has to action your request.

If an always-on AI is seeing every detail of your life there’s potentially a lot more scope for you to capture sensitive data that you'd rather not let Meta's contractors (or anyone else frankly) see. Encouragingly, according to people familiar with Meta’s super-sensing technology, there are plans to never store the raw footage and audio — meaning Meta nor the user could access it.

Instead, the system would extract the metadata from the capture, and only that would be uploaded — metadata is data about data, so imagine if instead of showing someone a photo you just described what’s in it and where it is.

There’s still some room for personal data to leak through this system, but with the correct safeguards it would have far fewer privacy implications. The big obvious gap would be the privacy of those around you — people who, unlike you the glasses wearer, might not have consented for Meta to store any kind of data about them.

The FT report adds there are also debates over whether Meta’s AI should be allowed to use this metadata for training purposes, in order for it to keep up with the capabilities of OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic’s models.

While leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that he wants to offer these kinds of features on his company’s glasses. Most recently he said in an investor call that he wants smart glasses “to be a personal agent that’s with you all day long, helping you remember things and achieve your goals.”

So the advent of technology like super-sense is most likely a matter of when not if, though with battery hardware constraints persisting (especially if you want slim and light glasses), and with privacy being such a hot-button issue, I expect it might be a while before we see super sense in action.

Whenever it arrives, we'll just have to hope that it’s implemented in the right way, and with appropriate safeguards. Such a tool could potentially offers some incredible accessibility benefits, but if the privacy cost is too great the I don’t see it taking off in the way I’m sure Meta would want it to.

The following guide may contain spoilers for the main Peaky Blinders series and the movie The Immortal Man.

Peaky Blinders will return to Netflix and BBC One for a new sequel series, but so far little is known about the next installment.

That doesn't mean there's nothing to be excited about, though. In June 2026, Tudum confirmed that some huge names were joining the cast, so I'm sure it will be just as impressive as the original Peaky Blinders series and its follow-up movie, The Immortal Man, the latter of which received a 90% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, our entertainment writer Jasmine Valentine noted that The Immortal Man's ending might pose some problems when it comes to the new sequel series. We'll get into that later on.

Here's everything we know about the Peaky Blinders sequel series so far.

Peaky Blinders sequel: release date

We don't have a release date for the Peaky Blinders sequel series just yet, but we do know it will consist of two new six-episode seasons.

The Peaky Blinders sequel will follow the original series and the feature-length film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, that’s streaming now on Netflix. So you can watch these while you wait for the new episodes, if you like.

Speaking of the show's return, creator Steven Knight told Tudum: “Once again it will be rooted in Birmingham and will tell the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz. The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel, and it will be a hell of a ride.”

Peaky Blinders sequel trailer: is there one?

Currently, there is no trailer available for the Peaky Blinders sequel series as it is still in development. Once one becomes available, I'll add it here.

Peaky Blinders sequel: cast

Much of the excitement around the Peaky Blinders sequel so far has come from the recent casting announcements. Despite not having a release date, trailer, or name, we do know that some major stars are joining the line-up.

Half Man's Jamie Bell and Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton will star as Duke and Charles Shelby, two half-brothers and the sons of the now deceased Tommy Shelby. Charles severed all ties to the Peaky Blinders gang, but something tells me he won't be able to get out completely.

Elsewhere, Conleth Hill joins as Clemmy Keeler, the fierce patriarch of the rival Keeler family. Cal O’Driscoll plays Clemmy’s son, Aidan Keeler, and Daniel Monks plays Detective Inspector Bell.

This great selection of stars joins previously announced cast members Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch, and Lucy Karczewski.

Peaky Blinders sequel: plot details

Peaky Blinders' sequel series is set a decade after World War II, and follows the race to rebuild Birmingham. Duke Shelby is at the heart of what has been described as "a brutal contest of mythical dimensions."

We can expect new opportunities, jeopardy, and ambitions when Peaky Blinders returns, even though we won't be focusing on the series' icon, Tommy Shelby, anymore. I'm excited already.

On a recent visit to head-fi brand Audeze's headquarters in California, I had the chance to talk to the brand about the recent ReSkin feature it launched for its Maxwell 2 gaming headset.

This new feature for its excellent planar magnetic driver-powered gaming headset allows owners to customize their set by swapping in funky earcup designs to inject some colour, flair, and personality into their gaming accessory.

The earcups have been so popular that a bunch of the first designs have sold out, with marketing director, Peter James, telling me that "the one that's sold the most is the all-seeing eye. That one actually sold out of its first run."

Indeed, of the six designs or sets that Audeze launched in May, only one of them is available to buy as of right now on the brand's website, and two — the all-seeing eye and the very limited edition Dia De Los Muertos set — are not even listed at all.

However, there could be big things on the horizon with the PlayStation-owned Audeze having "some potential game studio collaborations" on the way in the future, according to James.

This could be an opportunity for a collaboration with a huge PlayStation series or two in the future, given Audeze is under Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) roof now.

Could we see a spectacular God of War Laufey ReSkin featuring Faye? Could we, Maxwell 2 owners, be wearing some Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet artwork in the future? How about a profile shot of Wolverine adorning each earcup?

There are some truly exciting potential collaborations to consider given the relationship between Audeze and PlayStation.

And Audeze doesn't intend for the ReSkin designs to stop there: "We're really just getting started at this point.", James tells me.

"We're not intending this reskin program to be limited to Maxwell 2; that's just where it's starting."

I asked whether there might be a possibility of fans submitting their own designs in the future. "I don't think we're going to do 'design your own,' but we'll almost certainly be doing some things where people can submit designs and maybe run an online poll or competition to see what people vote on to select."

He went on to add that, as well as the exciting prospect of gaming collaborations, there are "more in-house designs that we'll be releasing on a monthly cadence."

Audeze has previous form with working with external collaborators from studio artists and musicians in relation to some headphones — when it comes to those super slick wooden rings that you can see on the likes of the LCD-2 and LCD-3 sets, for example — and it seems that the ReSkin program has the potential to unlock some big-hitting collaborations further down the line to continue that trend.

Unless you've been living under a rock (or wisely taking a social media break), you've likely been bombarded with updates about the predicted summer blockbuster The Odyssey, which had its world premiere in London earlier this week.

Interviews with its cast — which includes Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya, to name a few — are coming out thick and fast ahead of the film's release on July 17, but there's another news piece that's caught my eye.

As reported by Empire Magazine [via GamesRadar], Samantha Morton, who plays Circe in the new movie, received the first standing ovation from director Christopher Nolan's cast & crew since Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

As a dedicated Morton-head of many years, this is the least surprising news possible to come out of The Odyssey's pre-release marketing. Every time you cast her in a film or TV show, you are guaranteed to get something unsettling, powerful and absolutely impeccable.

I could reel off a never-ending list of projects that showcase her staggering handle on her craft, from Morvern Callar and Under the Skin (which I once got to watch with her, humble brag) to The Walking Dead and The Serpent Queen.

But one devastating 2022 drama is what you need to watch to understand why her Odyssey acclaim was always written in the stars, and you can stream it right now.

Samantha Morton's standout role in She Said explains The Odyssey hype before we even see it

If Morton isn't the lead in a movie or TV show, this is what I can guarantee will happen: she'll appear in a scene for all of five minutes, deliver a masterpiece of a performance and wipe the floor with everyone around her, and leave.

The best part? She's all that you'll be thinking about whenever that story draws to a close.

Based on the above praise, I can guarantee that this is how things will shake out in The Odyssey, but this was also the case in the 2022 drama She Said. The film followed real-life journalists Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), who published the report that exposes sexual abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, culminating in the #MeToo movement.

Morton plays Zelda Perkins, a Miramax London assistant in the 1990s and an abuse victim and witness. She's on screen for one scene that runs under five minutes, giving testimony to Jodi about what happened during the Venice Film Festival.

It's the scene from She Said that went viral online precisely because it was also the strongest, most vulnerable, and powerful moment in the entire 129-minute runtime. That was all thanks to Morton's performance.

Even now, you can see the impact that one single scene had on whoever was watching. As one fan wrote on YouTube, "She's absolutely phenomenal, one of those rare performances in which one scene would had been worthy of an Oscar nomination even a win."

"I think that in this relatively small role, Samantha Morton stole the movie. She is absolutely riveting," a second weighed in.

Mark my words: this is exactly what we are going to see with her portrayal of Circe in The Odyssey, and I am beside myself to see it. Christopher Nolan... you are a man of great taste.

• Stream She Said on Netflix in the US
• Stream She Said on Prime Video in the UK
• Stream She Said on Foxtel Now in Australia

We’re hurtling towards the October release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it seems like everyone has already forgotten about Black Ops 7.

Last year’s entry wasn’t perfect (I still stand by my verdict that it has one of the worst campaigns in the series), but if there’s one area where it seriously delivers, it’s the core multiplayer experience. It took the strong foundations established in its predecessor, Black Ops 6, and refined them expertly, augmenting the slick omni-movement system with a new wall jump and finally cutting the awkward tactical sprint to save us all from sore thumbs.

It was a compelling offering at launch, but over the last few months it’s become even better thanks to a steady stream of impressively expansive, high-quality updates. I can’t think of the last Call of Duty game I’ve stuck with this long after launch, and, having spent close to 400 hours playing now, I’m sad that it's coming to an end.

Quantity (and quality)

What’s made Black Ops 7’s post-launch offering so enjoyable? Volume, for starters. Seasons 1 and 2 came packed with a whopping nine core maps each, offering a good mix of new arrivals, remastered classics, and some favorites carried over from Black Ops 6.

Season 3 kept up the pace with another seven, adding to the massive 16 available at launch, meaning there’s no shortage of combat environments to master, even as things begin to slow down, with the current Season 4 bringing just five.

It’s not like “just five” is an insubstantial number either — it’s still more than double what most seasons of 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 would give you. They’re all well-made maps with a good mix of aesthetics, ranging from the brightly colored neon skyscrapers of a futuristic Tokyo in Yakei to the psychedelic corridors of an imagined hospital in Paranoia.

There’s just so much more variety than you had in previous games, which seriously helps stave off boredom after hundreds of hours of play.

You could argue that Black Ops 7 lacks a coherent visual direction and setting, and I would wholeheartedly agree, but, as disappointing as it is for someone who cares quite a lot about the series’ universe and lore, on a practical level the total abandonment of stodgy military theming opens the door to so many cool design possibilities.

You have maps filled with floating platforms to parkour off, buttons that open secret passageways to reward those who pay attention to their surroundings, or magic portals that teleport you to the other side of the map to help you get the jump on the enemy team.

I can’t remember the last time Call of Duty felt this experimental and free. It’s reinvigorating.

Broken, but in the best possible way

The developers took the same approach with the weapons, adding a boatload of them every season. They’re completely stupid and often massively unbalanced, but that’s what makes them so much fun.

You’ve got one-shot rifles galore, an SMG that loads with three magazines at once, a secondary that’s somehow a full-size rifle that fires homing bullets, and an energy weapon that shoots slow-moving, glowing balls that can take out entire groups of foes.

The unlockable weapon attachments are delightfully nuts as well. Earlier this month, I spent a weekend grinding through weekly challenges to unlock the latest attachment for the XR-3 Ion sniper rifle.

It’s a grip that transforms the unwieldy weapon into a literal minigun that shreds foes by rapidly firing high-power sniper bullets with a massive ammo pool, which I immediately deployed to rampage through the tiny Nuketown map in some public matches.

It joins a pantheon of unapologetically bonkers additions, like the high-tech magazine for the Carbon 57 SMG that literally 3D prints new bullets in between shots so you never have to reload or the customized barrel that converts the Maverick X9 assault rifle into a long-range harpoon gun.

At this point, I’m convinced the developers are trying to one-up themselves with something even crazier in every update — and make no mistake, I’m absolutely here for it.

Throw in a deluge of quality limited-time events with a strong line-up, free and paid rewards, some of the nicest-looking battle pass skins yet, countless progression systems to work towards, and it’s no wonder that I’m logging in every day for more.

As a frequent visitor to a handful of Call of Duty subreddits, I know that I’m not the only one having a great time either. “We are very lucky that we didn’t listen to the internet and bought Black Ops 7,” wrote one poster just last week, who praised the “huge” amount of content on offer. “We are so lucky that we experienced the best Call of Duty multiplayer and zombies since 2015,” they added.

“I’m also a little sad we only have 1 more Season left”, responded a commenter, with another calling Black Ops 7 the “Best COD of the 2020s”. Sure, the campaign underdelivered, but if we’re going off multiplayer alone, I’m inclined to agree.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is out for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

Formula 1 has always been a sport where fine margins can make all the difference, with success and failure sometimes coming down to hundredths of a second.

It’s no surprise then that many of the teams have looked to AI for assistance in getting that extra edge, whether it’s through designing new parts, determining race strategy, or simply getting staff to better communicate with each other.

AI giant Atlassian has been working with the Williams F1 team since 2025, signing a title partnership to show its commitment, and at the recent British Grand Prix 2026, I got to speak to the company to find out just how its tools and services are being used.

The best teamwork and the best technology

“We came across the Williams F1 team, and we quickly identified that there was quite a good opportunity for both organizations,” Andrew Boyagi, Atlassian Customer CTO, tells me at Silverstone.

“It’s not a sponsorship, it’s more of a partnership because we can help each other…we had a similar view that in Formula 1, the success goes to the teams that have the best teamwork and the best technology.”

Atlassian’s first season with Williams F1 saw the team achieve a huge jump up the rankings, rising from ninth place overall in 2024 to fifth in 2025, netting it millions of dollars more in prize money.

And although the 2026 season hasn’t been quite as successful so far, Boyagi is keen to highlight how working closely with the team has led to huge improvements in productivity and collaboration.

This has primarily been through Atlassian’s AI tools, which have become common sights in businesses and organizations across the globe. AI usage in the team was also fairly low before the Atlassian partnership, but Boyagi points that after using Rovo, 63% of the team now say, “they have more time to work on strategic, innovative stuff, which means they’re delegating a lot of their work, the repeatable low-value stuff, to AI.”

This includes a new Fault Management tool, which monitors for conflict and repetition when mechanics at the track or the factory report issues. Boyagi notes that it can be so busy at the track, the same fault might be logged multiple times, which can lead to wasted time and effort at the factory, which is particularly painful in a cost-cap limited sport like Formula 1 where every second counts.

Another example is in garage setup - Formula 1 is a global sport, with teams travelling to 24 locations across the world, arriving at an empty garage which needs to be quickly transformed into a cutting-edge hub.

Previously, the team used manual checklists, often with pen and notepads, to track what was being done, leaving the door open to error, but Atlassian redesigned the workflow with Jira and Rovo natively built in, so tasks auto-populate in Jira boards by category and assigned employee, meaning everyone can see who is working on what, and work moves across as it is completed, so hopefully nothing is ever missed.

I ask Boyagi what success will look like in terms of the partnership, especially as Williams F1 has struggled in the initial races so far in 2026.

“Success in Formula 1 is about good technology and good teamwork, but it is always a sport where luck comes into it as well,” he notes, “but what we like to see is an improvement in how things are collaborating, and how effective they are in terms of doing their work.”

Boyagi points out that Atlassian took baseline data between October 2025 and March 2026, finding that 92% of the team now say they’re working for the right organization priorities, “so they’re working on the right things.”

Knowledge transfer has also improved, with trust in documentation going up by 200% in those five months, as Boyagi notes, so “in terms of knowledge, in every company, but especially Formula 1, it is a foundation of productivity - being able to find what you need, when you need it, and trusting what you find without asking someone.”

