• Panama vs England Kick-Off time: Saturday, June 27 | 10pm BST / 5pm ET / 7am AEST (Sun)
• Watch free on ITV(UK) / SBS (AUS) / CazéTV's YouTube (Brazil)
• Unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

England will aim to tick off the first target of their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, against Panama in New Jersey – and you can watch the game from anywhere for free.

The Three Lions still have work to do to top of Group L after second-fixture syndrome struck again in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Ghana in Boston on Tuesday. That's now four successive tournaments in which England have failed to win their middle group game. The last time the Three Lions did so at a tournament was back in 2018 when they thrashed today's opponents 6-1 with Harry Kane bagging a hat-trick. A repeat seals top spot, meaning the Three Lions will play one of the best third-place teams. But if they finish second it would Group K runners-up, probably Colombia or Portugal. Gulp.

Panama's 1-0 defeat by Croatia last time out means they cannot progress to the knockout stage, but they have more than just pride to play for. Los Canaleros are still waiting for their first World Cup point at the sixth attempt. They were seconds away from a precious draw in their opening game against Ghana, only to concede at the death, while they were arguably the better side before the break against 2018 finalists Croatia, which will give them hope heading into this one. A result of any sort would go down as one of the great World Cup shocks.

So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch Panama vs England for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

How to watch Panama vs England for free

Panama vs England is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

• 🇬🇧 UK: ITV(English commentary)
• 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• 🇨🇦 Canada: CTV (TV login required)
• 🇫🇷 France: M6
• 🇮🇪 Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: NOS
• 🇵🇦 Panama: RPC
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• 🇹🇷 Turkey: TRT

Abroad? Can't access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN — more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch Panama vs England live streams

It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual Panama vs England stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:

How to watch Panama vs England in the US

US viewers can watch Panama vs England on Fox and Telemundo (Spanish comms).

You can watch every World Cup game on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo, which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch Panama vs England on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is available via Peacock as well.

Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).

How to watch Panama vs England in the UK

UK customers are in luck as they can stream Panama vs England for free on ITV. Live coverage is on ITV1 and ITVX.

Use Norton VPN to unlock your local stream if you're traveling abroad today.

Don't forget: you require a TV license and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).

How to watch Panama vs England in Australia

Panama vs England will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.

The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.

Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.

How to watch Panama vs England in Canada

In Canada, TSN and free-to-air channel CTV will be broadcasting Panama vs England.

You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

CTV will require TV provider login details for you to watch for free online.

Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

Panama vs England: Match Information

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

• Croatia vs Ghana Kick-Off time: Saturday, June 27 | 10pm BST / 5pm ET / 7am AEST (Sun)
• Watch free on ITV(UK) / SBS (AUS) / CazéTV's YouTube (Brazil)
• Unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

Croatia face another test of nerve as they take on a miserly Ghana side in the final round of Group L fixtures at the FIFA World Cup 2026 – and you can watch the game from anywhere for free.

After reaching the 2018 final and the last four in 2022, the Vatreni have been a slow burner this tournament. An entertaining 4-2 defeat by England in their opening game was followed by a crucial 1-0 win over Panama, in which inspirational captain Luka Modric won his 200th senior international cap. The game in Philadelphia is effectively a play-off to see who qualifies in second place from Group L – assuming England beat Panama in the other fixture – and who will be relying on progressing as one of the best third-place teams. Manager Zlatko Dalic will be confident, his side having come through plenty of high-stakes games in the past decade.

Beating Ghana is no mean feat, though, as England will tell you. The Black Stars held the Three Lions to a 0-0 draw in Boston on Tuesday as they kept their second successive clean sheet at this World Cup, following a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Panama. Ghana may even feel hard done by after Ezri Konsa appeared to foul Prince Kwabena Adu in the penalty area late on, but celebrated nevertheless at full-time after effectively booking their knockout place for the first time since they reached the 2010 quarter-finals. Carlos Queiroz's men just need a point to guarantee a runners-up spot that would almost certainly mean Colombia or Portugal in the last 32.

So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch Croatia vs Ghana for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana for free

Croatia vs Ghana is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

• 🇬🇧 UK: ITV(English commentary)
• 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• 🇭🇷 Croatia: HRT
• 🇩🇪 Germany: ZDF
• 🇬🇭 Ghana: GTV
• 🇮🇪 Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: NOS
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• 🇹🇷 Turkey: TRT

Abroad? Can't access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN — more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch Croatia vs Ghana live streams

It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual Croatia vs Ghana stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana in the US

US viewers can watch Croatia vs Ghana on FS1.

You can watch every World Cup game on Fox and FS1 which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch Croatia vs Ghana on Fox One (3-day free trial).

Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana in the UK

UK customers are in luck as they can stream Croatia vs Ghana for free on ITV. Live coverage is on ITV4 and ITVX.

Use Norton VPN to unlock your local stream if you're traveling abroad today.

Don't forget: you require a TV license and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana in Australia

Croatia vs Ghana will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.

The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.

Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana in Canada

In Canada, TSN will be broadcasting Croatia vs Ghana.

You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

Croatia vs Ghana: Match Information

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

VPNs offer features and tools to boost your video streaming performance, and some of those are particularly handy for the World Cup.

Anyone using a VPN to get around local broadcast restrictions might still encounter problems if the free World Cup streaming service they're trying to use is blocking access from the IP address that their VPN server has issued.

That can happen before you try to stream or even part way through the match itself. Either way, that's a pain and, with some VPNs, that means disconnecting from the server and then trying out a bunch of others until you identify one that works, but some VPN providers can save you the hassle.

We particularly like the technology that Norton VPN has introduced in time for the 2026 World Cup. It's called Manual IP Rotation and it allows you to ‘rotate’ your VPN’s IP address to another location within the same country, without interrupting the encrypted tunnel you’re streaming through.

Put simply, it’s a one-button solution to streaming services blocking your VPN’s IP. The idea is that you connect once and then never have your World Cup stream interrupted again.

Norton has a 60-day money-back guarantee, so even if you still find that it doesn't work for your needs, you can just get a refund. But do try it out before kick-off just in case, please.

In terms of the competition, Surfshark is our pick for the best cheap VPN service and comes with its own IP rotation system thanks its Nexus technology, which connects all of its VPN servers together in one network.

And if your streaming service has a specific server on lockdown, NordVPN’s massive network of servers could offer a working alternative.

Sometimes I feel like the only person who actually liked Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Sure, the old third-person shooter isn’t exactly the most fun to play — but that’s entirely the point.

It’s the gory swansong of two disgusting men, presented entirely through the low-res lens of a handheld camcorder that intentionally leaves you disoriented as you navigate the towering concrete skyscrapers of Shanghai. The game does everything it can to overwhelm, with its fragmented plot told almost entirely in a language that you can’t even understand.

The whole experience is devoted to being as unapologetically miserable as possible, and that’s exactly what makes it so alluring. Like a grimy slasher movie, you just can’t look away. In my eyes, there’s never really been an experience quite like it. That is until now.

Pure rage

When an ad for Better Than Dead came across my Instagram feed, I instantly knew it was just what I’ve been looking for. The camcorder perspective is the most obvious similarity, although unlike Kane & Lynch 2, the camera in Better Than Dead is being held by the protagonist, so everything unfolds in first-person.

The storytelling is just as raw. The game opens on a visual of a bright blue sky, distorted by the fisheye lens and film grain effects. This serene scene is nothing more than a clever visual trick, a poster plastered to the wall of the cell where our young woman protagonist has been confined.

You look around to discover a mattress covered in blood, gross scraps of discarded food, a filthy squat toilet, and an alluring side table bathed in light from a little lamp.

On it, you find a pistol, accompanied by an unknown message in Chinese and a drawing of a bird fleeing a cage. You don’t need a translation to know the stakes: something horrible is happening here, and this gun is your only way to escape.

From there, your rampage begins, sprinting through the corridors of what turns out to be a dodgy porn studio, gunning down members of the triad before eventually bursting out onto the street.

After this, each level has you infiltrating other triad-affiliated locations, like seedy restaurants or shifty back alleys, to take out every gang member in sight. It’s paced almost like a first-person Hotline Miami, with dense layouts and tricky enemy placements that require at least a few goes to learn the ropes, and an emphasis on speed and brutality.

You’ve got a slick slide that helps dodge incoming fire and offers a sliver of bullet time — vital for success as you die in just two hits.

Back for more

The gunplay isn’t exactly simple, though. Although our protagonist is fueled by pure rage, she’s still untrained with firearms, with swaying hands that make it difficult to land hits on target. Mercifully, ammunition is unlimited, so dumping a whole magazine in the general direction of enemies is the way to go.

Can it be frustrating? Incredibly, but that only increases the satisfaction of pulling off the perfect massacre. Throw in the fact that the game isn’t afraid to touch on some pretty dark subject matter, and I’m feeling the same rush that had me so in love with Kane & Lynch 2.

I can’t fault the presentation either. If you can look past the crude menu UI, the total lack of on-screen icons in the game lends the action a cinematic, realistic feel. The strong camcorder effects and wise decision to pixelate characters’ faces (facial animation is usually a sticking point for lower budget games) do a great job of smoothing out the visuals. Squint, and you could even mistake what’s on screen for real video footage.

The sound design is impeccable as well. Gunfire is meaty, and enemies scream in pain when they’re shot, often dropping to the floor and twitching a little before you finish them off. Given that all of this comes from a solo developer and costs just $14.99 / £13.75 / AU$ 20.95, it’s a pretty impressive achievement.

Better Than Dead is currently in early access via Steam and is receiving frequent updates. There are only a handful of levels now, but in the time I’ve owned the game, the developer has already added the start of a hub world with a handy practice firing range and is constantly tuning things based on player feedback.

Kayne and Lynch 2 fans (I know there are potentially dozens of us out there), this is one to watch.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming: two-minute review

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is a multi-platform gaming headset aimed at the more affordable end of the gaming market. It offers a low-latency connection, a fold-to-mute mic, and spatial audio for a much more manageable price than many of the premium pads on the market. But does it deliver on everything it promises?

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming’s build isn’t bad, all things considered. I’m not a huge fan of the plastic on its earcups or how rattly it can be — both make it feel a bit cheap and flimsy — while the adjustable headband doesn’t really go tight enough for people with smaller heads. But the fabric section of the headband and the faux leather cups are really comfortable: despite a tiny bit of sweatiness, I found them comfortable enough to wear for the best part of a day.

Sound quality on the VR3000 EX is really solid: trebles feel crisp enough to give everything real immediacy, while the mids have sufficient clarity that I could easily differentiate the different roars of demons I gunned my way through in Doom. The only area where I’d say the headset doesn’t quite match pace with the best wireless gaming headsets out there is bass. It would be nice if guns had a little more boom — unless I’ve really misunderstood, the F in BFG9000 does not stand for ‘feeble’.

On paper, the VR3000 EX has some pretty great features for its price point, but I found this was the point it really struggled to deliver. Although Final talks a good game about the headset’s spatial audio, in practice the only dimension I really found had strong differentiation was left / right, with noises behind me being harder to pinpoint and there seemingly being no height effect that I could detect at all.

The headset’s Footstep Clarity Mode is a similar story. While creeping around the Dust II map on Counter-Strike 2, I found detecting the footfalls of rivals to be pretty easy, which is great. However, I couldn’t really appreciate a significant difference in this, whether the mode was enabled or not. It seems churlish to complain about this, given footsteps were still easy to hear, but I’m just not sure how much this feature actually adds.

I will give Final less faint praise over the headset’s foldaway mic though. Testing it out, I found it did a pretty creditable job of picking up my voice and its fold-to-mute functionality worked well to stifle the recording, even though there was a slight lag of a little under a second for it to kick in. However, it doesn’t seem to have a near-field mic or significant noise gating, as when it was recording it absolutely picked up the background music I was playing and the clack of my keyboard.

And whatever quibbles I may have about the VR3000 EX’s other features, I was pretty blown away by its battery life. During my battery tests, I found that Final was pretty on the money with its 55-hour estimate for this headset. That blows even many more premium headsets out of the water for longevity and means you’re unlikely to need to charge it more than once a week, even if you’re gaming for a significant proportion of each day.

Everything is relative. Given its price, I’d usually be pretty generous with the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming. And it doesn’t get everything wrong: it has decent enough mids and trebles and a good stereo field. But bass is pretty lacking and many of the features it professes to have are almost imperceptible. In light of that, I’d argue another budget option like the Corsair HS55 Wireless might serve you better instead.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: price & release date

• Launched on December 12, 2025
• List price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259
• But it’s already on sale for £69.99 in the UK

Released on December 12, 2025, Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is available now. While it originally went on sale at a list price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259, it’s already showing up for a fair amount less in some regions. You can currently pick it up for as little as £69.99 in the UK, which is a pretty low price for a gaming headset.

As for your options at that price, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that there’s not a whole load of customizability and it only comes in one colorway, black. On the plus side, there aren’t loads of different versions for different platforms: the one version of the VR3000 EX is compatible with PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, although unfortunately there’s no Xbox Series X / S compatibility.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: specs

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: design / features

• Comfortable to wear
• Not all materials feel that premium
• Epic battery life
• Quite loose fitting

Given its price, it’s not surprising that the Final VR3000 EX’s build quality seems a little on the cheap side. Not only does the textured plastic on their cups feel pretty low quality, but they are incredibly rattly when you handle them, which doesn’t speak to a tremendously robust construction. On the plus side, they didn’t seem to rattle at all when they were on my head.

Additionally, the fabric headband and faux leather earcups are delightfully soft, meaning I actually found the VR3000 EX to be surprisingly comfortable. I wore them on and off for much of a day, and they didn’t start to squish my ears, a problem I’ve always found with cheaper headphones and headsets. However, I will say the faux leather gets decidedly sweaty during longer use, particularly during tense first-person shooters.

I’m less convinced by the VR3000 EX’s fit, unfortunately. While the clamping force feels just about right, it’s not all that easy to adjust the stiff adjustable headband while the headset is on your dome. And Final seems to have modeled this headset around Mr Mackey from South Park — I have a pretty big head and yet the VR3000 EX only just about felt stable on the shortest setting, while one of my smaller-skulled colleagues definitely found he couldn’t get it small enough for it to feel comfortable.

All of its controls are on the left earcup. There’s an on switch, the volume dial, a Mode button that lets you switch between Bluetooth and USB mode — as well as play/pause media and answer/end calls — and the Control button, which allows you to trigger Footstep Clarity Mode. Each button has a clicky enough action to provide decent tactile feedback, while the volume dial is lightly notched to make increasing the volume feel nicely precise. However, I will say that they’re positioned close enough that it’s not always easy to know right away which button is which by feel alone.

The app for the Final VR3000 EX is pretty limited. It has three features: it enables you to update the headset’s firmware, switch on Footstep Clarity Mode, and provides access to Final’s EQ settings. While it’s hard to justify using the app just for the Footstep Clarity Mode, the 10-band EQ that’s included is pretty decent, even if I’m not all that convinced that the impact of the lowest 31Hz is really that appreciable. So while it’s not like you need to rush to download this, it’s still useful so I’ll count this one as a bonus.