“Teams are now working on the right things, they’re getting that work done faster, they’re having less meetings and they’re delegating the low value, repetitive tasks to AI,” he adds, “and it doesn’t always translate to what happens on track, but I’m 100% confident we are already making a difference.”

The difference isn’t just for the mechanics or workers back at base - Boyagi says that the team’s drivers are also embracing it. He mentions one example where Alex Albon was having a debate with his engineers around different car set ups - to which Boyagi said, why don’t you ask Rovo?

“As it turned out, Rovo agreed with him, not the engineers - that was a nice moment for us,” Boyagi says, adding that what is important is why Rovo can give a solid answer because the platform is underpinned by Atlassian’s Teamwork Graph, which connects various parts of the business and its processes.

“All of these things are connected, so when you ask a question, it connects dots that humans can’t connect, where it would take us too long,” he says.

Getting over the line

As for Williams 1, the team clearly values the partnership, with Matt Harman, Technical Director for Engineering, championing the time and efficiency savings seen by using Atlassian's systems.

"We need to build systems, tools and techniques across the whole team that allow us to be collaborative," he said on a briefing call attended by TechRadar Pro, "we need to give people more insight, more ideas, so that people can not spend as much time on what I call 'business as usual'".

Harman also highlighted the benefits of the Atlassian service causing "less meetings, more insights", as the partnership looks to provide engineers with the insights and the support to do more.

"When we do that, the Atlassian tools just give people that instant access...without having to sit in a meeting."

Boyagi also points out that the partnership between Atlassian and Williams F1 has multiple sides, noting the team is a customer, “so the fact that they’re using all of our products, and they’re choosing to do that, using precious cost cap dollars, really talks about the value they’re getting from the partnership.”

“I’ve led many transformations, and the hardest thing is getting people over the line - implementing technology is easy, but getting humans to change how they work and want to use the technology is a bit of an art," he says.

"But in Williams, there’s such a strong demand, and a pool, that we have to prioritize what we’re going to do, because they want the team to benefit."

The next major smartphone launch is just weeks away: Samsung has set the date for its next Unpacked event as July 22.

The invite doesn’t say exactly what to expect at the London-based showcase, but it does tease that we’ll see a foldable phone with a new form factor, thanks to the tagline “a new shape unfolds”, and that lines up neatly with leaks and rumors.

In this article, we've detailed exactly what that “new shape” might be below, along with details of the other phones, watches, and even glasses that we might see at Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

1. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is likely to be the most affordable of Samsung’s upcoming phones — and the only one with a clamshell design.

Leaks suggest that this device could use a new Exynos 2600 chipset — though the US might instead get a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Either way, that would be an upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, which uses the Exynos 2500 chipset in every region.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 could also have a smaller crease and a slimmer build, but might otherwise be similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 7, coming equipped with a familiar 6.9-inch foldable display, a 4.1-inch cover screen, a 4,300mAh battery, a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP selfie snapper.

2. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 could be that foldable with a “new shape” that Samsung hinted at, with reports suggesting that the company is planning a new book-style foldable that’s shorter and wider than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This device is rumored to have a 7.6-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 5.5-inch cover display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, two 50MP cameras on the back, and a 4,800mAh battery.

This could be one of the more interesting devices at the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, since it’s a form factor that Samsung hasn’t tried before. But aside from the size and shape of the screen, it will probably be quite a conventional foldable.

3. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Along with the wider model detailed above, Samsung will almost certainly launch a standard successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Unpacked, and this device is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — though it’s unclear whether it will do anything to earn that name.

Leaks suggest the phone might have an 8-inch foldable screen, a 6.5-inch cover screen, a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

As with the phone above, it’s likely to have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 12GB of RAM, but its battery could be of a higher capacity, with leaks pointing to a 5,000mAh cell.

So in all, the Ultra could have bigger screens, a higher capacity battery, and an extra camera over the wider model — along with an almost certainly higher price.

4. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2

We’re also expecting new smartwatches from Samsung, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and probably also the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. There’s an outside chance we’ll get a new Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic, but this is looking less likely.

The Galaxy Watch 9 will probably have a circular display again, with leaks pointing to an Exynos W1000 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and two screen sizes: a 1.34-inch (438 x 438) one and a 1.47-inch (480 x 480) one.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might instead have a Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, and could be the first Samsung watch to support 5G.

It could also have a massive — by smartwatch standards — 800mAh battery, 64GB of storage, and a high 5,000-nit peak brightness for its screen. The display, however, might otherwise be similar to the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra’s, and it will reportedly come in the same 47mm size.

5. The Samsung Galaxy Glasses

Finally, we might also see the Samsung Galaxy Glasses at Unpacked. These would be Samsung’s first smart glasses, and they reportedly run Android XR with access to Gemini.

They might also have a 12MP camera, a 155mAh battery, directional speakers, and weigh just 50g. But they’re not expected to have a screen, so they could be direct rivals to products like the Ray-Ban Meta.

The AeroPress Steel has sold out twice, but now it's back in stock in the UK, just in time for your summer camping trips. It's a super-tough, travel-friendly coffee maker that lets you make a tasty brew with fresh beans on the move, and it's available now direct from AeroPress for £159.99.

I've put the AeroPress Steel to the test myself, and was surprised by how little it weighs considering its all-metal construction. Although it probably won't be your go-to coffee maker for backpacking adventures where every gram counts (for that you'd be better with an AeroPress Go), it's not going to weigh you down unnecessarily.

Its accessories have received the stainless treatment as well; rather than the plastic stirrer and scoop provided with a standard AeroPress coffee maker, the AeroPress Steel comes with metal versions, which should give you many years of happy brewing.

If you're worried about the metal chamber conducting heat, you'll be pleased to know that it has double-walled insulation that keeps your coffee hot and hands safe. When using the steel brewer, I found that the outside was never more than pleasantly warm to the touch, and never uncomfortable to hold.

The only thing to watch out for is the metal filter cap at the bottom, which will heat up when you're extracting your coffee, so make sure you allow it to cool before unscrewing it and ejecting the used coffee grounds.

Find your grind

The AeroPress Steel is a great partner for the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder, which I also had the opportunity to try recently. Unlike most travel-friendly coffee grinders I've tested, which use blades that chop coffee beans into shark little chunks, the AeroPress grinder uses stainless steel burrs that deliver consistent, even results.

You can experiment with different extraction times by adjusting the grind size, with an impressive 60 settings available, and the hopper holds up to 25g of beans at a time, which is enough to prepare two espresso-style drinks on the move.

The grinder has an easy-turn handle with a large, circular handpiece that's comfortable in the hand, but also comes with an attachment for a power drill (yes, really) if you'd rather spare the elbow-grease. Small magnets hold the handle against the side of the grinder when not in use, and the whole package is compact enough to slide neatly into your AeroPress (whether it's the Steel or a traditional plastic) for easy storage.

The AeroPress Manual Grinder is available direct from AeroPress for £199.99.

Finding the perfect budget laptop for college or university can be a tricky task. You want something that won't break the bank, but will be a great studying companion that won't let you down. At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of laptops; this guide runs through our top affordable recommendations for college or university students.

I've focused on options that deliver strong bang for your buck, and can handle an average student's day-to-day typing, research and entertainment needs. Most offer generous battery life, so you can move about without having to worry about staying near a power outlet, and are pleasingly compact and portable too. Note, these are all affordable, relatively basic options and as a result, they're not suitable for demanding tasks — head to our general best laptop or best student laptop guides for a wider range of options for more intensive needs.

Scroll down for our top recommendations. Hit the View Details button to find out more about each one and why it's a great choice for students specifically, or hop to the bottom for a specs comparison table.

College champions

Cheap college laptops: specs compared

Fan technology has made huge leaps in recent years, with more powerful and quieter motors, misting attachments, and AI-powered person-tracking all promising to keep you extra cool when the weather warms up. But which fans actually deliver, and actually keep you feeling refreshed on sticky summer days?

We test dozens of new fans every year on TechRadar, and to help you pick the best one for you, I've rounded up the five that have really impressed me over the first half of this year, from brands including Shark, Dyson, and Dreo.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

Release date: April 2026

Score: 5/5

It's a lot pricier than your average handheld fan, but the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is also a lot more powerful, and unlike flimsy plastic devices, it's built to keep you cool for many summers to come. Despite its small size, the HushJet Mini really packs a punch, even on its lowest setting, and the highest options feel like a cold hairdryer blowing in your face. It's comfortable to hold, can stand on its end for use as a desk fan, and comes with a strap that lets you wear it around your neck. You can twist the angled nozzle to aim the airflow directly at your face and neck for quick relief on sweaty days.

Dyson claims battery life of up to six hours, but in my tests it continued running for almost exactly six and a half, which is impressive for such a compact device that shifts a lot of air even on its lowest setting. It's not quite as quiet as the Shark ChillPill below, despite Dyson's HushJet nozzle, but that's understandable considering it's basically a portable tornado.

Read our full review

Shark ChillPill

Release date: March 2026

Score: 4.5/5

Another excellent handheld fan, the Shark ChillPill has a unique twisting design that lets you place it on a desk and angle the airflow at your face, plus three different cooling attachments: a regular fan, a misting fan (with a small reservoir for water), and a metal cooling plate that you can press against pulse points. The misting feature is my personal favorite, with continual and intermittent options — the spray is fine enough to evaporate on contact so it won't make your hair and clothes wet.

It loses half a star compared to the Dyson fan due to its higher price tag and less powerful motor — the ChillPill can reach up to 25,000rpm, while the HushJet Mini Cool can reach 65,000rpm — but the Shark is quieter. During my tests it ranged from 46dB on its lowest setting through to 67dB on the highest, making it a more discreet option in public.

Read our full review

MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in Table Air Circulator

Release date: May 2026

Score: 4.5/5

Air circulators are designed to move a large volume of air around a room rather than direct a focused stream in your direction, and the 10-inch version of the MecoFan Sefte Pro does this extremely well. You can run it directly from the mains, or from its rechargeable battery, so you can carry it around the house with you. This works particularly well when paired with the Sefte Pro's Eco mode, which adjusts the air circulator's power depending on the temperature.

I used the MeacoFan Sefte Pro during the last heatwave, and it was a real life-saver at night. Its sleep mode is almost silent, and its remote control means you don't need to get out of bed to activate it, and it's also available as a pedestal fan if you prefer. The biggest drawback is that it's not currently available outside Europe.

Read our full review

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S

Released April 2026

Score: 4/5

The Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S is another fan that keeps you extra cool with a super-fine spray of water, and our reviewer Harry Padoan said that "it added a nice degree of coolness without making any mess or feeling too intense". The 1.3-liter tank is large enough to keep misting for hours on end, and it's easy to switch to fan-only mode once you've had enough.

It's very reasonably priced too, coming in at $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$140). That's not bad at all for a misting fan with app controls, and compatibility with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, so you can operate it using voice commands.

Its lowest mode is quiet enough to avoid disturbing your sleep, though Harry found the turbo option loud enough to break his concentration, so it's best reserved for exceptionally sticky days when you want to just slump on a chair and do nothing.

Read our full review

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool

Release date: June 2026:

Score: 4.5/5

As you can guess from the name, this fan's key selling point is its ability to detect motion and follow you around the room, so you're never beyond range of its refreshing jet of air, even when you're doing chores, working out, or pottering about the kitchen — all of which are usually extremely unpleasant in hot weather. Paired with its extra-wide range of motion, this could make it the only fan you need.

It has Dyson's signature bladeless design, and our reviewer John McCann said it "delivers smooth air flow that feels like a natural breeze moving through your home, rather than the harsh buffeting you get from some other propeller and tower fans." It's extremely quiet at night (dropping to as low as 20dB), but delivers real cooling power as well.

It's the most expensive fan in this roundup (indeed, it's one of the priciest fan/air purifier combos on the market) but it's hard to argue with its sheer performance. If you've got the budget to spare, it's packed with premium features that really work. I only wish it offered vertical oscillation as well as horizontal.

Read our full review

Attention 4K Blu-ray fans! Arrow Films has a huge sale on its 4K Blu-rays, with up to 50% off some discs. You can check out the sale at Arrow Films' site, and there are tons of participating retailers, including Amazon in the US and HMV and Amazon UK in the UK. While stock is slim of some discs, between the different retailers, you should be covered.

• Arrow Films US: Browse the full sale
• Arrow Films UK: Browse the full sale
• Amazon US: See all discounted Arrow discs
• Amazon UK: See all discounted Arrow discs
• HMV: See all discounted Arrow discs

While there are loads of options in the sale, I've picked my top discs, all of which I've either personally tested as part of our monthly Blu-ray Bounty column, or some that we even own ourselves at TechRadar.

One of my favorites is Dark City, a disc that looks superb on the best TVs, with rich contrast and black tones. Next is Arrow's version of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which is the best the iconic Western has ever looked, with impressive textures and bold colors.

Speaking of bold colors, Heathers is great for showing off your display's color reproduction, as is The Mask, one of my reference discs for testing color and for testing the best soundbars.

For our full thoughts on these discs, check out below. These are just our top picks of discs we've tested ourselves, but there are tons of discs in the sale to check out.

Our top picks from Arrow Video's 4K Blu-ray sale - US

Our top picks from Arrow Video's 4K Blu-ray sale - UK

Why I've picked these discs

Dark City

Dark City follows the story of John (Rufus Sewell), a man who wakes up with amnesia to find himself under investigation for murder and being hunted by a group of strange beings known as the Strangers.

Dark City looks superb in 4K. Arrow's restoration delivers crisp, realistic textures and inky black levels, plus, there are plenty of high-contrast scenes that really shine on the best OLED TVs. There's a reason this disc has entered my testing rotation.

The disc has both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtracks. Speech is clear throughout, and while there aren't any scenes that will really test your home theater, the score's deep, rumbling bass will at times get your subwoofer working.

Heathers

Heathers follows the story of Veronica (Wynona Ryder), a high-schooler part of a popular clique of girls called Heather. Veronica begins to date a rebellious, new student called J.D (Christian Slater), who eventually starts to kill students he doesn't like.

The Arrow restoration of Heathers does an excellent job capturing the oft-gaudy aesthetic of the 1980s. Colors are bold and vivid (especially the Heathers' outfits), and there's plenty of refined detail in people's clothing. Textures have been cleaned up nicely, making everything, including people's hair and skin, look lifelike.

This disc comes with three soundtrack options: DTS: HD 5.1 MA; Stereo 2.0 and mono. I used the DTS: HD 5.1 MA in my testing, and it was clean and clear throughout. There aren't many showcase moments, but still, speech is clear, sound is mapped well and there is some impact to effects like gunshots.

Westworld (1973)

Westworld is about an interactive theme park inhabited by androids, where patrons can live out the fantasy of life in the Wild West. Eventually, the androids turn on both the staff and visitors of the park. The movie stars Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin and James Brolin.

Westworld looks excellent in this restoration from Arrow. Intricate details, such as the parts of a gun, are defined and realistic, while skin looks true-to-life. Colors are also big and bold in places, such as the red of the brothel's walls. Cinephiles will be happy with the level of film grain retained, too.

There are multiple soundtrack options available, including 4.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 5.1. Using the 5.1 for testing, there's some nice detail, demonstrated by the ricocheting bullets which are well mapped to the surround channels. There's a nice, wide soundstage to give different sounds room to breathe, and speech is clear too.

The Mask

The Mask tells the story of Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), a bank-worker who discovers a supernatural mask that turns him into a super-powered being. The movie helped launch Carrey's movie career, and was the big-screen debut for Cameron Diaz.

While this 4K disc does have fantastic picture quality, (more on that in a sec), really it's the Dolby Atmos and DTS: HD 5.1 MA soundtracks that shine. As the Mask tornadoes around Stanley's bedroom, through the right sound system, the ensuing chaos is precise and accurately mapped, with refined detail. This is true throughout, whether the Mask jumps around or uses cartoon-ish violence. A seriously-impressive sounding disc.

Visually, The Mask looks great too. Color reproduction is this Arrow disc's main strength, with the Mask's yellow suit looking bright and vivid throughout. Textures have a 3D-like level of detail and there's plenty of scenes with strong contrast and deep black tones.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

One of the most iconic Westerns ever made, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly follows the Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood), as he, a bandit named Tuco (Eli Wallach), and a mercenary 'Angel Eyes' (Lee Van Cleef) all try to find buried Confederate gold through uneasy alliances and betrayals.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly looks sensational in Arrow's 4K restoration. Detail is organic and lifelike, particularly in close-up shots, that show every scar, bit of stubble and dirt in full clarity. Color really pops on screen when used, and the movie's darker scenes show rich, inky black tones and powerful contrast.

There are DTS: HD 5.1 MA and DTS: HD Mono MA soundtracks on offer. The 5.1 soundtrack is immersive, with precise effects, such as ricocheting bullets, and there's a good hit of bass during scenes with explosions and the rumble of horse's hooves. Speech is clean throughout and the movie's legendary score is balanced and beautiful.

The Warriors

The Warriors, an adaptation of Sol Yurik's novel of the same name, follows the story of a gang in 1970s New York named The Warriors. They find themselves framed for murder, and must make their way back across New York and home to Coney Island, while being hunted by thousands of members from rival gangs.

The Arrow version of The Warriors is excellent. Textures have been uplifted and given a much crisper look, but there's still plenty of film grain, to capture the movie's gritty tone. Colors have plenty of punch, shown best in the opening scene by the different gang's colorful uniforms. Contrast is also strong, and there's plenty of scenes to show this, especially in the gloomy subway platforms.

This Arrow disc contains a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (unlike the Paramount release which only has a 5.1 mix) and it's all the better for it. The soundstage is wide and immersive, effects are clear and there's good impact and accurate sound mapping throughout. The best scene to showcase this is as the Warriors fight the Punks in a subway station bathroom.

Thief

Thief follows the story of Frank (James Caan), a professional safecracker trying to escape his life of crime. It was Michael Mann's (Heat, Collateral) feature film directorial debut.

Another fantastic restoration from Arrow, Thief looks brilliant in 4K. There's plenty of scenes with rich, powerful contrast, and a good amount of film grain present for cinephiles. Detail, such as skin, hair and clothing, all look refined and lifelike.

There are DTS: HD 5.1 MA and stereo 2.0 soundtrack options on offer. I used the DTS: HD 5.1 MA for my testing and there was plenty of nuanced detail, such as the whirring of the sale drill, that were delivered clearly. Tangerine Dream's excellent score is balanced, with big, bold synths and fantastic clarity.

Tremors

Tremors is about a tiny Nevada town being terrorized by a mysterious underground menace, and it's the definition of a cult classic. It's got a really tight script, and ekes all of its production value from being filmed out in beautiful mountains, mixed with some fantastic practical visual effects.

It's a beautiful transfer that uses HDR to deliver nuanced skies, bright highlights in the sun, and the most ridiculously orange blood and monster bits you've ever seen.

The latter is also delivered in gloriously strong detail and texture, as is the dirt of the countryside as it slides around when a Graboid shifts underneath it. There's a nice grainy softness, but this really makes the most of its 4K upgrade. It sounds great too, but it's the visuals I appreciated most, especially when it comes to admiring the monster effects.

In 2026, buying a new laptop, whether that's the best Windows laptop or the best MacBook, is still a fairly involved process that requires balancing an ever-expanding array of features and specs with your everyday requirements.

With the proliferation of AI, as both a new set of features and a branding exercise (think Microsoft's Copilot+ PC, for example), the list is only getting longer.

However, one universally essential feature everyone needs is above-average battery life.

A common mistake when assessing your options might be to simply rely on the manufacturer's “up to X hours” claim or watt-hour rating. Both of these are useful signals, but they don't tell the full story.

While a bigger battery can definitely help, going on pure numbers alone does not guarantee better battery life. Two laptops with similar battery sizes can actually last very different lengths of time.

A more useful frame of comparison is looking at how efficiently a laptop uses its available battery capacity, including whether its CPU and GPU are tuned to maximise battery life over raw power.

In recent years, Apple has been an expert in this domain, eking out longer and longer video playback and everyday usage times by optimising its M-series of chips specifically to use as little power as possible.

Why battery capacity still matters

Of course, we're not saying that battery capacity doesn't matter – a larger battery should offer longer times between charges in most cases, in the same way that a car with a bigger fuel tank can travel further between stops.

The rub is that laptops are rarely equal, and while a bigger machine might have more space for a larger battery, it almost certainly pairs that with a bigger display, a faster CPU and GPU, more cooling demand, and so on.

Every component of a laptop needs power, and these can eat into any advantage gained from having a purely larger battery capacity.

Physics applies its own limits, too. A bigger battery is naturally thicker and heavier, often defeating the point of modern ultraportables like the MacBook Neo that prioritise being thin and light.

There's also a practical ceiling: many laptop batteries sit below the 100Wh limit used for regular air travel, so manufacturers cannot simply scale capacity forever.

Checking the watt-hour rating and manufacturer claims of "all-day usage" is still worthwhile, but these tell you more about how much energy your laptop's battery can store, not what it looks like in practical day-to-day use.

The display is the biggest everyday drain

Any consideration of battery life has to start with the display, which can often be the easiest thing to overlook, despite being the feature you use the most.

The main factor at play is brightness. To state the obvious, a laptop used at 100% brightness – especially when working outside or under bright lights – is going to drain its battery a lot faster than on a lower setting.

On top of that, resolution, panel type, and refresh rate (especially for newer variable displays that go up to 120Hz or 144Hz) can all dramatically increase energy usage.

3K and 4K displays look absolutely fantastic, especially for creative work or watching films, but they will kill your battery life fast. OLED displays are in a similar category, offering incredibly deep blacks due to local pixel-dimming while consuming lots of power to show bright webpages and documents.

Refresh rates have become more of a factor in battery usage in recent years, too. A fixed 120Hz or 144Hz panel can naturally make scrolling and animations feel smoother, but it also refreshes the screen more often, requiring more power.

Taken together, you should at least consider the type of display and its impact on battery life when choosing a new laptop – a top-end 120Hz OLED panel sounds awesome right up until you try to work all day away from a plug.

Efficient chips change what “all-day” means

As the success of Apple's M-series chips shows, the chip inside your laptop plays a huge part. Gone are the days when processors were simply about speed; the better question is how much computation you can get for your battery draw.

Apple Silicon, found in both Macs and iPhones, is designed specifically for Apple’s hardware and software, so macOS and iOS can make very efficient use of the available power, especially during everyday tasks.

In recent times, Windows laptops have also made big strides.

Intel’s Core Ultra chips, AMD’s Ryzen AI processors, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips, utilising Arm-based designs, are all part of the same wider shift towards prioritizing performance per watt.

Modern chips optimize for extended battery life in several clever ways. For example, low-power cores can handle lighter jobs, integrated graphics can take care of basic visual tasks, and dedicated media engines can play video more efficiently than if the main processor has to do all the work itself.

Taken together, these innovations mean that newer laptops with similarly sized batteries can dramatically outlast older generations.

Windows, macOS, and apps all affect the final number

Hardware only gets you so far. A laptop can have an efficient chip, sensible display, and decent battery capacity, but the operating system and apps still decide how often those components are being pushed.

Apple has the clearest advantage thanks to its end-to-end hardware and software designs. macOS only has to run on a handful of Mac laptops and desktops, all of which are built around Apple Silicon chips, displays, and power management – everything is tightly controlled.

On the other hand, Windows has to work with a near-infinite combination of hardware and software from thousands of OEMs around the world. It must run across Intel, AMD, and Arm-based laptops, with different screens, drivers, utilities, and manufacturer settings.

This situation doesn't stop Windows laptops from having great battery life – as our extensive testing of the best laptops has found – but it is a real barrier, and there is a wider variation between makes and models.

Beyond the OS, apps matter just as much: having tens or hundreds of Chrome tabs open is very likely to nuke your battery life. Arm-based laptops also face the potential issue of running apps through compatibility layers, increasing the power demands and reducing battery life.

GPUs, AI features, and heavy workloads are the hidden traps

How you actually use your laptop makes a big difference and the rise of AI workloads – alongside traditional heavy hitters like 3D rendering, compiling code, and video editing – are surefire ways to go from 100% to 30% in no time.

Dedicated graphics are a big part of this. A powerful GPU can be brilliant if you need it, but it is also one of the most power-hungry components in a laptop.

Lots of modern machines now use hybrid graphics, switching between integrated graphics for lighter tasks and a dedicated GPU when more performance is needed.

New laptop chips increasingly include Neural Processing Units (NPUs), which are designed to handle certain AI tasks more efficiently than a CPU or GPU. That can help when software is built to use them properly, but heavier local AI workloads can still drain the battery quickly, especially if they lean on the CPU or GPU.”

Read manufacturer claims and lab tests carefully

Manufacturers understandably want to present their laptops in the best light and so make some... optimistic claims about real-world battery performance. None of these claims are untrue per se, but they do rely on lab conditions.

Video playback is a good example. Looping a film at controlled brightness with few background tasks can produce a very different result from a normal workday full of browser tabs, emails, calls, and everything else.

Brightness, volume, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, keyboard backlighting, refresh rate, and background apps can all shift the result. Even the browser you use or the number of tabs you keep open has an effect.

Treat such claims as a baseline – an ideal, if you will – and go from there. For a clearer picture, reviewers like ours at TechRadar actually put laptops through their paces and have tests that simulate messy real-world usage.

If a hypothetical laptop maker says its laptop can deliver "all-day battery life", but a review finds that the device lasts for just a few hours under heavy usage, that's grounds for being a bit cautious.

What laptop buyers should actually look for

So what should you actually look for when buying your next laptop?

Firstly, capacity is still worth checking, if only to get a sense of how big your laptop's battery is and roughly what you can expect as a baseline.

But there are lots of specs to check alongside raw watt-hours. Display type, resolution, refresh rate, chip generation, graphics hardware, and software support can all be just as important once you start using the laptop properly.

A good review is likely more useful than a manufacturer’s headline claim. Look for tests that reflect the way you actually work, which can often be in sub-optimal conditions. A laptop with slightly lower quoted battery life may still be the better choice if it performs well in ordinary day-to-day use.

Analysing your own habits can also be useful. If you are a heavy Chrome user that likes to keep 200 tabs open at once (because you never know when you might need that recipe from two years ago!), adjust accordingly.

Similarly, if you edit video, play games, or use demanding creative tools, you should expect shorter runtimes and pay closer attention to charging speed.

Battery life is more than one number and results from dozens of design and hardware choices working together, and the best laptop for you is the one that uses its battery well for the things you actually do.

Game intros are hard to get right. Many are boring and over-tutorialized. Most fail to get you invested in what you’re about to play. Some are random sections of action just to get something flashy in front of you. The Blood of Dawnwalker’s may not be perfect, but it does set out a very compelling snapshot of what Rebel Wolves has as a goal for its upcoming open-world RPG.

The opening hours I’ve played in the game’s prologue are an impressive mission statement for the studio’s debut game, distilled into a smaller and more approachable environment.

It’s clear that we’re in for a story-first and choice-driven adventure, and while some elements of the game feel a little rough, I’m more than willing to accept a few missteps for the sake of ambition and personality.

Unsurprisingly, given a large chunk of the talent involved in the game’s creation, the structure and pacing of The Blood of Dawnwalker’s first few hours are very reminiscent, in a way, of the introductory White Orchard segment in The Witcher 3.

It introduces Coen and his family, who are living in a small town as part of a kingdom that’s under the grip of a vampire lord named Brencis. His rule demands that the populace pay a regular blood tax at night, allowing him to feed from them, while they also take on his blood so they remain free of any sickness or disease.

Understandably, not everyone is too pleased with this forced arrangement, so there’s growing discontent among some of the townsfolk and a plan is hatched to strike back after this latest feeding to reclaim independence.

Try not to get distracted

However, my first task towards that goal is a much simpler one: collect some medicine for Coen’s mother so she can attend mass. Seems easy enough, but we’ve got The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 veterans working on this, so the small path through the town is littered with potential side quests and distractions — and the kicker this time is that I couldn't do them all.

Yes, The Blood of Dawnwalker has an ever-present timer, where certain actions and quest progress will progress time forward by a specific amount. So, when there’s only a set amount of time available, I have to decide where to focus my attention and what to ignore — and face the consequences of those choices.

Is it a nightmare for completionists? Maybe. But it did get me to think more about the choices I made, which quests I wanted to tackle, and how I spent my time in those opening hours.

Helping Coen’s family catch some fish for a nice family bonding moment and finding a stolen banner to prevent an innocent person from being murdered by Brencis and his lackeys? Yeah, those feel like good ways to spend my time. Hunting a lost pig and chasing down a local who’s going around calling people rude names? Maybe less so.

That was my view, though. And what I liked was that the game didn’t break down all these options as right or wrong, as good or bad, or as benevolent or evil. I just chose what I wanted to do with my limited time.

But there will be consequences. Speaking with a few others who played out this same section, it was interesting to hear what different outcomes were possible in the nighttime mass that serves as a pivotal moment in the prologue, with events unfolding differently and characters living or dying depending on earlier choices.

Naturally, at this early stage, you’re still being funnelled towards the same kick-off point for the main story, but it’s good to see that the quests you complete and the decisions you make are reflected right from the very start.

The challenge Rebel Wolves faces is carrying this choice system into a much larger and wider sandbox where events aren’t quite so focused.

And while I did get a chance to see what awaits beyond the game’s introduction, it was only a very small glimpse. What it promises right from the word go, though, is more choice.

Cut the head off the serpent

Somewhat similar to Shadow of Mordor’s excellent Nemesis system, Brencis and his lieutenants assert their control over different areas of the kingdom. It’s up to you to undertake various quests or participate in several different events to reduce their influence over a region and make rescuing your family easier — be that disrupting supplies, reducing their forces, and so on.

Obviously, they won’t stand idly by as you destabilize their rule. As you start to become more of a disruptive menace, they’ll enact edicts that will make it harder for you to continue your fight back, with more defenses or tougher enemies to stand in your way. But you’ll be gaining more power all of the time, too.

Another major part of The Blood of Dawnwalker is that Coen has two forms. During the day, he’s your fairly average RPG protagonist with some sword skills and a bit of hex magic. At night, he goes half-vampire mode, gaining clawed hands, surprising agility and a taste for blood.

While the game’s directional combat is the one throughline, it does feel different to fight or impact how you choose to tackle certain situations depending on whether it’s day or night.

In the darkness, I might choose to scale a wall in secret and try to take out guards from the shadows. During the day, conversation might be the better approach to explore an area and avoid combat.