A far more unequivocal win for the VR3000 EX though is its battery life. Final quotes its total life as being up to 55 hours, and this was borne out by my testing. I set it streaming music constantly for six hours, and during that time the battery only dropped to 90% — a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put its total life at 60 hours. So even factoring in that battery discharge curves aren’t necessarily regular, I’d say 55 hours is a perfectly reasonable expectation for how long this headset should last you.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: performance

• Good sound performance, even if bass is weaker
• Spatial audio claims totally overblown
• Not sure Footstep Clarity mode adds much

Design and features are all well and good. But where the rubber meets the road for a gaming headset is whether those things translate into a good sonic performance in-game. And, sadly, when you actually take the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming for a test drive, it doesn’t quite deliver on the expectations it’s set for itself.

The VR3000 EX sounds very decent, but it is a little uneven in how it handles the balance of frequencies. On the plus side, it has a good level of bite in the high-end. The screams of the possessed when I was playing Doom were immediate enough to be rattling, while the whine of my chainsaw as I carved up imps felt sufficiently realistic.

But it’s when it comes to bass that the VR3000 EX is a little more lacking. When I tested the Turtle Beach Atlas 200, I heaped praise on it for the almighty boom that issued when I was clicking heads with the sniper rifle in Counter-Strike 2. With the VR3000 EX, it almost felt like I was playing a different game, with the game’s rifles having scarcely any more impact than my dual Berettas. While that has a very limited impact on your kill ratio in-game, it does make the whole thing feel a lot less immersive.

Speaking of, Final spends a lot of time hyping up the VR3000 EX’s spatial audio skills in its product description. And yet I’d say rumors of its immersiveness have been greatly exaggerated.

On the one hand, the VR3000 EX has a pretty creditable stereo field, with action occurring on either side of me always feeling pretty easy to pinpoint. Whether I was trying to spot where an inbound explosive engineer was charging from or fleeing from hell knights in Doom, the VR3000 EX generally made it easy to tell which side their howls and roars came from.

Unfortunately, I can’t say Final’s headset fares as well in other dimensions. There’s just enough variation in footsteps in front and behind you that I could tell which was which when giving it my full attention — but in the heat of battle, I’m not sure how useful I actually found these subtle cues. And while Final explicitly mentions height effects on its site, I could not spot any significant difference at all between action happening above me and gunfights happening right under my nose.

Honestly, that’s fine: I do not expect accomplished Dolby Atmos-style effects from hardware that costs roughly the same dough as a couple of AAA computer games. But I do wish brands would stop denuding the term spatial audio of its meaning by using it as a marketing gimmick.

Sadly, the VR3000 EX also treads a pretty similar path with its Footstep mode. While engaged in a free-for-all deathmatch in Counter-Strike 2, the headset did a perfectly adequate job of allowing me to pick out my rivals’ footfall and react accordingly. So far, so good, right? Except during this match I switched Footstep mode on and off many times, and I genuinely couldn’t spot whether I was actually getting an enhanced sense of steps or whether it was largely just a placebo.

One area I’ll happily give the VR3000 EX its due, though, is its connectivity. Using its USB dongle, I honestly couldn’t detect any latency between kills onscreen and the crack of gunfire. While an effective low-latency mode is pretty common with gaming headsets, it’s still a welcome feature on a headset this affordably priced. Even when connected via Bluetooth, the audio wasn’t remotely laggy and enabled me to respond pretty quickly to what was going on around me. So it definitely gets some points there.

And as long as you don’t have particularly high expectations, the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic works well enough as well. Its action is smooth, and the fold-to-mute function absolutely works, meaning you can be sure no one is overhearing you when you want a bit of privacy — although there is a lag of around a second before it mutes, so bear that in mind. Unfortunately, though, sound quality isn’t great, with my voice sounding a little bit on the tinnier side, and there’s no noise-gating that I can tell, meaning friends and foes online will be able to hear any background chatter or music in your room.

Should I buy the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if...

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: also consider

How I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming

• Tested over a week
• Tried out on a range of titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom
• Have 10 years experience writing about audio and 35 of gaming

I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming over the course of a week. I paired it with my desktop PC at home, my MacBook Pro M4 and TechRadar’s Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop. I then tested it out with multiple titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom, as well as listening to some playlists on Apple Music.

In terms of specifics, I tested out the spatial audio in multiple Counter-Strike 2 deathmatches and tried switching the Footstep Clarity Mode on and off to see how much difference that made to how perceptible opponents’ positions were. I recorded myself while talking, typing, and playing music to test the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic, as well as folding it away to test how effectively it muted incoming audio.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been writing about and testing audio gadgets for over ten years now, as well as using audio gear to produce and listen to music. I’ve been playing games on a daily basis since they were all 8-bit, sharing my time pretty evenly between console, handheld and PC gaming. And yet, it turns out, I still get thoroughly mogged when playing Counter-Strike 2, which I blame on my middle-aged reflexes.

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

With AI undoubtedly revolutionizing the way many office jobs get done, the effects new technology is having on blue-collar jobs often flies under the radar.

But it is in these hands-on industries where AI can really make a difference, boosting not only productivity and efficiency, but also improving safety and worker welfare.

At its recent Samsara Beyond 2026 conference, I saw first-hand some of the new AI-powered tools and services which could revolutionize the operations industry in years to come - but also heard why the human connection will always remain vital.

AI improvement

"Humans are extremely capable - and I don't see the machines or AI replacing that anytime soon - I see it augmenting us, and helping us," Johan Land, CPO at Samsara tells me at the event.

We're speaking after a jam-packed keynote which saw the company reveal a host of new AI-empowered tools and services, from a smart shipping label sticker, to a 360-degree camera which can help truck drivers navigate cramped delivery yards.

But it was the new AI tools which drew a lot of attention, including the ability for drivers to talk directly to their manager or an AI agent remotely, as well as a new AI Studio which lets customers create bespoke offerings for specific use cases - so why such a big focus on AI right now, I ask Land.

"First of all, the AI has got so much better over time - but then in addition to that, our customers want it," he notes, highlighting how Samsara can help customers on how to best plug AI into their systems.

"Physical operations is tough! It's very labor-intensive, there are many tasks that are very repetitive and it's hard to hire people - so this solves a really acute problem in that sense."

Ryan Yu, VP of Product at Samsara, agrees with Land, telling me Samsara's goal, "is to be the operating system for physical operations."

When it comes to improving the efficiency of customer's workflows, "there's so much low-hanging fruit", he notes, highlighting the importance automating the big things, in a way that makes sense.

Samsara's customer base is everyone from mining operations to building firms, from school districts to logistics firms, so I ask Land how important AI will be as a selling point over its competition - and how eager these more "traditional" industries are to get working with AI.

"The hardest thing with AI is probably making it work for people in their real life and to create true value," he says, "it can easily become vaporware, it looks good on the surface"

"Sometimes they get it (AI), and sometimes they don't," he adds, "but it doesn't matter - and it might be even better if you don't understand it, because their expectations are super high...that's the empowerment, they expect it to just work."

"We need to provide the rails," Yu adds, "and we also need to provide guidance to what types of use cases are best served...because the underlying technology is still evolving."

AI augmenting humans

So how long will it be before even the most hands-on industries are fully embracing AI to get their work done? Land notes that the work is already well underway.

"Overall, we see the AI augmenting humans, taking care of some tasks," he says, "but overall it's making humans more empowered, stronger and capable."

Yu notes the immediate future will be dominated by the themes of "discovery, education and adoption" by customers, and the role Samsara can play in this.

"We want to make sure we meet them where they are, and provide the right templates," he notes, "and the good thing is we know what their most important use cases are, and what they struggle with...when we talk about reducing manual drudgery, we understand deeply how customers engage with their products."

"This is a time of distractions," Land laughs, "but for us it's very simple, we follow our customers, we just talk to them, understand what their problems are, what they need from us, and then that's how we prioritize literally everything we do."

"The direction this is going is that a job site or workplace of the future will have all kinds of things inside of it...the way we see ourselves to be is as the connecting tissue - the agentic platform that ties all of this together."

• OpenAI announces three new AI models in the GPT-5.6 series
• The flagship Sol model is accompanied by Terra and Luna
• Access is currently restricted, as per requests by the US government

OpenAI has announced new GPT-5.6 model upgrades for ChatGPT, though for now they're only available to a select group of "trusted partnerships and organizations" — a restriction requested by the US government, which OpenAI doesn't seem best pleased about.

"We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default," explains OpenAI's announcement. "It keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them."

There are three models in the series: Sol (the flagship), Terra (for "everyday work"), and Luna (the smallest, fastest, and cheapest of the three). OpenAI says model performance is "competitive" with GPT-5.5, with improvements in affordability, safety, agentic capabilities, coding, biology, and cybersecurity.

Sol is the best model yet for deep thinking and complex agentic work, OpenAI claims, and it apparently matches the Anthropic Mythos model for cybersecurity tasks while using a third of the output tokens.

More safety testing to come

Previewing GPT-5.6 Sol: a next-generation model from r/singularity

All three models set a new standard for safeguards and protection against "adversarial pressure" as per OpenAI's announcement. They should be resistant to attempts to disguise intent from users and to jailbreak the model.

Those who do have access to the GPT-5.6 models may come across some apparently unnecessary blocks and restrictions, OpenAI explains, as the safety and security of the AI upgrades are tested. Eventually, feedback from early testers should make these upgrades more robust, ready for a full release.

We'll hopefully get that release "in the coming weeks", OpenAI says. The US government wants to do its own testing and evaluating, and although OpenAI is complying with those requests this time, it clearly doesn't want this to be the new standard.

The mood from users left out of the loop for now seems to be one of resignation. "The days of the public getting access to these frontier models is gone," writes one Redditor, while another says "the divide has started" between the AI haves and have-nots.

When Apple unveiled its upcoming software updates at WWDC 2026 on June 8, we didn't really get much on macOS 27 — aside from an animated skit about how the Golden Gate name was chosen. But having given the operating system a trial run, I can report that there is in fact a lot to look forward to.

It's worth emphasizing that installing the developer beta is risky: it's no exaggeration to say it can potentially brick your Mac, or at least some of its apps. Unless you're sure about this, you should wait for the public beta in July or the full release of the software sometime in the fall (for the northern hemisphere).

Just because I haven't come across any problems in my testing doesn't mean it'll be the same for you, but I can tell you that I'm impressed by what I've experienced so far. This is still very much a work in progress from Apple of course, so don't treat this as a review — features may come and go before it's pushed out to everyone.

As for compatibility, macOS 27 Golden Gate leaves Intel Macs behind. You'll only be able to install and run this if you're on an Apple Silicon machine. Here are my three favorite things about it so far.

1. It's smooth and fast

Apple has promised performance upgrades with macOS 27 — though it's been a little vague on the details — and while I haven't run any benchmarks, I'd say my MacBook has felt noticeably faster and snappier. Perhaps Apple is taking advantage of not having to take Intel chips into consideration any more.

Other users have noticed the speed increases too, and it seems that high performance tasks are particularly benefitting from this. Even though I don't do much beyond writing, web browsing, and photo editing, I've seen less in the way of lag and sluggishness than I did before, which bodes well.

These performance gains should hopefully translate into battery life improvements as well, though I haven't noticed any real change in terms of time between charges. Bear in mind that there are still months of development to go on macOS 27 Golden Gate, so it's likely to get better over time (this is still only the developer beta, after all).

2. Siri AI is a genuine upgrade

I have to mention Siri AI, which is now up and running on my MacBook. With a little bit of help from Google and Gemini, it feels like Siri is now genuinely useful on the desktop: answers are accurate and informed, relevant, and personalized to you.

One of the most helpful upgrades is the way that Visual Intelligence now works on macOS 27. You can highlight anything on screen (Shift+Cmd+Space is the shortcut you want), and then ask Siri something about it — and the assistant then uses clues about what's on screen and image recognition to serve up an answer.

It's the sort of feature that should've been in Apple Intelligence from the beginning, but at least it's here now. In addition, the dedicated Siri app and the integration with Spotlight works really well too, making the AI more accessible and more versatile.

3. The interface tweaks

There are numerous interface tweaks here that aren't major on their own, but which all add up to make a significant difference. Even something as simple as having an overflow button for menu bar icons is really effective — it means if you've got a lot of them, they won't start disappearing behind the notch.

The Liquid Glass slider has been given a lot of attention, and it works as advertised. You can find it in the Appearance section of System Settings, and I've moved it all the way to the right — it's as little transparency as possible for me, please. I'm actually hoping Apple gives us more control over this in the final release.

As we've written about before, the icons that were plastered all over app menus are gone as well, leaving behind an interface that suddenly seems more elegant and clean. This isn't a user interface revamp by any means, but it feels as though Apple's engineers have thought long and hard about what changes to make.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 has only just landed on Netflix, but we're already thinking about season 3 (you can read our ending explained to learn why).

Luckily for us, it had incredibly early confirmation. We've known all along that Aang (Gordon Cormier) needs to learn all four elemental bending skills in order to stop the Fire Nation, led by Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), from controlling the Four Nations.

As our current batch of episodes draws to a close, we're still far from reaching this conclusion. Enter Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3, which is already poised to take over.

From release window predictions to returning cast, here's everything we know about the next installment.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 release window prediction

It's worth pointing out that, as of writing, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 doesn't have a confirmed release date or window. However, internet rumors suggest we could be seeing new episodes at some point in summer 2027.

Seasons 2 and 3 were shot back-to-back, and filming for new episodes wrapped back in November 2025.

Worst case, we can expect season 3 at some point in 2028, given that there's been a two-year gap between seasons 1 and 2.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 trailer: is there one?

A trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 hasn't made its debut yet. Once one is released, we'll update this section.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 cast

We can expect the following cast to return for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3:

• Gordon Cormier as Aang
• Kiawentiio as Katara
• Ian Ousley as Sokka
• Dallas Liu as Zuko
• Daniel Dae Kim as Ozai
• Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Zuko
• Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula
• Miya Cech as Toph
• Chin Han as Long Feng
• Justin Chien as King Kuei
• Amanda Zhao as Joo Dee
• Crystal Yu as Lady Beifong
• Kelemete Misipeka as The Boulder
• Hoa Xuande as Professor Zei
• Lourdes Faberes as General Sung
• Rekha Sharma as Amita
• Madison Hu as Fei
• Dichen Lachman as Yangchen
• Lily Gao as Ursa
• Terry Chen as Jeong Jeong

Dolly De Leon as Lo and Li, Jon Jon Briones as Piandao, and Tantoo Cardinal as Hama were all originally tipped to appear in the second reason, but do not. Despite this, we can expect them to star in season 3.

More new names will likely be announced as we get closer to the show's release, so keep your eyes peeled.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 plot predictions

Spoilers for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 ahead.

We're pretty confident that season 3 is going to directly adapt the third Avatar book, following Aang learning to firebend, infiltrating the Fire Nation, and preparing for his climactic showdown with Fire Lord Ozai before Sozin's Comet arrives. Not too much, then.

We also know that Zuko will eventually team up with Aang and the gang to make this happen, so we can expect to see some more emotional upheaval from him.

Obviously, finding out if Aang has actually survived the battle is a top priority for season 3. But the mere fact that season 3 has already been greenlit basically confirms that we'll be seeing Aang again anyway.

Will there be more seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender?

As of writing, nothing has been announced. Narratively, it makes sense for season 3 to be the last, if Books 1, 2, and 3 have all been adapted in each.