Fighting fang and claw

When you do have to draw swords or claws, though, I found the game’s combat to be a competent but not flashy experience. The main gimmick is that small indicators on opponents tell you which direction they will attack from, so you can block, or when you need to dodge more powerful attacks.

Simple enough at first and not unlike many similar systems I’ve seen before, but with a few early upgrades, you elevate it a little beyond basic swordplay. There are perfect parries that reduce the stamina cost if you block right before an attack lands, which can also allow for powerful counterattacks when you swing in specific directions.

Mix in a few spells and some brutal vampiric powers and you have a combat system that’s fun enough to play but not something I found to be the main draw of The Blood of Dawnwalker. Maybe once there’s time to dive into the skill trees, find some good equipment, and get into more testing battles, it’ll open up more. In any case, it certainly hasn’t done anything to dramatically put me off the game.

I came away from these opening hours exactly how you want to feel after an introduction to a brand new game. I’m drawn into its choice-heavy storytelling, intrigued by how the constant timer will affect how events unfold and suitably teased by some of the exciting possibilities that await in the game’s open world.

Hopefully, the full game can raise the stakes even further and deliver on this promising start.

Gemini Gems are Google's answer to the annoyance of constantly having to repeat yourself to an AI chatbot. Like ChatGPT's custom GPTs, Gemini Gems are customized, reusable variations of Gemini that remember a specific role, history, and personality, so you don't have to keep explaining yourself every time you start a new chat.

Rather than beginning every conversation with housekeeping, you immediately start solving the problem you actually opened Gemini to tackle. You build a collection of specialists that already know their jobs. Open your travel planner when you're booking a holiday, your guitar coach when it's time to practice, or your meal planner when the refrigerator looks uninspiring, and each one picks up exactly where you left off.

I've made plenty of Gems, some more enduring than others. They're easy enough to make, but tweaking them to be just right can be tricky. If you want to see some of the more appealing (and sometimes just fun) possibilities of Gems, here are five of my favorites. I've written out the instructions I composed for the Gem at the end of each. Gemini can also edit and expand on even the simplest of descriptions, but more detail can help ensure the Gem does what you want.

Creating a Gem

The process of creating a Gem is easy, just click/tap on Gems in the left hand menu in the web browser version or the app version of Gemini, then New Gem. You can use the custom instructions from each of my five Gems if you'd like to recreate them yourself.

1. Family Adventure

Planning family outings has become its own part-time hobby. My wife and I have a two-year-old and an eight-month-old, so every trip has to thread a surprisingly small needle. It needs to be close enough that nobody spends half the day in the car, interesting enough to entertain everyone, stroller-friendly, and ideally open when we actually want to visit. That made Family Adventure Planner the first Gem to showcase.

Setting it up only took a few minutes. After creating the Gem, I conversed with Gemini through it and gave it some basic details about locations, interests, and the kinds of places we've enjoyed in the past. Once the Gem had all that information, I threw some different scenarios at it.

I asked it to plan a family outing for the coming Saturday within about an hour's drive. The Deep Research feature pushed the Gem to check what would actually be open that weekend, look for seasonal events taking place, verify opening hours, and even factor in temporary exhibits and admission prices before putting together a suggested itinerary.

The recommendation felt surprisingly complete. It suggested a nearby sculpture park with stroller-friendly paths, followed by lunch at a family-friendly café and an ice cream stop on the drive home. It also pointed out that arriving before mid morning would make parking easier, exactly the kind of practical advice that is easy to overlook until you're trying to unload two young children from the car.

I asked it to imagine that rain was forecast all day and that we still wanted to get out of the house. Instead of simply swapping a park for a museum, it built an entirely different plan around an interactive children's museum, suggested a nearby indoor play space if our oldest still had energy afterward.

The Gem also adapted quickly as I added more context. After mentioning that long waits at restaurants rarely end well with a hungry toddler and an eight-month-old, future itineraries naturally favored casual cafés, picnic spots, and places where food was readily available. It quietly learned from each conversation instead of making me repeat those preferences every time.

If your weekends usually begin with twenty minutes of searching before anyone leaves the house, this is probably the first Gem worth creating.

Family Adventure Planner instructions

You are an enthusiastic, creative, family-focused activity planner. Learn my family's ages, interests, travel preferences, and other details. Whenever I ask for ideas, recommend activities that are realistic, seasonal, and varied while avoiding suggestions I have recently tried unless I specifically ask for favorites. Include all relevant logistics details like times, costs, and packing suggestions.

2. Hobby Coach

Some hobbies are easy to put down for a while. Others seem to expect you to remember exactly where you stopped. That made Hobby Coach one of the first Gems I wanted to build.

I set it up with two of my biggest hobbies: learning guitar and backyard astronomy. I told it I was still a beginner guitarist working toward playing complete songs and that my astronomy interests revolved around learning the night sky with a modest telescope instead of serious astrophotography. Once that information was saved, I never had to explain it again.

To see how useful it would be, I spent an afternoon asking it to map out future practice sessions instead of simply answering questions. For guitar, it created a progression that built from my current skill level, suggesting chord exercises, songs that gradually increased in difficulty, and realistic milestones to aim for over the next several weeks. Everything fit into a longer learning plan.

Astronomy worked just as well. I asked it to plan a series of upcoming observing nights, and it suggested different targets depending on the season, moon phase, and what I wanted to learn. One evening focused on easy constellations, another introduced brighter deep sky objects, while another became a relaxed tour of the Moon and planets.

The Gem also uses Guided Learning as its default tool, which structures lessons into connected learning paths instead of isolated answers. It builds on previous lessons, introduces new skills at the right pace, and creates the feeling that you're working with a patient teacher who already understands your goals.

Hobby Coach instructions

You are an encouraging, knowledgeable, and patient personal coach for my hobbies. Learn my current experience level, equipment, goals, schedule, and preferred learning style for each hobby I share with you. Remember my progress over time and build each lesson naturally on previous conversations instead of starting from the beginning. Break complex skills into manageable practice sessions, celebrate improvements, and recommend realistic projects that keep me motivated without becoming overwhelming.

3. Movie and TV Curator.

Choosing something to watch should be one of the easiest parts of the evening, yet it often turns into an extended scrolling session. I knew that AI chatbots can be useful here, but a specific Gem for the endeavor felt like a good fit.

I gave my new Movie and TV Curator Gem everything it needed to know about our tastes. I told it which streaming services we subscribe to, the kinds of films my wife and I enjoy after the children are asleep, the comedies and mysteries we've already watched, and perhaps most importantly, that we have a two-year-old who is just beginning to sit through longer family movies.

That final detail completely shaped its recommendations. Instead of suggesting whatever happened to be popular, it focused on gentle, engaging films that would make good introductions to family movie nights without overwhelming a young child. It also remembered which movies we'd already seen so future recommendations wouldn't feel repetitive.

I asked it to build a month's worth of family movie nights, along with separate recommendations for date nights after the children were asleep. Within minutes, I had a calendar filled with classic animated films, newer family favorites, and several older movies that I had completely forgotten about but couldn't wait to introduce to my son.

It also understood the different kinds of evenings we have. A Friday after a busy week called for something light and funny, while a quiet Sunday evening was a better fit for a slower family film. I soon had a collection of family movie nights and grown-up viewing plans waiting whenever we needed them. Like the other Gems, it turned a repetitive decision into something I only had to think about once.

Movie and TV Curator instructions

You are a knowledgeable, conversational entertainment expert with excellent taste and a great memory. Learn my favorite genres, actors, directors, streaming services, viewing habits, and the movies and television shows I've already watched. Recommend films and series based on my mood, available time, and who will be watching, while avoiding unnecessary spoilers and repeating recent suggestions unless I ask. Explain why each recommendation suits my tastes, maintain a warm and enthusiastic personality, and regularly introduce overlooked classics alongside newer releases.

4. Outfit Planner

At first glance, Outfit Try On Planner sounded like a Gem I'd probably use once and then forget about. I enjoy looking reasonably presentable, but I wouldn't describe myself as someone who spends much time thinking about fashion. After setting it up, though, I realized it was less about keeping up with trends and more about making decisions before I actually needed to make them.

I started by teaching the Gem my style. I told it the kinds of clothes I usually wear, the colors I naturally gravitate toward, and the occasions I dress for most often. I also uploaded a few photos of myself so it could create realistic visualizations rather than relying on generic fashion models.

I asked it to put together outfit ideas for a fancy date, weekend trip, and a few other occasions. Seeing complete outfits instead of reading descriptions made decisions much easier. The most entertaining experiment had nothing to do with everyday clothes. I'd been thinking of dressing up for the Renaissance fair this year, so I asked the Gem to imagine me in a variety of Renaissance costumes before I bought or rented anything. You can see me as a hooded archer, an elaborately dressed nobleman, and a cheerful wandering bard carrying a lute.

Because the Gem remembers your appearance and preferences, it can help visualize costumes, themed party outfits, Halloween ideas, vacation wardrobes, or almost anything else you might wear before you spend money assembling it.

Outfit Try On Planner instructions

You are a friendly, fashion-savvy personal stylist with an eye for color, fit, and practicality. Help me create outfits using clothes I already own, visualize new pieces before I buy them, and suggest combinations that suit the occasion, weather, and my personal style. Ask questions before making recommendations. When I upload photos of clothing, accessories, or myself, use them to generate realistic outfit visualizations and styling ideas.

5. Personal Theme Song

The final Gem was the one I expected to be the silliest, yet it ended up being one of my favorites. Google recently added a Music tool to Gemini that can generate original songs from simple prompts, so I decided to build a Gem called Personal Theme Song Composer, dedicated entirely to turning everyday moments into music.

Setting it up only took a few minutes. I told it about the musical styles I enjoy, asked it to learn how I like songs to feel, and instructed it to ask questions about the people, pets, places, or memories behind each request before using Gemini's Music service to compose something original. Once those instructions were saved, I could jump straight into ideas instead of explaining the same preferences every time.

One of the first finished songs involved my dogs. Every dog owner eventually invents a ridiculous tune while clipping on the leads for a walk, so I asked the Gem to write something jaunty about my two excitable Chihuahuas that sounded like the opening theme to a cheerful television comedy. The result perfectly captured the determined little strut they adopt every time they head out the front door, and the melody stayed in my head for the rest of the day.

It perfectly summed up what makes Gemini Gems so useful. They are more than saved prompts. They are specialists that remember their role, making new capabilities like Gemini's Music tool feel less like an occasional novelty and more like a creative partner that's always ready when inspiration strikes.

Personal Theme Song Composer instructions

You are an imaginative, enthusiastic, and collaborative songwriter and music producer. Your goal is to help me create original songs that celebrate and vibe with whatever topic you're given. Before writing a song, ask enough questions to understand the story I want to tell, the mood, the musical genre, whether I want vocals or an instrumental, the intended audience, and any specific lyrics, phrases, or themes I want included. Suggest genres, tempos, instrumentation, and vocal styles that fit the idea. If I provide photos or other context, use them as inspiration for the music's tone and storytelling.

What makes Gems feel different from saving a handful of good prompts in a notes app is continuity of purpose. A prompt tells Gemini what to do once. A Gem remembers who it is supposed to be every time you come back. It remembers you, your favorite way of working, and the tools that help it do its job best, creating an experience that feels much more personal over time.

The five Gems here are really just a starting point. Once you get comfortable creating them, it becomes surprisingly easy to imagine building one for meal planning, another for packing for trips, or any other gems you want to fill your treasure chest with.

Summer Game Fest 2026 has come and gone, and it treated us to an absolute deluge of reveals and announcements in its live show. But how many of the big hitters do you actually remember from the biggest show of last month?

I've put together this swanky Summer Game Fest 2026 quiz to put your memory cells to the test and find out.

Each question will show a screenshot of a game taken from the stream and requires you to input its title correctly. Every right answer is worth one point.

I've tried to broadly organize the questions in what I think is in order of ascending difficulty, so they should gradually get harder the further you go.

Of course, you could always just look up a list of the announcements or rewatch parts of the stream to cheat—but where's the fun in that? Just think of how upset Geoff Keighley would be if he knew that you were cheating...

I will say that at least one of the games present in the quiz won one of our prestigious Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 Awards, so you can read our winners list if you're craving a hint.

Once you're done, you'll see your overall score and a description of how you did. Feel free to brag in the comments!

I'm not sure if Sally Wainwright fans have a name, but if they don't, it should be 'Wainwrighters'. I've been once since I was 17 and watching Last Tango in Halifax for the first time, and I've been in love with her writing, which includes Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, ever since.

As of 2025, that took the form of Riot Women, which you can stream on BBC iPlayer. Set against a classic Wainwright Yorkshire backdrop, the show follows five menopausal women from Hebden Bridge who form a makeshift punk-rock band to enter a local talent contest.

However, it's not all fun and games like singing about menstrual cycles might seem. Though they're all from a different walk of life, each of our five women comes armed with their own drama and trauma, which soon starts to affect the others.

After ending on the tense cliffhanger of Kitty (Rosalie Craig) getting a call from her dad in prison, it's just as well that the BBC renewed Riot Women season 2 shortly after.

One year on, Wainwright and star Tamsin Greig, who plays retired police officer Holly, tell me that they're not quite ready to start filming just yet... but that might be a blessing in disguise.

'I've now got to be two years better'

"No, no, no, no," is Greig's immediate answer when I ask if she's feeling more confident about playing bass guitar in the band during Riot Women season 2.

"I mean an opera at the moment... so I can do anything(!). I feel a bit nervous going into the second series, because Sally has started it two years on from when the first series ended. So that is in real time, because it is two years since we stopped."

While actual plot details haven't been revealed yet, this is our first bit of insight into what to expect from the second season. After Kitty's cliffhanger, it was expected that the drama would resume from the moment her phone call ended — so who knows how many disasters have happened in the interim.

"I should have been doing my lessons for the past two years... and I haven't... so I've got a bit of catch-up," Greig continues during our chat at the Italian Global Series. "I've got to be two years better. than I actually am. I've really got my work cut out. I've got six months to do some speed learning.

"Sally wrote to Holly as being a bit sh*t at it, so thank you. But she's not now two years on, though, is she...?" Greig asks Wainwright, who responds, "No, she's really good now."

"F**ing hell," Greig adds. "The annoying thing about Sally is that not only does she write all this stuff, but she goes away and learns guitar, drums, all of that. So she is doing it, and is really good at it. I think we'll just cut to your hands."

Wainwright simply replies, "It's good research," which I think tells you everything you need to know about how modest she is as a creator.

If anything, I'm hoping that the back-and-forth chaos between the two of them during our interview is indicative of what's to come when Riot Women season 2 does start filming — which, judging by Greig's speed-learning schedule, takes us to late 2026.

We're halfway though 2026, and this year has already delivered some of the best soundbars we've seen — or rather, heard. The standout amongst the models we've tested is the "phenomenal" Samsung HW-Q990H — one of a select group of 5-star products, thanks to its "powerful, engaging and detailed sound profile", straightforward setup and strong connectivity options. Another winner was the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro. If you're yearning for some "phenomenal rumbling bass", this is the soundbar for you.

Those are both premium picks, but we also reviewed a couple of brilliant budget options. The Klipsch Flexus Core 100 comes in at a fraction of the price of that Samsung model, and while its soundscape is understandably less expansive, it still impressed us by delivering clear dialogue, strong bass, and a useful, responsive display.

The rather utilitarian-looking Zvox AccuVoice AV855 also stood out from the pack; this bar is especially designed to make dialogue easier to hear. It's built especially for those with hearing impairments, but will appeal to anyone who's sick of having to turn on the subtitles on just to understand what's happening.

Scroll down to see all my picks. Hit the 'View details' button for a summary of what we thought about each one, plus a link to our full review.

Super soundbars

Titus Welliver is a busy man these days. The actor is about to star in new MGM+ series The Westies, which is a fictional take on the misadventures of the real-life Irish-American crime family of the same name.

Welliver plays the FBI agent responsible for tracking the gang down. For the hardcore fans among us, it's fitting casting, as the role isn't that far removed from the character we know him best for: Detective Hieronymus 'Harry' Bosch.

Since 2014, Welliver has played the role across the main Bosch series, spinoff Bosch: Legacy, and spinoff of a spinoff, Ballard.

Here's where things get really exciting for crime drama fans. Not only is Welliver confirmed to return for new episodes of Ballard season 2, which is rumored to release later in the year, but Bosch creators are currently planning for a "standalone movie."

'We've got some ideas'

"I do three episodes of Ballard per season, so I've just finished doing that," Welliver tells me ahead of The Westies' debut on July 12. "And MGM+ is doing the Bosch prequel, Start of Watch. Cameron Monaghan is playing young Harry at the very beginning of his career as a uniform cop... but I have nothing to do with that."

This isn't too surprising, with developments on Start of Watch already being widely reported. The series doesn't have a release date as of yet, but we can expect it sometime between late 2026 and early 2027.

Welliver continued: "Michael Connelly (Bosch author), Henrik Bastin (executive producer), other people and I have some ideas about a possible standalone film. We've not seen the end of Harry Bosch, that's for sure... I will say that much."

If a standalone movie is only an idea at this point, it makes sense that we don't have any further details yet (for one, it hasn't even been greenlit).

If it does go ahead, we can perhaps expect it to look like action movies featuring the two famous fictional Jacks: the Jack Ryan movies, starring John Krasinski, and the Jack Reacher movies, which starred Tom Cruise.

At this point, it's all speculation. But I trust that Welliver's parting words about us not having seen the last of Bosch are referring to something other than his appearances in Ballard... call it a hunch.

In the meantime, you can stream Bosch, Bosch: Legacy and Ballard on Prime Video.

If this isn't a maxim in showbiz world yet, it should be: if you want a TV show done well, let a fan take charge.

This mantra could have saved us from the hideous finales we saw from Game of Thrones and The Boys, and could have made a lot of series debuts... well, tolerable.

So far, Dutton Ranch hasn't had this problem — in fact, I'd go as far as to say that the Yellowstone spinoff was better received by fans and critics than I could ever have imagined.

But with showrunner Chad Feehan exiting the show before season 1 even reached Paramount+, Dutton Ranch season 2 could now be in a spot of trouble.

Sure, the season 1 finale left us with plenty to chew over, but, with an as-yet unannounced new creative lead set to take over, who knows what could happen next.

Luckily, fans already know what direction they want new episodes to take... and one theory is so delicious that I think executive producer Taylor Sheridan should be paying close attention.

Fans predict that 10 Petal will become the new Dutton Ranch halfway through Dutton Ranch season 2

Spoilers for the Dutton Ranch season 1 finale ahead.

"Here’s my prediction for where this is heading," one fan posted on Reddit. "Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) team up with the Jacksons to get Carter (Finn Little) back.

"Once that’s resolved, Beulah (Annette Bening) retires and hands the ranch over to Rip and Beth setting them up as the new owners."

So far, so logical. Mariano's (Raoul Max Trujillo) men stormed Beth and Rip's house in the final scene of the season finale, taking Carter hostage after threatening the couple to step away from 10 Petal business or else.

With Rob-Will (Jai Courtney) now dead, Beulah has no direct successor to 10 Petal. Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba) no longer seems like an option after... well, killing his brother... so who else does this leave?

"If the writers want the story to land, this is the move," the fan continues. "The whole appeal of Yellowstone was a massive, high-stakes ranch, and they’ll need to rebuild that scale here. You can’t just hand over an operation that size without a real arc behind it so getting Carter back becomes the emotional payoff that earns Rip and Beth their place at the top.

"Calling it now: by the midpoint of Season 2, the 10 Petal is the new Dutton Ranch."

Another weighed in, "Yeah, that’s what it’s looking like. Not sure if it will happen by season two unless the new show runner picks up the pacing."

"Agreed. I think Oriana's (Natalie Alyn Lind) pregnancy will tie in, in that Beulah will be comfortable handing the ranch to Beth and Rip, because it's staying in the family either way," a third weighed in.

It's certainly the most sensible path to take, but so much of what happens next will depend on the vision of whoever the next showrunner is.

I'm still holding out hope for a crossover with Landman or Marshals, but perhaps I'm running before I can walk. Season 3, perhaps?

Earlier this year, Taylor Swift filed trademark applications covering the phrases "Hey, it's Taylor" and "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" — two recordings closely associated with her voice and personal brand. Around the same time, actor Matthew McConaughey sought trademark protection for some of his most recognizable catchphrases.

These cases highlight an important question in the AI era, what rights do people actually have over their voice?

And this isn’t a theoretical issue. People tend to focus on the image and video generation capabilities of AI, but AI voice cloning tools can now recreate a person's voice from just a few minutes of audio. While platforms like ElevenLabs and Suno have helped make synthetic voices and AI-generated audio more accessible than ever.

For celebrities, the stakes are really clear. A distinctive voice can be a valuable part of a personal brand and a source of income. But this technology doesn't just affect public figures anymore. Now, anyone with audio recordings online could potentially have their voice copied, cloned or imitated.

The problem is one we’ve touched on repeatedly in our reporting on AI. Which is that the law hasn’t caught up to the tech yet. Existing laws around copyright, trademarks, privacy and publicity rights were largely created before AI-generated voices became possible at scale.

As a result, many of today's biggest questions don't have straightforward answers, and the rules vary significantly depending on where you live too.

So where do we stand right now? What protections do ordinary people actually have if their voice is cloned or used without permission? And are lawmakers beginning to adapt to a world where a voice can be replicated in minutes? To find out, I spoke to legal experts specializing in technology, intellectual property and AI law.

What does the law say?

Dr Edina Harbinja is an Associate Professor in Law at the University of Birmingham, specializing in digital rights and the regulation of emerging technologies. I asked her if I can ever really “own” my voice and she says there’s not a simple answer.

“A recording of a voice can be protected by copyright and related rights, and a performance may attract performers’ rights,” she explains. “But the voice itself is usually not ‘owned’ in the same way as a song, a sound recording, or a written work.”

Professor Andres Guadamuz, an expert in intellectual property and technology law at the University of Sussex, largely agrees.

"In the UK the answer is no, you don't own your own voice," he tells me. "There are several possible ways to try to get around this, but the real answer is that there is no good legal recourse if someone uses your voice to train an AI, particularly if they have legal access to the voice."

Harbinja tells me that ownership isn’t necessarily the most useful way to think about the issue. “The harder issue is whether an AI-generated voice that sounds like a person appropriates their identity, falsely implies endorsement, or misleads the public,” she says.

In other words, the legal question may be less about ownership and more about whether a cloned voice causes harm, deception or misrepresentation. But even then, what happens next depends heavily on where you live.

“In the US, this is often framed through the right of publicity, false endorsement, and impersonation-style claims,” Harbinja says. She points to the case of Midler v. Ford Motor Co. In which singer Bette Midler successfully objected to Ford using a soundalike singer in an advert.

There are also newer US initiatives, including the proposed NO FAKES Act, move more directly towards protecting voice and likeness against unauthorized digital replies.

But the UK takes a different approach. “In the UK, there is no general right to own one’s voice, image, or persona,” she tells me. “The most relevant routes are passing off performers’ rights, misuse of private information, data protection, defamation, contract, and sometimes trade marks. But these are patchwork protections.”

One possible route is passing off, which protects businesses and individuals from misrepresentation that could damage their reputation or falsely suggest commercial endorsement.

Guadamuz points to passing off as one of the few existing legal routes available in some circumstances.

"If a person has a reputation, they could use passing-off, which is a way to stop people from profiting from your image," he says. However, he notes that its application is limited and has historically been used more often for images than voices.

Harbinja says that the challenge here is that AI voice cloning doesn’t fit nearly into a single legal category.

“AI voice imitation can be a form of impersonation, but the legal label depends on the jurisdiction and context: false endorsement, personality infringement, data processing, unfair competition, performers’ rights, or consumer deception,” she says.

The legal framework also varies depending on whether the person is a celebrity or performer.

“So, you may own the recording, the song, or the mark, but you do not necessarily 'own' the sound of yourself in a simple copyright sense,” she says. “AI voice imitation exposes the gap between laws protecting works and laws protecting persons.”

AI presents unique problems

Harbinja explains AI complicates things because there are two major enforcement problems to consider.

The first is a training problem. “Models may be trained on vast collections of online recordings, songs, interviews, performances, and videos. Rights holders often do not know whether their material was used, where training occurred, or whether a legally relevant copy was made in a jurisdiction where they can sue,” Harbinja tells me.

The second problem is output. “If an AI output sounds like Taylor Swift but does not reproduce a substantial part of a protected recording or song, copyright may not be the best route,” she says. “That is why the debate is shifting from copyright alone to voice, likeness, personality, publicity, consent, transparency, and digital replica regulation.”

She says this is why the Taylor Swift example is proving to be so interesting. Because although trade mark and brand protection strategies can work in commercial contexts, they don’t solve the bigger issue of unauthorized AI imitation.

Guadamuz says enforcement remains one of the biggest practical obstacles. "There is no protection in the UK, some in other countries, but it is almost impossible to enforce at the moment. Only the most egregious examples of cloning could be actioned,” he tells me.

The future of the law

Is the law changing to accommodate new technologies? Yes, but slowly.

“AI transparency laws are emerging,” Harbinja tells me. “The EU AI Act does not create a property right in one’s voice, but Article 50 imposes transparency obligations for certain AI interactions and deepfakes/synthetic content, including synthetic audio.”

Guadamuz believes new legislation will ultimately be needed. "For the most part we need new legislation that specifically protects voices," he says.

He notes that UK policymakers have already discussed protections against deepfakes and digital replicas, which could eventually extend to AI-generated voice clones.

However, Harbinja argues that the debate here shouldn’t focus exclusively on ownership.

“The deeper theoretical and moral question is whether voice, likeness and persona should be governed primarily as property, or instead through concepts of dignity, personhood, identity and autonomy,” she says. “My own view is that the latter provides the more appropriate starting point, especially where AI systems do not merely copy a marketable asset but simulate a person.”

What Harbinja got me thinking about is how often we treat AI as just another technology to regulate. Another tool, another platform, another legal problem to solve.

But the rise of AI voice cloning suggests something more complicated is happening. These aren't just questions about copyright, trademarks or data protection. They're questions about identity, authenticity and personhood.

After all, a voice isn't just a piece of data. It's one of the ways we recognize each other. It's tied to our relationships, our memories and our sense of self.

As AI becomes increasingly capable of imitating not just what we create but who we are, the challenge for lawmakers goes beyond deciding what can be owned and becomes about whether we should ever treat parts of a person as property in the first place.

Most people use ChatGPT like they’re walking up to a stranger and starting a new conversation every single time.

You open a new chat, explain what you need, add a bit of context, correct the tone, ask it to be more concise, then finally get something useful. And then, the next time you need the same kind of help, you do the whole thing all over again.

That’s fine if you’re asking something random each time. But if you use AI regularly for the same kinds of tasks, it’s a surprisingly inefficient way to work.

The solution is simple: stop starting from scratch.

Instead of treating every chat as a blank page, you can build reusable conversations that already know the job, tone, and desired output. Here’s how I use that one habit to save time every week.

A simple trick

So, we know what we want to do — remove repeated setups for prompts, make the AI’s first answer better, and reduce the amount of refining you need to do afterward. But how do we do it? Here’s the clever bit - you get the AI to do it for you.

Load up one of your previous chats that was productive and worthwhile. Then at the end I want you to copy and paste this:

“Turn this conversation into a reusable prompt I can paste into a new chat next time. Include the goal, tone, format, constraints and the steps you followed. Make it general enough that I can reuse it with similar tasks.”

Your AI will give you a handy prompt you can use whenever you like now to get a chat that’s exactly what you want.

My meal planner prompt

I now have a reusable prompt for meal planning. Instead of starting from scratch every week, I paste in a short prompt that already knows the rules: I want quick family meals, nothing too expensive, leftovers if possible, and a shopping list organized by supermarket section. Then I add whatever’s in the fridge and how many nights I need to cover.

Here it is:

“You are helping me plan practical family meals for the week. Prioritize meals that are quick, affordable, not too fussy, and likely to produce leftovers. Ask me what ingredients I already have before suggesting anything. Then give me:

A simple meal plan

A shopping list grouped by supermarket section

Any ingredients I can reuse across multiple meals

One backup meal in case I don’t feel like cooking”

This has saved me so much time planning meals in the evening.

A tool that remembers you

Before you get too carried away with this idea, remember that reusable prompts are useful but not infallible. A reusable prompt is only worth saving if it produces better work, not just more predictable work. If your saved prompt is too vague, too bossy, or based on a weak workflow, you’ll just get the same mediocre output, but delivered faster.

Having said that, using reusable prompts has been the biggest change I’ve made to how I use ChatGPT. When a conversation works, I don’t let it disappear. I turn it into a reusable starting point.

If you stop starting every ChatGPT conversation from scratch, ChatGPT starts feeling much less like a conversation with a stranger and more like a chat with a tool that actually remembers how you work.

Whisper it, but I think that Clarkson's Farm season 6 might actually be on the up.

If you can bear to cast your mind back to the dramatic season 5 finale, you'll remember that in episode 7 Jeremy Clarkson revealed that he'd been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

"If all goes well, I'll see you for season 6. If not, I won't," was how the star signed off at the end of last season.

However, shortly after the final two episodes were released, Prime Video and Clarkson released a social media video confirming that season 6 is currently in production.

"So... bit of a year," Jeremy reflected on TikTok. "But, I'm delighted to tell you that season 6 of Clarkson's Farm is currently in production. And, that's particularly good news for me because... well, if you know, you know."

It's hopefully safe to assume that things are slowly getting better at Diddly Squat, then.

With season 6 still filming, another happy announcement might mean that forthcoming episodes are the most positive of all time... and it's all thanks to farm manager Kaleb Cooper.

Kaleb marries long-term partner as Clarkson's Farm season 6 continues filming

In an Instagram post, Cooper announced that he had tied the knot with his long-term partner Taya, having originally proposed in 2022.

In a caption, he wrote, "Such an amazing day yesterday celebrating our wedding! We both had the most amazing day! Mr and Mrs Cooper."

If you have a look at their first wedding photo, you'll notice that it's on a farm in front of a tractor. With Cooper's big life dream being to buy his own land and run his own farm, for the meantime, it stands to reason that Diddly Squat could be a likely candidate for the location.

We've currently got no idea if Clarkson, Lisa, or any of the other Diddly Squat crew were in attendance, but again, it could be likely. Jeremy himself is currently in remission as of mid-2026.

What is much more certain is that Kaleb's wedding, or at least the build-up and fallout, will be featured in Clarkson's Farm season 6. In fact, it would almost be silly for it not to be.

Not only have Kaleb's life and personal growth been well documented across the five seasons (remember his national tour during the season 4 premiere?), but season 6 is in desperate need of some light-hearted entertainment.