However, the fact that there are so many written and comic book continuations means that the possibilities could be endless. Even if we don't get a direct season 4, Netflix could invest in spinoffs galore.

Full spoilers follow for The Bear season 5, including its finale.

I love The Bear. It's one of my favorite TV shows of the past decade. And, while I understand the criticism leveled at its third and, to a greater extent, fourth season, I don't necessarily agree with all of it.

Nevertheless, when it was announced that The Bear season 5 would be the FX TV Original's last hurrah, I'll readily admit that I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach. The reason? Other shows I've enjoyed that ended recently, including Stranger Things and The Boys — coincidentally, they also stopped after five seasons — failed to stick the landing with their finales.

I feared that The Bear would go the same way. You can probably sense my relief through the screen, then, that its series finale not only delivered a fittingly bittersweet conclusion to its overarching narrative, but avoided the pitfalls that its TV peers blindly stumbled into.

One of the biggest issues — among many other problems that I don't have the time nor space to cover here — that befell the hit Netflix and Prime Video shows' finales was that they didn't utilize their time well.

Where The Boys season 5 was concerned, the Amazon TV series' rushed ending gave the impression that it simply couldn't wait for its end credits to roll. In sharp contrast, Stranger Things season 5's finale was dragged out to the point where I was begging for its final credits sequence to begin.

Admittedly, The Bear season 5's pacing isn't perfect, but it uses its time more efficiently and wisely. Indeed, part of its success comes from how this season's plot is structured.

Unlike past seasons, The Bear's fifth installment is 24-esque in its storytelling approach. Vis-à-vis its eighth and final chapter notwithstanding, it takes place over the course of a single day.

In episodes 1 to 7, we follow the titular restaurant's ragtag but lovable crew as they navigate what could be their final-ever service, due to the eatery's lack of funds.

That possible scenario ends up being the least of their problems. A massive, unrelenting thunderstorm not only floods the restaurant but also results in the next food delivery being canceled, meaning the staff can only serve what little stock they have left. Throw an overbooked guest list and storm-related traffic issues in for good measure, meaning their table turnover has to be on point, and it's no surprise that tensions and tempers are soon running at an all-time high.

However, rather than do what past entries have done by slowly but purposefully building the pressure until things boil over, The Bear 5 deliberately shows how its eccentric — and, depending on who we're talking about, emotionally damaged — cast of characters have evolved over the five seasons.

A great example of this happens midway through the penultimate episode, titled 'Caramel'. Here, the storm's impact on the restaurant's power supply makes the lights flicker and leads to Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto dropping a lamb rib-based dish for one of the evening's most important diners.

Previous seasons would've seen Carmy completely spiral and take his anger out on his colleagues, which would've likely resulted in a verbal and/or physical altercation with occasionally confrontational associate — oh, and long-time family friend — Richard 'Richie' Jerimovich.

This time, though, Richie and Carmy's former protégé, Sydney 'Syd' Adamu, calmly prevents him from overreacting, keeping what's already been a nightmarish day on track.

That's just one of myriad instances this season I could point to that show how far these individuals, and the collective as a whole, have grown since the series first premiered on Hulu and Disney+. Compare that to Stranger Things and The Boys, whose approach to individual character development wasn't always on point, and, from a character study perspective, The Bear is — if you pardon the pun — a different beast altogether.

Speaking of character progression, each member of The Bear's primary ensemble gets their moment in the spotlight, as well as a fitting conclusion to their personal arcs.

And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. With Carmy's blessing and Uncle Jimmy's backing, Ebraheim finally starts to turn The Original Beef of Chicagoland into a franchise. Meanwhile, Sydney reaffirms her trust in Tina by appointing her as the restaurant's new chef de cuisine.

Furthermore, Marcus starts to make peace with his estranged father and proves that his recent award win wasn't a flash in the pan. Natalie, aka 'Sugar', and the Berzatto family matriarch Donna's previously strained relationship continues on an upward trajectory. Heck, even Gary, aka 'Sweeps', gets a genuinely crowd-pleasing moment; after the storm ruins the 1997 and 1999 year labels on two bottles of red wine, he correctly guesses the right one – using his wine-based powers of deduction – to serve to a diner who happens to be a wine connoisseur.

The biggest wins are reserved for Carmy, Syd, and Richie, though.

Richie is offered the chance to attend an international hospitality summit in Japan. He's not only accompanied by Jessica on the trip, but showrunner Christopher Storer also gives fans what they've been wanting for this pair by ending the 'will they, won't they' subplot and establishing their romantic feelings for each other.

As for Syd and Carmy, Syd fully establishes herself as The Bear's new head chef, while Carmy quits the food business entirely and, putting his love and skill for drawing to good use, becomes an architectural intern.

However, the biggest cause for celebration is that, almost four seasons after they first set their sights on earning a Michelin star, they don't get one, but two.

Like so many other moments in season 5 – and after watching this duo endure hardship after hardship throughout the series – the emotional release I felt once they processed their achievements and shared a joyful hug was euphoric. It's the sign of great writing when you genuinely care about a bunch of fictional characters, and I certainly lost count of how many times I fought back tears, clapped, and fist-pumped the air in The Bear's final two episodes as its crew individually and collectively triumphed against the odds.

Stranger Things 5 and The Boys 5 occasionally struck an emotional chord, and there's no denying that they have their fair share of impactful moments. Held up to the light against another tale centered on a group of underdogs fighting the impossible, though, and it's clear The Bear just does everything better in a concluding chapter whose every bite is delightfully delicious.

Though it ends in magical albeit bittersweet fashion, The Bear doesn't wrap up every storyline in a neat little bow, nor give every character the perfect send-off, but I suppose that's the point.

As a fixture of the Chicago food scene, the eponymous eatery doesn't end simply because Carmy is no longer a part of it — its story, and the lives of those past and present who were involved in it, continue whether we have a seat at the table to see what happens next or not. As Lucca reminds Marcus towards the end of its finale: "The Bear has something that no other place has... family" — and he's right. If I had to choose a fictional found family to be a part of out of the previously mentioned shows, I'd choose The Bear every time.

All five seasons of The Bear are out now on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (everywhere else), aka two of the world's best streaming services.

• A designer working with NASA and agricultural experts has created a coffee that tastes like it was grown on Mars
• MA student Sarah Ali created the coffee as part of her 'Brew_Lab' project
• The project reflects on how climate change might affect the availability and composition of coffee

A designer working with experts at NASA and the UK’s Royal Botanical Society has produced a coffee that tastes like it was grown on Mars a hundred years from now.

The red planet-flavored Mars 2126 coffee — an ‘edible scent’ added to a regular cup of joe — is a product of Brew_Lab, a project by industrial designer Sarah Ali. The project is centered around a futuristic vending machine that brews coffee from three different dates in the future, based on climate projections.

Ali, 35, produced Brew_Lab to conclude her MA in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and exhibited the project at Milan Design Week in April 2026, as well as CSM's degree show which runs until June 21.

“This is very much a climate futures project” said Ali to TechRadar, “and the way I got to Mars was through the fact that if we keep on doing what we do now, our future in 100 years time might be that Earth won’t be able to facilitate all the things we need it to.”

“It’s a little bit speculative,” she continued, “but what I found really cool was that people at NASA were already testing what food and drink would be like on Mars. There’s a lot of investment in that space.”

The Arabica successors

As well as providing passers-by the chance to try a cup of Martian mud from 2126, the project also includes an edible scent designed to predict the taste of coffee grown in Sierra Leone in 2080. This uses the revived stenophylla species of coffee bean, which is more resilient to climate change than the industry-leading arabica bean.

The third and final flavor, Brazil 2027, is used to emphasize the frailty of the Arabica bean, with crop yields expected to fall by as much as 80% by 2050 (via University of Florida).

To design the scent profiles of each coffee, Ali used machine learning models fed by data from NASA’s Dr. Gioia Massa, and Kew Gardens’ Dr. Aaron Davis, a world- leading coffee expert.

“Dr. Davis has studied 127 different coffee species, of which only 7 to 12 are likely to survive into our future” adds Ali. Brew_Lab uses rare, hardy racemosa beans for its Martian brew, and Ali explained that NASA’s research on agriculture allowed her to factor in the effect of gravity on our perception of taste on the final product.

“I thought of Mars because it’s a very extreme scenario”, Ali said, “and the extreme scenarios allow us to really understand what’s happening. How do we think about things differently, to avoid that future or prepare for it.”

Still, it might take a few years yet for the best coffee makers to add a ‘Martian’ setting.

• A Chinese medtech firm has gained EU approval for its remote surgery robot
• Medbot’s Toumai system can now be moved and marketed freely in the European Union
• The approval comes after Toumai was used for the UK's first long-distance surgery

A Chinese medical technology firm has gained EU approval for its remote surgery robot following its use by a London surgeon to operate on a patient 1,500 miles away in Gibraltar.

Shanghai Microport MedBot’s Toumai is a three-part remote surgery system that allows doctors and surgeons to perform operations on the abdomen and pelvis.

The system is composed of a surgeon console, patient cart, and vision cart, with robotic ‘limbs’ allowing operators to perform operations. The system uses 5G connectivity to connect the surgeon console to the vision cart over long distances.

The approval follows Toumai’s successful use by a London surgeon to perform the UK’s first long-distance teleoperated surgery, a full prostate removal on a man with prostate cancer in Gibraltar.

Dr. Proskar Dasgupta performed the operation using the teleoperated system on 62-year old Paul Buxton in March 2026. Speaking to the BBC, Buxton said it was a “no-brainer” to take part in the experimental procedure and become “part of medical history”.

The robot will see you now

Gibraltar, a small UK territory just south of Spain, has a single hospital within its borders, meaning residents may need to travel 1,500 miles north to the UK for more complex procedures.

However, Toumai and remote surgery systems like it allow patients to be treated by experts without traveling to meet them. Dr. Dasgupta said to the BBC that he felt “almost as if I was there” while conducting Mr. Buxton’s procedure.

On June 22, Shanghai Microport MedBot announced that the Toumai robotic surgery system had received the CE Mark — an EU stamp of approval required to sell products in its common market

As South China Morning Post reports, this allows the system to be "moved and marketed" freely in the EU, meaning the company is free to offer Toumai to healthcare providers in any of the EU’s 27 member states.

This will be welcome news for MedBot, which made 73 per cent of its revenue from overseas sales in 2025, up from 20 per cent in 2023.

• A new type of pixel is capable of both controlling and analyzing light
• It's based on the Fourier mathematical tool
• We'll have to wait some time to get this in our gadget screens

Screens that double up as cameras could be packed into future gadgets, as researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have developed a new type of pixel that can analyze and create images simultaneously.

These bidirectional pixels are able to both control and read the intensity, oscillation, phase, and polarization of light, and they're based on the fundamental physics of interfering light waves. The pixels are carefully sculpted at the nanometer level to direct light as it hits the surface and gets scattered.

At the same time as the light is traveling across the pixel and being scattered back out to the viewer, creating the required images and patterns, an analysis of the incoming light can be carried out as well — all on the same pixel.

The approach "establishes a scalable, universal architecture for vectorially programmable pixels with applications in adaptive optics, holographic displays, optical communication, and quantum information processing," write the researchers in their paper on the new pixel, which is published in Nature.

Scaling up

The pixel is termed a Fourier pixel after the mathematical tool that the component is based on. It's essentially a way of breaking down a complex output signal into a series of waves that can be controlled more easily — like the light fields here.

It's still early days for the research, and there will be challenges scaling this up. Right now the pixels need laser light as a source, and are fixed in what they can display — this isn't like a TV screen that can show anything, although there are several potential routes through which the tech could be developed in that direction.

The reactions on Reddit are perhaps a sign of our current technology times, as people have instantly latched on to the surveillance potential. "Screens that are also cameras, what could go wrong?" reads one poster, while another says that "I ain't ever buying a device with that technology". Fans of dystopian sci-fi have also been inspired to quote sections from 1984 about 'telescreens', which were two-way televisions and security cameras used to monitor citizens.

Interesting related piece of tech history of the day: the term 'pixel', originally 'picture element', was used in print for the first time in 1927, so next year marks a century since the words (now word) were originally introduced.

• Watch Barbarians vs Wales free on BBC iPlayer & YouTube (UK)
• Stream on FloRugby (US, CA) / Stan Sport (AUS)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Barbarians vs Wales kick-off: Sat, Jun 27, 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST

Wales icon George North will bow out of professional rugby against the side he scored 47 tries for across 121 caps – winning four Six Nations titles, including two Grand Slams. His last Wales appearance, however, ended with North having to be helped off the field. The 34-year-old wing-turned-centre will get a rousing send-off on his one and only outing for the Barbarians, the only cloud being that the game is being staged at Twickenham rather than the Millennium Stadium.

Former All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson takes charge of the famous invitational team, which is led by Faf de Klerk and Vincent Koch, who won back-to-back world titles with South Africa. And the Baa-Baas tuned up against the Springboks last weekend, producing some terrific rugby but ultimately falling to an 80-31 defeat, a sluggish start proving costly.

Following a painful 2026 Six Nations campaign that ended with Wales picking up a third consecutive wooden spoon, Steve Tandy won't be treating Saturday's clash like a friendly, especially as they have a trio of bruising Nations Championship fixtures on the horizon.

Their preparations have, though, been complicated by the nature of the game. Because it falls outside World Rugby's international window, Wales' France- and England-based players have been deemed ineligible. Gallagher PREM-bound Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Aaron Wainwright, however, are available.

Here's how to watch Barbarians vs Wales from anywhere in the world.

Can you watch Barbarians vs Wales for free?

Yes. Barbarians vs Wales is being shown on free-to-air S4C in the UK, with live streaming available via BBC iPlayer and YouTube.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Barbarians vs Wales for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Barbarians vs Wales live streams

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

How to watch Barbarians vs Wales live streams in the USA

Rugby fans in the US can watch Barbarians vs Wales on FloRugby.

FloRugby plans start from $39.99/month, though you'll get a far better rate by opting for the $156/year plan instead.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN while you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

How to watch Barbarians vs Wales live streams in the UK

In the UK, Barbarians vs Wales is free-to-air on S4C with both English- and Welsh-language commentary.

Live streaming is available via BBC iPlayer and the S4C Chwaraeon YouTube channel.

All you need is an account, a TV Licence and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!

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

How to watch Barbarians vs Wales live streams in Canada

In Canada, FloRugby is showing Barbarians vs Wales.

A subscription costs CA$39.99/month or CA$156/year.

Visiting Canada from the UK? Use NordVPN to watch free-to-air Barbarians vs Wales coverage.

How to watch Barbarians vs Wales live streams in Australia

Stan Sport is broadcasting the Barbarians vs Wales game in Australia.

Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$12/month.

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to log in to your Stan account.

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

• Octopus enters the home battery market with two distinct systems — Nook Cube and Nook Colossus
• Renters receive the Nook Cube, a plug-in battery requiring no installation work
• Homeowners get Nook Colossus, which can be expanded to a substantial 30kWh capacity

Octopus Energy has unveiled a new home battery range called Nook, aiming squarely at the household storage market.

Announced at the company's recent Energy Tech Summit, the range includes two distinct products built for different types of customers.

One option targets the more than 10 million renting households and tenants in Britain, while the other suits homeowners seeking a permanently installed system.

Two battery systems built for different households

Octopus says the plug-in option for renters, called Octopus Nook Cube, is a compact, shoebox-sized 2kWh battery that connects to any standard wall socket.