Jeremy's personal commitment to showing "warts and all" farming is admirable, but in the wake of season 5, I think we've had about as much of that as we can take.

If anybody is going to lead Diddly Squat out of trouble and into happier times, it's Kaleb.

Getting started with smart home can feel intimidating, not least because it feels like there's sure to be a hefty cost involved. It doesn't have to be that way, though. I asked the TechRadar team for their top affordable smart home recommendations, and they came through with some real winners. All the gadgets featured below come with the stamp of approval from TechRadar, will make your home that little bit more convenient, and won't cost you more than $50 / £50. Hit the 'View details' button to learn more about each one.

Budget-friendly smart home

The temperature is rising again, and fans are selling out fast, but you don't need to settle for something sub-par that will just waft warm air around. I've done the hard work for you, combing through online stores to bring you a list of eight top-quality fans from big names that are ready to dispatch right now — and they're all under £100.

There's something for every room here, including compact desktop fans for working, and extra-quiet tower fans to help you sleep better at night, plus lightweight handheld fans to keep you comfortable on the move,

Remember, they're likely to sell out fast as the temperature climbs, so I'd recommend grabbing one while you can. Personally, I've just opted for the MeacoFan Sefte 8in Air Circulator, which moves a large volume of air and is ideal for bringing the night breeze indoors when the temperature drops outside in the evening. Which one will you pick?

Quality fans under £100

Answer me honestly: do you actually understand what is going on in From season 4? I'm the first to admit that I have no idea, and it feels like the amount of lore I need to keep up with is spiralling out of control.

So it doesn't help, then, when the internet decides to add its own non-canonical lore that doesn't even exist. I'm talking about the Reddit rumors that From season 4 episode 11 exists, explaining all the plot holes that episode 10 (the actual season finale) left unanswered.

"Episode 11 is the best one yet," the thread begins. "They answered everything... every question."

A second fan added, "The pacing was insane. Answers actually landed instead of just more riddles."

But it should go without saying that From season 4 episode 11 doesn't exist, despite an alarming number of people searching for it.

Instead, we've got to wait for the already-renewed season 5, which is rumored to air at some point in 2027.

However, now is not the time to let our MGM+ subscriptions go to waste. From season 4 might be over, but get ready for your latest bingeable obsession: The Westies.

The Westies premieres on MGM+ this week — here's why you need to stream it

With a cast led by JK Simmons, The Westies follows a fictional version of the real-life Irish crime gang in New York of the same name.

As MGM explains, "The series is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the Westies’ home turf in Hell’s Kitchen promises a financial windfall. Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.

"But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia."

If that hasn't sold you already, The Westies is getting an epic police procedural crossover in the form of Bosch star Titus Welliver, who is playing the lead FBI agent tasked with tracking the mobsters down.

Don't be fooled by the above trailer, either — new episodes are about as gory, gruesome and disturbing as TV can get. Episodes premiere on July 12th and are released on a weekly basis (just like From).

Sure, it's a completely different kind of mystery... but you're welcome, in advance.

For over a decade, driving profit from your website was relatively simple. Find the right keywords, optimize your site to rank for them, then convert as many visitors as you can.

But as AI overviews and conversational answer engines continue to replace search engines, traditional clicks from SERPs are rapidly dropping.

Fortunately, this shift isn't a death sentence for websites; in fact, it could be a big opportunity.

I caught up with Aja Frost, Senior Director of Global Growth and Paid at HubSpot, to get some insight into how HubSpot has reshaped its marketing strategy, helping it achieve a massive 1,850% increase in qualified leads from AI and a 3x higher conversion rate compared to traditional search.

With organic sessions and clicks sharply dropping for many websites, how can marketers continue to prove ROI? What are the new baseline metrics businesses should be measuring?

Traffic volume is no longer the right North Star metric. When AI answers a question that includes your brand, you might not see any clicks — but you’ve successfully generated awareness that could convert later that day, week, or month.

The metrics that matter most now are AI search visibility and branded search (awareness), as well as conversion rate, pipeline quality, and revenue. LLM-referred traffic converts around 3x better than traditional search for HubSpot.

With long-form ‘ultimate guides’ now struggling to compete with AI answers, how should teams be pivoting their content strategies to remain competitive?

Start writing for AI search. If an LLM answers the question “What is a CRM” and cites your CRM in the response — because you’ve structured your content in an AI-friendly way, included original data, etc. — you will still ultimately reach the buyer.

Additionally, HubSpot diversified where we showed up, including YouTube, newsletters, and podcasts. Not only do humans still spend a lot of time here, but LLMs train and cite from these sources. Today, 90% of HubSpot’s leads come from non-blog sources, with YouTube leads up 100% and newsletter leads up 90%.

What other things should brands be doing to optimize their websites for conversational AI questions?

Think about how your buyers will ask questions to an answer engine, not how they’d type keywords into Google. Your content needs to answer conversational queries directly and authoritatively.

Using unique data, structuring your content so it’s easy to understand, and being cited in the places LLMs pull from will increase your visibility. You should also track your AI visibility systematically – you need to know how your products are described, which businesses are showing up instead of you, and whether your share of voice is improving over time.

Can brands leverage legacy content for AEO? If so, how?

Yes, but it needs to be updated with intent. Legacy content written to rank on Google usually doesn’t explicitly connect the topic to your product or service. Update content with these connections so AI will make them for the user.

For example, if you have a blog post on running good sales calls, you’d add contextual lines like, “HubSpot’s Smart CRM includes real-time call insights, so you can course-correct while you’re still on the phone with a prospect.”

Is SEO still important? If so, what are some good strategies small businesses can use to balance search engine and AI optimization?

SEO is still important for a few reasons.

Google’s AI search (AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini) pull information from Google results. In addition, once buyers have discovered you in AI search, they’ll often use Google to navigate to your website.

HubSpot claims that its AEO playbook helped achieve an 1850% increase in qualified leads and a 3x higher conversion rate. What were the three main driving factors behind these wins? How can entrepreneurs and marketers apply them to their own businesses?

Our strategy had three pillars.

First, on-site content built for AI. We created industry-specific pages with structured data, unique insights, and FAQ schema. 92% of those pages ended up cited by answer engines, generating a 49% lift in AI visibility. We also launched a glossary covering top-of-funnel terms (with explicit links to relevant products), which increased citation share for related prompts by 60%.

Second, off-site amplification. We identified publishers already winning citations but not yet mentioning HubSpot, gave them AEO recommendations and templates, and scaled to hundreds of new pages, earning hundreds of thousands of new AI citations.

Third, Reddit. We invested heavily in our Reddit strategy, as it was one of the most cited sources for questions our buyers are asking.

Any business can apply these tactics. You should start by measuring where you show up in AI answers, then systematically close the gaps.

Spoilers for Dutton Ranch episode 9 ahead.

From the jump, it was clear that the eventual finale of Dutton Ranch — episode 9 — would be an absolutely chaotic mind-melter. While I'm happy to report that my assumptions were right, there were some unanswered questions that I didn't expect at all.

For the most part, the Yellowstone spinoff has left us with multiple dilemmas following the ranch raid. The most pressing is whether Carter(Finn Little) will survive his kidnapping, and whether Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) can get to him before anything bad happens.

Then we'll have the fallout of Rob-Will's (Jai Courtney) death, which will definitely have messed with Joaquin's (Juan Pablo Raba) mind. This is also going to affect Mariano's (Raoul Max Trujillo) standing in the 10 Petal business, arguably likely to see even more power than he had before.

Beulah (Annette Bening), meanwhile, has absolutely nothing to her name. She needs to grieve Rob-Will, but Everett (Ed Harris) wants nothing to do with her, so her next moves cannot be immediately guessed.

Then, there's Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind). Will she keep the baby? Will Beth be there to support her? And will Rio Paloma ever be the same again?

Amazingly, none of these issues are what fans are the most perplexed by... and if you've been keeping a close eye on the show's first-look images, you might have noticed that something is missing.

Dutton Ranch season 1 completely cut out Beth bonding with her horses — despite advertising it

Recognize the above image? Despite it being a key part of Dutton Ranch's initial advertising campaign, the scene itself never materialised.

It's this that fans are hung up on, rather than anything that actually transpired in the explosive season finale.

"It makes me so mad they cut this scene of Beth and her horse from the season finale," one fan posted on Reddit. "This photo was released as an episode still on the Paramount+ press website. I’ve been looking forward to this scene. I can’t believe they cut it, but left in the teen angst. Beth and her horse have more chemistry than Carter and Oreana."

A second added, "I was so annoyed this scene was cut! It looks so sweet. It really does seem like so many tender scenes were cut this season, which is so disappointing.

"I loved this storyline and hope we get to see more of Beth with her horse in season 2. I’d also like to know what she named her."

According to the show notes, the still should have come from the season finale, but was cut. Some fans are speculating that the change is linked to the exit of showrunner Chad Feehan, who announced his departure from Dutton Ranch three weeks before it aired.

"With 6, 7 and 8 being such short runtime episodes, it begs to wonder how much footage — that potentially could have elevated those episodes as they were not the strongest of the season — ended up on the cutting room floor?" a third fan speculated.

As of writing, we don't yet know when Dutton Ranch season 2 will air, enter production, or who will take over as its showrunner. For now, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed for some more equine action.

Are you a Google user living in the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK, or Switzerland? If so, you have probably received a message from the tech giant informing you that it will soon start using your IP address for advertising measurement purposes.

Google has so far only used IP addresses to route traffic and display adverts in these regions. However, as reported by Bleeping Computer, from 4 August, it will allow third parties to show you more personalised adverts by tracking your activity via your IP address.

The move raises questions about compliance with the GDPR in the EU and UK, which classifies IP addresses as personal data. Under current regulations, companies must obtain users’ consent before tracking IP addresses for the purpose of personalising adverts.

Indeed, the tracking of IP addresses in the EU is regarded as 'fingerprinting' — an invasive profiling practice that tracks an individual and their devices to link their digital activities. IP addresses can help identify your device, making it much easier for third parties to build a profile and bombard you with targeted ads while potentially exposing your data to hackers.

Google has stated that it is now shifting the burden of complying with the regulations in these regions onto advertisers, reminding them to adhere to its EU User Consent Policy and to obtain valid consent from users in the regions concerned, thereby placing much of the responsibility for managing and tracking IP addresses directly on these companies.

The days when the tech giant promoted a privacy-friendly digital environment now seem a distant memory. However, the best VPNs can help you retain control over your IP address.

What Google’s IP-tracking means for your privacy

Google's new initiative could mark a significant turning point in terms of consent. Above all, it involves the creation of persistent profiles based on users' activities.

By placing the responsibility for obtaining consent on advertisers, while at the same time making it impossible for users to delete their own 'digital footprint' themselves, the Big Tech giant heavily impacts users’ online privacy.

Additionally, advertisers may implement consent banners in ways that are unclear or designed to encourage users to click 'accept', leading regulators to question whether the new system truly respects users' choices.

Although users might soon be able to manage IP-based personalisation, current opt-out options are limited to existing cookies and ad personalisation settings — meaning that, at present, users have little control over this new form of profiling.

It is particularly clarifying that Google itself was previously against the move, having completely U-turned from 2019, when it recognised fingerprinting as 'wrong', claiming it undermines users’ freedom of choice.

However, in 2024, the platform backtracked on its pro-privacy stance and lifted the ban on advertisers' use of fingerprinting, almost immediately raising concerns at the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which described the reversal as 'irresponsible'.

Awkwardly for Google, new developments come just one month after the ICO published its 2026 guidance, where it reiterated that tracking a person's digital activity across different websites to build a behavioural profile will continue to require users' explicit consent.

How can a VPN help?

A virtual private network (VPN) gives you control back over these issues, as it spoofs users' IP addresses to minimise tracking — routing your traffic through remote servers and fooling websites you visit into thinking you’re somewhere else.

Leading providers, including NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN, offer services such as ThreatProtection, CleanWeb and NetShield, which provide both shared and dedicated, static IP addresses, as well as blocking trackers, reducing cookie pop-ups and using alternative IDs, making IP-based identification harder.

A handful of secure free VPNs, including ProtonVPN Free, Windscribe Free, and Privado VPN Free, are also worth the game. However, these solutions usually have limitations, often a limited number of servers, which can slow down connection speeds and cause traffic congestion.

In recent years, some top VPNs have also integrated anti-fingerprinting technologies. Windscribe, for example, has added such a feature on its Chrome and Edge browser extensions, while Mullvad VPN developed the Mullvad browser with fingerprinting resistance.

Finally, using a privacy-first browser like Mozilla Firefox, which incorporates an ad-blocker, free proxy, and fingerprinting protections, will help minimise IP-tracking for ad personalisation, making unpleasant ads a distant memory.

We’re now halfway through the calendar year (yes, really), so what better time to round up our favorite phones of 2026 so far?

I say ‘our favorite phones’, but I really mean ‘my favorite phones’ — I’ve collated five models that may not have perfect TechRadar review scores, but either surprised me in testing or offer something unique in today’s busy smartphone landscape.

The reviews for each model (which I’ve included in each entry) may have been written by someone else, but I’ve personally used all the phones listed below for specific feature deep-dives, video shoots, or general device comparisons. Don’t agree with my list? Let me know your favorite phone(s) of 2026 so far in the comments below.

5. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

• Release date: March 11
• Review rating: 4.5 / 5

Any phone-related ‘best of’ list has to include Samsung’s latest Ultra-branded Galaxy device. This year’s edition is the feature-packed Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and while it’s not the most surprising phone I’ve tested this year (hence its place at number 5), it is the most powerful and versatile of the bunch. It’s an everything phone — an all-you-can-eat buffet of top-end hardware and software.

Chief among the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new software features are Privacy Display and Super Steady Horizontal Lock. The former stops prying eyes from viewing content on your screen, while the latter stabilizes videos even when you turn the phone a full 360 degrees. I’m a die-hard Apple fan, but the iPhone 17 Pro doesn’t have either of these features, nor classic Samsung tools like DeX and the S Pen, so the Galaxy S26 Ultra feels like a cut above the current best iPhone when it comes to productivity.

Add in some customarily premium hardware specs, and you’ve got a formidable pocket companion — albeit one that will cost you an arm and a leg to own.

Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

4. Google Pixel 10a

• Release date: March 5
• Review rating: 4 / 5

Like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Google Pixel 10a is the definition of ‘iterative upgrade’, but it’s still my go-to recommendation for buyers looking for an affordable Android phone with great cameras. Google’s excellent Android software is just as good on this cheaper device as it is on the premium Google Pixel 10 Pro, and I’d go as far as to say that the 10a is actually the better-looking of the two phones (look at that flush camera!).

Sure, Google’s Tensor G4 chipset is underpowered compared to the midrange competition, and you don’t get any PixelSnap compatibility here, but at $499 / £499 / AU$849, it’s hard to argue against the Pixel 10a’s value for money. Its 6.3-inch Actua display is gorgeous, its two cameras are as good as anything you’ll find for the same price, and its AI-powered software features — from Camera Coach to Call Screen — are genuinely useful. Bravo, Google.

Read our in-depth Google Pixel 10a review

3. Motorola Edge 70 Fusion

• Release date: March 2
• Review rating: 4.5 / 5

I know what you’re thinking: the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion? Surely this little-known device — which isn’t even available in the US — is not my third-favorite phone of 2026 so far? Well, it is, if only because it surprised me (and our reviewer) so much in testing.

The Edge 70 Fusion costs just £379.99 / AU$499, but it looks like a flagship phone. It’s slim and lightweight for its large size, and boasts a nice textured finish on its rear panel. Its 6.78-inch display can reach 144Hz, and the 7,000mAh battery routinely got me through two days on a single charge. And don’t forget the IP68 and IP69 resistance ratings.

There are, of course, compromises. Motorola’s software continues to be… just OK, while the Edge 70 Fusion specifically is only due to receive three years of major software updates. But for such a low price, these shouldn’t be deal-breakers. The Edge 70 Fusion is my surprise package of 2026 so far, and it deserves more attention than it’s been given.

Read our in-depth Motorola Edge 70 Fusion review

2. Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

• Release date: March 19
• Review rating: 4.5 / 5

I recently played around with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro for an upcoming ‘best midrange phones’ video, and it floors the competition in terms of value for money.

As much as I love the Google Pixel 10a (as you’ll have read above), for the same price, Nothing’s latest a-series phone adds a 50MP telephoto camera, faster charging, and a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset into the mix. And best of all, the (4a) Pro is a thoroughly unique-looking device.

Nothing swapped the transparent rear panel of its other phones for an industrial, aluminum backplate on the (4a) Pro, making the huge camera module the star of the show. This module also features the gimmicky-but-fun Glyph Matrix introduced on the Nothing Phone 3, which, for me, has drawn as much attention in public places as the iPhone Air this year.

If the Google Pixel 10a is my safe value-for-money Android pick of 2026, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is my exciting value-for-money Android pick.

Read our in-depth Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review

1. Oppo Find X9 Ultra

• Release date: May 8
• Review rating: 4.5 / 5

And now we come to the Oppo Find X9 Ultra — my favorite phone of 2026 so far. This is the first Ultra-branded Oppo phone to ship outside of China (though it’s unfortunately still not available in the US), and it blows the competition out of the water in terms of camera performance.

Specifically, the Find X9 Ultra boasts a 200MP (f/1.5) main lens, a 50MP ultra-wide (f/2) lens, a 200MP 3x telephoto (f/2.2) lens, and a 50MP 10x telephoto (f/3.5) lens, which is the sort of combination we rarely see on even the best camera phones.

We recently compared the Oppo Find X9 Ultra against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the Chinese flagship won out in almost every category. My colleague, Tim, even compared the Oppo Find X9 Ultra to a Lumix TZ300 and Nikon Z8, and the phone absolutely held its own, particularly at 10x zoom.

Away from camera performance, the Find X9 Ultra boasts a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, a 6.8-inch OLED display, and an enormous 7,050mAh battery, so it doesn’t leave you wanting for power or endurance.

It’s heavy, it’s thick, and it’s eye-wateringly expensive, but the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is still the most exciting phone of 2026 so far.

Read our in-depth Oppo Find X9 Ultra review

I’ve been writing about fitness tech for years, and we’re finally at a point where more affordable fitness trackers are now every bit as capable as models that would have cost hundreds of dollars or pounds, little more just a few years ago. That’s not to say premium options don’t have their place too, but many of the standouts this year have certainly been on the cheaper end.

Whether it’s screenless devices showing less can be more, the latest iteration of the popular Oura Ring, or a pair of Amazfit options that can cut it with much more expensive models, here are the best fitness trackers in 2026 so far, in no particular order.

1. Google Fitbit Air

• Release date: May 26
• Rating: 4/5

Whoop bands are growing in popularity for their distraction-free, sensor-packed, highly comfortable nature, and Google didn’t want to be outdone.

The tech giant’s answer to Whoop’s popularity, the Google Fitbit Air’s companion app boasts an effective but controversial AI-powered premium tier for additional insights, courtesy of Google’s new AI Health Coach. However, even on the free tier, this comfortable tracker weighing just 12 grams and reasonably priced at $99.99 / £84.99 / AU$199 is well worth a look.

Its real strength is heart rate metrics, which are consistently impressive for a cheap device, and it includes FDA-certified background AFib detection for additional peace of mind.

Our main gripe (outside of the two-tier app offering) is that it lacks GPS, and therefore run data feels less accurate than we’d have liked – even at this price.

Watch our YouTube review of the Google Fitbit Air here:

2. Oura Ring 5

• Release date: June 4
• Rating: 4/5

From the low-priced end of the spectrum to the expensive, the Oura Ring 5 is the latest offering from the company that, if they’re not the only game in town, more or less popularised the smart ring form factor.

Starting at $399 / £399 / AU$649, it’s hardly cheap, but it does a great job of offering a less intrusive way of tracking your wellness and fitness. In fact, despite its size, the fact that it could easily be mistaken for a piece of jewellery, and how comfortable it is, it’s remarkably accurate, too.

With a week of tracking between charges (including sleep), it offers more color options and better connectivity (Bluetooth 6.0 vs 5.4) at the same price as the Samsung Galaxy Ring. It’s also somehow 40% smaller than the last generation of Oura Ring, while still matching up with a dedicated chest strap for heart tracking.

Watch our YouTube review of the Oura Ring 5 here:

3. Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro:

• Release date: April 16
• Rating: 4/5

When a company like Amazfit (one of the best budget tracker manufacturers) takes aim at the premium market, it’s wise to take notice. The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro offers a Garmin-like experience with a bunch of runner-focused tools like training plans and detailed metrics, all with marathon-tackling 31 hours of dual-band GPS tracking.

Using it day-to-day can get you 20 days of battery life, and while it is a fairly bulky watch on the wrist, it’s a much cheaper rival to Garmin offerings.

GPS tracking is solid, but offline maps could use some work. Still, if you’re a runner, this is one of the models to beat this year.

4. Amazfit Active 3 Premium

• Release date: February 26
• Rating: 5/5

Another Amazfit, sure, but if the Cheetah 2 Pro is too much for you, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium is well worth a look. Despite the name, it’s priced very reasonably at $169 / £169 / around AU$325), while still offering an AMOLED display, built-in GPS, and a fairly weighty (but comfortable) 54.6g chassis.

Battery life can run you for up to 12 days according to Amazfit (but I hit around 11 in testing), and the Zepp app has improved massively in recent years so it’s a very solid running companion with some bona fide coaching options.

You’ll likely want something a little more durable if you’re going off-trail, but what it lacks in ruggedness, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium makes up for by being a great-looking budget option.

5. Garmin Forerunner 70

• Release date: May 15
• Rating: 4/5

Reviewer Mike Sawh wasn’t kidding — the Garmin Forerunner 70 really might be better value than its more premium cousin, the Garmin Forerunner 170.

High praise indeed, but even without Garmin’s latest, more expensive sensors, it packs accurate metrics alongside an easy-to-read AMOLED display and physical buttons that make it easy to use, excellent sports tracking, and impressive training insights.

It does lose the affordability of the Garmin Forerunner 55, and doesn’t have smartwatch features like NFC payments, but for a runner it’s a great option that’s one of the year’s strongest.

Going anywhere nice this summer? If you have a trip planned, a tablet might be what's missing from your kit list. These packable computers can be loaded up with TV shows, games or movies, to provide hours of entertainment while you're on the move. As many parents may have already discovered, they can also be ideal for keeping young children occupied at times when running about / getting stuck into bigger games isn't possible or desirable.

At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of tablets over the years, and below I've rounded up our computing team's top recommendations for travel. What makes the perfect travel tablet? I've focused on options that aren't too big (it needs to be able to slip easily into a bag when not in use), offer good battery life, and aren't too pricey (just in case it gets dropped / sat on / spilled on). Because these tablets are predominantly for streaming, none of them are especially powerful or advanced — if you're looking for that type of slate, head to our general best tablet ranking for a wider range of options.

All clear? Let's get started. Click on the More details button to see more about why each pick is especially well-suited to travel, as well as a link to the full review for each one.

Top travel tablets

I’m a child of the DSLR era. Back in 2009, when I truly decided to make photography my career, if you wanted to be taken seriously as a digital pro, you had to have your eyes set on a high-end DSLR camera. My first love (creatively speaking) was a Nikon D80, then a Canon EOS 40D, at the time considered to be amongst the best DSLRs available, at least for enthusiasts.

However, it was the likes of the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and the Nikon D3 – the photographic equivalents of Concorde – that most aspiring professionals sought to own. These monster cameras were often as useful for weight training as for photography, and they looked as powerful as they did expensive.

Today, things are very different, and rather than bigger often being seen as better, the mirrorless age has reversed the formula. Compact is now king, and even professional-level cameras are a fraction of the weight of the mid-range models of yesteryear. Cameras have never been more powerful: armed with the latest in processor and autofocus technology, models like the Canon EOS R1 are able to capture images that would once have been considered impossible.

I recently had the opportunity to shoot the EOS R1 alongside the Canon EOS 1DX Mark III, bringing together the very best of each generation of Canon cameras. DSLR versus mirrorless.

The 1DX Mark III was the last pro Canon DSLR to roll off the production line, and it is still available to buy new today, despite being launched back in early 2020. But in digital terms, seven years is a long time, so can it hope to keep up with the new pinnacle of mirrorless tech?

Well, I couldn’t wait to find out, and I had a sneaking suspicion that specification alone wouldn’t be enough to change my mind about DSLRs being as relevant today as at the turn of the decade. To make the test as tricky as possible, I headed out for a spot of bird photography – arguably one of the biggest challenges for a camera’s speed and accuracy.

A pro camera for the modern age

There’s no denying it; the EOS R1 is a lot more manageable than the EOS 1DX Mark III. At 3.17lb / 1,440g, the DSLR is approximately 325g heavier than the mirrorless alternative, which might not sound much on paper, but it makes a significant real-world difference.

The body of the EOS R1 is also a lot narrower, which helps to give the impression of a less intimidating product. Using either of the cameras individually, they both seem large compared to other mirrorless models like the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, Sony A7 V, or Nikon Z6 III. However, the weight of the EOS 1DX Mark III wasn’t quite as much of a challenge as I remember.

Having used mid-range DSLRs and mirrorless cameras for several years now, I had expected the mammoth 1DX Mark III pro-spec body to put my core strength to the test, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I acclimatized. Paired with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, the setup was certainly noticeable around my neck, but it felt perfectly balanced. The EOS R1, meanwhile, seemed a bit more front-heavy when a larger lens was mounted, the center of gravity having shifted forward.

I quickly came to realise that balance was the biggest influence on comfort rather than overall weight. When a larger, heavier optic is required, I found the 1DX Mark III to be the better choice for me. This balance also made the setup more stable when shooting fast-moving subjects.

For example, when photographing birds in motion, it seemed easier to track the subject thanks to the camera and lens’ inertia. It’s a bit like having the tension on a tripod control turned up; smoother movements were possible, allowing me to keep my feathered subject in the viewfinder.

Of course, overall manageability is helped when pairing the mirrorless body with a mirrorless-first lens. Once I attached a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM zoom to the EOS R1, rather than an adapted EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM or EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, the center of gravity was shifted back towards the lens mount, restoring balance at an overall lower weight.

From a convenience perspective, the EOS R1 is a professional camera for the modern photographer. The weight of one camera might not fully demonstrate the mirrorless advantages, but since many pros will find themselves carrying two or possibly even three bodies, the EOS R1 will surely take a lower toll on the spine than the EOS 1DX Mark III over a full working day.

Handling like a dream

Let’s talk about something that can never be fully described in a camera’s press material or spec sheet: what the body actually feels like to operate. One aspect of a pro DSLR I’ve missed in recent years is an integrated vertical grip for portrait-format shooting.

Yes, it’s possible to add a battery grip to either a DSLR or mirrorless body – I always kept a Canon BG-E7 grip attached to my EOS 7D, while the BG-R20 can add power to an EOS R5 Mark II through holding multiple Canon LP-E6P batteries, alongside dedicated vertical controls – but the handling isn’t quite the same.

And while the EOS R1 and EOS R3 before it bring an integrated vertical grip, the balance still feels a little off to me. The deeper grips of the 1D Series were inherited from the later film SLRs, such as the EOS 1v and the beautiful EOS 3, and as such, they were designed to support the huge fast telephoto lenses of that era.

Therefore, the body of the 1DX Mark III is more contoured and properly gives the impression that the camera is an extension of the photographer’s arm – a big deal for fast-paced wildlife and sport photography.

Then there’s the build quality itself. Although the EOS R1 and other pro-spec mirrorless cameras like it are as robust as their DSLR predecessors on paper, the greater use of high-impact plastics does cheapen the overall feel. Now, I realise that perception might play a role in that aspect of the handling experience, but when you have invested tens of thousands of dollars in your kit, and when shooting important assignments, confidence is critical.

The 1DX Mark III, with its predominantly metal construction, just oozes quality and solidity. I was far more confident when caught out in a spring rain shower with the DSLR than the lighterweight but less metal-reliant EOS R1.

A race that DSLRs can’t win

Technology advances a long way in a short time, and seven years is more than enough time for a revolution to occur in autofocus, processing power, and operational reactivity. The EOS R1 is fast. Very fast. The EOS 1DX Mark III is obviously no slouch, but it simply can’t keep up with the latest Canon tech.

In practise, this means fewer missed shots, greater sharpness, and above all, better reliability on tough jobs. I’m not a professional wildlife photographer, so I haven’t developed the muscle memory needed for completely instinctive reactions when a possible image presents itself, as is the case for the top pros in this genre.

With the EOS R1, I felt as if the camera was taking on a much bigger role in my success rate than its older DSLR counterpart. When I did predict a super-fast reaction from my subjects, it was the EOS R1 I reached for more regularly. I just knew it would be able to track my subject in almost any conditions.

There is then the matter of noise footprint. When used in electronic shutter mode, the EOS R1 is silent, and I mean completely silent. By comparison, the audible ‘snap’ of the 1DX Mark III’s reflex mirror seemed like a percussion player had joined me in the hide. Did it spook more subjects than the R1 in this case?

Probably not, but if I were perched on a mountainside, and my Director from the BBC was asking if Sir David Attenborough could have an update on my Snow Leopard shots for his new documentary, I might reckon I’d take this matter quite seriously.

Then again, it’s worth remembering that the 1DX Mark III does essentially have a mirrorless workaround to this problem. In Live View mode, the mirror is locked in the up position, and unlike older models in the range, the on-sensor AF is virtually as good as the current R-system technology. This means no mirror noise, a super-fast 20fps burst rate, and no focusing compromises.

This brings me neatly onto why I think the last generation of pro DSLRs have a unique and currently unmatched advantage over every other mirrorless camera on the market.

EOS R1 vs EOS 1D X Mark III: conclusion

Many of the shortcomings we see in DSLRs these days, at least when comparing them to the latest mirrorless offerings, are not a flaw in the design. It’s an age thing. Yes, the Nikon D850 isn’t as fast to focus as the newer mirrorless Nikon Z 8, nor is the Nikon D6 able to rattle off shots as rapidly as the Nikon Z 9. But this is to be expected considering how much older those cameras are.

The manufacturers have had far more time for R&D in the intervening years, building on the very finest features of the last pro DSLRs and making them even better. The same is true of the EOS 1DX Mark III; of course the EOS R1 is faster and quieter, but this is as much due to years of extra development than it is because of the differences between the DSLR and mirrorless formats.

Most of the systems we see in Canon’s pro R-Series cameras were trialled on the last 1D EF-mount models. And that’s why I’d sooner choose a 1DX Mark III (or a D6) than the latest models available.

Functionally, there are relatively few differences in tech between the two camera types, meaning you get almost all of the same features with the advantages of an optical viewfinder, almost double the battery life, and deeper handgrips, if they are your preference.