Customers can add extra units through the Octopus app, allowing total storage to scale up to 10.5kWh over time.

For homeowners, Octopus is launching a wall-mounted, engineer-installed system called Octopus Nook Colossus, available in 5kWh and 10kWh configurations.

Larger households can stack additional units to reach a maximum capacity of 30kWh, positioning it as a genuine rival to Tesla's Powerwall lineup.

Both systems work alongside existing solar panel installations and carry a 12-year warranty as standard.

Unlike many existing systems, the battery connects directly to a standard household socket without requiring an engineer installation or property modifications.

Octopus plans to begin sales of the batteries next year across the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

That timeline means households hoping for immediate alternatives to Tesla Powerwall products will need to wait until at least 2027.

Savings claims rest on existing smart tariffs

Home batteries store electricity when prices fall before releasing it later when tariffs become significantly more expensive for consumers.

Octopus says customers can increase savings further by pairing battery systems with its own smart electricity tariffs and plans.

According to the company, those tariffs have already helped customers collectively save almost £1 billion on energy expenditure.

“Home batteries are a brilliant piece of tech and one of the smartest ways to cut energy bills right now,” said Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group.

“Offering Octopus batteries to our customers is a big step in our mission to help people to tap into the cheapest energy possible.”

Demand for domestic storage has reportedly accelerated following instability in the Middle East and increasingly unpredictable energy prices worldwide.

Across the UK, Spain, and France, Octopus says it has already installed almost 26,000 solar and battery systems.

This launch makes Octopus the first major British energy supplier to sell its own battery range directly to customers.

Whether a delayed arrival affects enthusiasm remains uncertain, although rising energy costs may leave little shortage of interested buyers.

• Austrian GP (June 26-28)
• Sunday's race: 2pm BST / 9am ET
• Free streams: Apple TV (US) / ORF On (Austria) / RTBF Auvio (Belgium)
• Stream safely and securely with Proton VPN (try 100% risk-free)

Watch the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix live streams to find out if Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari can continue piling the pressure on the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The season is indeed ramping up, thanks largely to Hamilton, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff summed up his current form perfectly with "If he smells blood, he goes".

Not only was Hamilton's second stint on the medium tires in Barcelona simply outstanding, but Mercedes arguably undid themselves, first by slipping up on strategy and then when their two drivers got into a tussle, which only ended when Antonelli stopped with a power unit battery failure. The 19-year-old still leads the Drivers' Championship, though, albeit now by 41 points.

Elsewhere, Lando Norris was fortunate to step onto the podium in Barcelona, although it was indeed a solid drive. McLaren, in fact, are only being held back by reliability concerns and excessive tire wear. If they can solve those issues, they could join Ferrari and Mercedes at the front, making the season even more exciting.

Of course, you can never count Max Verstappen out, especially at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, a track where he's won four times. And, like McLaren, Red Bull have made steady progress. Verstappen was unfortunate in Monaco after starting on the front row before recovering to finish fourth in Barcelona. He'll now be aiming to continue that momentum and finally claim his first podium of the 2026 season.

Here’s how to watch the Austrian Grand Prix 2026 online from anywhere and potentially for FREE.

Austrian Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

Practice 1: Friday, June 26 | 12:30pm BST / 7:30am ET
Practice 2: Friday, June 26 | 4pm BST / 11am ET
Practice 3: Saturday, June 27 | 11:30am BST / 6:30am ET
Qualifying: Saturday, June 27 | 3pm BST / 10am ET
Austrian Grand Prix: Sunday, June 28 | 2pm BST / 9am ET

How to watch the Austrian Grand Prix 2026 for FREE

The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix isn't available for free in every country. However, in these select destinations lucky F1 fans can catch the practice sessions, qualifying, and the entire race/highlights for FREE.

• US – Apple TV (free live broadcast)
• Austria –  ServusTV (free live broadcast)
• Belgium – RTBF Auvio (free live broadcast)
• Brazil – Globoplay (free live broadcast)
• Croatia – RTL (free live broadcast)
• Luxembourg – RTL Play (free live broadcast)
• Australia – 10Play (free highlights)
• Canada – CTV (free highlights)
• UK – Channel 4 (free highlights)

Traveling abroad during the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix? You can use a VPN to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home.

How to watch the Austrian Grand Prix 2026 from anywhere

🌎 ABROAD? The Austrian Grand Prix 2026 is broadcast in many countries around the world but if you're traveling outside your country you should consider using one of the best VPNs to unlock your domestic streaming service provided it does not infringe any terms and conditions.

How to watch the Austrian Grand Prix 2026 for free in the US

How to watch the Austrian GP 2026 in the UK

How to watch the Austrian Grand Prix 2026 in Australia

How to watch the Austrian Grand Prix 2026 in Canada

Drivers' Championship Standings (after Round 8)

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — 156
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) — 115
3. George Russell (Mercedes) — 106
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) — 75
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) — 73
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) — 68
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) — 55
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) — 41
9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) — 34
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) — 28

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

It's been another packed week of technology news, and TechRadar has been covering all of the stories that matter: the Prime Day deals, the Apple price hikes, new devices from Oura and Sonos, and plenty more besides.

If you haven't been able to check in regularly on our site, this weekly ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up is here to get you up to speed. You can browse through the headlines that matter below, and click the links for the full articles.

Get yourself comfortable and review the past week below, and we'll be back again this time next week for another ICYMI summary.

7. We scoured the Prime Day deals

You may have noticed that it's been Amazon Prime Day this week — it's now spread across multiple days of course — and the TechRadar team has been busy searching across every Amazon category to bring you the best deals: we've found discounts on TVs, laptops, headphones, smartwatches, smart home gadgets, tablets, and plenty more besides.

No matter what you're in need of tech-wise at the moment, our US and UK round-up pages have a variety of deals that will fit, and a lot of these discounts are genuinely substantial — and many are still going. Together with the latest prices and links for each product, we've also included our expert tech advice in each case, so you know exactly why which offers are worth pursuing.

• Read more: We're tracking the best Prime Day tech deals live — 121 biggest discounts on Apple, Samsung, Kindle, Sony, and more

6. We reviewed the Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring 5 is a substantial step up from its predecessor: it's slimmer, lighter, and more durable, as well as offering extra battery life — and according to our review, you might even forget you're wearing it. Oura has managed to refine the device's appearance so it looks like a normal piece of jewelry, even with the cutting-edge sensors inside it.

"It's easily the most stylish and accurate smart ring around," our review states, though it's not perfect, and there's that usual Oura subscription fee to consider if you want to access most of the tracking features. If you're wondering whether the Oura Ring 5 is the right wearable upgrade for you, then we'll tell you everything you need to know below.

• Read more: Oura Ring 5 review — a luxury smart ring for discreet everyday wellness tracking that's (almost) easy to forget you're wearing

5. Meta revealed its cheaper smart glasses

Meta has treated us to a bumper crop of new smart glasses, starting at $299 / £269 / AU$599 and developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica. We've got all the details here, including how they feel to wear, and a rundown of the design and color variations you can pick from — you certainly can't complain that there isn't enough choice in this batch.

We've also got comments from Meta CTO and Head of Reality Labs Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth, who outlined the company's vision of a smart spec future, and said "it's pretty easy to make glasses that don’t look good, it turns out". That seems to be a humorous dig at some of Meta's rivals in the space, but see what you think of the new Meta Glasses range.

• Read more: 'Our goal is to reach every corner of the market': Meta CTO Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth on the new $299 EssilorLuxottica Meta Glasses

4. We reviewed the latest Sonos speaker

The Sonos Era 100 SL wireless speaker is more affordable than the Era 100 that launched before it, but as our detailed review will tell you, Sonos has been able to pull this off without making too many compromises. Most importantly, the quality of the sound doesn't drop even though the price does, so you still get a top-tier listening experience.

Our review takes you through every aspect of the Era 100 SL speaker, from how easy it is to set up initially, to the sort of performance you can expect from it — with London Grammar and DJ Shadow included in the artists whose music we used for testing — and there's praise for "quality sound", "great connectivity", and "iconic design" along the way.

• Read more: 'A better price for the same performance': I reviewed Sonos' cheaper Era 100 SL wireless speaker, and was shocked at how few concessions were made to make this a bargain

3. The Steam Machine got an official price tag

It's been a long wait for the Steam Machine, but we're nearly there, and now know that the starting price is set at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, and we can thank the price inflation driven by the RAM crisis for that. If a Steam Machine is still within your budget, you'll be able to put in an order from June 29, more than seven months after it was first announced.

If you don't think that's good value, then we've put together a guide to building your own Steam Machine alternative below. You get full control over the budget and the specs of the components you choose, and it can be a lot of fun too (as we can say with confidence given the years of PC building experience on the TechRadar team).

• Read more: Disappointed by the Steam Machine’s official price? Build your own mini gaming PC instead with these deals

2. Apple revealed its painful price hikes

Speaking of the RAM crisis, it just hit Apple too: the company has racked up the pricing on many of its products, including iPads, MacBooks, and even the HomePod. The recently launched MacBook Neo, for example, now has a starting price of $699 rather than $599 in the US — a not inconsiderable rise of $100 or 17% in a single jump.

We've got all the details of how much more expensive each Apple gadget is now, with these price increases effective immediately on the official Apple Store. We've also got some ideas about where you can still find these Apple products at their original prices from third-party retailers — though you'll have to move fast to grab them.

• Read more: Apple just delivered the worst kind of news: price hikes across many of its major products (even the Neo) — and yes, RAM prices are to blame

1. GTA 6 pre-orders finally went live

After two substantial delays, GTA 6 is finally going to go on sale on November 19, and you can get your pre-orders in now for the PS5, the Xbox Series X, or the Xbox Series S. You've got a $79.99 / £69.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 / £89.99 Ultimate Edition to choose between, and we've got links for you to all the top US and UK retailers right here.

We're also going to keep an eye out for any bundles that these stores are offering, meaning you can pick up the game and a console at the same time — so check back often if you're interested. It's exciting that pre-orders are now live for what could be the video game of the decade, and we only have five more months to count down until launch day.

• Read more: GTA 6 pre-orders live — bundles arrive, while almost all major US and UK retailers have stock

• Halo Campaign Evolved will feature original content and new features, too
• Creative director Max Szlagor says the remake was a process of "crafting it piece by piece"
• The game will be "more accessible" than the original

Halo Campaign Evolved isn't just a simple remake of Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign, according to Halo Studios, but a blend of original content and new features designed for a modern shooter.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Summer Game Fest 2026, where we went hands-on with the upcoming game, executive producer Damon Conn and creative director Max Szlagor explained how the team recaptured the feel of the original game and the challenges of making it a fresh experience.

"It's a combination [..] of this Halo simulation, which we've built up over 25 years, foundationally from [Halo] Reach, but pulling in additional pieces and pairing that with this beautiful Unreal [Engine] renderer," Szlagor said. "As far as challenges, it's really just looking at it piece by piece as we build the levels, the encounters with enemies, vehicles, weapons.

"It's just a lot of stuff that we've put together. We've got all the original content plus these nine new weapons, ones you couldn't use in the original game, so making sure those fit in nicely with the Energy Sword, the Fuel Rod cannon, driving the Wraith, [and] vehicle hijacking. Just crafting it piece by piece."

Conn explained that the "key" is "to bring it into more of a modern shooter," which means "make it more accessible" by revamping old features so that they're more approachable.

"You can find your way through levels a little bit easier now," the developer added, "whereas back in the early 2000s, you had to find your way, and it was really trial and error. Now we have much more poignant waypointing to help you along."

There will also be quality-of-life features built using Unreal Engine 5, including a sprint button, but players can also play the game "the original way" by disabling the option.

"I like to sprint around and use it as a traversal function," Conn said. "It doesn't really change the way I'm going to play the game, but it definitely lets me move through the environment in a way that I'm more used to."

Halo Campaign Evolved launches on July 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

• Hisense launches a dedicated remote that connects to the kid-safe Vidaa Kids
• Kids can't access grown-up apps with the Safe Streaming remote
• Included across the 2026 Hisense TV range

If you're a parent, you probably don't want your kids to watch things on TV that aren't age-appropriate or safe for them to stream. But stopping that can be a pain. Hisense may have a better option: the first "Safe Streaming" remote control.

Hisense has teamed up with A Parent Media Co Inc, which owns the Kidoodle TV service, to deliver kid-friendly shows to its Vidaa TV operating system alongside the aforementioned remote. It'll be available across the entire 2026 TV range.

Rather than try to screen out dodgy stuff across your smart TV apps and channels, Hisense's solution removes them altogether. The kids can watch thousands of episodes on Vidaa Kids, and the remote is there to help them find their favorites such as Spongebob Squarepants, PAW Patrol: Pup Tales, Baby Shark and many more. There are over 50,000 episodes in total.

A walled garden that's safer for kids

Like many parents I was anti-screens… until I became a parent. Sometimes parking a toddler in front of PAW Patrol is exactly what you need so you can prepare a meal, put a laundry load on or just get a few minutes' break.

But my kids didn't have access to the streaming and live channels today's smart TVs have; there's no way I'd leave young kids in front of the TV without supervision or a lot of parental controls switched on.

What Hisense is offering here is an easier life for parents of young children: rather than having to block specific apps on your TV or PIN-protect profiles in multiple apps, you can simply give the kids the Safe Streaming remote and let them get on with it.

Because it's all in one app you don't need to spend any time configuring the apps the grown-ups use, and there's no possibility of the kids getting frustrated across multiple streaming services.

The new remote will be included across Hisense's 2026 MiniLED and RGB MiniLED range, including the E8S, U7S, U7S PRO, UR8S and UR9S series, launching this month — but only on sets with the Vidaa operating system, meaning in the UK and Europe, but not in the US.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

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

Cleer Arc 5: Two-minute review

Almost every one of the best open earbuds I’ve tested, has been designed for sports users. They let you hear your surroundings at the gym, remain aware when running in a busy area, and keep alert when cycling on a road. I don’t think Cleer missed this memo – the brand’s intentionally going for something completely different.

The Cleer Arc 5 are open earbuds designed not for sports, but for the rest of us. I was skeptical when I first saw them, but they’ve surprised me — in both good and bad ways.

The presence of Dolby Atmos and THX Spatial Audio means these are suited for watching a TV show or movie on your commute, and their support for a range of better Bluetooth codecs, including LDAC and aptX Adaptive, shows Cleer is aiming for audiophile-quality earbuds here. Those are some exceptional features for a form factor that naturally competes with loads of extraneous background sounds.

Cleer’s app hides loads of other features too, including a posture test which uses the buds’ positional tools, and the ability to set sedentary reminders if you’re too often stuck in one spot.

The design department makes it clear that these aren’t sports buds. Though surprisingly sturdy during a run, the buds are much bulkier than your average svelte runners’ wear. And the presence of an on-case display, full of controls and settings, clearly signposts this as not for active users. When I go to the gym or for a run, the case is always left at home.

Unfortunately, despite the impressive specs and clear focus on listening quality, the Achilles’ Heel of these earbuds is the sound quality. There’s a real lack of expansie through the soundstage, and both treble and bass feel poorly defined. The open-ear form factor doesn’t help here, especially with a max volume that’s simple not loud enough, but many similar earbuds I’ve tested sound a lot better.