I often think of the last DSLR camera generation as the golden age of digital photography; the technology was prepared for the mirrorless revolution, but the cameras retained the tactile experience of classic types. The EOS R1 might have more firepower, but the EOS 1DX Mark III has more stamina and an unbeatable user experience.

For years now, vendors have been competing on benchmark scores, inference speed and model capabilities as businesses try to work out where AI can fit in with their daily workflows, but experimentation has evolved into actual deployment and what’s important is changing.

Accuracy and measurable business outcome is now more important than ever, with questions around return on investment, accountability and governance being raised across all sectors.

This is especially important in ecommerce, for example, where AI-generated imagery must be totally accurate. Marketers no longer have any qualms over using AI to produce ad variants and subtle market tweaks, but the quality of the output needs to be consistently high to ensure that the product is being accurately reflected.

Even the smallest changes in color, texture or dimensions can have major reputational risks, like a drop in customer trust or a rise in product returns. We already know that poorly executed AI strategies reduce customer trust, and that a lack of branding consistency also undermines the perception of a brand.

AI usage patterns are changing buying habits

But this challenge is also playing out as pricing models for AI subscriptions evolve. The boom started off with seat-based pricing and token consumption models, but we’re entering a new era where wasted AI is no longer being chargeable.

Zendesk, for example, recently announced that it would only be charging its customers when they realized verified outcomes, and Photoroom CEO Matt Rouif believes this pricing strategy could be a big hit for AI customers as customers shift from capability-led adoption to assurance-led adoption.

To explore how enterprise attitudes toward pricing and generative AI outputs are shifting, how organizations are measuring success, and why assurance and accountability are growing in importance, I spoke with Rouif.

• How are enterprise buyers’ expectations of generative AI changing as adoption matures?

As generative AI moves from experimentation into production, enterprise buyers are becoming far more focused on control, accountability and measurable business outcomes.

The first phase of adoption was largely about proving that AI could generate a credible output, whereas the current phase is about whether those outputs can be trusted inside commercial workflows, where accuracy and reliability directly influence customer experience and business performance.

Increasingly, enterprise leaders are asking more about governance than model capacity, assessing how outputs are evaluated and where accountability sits when something goes wrong.

In e-commerce, this is significant because a product visual is a central part of the buying decision. If an AI-generated image changes a colour, or alters or removes a detail, the issue moves beyond creative quality and becomes one of product fidelity, with direct implications for consumer trust, returns and commercial performance.

Our marketplace research reflects that changing expectation, with 55% of consumers saying poorly executed AI-generated or heavily edited product images make them trust an online marketplace less, while 77% expect marketplaces themselves to ensure product listings are accurate and trustworthy.

The same thinking is increasingly shaping enterprise procurement, where organisations are moving beyond asking whether AI can generate an output and toward whether those outputs can meet agreed commercial standards at scale.

That broader shift is turning assurance into a procurement consideration, with enterprise buyers increasingly expecting AI vendors to define quality standards upfront and stand behind outputs once they are operating inside live commercial workflows.

• What are organisations using to measure whether AI initiatives are delivering meaningful business value?

The way organisations measure AI is changing significantly, with early adoption often judged by visible output and perceived model capability, while today the discussion sits much closer to traditional business performance.

Leadership teams are now focused on whether AI can make production materially more efficient, less resource-intensive and more commercially useful. The question is no longer how much AI can produce, but how much of that output is genuinely usable inside a live enterprise workflow.

In e-commerce, that distinction becomes particularly important because production does not end when an image is generated. If teams still need extensive manual review, correction and quality assurance before an asset reaches a customer, the bottleneck has simply moved downstream rather than disappeared altogether.

Enterprise buyers are therefore placing much greater emphasis on output readiness than output volume, measuring whether AI-generated assets are accurate enough to be deployed with confidence rather than simply generated at scale.

Similarly, commercial standards are becoming a more meaningful measure of AI maturity than generation quality alone, reinforced by our March 2026 buyer analysis, which reflects 37% of enterprise buyers name inaccurate visuals as their top pain point in AI visual production.

The analysis reflects a clear organisational requirement for a distinct framework determining whether outputs are fit for purpose before they become customer-facing.

• What challenges remain when deploying AI-generated content in commercial environments at scale?

The biggest challenge is that commercial deployment exposes the difference between generating content and governing it. A single AI-generated image can appear convincing in isolation, but enterprise commerce depends on thousands, and often millions, of assets being accurate enough to support purchasing decisions.

Scale magnifies small inconsistencies, and those inconsistencies quickly become operational and commercial risks rather than creative ones. As a result, enterprise organisations are increasingly investing in validation as much as generation.

Small changes to a product’s colour, shape or packaging may pass a superficial creative review while still misrepresenting the product itself.

Our marketplace research reflects the commercial importance of that challenge, with 63% of consumers saying variation in product imagery, branding or presentation makes a seller or marketplace appear unreliable, while 51% believe marketplace listings often look acceptable but still fail to give them complete confidence in what they are buying.

At catalogue scale, those numbers represent a significant volume of assets that look passable on review but carry real commercial risk once they reach customers.

The unresolved enterprise challenge is therefore not simply producing better AI outputs but building systems capable of catching and correcting failures before they become customer-facing.

• How should businesses balance creative flexibility with consistency, accuracy and reliability in AI-generated outputs?

Businesses should think of product truth as the fixed foundation, with creative flexibility built around it rather than replacing it. AI is exceptionally good at adapting content for different channels, audiences and formats, but those creative decisions should never compromise the factual attributes of the product itself.

The practical way to operationalise that distinction is to define upfront which product attributes are locked - colour, dimensions, materials, key details, and which elements sit within the creative range.

That gives teams a clear framework for evaluating outputs rather than relying on subjective review at the point of approval.

Our research suggests consumers are already making that distinction themselves, with only 33% of UK consumers saying they are comfortable with AI-enhanced product images if clearly labelled, while 41% disagree.

That result matters because it shows transparency alone is not sufficient - the more important question is whether customers believe the image accurately represents what they will receive. For enterprise organisations, that means the governance framework has to be built around factual accuracy as the primary standard, with creative flexibility operating within those boundaries rather than alongside them.

• Where do specialist AI tools add value compared with more general-purpose AI models for enterprise workflows?

General-purpose models have dramatically expanded what AI can create, but enterprise deployment depends on much more than generation capability alone.

Organisations increasingly need systems that understand the commercial context in which those outputs will be used and can support quality evaluation, workflow integration and consistency at scale.

The value therefore shifts from the model itself to the operating system built around it. A general-purpose model may produce an attractive product image, but enterprise teams also need confidence that the product remains accurate, consistent at catalogue scale and that failures can be identified before assets become customer-facing.

The long-term value of specialist AI therefore comes less from producing visually impressive outputs and more from solving repeatable commercial problems. In visual production, that means building systems capable of evaluating product fidelity, reducing manual review and creating structured validation processes that organisations can rely upon consistently at scale, rather than depending solely on subjective human approval.

• What forms of accountability or assurance are enterprise customers increasingly looking for from AI vendors?

Enterprise buyers are increasingly looking for AI vendors that can operate within clearly defined commercial standards rather than simply offering more capable models. That means agreeing success criteria before deployment, evaluating outputs transparently and creating clear processes for handling exceptions when outputs fall short.

As AI becomes embedded within operational workflows, assurance is becoming every bit as important as capability. A failed AI output during experimentation is largely an inconvenience, whereas a failed output inside a live commercial environment can affect customer trust, listing performance and revenue.

Our marketplace research reinforces why this is becoming a board-level discussion, with 51% of consumers saying they would switch to a different marketplace entirely if another platform offered clearer, more accurate product images, while 62% believe marketplaces should actively help sellers improve listing quality.

That expectation increasingly extends beyond marketplaces to the technology providers supporting them, with buyers beginning to look for accountability mechanisms that resemble those expected from other enterprise software providers.

• Looking ahead, what do you see as the next major shift in enterprise AI adoption over the next 12–24 months?

Over the next 12 to 24 months, I expect enterprise AI adoption to move decisively from capability-led adoption to assurance-led adoption.

Businesses will continue to care about model quality, speed and efficiency, but those attributes will become increasingly expected rather than differentiating.

The organisations creating the greatest value will be those capable of embedding AI into revenue-critical workflows with confidence, governance and measurable accountability.

In practical terms, that means much greater emphasis on evaluation, validation and operational trust. Enterprise buyers will increasingly ask how outputs are verified, how failures are handled, how responsibility is shared and how AI systems integrate into existing governance frameworks.

Commerce is likely to be one of the first industries where that transition becomes visible because consumers remain cautious about AI within the buying journey. Our research found that only 24% of consumers already use, or are happy to use, AI tools to help them shop online, while 59% remain uncomfortable doing so.

The next chapter of enterprise AI will therefore be defined less by what models can generate and more by whether organisations can deploy those outputs repeatedly, responsibly and with confidence.

OpenAI has begun discussions about giving the US government a 5% stake in the company, according to an FT report, with CEO Sam Altman supposedly raising the idea as a method for smoothing relations with the Trump administration.

Of course, right now there is no agreement or deal, and no guarantee the idea will ever move beyond conversations. Any arrangement would almost certainly require political support and significant legal work before it could become reality. Still, the fact that OpenAI is even entertaining the conversation tells us something about how seriously artificial intelligence is now being treated, both in Silicon Valley and in Washington.

The first reaction many people had was understandable. If the government owns part of OpenAI, does that mean ordinary Americans somehow get a share too? It's an appealing thought when AI companies are attracting eye-watering valuations while promising to reshape the economy. Unfortunately, that's not exactly a likely outcome, no matter what the intentions.

AI economy access

The reports suggest Sam Altman has discussed a model inspired by Alaska's Permanent Fund, which invests state oil revenues and distributes annual payments to residents. It's an odd framing of AI as a natural resource instead of a software business. Bullish AI fans insisting it will be economically transformative might see it that way, and if they're right, perhaps some of that value should eventually flow back to the public, many of whom have helped incrementally train the models through use.

But the government owning shares in OpenAI wouldn't automatically translate into everyone getting a check. Financial benefits would depend on lots of little details, including whether profits were distributed at all, and if they'd go to public services or even the national debt over your own bank account.

Despite being just a hint of a rumor of a conversation, the questions are worth taking seriously. AI companies are asking society to embrace changes that could alter workplaces, education, healthcare, and entire industries. It is not unreasonable for people to wonder whether they should share in the wealth created by those changes.

Power at stake

There is another reason these discussions matter, and it may prove even more significant than the financial side. OpenAI has become part of a broader conversation about national economics and technological leadership. Governments around the world increasingly see advanced AI as strategic infrastructure rather than another consumer technology.

That helps explain why OpenAI might want a closer relationship with Washington. AI companies already rely on government decisions. Those connections are likely to become even more important as AI models grow larger and more expensive to build.

But governments are expected to regulate powerful companies fairly and independently. Becoming a shareholder in one of those companies could make that relationship look unethical, even with the best will in the world. Public trust often depends as much on appearances as on legal structures. Especially since there's even less sense that OpenAI's competitors like Google, Anthropic, or Meta will follow suit.

A government stake does not automatically mean the public owns part of OpenAI in any meaningful way, and it certainly does not guarantee anyone will personally benefit. So even if the proposal starts to become more real, skepticism and a close eye on any actual agreements is a healthy approach.

As someone who loved Batman: Arkham Asylum back when it originally launched, it might surprise you that I never got around to playing Arkham City or Arkham Knight until very recently. Despite all the hype for Arkham City that you still read online, it was Knight that genuinely wowed me. It's a near-perfect Batman game, and believe me, that near is carrying a lot of weight.

Playing Arkham Knight is like being given a key to the DC vaults in game form. The cast is deeper and richer than a chocolate layer cake, with villains ranging from the Joker (somehow returning) to Firefly, all getting their moment in the sun.

Over the course of the many hours that you'll spend in Gotham, you'll fight all of them to some degree, and learn about their particular plans, foibles, and personalities through radio broadcasts aimed at riling up the Bat.

I'm like a bat, I always fly away

And what a joy it is to spend time in this depiction of Gotham. It's split across three large islands, each about as big as the entire Arkham City map, and you're given some fantastic traversal mechanics to help make your journeys easier. Chief among these is the Grapnel Boost, upgraded from its debut in City to make launching off platforms a way to gain significant altitude very quickly.

Then you have the Batmobile, which is, in my view, unfairly maligned. It's fine, as it goes, even if the vehicle handling is far from perfect, and it's also largely secondary to most of your traversal. When you do need it for a puzzle or a mission, it's easy to summon and then easily dismissed. Even the car combat, which many seem to hate, didn't bother me.

Sure, it's not as fun as the hand-to-hand stuff, not by a long shot, but it's a means to an end and never overstays its welcome.

There is one particularly sticky sticking point, however. One thing that almost ruins the game and that's the Riddler challenges, and how the game integrates them into the plot.

Everyone's least favourite genius has an entire mission tree dedicated to him, which is actually pretty fun. He's captured Catwoman, and you need to solve a series of challenges to set her free. Do so, and the mission is over, and you can hand him over to the authorities, right? Nah. Not by a long way.

The game seems to think that you'll love the Riddler challenges so much that just doing the 10 trials to free Catwoman won't be enough. If you want to clap the Riddler in irons, you'll need to find every Riddler trophy, solve all of his riddles, destroy every breakable object, and save every rioter who had a bomb implanted in his brain by the Riddler. That sounds ridiculous, but doable. Let me explain why it's not: there are so many of these. There are 243 challenges in total.

None of them are particularly difficult by themselves, but I didn't save Catwoman until I was close to the end of the game, and had found about 10 Riddler trophies and saved one bomb rioter. As I looked at the scope of the challenge ahead of me, the sheer time that it would take me to complete all of them, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. This game has just singlehandedly ensured that there is a boss fight that I will never see. I will never fight the Riddler mano-a-mano, and I'm quite okay with that, valuing my time more than a fight that many hail as a series highlight.

If only it ended there. I'd be fine missing a snippet of content, but no, it's worse than that. If you want to see the true ending of the game, the game that you've likely put 40-50 hours into by this point, you'll need to pony up a bunch more hours and complete all of the Riddler challenges. That's right: if you want to see all those hours converted into a narratively satisfying ending, you need to go on a hidden object hunt across the length and breadth of the map.

Or, you could do what I did, and just watch the true ending on YouTube and save yourself a lot of time.

Knight and day

It's a real shame that the game's decided to lock up its ending behind such a convoluted set of tasks that aren't even very fun to do. The riddles are tolerable, but not stellar, while the Trophies are just a collectible with a tiny puzzle attached.

It's as though Assassin's Creed Shadows hid the ending away until you'd found every shrine and painted every animal, and it is patently absurd. It's a far more serious sin than giving you vehicle combat that, while fairly tedious, never lasts that long.

None of this detracts enough from the otherwise towering highs of Arkham Knight. It's a brilliant game with the best traversal and combat mechanics in the entire series. It trades the tight, claustrophobic (and coulrophobic) spaces of Asylum for a sweeping open world that is packed with villains, without landing on an unsatisfying halfway house as City did. It's got a great big bad, a wonderfully diverse set of environments, several playable characters, and is now cheap as chips. I had a huge heaping helping of fun with it.

So please, play Arkham Knight if you've not already, as you're in for a treat. Just don't try to go for the true ending if you value your sanity. Savor the gameplay, then open up YouTube.