It’s a shame that these don’t sound fantastic, and is surprising too when you see the price tag. For some users, I see the feature set trumping the sound quality. The fantastic battery life, health features and spatial audio might trump below-average sound. But it begs the question who these are designed for, if not audiophiles or fitness fans.

Cleer Arc 5 review: Price and release date

• Released in March 2026
• Made their debut at $219 (about £170 / AU$340)
• Some of the priciest within their category

The Cleer Arc 5 were announced on March 16, 2026, only four months after their predecessors. That was a quick turnaround!

You can buy the Arc 5 for $219.99 (about £170, AU$340 — no word on a release outside the US, as with the Arc 4). So these are some of the most expensive open earbuds out there.

To my mind only the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit Pro cost more, but they’re both explicitly designed for sports, while the Cleer is aimed at an audiophile market.

Cleer Arc 5 review: Specs

Cleer Arc 5 review: Features

• 12-hour battery life, 60 with case
• 8-band EQ, plus presets
• Loads of features including posture test

If there’s an area where the Cleer Arc 5 stand out, it’s in the feature set — it seems that this is what the buds were designed to do.

It starts with the basics: the battery life here is great for open earbuds. You’re getting 12 hours of listening per charge, with 60 hours once you factor in the charging case itself. Beyond a few endurance-focused earbuds, those figures are at the top of their class.

Boot up the Cleer+ app on your phone, and you’re getting a smorgasbord of tools — admittedly in a pretty confusing lay-out. You can use the app to toggle spatial audio, change between EQ modes and create custom ones, change what the touch and gesture controls do, change the case wallpaper, edit what tools are available via the case, and more.

The equalizer is an 8-band one, giving you some control over your sound, though in this day and age I’d say that 10-bands were more common. I preferred using this over the presets, which didn’t have a noticeable impact on a song’s sound.

The “and more” features I alluded to earlier are pretty out-there, hence needing a whole extra paragraph. They’re health ones: you can set up sedentary reminders to get you to move about, add volume limits to protect your hearing, and do a posture test which uses the gesture controls of the buds to evaluate whether you’re sitting straight.

For office workers, this latter is a genuinely useful feature, and I used it to ensure my seat and chair were level when working at my desk. However, for it to work properly, your phone needs to be at eye level too — I messed it up by leaving my mobile o,n my desk, and when I bent over to look at it, the test was ruined.

One feature you’re not getting in the Arc 5 is any kind of noise cancellation. It’s admittedly very rare in the open-ear space, but not unheard of (if you’ll pardon the pun).

• Features score: 4.5/5

Cleer Arc 5 review: Design

• Giant case has a touch screen
• Earbuds are on the large side, but fit solidly
• Only IPX7 protected

Let’s start with the Cleer Arc 5’s big new feature: its charging case. Big literally: it weighs 97g all on its own, and measures 8.3 x 6 x 2cm, making it one of the biggest earbud cases I’ve seen in years.

This size isn’t just to house some pretty big earbuds, but it does that with a few extra twists. It has built-in UV charging for the buds, and a mirror inside the case for some reason. For some reason, the left earbud is housed on the right, and vice versa, which was confusing for a while until I learnt to switch.

But no, the big selling point here is a screen build into the charging case. You can use it to flick between a few menus: battery, music controls, spatial audio settings, general settings, equalizer and remote camera shutter. The interface feels akin to a smartwatches’: very basic.

For changing quick settings like EQ or skipping songs, the case was quite handy: I didn’t need to dig my phone out of my pocket and get distracted by the 120 notifications from that group chat I forgot to mute. But you can’t use the case to change playlists, create an EQ or dig deep into settings, so it won’t replace your phone completely.

The earbuds also have touch controls too, which were quite easy to trigger with a tap anywhere on their body, yet never accidentally picked up an unintentional touch.

I suppose that brings us onto the earbuds. These are pretty huge, and heavy too, weighing roughly 24g each. I haven’t seen an open earbud quite this big, and was expecting them to fit pretty awfully; thankfully, I was totally wrong. I went on many runs with the Arc 5, and not once did they threaten to dislodge, or wobble more than the average open-ear does.

I’d put this down to some smart balancing of the bud and counterweight. They were always comfortable to wear, even if the weight didn’t exactly make them easy to forget.

The Cleer Arc 5 comes in black or white, and I tested the latter. They have an IPX7 rating, which makes them sweatproof but not suited to swimming. I would avoid taking them out in heavier rainfall too, just to be safe.

• Design score: 4/5

Cleer Arc 5 review: Sound quality

• Large 16.2mm driver
• Blunt and indistinct sound
• Max volume is too low for open format

I was expecting the Cleer Arc 5’s sound to be its outstanding feature. Between its 16.2mm drivers, support for LDAC, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, and high price, it seems like these could be some of the best open earbuds yet.

I’m quite surprised to report that I was wrong, and I didn’t really love listening to tunes on the Arc. The quality isn't terrible, but it's not on par with the expectations you'd have from those aforementioned specs.

Music sounds compressed, with neither the high-end nor low-end differentiated in a way that gives any sense of sound stage or distinction. Snare drums lack bite, distorted-guitar walls turn into crunchy puddles, bass wobbles over plenty of other low- or mid- instruments. The buds would perhaps sound better if they were in-ears, but hovering a few mm over your ears, it doesn't fly.

Low-end is poorly defined yet too prominent in the mix: The Human Race by BYRNE starts with a harmony that sounded more like a glitching speaker than a bass singer. This line’s meant to repeat in the chorus with a bass guitar, and it completely overrides the harmony. In 311’s Good Feeling, the bass trips over all the other instruments, replacing the usually-energetic, fun chorus with the sonic equivalent of a stubbed toe.

Also affected is the treble, as vocals and higher lines lose prominence and energy. Take, for example, Morningsider’s Thinking it Over: a string motif is dropped in the mix in the introduction, and completely lost in the pre-chorus.

I’ll concede that if you listen to acoustic or folky music, you may not notice this issue as much. In songs like Caamp’s 26, the reduced instrumentation meant I could still basically hear everything.

Well, I could hear it until I stepped outside. The Arc 5 falls into a common trap with open earbuds: their maximum volume isn’t high enough to compete with noisy surroundings. When I was running near a main road, I could barely hear my songs.

• Sound quality: 3/5

Cleer Arc 5 review: Value

• Features may go some way to justify price...
• ... but audio quality doesn't

The Cleer has quite a few neat features. I really like what the case display achieves, and the fit is solid. Plus, the movie listening features offer tools that many other earbuds don’t.

However that’s a really high price for any earbuds, let alone open-style ones — and especially not for ones that, frankly, don’t sound amazing.

There’s no way that these buds offer you value for money; you can get better audio quality for a lot less, especially if you’re happy to buy non-open-style buds.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the Cleer Arc 5?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Cleer Arc 5review: Also consider

How I tested the Cleer Arc 5

• Tested for one month
• Tested in a range of indoor and outdoor settings
• Used for music, gaming, calls movies and TV

I used the Cleer Arc 5 for roughly a month before writing this review of them. In that time, they were paired to a succession of Android smartphones, mostly the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Moto Edge 70 Fusion.

I listened to the Arc 5 on runs, walks around my neighborhood, office sessions, long trips on public transport and at home. I mostly streamed music via Spotify Lossless, and Apple Music, but also watched movies on a variety of streaming services, played games, and tested a few other music streamers.

I’ve been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for over seven years now, including testing audio kit for nearly as long. In that time I’ve handled other Cleer gadgets as well as many, many other open-ear buds.

• First reviewed in May 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Larry David's petty, puerile perspective on modern life kept us laughing and cringing through 12 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and now everyone's favourite grump has turned his neurotic lens towards American history, for seven-episode sketch show Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.

You can watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness online from anywhere with a VPN.

Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness follows a clever format – an alternative history of America told through Larry David gripes and faux pas – albeit one that borrows heavily from Mel Brooks vehicle History of the World.

Each episode comprises four separate sketches, a few of which have been teased in the trailer (embedded below). Larry David hijacking V-J Day celebrations for his own lustful ends looks especially promising.

Not everyone was a fan of the catchphrasing, perma-yelling Larry David of latter-day Curb, and the show didn't always benefit from its surfeit of guest cameos from the spheres of Hollywood and politics, but that seems to be the approach that Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is taking, with Barack Obama, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamm, Isla Fischer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Hader, Kathryn Hahn and Vince Vaughn amongst those getting in on the action.

On the plus side, so will Curb regulars Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin and JB Smoove. Don't hold your breath for a Cheryl Hines appearance.

Read on as we explain how to watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness from anywhere.

Use a VPN to watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness in the US

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness premieres on HBO at 9pm ET/PT on Friday, June 26. Further episodes will go out one at a time in the same slot weekly.

If you don't already have access to HBO, you can still watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness and all of its programming online thanks to the HBO Max streaming platform. Plans start from $10.99 per month, or you can pay more to add live sports and bundle in other streaming services like Disney Plus and Hulu.

HBO is also available with different OTT cord cutting services, often as an added extra. YouTube TV, for example, lets you add HBO Max and is available to try before you buy thanks to its free trial.

Have one of these subscriptions but away when Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is on? You can still access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.

How to watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness in the UK

In the UK, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is exclusive to HBO Max. Episodes land each Saturday, starting June 27.

HBO Max comes free with Sky TV plans, or you can get a standalone subscription from just £5.99/month.

Away from home? You can still connect to your usual streaming services by downloading a VPN and pointing your location back to the UK.

How to watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness in Canada

In Canada, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness will air on Crave, going out at 9pm ET/PT on Fridays, starting June 26.

Crave plans start from $11.99 per month, with pricier tiers available if you want to ditch ads or bundle in further services like Disney+ or TSN.

Away from Canada now? Use NordVPN to watch your usual streaming service when overseas.

How to watch Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness in Australia

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness goes out on HBO Max in Australia from Saturday, June 27.

Prices start from $11.99/month and new episodes land weekly.

Outside Australia? Aussies away from home can use a VPN to unblock HBO Max and watch LLPU as they would at home.

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness – Need to Know

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness trailer

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness episode guide

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness comprises seven episodes, which will air in North America on the following schedule:

• Episode 1 – Friday, June 26
• Episode 2 – Friday, July 3
• Episode 3 – Friday, July 10
• Episode 4 – Friday, July 17
• Episode 5 – Friday, July 24
• Episode 6 – Friday, July 31
• Episode 7 – Friday, August 7

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness cast

• Larry David
• Barack Obama
• Bill Hader
• Kathryn Hahn
• Jon Hamm
• Sean Hayes
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Chris Parnell
• Susie Essman
• Jane Krakowski
• Isla Fisher
• Vince Vaughn
• Rita Wilson
• Essence Atkins
• Toby Huss
• Greg Kinnear
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Joe Manganiello
• Alan Tudyk
• Fred Melamed
• Jeff Garlin
• JB Smoove

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

Yes, we're in the final stretches of Prime Day 2026, but that doesn't mean all the deals have vanished. And if you're prepping for summer travel or noticing some wear and tear on your current luggage, I've found a sale that's still going strong. Better yet, it's on a brand I've traveled around the world with and on a carry-on I've owned for more than 10 years. That's some serious mileage—and yes, it's the same one that United lost.

• Shop the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Right now, Away Travel—the brand behind the well-loved suitcases and travel bags you've probably seen all over TikTok, Instagram, and in trendy storefronts—is in the middle of its 'Get Away Days' sale, with up to 25% off. You can also score discounts on select models through Amazon.

The current version of my suitcase, the aptly named Carry-On, is down to $233 from $275 in a range of colors. It fits easily in the overhead bins on most airlines, and while Away says it's ideal for five to seven outfits, I've comfortably packed enough for two- to three-night trips with some strategic packing. You'll also find savings on other carry-ons, checked luggage, and travel bags, but what I'm most excited about is that Away's new Toy Story collection, launched alongside Toy Story 5, is also included in the sale.

Ahead, you'll find my top picks from Away's Get Away Days sale, whether you're shopping directly from Away or grabbing one of the discounted models on Amazon.

Our picks from Away Travel's Prime Day Deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Anthropic has accused groups linked to Alibaba and its Qwen AI lab of carrying out a massive campaign to extract capabilities from Claude just by asking it a lot of questions, as first reported by Reuters. The AI developer wrote a letter to U.S. lawmakers alleging that Alibaba used nearly 25,000 fraudulent accounts to generate more than 28.8 million interactions and glean detailed, proprietary information about Claude.

Alibaba has not publicly responded to the allegations, and there has been no independent confirmation of Anthropic's claims, but simply leveling them has potentially enormous consequences. The sheer volume of accounts and interactions is eye-catching, but it's even more fascinating how it reveals a vulnerability in AI models that can give away their secrets.

AI developers may now have to worry that rivals can learn from those models without ever seeing the underlying code or training data through a technique known as model distillation. Essentially, AI models will inadvertently share deliberately obscured facts about themselves if a huge number of the right questions are asked. As an analogy, imagine taking a test about a book, but instead of reading the book, you ask the author one million questions about their life, their thinking, their experience writing the book, and several hundred thousand more questions. You'd probably have a pretty good chance of knowing everything they might have written without once cracking the covers.

Can you copy an AI just by talking to it?

Model distillation is a common technique used by AI companies to build variations of their models, especially smaller, faster options. But no company would be okay with a rival using their model to train the competition. But that's what Anthropic alleges. The fake accounts supposedly asked Claude a ton of very complex and detailed questions related to its advanced software engineering and agentic reasoning features. The responses filled in a picture of the model's workings, accelerating Alibaba's own development of competing AI systems, Anthropic claimed.

The conundrum is obvious. Large language models are designed to answer questions. Every answer teaches the user something about how the model behaves. You can't interact with an AI model, or a person, without giving up some information about yourself. Normally, that wouldn't matter, but at the scale Anthropic is claiming, conversations become reverse engineering.

It's not the first time Anthropic has alleged illicit model distillation. Anthropic levied similar claims against DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax earlier this year. And other companies, including OpenAI, have expressed concern that they have also been victims of the technique.

The glaring irony that the companies that used enormous collections of publicly available information, including licensed material, to train their AI models are now arguing about how those same models are valuable intellectual property is hard to ignore.

AI arms race

AI developers see their models' behavior as crucial to competing with rivals. If another company can reproduce much of that behavior by asking enough carefully designed questions, spending billions of dollars training frontier models starts to seem like a waste.

Anthropic claims model distillation can effectively transfer years of work on their part to another company for almost nothing. Anthropic asked lawmakers to take action and combat this problem as soon as possible. If leading models can be imitated so easily, there won't be much incentive to innovate, and the AI competition will only be about beating copycats. And picking the best models will be difficult, as a new AI model that matches an existing one's capabilities might be born of years of original research or simply copying an existing option.

Whether Anthropic ultimately proves its allegations, they have revealed that the next great AI battle may not be about building the smartest model. It may be about stopping somebody else from talking to your model and learning how it operates, one question at a time.

• Egypt vs Iran Kick-Off time: Friday, June 26 | 11pm ET / 4am BST (Sat) / 1pm AEST (Sat)
• Watch free on BBC iPlayer (UK) / SBS (AUS) / CazéTV's YouTube (Brazil)
• Unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

Egypt take on Iran at the World Cup 2026 as Group G's surprise top two meet knowing a win for either guarantees progress from the group stage for the first time. The task is slightly easier for Mo Salah's Pharaohs, though, who only need a point to secure a knockout spot.

Egypt lead Iran by two points after drawing with Belgium in their opener, followed by an impressive 3-1 come-from-behind win against New Zealand. Timely second-half goals from Mostafa Ziko, Salah, and Trezeguet secured the Pharaohs' maiden World Cup victory. Now they want to make it out of the group for the first time.

Things aren’t so simple for Iran, though. After securing two draws in their first two games, including one against a formidable Belgium side, Team Melli now need a win to ensure qualification. A draw wouldn’t end their hopes immediately, but it would certainly complicate matters, leaving them dependent on the result of New Zealand vs Belgium for automatic qualification. Third place may be good enough, with three points and a solid goal difference, but lose and they're as good as out.

We can expect this to be a cat-and-mouse affair between two tactically astute sides. While Amir Ghalenoei’s Iranians have shown their defensive prowess and ability to draw strength from adversity both back home and in North America, they’ll need to be more adventurous going forward. Hossam Hassan’s men, led by Salah and Omar Marmoush, will likely be on the front foot.

So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch Egypt vs Iran for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

How to watch Egypt vs Iran for free

Egypt vs Iran is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

• 🇬🇧 UK: BBC iPlayer (English commentary)
• 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• 🇮🇪 Ireland: RTÉ Player (English commentary)
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: NOS
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• 🇹🇷 Turkey: TRT

Abroad? Can't access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN – more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch Egypt vs Iran live streams

It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual Egypt vs Iran stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:

How to watch Egypt vs Iran in the US

US viewers can watch Egypt vs Iran on FS1 and Telemundo (Spanish comms).

You can watch every World Cup game on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo, which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch Egypt vs Iran on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is available via Peacock as well.

Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).

How to watch Egypt vs Iran in the UK

UK customers are in luck as they can stream Egypt vs Iran for free on BBC iPlayer. Live coverage is also available on the BBC Two TV channel.

You require a TV Licence and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).

Norton VPN can unlock your stream if you're abroad today.

How to watch Egypt vs Iran in Australia

Egypt vs Iran will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.

The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.

Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.

How to watch Egypt vs Iran in Canada

In Canada, TSN will be broadcasting Egypt vs Iran.

You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

Egypt vs Iran: Match Information

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

• New Zealand vs Belgium Kick-Off time: Friday, June 26 | 11pm ET / 4am BST (Sat) / 1pm AEST (Sat)
• Watch free on BBC iPlayer (UK) / SBS (AUS) / CazéTV's YouTube (Brazil)
• Unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

New Zealand and Belgium go head-to-head for the first time ever, in a crucial World Cup 2026 Group G fixture that’s a virtual knockout. The Red Devils guarantee progress with a win, while the All Whites will need other results to go their way.

Belgium may be overwhelming favorites against the 84th-ranked Kiwis, but they have blown tepid and cold so far, the goalless draw with Iran particularly dispiriting. Even their 1-1 draw against Egypt came courtesy of an own goal, sparked by Romelu Lukaku's introduction. Yet the Napoli forward and Kevin De Bruyne looked off the pace against Iran and coach Rudi Garcia will need Arsenal's Leandro Trossard on form to extend Belgium's 15-match unbeaten streak with a necessary victory.

New Zealand, meanwhile, are bottom. They let a lead slip twice against Iran in a 2-2 draw and then squandered another early advantage against Egypt, eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat. With recent form not on their side – four losses from their six games in 2026 – Darren Bazeley will hope for a stronger defensive display and rely on the likes of Chris Wood and Elijah Just to provide the goals at the other end.

New Zealand need to win to have a third-place route, while hoping Iran fail to beat Egypt if they're to finish second.

So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch New Zealand vs Belgium for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium for free

New Zealand vs Belgium is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

• 🇬🇧 UK: BBC iPlayer (English commentary)
• 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• 🇨🇦 Canada: CTV (with cable provider only)
• 🇮🇪 Ireland: RTÉ Player (English commentary)
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: NOS
• 🇳🇿 New Zealand: TVNZ
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• 🇹🇷 Turkey: TRT

Abroad? Can't access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN – more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch New Zealand vs Belgium live streams

It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual New Zealand vs Belgium stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in the US

US viewers can watch New Zealand vs Belgium on Fox and Telemundo (Spanish comms).

You can watch every World Cup game on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo, which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch New Zealand vs Belgium on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is available via Peacock as well.

Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in the UK

UK customers are in luck as they can stream New Zealand vs Belgium for free on BBC iPlayer. Live coverage is also available on the BBC One TV channel.

You require a TV Licence and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).

Norton VPN can unlock your stream if you're abroad today.

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in Australia

New Zealand vs Belgium will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.

The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.

Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.

How to watch New Zealand vs Belgium in Canada

In Canada, TSN and free-to-air channel CTV will be broadcasting New Zealand vs Belgium.

You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

CTV will require your TV provider login details, but is also available via pay-TV streaming platform Crave if you want an alternative.

Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

New Zealand vs Belgium: Match Information

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

Update: Now Prime Day's over, the mini PC has risen in price. The cheapest I can find the K13 is $590 (was $900) at GMKtec.

That's twenty bucks more than its previous low price for most of the Prime Day sale. But still a significant saving. I've updated the deal block below with the new price and a link to the now expired Amazon deal. Alternatively, at Amazon, it's now priced at $680. That's the same as on Newegg, too.

In the UK, the K13 mini PC is still £539 with voucher (was £729) at Amazon.

Original article continues below

**

Looking for the best value mini PC deal for Prime Day - then this is it. The GMKtec K13 just dropped to $540 (was $950) at Amazon.

I've checked, and that's its lowest ever price. I was price-checking my live Prime Day home office deals hub when I spotted the change - previously it was priced at $570 before it got the new $540 tag.

The system itself comes equipped with Intel Ultra 7 256V processor, 16GB LPDDR5, and 512GB SSD that's expandable up to a massive 16TB thanks to dual Gen4 NVMe slots. When we benchmarked the AI mini PC in our review, we found it "a thoughtfully engineered slice of modern computing" that showcases the best of what Intel does.

Today's best GMKtec mini PC deal

Not in the US? Check below to find the best GMKtec K13 deal where you are.

In my guide to the best mini PCs, I included the K13 in the 'Also Tested category, where I highlighted its particular excellence as a mini PC for local AI and data speeds. The system is capable of 115 TOPS total AI.

There's also an ultra-fast 5 GbE LAN port and dual USB4 ports capable of daisy-chaining accessories like eGPUs, storage arrays, and capture cards.

With the RAM soldered to the board, expandability it limited to the storage - which supports dual 8TB lanes. Still, for anyone who needs 16TB total SSD capacity, this is golden.

In the final verdict of our review, we said: "if your use case is modern, efficiency-focused desktop computing, perhaps content creation, AI experimentation, clean-desk professional work, or a powerful behind-monitor media machine, then K13 makes a compelling argument. There is plenty to like here, and relatively few reasons to avoid this machine, not least the price."

Doubly so now the K13 hits a new low $540. I don't expect this one to stay at that price for long.

• See all mini PC deals at Amazon

If you want to up your coffee game at home, the Breville Bambino Plus is a fantastic addition, being compact enough to fit into any kitchen, while also being more than capable of brewing a delicious shot of espresso.

And right now it’s received a huge discount of AU$230 at Amazon, bringing it down to AU$499. That’s a great price, and normally I’d be singing its praises from the rooftops, but you can save even more by getting yourself an exclusive code from our dedicated Breville coupon page, then head directly to the maker and apply that unique one-time code at checkout.

Follow those steps and you can get the Bambino Plus for the even lower price of AU$449.10. Do note that the biggest saving only applies to the Stainless Steel, Black Truffle and Sea Salt colours. You can still get other colour options from Breville for AU$494.10 using the same discount code.

If you’ve ever thought going hands-on with an espresso machine would be too difficult to master, then the Bambino Plus is here to bust that myth. While it may look like a manual machine, it’s realistically a semi-automatic model.

You will need to adjust the grind size depending on whether you want a single or double shot, and then tamp the coffee grounds yourself, but Breville has preset the machine to grind the optimum amount each time.

To make things even easier, it benefits from the company’s Auto MilQ system to automatically foam milk, whether it be dairy or plant-based. To be honest, I was a little surprised to learn it had this feature, as I thought it would have been reserved for Breville’s more expensive models.

Our Breville Bambino Plus review gave it a strong 4.5 stars out of five when we originally put it through its paces. We called it a “fantastic machine that’s packed with smart features to help you make the smoothest and professional-looking coffee around”. We appreciated the fast heat-up time and the level of customisation on offer.

As with any coffee machine, you’ll need to keep on top of maintenance to keep it working at its best, and it won’t suit pod users, but that’s all there is to criticise. For many people, it’ll be one of the best espresso machines you can buy if you want a capable and more affordable choice compared to some premium options.

• Huawei claims backup compression ratios reaching an extraordinary 90:1 level
• Patented algorithms sit at the centre of Huawei's reduction strategy
• Four separate reduction stages shrink data before long-term storage

Huawei has unveiled a hardware compression card claiming a data reduction ratio reaching as high as 90:1 under suitable workloads.

The figure applies specifically to backup data carrying high redundancy, such as daily full virtual machine backups accumulated over time.

Huawei says this result sits 20% higher than the leading alternative currently available across the enterprise storage market.

A patented algorithm built around a nonlinear transformation

The card forms part of Huawei's all-flash OceanProtect Backup Storage systems, including two newly announced models, the X8100 and X9100.

Compression relies on a proprietary algorithm family Huawei calls HZU, described by the company as using a fast nonlinear transformation paired with lightweight context prediction methods.

Huawei says this approach outperforms the long-established Lempel-Ziv compression paradigm, boosting the achievable compression ratio by roughly 30% under comparable conditions.

The dynamic technique is patented, covering both the deduplication and compression methods used throughout Huawei's wider backup architecture.

Selecting the most suitable algorithm depends heavily on the specific backup policy and underlying data types involved in each deployment.

Earlier generation OceanProtect systems achieved a comparatively modest 72:1 reduction ratio, meaning the newly announced generation also runs up to 50% faster.

Reduction pipeline relies on dense SSD deployment

Reduction happens across four distinct stages, beginning with preprocessing designed to clean incoming data before further processing occurs.

This is followed by multi-layer, inline, and variable-length deduplication, then HZBC compression, and finally byte-level compaction applied to whatever data remains.

The compression card additionally offloads up to 22% of processing demand away from the backup system's main CPU during operation.

That offload matters because OceanProtect systems rely on all-flash media rather than cheaper disk-based alternatives for storage.

Huawei specifically uses QLC storage media paired with an adaptive SLC zone reserved for frequently accessed hot data.

This combination is intended to support faster data recovery once backups eventually need restoring during outages.

Since SSD capacity costs considerably more than disk per terabyte, squeezing more effective storage out of the same physical drives directly improves the economics of an all-flash backup system.

In that sense, the compression algorithm and the SSD architecture work together, with the algorithm doing the actual reduction and the flash media determining why that reduction pays off.

Prospective customers will likely need to test the OceanProtect platform directly against their own backup data sets.

Whether customers experience reductions approaching 90:1 will likely depend heavily on datasets, retention policies, and real-world deployment conditions.

Via Blocksandfiles

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #1 - Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1615) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1615) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1615, are…

• PRINT
• MARRY
• SADLY
• BICEP

An easier game for me today and my third consecutive win after a bad run.

I guessed MARRY yesterday and it was wrong but today I felt more confident with it thanks to the position of the letter A.

Daily Sequence today (game #1615) - the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1615, are…

• FROCK
• PAUSE
• WALTZ
• COUCH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER
• Quordle #1596, Monday, 8 June: CURSE, DROVE, SNOWY, DEBUG

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• TRACE
• FATAL
• DICE
• STONE
• TENT
• CONFUSE

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #846) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #846) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #846, are…

• PENTHOUSE
• STUDIO
• LOFT
• FLAT
• CONDO
• EFFICIENCY
• SPANGRAM: APARTMENTS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I was able to breeze around this board after spotting PENTHOUSE almost immediately — this isn’t strictly true, I spotted “house” first then saw the “pent” attached to it.

This game also featured some nice non-game words including an alternative form of accommodation for people who cannot afford APARTMENTS.

The only place I struggled was with EFFICIENCY — a term I wasn’t familiar with, as this type of small one-person apartment is called a “bedsit” in the UK, as featured in the superb 1981 synth pop hit Bedsitter by Soft Cell, which superbly sums up the single life of Bedsit Land.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 26, game #845)

• PASS
• HORNS
• THREE
• BROTHERS
• TROLL
• BRIDGE
• SPANGRAM: BILLYGOATSGRUFF

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1112) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CATWALK
• FOXTROT
• CREDIT CARD
• COLLECTION
• BOARDWALK
• DESIGNER
• ENVELOPE
• CROSSWALK
• FIREWALK
• INCOME TAX
• BILLIARD BALL
• MODEL
• SHORT LINE
• DECANTER
• WATER WORKS
• BARBER POLE

NYT Connections today (game #1112) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Featured in a property game
• GREEN: Elements of a style parade
• PURPLE: Equine movement
• BLUE: All feature bands across them

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1112) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: MONOPOLY SQUARES
• GREEN: COMPONENTS OF A FASHION SHOW
• PURPLE: ENDING IN HORSE GAITS
• BLUE: COMMONLY STRIPED THINGS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1112) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1112, are…

• YELLOW: MONOPOLY SQUARES BOARDWALK, INCOME TAX, SHORT LINE, WATER WORKS
• GREEN: COMPONENTS OF A FASHION SHOW CATWALK, COLLECTION, DESIGNER, MODEL
• PURPLE: ENDING IN HORSE GAITS DECANTER, ENVELOPE, FIREWALK, FOXTROT
• BLUE: COMMONLY STRIPED THINGS BARBER POLE, BILLIARD BALL, CREDIT CARD, CROSSWALK

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

Another appearance for FOXTROT after it featured in a group of DANCE STYLES a few days ago. This time it was really tricky, as I spotted the link with DECANTER but the four words ending in “walk” made it difficult to commit to my hunch that we were looking for a group about different types of horse movement.

Scared of making multiple mistakes I went down a different route and connected the four STRIPED THINGS then COMPONENTS OF A FASHION SHOW.

With just eight tiles left I still had two tiles ending in "walk" to guess between and managed to pick the wrong one.

A really sneaky game, this one and one that was especially difficult for those of us outside the US, like myself in the UK, who have different MONOPOLY SQUARES..

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, June 26, game #1111)

• YELLOW: CRUNCHY SNACK ITEM CHIP, CRACKER, NUT, PRETZEL
• GREEN: VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF WOOD BOARD, LOG, SPLINTER, TREE
• BLUE: AREAS OF LOW GROUND DALE, DELL, GORGE, HOLLOW
• PURPLE: COLORS PLUS A LETTER BRONZER, PINKY, REDO, TANG

Is it just me, or has Prime Day flown by this year? Maybe it's because I've been tracking all the best deals alongside my colleagues, but even on the fourth and final day of Amazon's member-only savings event, I have good news.

If you're a Lego Star Wars fan, it's especially good news. I've rounded up the best Prime Day deals still available on sets from a galaxy far, far away, including discounts on three of my favorite Lego Star Wars builds ever.

• Shop the full Amazon Prime Day sale here

First up is a classic: the Lego Star Wars R2-D2 set, which lets you build the iconic astromech droid, now 20% off at $79.99. It's also a fantastic gift for any Star Wars fan. Lego's buildable C-3PO is discounted on the final day of Prime Day as well, alongside Chopper. You'll also find savings on battle packs for recreating moments from Mandalore and The Clone Wars, plus buildable starfighters.

Just remember that Prime Day 2026 comes to a close when the clock strikes midnight on June 26, so there's no telling whether these deals will stick around afterward.

The best Prime Day Lego Star Wars deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Whether AI will replace existing jobs by automating the functions of human employees, or somehow lead to new jobs in the future, is debated to death. Regardless, the AI buildout and rollout is now underway. And in an ocean of AI pessimism, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang is relatively bullish on the future of human labour.

Software development in the age of AI

Speaking at GTC 2026, the Nvidia chief attempted to bulldoze over pessimistic views that AI will lead to job losses by arguing that productive companies keen to grow will wield AI as a productivity tool.

By doing so, he suggested, companies can become more productive rather than scale back on staff like engineers altogether. Tech like agentic AI, similarly, may need massive teams of people to manage, configure and operate.

Huang isn't alone in this view, with Gartner even suggesting that after the temporary disruption caused by the AI rollout, the technology will be responsible for the creation of more jobs in the future.

The white-collar cull

This thinking defies much of the received wisdom that has arisen about AI's impact on the labor market – and really stems from parallels drawn with the industrial revolution in the 1800s, when critics – known as the Luddites – levied the same charges against the emerging technologies of the time.

Despite Huang's optimism, the cold, hard reality in the labor market of today – rather than some hypothetical idealistic scenario in the future – is that AI is being cited as the main factor behind job losses, redundancies and restructures.

In 2025, for example, while there was an uptick in the number of vacancies for senior or specialized engineers, entry-level and junior roles were decimated, with Crunchbase tracking the number of roles that disappeared.

It's the last day of Amazon's four-day Prime Day event, and if you haven't pulled the trigger on an OLED display, now is the time.

• Shop Amazon's full Prime Day sale

As TechRadar's deals editor specializing in TVs, I've been very impressed with this year's offers, thanks to record-low prices I haven't seen since Black Friday. You can save up to $1,600 on best-rated OLED TVs from brands like Samsung, LG, and Sony.

The best Prime Day deal by far is LG's 65-inch C5 OLED TV on sale for $1,099.99, which is a whopping $1,600 discount and a new record-low price. The LG C5 is TechRadar's best-rated TV; it delivers an exceptional picture experience, impressive gaming features, and a comprehensive smart platform.

Keep in mind that Amazon's Prime Day ends tonight at Midnight, which means you have hours left to score a gorgeous new OLED display at a must-have low price. You must be an Amazon Prime member to gain access to today's deals, and if you aren't already a member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.

Ending soon — the best Prime Day OLED TV deals

Shop more of today's best Prime Day deals

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

• Watch World Cup in Spain: DAZN Spain (19.99)
• FREE streams on RTVE in Spain (Selected games only)
• Use Norton VPN to watch anywhere when travelling abroad

In Spain, your easiest option for streaming World Cup 2026 is DAZN, which is showing all 104 'Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026' matches live for €19.99.

Spanish national public broadcaster RTVE has the rights to screen 33 matches for free, including all of Spain's matches, so you can stream some of the tournament at no cost.

But the story doesn't end there. If you are visiting Spain from another country, you may be able to watch and stream the entire World Cup for free – with a good VPN.

Not all VPNs work for this; free ones are useless and have data caps. Even some premium VPNs struggle, we find.

Visiting Spain from another country? We suggest using Norton VPN to watch your home streams from Spain – or anywhere else, when traveling abroad.

With Spain in the knockout stages, we'll show you how to watch the FIFA 2026 World Cup in Spain, from anywhere and potentially for free.

Use a VPN to watch any World Cup 2026 stream

If you're travelling in other countries during the World Cup, you might have trouble accessing streams and broadcasts from your home region.

A VPN can help get around geo-blocking. Any of the best VPNs will enable you to connect to servers in other countries quickly and securely, letting you tune into your local coverage wherever you are.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here’s why:

• How to watch the World Cup in Portugal

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

Amazon Prime Day is almost over, so don't miss out on the excellent deals on Fire TV devices — including the Fire TV Sticks, and also Amazon's own-brand TVs, which used to be called Fire TVs but are now called the Ember range. This Prime Day has been especially good for this stuff, because you can get the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for just $17.99 (down from $34.99) or the top-tier Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $34.99 (down from $59.99).

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

The other impressive deal this year is the discount on Amazon's answer to Samsung's The Frame art TV — it's called the Ember Artline, comes with a stylish frame in the box (unlike Samsung's), and you don't need a subscription to access art to display on it.

Most importantly, the 65-inch version is now down to just $899 (from $1,099), while the 55-inch Ember Artline is down to $699 (from $899). Don't miss out and kick yourself later watching your artless TV…

In the UK? Scroll down for the best UK deals

Today's best Fire TV deals in the US

Today's best AirPods deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: up to 25% off SSDs & games
• Grand Theft Auto 6: pre-order now
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• Uruguay vs Spain Kick-Off time: Saturday, June 27 | 1am BST / 8pm ET (Fri) / 10am AEST
• Watch free on ITV (UK) / SBS (AUS) / CazéTV's YouTube (Brazil)
• Unlock your free streams with Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

Spain will aim to reinforce their status as pre-tournament favorites by clinching top spot in Group H when they face Uruguay in Guadalajara – and you can live stream the FIFA World Cup 2026 clash around the world for free.

La Roja's shock goalless draw with Cape Verde already feels like a distant memory after they thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta. Any fears of Spain's tournament going off the rails were dispelled within 24 minutes as the Euro 2024 champions raced to a 3-0 lead, courtesy of Mikel Oyarzabal's double and a Lamine Yamal strike. The teenage superstar scored inside 10 minutes of his first World Cup start and already looks up to speed after a hamstring injury. A draw for Spain should realistically be enough to top the group and set up a last-32 fixture against Austria or Algeria.

Uruguay start the evening second in Group H, but they could end it anywhere between first and (a fairly unlikely) fourth. A victory would leapfrog them above Spain into top spot – providing Cape Verde don't beat Saudi Arabia by a greater margin – while a draw may be enough via the third-place route. A defeat, however, would leave the two-time winners booking the first flight home. Marcelo Bielsa's struggling side have not impressed thus far in draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

So, read on as we show you exactly how to watch Uruguay vs Spain for free from anywhere in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

How to watch Uruguay vs Spain for free

Uruguay vs Spain is available to watch for free in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

• 🇬🇧 UK: ITV (English commentary)
• 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF / VRT
• 🇮🇪 Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: NOS
• 🇪🇸 Spain: RTVE
• 🇺🇾 Uruguay: Canal 5
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play
• 🇹🇷 Turkey: TRT

Abroad? Can't access your free stream? Unblock your free World Cup stream with Norton VPN — more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch Uruguay vs Spain live streams

It’s the World Cup, and if you’re traveling, you might discover your usual Uruguay vs Spain stream is suddenly unavailable due to geo-restrictions.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:

How to watch Uruguay vs Spain in the US

US viewers can watch Uruguay vs Spain on Fox and Telemundo (Spanish comms).

You can watch every World Cup game on Fox, FS1 and Telemundo, which are available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Those looking for a streaming service instead can watch Uruguay vs Spain on Fox One (3-day free trial). Telemundo is available via Peacock as well.

Visiting the US from the UK? You can still watch your World Cup stream for free thanks to Norton VPN (try for 60 days).

How to watch Uruguay vs Spain in the UK

UK customers are in luck as they can stream Uruguay vs Spain for free on ITV. Live coverage is on ITV1 and ITVX.

You require a TV license and a valid UK postcode for an account (e.g. SE1 7PB).

Norton VPN can unlock your stream if you're abroad today.

How to watch Uruguay vs Spain in Australia

Uruguay vs Spain will be shown for free in Australia on SBS On Demand.

The streaming platform has every game of the tournament for free, making it the perfect place for your World Cup viewing.

Traveling for work or on holiday? A VPN like Norton VPN can help unlock your free stream.

How to watch Uruguay vs Spain in Canada

In Canada, TSN will be broadcasting Uruguay vs Spain.

You can live stream via the TSN+ streaming platform, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year.

Outside of Canada? Use Norton VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

Uruguay vs Spain: Match Information

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

It's the last day of Prime Day, and I'm shocked this deal on Samsung's popular The Frame TV is still in stock. Amazon has the 55-inch Samsung The Frame LS03F QLED TV on sale for an incredible price of $697.99 (originally $1,097.99. That's an impressive $400 discount and the lowest price we've ever seen for the art-inspired TV.

• Shop Amazon's full Prime Day sale

The 2025 Samsung The Frame TV delivers an excellent picture thanks to the QLED display, which features Pantone-validated colors that bring images to life. The stylish set features a dedicated Art Mode, allowing you to choose from various picture frame options to display classic artwork or photography, and now comes with Streams, a complimentary set of artwork streamed from the Samsung Art Store.

While this deal is still in stock at the time of writing, Amazon's Prime Day sale ends tonight at Midnight PST. That means you just have hours left to score Samsung's stunning The Frame QLED TV at a ridiculously low price.

Last chance: Samsung's The Frame TV at a record-low price

I've listed more of Amazon's best Prime Day TV deals below, and keep in mind that you must be a Prime member to get access to today's discounts. If you aren't already a member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.

Shop more of Amazon's best Prime Day TV deals

Shop more of today's best Prime Day deals

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Prime Day may be over, but there's still several 3D printer deals around that I recommend checking out. The big one is over at Bambu Lab's site, where pro-grade and budget 3D printer prices have been slashed.

For my money, there's no beating Bambu Lab's own sale. I spent a lot of time checking deals at Amazon and beyond in the run up to the summer sale and during the Prime Day run, and honestly, nothing came close. For starters, our number one 3D printer overall, the Bambu Lab H2D is down to $1799 (was $2429) in the US, and now £1399 (was £1649) in the UK.

But there's loads to choose from, including our flawless 5-star budget 3D printer for beginners. So, if you missed out picking up a 3D printer in Amazon's sale, check out the best-performing Bambu Lab 3D printers based on our tests. For more top performers, see my guide to the best 3D printers (spoiler alert: Bambu Lab takes the top spot).

TLDR

No time to scroll? Here's our expert's verdict on the top 3.

• Bambu Lab A1 Mini. Flawless 5-star 3D printer perfect for beginners (US: $209 | UK: £259)

• Bambu Lab P2S. One of the best 3D printers for the price, it excels at mult-color printing. (US: $699 | UK: 619)

• Bambu Lab H2D. Our number one 3D printer from over 50 tests. (US: $1799 | UK: £1399)

Bambu Lab Prime Day 3D printer deals

Best for beginners & budget

Best value multi-color

Best for business & power users

• US: See all Bambu Lab 3D printer deals
• UK: See all Bambu Lab deals

Some of the most popular deals of Amazon Prime Day has been the discounts on AirPods, including AirPods 4 for $99 at Amazon (was $129), AirPods Pro 3 for $179 at Amazon (was $249) at Amazon, and AirPods Max 2 for $399 at Amazon (was $549).

However, Prime Day ends today, so these deals may end this evening as well.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

That's not confirmed — AirPods aren't labeled as Prime Day deals specifically, and they're also discounted at Walmart and Best Buy, so it's possible that all three retailers will keep these offers going past today. But what that means is that I don't know exactly when they'll end, and they definitely won't stick around for long, so my advice is to buy today if you want to buy a pair of AirPods.

Ah, but which pair? Surely the $99 pair is the most tempting? Well, I've tested them all, and I'm here to tell you to avoid the AirPods 4 today. $99 is now a pretty standard price for them, but last Black Friday, they fell to just $69. That's the price where they start to get tempting, because frankly they're just not very good value at $99 — the Nothing Ear (a) for $53.20 at Amazon (down from $79) are the better budget earbuds. They're half the price, but they sound better and have active noise cancellation.

So, maybe the AirPods 4 with ANC for $148 are a decent deal? Also no. These have fallen to $99 in the past, and that's a good price for them.

No, the only pair of earbuds here that are a stone-cold bargain are the AirPods Pro 3. Now, they fell to $169 recently, but Amazon's $179 deal is still a phenomenal price for earbuds this good — I wouldn't worry too much about the 10 bucks. If you can afford the extra $80 over the $99 AirPods 4, you'll get way more than that in extra value. If you can't stretch to that extra, that's totally fair — but again, I encourage you to get the Nothing buds and save yourself $45.

(I'm not really going to touch on the AirPods Max 2 here — they're their own thing, in their own price world, but $399 is their cheapest price to date, and is great value.)

In the UK? Scroll down for the best UK deals

Today's best AirPods deals in the US

Today's best AirPods deals in the UK

So why do I rate the AirPods Pro 3 so much better than the AirPods 4? They're better than the cheaper model in every way, offering massively better sound quality, active noise cancellation, and all the same features, plus a load of others that are genuinely useful, and complete game-changers in some cases.

Take the case, for example. AirPods Pro 3's case has a 'UWB' wireless chip, which means your iPhone can detect what direction it's in when it's lost, and can literally point you towards it, so you can see which jacket you left it in. And the case has a speaker in, which you can also trigger to help find it.

Or take the Live Translation of other languages in your ears, or the heart-rate tracking, so you can keep an eye on your fitness without a wearable.

Basically, AirPods 4 are a poor value for budget earbuds compared to the competition. AirPods Pro 3 are an excellent value for premium earbuds compared to the competition. Which means with just an $80 difference — which might easily pay for itself if the case stops you from losing them — the AirPods Pro 3 should be what everyone buys.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: up to 25% off SSDs & games
• Grand Theft Auto 6: pre-order now
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Amazon Prime Day has almost ended, and if you've already got everything on your list, there's one thing worth checking before the sale finally draws to a close: the extra perks that come with a Prime membership.

In addition to unlocking access to Prime-exclusive deals, Amazon's Prime membership also includes fantastic tie-ins to the annual mega-sale. Those include extended free trials, giveaways, and member-only promotions. After digging through the retailer's latest offers, I've found perks worth roughly $555 in total.

Highlights include lengthy free trials for Amazon Music Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible, with the latter offering up to 3 audiobooks to keep forever. That's a promotion I always shout about every Prime Day.

There are also opportunities to score free groceries, claim a complimentary GrubHub+ membership, and even earn a $200 Amazon gift card when you sign up for an Amazon Visa. There's even a promotion that gets you a $5 pizza at Little Caesars!

These offers are reserved for Prime members, but if you haven't signed up yet, you can still access them with Amazon's 30-day free trial. That also unlocks all the Prime-exclusive discounts available throughout this year's Prime Day sale.

The best Prime Day perks to claim right now

The best Amazon Prime Day deals — quick links

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Norton VPN has added support for split tunneling on MacOS as part of a wider push for feature parity across platforms and operating systems.

The feature allows users to specify the websites and apps they’d like to use Norton VPN for, while leaving the rest of their traffic untouched.

This can be useful for, say, accessing a website based in another country while streaming video content from your home region. Furthermore, some mobile banking apps or streaming services may block access entirely if a VPN is detected.

To use the new feature, open the Norton VPN app, head to the Settings tab, head to Connection Settings, and then select Split Tunneling to exclude specific apps and websites from the VPN connection.

As Norton VPN Product Lead, Himmat Bains, explained: “With Split Tunneling now available on Norton VPN for Mac, our customers have full control over which apps and websites travel through the VPN and which stay on their everyday connection.”

“This brings Mac users the same flexibility we already offer on Windows and Android,” he added.

Split tunneling is a staple feature across the best VPNs, but, despite MacOS officially supporting split tunneling, Mac users have seen slower rollouts for the feature, with some VPNs even removing split tunnel capability for years at a time.

Norton also shared that more updates are on the way for NortonVPN across various platforms, such as post-quantum encryption for its WireGuard protocol and manual IP shuffling for its iOS app.

Split tunneling and MacOS: issues and integration

Split tunneling has long been a point of contention for VPN users on macOS. While Apple’s desktop operating system does technically support split tunneling, user reports suggest that Apple services like FaceTime won’t work when a split tunnel is active.

What’s more, support for split tunneling on Mac has been inconsistent from many VPN service providers. Private Internet Access pulled split tunneling support from its MacOS VPN app between 2021 and 2024, after Apple removed Network Kernel Extension APIs from macOS Big Sur.

While split tunneling capability returned to MacOS in 2022, VPN providers have been cautious in rolling out the feature. ExpressVPN, for example, only introduced split tunneling at the end of 2025.

Where split tunneling is implemented, it may have limitations not present on Windows or Linux computers. Mullvad VPN introduced split tunneling in 2024, with the caveat that it could not exclude Safari or Apple’s WebKit API from VPN connections.

And some of the best VPNs on the market still don’t offer split tunneling for macOS at all, including our pick for the best VPN overall, NordVPN.

We're into the dying embers of Amazon Prime Day now, but there's still just enough time to grab an incredible tech deal. And if you've been considering snapping up a new phone, then you're in luck — because the entire Google Pixel 10 line is on sale. However, it's worth me being upfront here: there's only one Pixel 10 model I'd recommend buying right now, and that's the Google Pixel 10a.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Right now, the Google Pixel 10a is just $399 (was $499) at Amazon US — that's the version with 128GB of storage, for reference. The 10a is also on sale in the UK, and while the 128GB version is cheaper, I simply have to recommend the 256GB variant of the Google Pixel 10a for £455 (was £599) at Amazon.

Why would I recommend the 10a over all of its siblings? Well, we're expecting the Google Pixel 11 and 11 Pro (not the 11a) to launch soon — most likely in or around August 2026 — after which point you may as well either pick the upgrade or get an even better discount on the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro.

For me, then, it has to be the Google Pixel 10a, which is available at a fantastic low price in the soon-to-end Prime Day sale, and offers excellent all-around performance for a budget device. If you're interested in finding out more about these deals, scroll on down.

Today's best Google Pixel 10a deal in the US

Today's best Google Pixel 10a deal in the UK

In our Google Pixel 10a review, we praised the phone's 6.3-inch Actua display, its 5,100mAh battery capacity, and its vibrant, eye-catching aesthetic.

But don't be fooled. Although this isn't a premium handset, it performs pretty nicely as well. Its Tensor G4 processor is more than up to the task of handling everyday activity, whether that be scrolling social media, playing mobile games, or streaming video content. The Pixel 10a is also commendable for snapping photos, with the 48MP main and 13MP ultra-wide cameras supplying clear, detailed, and color-accurate images time after time.

It was released a bit later than the standard Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, so not only is the 10a the newest in its line, it's also the most affordable. And if you want one of the best budget-friendly phones around at an incredible low price, then look no further than these awesome Prime Day deals.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: up to 25% off SSDs & games
• Grand Theft Auto 6: pre-order now
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• Lenovo has said that RAM prices will likely "never" fall back to pre-crisis levels
• The company also predicted a "new normal" for memory pricing from 2030 onwards
• Microsoft expects the cost of memory to double in just over a year

If you were hoping we might get to the weekend without any more bad news on the RAM front, that hope is about to be crushed courtesy of Lenovo and Microsoft — and there's a side serving of blame for Apple, too.

First off, as German tech site ComputerBase reports (via Wccftech), over at ISC 2026 — the high-performance computing, AI, and quantum conference in Germany — Lenovo said that RAM prices will likely "never" fall back to the pre-crisis levels of a year ago, even after the bolstering of chip production output that's coming (from 2028 onwards).

Lenovo seemingly said "never," accompanied by some on-stage laughter, according to ComputerBase, and the tech site (bearing in mind translation nuances) clarifies that this is really referring to the next five years (or maybe a bit more) for the RAM industry, and not an 'absolute' future.

However, the report then goes on to mention that Lenovo sees a "new normal" from 2030 onwards with significantly higher prices than pre-crisis levels — even given increased production.

On top of that, Microsoft just announced hefty price increases for Xbox consoles driven by the RAM crisis. The firm stated, "Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x, and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027."

Ouch. Microsoft underlined that the memory price hikes are especially painful for console makers, as these devices are typically sold at a (slight) loss, as the revenue is made up in game sales (and subscriptions).

Lastly, Wccftech also spotted that Micron has fired some flak at Apple, although the memory chip maker didn't name Tim Cook's firm specifically, but it's clear enough where the shot was aimed. As Rolfe Winkler, who reports for the Wall Street Journal, explains in a post on X: "Tim Cook says the memory guys are at fault for Apple raising prices. A Micron executive I interviewed last night pointed the finger right back."

Sumit Sadana, who is Chief Business Officer at Micron, informed Winkler, "We told a couple of the customers who were being very aggressive with pricing at that time that this is not constructive." The argument here might be that partners (presumably Apple) pressing Micron on the price of their RAM hurt Micron's bottom line and ability to invest in more production capacity.

Analysis: double, double toil and trouble

Although it's difficult to weigh up the exact meaning of Lenovo's comments on the RAM crisis at ISC, it's clear enough that the PC giant believes the future looks very rocky. At best, pricing looks like it's in trouble until the early 2030s, and there's likely to be a 'new normal' coming into play here for that next decade.

While there appears to be some joking around prices "never" coming back down to the levels they were before the crisis, I think there's a fair chance that they actually won't. When the cost of a product goes up to such an extent as we've seen with RAM (and storage), it's feasible that it won't ever quite normalize. Okay, so maybe we'll see some curveballs that throw things out of whack — like the AI bubble bursting, or at least deflating a good deal — but I'm increasingly doubtful about the prospect of any relief.

Microsoft predicting a further doubling of memory pricing in not much more than a year is a painful prediction to hear, too.

I'm not going to dive full-tilt into the gloom here, though, because as I've said before, at least in the consumer space, RAM prices can only go so high before a ceiling is hit, which means most people will simply refuse to pay the asking prices. And thankfully, there have also been a couple of glimmers of hope this week: Asus predicted that its products won't be hiked by as much in the second half of 2026 (but they'll still go up), and there was a rumor aired that memory chip giant SK Hynix may switch production away from AI-targeted RAM (HBM) to conventional RAM sticks, at least to an extent.

I wouldn't get swept away with any optimism just yet, though, because for now, as these latest developments in the memory crisis underline, the pervading sentiment around the future remains largely negative.

If you've been thinking about upgrading your TV, then today might be a good time to do so. The official Samsung Store is hosting a massive summer sale this week, and it features some of the first real price cuts on the brand's 2026 lineup of TVs.

Highlights include the new 65-inch RH85H Micro RGB for $2,299 (was $2,799), the excellent value 75-inch QN80H Neo-QLED for $1,599 (was $2699), and the 65-inch S95H OLED for $2,999 (was $3,399). That latter pick is a particular highlight for us because it's the update to one of our favorite TVs of 2025.

- Check out Samsung's summer sale in full

If the newest, shiniest Samsung TVs are a little too pricey for your tastes, then we'd highly recommend a few of today's listings on older displays, too. Just below you can see a selection of both 2026 and slightly older models. Take note, however, the older stock is shifting quickly today, and it looks like these are clearance deals, more or less.

It's also worth saying that it's hard to say how much longer the Samsung summer sale will last. This week's deals are similar to those offered over at Amazon's massive Prime Day sale, but that's due to end tonight at Midnight. Fingers crossed these Samsung TV deals stick around for a few days longer!

2026 Samsung TVs on sale

Older Samsung TVs on sale

Huge Samsung sale — quick links

• Appliances: 4th of July sales on ranges, refrigerators, washers
• Phones: record-low price on the Galaxy S26 series
• Tablets: $400 off Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
• TVs: up to $1,700 off OLED and Neo QLED TVs

Want to score some last-minute savings before Amazon Prime Day 2026 draws to a close? I’ve found 12 board games for under $20 that you can shop right now — though the deals won’t last much longer.

What’s more, these aren’t cheap but ultimately terrible games; these are some really solid picks with options to suit any occasion — with my personal favorites being Herd Mentality, Monopoly Big Deal, and Cheers to the Governor.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

There are party picks like Throw Throw Burrito and The Cameleon, which are ideal for larger groups of all ages; meanwhile, Twisted Cryptids and Exploding Kittens require a little more strategy if you want to secure victory.

Plus, several picks on this list come in small boxes, making them ideal travel games to take with you on your summer vacation — and all of them make excellent ice breakers if you’re heading off to college when the summer’s over.

Best of all, as I said in the intro, none of them will set you back more than $20, though that promise is only true while Prime Day deals are still live.

12 board games under $20

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Great news, 4K Blu-ray fans and physical media collectors — the huge Criterion Collection half-price sale is back again. This is the month-long sale, which will run until late July — but given how many tempting buys Criterion has, you're going to need that whole month to make your list and then whittle it down.

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

As usual for Criterion, Barnes & Noble is the main host of the sale, but Amazon has discs at half price too. The sale at Amazon is a lot more limited than at Barnes & Noble — several titles are half price, but some are most like 35% off when they're fully 50% off at B&N. And Amazon's range is more limited than B&N's. But I've included Amazon since many people are already buying things there for Amazon Prime Day (while it lasts — it ends tonight), so I thought maybe you just want to slip that disc you've been eyeing up into your basket…

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Below, I've picked out 12 discs I think are especially tempting from the sale, but obviously there are no duds in the Criterion Closet, so you'll probably want to have a look through the whole sale using these links.

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale — quick links

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale: 12 titles I'd recommend

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

You can find all manner of deals during Amazon Prime Day, but you can always count on the eponymous retail giant to knock a decent amount off its own range of smart home devices — its Echo Dot speakers being one of them.

My humble little Echo Pop is still working and for the most part, its performance and features are satisfactory, but I feel a change is coming, and that change might just be the Echo Dot 5th Gen — one of the best smart speakers you can get.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Some Prime Day discounts can be restricted to the US and UK respectively, but that's not the case for the Echo Dot. Amazon US has knocked $20 off taking the smart speaker to a reasonable $29.99 (was $49.99), and Amazon UK has a similar offer, with the speaker going for £28.49 (was £54.99).

Today's best Echo Dot (5th Gen) deals

The bog-standard Echo Pop has been my loyal smart home companion for a few years and while it's done me good, I fear that it's served its time. If you're in the same boat as me, the Echo Dot 5th Gen could be the answer.

The main upgrades with this Echo Dot is the room temperature sensor, which is a great for customizing your Alexa routines — you can get the smart speaker to run certain functions when your room reaches a particular temperature. For example, if it gets too hot and you need some shield from the sun, you could set it to control your smart blinds to correspond with the heat changes.

Although it's a significant upgrade from other basic smart speakers, the Echo Dot is still a simple and easy-to-use model which is perfect if you don't enjoy spending loads of time getting used to a new piece of tech in your home.

On the sound-front, it packs a bass that's boosted compared to its predecessor, but we did mention in our review that it's a smart speaker first, and audio system second. That said, this shouldn't be much of an issue if you're using it to fill the silence in a small space where you won't have the volume as loud as a standard Bluetooth speaker.

All-in-all, the Echo Dot 5th Gen is a solid upgrade if you've been using any of Amazon's older models until now. It also a great smart hub for connecting other devices in your smart home ecosystem, and now that the new Alexa+ voice assistant is in early access, it means you don't have to upgrade to Amazon's latest Echo Dot Max or Echo Studio to make the most of its smarts.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: up to 25% off SSDs & games
• Grand Theft Auto 6: pre-order now
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• NAIC confirmed a cyberattack exploiting an Oracle PeopleSoft zero‑day, with ShinyHunters claiming theft of 3.1TB of data
• Stolen cache allegedly includes insurer filings, credit rating files, AWS logs, configs, and PII; NAIC says only financial reports and technical data were taken
• Incident spotted June 11, disclosed June 17; files leaked online suggest NAIC did not pay ransom, as ShinyHunters continues exploiting the zero‑day across 100+ organizations

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) confirmed suffering a cyberattack that resulted in the stolen data being leaked on the dark web. While the company did not name the group responsible, or mentioned the size of the stolen cache, the infamous ShinyHunters claimed responsibility and stated they snatched around 3.1TB of information.

In a security notice published on the NAIC website, it was explained that the attackers managed to exploit a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle PeopleSoft. This is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suite, designed to help businesses manage employees, finances, supply chains, and more. Citing Google Mandiant, Cybernews says ShinyHunters first started exploiting the zero-day on May 27, and managed to compromise more than 100 organizations and 300 individuals, before Oracle finally pushed an emergency update on June 10.

Among the victims, as we now know, is NAIC, whose PeopleSoft environment was compromised, and used to obtain credentials and move laterally to internal data storage locations.

ShinyHunters step forward

Based on NAIC’s investigation, the stolen information includes publicly available statutory financial reports, insurer investment credit rating data, and some technical information such as outdated logs and configuration files. There is no evidence that personal information, banking information, or payment data was accessed, it said.

NAIC spotted the attack on June 11 and immediately launched its incident response protocol, which includes notifying law enforcement, blocking malicious actors, and bringing in third-party security experts. The Commission disclosed the incident on June 17, a day before ShinyHunters went public.

The notorious ransomware gang claims to have taken more than 264,000 insurer regulatory filing documents, 2,000 customer and bulk orders containing personally identifiable information, some 45,000 files from major credit rating agencies, statutory annual and quarterly financial statements submitted by insurers, production AWS infrastructure logs, cloud configuration files, and workload automation data, and SQL scripts.

Since the files were seemingly leaked online, it’s safe to assume that NAIC did not (want to) pay the ransom demand.

Via Cybernews

Le Creuset stoneware is exquisite, but as much as I love my coffee, I can't usually justify the cost. That's why I was so excited to see a whole rainbow of coffee mugs and espresso cups in the Amazon Prime Day sale. I'll need to be quick though, because these lovely cups will shoot back up to full price when Prime Day ends at midnight.

• Shop the whole Amazon Prime Day sale
• See all Prime Day deals on Le Creuset

Personally I'm particularly fond of the Bamboo colour, which would be a near-perfect match for my kitchen walls, but I'm also very taken with daffodil-yellow Nectar, which would make a lovely contrast.

Need something to fill your cup with? I test over a dozen coffee makers every year at TechRadar, so take a look at our roundup of the best espresso machines. There's one for every home barista, and I promise you'll find something perfect for your kitchen.

A stoneware rainbow

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99